Possible rival league to the NFL

Didn't they already try this with the USFL and Vince McMahan (sp.)'s XFL? And where are these two leagues now??


Report: New start-up league could rival NFL
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FOXSports.com
Posted: 35 minutes ago



The NFL may be the most successful league in the country, but that doesn't mean it's without competition.

Bill Hambrecht, a Wall Street businessman, and Tim Armstrong, a senior executive at Google, have decided to start up a rival football league, the United Football League, according to a report on the New York Times web site Wednesday.
For those worried that the UFL will lack name recognition, Hambrecht and Armstrong already have one owner lined up: Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

And though the league is having a difficult time finding other owners, it appears Cuban is committed to the plan. The league intends to play its first preseason games in August of 2008.

And where will the league find the talent necessary to attract fans?

"(Former NFL coach) Bill Walsh used to tell me that the last 20 players cut from every team were almost interchangeable with the last 20 players to make the team," Hambrecht says.

So far, the UFL has decided to put teams in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Mexico City. Cuban, unsurprisingly, is considering buying the team in Vegas, according to the report.

 

the Mexico City Border Jumpers has a ring to it don't ya think?

 

since this is already being compared to the USFL and XFL, it will have a ton of work to do right. Those other leagues failed because they were run poorly and tried to compete with the NFL too quickly. You can't field a NFL quality league in a year or two.

 

I guess they will draw thier talent from the AFL? I really don't think there is enough quality talent for 2 leagues. IMHO.

 

Undrafted guys and backups looking to improve their stock along with AFL and CFL guys would be my guess. First thing that'll happen is that backup QB pay goes through the roof.

 

there's plenty of pro talent, just some can't make it as starters in the NFL. Any new league needs to market it's game more than stars though. I think the AFL accepted their place a few years ago. Any stars they do get are NFL flunkies.

 

Maurice Clarett

 

It could work, but I get the feeling that they'll get too aggressive for their own good and wind up ruining themselves.

 

Best thing to come from the last league that would "compete" with the NFL

 

This league, to compete with the NFL for players, would have to have a HUGE (billions) TV contract. It would need HUGE corporate sponsors. It would need billion dollar state of the art stadiums. It would need public trust. I remember the old World Football League in Charlotte. (The Hornets, I believe). They thought you could take players the NFL didn't want and make money. They were wrong. Just like the USFL and the XFL were wrong. The Hornet went bankrupt and most of their players played the last half of the season for free because the team could not pay them. It was sad. The whole league folded after that year.