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The United States Football League that might begin play next year has nothing to do with the league that played in the 1980s. Just like the American Football League of the 1960s was in no way related to the three major (and various minor) entities that previously used that name.
Trivia:
There was briefly a USFL in 1945. Sort of, anyway. Red Grange was the league president, but it folded before playing even a single game.
So, I only first heard about this a few weeks ago.. And I see a story today that they're 100 days from their first game.. And they've hired.. HALF of the head coaches.
I had heard before, they'll do a 'bubble' season with all games in Birmingham.. Not a bad idea. Alabama won't shut down and they'll turn out for some football.
But.. They start the season in 100 days.. They have 5 head coaches for 8 teams and NO PLAYERS
This.. Is going down the XFL 1.0 track. I can't see how they're going to put a good product on the field.
At least the AAF and XFL 2.0.. They.. Had some decent play, it wasn't perfect, it wasn't great, but it was good enough. How these folks, in under 3 months, are going to assemble a team and have them learn the gameplans..
Then they have competition from XFL 3.0 coming next year. The only thing this league has going for it is that it has the deep pockets of Fox behind it.
It starts in 100 days you say? We’ll see if it makes it a complete season.
I say what Einstein would: the definition of insanity is repeating something and expecting different results. Maybe someday they’ll figure out Spring Football just doesn’t work.
It should work just as well as Minor League Baseball, the lower than NBA basketball teams, soccer or lacrosse. It is just a factor of how much you have to play players not good enough for the NFL and potentially being set for life financially. Or maybe a bit lower down the scale in Canada but to brave injury by doing something they like to do, despite the dangers, for a living for a few years.
It starts in 100 days you say? We’ll see if it makes it a complete season.
I say what Einstein would: the definition of insanity is repeating something and expecting different results. Maybe someday they’ll figure out Spring Football just doesn’t work.
Spring football CAN work. there's an appetite for it.
Not as much as the NFL, but there is no question in my mind that a league that COMPLEMENTS rather than competes with the NFL is needed.
We can point to reasons, none of which are lack of demand, for every spring league folding.
The original USFL, because they tried to compete with the NFL
XFL 1.0 - They were too much of a gimmick and relied on the gimmicks over decent football. Plus, tossing a league together too quickly.
AAF - Lack of capital. I mean, they didn't have money to make it through week 2. The hockey guy kept them going and he saw it wasn't worth throwing good money after bad.
XFL 2.0 - Pandemic.
And there's others.. The UFL.. I'm not familiar enough with that one, but the fact I'm not is telling. That league just had no buzz..
I think there's some rules and if you follow these rules, you have a good shot.
1) Have the capital to run the league for 3 years at a loss
2) Have plenty of time to build the teams prior to launch. Assemble the teams and have a 6 to 8 month window of practice and time for coaches to develop and teach a game plan.
3) Get solid players. Yes, these are going to be players that couldn't make an NFL roster, but key on the ones who were close, not necessarily the ones who were backups for D3 schools.
4) Accept that your best players will LIKELY move up to the NFL. Embrace it. Work with the NFL. Put buyouts in contracts or something. If an NFL team wants to sign one of your players, they have to pay the league a NOMINAL fee to purchase their contract. Synergy.
5) Be different from the NFL.. But not TOO different. Replacing kickoffs with a 'dash for the ball'.. No, that's too different. The 1, 2 or 3 point conversion.. You know, ok. See if it sticks. People still want to see football, not.. Some crazy game that you're calling football.
A few of those points are why I think it still won’t work. The best talent is already in the NFL. With COVID-IR and extending seasons leading to more injuries these close ones may already start getting chances.
Marketing aside (the AAF was still an unknown to most people), they need cities that will really support the market. The current teams aren’t in big enough markets apart from Philadelphia, but I could see the quibble with not having New York because NJ isn’t going to count—which is why the Giants and Jets continue to market as NY teams despite being in NJ. The average viewer not from these markets isn’t going to care about Birmingham, Michigan, etc.
As for minor league, College is generally considered the de facto equivalent. Football being so physical, athletes already have a shorter career than the average MLB star. At 29 an infielder could still break the majors, and be productive into their mid-late thirties. The average running back at that age is likely to slow down within the next 2-3. An extra league will waste productive years. Drafting from college is still cheaper than a fee and they’re younger and faster than taking someone another football league.
I guess I’ll believe it when I see it, but this isn’t the first first rodeo for the USFL, AAF or XFL. Here’s to hoping.
The original USFL was kind of a ragtag league but that is what people liked about it--it was a breath of fresh air and not the stuffy old NFL. There are plenty of good players to go around that the NFL won't sign for the dumbest reasons possible, an inch too short/tall, a year too old, lost a step, or badmouthed Goodell or an owner, personality clash, they were cancelled, or are injury prone. But they can still ball at a paid-professional level. Guys like Antonio Brown, Johnny Manziel, Marshawn Lynch would be good USFL players. Combine those players with free agents and draft picks, then POW, a newly viable league.
Last edited by MercedesBoy; 01-07-2022 at 11:46 PM..
A few of those points are why I think it still won’t work. The best talent is already in the NFL. With COVID-IR and extending seasons leading to more injuries these close ones may already start getting chances.
Marketing aside (the AAF was still an unknown to most people), they need cities that will really support the market. The current teams aren’t in big enough markets apart from Philadelphia, but I could see the quibble with not having New York because NJ isn’t going to count—which is why the Giants and Jets continue to market as NY teams despite being in NJ. The average viewer not from these markets isn’t going to care about Birmingham, Michigan, etc.
As for minor league, College is generally considered the de facto equivalent. Football being so physical, athletes already have a shorter career than the average MLB star. At 29 an infielder could still break the majors, and be productive into their mid-late thirties. The average running back at that age is likely to slow down within the next 2-3. An extra league will waste productive years. Drafting from college is still cheaper than a fee and they’re younger and faster than taking someone another football league.
I guess I’ll believe it when I see it, but this isn’t the first first rodeo for the USFL, AAF or XFL. Here’s to hoping.
The minor leagues serve as more than just to provide players for the bigs. Look at the many basketball players who never get a sniff from the NBA and become foreign workers just to keep doing something they like for 10 years rather than doing some non entertainment form of work. Or the professional minor league baseball player who does act as part of a practice squad and mentor for those youngsters who might get the tap to the majors.
Where the other leagues , except maybe the AFL and the ABA got into trouble was in trying to sell that they were as good as the bigs, rather than selling that here is a chance to watch live football rather than spring training baseball or one of the sports with a smaller audience.
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The new USFL
