And the NEXT copycat league will be.......

[Mickalino]

Okay, in my lifetime, I've had to suffer thru the USFL, the CFL, the World Football League, the NFL Europe, the Arena Football League, and now the XFL. The question is, can anyone predict what will be the next dismal failure of a football league experiment to copy the NFL ??

As I noted in the bottom of my previous thread about The Perfect Hog, the next Pro Football League I predict, will be the RFL (for the Rodman Football League). Some distinct features and identifying characteristics of this league will be :

Dennis Rodman, acting commissioner of the RFL, will require that ALL cheerleaders be male transvestites.....And instead of helmets, the players will just color their team colors/logos on their hair/afros.

Any other ideas on a new league, and how they will attempt to be unique and distinct, to capture their own audience ?

[Brave]

Maybe the LNFL. Think anyone would want to watch women play?

I didn't think so.

[NavyDave]

I saw one of The DC Divas and she should consider women's wrestling and I mean that Greco Roman style

------------------

Dave

[indyskinsfan]

"The Excruciating league" it's just too much to watch one

more attempt!

[bulldog]

don't complain too much Mick. The USFL provided the Redskins with an entire generation of players that helped us win Super Bowls in Doug Williams, Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Kelvin Bryant.

Beathard and Casserly did absolutely the best job in the NFL of scouting the USFL for talent when that league folded.

The trouble with the XFL was there was no talent to speak of to acquire.

Tommy Maddox as the league MVP? This guy couldn't even make it as the #3 quarterback in Atlanta a couple of years ago.

[TennesseeCarl]

I didn't think either the WFL or USFL were all that terrible on the field. There were some quality players. The XFL just lacked talent. McMahon took a different route - he tampered with the game itself (and some of the changes weren't so terrible) but the quality of play on the field was very weak. The league had no QBs at all.

Arena ball has endured for a while - it seems to be a small market draw. The CFL was pretty good until they tried to expand into the U.S. market - man, that didn't go over at all.

I hope folks continue to try to challenge the NFL. I'm probably in a minority, but I think there's an alternative market to be tapped. I'm just not sure how.

[Terry]

One of the problems for any new league is one of timing. You don't want to go head to head with the NFL, you don't want to play in the dead of summer or in the harsh winter.

So you're left with perhaps an early spring as the best time to play, but that means a camp/pre-season in the dead winter.

Another problem is exposure on TV, but without letting the network dictate the game.

But I think that there can be an alternative pro football league.

Gibbs showed us that there are players who might not have made an NFL roster, but who could be coached to play at a high level, during the scab games.

The USFL showed us that you go after college players and try to lure a few name guys to make your league more exciting. You have to spend some money, but you get a better, more marketable product.

So I would imagine something along these lines:

Each team must be able to spend enough for players to be competitive with the NFL rookie salary level, for all player salaries.

But each team must be able to spend competitively with the NFL for at least one or two players.

Conduct a draft in April or May, just like the NFL, and selecting from the same college player pool.

Emphasize drafting those guys who the NFL teams drafted in the later rounds. In other words, if the NFL drafts a Mario Monds in the 6th round, draft him in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Then emphasize to that player that they have an almost guaranteed chance to make and start on your team vs. sitting in the NFL, or maybe being cut during camp. You could end up with guys signing with the new league for a more guaranteed slot, than risking a shot at an NFL roster, even if it's for more money.

But also, don't be afraid to try and lure some of the bigger names on draft day to your league. For example, Viack will make a ton of money in the NFL, but might be sitting for a while. He's the ideal guy to go after and promise an immediate starting slot if he comes to the ?FL.

Try to stay away from old ex-NFL guys. Try to get a reputation as a young, aggressive league. But go after the occasional NFL free agent when you have a chance to grab some talent. For example, a younger player like Lockett might be the type of player you may go after.

If your game looks more like the college game than the pro game, that's ok! That is still exciting ball, and fans will watch it.

