Posted on 05/15/2012 7:43:05 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement
The first time the United States Football League was established in 1983, it gave a quick scare to the NFL. The USFL owners signed players like Reggie White, Steve Young, Jim Kelly and Herschel Walker, players the NFL actually wanted, by giving them big-time contracts.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...
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“My father was a perfect example of how far being an ornery old bastard can take you,” his daughter MaLou said in an obituary in The San Antonio Express-News.
>>The NASL team was the Memphis Rogues. Just saying. :-)<<
Actually, that was the USFL Memphis Showboats I was showing — but their pink outfits were so gay, I renamed them to correspond with their image.
That was the undefeated team, yes?
>>Unnngh. <<
The second best thread EVAH!
Yes, those Dolphins’ players were part of the undefeated NFL team. The Memphis WFL team was nicknamed the Southmen after relocating from Toronto (Northmen). The team relocated, as I recall, because of political legislation passed in Canada which forbade U.S. football teams from playing there.
As far as the NASL soccer reference, I was making a joke to add to your earlier reference but I think I missed :-)
Yeah, I’ll watch, too. Even Arena Football rejects is better than 95% of what’s on these days.
All the time. Most are owned by companies with ties to the NFL. If the NFL says "don't show that other league", they won't.
You can be a national minor league with low travel. That’s what divisions are for.
Not as a D league. There's not enough money in it. The NBA has a D league. The only place i see it on television is on the NBA channel. That's why I think the USFL would be smart to partner with the NFL and get a contract to show games on that channel. But it will be stripped down if it goes that route. Fans will know there won't be big stars playing in it.
>>As far as the NASL soccer reference, I was making a joke to add to your earlier reference but I think I missed :-)<<
Yep — I didn’t know what NASL was so I just bluffed my way through :)
The NFL isn’t going to say “don’t show other leagues”, that would cut their own throats. Especially since the arena league is already on Fox Sports regional and NBCSports. Throwing their weight around trying to limit what the channels show outside of NFL season would alienate their biggest paying customers.
Yes you can be non-regional as a D league. Remember the NBA D league is actually OWNED by the NBA. It’s very different from the other D/ minor leagues where teams might be owned by major league teams but the leagues themselves are independent to varying degrees. And subsequently can negotiate independent TV contracts.
That's exactly what they did to the first USFL and what they did to the WFL. ESPN did not have the NFL when they signed the USFL and the WFL was covered (poorly) by TVS.
The NFL goes to their tv partners and urges them not to carry competitors or risk possible losses in carrying future Super Bowls, etc. That's why, if the new USFL is truly a D league, they would do better to partner and be covered by the NFL than they would be to run independently. If the intent of the new USFL is to be an independent "spring league", they will need a strong tv network coverage and a presence in some major media markets.
You’re talking about 30 and 40 years ago. It’s a different world now. Back then the NFL was concerned the USFL and WFL would cause over saturation of football, now with the NFL having a year round network they’ve figured out there’s no such thing. Also that USFL and WFL were competing for athletes with the NFL, this USFL intends to be a training ground FOR NFL athletes.
They won’t need strong TV coverage because they won’t have the bills. They’re only paying players 3 grand a game, Fox regional coverage will pay for that easy, same as it does for the Arena league. Look at the AHL, it’s the same model, they work with the NHL as a development ground for players, but they run independently. It’s a model that does work.
Yep, exactly right....
That is if we were still operating in the 20th century.
But we don't need networks now. We have the internet.
Exactly. Minor league football is a great idea.
Kurt Warner came from the arena league.
People will watch, looking for talent for their favorite NFL team. Than blog about it.
They're no worse than these NFL team names: Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, and Arizona Cardinals.
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