Arena Football's Arena Bowl XXXIII Is In A Mall... A Big One, But Still

I've got to be honest with you: I have been lax when it comes to keeping tabs on the Arena Football League this season… or any season.

But for those who do, Friday night is a big night. It's Arena Bowl XXXIII with the Albany Firebirds taking on the Billings Outlaws in the first Arena Bowl in this new iteration of the Arena Football League.

So, to celebrate the occasion, this edition of the Arena Bowl will be played in…

…no; that's got to be a mistake.

*Checks notes*

…a mall? Really?

Yes indeed. Arena Bowl XXXIII isn't even being played in an arena, it's being played in the American Dream Mall in New Jersey.

Uh… I don't know how to feel about this. It's either the coolest thing I've ever seen or the saddest.

On the sad end of the spectrum, it's a mall. A very cool mall, but still a mall. You never really want to be able to smell Mrs. Fields cookies or see people craning their necks to see what the hell is happening on what sure looks to be an ice rink most of the year (in fact, I believe the NWHL's Metropolitan Riveters used to play there) en route to get their iPad fixed at the Apple Store.

However, on the other side of the equation, as a fan, this would be awesome to check out. You grab yourself an Orange Julius and a slice of pizza from Sbarro then wander over and watch some arena football. If that doesn't sound like a cool Friday night to you, then we are very different people.

In the end, I think this was a smart call on the new Arena Football League's part. I don't know that we'd be talking about Arena Bowl XXXIII had they not said, "Hey, how about we play this game near some of those weird cell phone cases and cheap cologne kiosks?"