Another USFL/XFL for 2008

[Stormontheplains]

Cuban is such a hicky on a but wrinkle


http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6863932?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10035



The NFL may be the most successful league in the country, but that doesn't mean it's without competition.

Bill Hambrecht, a Wall Street businessman, and Tim Armstrong, a senior executive at Google, have decided to start up a rival football league, the United Football League, according to a report on the New York Times web site Wednesday.
For those worried that the UFL will lack name recognition, Hambrecht and Armstrong already have one owner lined up: Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

And though the league is having a difficult time finding other owners, it appears Cuban is committed to the plan. The league intends to play its first preseason games in August of 2008.

And where will the league find the talent necessary to attract fans?

"(Former NFL coach) Bill Walsh used to tell me that the last 20 players cut from every team were almost interchangeable with the last 20 players to make the team," Hambrecht says.

So far, the UFL has decided to put teams in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Mexico City. Cuban, unsurprisingly, is considering buying the team in Vegas, according to the report.

[Dr. Broncenstein]

I can't wait to never watch it.

[Stormontheplains]

Maybe if Cuban goes off on the football field, somebody will finally beat him senseless.

[scorpio]

I think that if properly marketed it's a good idea, and that Walsh was right about the talent, but competing head-to-head with the NFL is suicide.

A league starting in like May or June would have a much better chance for success I think.

[bronco militia]

there's no league without a TV deal

[Taco John]

I can't wait to never watch it.

:spit:


:notworthy

[Clockwork Orange]

Great, more referees for Cuban to bitch about.

[Taco John]

Even though the good Doc's comment is effectively the end of the thread for me, I just have to comment on the brilliance of this plan...

The whole "last 20 players are interchangable with the previous 20 players" bit is priceless, except for the fact that it's not the last 20 players of any roster that people are willing to spend their time (and of course, money) to see. It's the top 5 of any given NFL roster that make the NFL what it is.

That said, I have to believe that the idea they have is to become a farm system for the NFL. Why else would they admit that they're scraping the bottom of the NFL barrel.

[BigPlayShay]

LOL now watch the NFL expand the roster to 65 players and the practice squad to 12 players. Now find your bottom 20 players.

[Hotrod]

there's no league without a TV deal

Yep end of story

[Hogan11]

Well....at least it'll be better than the AFL.....not that that is any mean feat.

[Hogan11]

I think that if properly marketed it's a good idea, and that Walsh was right about the talent, but competing head-to-head with the NFL is suicide.

A league starting in like May or June would have a much better chance for success I think.

A spring league would work I think once it was solidified...no one likes constant relocation of franchises or almost total overhauls of rosters. If it stayed away from the insane desire to compete head to head with the NFL..it would work.

[Killericon]

You know..There's been a spring football league for a long, long time.

http://www.execprom.com/licensed-to-play/CFL/images/pewter/pins/big/CFL-red-logo-pin.jpg

In other news, this will fail.

[crowebomber]

there's no league without a TV deal

Bingo. Without it you can't grow a fan base especially if they plan on putting them in big cities where there are other entertainment options.

Vegas is a stupid idea in my opinion. They have talked about putting a major sports franchise in Vegas for a while and the knock is that there are way too many other entertainment options for it to survive. If you do put something in Vegas, it better be a MLB, NFL, NBA or NHL team to garner enough hype to gain a following and tear people away from the casinos, boxing, music, strip clubs, etc.

[crowebomber]

I just did some googling and they say that this league is working to be eligible to draft players past the second round. This would be a lot like the AFL and USFL. What a mess. Can you imagine any players wanting to get drafted by one of these teams?

[The Lone Bolt]

LOL LOL LOL


Hilarious! Hilarious! Hilarious!


ROFL! ROFL! ROFL!

[rubaiyat]

LOL now watch the NFL expand the roster to 65 players and the practice squad to 12 players. Now find your bottom 20 players.

Not so hard. They mention what prevents this from being a viable strategy. Namely the salary cap realistically prevents any large increase in those player's salaries.

If you are going to have to work just as hard why not make more money doing it?

I'm always for competition so even though it is Cuban, I'm all for it. The USFL brought some interesting ideas to pro football, hopefully this is well thought out (unlike XFL) and it does the same.

[Los Broncos]

Maybe if Cuban goes off on the football field, somebody will finally beat him senseless.

Yeah really, he a loose cannon.

[BroncsRule]

A longer version of the article - goes into more detail about why they think it could work & why they don't care about a TV deal (at least to start):

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/playmagazine/0603play-business.html?ex=1338523200&en=e87310a952fa557f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[Rugby7]

It seems to me that Cuban owns a network. It's called HDTV.

[Jana®]

Intriguing...






Not.

[Rugby7]

Yeah, I actually posted something, woohoo. put that in your pipe and smoke it.

[BABronco]

Yeah, I actually posted something, woohoo. put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Congrats :thumbsup: ...

