THE OTHER RANDOM FOOTBALL LEAGUES THREAD

[Brian Fowler]

I think part of the problem for the USFL is how the games sound and feel like they are being played in an empty mausoleum.

The XFL had loud, passionate fans. It made everything better.

[hammerva]

Well except for games with Birmingham they ARE being played in an empty mausoleum.   I think the crowds are increasing and would be impressive for a startup indie promotion but not a football league

 

[RIPPA]

FCF gets buzz because if finds washed up ex-NFLers to show up (Manziel, TO)

This weekend it got another run because they tried to push that Michael Vick was unretiring to play which lasted until Vick shot it down.

So by the buzz logic - The Rock should announce he is gonna play in the XFL

[Super Ape]

I really do think the XFL is going to be the best (and last) chance for an alternative or feeder league for the NFL to pop up. FCF has potential, but it’s tied up in crypto and NFT stuff so who knows if that survives the ongoing crash. And the USFL is the USFL. But other than that? After the AFL died and the remaining indoor leagues struggled to fill the void, I still don’t see much space for alternatives. You have college football, you have the NFL, and you have the CFL if you need summer football (they just resolved their strike!). And the XFL, if that lasts.

[DEAN]

23 minutes ago, Super Ape said:

I really do think the XFL is going to be the best (and last) chance for an alternative or feeder league for the NFL to pop up. FCF has potential, but it’s tied up in crypto and NFT stuff so who knows if that survives the ongoing crash. And the USFL is the USFL. But other than that? After the AFL died and the remaining indoor leagues struggled to fill the void, I still don’t see much space for alternatives. You have college football, you have the NFL, and you have the CFL if you need summer football (they just resolved their strike!). And the XFL, if that lasts.

I hope the USFL survives.  I dig that there are 300 pro football players milling around and filling the bars of Birmingham.  It's like a football commune.  I want them to expand and just have teams from China and Australia.  THe SHANGHAI TIGERS! THE MELBORNE WALABIS!  WHY THE FUCK NOT?!?

[Kuetsar]

Speaking for myself, I'm not necessarily a football fan, I'm a Bills fan. It takes time for loyalty to (a city, laundry or players) to build up, and it can't be done in one season. I think part of the problem with the USFL is its ancient history in terms of sports. I'm 43 and I dont remember the USFL, so why should younger people give a shit? I've read books and the like, but have no emotional attachment to it. Hopefully one of them sticks, but all of the leagues are too ambitious to start with. Play in big high school or small college stadiums, 10 k places, then grow.

[JLowe]

It just feels like there is this belief in the industry that, because the NFL is so popular and profitable, it means there is a huge, hungry market for spring football. But the reality continues to show otherwise. 

[Super Ape]

40 minutes ago, JLowe said:

It just feels like there is this belief in the industry that, because the NFL is so popular and profitable, it means there is a huge, hungry market for spring football. But the reality continues to show otherwise. 

It’s the classic trap; a spring league is built on the assumption that Americans can’t get enough football, only to fall face-first into the harsh reality that Americans CAN indeed get enough football.

[Brian Fowler]

3 hours ago, Kuetsar said:

Speaking for myself, I'm not necessarily a football fan, I'm a Bills fan. It takes time for loyalty to (a city, laundry or players) to build up, and it can't be done in one season. 

Which brings me back to XFL 2.0: that half season sure seemed like long enough that a whole lot of people in St. Louis fell in love with that team. It helps that it's a city that not long ago had it's NFL team ripped away from them, of course, but they had gotten to the point of opening the second level in the dome. But alas, COVID killed the league off before finding out of Vince would have stuck with it another year.

[Kuetsar]

3 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

Which brings me back to XFL 2.0: that half season sure seemed like long enough that a whole lot of people in St. Louis fell in love with that team. It helps that it's a city that not long ago had it's NFL team ripped away from them, of course, but they had gotten to the point of opening the second level in the dome. But alas, COVID killed the league off before finding out of Vince would have stuck with it another year.

Good point, so the spring leagues should be going into places where they dont have the NFL. Not going into LA for the infinitieth time. . . 

[Super Ape]

18 hours ago, Kuetsar said:

Good point, so the spring leagues should be going into places where they dont have the NFL. Not going into LA for the infinitieth time. . . 

Exactly. Take teams to places without NFL teams, and build new bonds between cities and their teams. Places like St. Louis, Oakland, San Diego, and New York.

(as I make that joke I see that they dropped the NY team and are likely putting teams in Vegas [why?], San Antonio [good call], and Orlando [also a good call]).

Edited May 24, 2022 by Super Ape

[Brian Fowler]

14 hours ago, Super Ape said:

Exactly. Take teams to places without NFL teams, and build new bonds between cities and their teams. Places like St. Louis, Oakland, San Diego, and New York.

