USFL Thinking Relaunch

#3
#3
I'll watch if it is televised.

The first professional football game I ever attended was a Memphis Showboats game back in the mid 80s.
 
#5
#5
Bout damn time we got some decent pointy ball in this town... Ducks are nice but it can take nearly three hours to get from portland to eugene on game day.

I don't know where they would plan on playing though, jeld wen field is smack in the middle of downtown and seats 20,000 with plenty of accommodations for wealthier ticket holders, but the timbers would surely draw more than a usfl franchise, and soccer clubs do not like to share the pitch with football teams.
 
#6
#6
Impossible. I was just informed this week on VN that the end of football altogether is just around the corner.
 
#8
#8
As long as Donald Trump doesn't get his hands in the cookie jar again. "Small potatoes".
 
#9
#9
milohimself said:
Bout damn time we got some decent pointy ball in this town... Ducks are nice but it can take nearly three hours to get from portland to eugene on game day.

I don't know where they would plan on playing though, jeld wen field is smack in the middle of downtown and seats 20,000 with plenty of accommodations for wealthier ticket holders, but the timbers would surely draw more than a usfl franchise, and soccer clubs do not like to share the pitch with football teams.
Click to expand...

What/who is Jeld Wen?
 
#10
#10
My bad. Jeld wen field (something like the stadiums fourth name) is a bazillion year old (1920s iirc) multi use stadium in downtown portland. It's been home to the portland timbers, portland state vikings and the myriad of minor league teams in portland throughout the years
 
#13
#13
I love me some spring football. I was just a kid so I barely remember the USFL, but I have fond memories of WLAF/NFL Europe and I even liked the XFL for the most part. I was actually upset a bit when the AAFL never got off the ground. I wish the UFL would get going but it actually seems to be going backwards.

Slap the USFL on the NBCSN.
 
#14
#14
I guess the investors didnt lose enough money the first time aound?
I don't see many people investing in this.
The NFL already has a developmental league, college football.
 
#15
#15
WA_Vol said:
I guess the investors didnt lose enough money the first time aound?
I don't see many people investing in this.
The NFL already has a developmental league, college football.
Click to expand...

Not if this thing shows up and allows 18 year olds
 
#16
#16
Does this mean that Herschel is gonna make a comeback as well with Flutie at QB?

Ouch, now reminded of Reggie. Gonna go cry now.
 
#19
#19
WA_Vol said:
I guess the investors didnt lose enough money the first time aound?
I don't see many people investing in this.
The NFL already has a developmental league, college football.
Click to expand...

The original USFL was working in most of their cities; sure some franchises had to move and places like LA weren't drawing, but overall it seemed viable.

The problem was guys like Donald Trump got too big for their britches and made the incredibly stupid decision to go up against the NFL and move the season to the fall, which meant it also competed with college football. Had they stuck to what was working, who knows the USFL might still be around today.
 
#20
#20
milohimself said:
Not if this thing shows up and allows 18 year olds
Click to expand...

That's the key. High school players will FLOCK to the USFL, even if the average salary is $100K. College football will never be the same. That's what I would do. Make the age requirement 18-24.

GreveHaller said:
very smart way to approach it by going to cities with stadiums and without NFL or MLB teams.
Click to expand...

This, only I would change NBA to MLB teams because NBA teams play in the spring and have playoffs in April/May, but they could still pull it off.

Yankee_Vol said:
Exactly. And the games would be played during the NFL offseason. It should work
Click to expand...

That's the key. Make it during the Spring. People love football. They will watch football.

Three other things they should do:

Put it on the new NBC Sports Network during Thursday/Friday nights (this clears the way for them to honor their hockey contract).

Have a special Saturday Night Football game on NBC.

Make them eligible to play on NFL teams so it will entice more players to come play.

Hire NFL coaches. This is important. Let's say you hire Brian Billick, a Super Bowl winning coach. What is an 18 year old 5* recruit going to do? Go play in college for 3-4 years bringing in maybe 10K, or make 75K a year playing 2-3 years with NFL current/former head and assistant coaches and learn how to be a professional football player? They would go with the latter.
 
#21
#21
I could see it working, but when it comes down to it it's still pro ball and it's a business. If the owners could be patient with the development process needed for the younger players it could work.
 
#22
#22
OtterFH said:
I could see it working, but when it comes down to it it's still pro ball and it's a business. If the owners could be patient with the development process needed for the younger players it could work.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's as much of a concern. We're talking about guys not good enough to make an NFL roster -- I'm sure there are more than enough guys who are practice squad quality both currently floating in and out of the NFL, or coming out of HS to form a league. I would imagine a good chunk of the Rivals 250 in any given year could hang.

If it were to break down like that, I'd expect the quality of play to wind up somewhere slightly ahead of the SEC
 
#23
#23
zjcvols said:
That's the key. High school players will FLOCK to the USFL, even if the average salary is $100K. College football will never be the same. That's what I would do. Make the age requirement 18-24.



This, only I would change NBA to MLB teams because NBA teams play in the spring and have playoffs in April/May, but they could still pull it off.



That's the key. Make it during the Spring. People love football. They will watch football.

Three other things they should do:

Put it on the new NBC Sports Network during Thursday/Friday nights (this clears the way for them to honor their hockey contract).

Have a special Saturday Night Football game on NBC.

Make them eligible to play on NFL teams so it will entice more players to come play.

Hire NFL coaches. This is important. Let's say you hire Brian Billick, a Super Bowl winning coach. What is an 18 year old 5* recruit going to do? Go play in college for 3-4 years bringing in maybe 10K, or make 75K a year playing 2-3 years with NFL current/former head and assistant coaches and learn how to be a professional football player? They would go with the latter.
Click to expand...


my only issue to what you say is that IMO, MLB has a bigger draw than NBA even in playoff times. They're using the view that football overrules everything and if there's a choice between football and NBA, fb wins. I also think the NBA is slowly dying and a new and exciting fb could take the viewers/$ away from those disenfranchised with the NBA's direction
 
#24
#24
NBA is slowly dying?

NBA is probably as strong since the Jordan days.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top