New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

Story

The UFL
Trying to go head to head with the NFL at the same time of year doesn't seem like a very good idea.

Thoughts?

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

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"(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.

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So the league's big selling point is that their best players are as good as the last special-teamers and bench-warmers to make an NFL squad?

GL.

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"(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.

[/ QUOTE ]

So the league's big selling point is that their best players are as good as the last special-teamers and bench-warmers to make an NFL squad?

GL.

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maybe they can get Ricky Williams, Chris Henry, Pacman and Mike Vick

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

[ QUOTE ]
Story

The UFL
Trying to go head to head with the NFL at the same time of year doesn't seem like a very good idea.

Thoughts?

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that seems like a terrible idea. Hell i would have watched the XFL if it wasn't so cheesy and poorly run.

Create a league to run after the pro bowl/superbowl. but have like a reality tv show/behind the scenes ala Hard Knocks to go along with each team so u can get to know the players and find guys to root for/root against

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

horrible idea.

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

I think it has potential. The biggest problem is going to be in finding players right away to give it viability early.

As mentioned in the story, they feel they will be able to pay the 2nd through 7th rounders more than the NFL could. So it would seem that some of these players might be better off going to this new league.

Right now you would have Troy Smith, Michael Bush and Steve Breaston trying to figure out if they would rather get paid a small signing bonus with the chance of making the team or be on a team, starting and starring and guaranteed to make more than they would in the NFL (by the story's accounts).
But it would take about 3 seasons (in my opinion) before you got a good depth in the league even with only 8 teams to start.

I think the idea of an IPO to generate fan interest and loyalty is a unique and novel idea. I am guessing Sickboy isn't far off and you will find some programming to try and trump up the teams as the league comes closer to starting (as that would be the very smart thing to do).

Finally, I would venture a guess to say that along with a 2nd rate cable network to get the TV rights running would be Cuban's HDNET for the 2nd best game of the week.

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

Wasn't USFL's downfall trying to go up against the NFL while the NFL was in season? This was back when the NFL's popularity was nothing compared to what it is today.

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

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Wasn't USFL's downfall trying to go up against the NFL while the NFL was in season? This was back when the NFL's popularity was nothing compared to what it is today.

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The USFL's downfall was that it was run on leveraged money and that money (leverage/loans) ran out. At least that is the reason per the article that was in the NYTimes today.

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

It looks like this might be a effort to get Cuban et al, an NFL expansion team. It's pretty coincidental that this league will have 8 teams and there are 8 divisions in the NFL.

They know that sooner or later the NFL will expand. By starting this league in expansion targeted cities they are probably hoping that a few years down the road the NFL will just incorporate them into the NFL and have 5 teams per division. Sure, it's a gamble, but if the payoff is owning an NFL team then for at least for 8 really rich guys it might be worth it.

Re: New Football League, Cuban to own a team...
 

I see no reason why a league couldn't do "ok" if it was in late or Mid March to about August or so. Americans love football, and I could probably get behind watching something that was similar to the NFL (by similar I mean, rules wise...not some Arena league hybrid knockoff). It is without question that football is king in America, as long as it doesn't try to compete with the NFL I see no reason why it couldn't have limited success.