AAF football operations will be suspended

[Future]

More like you can’t type. That was your exact quote I posted.

Which in no way says that the only players in the league are first rounders and bottom roster players. It's not even close.

 

[Roadtrip635]

They’re still competing against the NFL.

It wasn't competition for the NFL, they weren't taking viewers, ad dollars, players or anything else away from the NFL. The only competition involved was for current NFL players (NFLPA) that might be cut or lose roster spots due to being replaced by an AAF player. For owners and coaches, it was an avenue to be able to increase roster depth without investing their own time in developing players.

 

[jjktkk]

Damn. I just bought tickets to the San Antonio vs. Memphis game this Saturday. Oh well I guess.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Trent Richardson has looked good with Birmingham. I bet he gets another bite at the NFL APPLE. Why not bring him here to Dallas as a back up? Reminds me of Marion Barber.

On cue....

 

[Roadtrip635]

Trent Richardson has looked good with Birmingham. I bet he gets another bite at the NFL APPLE. Why not bring him here to Dallas as a back up? Reminds me of Marion Barber.

Richardson is overrated even in the AAF, I'd rather take a look at Farrow.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I personally think that if the NFL is concerned with expanding teams’ ability to develop players. They would be better off starting by expanding rosters and expanding the maximum size of practice squad.

So the players can practice with and train with the higher level players and coaches.

I think that would be more beneficial to player development than a minor league.

However, I think that the NFL should take a greater interest in International American Football Leagues like the Japanese X-League, the German Football League, and the Italian League. The quality of play may not be NFL caliber at the moment, but these leagues have interesting talent. I think it could be worth the NFL exploring. Not funding the Leagues so much as scouting the players. For example, some of the Japanese players are actually quite good. Not as tall as most NFL players, but they look chippy when they play. I like what I see from that league. Some of their college teams aren't half bad either. The German League looks intriguing too. Maybe that's a better option. If teams like what they see in those leagues, maybe the NFL can help develop them into something more special than they already are.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Damn. I just bought tickets to the San Antonio vs. Memphis game this Saturday. Oh well I guess.

It was even going to be broadcast on CBS proper, not their CBS cable sports channel. CBS and TNT had just added a couple more games to televise for their lineups.

 

[Hook'em#11]

Welp, this sucks. But, nothing lasts forever. Back to good ol' NFL where the refs don't know what to call or what not to call. Atleast there will be more reviews now.

 

[KingintheNorth]

For example, some of the Japanese players are actually quite good. Not as tall as most NFL players, but they look chippy when they play.

As of now, they're just too small and don't really have top end speed. It's like watching a league of Cole Beasley's at every single skill position and AJ Shipley's at every line position.

The German league and some of the Nordic leagues are starting to produce some players that could project to NFL offensive linemen, and they had that really good WR (Moritz Böhringer) a few years ago. I think we will see someone make the jump in the near future.

I was just at a coaching convention this weekend at USC and the Japanese league had a group of coaches trying to get some information. They were (overly) excited when Sean McVay spoke and like me, underwhelmed when Clay Helton spoke.

 

[GenoT]

so many people think the stadium Revenue pays for the players salaries. I'm not even sure it covers the utility bills. I agree that is just not enough TV Revenue to go around

Also, two weeks into their first season, the AAF got a bailout (buy in?) from the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.

https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/...-dollars-honeymoon-tv-ratings-cbs-turner/amp/

They’ve been hemorrhaging money all along.

 

[Vanilla2]

Was this the league that was supposed to be the non politics league?

 

[KingintheNorth]

Also, two weeks into their first season, the AAF got a bailout (buy in?) from the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.

It appears that that same buyout led to their demise.

He stripped them for parts.

 

[KJJ]

Yeah true, I found myself watching but without any history, didn't have alot of interest....

Would be nice if the NFL had a league for the summer tied to each franchise... but I'm sure that would never happen.

I'm a DIEHARD football fan but frankly I'm a little tired of football once the SB is over. Even when the NFL season comes to an end it's not long before free agency starts up. Draft talk starts heating up immediately after the season. The draft is in April so football fans never really get away from the NFL with everything that goes on during the offseason. After the draft OTA's start up. Not many football fans want to watch an inferior league with a bunch of NFL castoffs and players that could never even make an NFL roster. There's been several pro leagues start up only to end up folding because it's the great product and the star players in the NFL that put butts in the seats and creates high TV ratings. The AAF is nothing more than a scab league with the same quality of players we saw in the early and mid 80s that helped field teams during the two NFL strike seasons.

