Charlie Ebersol made a documentary about why the XFL failed. Now he’s set to launch an eight-team pro football league in 2019 with a CBS Sports broadcast deal and a roster of ex-NFL players in executive and advisory roles – a year ahead of WWE chairman Vince McMahon’s planned XFL reboot.
The Alliance of American Football is backed by investors including Founders Fund, Slow Ventures, Peter Chernin’s Chernin Group, Adrian Fenty and Charles King’s M Ventures, Keith Rabois, and former NFL all-pro Jared Allen. The AAF is not disclosing how much funding it has raised, but “we are confident we have the right team and long-term financial resources in place to ensure fans will experience high-quality professional football for many seasons to come,” Ebersol said in a statement. |
Viewers will be able to stream AAF matchups live via a free app, while also accessing integrated fantasy options with real prizes — for themselves and the players they root for. Charlie Ebersol also says the league will offer “family pricing” with more affordable tickets to games.
No halfway decent player is going to want to play a full 10 game season in another league, risk injury, sustain all that wear and tear and then try to make an NFL squad where the real bucks will be for the forseeable future. So you're hamstringing your player pool.
If you play during the NFL season (on TV on a weird day), you're on every professional football players schedule. Fringe players can play in your league and move in and out of the NFL during the season as injuries occur--a de facto minor league.
If the game changes are popular and the player revenue sharing is lucrative enough, then you might begin to compete.
Guys who arne't good enough to make NFL - whats the point?
Guys who arne't good enough to make NFL - whats the point?
It's a long shot, but I think they are trying to capitalize on the waning interest in the NFL game. College football is full of guys not good enough to make the NFL, but it is oftentimes more interesting to watch.
The key is if their changes to the game make it more fun to watch. The curtailing of the three point stance, fewer commercials, faster play clock, all two point conversions. It's going to be a different game.
Guys who arne't good enough to make NFL - whats the point?
A few players came through the xfl, Canadian football and arena football. There are players that just don't get an opportunity for one reason or another. This gives them an outlet to build their skills and develop.
Guys who arne't good enough to make NFL - whats the point?
In a sense, isn't that what college football is? Most college players aren't good enough to make the NFL.
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No interest in any of these non NFL leagues.
Guys who arne't good enough to make NFL - whats the point?
In a sense, isn't that what college football is? Most college players aren't good enough to make the NFL.
That's what a real minor league should be doing: targeting "college" players. Attack the farce that is the NCAA and sign players to a U21 league. Move the pros from there or spend time in an over 21 minor league.
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In comment 13876012 ZogZerg said:
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No interest in any of these non NFL leagues.
Guys who arne't good enough to make NFL - whats the point?
In a sense, isn't that what college football is? Most college players aren't good enough to make the NFL.
That's what a real minor league should be doing: targeting "college" players. Attack the farce that is the NCAA and sign players to a U21 league. Move the pros from there or spend time in an over 21 minor league.
"Move to the pros"
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No interest in any of these non NFL leagues.
Guys who arne't good enough to make NFL - whats the point?
In a sense, isn't that what college football is? Most college players aren't good enough to make the NFL.
EXACTLY. There is already a league for this - College Football. And college Football is very exciting to watch. The students, bands, environment, upsets, etc. - it is awesome!
I don't see what changes you can make to build excitement of the average football fan for these fake leagues. Maybe a few guys will show enough to get a shot in the NFL, but not enough to watch.
There's a chance here to bring along some players that would never get a chance to put the work in with NFL-caliber coaching under the current CBA.
10 games in this league will afford o-linemen a much better chance of making themselves into serviceable pros than a guy like Bisnowaty got in 2017 as a PS players.
I don't know...Wentz, Watson, Goff, and Prescott all played pretty good football in 2017. Those guys are all 25 or under. Wentz, Goff, and Watson all had higher passer ratings than vets like Eli, Roethlisberger, Rivers, Palmer, Cutler, Rodgers, and Ryan.
I think the changes in the college game should be informing what is done in the NFL, not the other way around.
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we need a developmental league. Mainly for QB's. They're not coming out pro ready anymore.
I don't know...Wentz, Watson, Goff, and Prescott all played pretty good football in 2017. Those guys are all 25 or under. Wentz, Goff, and Watson all had higher passer ratings than vets like Eli, Roethlisberger, Rivers, Palmer, Cutler, Rodgers, and Ryan.
I think the changes in the college game should be informing what is done in the NFL, not the other way around.
Agree with your point, but guys drafted almost as high such as Kizer, Lynch and Hackenberg, as well as guys who got starts like Trubisky and Peterman were not close to being ready. I think this league will help lessen the drop off at the back end of depth charts.
At present there aren't enough quality o-linemen to fill 32 rosters. This should help.