"Chargers GM: AAF could be feeder league for NFL"
That would be the most sustainable and least interesting path I suppose.
That would be the most sustainable and least interesting path I suppose.
If you end up being right we will certainly give you the credit...Can you name a single G-League team? I can't. Their attendance is all over the place, but it's not great. For their finals I saw attendance as low as 400, but tended to fall in the 2-3,000 range.
They are however now a true minor league for the NBA and as such the NBA has become perfectly content to fund them. That's the real question here, but the issue is the model for the NBA and the NFL is so very different from the MLB. In baseball, pretty much every star passes through the minor leagues, so you will always have some young exciting players. In the NBA and NFL, pretty much every star skips that process (if anything that's what college does). So, their minor leagues are only for fringe players, which are coincidentally far less interesting.
This means the Alliance with a mouthful for a name is set up to put out what will eventually be a rather boring offering. They won't have the top talent because they literally can't pay them, and to reiterate they're not just competing with the CFL, but also the XFL and Arena League (which of course could fold, but so could the AAFL). But, I was thinking about it and I do see what could be going on here, which is that the Alliance is just being used to keep the XFL from getting off the ground (coincidentally, they announced the Alliance a couple months after the XFL was announced and beat them to market).
There haven't been many interesting disruptors in the pro sports scene in a long time. Going back to the last true success in football, you had the AFL, then you had the ABA in basketball with their memorable 3 point line and red white and blue basketball. After that though, you get nothing but failures in terms of a disruption. USFL tried to go big, and they were interesting and drew crowds at first but of course failed miserably. The XFL's more enduring legacy is probably He Hate Me, but they were interesting at first as well, same story.
The NFL hates competition. They were wary of even their own NFL Europe for that reason. So, yeah after some consideration I can see the AAFL being used to try to undercut the XFL and keep them from succeeding. But, if they are in fact just a true NFL minor league, they'll also be very boring in the long run and lose the one true thing they have now that makes them interesting (colorful college characters with regional connections to the team). So the choice is basically be interesting and not a minor league team, and probably fail spectacularly, or be another G-League that is incredibly uninteresting but a useful tool of the NFL...
Do you think the USFL billionaires were in it to lose money? Of course not, no one starts out thinking wow this is a bad idea. I don't know if the NFL is a silent partner or in some way encouraging this or not, but it would make their actions make a lot more sense.none of these folks are in this to lose money.
The truth is from the seats it is difficult to see a talent difference between the Birmingham Iron and NFL teams and as you say there can be much more local interest in the players. I tend to be an avid supporter of the league and believe it will make the NFL better as well.I think the NFL needs to get behind this and start up a minor league system like baseball. Minor League baseball is worth watching and typically does well in the A, AA and AAA systems now. I'd even say the Barons and Biscuits would even be more popular if they had a local tv deal too, and now goes the same for the Trash Pandas too. Where else could you pay $10 to sit a couple of rows behind the plate and enjoy the game? Crap I spent $14 to sit 3 rows behind the plate in Pensacola when they faced Mobile a couple of years ago and sat one row behind Bubba Watson (the majority owner of Pensacola Blue Wahoos) and the head honcho of PING Golf. I would have went back regardless and would watch the Barons more if I wasn't over an hour out.
Start a farm system where the teams get local talent out of college who doesn't make rosters and the NFL can pick up who they want and if they're optioned back down (kinda like the baseball minors) then anyone can sign them. Baseball they're owned by the MLB team pretty much, but at least these guys could play for a job every week and the general public could be involved more because their local team would be made up of old talent. Imagine the Birmingham Iron with Bama and barners playing week in and week out on one team with the smaller schools mixed in as well as other SEC players from nearby states. I would pay more to see some of our older players who wasn't quite as good yet to make the NFL but after 2-3 years work their way up to the NFL. It would produce a lot of jobs, the lower tier players could still make money with playing and endorsements (say a popular player like Prothro could once play again after he healed, just using TP as an example, not saying he could play) and even go up to the top like Topps making cards of the lower tiers like they do with Minor League Baseball as well which again keeps people at work. Even the G-League or whatever it's called now could be a LOT better if the NBA really supported it like they could but like someone said earlier in the thread, college basketball is pretty much the NBA's farm teams now.
Instead of trying to compete with the big boys these leagues should be competing to join the big boys like Minor League Baseball does. There are a TON of teams in MiLB yet they are still being watched on t.v. and in person. There is a reason all of them are building new parks again and/or moving to new towns like the old Bay Bears/Trash Pandas. I can still remember the Huntsville A's when I was a kid.
In the event that the AAF survives until 2021 and does reasonably well in the meantime, I wonder if the move to the new stadium downtown might serve to provide a further boost. I know that the expectation is that the stadium is supposed to be ready for the World Games that summer, but is there a chance that construction might be finished in time for the Iron's 3rd season to be played there? If the team is doing well, would that even be enough of an impetus for the city to expedite the construction finish date?I've been to a few Rome Braves' games, and I enjoyed those. Small stadium, smaller atmosphere, and to me more fun. I would go see the Iron, but not crazy about going to Birmingham and Legion Field. I'd never go see the Falcons. You can't pay me enough to go to downtown ATL.
why?I've been to a few Rome Braves' games, and I enjoyed those. Small stadium, smaller atmosphere, and to me more fun. I would go see the Iron, but not crazy about going to Birmingham and Legion Field. I'd never go see the Falcons. You can't pay me enough to go to downtown ATL.
I absolutely HATE Atlanta traffic. I live less than an hour from Atlanta, and I couldn't tell you the last time I went there. Maybe 7 or 8 years?why?