Keep it basic. Don't mention the NFL, don't emphasize the cheerleaders or personalities in the booth. Go for a straightforward football product. Don't go for the casual fan, they're too easily distracted anyway. Ditto for the young male audience, they'll drop you in a heartbeat for MTV's Spring Break.

You need to attract the guys who post here, the football fan who knows the game, who like the X's and O's, who don't want a wrestler screaming at him or silicone leering at him, who want's to watch some football in the late winter, early spring when there's nothing much else happening.

[bulldog]

I disagree Carl about there being another market to be tapped.

The fact is since the NFL expanded in 1976 from 26 teams to now 31, there is a dearth of available quality talent.

There are players in the NFL starting now that would have been driving a truck or lifting furniture for a living 20 years ago.

Since the level of play has suffered in the NFL, I find it hard to believe that another league could acquire enough quality players at this point to make a go of it.

And if they were able to attract a few marquee names they would have to pay so much for them, that they then would be strapped to make payrolls right off the bat when the fan base is still weak.

The thing to remember about NHL expansion is that there was a large pool of untapped talent in Eastern European and Russian hockey players that came into the NHL in the 1990's after the breakup of the Eastern bloc and that offset the talent drain of North American players as all of the new teams were added.

There is no comparable untapped pool of talent for professional football.

[JimboDaMan]

Brave-

I dunno, a Ladies Football League could be pretty entertaining if the ladies had the right, um, talents. But the line of scrimmage could be downright frightening.

[Monkey]

Bulldog,

I take the opposite stand, I feel talent has gone up but not proportionately (ie the offense talent has not risen as much as the talent on the defense). It is work ethic, attitude and knowledge of the game (people now talk about Marco Coleman being over the hill at 31. When I was growing up, a 31 yr old DE was in his prime.) that has taken a beating.

[indyskinsfan]

Why their league must go toe to toe.

The difficult answers are in the old AFL.

The players and coaches still showed up for training as the old NFL. It was a mirror for the most part and that is why the USFL lasted three years. It took the "serious" approach, not a "networked" one like the XFL (which could have used David Letterman and Jay Leno as announcers/colorman.

Like the AFL, the teams must play the game as a serious and historical opportunity with respect to the NFL. Again, the USFL thrived because it "respected" the "game". There was no "extreme" catering to the fans, just as there isn't in the NFL, certainly not in those days.

Another area that should be covered is getting "real" coaches and management in the organizations. Again, the AFL and the USFL both stocked the "newer" grandaddy, because the management and coaches were serious. Jim Mora's still in the NFL from the USFL. As mentioned before from Gary Clark, Doug Williams, to Reggie White, to Doug Flutie to Hershel Walker, the USFL was serious about their work and still give us excitement from the offspring. What caused some problems was the enormous contracts (that's right, there still should have been restraints on what the players, management and coaches agreed on - yes it was tight). The other was trying to expand and to reach the same market areas as the previously established ones, since the media could help hype them. They didn't reach South Dakota, Utah, Montana, Idaho,

Maine, Vermont, Arkansas, West Virginia, off-points in the West the way they should have. There was a consensus at the time for something new (hope they didn't blame the main 6 teams that constantly repeated in the SB's in the NFL ), and yet still have the NFL around. It was a perfect, golden opportunity, and I believe Jim Mora and his Championship teams would have done it again.

The AFL showed it can be done, but there also shows, that neither could cancel the other out, so they merged and may have forged something so special that it ranks with the White House, monuments and statues, and scenic places as solely an American sanction. Good Luck trying to top that.

[TennesseeCarl]

Bulldog, you make a good point about there not being a ready source of new talent at present. It's a long term project, but if American football catches on in Europe and the former Soviet Union, there should be some talent. Perhaps that's 25 years away, but look how basketball leagues have taken off around the globe.

I recall the interest in the opening of the XFL - I thought that was evidence of a market. Of course, much of it might have been the very fickle young male demographic.

Obviously a new league would have to be funded by very wealthy individuals/corporations.