[dragondawg]

XFL was a joke, i remember instead of the coin toss the players from 2 teams have to run to get the abll and one of them broke their arm or something

[That One Guy]

I could buy into it. Prices to go see a NFL game will only keep increasing. I started watching football as a family event - we'd sit around on Sundays and each of us had picked our teams and when those teams matched up, it was a great family event.
If they keep prices cheap, which wont take much work, and keep the players heads from swelling to hot air balloons then it could definitely become a family oriented thing. I hate to think of it as minor league but minor league baseball is a fun time to take your kids out to see a ball game and enjoy some time together. I personally think that between CFL, NFLE, NFL, and Arena Football there's plenty of players and not enough talent.

[maven]

It seems to me that Cuban owns a network. It's called HDTV.

You mean HDNet?

[Florida_Bronco]

Nothing wrong with more football.

[Clockwork Orange]

Nothing wrong with more football.

There is if it's bad football.

[Florida_Bronco]

There is if it's bad football.

Well, as long as it's not too reliant on gimics (XFL) weird rules (CFL) and so forth, everything should be ok.

Basically, if they use pretty much the same rules that the NFL uses, it will be a good thing because you'll just have a league for the more "everyday" type players instead of the mega millionaire superstars in the NFL.

[That One Guy]

Well, as long as it's not too reliant on gimics (XFL) weird rules (CFL) and so forth, everything should be ok.

Basically, if they use pretty much the same rules that the NFL uses, it will be a good thing because you'll just have a league for the more "everyday" type players instead of the mega millionaire superstars in the NFL.

This is what I'm thinking as well, they could almost market them as "everyday people" rather than "not quite good enough for the NFL." Less showboating and me-first type players and more team oriented, helping out in society type role models. I just think they're destined for failure if their idea is to try and compete with the NFL with the same kind of game. My dad once said the reason he wouldn't watch Arena Football or NFL-E was that he just didn't have the time to follow another football league and unless they offer something totally different, they'll never grow the following that a guy like Cuban would want.

[Hogan11]

There is if it's bad football.

I think the Arena Football League takes care of that dept. quite effectively enough. Moving it's games to ESPN was a great move because I never see them now and don't have the slightest clue as to when they're on anymore.

[Hogan11]

This is what I'm thinking as well, they could almost market them as "everyday people" rather than "not quite good enough for the NFL." Less showboating and me-first type players and more team oriented, helping out in society type role models. I just think they're destined for failure if their idea is to try and compete with the NFL with the same kind of game. My dad once said the reason he wouldn't watch Arena Football or NFL-E was that he just didn't have the time to follow another football league and unless they offer something totally different, they'll never grow the following that a guy like Cuban would want.

Everyday people play in "semi-pro" leagues all across the country.

With Cuban involved, you can forget about the "less showboating and me-first type players and more team oriented, helping out in society type role models" as well.....it'll be more of the same "Where you can act like it's your first time in the endzone everytime" bullshat.

[BroncoInferno]

It won't work. Hell, the USFL actually managed to attract some top level talent and coaches who implemented innovative strategies, and it still could not make it past three seasons.

[TheChamp24]

The talent level IMO is going to be subpar. Can you imagine NFL 3rd and 4th string QB's starting somewhere? Yuck...

[c_lazy_r]

The talent level IMO is going to be subpar. Can you imagine NFL 3rd and 4th string QB's starting somewhere? Yuck...

Yea, but remember they will be competing against 3rd and 4th string defensive players, too.

I think the idea is OK, I just don't know if they can make it work. Personally, I like it when a guy (group) has balls big enough to compete with the big boys.

Don't forget that the AFC (AFL) was once in the same boat many moons ago.

[broncocalijohn]

You know..There's been a spring football league for a long, long time.

http://www.execprom.com/licensed-to-play/CFL/images/pewter/pins/big/CFL-red-logo-pin.jpg

In other news, this will fail.

Yes we had that crap down here in places like Sacramento. I like the cities choosen though. If LA wants to prove they can support a football team, a 20,000 plus showing would do wonders. Pick players like they did in XFL which is get as many players from local colleges or guys that are from that area. USC and UCLA players for LA team that make up at least 15% of the roster would bring the college kids and graduates to the game. Local cable TV would pick up the rights. This wouldnt be like USBL.

[broncocalijohn]

It won't work. Hell, the USFL actually managed to attract some top level talent and coaches who implemented innovative strategies, and it still could not make it past three seasons.


You dont think the NFL had a deal in that? They lost the court battle but only had to pay $1. It owuld work in places like Mexico City. Players breathing that crappy air would suffer by the 4th quarter. Just like Mile High!

If they could get refs under 45, that owuld be a great start.

[Hogan11]

The USFL would've lasted for many more seasons if they resisted the insane Trump faction to go head to head with the NFL and stayed playing in the Spring.

If they played in the latter winter to early spring in mostly non-NFL cities....avoided frequent mergers/relocations/foldings of franchises and massive roster turnovers, it would work.

Would it be at the same level as the NFL? No....but who says it has to be really? It would be better and more interesting than either the AFL, NFL Germany or CFL (the 55 yardline and three down game will never make sense to the football fan south of the border).

I'd give it a shot.....if it's based upon the same rules as the NFL without too much weirdness (like the XFL's "scramble") and other things like one foot in bound receptions, no fair catches on punt returns, etc. then really why not?