A wise man once said (or sang): "The waiting is the hardest part."

As the arrival of the inaugural season approaches, Alliance of American Football fans are inching closer toward the edge of their respective seats. Months ago, the first-year professional league began teasing to its mobile app, which led to considerable buzz.

Now, two days before the first game in league history, the app has finally been made available. Leading up to its release, fans' anticipation of its unveiling took on more of a nervous energy.

All part of the plan, according to AAF co-founder and CEO Charlie Ebersol.

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“The thing that’s unique (about the AAF), the football and the technology, they’re both built on the same company, but they’re on different life cycles,” he told The Commercial Appeal this week, without revealing the exact moment they plan to drop the app. “The technology, we’re going to slow-drip that out.”

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Expectations surrounding the app, its features and its capabilities are high. Understandable considering the information that was leaked heretofore. Perhaps the most attractive aspect is the ability for fans to place bets on most everything related to the on-field product.

Bettors are expected to be able to wager on data produced by players wearing sensors that the company's tech team will collect, relay and use to immediately update in-game gambling odds. The in-game betting option is part of a three-year pact that makes MGM Resorts the official sports betting sponsor and exclusive gaming partner of the AAF. The agreement with MGM comes in the wake of the May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that effectively gives state legislatures the ability to legalize sports wagering at their own discretion.

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But Ebersol said there is a carefully refined strategy he and his executive team will use in terms of the app's rollout.

"We're launching this weekend," he said. "But my goal is to take baby steps early on with the technology so people can get used to seeing something they've never seen before. We want people to get used to the app before we start throwing a whole bunch of other features at them."

The first version of the AAF's app will offer fans three basic features, according to Ebersol: the ability to livestream games for free, watch a fully animated version of the game ("Imagine 'Madden' meets 'Angry Birds' that's fully real-time.") and engage in games where users can, for example, guess the next play, win points and level up.

"But we'll roll out a bunch of features over the next three months," Ebersol said. "By the time you get to the championship (in April), (the app) won't look like what it looks like on day one. What we're trying to do is such a departure from the standard in the marketplace, that you do have to go through an adoption process. We don't want to overload people to the point of paralysis of analysis."

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AAF officials for inaugural season

Rod Amarri (H) – Pac 12

Cravonne Barrett (H) – Pac 12

Grantis Bell (B) – SEC

Brett Bergman (L) – Big 10

Tra Blake (R) - ACC

Mark Butterworth (Replay)

Scott Campbell (U) – Big 12

James Carter (R) – SEC

Max Causey (F) – Conference USA

Maia Chaka (L) – Conference USA

Saleem Choudhry (Replay)

Brandon Cruse (R) – Big 12

Jimmy Debell (B) – Conference USA

Robin DeLorenzo (L) – MAC

Tony Eaton (L) – Conference USA

Ed Feaster (U) – Big 10

Anthony Fleming (F) – Big 12

Glen Fucik (F) – SEC

Daniel Gauetraux (F) – Conference USA

Quentin Givens (L) – Big 12

Eric Hartman (S) – ACC

Jeff Heaser (R) – ACC

Patrick Holt (H) – Big 10

Nate Jones (S) – Pac 12

Dale Keller (H) – Pac 12

Terry Killens (U) – ACC

Glenn King (Replay)

Jason Larrew (S) – Conference USA

Lopinto (Swing replay)

Robert Lu (Replay)

Tony Meyer (F) – Conference USA

Michael Morton (U) – ACC

Mike Moten (U) – SEC

Justin Nelson (B) – Pac 12

Jimmy Oldham (Replay)

John O'Neill (R) – Big 10

Maurice Pierre (S) – Conference USA

Clay Reynard (S) – Pac 12

David Ross (B) – Pac 12

Jimmy Russell (B) – SEC

Amanda Sauer-Cook (C) – MAC

Adam Savoie (C) – ACC

Tab Slaughter (U) – Big 12

Larry Smith (C) – Big 10

Reggie Smith (R) – Big 12

Chris Snead (C) – SEC

Frank Steratore (S) – Big 10

Tripp Sutter (H) – Big 10

Ron Turner (C) – Sun Belt

Terri Valenti (Replay)

Lo van Pham (F) – Big 12

Francisco Villar (C) – Pac 12

Tyree Walton (B) – Mountain West

Andy Warner (L) – Big 12

James Wharrie (H) – Pac 12

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