What do you think of an NFL Minor League?

[GrnBay007]

From Ben Maller's Rumors and Notes:

Pro Football Talk reports that a growing number of NFL management types are in favor of launching a minor league system. The value is that the players would be able to fully participate in the offseason program, and then get live game reps during football season, at a time when they otherwise would be hanging around and waiting for guys on the 53-man roster to get hurt. The teams would be based in cities that don't currently have NFL teams, and every team would allocate its practice squad to the minor league. With 32 NFL franchises having eight guys on their practice squads, that's 256 players right out of the gates. The rest of the minor league could be made up of guys who have yet to make the cut in the pros, and who otherwise might be fodder for the soon-to-be-former NFL Europa. Eight teams would be an ideal starting point, and the games could be played in the middle of the week. Since Tuesday and Wednesday evenings typically feature no college or pro football broadcasts, a middle-of-the-week television schedule would be ideal.

[BallHawk]

The NFL is the most popular league in the United States, why change what works? Stop trying to be like baseball and keep to what has made you successful over the last few decades. If you have a player and put him on the practice squad and somebody picks him up, that's your loss. If this happens, you'll have teams stashing players on the squad and keeping them there. It ruins the strategical part of cuts and allocating players to the PS.

Thumbs down.

[Rastak]

The NFL is the most popular league in the United States, why change what works? Stop trying to be like baseball and keep to what has made you successful over the last few decades. If you have a player and put him on the practice squad and somebody picks him up, that's your loss. If this happens, you'll have teams stashing players on the squad and keeping them there. It ruins the strategical part of cuts and allocating players to the PS.

Thumbs down.

Why change what works? Then why did they go from 14 games to 16 games? Why go from 45 man rosters to 53? Why create a practice squad? These were all new things. They were all done for reasons. A minor league for the NFL would very beneficial. Live games for guys that could be brought up during the year to replace injured guys. Guys would be in game shape and they could get live film on developmental guys. It makes perfect sense to me. Can the league sustain itself or at least not be a huge financial drain....that's the question. To me that's the only thing that stopped this from happening in the past.

[4and12to12and4]

The NFL is the most popular league in the United States, why change what works? Stop trying to be like baseball and keep to what has made you successful over the last few decades. If you have a player and put him on the practice squad and somebody picks him up, that's your loss. If this happens, you'll have teams stashing players on the squad and keeping them there. It ruins the strategical part of cuts and allocating players to the PS.

Thumbs down.

BallHawk, I'm surpised at your closemindedness to all this. Would you have been or were you one who also spoke against the AFL, better known as the AFC? I'm sure that entity while in its embryonic stages had its doubter also. Wait a second, if not for the AFC, there wouldn't have been a Denver Broncos, and maybe we would've won more than one SuperBowl. Crap! Can I change my vote?

I say, go for it. I watch any football that is on TV. I watch Arena Football, I'm currently rooting for someone to beat the Chicago Rush, whether it be Dallas or some other team, because they are in Chicago, and Mike Ditka has his hand in operations. I love rooting against the Rush, it's better than watching Seinfeld reruns for the 20th time and I am almost done with the second season of Boston Legal.

I would just ask that they start the season around April or May and have the playoffs in August. This time of year right now is the worst part of the year for sports. I watch Nascar, my Cubbies, some tennis, some golf, and I still have days and hours where I am searching for some sport to watch. Summer sucks, and if Wisconsin got another football team in the "minor leagues" and they played during this time period, I would watch and root for them. Why not? Football's football. Who knows, in fifteen years, we may be asking "Which team is better, the United Football League Champion or the NFL Champion?" And, then, maybe the networks and owners will get together and decide, if the two champions played against each other for a title, it would be the most watched TV event ever. Weider things have happened.

[BallHawk]

You raise a good question, 4 and 12, on when to have the games. Do you have games during the season, like baseball, or do you have games during the off season, like NFL Europa did?

The reason I don't see this happening is I don't see how the NFL could make money of this. If Cuban is opening up his league, and you have arena, not to mention high school, where do you fit it in? Is there even a demand for it? Sure, it would benefit the teams, but do the fans really want it. I'm happy with the amount of football I get. I don't need to see Jason Babb chucking bombs to Taco Wallace week in and week out.

[4and12to12and4]

From what I've read, Mr. Cubans league would be playing around the same time of year as the NFL. That is a mistake in my mind. I don't need MORE football between September and January. It's hard enough keeping up with you guys on a weekly basis with all the issues going on with our Beloved Pack. It's the offseason, RIGHT NOW, that I start getting withdrawals. Another league at this time would only help salivate my mouth even more for the start of the NFL season. For those who don't watch Arena League, try watching the Chicago Rush and not automatically hating them. It happened to me, and I look forward to watching them lose and TVO their games, just as I do with the Yankees. It's something to watch and root for "or in my case, against". If Wisconsin decided to join Arena Football, guys like me would already have vested interest, and when they played the Rush, I would be sure to watch, and become a fan.

So, actually, there IS football on RIGHT NOW, and it IS a minor league of sorts, just not directly related to the NFL, and other than me watching a couple games here and there, are there any of you that give a rats ass about it? If not, why would this other league work? Is Arena football a turnOFF because each team scores every two seconds? They made it an offensive game purposefully thinking that's what people want, hoping that it would surge in popularity because of its 65-60 scores. Personally, its a turnOFF to me. I love defense, hardhitting, etc.. So, it doesn't do much for me when a team only has to advance the ball 1 yard to be in field goal position after every other kickoff return. It is probably why I'm not a bigger fan of Arena football. Too much offense, no defense, doesn't seem like real football to me. Maybe that's because I watch the Big Ten!! :P

[Scott Campbell]

The NFL is the most popular league in the United States, why change what works? Stop trying to be like baseball and keep to what has made you successful over the last few decades. If you have a player and put him on the practice squad and somebody picks him up, that's your loss. If this happens, you'll have teams stashing players on the squad and keeping them there. It ruins the strategical part of cuts and allocating players to the PS.

Thumbs down.

Why change what works? Then why did they go from 14 games to 16 games? Why go from 45 man rosters to 53? Why create a practice squad? These were all new things.

I agree. Just because baseball does it, it doesn't automatically mean that it's a bad idea. You'll note that no one is proposing sausage races between the 3rd and 4th quarters, or a steroid induced assault on Marino's all time TD record. Leave those to baseball.

[Scott Campbell]

I would just ask that they start the season around April or May and have the playoffs in August.

I'd move it up a little earlier. The season needs to finish in time for the very best players to get in major league training camp.

[Scott Campbell]

From what I've read, Mr. Cubans league would be playing around the same time of year as the NFL.

The timing of this "idea" looks a little suspicious. If there is going to be a second league, the NFL might as well own and control it rather than let Cuban put together his own independent league.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I think it's a great idea. I'd put some one division in Germany. I might include a team or two in Mexico and Canada.

[Rastak]

I think it's a great idea. I'd put some one division in Germany. I might include a team or two in Mexico and Canada.

Hell, I'd go so far as to put Tarlem! in charge of the Germany division.

[MJZiggy]

That's only because you know it would be a wise move...

[LL2]

I brought this idea up before and mentioned Cuban's proposal and most everyone here shot it down. I'm for it. I think there should be a minor league football team in Milwaukee. That way it would only take me an hour or so to get there.

[Charles Woodson]

I think it's a great idea. I'd put some one division in Germany. I might include a team or two in Mexico and Canada.

I wouldnt put a division in germany. Keep it in the US. the only reasoning behind this is the travel time, it would be too much on the players.

[Freak Out]

I thought the NCAA was the NFLs minor league?