I think the ratings so far have been OK, but the couple games I tried watching couldn't hold my attention. Not knowing any of the players or having an emotional attachment to a particular team is a hard thing to get past. I don't have much faith it's going to last long.
Hard to get excited when there are no fans in the stands
I just don't see another football league working. XFL, AAF or USFL.. none of them are going to be able to hold fan appeal long enough to succeed.
On the opening kickoff the place kicker fell as he made the kick.
I turned it off immediately after
The only way an alternative league would truly work is if it functioned like the minor leagues in baseball and hockey. If they were affiliated with your NFL team and had up and coming players, there would be some level of investment. But the NFL doesn't work like those sports and draft picks don't need years to get ready like those sports.
I just don't see another football league working. XFL, AAF or USFL.. none of them are going to be able to hold fan appeal long enough to succeed.
You would have to be willing to run the league at a huge loss for at least five years
Hard to get excited when there are no fans in the stands
Are they still playing all the games in Birmingham?
That's a pretty good reason for why the stands are empty. You're asking people in a relatively small city to take interest in an assortment of teams rather than just one team that they can become a fan of, and there's very little reason for those who would otherwise be fans of the teams that represent other cities to travel to Birmingham to see a game.
Taken a step further, football tickets are so overwhelmingly sold as season tickets that removing that from the equation along with the geographical issue makes the tickets a really tough sell for this year.
I'd give them a pass on the empty stands until the teams are all located in their respective markets.
The only way an alternative league would truly work is if it functioned like the minor leagues in baseball and hockey. If they were affiliated with your NFL team and had up and coming players, there would be some level of investment. But the NFL doesn't work like those sports and draft picks don't need years to get ready like those sports.
I think there would be a big market for this. As opposed to a practice squad, why not function with a minor league team per organization. There's certainly enough D1 players and would be enough interest in minor league football if guys were drafted or signed by the NFL club and you actually got to see guys develop in a game setting that isn't preseason.
than scrub football players running around in some BS league.
The AAFL (or whatever that league that Fassel coached in was) attempted to be that, IIRC. Their plan was to operate for a few years in the hope that they could arrange a deal with the NFL to be a developmental league.
I think if they're looking for a recipe for success,try to be be the opposite of the NFL.
I was at the opening weekend and it was pretty cool. Got to go behind the scenes. Met Daryl Johnston a a bunch of other guys. Lots of former NFL coaches, I walked out with one of my friends who's a coach for one of the teams after the team took the field . I was watching all the activity going on with the players and the media. Then I looked forward and the was a camera man filming us as we walked out onto the field. It's pretty amazing all of the big time production that Fox is putting into the TV portion of the league. Lots of innovations which may translate to the NFL. Watched the game up in one of the suites. After halftime I went up to the coaches box and watched the second half there. What an eye opener. Needless to say I had a great time.
The Brimingham team had the stadium filled to almost 2/3 capacity, not bad for a fledgling team and league. It was also raining earlier in the day with thunderstorms.
As for the players they are young for the most part and mainly from D1 programs. There are some practice squad guys and some former NFL starters. They play with heart and are totally invested into their teams. They still love the game and are hoping for a chance to the NFL. Not unlike your local minor league baseball team. They a chasing their dreams. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these players are invited to NFL training camps. That alone could make this a success moving forward., as better talent will want to showcase their skills.
All in all in enjoy the USFL. To be honest I figured I wouldn't like it, but seeing these young men go out and compete for their dreams is inspiring.
Honestly the original USFL had a real chance to succeed. It had a good formula and sweet spot- cities like Birmingham, Memphis, Baltimore, Orlando, San Antonio etc... that didn't have NFL franchises and were hungry for pro ball along with established big markets that had varying degree of interest for it like NY, Philly, Houston, Detroit and LA. you had rich owners like Bassett, he who shall not be named, and others that had the desire and $ to compete with the NFL for talent. Back then the sports market was not so saturated and football was so popular that there was a niche for it in the spring. If they just would have stayed in the spring they could have had a decent run before probably having to fold or in most probability pull an ABA and merge some teams from said empty NFL markets like Memphis, SA, Baltimore or Birmingham into the league. They ruined it with the assinine idea to try and move into the fall and sue the NFL. That was the death null.
NFL games are expensive, and like minor league baseball, someone who wants to take his family to a football game and doesn't want to drop $500 might want to watch it in person.
But maybe that's in the cards. The level of play is not there yet, but these guys met each other a couple months ago.