LL2
06-07-2007, 02:43 PM
Would you watch? What do you think it would take to make it successful compared to why the XFL and USFL failed?
I think it would be successful if they folded the NFL Europe and brought it stateside as a minor league much like minor league baseball. Minor league baseball is pretty successful and in chicagoland there are around 4 minor league baseball teams. One close to my house is the Kane County Cougars (minor league team for the A’s). They always draw a decent crowd and it’s affordable for families. (I also know the coach of the Cougars and years ago almost dated his wife. I started dating mine and well the rest is history). The XFL and the USFL tried to compete directly with the NFL and failed. Can’t do that. Not going to ever work. Need to be affiliated with in to succeed. The time of year they play is a huge factors. Can’t play in the fall and compete with Friday night HS football, college has Saturdays, and the NFL owns Sundays. I think it would be best to kick start the league the week after the SB and tie it into the end of the NFL season somehow.
Your thoughts?
NFL may have to shift developmental focus
John Czarnecki
FOXSports.com, Updated 12 hours ago
With the talk of Dallas billionaire Mark Cuban showing interest in a pro football league venture, the United Football League, what many must understand is that any new product needs national exposure.
When Vince McMahon jumpstarted the XFL, there was a television network available (NBC) that was in need of programming and didn't have any NFL affiliation.
Well, that's totally different now. All four major networks now televise the NFL, which means the new league would have to resort to cable or organize an independent-channel buy-in. Yes, there are some big cities without the NFL, but does anyone really think that Los Angeles would be viable for a new league?
The XFL product paled in comparison to the NFL despite its hype. And we all know that McMahon knows how to entertain and make money with pro wrestling.
What this could do, though, is get the NFL to focus on having its developmental league in the U.S. If there's truly a chance of a 17-game schedule and multiple games being played in London and several German cities, the league to give up NFL Europa (Goodell has never been a big supporter) and move it stateside. Given the choice, many European fans would prefer NFL regular-season games to the minor-league variety.
I think it would be successful if they folded the NFL Europe and brought it stateside as a minor league much like minor league baseball. Minor league baseball is pretty successful and in chicagoland there are around 4 minor league baseball teams. One close to my house is the Kane County Cougars (minor league team for the A’s). They always draw a decent crowd and it’s affordable for families. (I also know the coach of the Cougars and years ago almost dated his wife. I started dating mine and well the rest is history). The XFL and the USFL tried to compete directly with the NFL and failed. Can’t do that. Not going to ever work. Need to be affiliated with in to succeed. The time of year they play is a huge factors. Can’t play in the fall and compete with Friday night HS football, college has Saturdays, and the NFL owns Sundays. I think it would be best to kick start the league the week after the SB and tie it into the end of the NFL season somehow.
Your thoughts?
NFL may have to shift developmental focus
John Czarnecki
FOXSports.com, Updated 12 hours ago
With the talk of Dallas billionaire Mark Cuban showing interest in a pro football league venture, the United Football League, what many must understand is that any new product needs national exposure.
When Vince McMahon jumpstarted the XFL, there was a television network available (NBC) that was in need of programming and didn't have any NFL affiliation.
Well, that's totally different now. All four major networks now televise the NFL, which means the new league would have to resort to cable or organize an independent-channel buy-in. Yes, there are some big cities without the NFL, but does anyone really think that Los Angeles would be viable for a new league?
The XFL product paled in comparison to the NFL despite its hype. And we all know that McMahon knows how to entertain and make money with pro wrestling.
What this could do, though, is get the NFL to focus on having its developmental league in the U.S. If there's truly a chance of a 17-game schedule and multiple games being played in London and several German cities, the league to give up NFL Europa (Goodell has never been a big supporter) and move it stateside. Given the choice, many European fans would prefer NFL regular-season games to the minor-league variety.