It costs money to start these leagues and they have to pay the players. Hard to make money if enough fans aren't interested. Even NFL ratings were down some last season because we're oversaturate with football. Some of the NFL rule changes that are putting off fans are inspiring some of these leagues to see if they can compete with their own set of rules to give the game a different twist. They can't compare because they don't have the quality star players. It's the players that make the game.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

As of now, they're just too small and don't really have top end speed. It's like watching a league of Cole Beasley's at every single skill position and AJ Shipley's at every line position.

The German league and some of the Nordic leagues are starting to produce some players that could project to NFL offensive linemen, and they had that really good WR (Moritz Böhringer) a few years ago. I think we will see someone make the jump in the near future.

I was just at a coaching convention this weekend at USC and the Japanese league had a group of coaches trying to get some information. They were (overly) excited when Sean McVay spoke and like me, underwhelmed when Clay Helton spoke.

I think some more German players will make the jump too. I agree that the Japanese players are small. However, I could see them crack a roster spot at the moment in Special Teams roles. Their kickers can absolutely crush a ball.

I was just watching the highlights of the Japan Bowl from this season, and there were a few players of note. The RB for Fujitsu (the team in red if you watch the video I saw) was quick. Their QB has a decent arm, and he's a good runner too. The kicker for IBM (blue team) has a cannon of a leg. The tight end for the red team could make a decent slot WR imo. However, I think the players on the field with the best chance to make the jump here from Japan are the kickers.

 

[Roadtrip635]

It appears that that same buyout led to their demise.

He stripped them for parts.

Dundon is trying to pull some shenanigans, think he's just trying to get his hands on the tech. It's going to get ugly if that's the reason he pulled this surprise move.

 

[Them]

…!...…?.....But....but...….but...…...ok!

 

[LatinMind]

I’m sorry to hear. Thought they had a good product.

They failed because the NFL refuses to help. Baseball has the minors NBA has the D league. the nfl could easily make this successful if they helped out with the league and developing talent. Instead they want to do that by 10 guys on a practice squad.

 

[KJJ]

It wasn't competition for the NFL, they weren't taking viewers, ad dollars, players or anything else away from the NFL. The only competition involved was for current NFL players (NFLPA) that might be cut or lose roster spots due to being replaced by an AAF player. For owners and coaches, it was an avenue to be able to increase roster depth without investing their own time in developing players.

They're still competing with the NFL because for a new league to flourish and stay afloat they need to attract a lot of NFL fans. The AAF isn't winning over viewers because the quality of football isn't the same as the NFL nor are the quality of players. Every new league from the World League in the mid 70s to the USFL in the mid 80s competed with the NFL. If you can't win over NFL viewers you're not going to survive.

 

[eromeopolk]

HERE COMES JOHNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

As of now, they're just too small and don't really have top end speed. It's like watching a league of Cole Beasley's at every single skill position and AJ Shipley's at every line position.

The German league and some of the Nordic leagues are starting to produce some players that could project to NFL offensive linemen, and they had that really good WR (Moritz Böhringer) a few years ago. I think we will see someone make the jump in the near future.

I was just at a coaching convention this weekend at USC and the Japanese league had a group of coaches trying to get some information. They were (overly) excited when Sean McVay spoke and like me, underwhelmed when Clay Helton spoke.

Besides, my point in highlighting the Japanese and German leagues is to point out that there are leagues around the world that I think make better alternatives to the AAF and other such American off-season leagues.

The mere fact they have to put it in the offseason puts them in a disadvantage straight away. Unless they start near the draft, people are tired of football. Yet, if they start near the draft, then they are about a month removed from the CFL season which, Imo, has better talent. Also, by restricting to that time, they can't expand teams because they would have to expand games. So, that's no good. So, it makes more sense to me to find already existing International Leagues that play during the NFL time to serve as pseudo-development leagues. Those leagues are not affected by the NFL like the AAF is. So, they don't lose too many fans during that time as that's when the games are played. So, perhaps teams can contract with teams there or something to that effect where they can loan a player for a season, then call then back the following year. Doing this would give these leagues NFL sort of caliber talent to help gin up further interest. Also, if the NFL teams find players like a Japanese kicker or a German safety that they want to invite to camp, then they can.