Like so many semi-pro and developmental football leagues before it, the Alliance of American Football League fell despite high expectations and favorable outlooks on its future.

The once prosperous and innovative league wasn’t even able to fund its inaugural season or it’s the super anticipated championship game.

The ending of football operations was so abrupt and such a surprise one has to wonder what could’ve ruined a league that executives swore had a bright future with many speculating Tom Dundon, known shady businessman and new chairman of the board had no intention of fulfilling his 250-million-dollar commitment to fund the AAF months prior.

The former players will not be paid for the entirety of their work, those with injuries have medical expenses that won’t be taken care of, and most were thrown out of their lodgings on a moment’s notice. Then they had to pay for their own flights home with most being stranded hundreds of miles from home.

The ways in which these players were screwed over reaks of the work of Tom Dondon who made his millions over conning those with bad credit to terrible car loans, up to 29%, in Massachusetts. Rumors are swirling that Tom Dundon bought out the AAF in the height of its financial troubles strictly for its technological side.

Hoping to profit off the gambling innovations and new waves created in phone applications by the AAF, many believe Dundon had planned to collapse the league as soon as he purchased it. While this move may not be exactly illegal the way players and associates of the league were misled and left stranded without many benefits and pay guaranteed to them definitely was.

A coalition of players have formed to sue the AAF for its wrongdoings and the case is still ongoing.

The AAF was operating on a perceived three-year plan created by Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian, the two original founders. This is noteworthy because Dundon’s actions suggest he was not willing to wait three years and invest more money at any time during his ownership of the league.

Ebersol and Polian have been very clear from the beginning about what they envisioned the AAF as. The AAF unlike its rival the XFL was never supposed to compete with the NFL.

The AAF would be somewhat of a developmental league in the spring for fringe NFL roster players hoping to make it in the fall just like what the minor league has been for MLB.

The AAF showed that their model as financially viable and the NFL and other huge corporations such as CBS had given the AAF backing and their stamps of approval.

The ending of the AAF is more of a reflection on the bad sides of business rather than a failure of a football league. Tom Dundon, certified a–hole should have hell to pay for his slimy acts but only time will tell if he ever pays his toll.