One other possibility - how about a developmental league for kids who don't go to college/juco? It'd never rival the NFL, but it might be a less expensive venue and it almost certainly would produce some real talent.

[Mickalino]

bulldog, I see your point about us benefiting from scouting the USFL, but no-one can deny the suffering that us Washington fans had to put up with those Washington Federals. Those boys stunk up the joint big-time.

[riggo66]

Bring the NFLEurope over here and let them play in US cities and I wonder if the ratings would subsequently go up. I know for me personally it would make a difference if it was played in the US as opposed to overseas. Nothing against the countries of Europe but if I had a chance to see developmental players for the Skins play in real game action Id definitely go. Plus the NFL doesnt seem dedicated to promoting the games for the NFLEuro.

Itd be akin to the interest in AAA minor league baseball games where you have the potential to see a future star for your favorite team. People go to the games and watch on TV to see the stars of tommorow not like the XFL where you knew all you were watching were has beens and those who couldnt cut it.

[88Comrade2000]

ACtually NFL already has a rival: College Football.

If you could somehow turn that into a somewhat professional league have the best 64 teams in say 8 conferences.

Colleges are professional in many ways except that they don't pay players.

Could imagine if the NCAA just faced reality. Most college players only come to play football, not get an education. Look at it as a route to the nfl. The colleges don't treat football like amateur sports. Big Time Money has ruined that. In many places, college football would rule over the nfl anyday.

So can image if you just form this: the Collegiate Football League. Where you favs college stars play for your college team for an entire career.

Yeah, I know it's a nutty idea.

[markrc99]

i wouldn't claim to know precisely what the downfall of these rival leagues was,but it seems in one manner or another,they didn't have everything the NFL does. if a league is going to survive they have to have the talent,the money,the markets,the integrity and national exposure from a major network. seems to me,each of these leagues lacked one or more of these components.

however,these leagues have all proven different things like: the players will go where the money is(USFL). the arena league proves that you can present the game with some serious variations and survive,at the very least. finally,a league(XFL) got major network exposure. i think there's alot more to that deal though.

the XFL,considering their promoters, did a poor job of addressing integrity,which no doubt would present itself as the biggest hurdle. the football field,like the wrestling ring,should've been merely the tool they used to stage their big act! instead,they kept it way to close to the vest. i thought we'd see stuff like the ball filled w/helium producing 90yd bombs/75yd FGS & the crowd noise turned back up.

it wasn't football men they lacked,but script writers. considering the quality of talent they were putting on the field, it was idiotic to think they'd sell some old-school version of football. it was poorly concieved. maybe by design?..

i was under the impression that NBC was simply outbid for the AFC package..? there isn't any doubt in my mind that NBC is interested in providing the NFL to it's viewers & i believe they'd be very leery to do anything that would jeopardize that! i'm not sure if i'm remembering this right,but if memory serves,monopolizing the major networks was the basis of the USFL's lawsuit. unproven in court,yes..but untrue?

i'm for anything that provides the ability to watch any NFL player/scheme/matchup or formation in it's absolute totality. i think a league that presented the game from a more informative format could be very successful. i agree w/terry in that a league&network that breaks down the "game" of football would certainly have a legitimate fanbase...just seems these games,not like the utilization of the sun's light,but the "concentration" of the cosmic&ultra-violet sun-rays remain a greatly untapped resource.

as for hockey, they need to get rid of that silly blue line. it produces way too many boring dump & chase plays. to steal or re-steal the puck between blue lines is seemingly useless! ever seen that? i've seen it over & over,a player get the puck and have to go 'round in circles or pass the puck backwards until his teammates are out of the zone,and then they'll turn around and re-enter??. to me,that's just plain stupid. if you're a hockey purist,don't let me be king!! i'd flush the blue line and the fights 1st thing! hail football!

[<IMG SRC="http://www.extremeskins.com/ubb/edited.gif" border=0> by markrc99 on June 23, 2001.]

[ by markrc99 on June 23, 2001.]