(10-12-2021 10:25 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote: I would look at it from the stand point of reducing travel cost and limiting dealing with the different covid protocol of different states. I'm certain fans will be allowed if this comes to fruition.
My question is who are the 8 USFL teams?
They haven't announced it, but I read they had purchased all the trademarks for the following:
LA Express
Chicago Blitz
Tampa Bay Bandits
Houston Gamblers
New Jersey Generals
Birmingham Stallions
Jacksonville Bulls
Portland Breakers
...seems like awhile back I read that some other city bought the rights to the name 'Stallions', which cast doubt as to B'ham even having a team... ...but I guess that info ended up being a bit erroneous...
The USFL will own all the teams, it's all a unitary organization like the XFL
Initially. They intend to sell local ownership stakes by year 3...if they make it that far.
I’d prefer to see local ownership, as well a good cost control. This is minor league football, season is 3 months. No reason to pay these guys $60k for that time. You could pay them $15k for the season and still get the same talent.
(11-23-2021 09:58 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote: The NFL doesn't really need a developmental league, especially now. And especially if the NFL expands again (very possible given they added the extra regular season game) because that would take a big chunk of potential talent pool.
So it's either be a 2nd-tier pro league (nothing wrong with that, but hard to make the money work unless you really control salaries and costs of operation) or directly compete with the NFL (virtually impossible to make the money work).
I would love to see one of these leagues stay true to the mission of becoming a viable 2nd tier league that plays entertaining football in the spring/early summer. I would love to believe there are enough football fans who'd get excited about that. But we've never seen it, so call me skeptical.
The DC Defenders had great attendance in Audi Field during the revived XFL's one season prior to covid. The games were a lot of fun and I would definitely have come back for a 2nd season. They are planning a return, so hopefully it happens.
I’ve also seen where local ownership has been found for three(I think) of the teams and those teams are slated to play at their home cities next season. BHM is one of the teams. For the teams without local ownership they will still be placed in BHM to play their season.
Still want to see them make it through one full season before I get to excited about it.
(02-17-2022 07:57 AM)Usajags Wrote: I’ve also seen where local ownership has been found for three(I think) of the teams and those teams are slated to play at their home cities next season. BHM is one of the teams. For the teams without local ownership they will still be placed in BHM to play their season.
Still want to see them make it through one full season before I get to excited about it.
Birmingham, Houston and New Jersey...with A-Rod rumored to be the NJ owner.
Never understood why these leagues, or team owner groups, haven’t done a GB Packer concept. Sell shares of the team with “owner” benefits. Ticket discounts, owner parties and such. Share for $250 a piece, sell 10k shares and you make $2.5 mil towards operating budget. Doesn’t seem like that would be that hard to do. Obviously there is no guarantee to the “owners” of longevity of the league as well as no return except team events for the “owners”.
(02-17-2022 12:38 PM)Usajags Wrote: Never understood why these leagues, or team owner groups, haven’t done a GB Packer concept. Sell shares of the team with “owner” benefits. Ticket discounts, owner parties and such. Share for $250 a piece, sell 10k shares and you make $2.5 mil towards operating budget. Doesn’t seem like that would be that hard to do. Obviously there is no guarantee to the “owners” of longevity of the league as well as no return except team events for the “owners”.
In these modern leagues, the "ownership" is just buying into the overall partnership of the league. The teams remain part of the league which is a unified corporate entity from the league office down to each team. Each "owner" just buys into the whole thing and gets some management oversight over "their" team but it's all still one thing (This is how MLS operates)
I think there could be a few Blazers from 2014-2019 or so in the pool. Wouldn’t surprise me. But I don’t think any of the recent guys with a good chance to be in nfl camp this fall (such as Brontae Harris, Jamell Garcia-Williams) would risk injury in the USFL.
Surprised nothing has leaked out about the pool of players. Was there not any camps where the teams could see if some of these guys are even in some sort of playing shape before drafting them??? You would think any central Alabama based guy that had played college football in the last 3-5 years that had a desire to try again woudl have thrown their name in the hat.
How do we get any excitement for the draft when we have no idea who is in it???
I’d hope the time between each pick is short. Long enough to introduce the player, where they played and that sort of thing, then move on. Doubt I’ll be watching any, but I will check in a bit to see who is all involved.