We stay near the Braves field for work, I totally agree.I absolutely HATE Atlanta traffic. I live less than an hour from Atlanta, and I couldn't tell you the last time I went there. Maybe 7 or 8 years?
You can't pay me enough to go to downtown ATL.
Uh................have you been there lately? "Lately", in terms of some members of the extended family, means in the last 30 years.why?
Tebow is under an mlb minor contract why would he try to be a minor league football stint at the same time? I think it speaks more about him having a better job with better medical benefits going on at the same time more than anythinghttp://www.espn.com/watch/player?bucketId=5342&id=26011797
Tebow is an obvious fit for Orlando, and one thing he said was interesting, "it was an awesome offer". This makes it seem like they're not capped at the set amount for three years, because no way Tebow would view a 250K offer for three years as awesome.
Also, the fact that Tebow and his level of popularity exists, speaks to the special advantageous role that college football plays. A minor league would be incapable of producing someone as popular as Tebow...
He wouldn't, that's why he said no, but he's worth millions in the right situation. He's hugely popular, so if you have a franchise in Florida, just by signing him you get a ton of press, sell jerseys, tickets, etc... It's not about why Tebow would do it, it's why a league desperate for relevance would love to have him, and clearly they would or else they wouldn't keep calling.Tebow is under an mlb minor contract why would he try to be a minor league football stint at the same time? I think it speaks more about him having a better job with better medical benefits going on at the same time more than anything
Tebow has just about as a good career as Trent so I don’t think Tebow being in the league is that much of an upgrade. Maybe a few extra jerseys and a few extra butts but let’s not act like Tebow is a game changer for the league. Ask yourself, “ did Jordan change the Barons tremendously in ticket sales and viewership ?”He wouldn't, that's why he said no, but he's worth millions in the right situation. He's hugely popular, so if you have a franchise in Florida, just by signing him you get a ton of press, sell jerseys, tickets, etc... It's not about why Tebow would do it, it's why a league desperate for relevance would love to have him, and clearly they would or else they wouldn't keep calling.
Also, I'd point out you said minor a few times. That's the predicament that kind of labeling yourself as a minor league (feeder league in particular) puts you in. It begs the question of why someone with a decent career would go there. A league without such shackles, be it pay or perception is free to offer someone like that a hefty salary, although based on what he said they might have done just that.
Yeah and that’s the point. Once they see why he isn’t in the NFL the league would go back to status quo. It’s like Michael Jordan going to the Barons, yeah it got a weekend or two of good attendances but once you saw why he wasn’t on the White Sox you really saw the Barons attendance going back to normal.A lot of people would turn the television on to see Tim play football again. Maybe only once, but at least the once he would bring more attention to the league than any other single player there now.
Rtr
Maybe my memory fails me but I can't recall the dip in attendance. i thought the Barons achieved a season average not seen since the 1940's or 50's.Yeah and that’s the point. Once they see why he isn’t in the NFL the league would go back to status quo. It’s like Michael Jordan going to the Barons, yeah it got a weekend or two of good attendances but once you saw why he wasn’t on the White Sox you really saw the Barons attendance going back to normal.
The only player I can see that totally changes the league who isn’t in the NFL now is Kapernick. That’s because he is actually a great player with a name. But he isn’t risking his body for 250k
The AAF is going to either die or survive off the NFL’s involvement. I just don’t see them getting the consistent ratings and attendance for a spring league like the USFL. I could be wrong but I think only 3-4 cities are going to be super excited to go to games come Year 2-3. So I think this needs backing from the NFL.
Tim Tebow boosted attendance significantly, in baseball! His jersey became the third highest selling baseball jersey! That's in all of baseball! Even on the road Tebow, in his second sport, he was drawing 2,500 extra fans per game (a number I might add that is capped by the maximum capacity of some of these stadiums, they can't sell more tickets than seats). You can easily enough figure out that value based on ticket sales alone, but that's obviously not the only source of revenue. The dude is massively popular.Tebow has just about as a good career as Trent so I don’t think Tebow being in the league is that much of an upgrade. Maybe a few extra jerseys and a few extra butts but let’s not act like Tebow is a game changer for the league. Ask yourself, “ did Jordan change the Barons tremendously in ticket sales and viewership ?”
Yes a side show freak draws a crowd for a small amount of time, but once everyone has seen it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be they sit a home.Tim Tebow boosted attendance significantly, in baseball! His jersey became the third highest selling baseball jersey! That's in all of baseball! Even on the road Tebow, in his second sport, he was drawing 2,500 extra fans per game (a number I might add that is capped by the maximum capacity of some of these stadiums, they can't sell more tickets than seats). You can easily enough figure out that value based on ticket sales alone, but that's obviously not the only source of revenue. The dude is massively popular.
Your comparison of Trent to Tim Tebow represents a huge blind spot in terms of understanding the promotional aspects of a product. Tebow has outsold Trent merchandise by a magnitude of... well there's no comparison. Comparing the marketability of the two is like comparing Coca-Cola to RC Cola. Yeah it might taste about the same, but they don't sell the same.
Your Jordan comparison also overlooks some key stuff. Jordan helped the Barons break both team and league records in attendance (once again, they couldn't exceed the number of seats they had, or else attendance would have been even higher). He had them on SportsCenter for almost every single game he played, he made them the most famous team in the minor leagues.
The Birmingham Barons attendance went from 277,096 in 1993 to 467,868 in 1994.
So umm, the answer to your question is a resounding yes. If you want to exceed the confines and the doldrums of a minor league offering, sports stars whose popularity registers on a national level are of tremendous value.