When thinking about expansion for the league, it's natural to gravitate towards international brand ideas and locations. Personally, I really like the idea of more international teams in this league since a lot of our users are from outside the United States. However, when I was trying to think of a good international team and location, I couldn't really think of anything I loved. So, I came back to the U.S. and realized that there was an obvious location that was lacking football in both the real world, and in our sim league. St. Louis, Missouri.
The reason I chose St. Louis is because of their strong historical ties to the sport of football, with their first team being created in 1923, the 4th season of the NFL. They started as the St. Louis All-Stars, but since then, they had been home to the Gunners, Cardinals, and of course, the Rams. In 2016, when the Rams left St. Louis to move back to Los Angeles, it felt as if the fans in St. Louis were being robbed of something fundamental to their city. Not only were they losing the Rams, but they were losing Football itself since a lot of fans chose not to continue supporting the team in LA. This is where the XFL stepped in. The BattleHawks were born and the city had football once again. They're team was arguably the most successful in the league, with the most followers on Twitter, Instagram, and in fan attendance. However, it's success was short lived. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the league shut down and St. Louis was held without football once again.
All of this is what makes St. Louis the perfect location for an expansion team in the NSFL. As far as team branding goes, the city has been home to many different teams in the past, so coming up with something that's unique but still holds ties to the city is important. I did some research on the city, and something that stands out to me is their history involving trading. Since they were directly on the riverfront, St. Louis had busy ports and was an important hub for connections made nationwide throughout the 19th Century. Since trade upon the riverfront held such high importance to the success of the city, honoring this history with their new football team makes sense. To trade on the rivers, and to develop these connections across the country, Steamboats were a necessity for the city. Steamboats first arrived in 1817 and they had an immediate impact on the city's trade opportunities. Steamboats helped the trade city develop and thrive throughout their early history. Therefore, my idea for an expansion team is the St. Louis Steamboats.
The reason I chose St. Louis is because of their strong historical ties to the sport of football, with their first team being created in 1923, the 4th season of the NFL. They started as the St. Louis All-Stars, but since then, they had been home to the Gunners, Cardinals, and of course, the Rams. In 2016, when the Rams left St. Louis to move back to Los Angeles, it felt as if the fans in St. Louis were being robbed of something fundamental to their city. Not only were they losing the Rams, but they were losing Football itself since a lot of fans chose not to continue supporting the team in LA. This is where the XFL stepped in. The BattleHawks were born and the city had football once again. They're team was arguably the most successful in the league, with the most followers on Twitter, Instagram, and in fan attendance. However, it's success was short lived. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the league shut down and St. Louis was held without football once again.
All of this is what makes St. Louis the perfect location for an expansion team in the NSFL. As far as team branding goes, the city has been home to many different teams in the past, so coming up with something that's unique but still holds ties to the city is important. I did some research on the city, and something that stands out to me is their history involving trading. Since they were directly on the riverfront, St. Louis had busy ports and was an important hub for connections made nationwide throughout the 19th Century. Since trade upon the riverfront held such high importance to the success of the city, honoring this history with their new football team makes sense. To trade on the rivers, and to develop these connections across the country, Steamboats were a necessity for the city. Steamboats first arrived in 1817 and they had an immediate impact on the city's trade opportunities. Steamboats helped the trade city develop and thrive throughout their early history. Therefore, my idea for an expansion team is the St. Louis Steamboats.
![[Image: ndvj4VD.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/ndvj4VD.jpeg)
