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

Butcho22 · #1 05-30-2007, 01:45 PM

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?

JordanIB · #2 05-30-2007, 01:52 PM

[ 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.

bottomset · #3 05-30-2007, 03:40 PM

[ 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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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

Sickboy · #4 05-30-2007, 04:15 PM

[ 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?

[/ QUOTE ]

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

ThaSaltCracka · #5 05-30-2007, 04:23 PM

horrible idea.

polkaface · #6 05-30-2007, 04:27 PM

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.

Needle77 · #7 05-30-2007, 04:36 PM

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.

polkaface · #8 05-30-2007, 04:53 PM

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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.

MicroBob · #9 05-30-2007, 07:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

No.

the USFL was a spring-league. They played from Mar-Jun I believe because they didn't want to directly compete with the NFL like that.
They were going to switch to fall games at one point (New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump very much wanted this) but the league folded before they could put it in motion.

I remember watching a lot of the USFL games on ESPN with Hershel Walker and other 'stars' like Steve Young, Brian Sipe, Doug Flutie, etc.
This was before ESPN had the NFL so the USFL with Jim Simpson and Paul McGuire was a big thing for them.

Doubleheader of New Jersey Generals vs. Birmingham Stallions followed by Memphis Showboats vs. LA Express!!
Woo-hoo!!!!

As for this new league: Mark Cuban trying to put a team in Las vegas could definitely give it a chance of getting off the ground and perhaps help it do a tad better than the disastrous XFL did.

It says they are having trouble getting other league owners.
Their only chance is if Cuban sticks with it and is able to convince other guys to dive into to it too.

They list LA, LV and Mexico City as their starting cities.
So obviously they're trying to NOT compete with the NFL directly in their markets.

Makes me think they will consider also trying to place teams in other non-NFL markets with perhaps decent enough stadiums.
Some of these might include San Antonio, Oregon, Salt Lake, maybe even Memphis, Hawaii, Birmingham, Albuquerque, Fresno. That might be stretching it a bit though. I'm trying to think creatively.

But they've got to put teams somewhere. And the NFL markets aren't very likely to let some other pro-league use their city's best stadium during the season.

Butcho22 · #10 05-30-2007, 08:43 PM

Would be interesting to see what happens if Cuban offers whoever is going to be the #1 or #2 pick in the NFL draft something like twice or even three times as much as they can make in the NFL.

Sign them to a 2-3 year deal so they can still go back to the NFL if this league goes south.