(as I make that joke I see that they dropped the NY team and are likely putting teams in Vegas [why?], San Antonio [good call], and Orlando [also a good call]).

Let's see, a perfect layout

St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland to get the fans who lost their teams.

San Antonio, Orlando, Portland to get petty major markets that don't have an NFL team.

Salt Lake City maybe?

 

[Super Ape]

6 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

Let's see, a perfect layout

St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland to get the fans who lost their teams.

San Antonio, Orlando, Portland to get petty major markets that don't have an NFL team.

Salt Lake City maybe?

 

Oklahoma City, Memphis, Austin.

[JLowe]

3 hours ago, Super Ape said:

Oklahoma City, Memphis, Austin.

Nah, Austin wouldn't care about a pro football team, we already have a semi-pro one. San Antonio is perfect, they already have a stadium built for football and a hungry fan base.

[RIPPA]

Full list of XFL Team/Coach Pairings

Houston: Wade Phillips
Dallas: Bob Stoops
San Antonio: Hines Ward
Washington, D.C.: Reggie Barlow
Seattle: Jim Haslett
Las Vegas: Rod Woodson
Orlando: Terrell Buckley
St. Louis: Anthony Becht

[johnnyboy]

The European League of Football has kicked off a second season after expanding to 12 teams.  To celebrate this they've put up a cinematic/NFL Films style presentation of the champsionship game from their inaugural season.

No London Monarchs or Amsterdam Admirals yet

[Kevin Wilson]

19 hours ago, RIPPA said:

Full list of XFL Team/Coach Pairings

Houston: Wade Phillips
Dallas: Bob Stoops
San Antonio: Hines Ward
Washington, D.C.: Reggie Barlow
Seattle: Jim Haslett
Las Vegas: Rod Woodson
Orlando: Terrell Buckley
St. Louis: Anthony Becht

I am going to really really try to care about my local team. I tried last time! I even got a XFL mug and a hoodie.

[DEAN]

European League of Football pushes the envelope with their kickoff rules.  I wonder who came up with this.

 

[dogwelder]

22 minutes ago, DEAN said:

European League of Football pushes the envelope with their kickoff rules.  I wonder who came up with this

 

I could swear that there was a NFL offseason proposal recently to do that (or something similar) since it would cut back on the high speed collisions during a kick return.

[DEAN]

8 minutes ago, dogwelder said:

I could swear that there was a NFL offseason proposal recently to do that (or something similar) since it would cut back on the high speed collisions during a kick return.

It seems a lot safer.  I'm wondering who originally thought of it.

[dogwelder]

6 minutes ago, DEAN said:

It seems a lot safer.  I'm wondering who originally thought of it.

DUH.  It's from the 2020 XFL.  From that rulebook:

Quote

The kicker kicks from the 30-yard line and must kick the ball in the air and in play between the opponent’s 20-yard line and the end zone.

The coverage team lines up on the return side 35-yard line and the return team lines up on the 30-yard line. Each team must have exactly 3 players outside the hash marks on both sides of the ball and cannot move until the ball is caught by the returner.

 

[Log]

I love that the XFL has found both the safest and most unsafe ways to do kickoffs.

[RIPPA]

XFL announced front office and assistant coaches 

Spoiler

WASHINGTON

Head Coach: Reggie Barlow

Personnel: Von Hutchins

OC / RB: Fred Kaiss

DC: Gregg Williams

 

ST LOUIS

Head Coach: Anthony Becht

Personnel: Dave Boller

OC: Bruce Gradkowski

DC: Nathaniel "Donnie" Abraham

 

ORLANDO

Head Coach: Terrell Buckley

Personnel: Larry Lee

OC: Robert Ford

DC: Tony Carter

 

SEATTLE

Head Coach: Jim Haslett

Personnel: Randy Mueller

OC: June Jones

DC: Ron Zook

 

HOUSTON

Head Coach: Wade Phillips

Personnel: Marc Lillibridge

OC: AJ Smith

DC: Brian Stewart

DALLAS

Head Coach: Bob Stoops

Personnel: Rick Mueller

OC: Jonathan Hayes

DC: Jay Hayes

 

SAN ANTONIO

Head Coach: Hines Ward

Personnel: Will Lewis

OC: Jaime Elizondo

DC: Jim Herrmann

 

LAS VEGAS

Head Coach: Rod Woodson

Personnel: Joey Clinkscales

OC: TBA

DC: TBA

Gregg Williams as DC in Washington is quite the troll

[cubbymark]

CFL kicks off tonight with Montreal vs Calgary.

[DEAN]

Panthers Wroclaw have way cooler helmets than the Carolina namesake.  It's like a rabid panther.