Prediction: This could be the ufls final year

[SantaClaraHawk]

The Ufl relocated and renamed its Memphis, San Antonio and Michigan teams to smaller stadiums in Louisville, Columbus and Orlando. They also fired all the gms for one director of football operations who has said a roster priority will be matching players with local ties to said teams so local fans come.

This is exactly what ifl teams do, such as the one Marshawn owns in San Jose. Probably half the 3000 attendees are there bc of some connection to the overwhelmingly local athletes. There hasn’t been a tv sponsor for a year nor has lynch actually attended any games. This doesn’t sound like a winning business strategy.

The TV side is increasingly bleak despite espn and Fox both having stakes in ownership. Neither have ever delegated an intern to write up even game summaries. If they don’t care, why should we?

Quarterback play has also gotten stale. It’s like Horton Ahlers said when he retired. He didn’t wanna be an aging King of Spring, nor do I want to sit there watching yet another year of Luke Perez or Jordan Taamu or EJ Perry.

I suggest the following.

1. Add a bonus point rule for hitting kicks over 65. What team isn’t sending a scout to look at anyone who does it, which they will?

2. Prioritize new starting qbs.

3. Release at least a postgame league wide show showing highlights and stats. Cmon, Fox and espn def have the capacity.

 

[AROS]

I really think the second incarnation of the XFL was on to something. Exciting action, good play, a decent farming system for the NFL. I was really enjoying the Seattle SeaDragons. They were fun to watch and really building a true fanbase. Once the XFL was gone and the SeaDragons were not picked up by the UFL, I never bothered watching.

 

[NoGain]

I already waste too much time on the NFL and college ball to add any more football to my agenda. When I was a young kid and precocious sports fan, I really dug the old AFL, though. That league got good network TV time, and I started watching and following it at ridiculously young age. I liked those old Chief, Raider, Jet, Charger teams. I was a little Joe Namath fanboy.

Of course, the Bears were my number one growing up on the edges of Chicago. But I dug watching those old AFL games.

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

I really think the second incarnation of the XFL was on to something. Exciting action, good play, a decent farming system for the NFL. I was really enjoying the Seattle SeaDragons. They were fun to watch and really building a true fanbase. Once the XFL was gone and the SeaDragons were not picked up by the UFL, I never bothered watching.

Would you give the league a chance even without the sea dragons?

 

[AROS]

If the teams were as competitive and fun to watch as XFL V2 was, then I would consider it, yeah.

 

[NoGain]

I have my doubts if they'll ever be another merger of an existing league and an upstart league in the major team sports in America, like there was with the AFL/NFL, ABA/NBA, WHA/NHL.

But major league baseball, hockey, and now the NBA all have developmental leagues. Football's kind of been/is the exception to that. Basically, college football is their developmental league, and college players can't even go pro (to the NFL) until they've been in college for three years.

Maybe it would take the NFL itself to become a partner/investor/proponent of a developmental league? Has the NFL ever considered such a thing? I have no idea.

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

Kickers and other special team players are usually who makes it. The Rams just signed a kicker. The Niners will need to promote Malik Turner should he appear again. Adrian Martinez is rostered at least until Purdy comes back.

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

I have my doubts if they'll ever be another merger of an existing league and an upstart league in the major team sports in America, like there was with the AFL/NFL, ABA/NBA, WHA/NHL.

But major league baseball, hockey, and now the NBA all have developmental leagues. Football's kind of been/is the exception to that. Basically, college football is their developmental league, and college players can't even go pro (to the NFL) until they've been in college for three years.

Maybe it would take the NFL itself to become a partner/investor/proponent of a developmental league? Has the NFL ever considered such a thing? I have no idea.

The nfl is a part owner of espn, which itself co-owns the ufl. The next step should be an NFL advisory committee meeting behind the scenes year around over issues like experimental rules and making players available to nfl scouts on site or even equipment.

Putting all the ufl players in guardian caps for a year would go a ways in deciding how voluntary these are gonna be in the nfl in the future.
Installing a bonus point rule for FGs made beyond 65 would definitely grab teams’ attention as to anyone who succeeds.

None of any of the above addresses declining fan interest, however. And that is purely the fault of the flaccid marketing provided by espn and Fox, who collectively dedicate 30 hours a week to broadcasting these games and won’t even throw in let alone promote an hour long league recap weekly reminding viewers of why they should care or even when the games happen.

The newest co owner of the ufl, mark repole, previously marketed horse racing, which is like kicking a dead horse at this point.