AAF may fold

[DzynKingRTR]

Apparently they can stop football.

 

[B1GTide]

Hate it for the players. I knew many players who lost their jobs when the original Arena Football League failed. It was painful to countless families.

 

[MattinBama]

You know what is great for the future of your football league? Releasing info that spawns a billion articles where you are complaining about how you may have to shut down because of someone else.

 

[rgw]

Yeah, I was going to go to a game this weekend but I don't trust businesses that are close to going out of business to give me a worthwhile service.

 

[CullmanTide]

I think Dundon took over just to kill the league. Why? So he could sell the tech they developed to the NFL, NHL, maybe even the XFL and other leagues. There is no way he invested the entire 250 million either. This guy is as big a sleaze ball as Vince McMann. There are thousands of people affected by this and he couldn't care less.

 

[CrimsonPassion]

So, this guy is going to be out of another job?

 

[T Bone]

yeppers, couldnt happen to a nicer person, never liked him, prolly never will.

So, this guy is going to be out of another job?

 

[bamaga]

The first and only AAF game I watched was Birmingham vs Memphis . I will say, I thought it was a terrible brand of football. Both teams were ‘turrible’. Poor coaching, poor execution!

 

[CrimsonTheory]

This is the first yr for the league, there are obviously bugs to work out. I just hope they can survive long enough to work out those said bugs and turn the AAF into a feeder league to the NFL.

But if I am Vince and the XFL, I am concerned. If the AAF ends up folding, then I'd give XFL 0% chance at surviving a year.

 

[bamamick]

I have watched at least one game per week since they started, and it just seems to get better and better. The different playclock combined with offensive lines with very little time to practice together resulted in some pretty boring football early on, but they are getting used to playing as a team and things are running much more smoothly now.

You need a league like this so that young players can continue to develop with game reps. Or not. The NFL will certainly survive either way, since they have the colleges as a minor league system they don't have to invest a penny in. But if they really want to expand their talent pool the AAF could be a big part of that, they just need some assistance with salaries, supplying coaches and staff, etc. Just like baseball. Just like hockey. Just like basketball. There is no way the AAF can stand completely on it's own without the NFL, and I am sure everyone knew that going in. I just don't see why these kinds of discussions couldn't wait until the season is over. The guys currently employed by the league deserve the chance to finish this on a positive note. I can't see why a principal investor decided he'd take that away from them?

rtr

 

[DzynKingRTR]

never saw a single play
never gave a crap
well.........bye

Maybe you did and just forgot?

 

[CrimsonSEC]

yeppers, couldnt happen to a nicer person, never liked him, prolly never will.

Same here. Boggled my mind to hear a bunch of people were still paying $100 for his autograph a couple of months ago at an event in Houston. He has cashed in on beating Bama once about as far as he can.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I simply don't see how any kind of "alternative" football league has a prayer at making it. Hell, the 1986 lawsuit - advocated by a certain owner of the NJ Generals who went on to other things - got a ruling that the NFL IS a monopoly. There's no question about this. The only time the NFL ever came close to losing one of those wars they simply absorbed the AFL and gave them some teams in the new AFC to make the numbers equal. Or they absorbed the old Cleveland Browns and flushed the AAFC.

The NFL has the money so that if any particular player was a breakout superstar, they can sign them to an exclusive contract that pays ten times what the player makes for the upstart league and get him off a roster.

The league won't get mammoth TV contracts, the networks get live sports because it's cheap programming (e.g. reality).
The first week or so always pops a good rating in the curiosity check. Same thing happened when Leno did the "early" Tonight Show after Conan took over, and the ratings tanked the second night.

The XFL will implode as well. There's a huge difference in how McMahon took over (and destroyed) pro wrestling and how one competes with the NFL.


I pretty much expect a scandal along the lines of the World Football League pretty much every time one of these leagues tries it.

 

[Bazza]

Watched the game this afternoon between the Apollos and the Express and really enjoyed it.

What they did to mitigate the commercial interruptions is brilliant!

Game got real interesting at the end when the punt was fumbled due to the rainy conditions.

No whistle on the delay of game by the Apollos was a pretty blatant miss too. That one really has me shaking my head.

 

[bamamick]

The refs blew that one, which caused Singletary to lose his mind, which caused discipline to disintegrate on the Memphis team. It was an ugly last two minutes.

Rtr

 

[81usaf92]

Its kinda weird, it seems Dundon and Ebersol are doing two totally different thing at the same time. Ebersol is currently trying to get Eminem to throw up money for a Detroit team for next year while Dundon is giving hints that the AAF might not make it past today. It is also is weird that San Antonio is just stopping short of saying it will be back next year. I'm beginning to think we will see year 2, and this is just a power play by Dundon against the NFL. Take into account that NFLN shows atleast one game a week so the NFL is involved at some capacity. Could be wrong by this time tomorrow.

 

[ReturnToGlory]

You know what is great for the future of your football league? Releasing info that spawns a billion articles where you are complaining about how you may have to shut down because of someone else.

This was so dumb. I have watched most of the games through Week 7. But why bother if they fold before season's end.

 

[ReturnToGlory]

Watched the game this afternoon between the Apollos and the Express and really enjoyed it.

What they did to mitigate the commercial interruptions is brilliant!

Game got real interesting at the end when the punt was fumbled due to the rainy conditions.

No whistle on the delay of game by the Apollos was a pretty blatant miss too. That one really has me shaking my head.

Not surprising. They do not call many delay of games. Numerous times I've seen clock hit zero. No call.

 

[cuda.1973]

This was so dumb. I have watched most of the games through Week 7. But why bother if they fold before season's end.

They are going to fold, because Birmingham will be in the playoffs.

 

[CullmanTide]

Its beyond ridiculous to think the AAF needs NFL practice players when there are so many name players out of the NFL available that still want to play. Most guys are out of the league by year 4. Just fill rosters with local hero's and former NFL veterans and you will have entertaining football. It sure beats anything else the networks air.