Report: New start-up league could rival NFL

[WoodysGirl]

FOXSports.com
Posted: 13 minutes ago



The NFL may be the most successful league in the country, but that doesn't mean it's without competition.

Bill Hambrecht, a Wall Street businessman, and Tim Armstrong, a senior executive at Google, have decided to start up a rival football league, the United Football League, according to a report on the New York Times web site Wednesday.

For those worried that the UFL will lack name recognition, Hambrecht and Armstrong already have one owner lined up: Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

And though the league is having a difficult time finding other owners, it appears Cuban is committed to the plan. The league intends to play its first preseason games in August of 2008.

And where will the league find the talent necessary to attract fans?

"(Former NFL coach) Bill Walsh used to tell me that the last 20 players cut from every team were almost interchangeable with the last 20 players to make the team," Hambrecht says.

So far, the UFL has decided to put teams in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Mexico City. Cuban, unsurprisingly, is considering buying the team in Vegas, according to the report.

LINK

 

[DCBoysfan]

That will be interesting, but they need more than a couple of owners to matchup with the NFL. It would be something to see them overpay for some "name" players just to give the new league some respect.

 

[AtlCB]

Looks like an NFL minor league to me.

 

[dargonking999]

this has got to be unreal.

Stupidest thing i've heard

if its true, this is gonna be like the d-league for the NBA. A bunch of nobodies playing in a game, to give themselves a chance in the NFL

 

[Doomsday101]

Another USFL in the making. They went out and got big name players what they failed to realize is the passion NFL fans have for their teams. During the civil trial the USFL had against the NFL for being a monopoly the jury did find in favor of the USFL and awarded them 1 dollar. While it is a monopoly it is not by the NFL's doing but because of the loyalty the fans have

 

[thomas_22]

I remeber getting all excited about the XFL. i am defintly not gonna make that mistake again. its an NFL world and were just living in it.

 

[adamknite]

It's at least "interesting." As long as they don't take the XFL approach and try not to be too much too fast then it's a nice idea. A lot of people thought starting the old AFL was stupid I'm sure and look how it turned out, it just depends on how this UFL is ran really.

 

[jazzcat22]

That will be interesting, but they need more than a couple of owners to matchup with the NFL. It would be something to see them overpay for some "name" players just to give the new league some respect.

The WFL tried that. Overpaid many NFL players to jump leagues. The were in debt deeper than ever right off the start. And failed because of it. So when the USFL started, they put in the salary cap, and said they wouldn't make the mistakes that the WFL made.

So look for something similar until they can get established. If they can survive for several years, then you may see the larger offerings.

 

[Hostile]

WFL
USFL
XFL

Now UFL?

Everyone thinks they are Lamar Hunt, Ralph Wilson, and Al Davis, et al.

They aren't. Give it 2, maybe 3 years before it pushes up daisies.

 

[YosemiteSam]

For those worried that the UFL will lack name recognition, Hambrecht and Armstrong already have one owner lined up: Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

One word. Schmuck.

 

[NoDak Cowboy]

The talent is already getting watered down in the NFL with all the expansion. Now these guys think they can make it with the castoffs from the NFL? Good luck.

 

[jazzcat22]

It's at least "interesting." As long as they don't take the XFL approach and try not to be too much too fast then it's a nice idea. A lot of people thought starting the old AFL was stupid I'm sure and look how it turned out, it just depends on how this UFL is ran really.

Right. They will learn from the past failures and successes such as the AFL. The thing is, the AFL was just 7 years old when Tex Schramm and Lamar Hunt came up with the merger and the SB. Would the AFL or NFL even have survived without the other if they kept the compitition going, instead of merging.

Many people will scoff at this idea, say it's watered down. NFL minor league. Which it will not be, as they can't say, hey Billy bob, we're calling you up. They will be under contract. How many players do you see come from the CFL and actually make a difference. Not counting players like Ismail, or Walker coming over fromthe USFL. Because they were top players in college to begin with.

I think it's good. And welcome it. Will I watch, who knows. But Cowboys and NFL #1.

Also these teams will be in major cities that have no current NFL team, so they don't have to compete with that situation.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

One word. Schmuck.

Agree. Completely.

That was a funny quote about the last 20 players being cut being about equal to the last 20 who make the team. Newsflash -- it's the top 20 on each team that make the league.

 

[adamknite]

Right. They will learn from the past failures and successes such as the AFL. The thing is, the AFL was just 7 years old when Tex Schramm and Lamar Hunt came up with the merger and the SB. Would the AFL or NFL even have survived without the other if they kept the compitition going, instead of merging.

Many people will scoff at this idea, say it's watered down. NFL minor league. Which it will not be, as they can't say, hey Billy bob, we're calling you up. They will be under contract. How many players do you see come from the CFL and actually make a difference. Not counting players like Ismail, or Walker coming over fromthe USFL. Because they were top players in college to begin with.

I think it's good. And welcome it. Will I watch, who knows. But Cowboys and NFL #1.

Also these teams will be in major cities that have no current NFL team, so they don't have to compete with that situation.

As long as they plan this out right, there is a chance they could have a decently successful run at it. I mean look at the Arena League, it's been around a long time, in my eyes mainly because it didn't try and be the NFL and didn't try to go at the NFL head to head. Is it basically just a minor league, sure, but that isn't so bad. This "UFL" just can't expect from day one to compete with the NFL they have to realize there are going to be some growing pains if they plan on making a splash and be prepared for them.

I'm not expecting much from this league, just like I didn't with the XFL, but if they play their cards right they could become decently popular given time.

 

[YosemiteSam]

The talent is already getting watered down in the NFL with all the expansion. Now these guys think they can make it with the castoffs from the NFL? Good luck.

The way I see it they should attack College football. Nothing pisses me off more than the stupid BCS bowl system. It's the main reason I don't really watch much college football. I'm all for anything that kills the college football system. Only because it is a greed based system.

DIE DIE DIE

 

[Rackat]

The NFL won't, and is smart not to, expand into the Las Vegas market. Even if there were never any true wrong doing, the look of impropriety would take some of the shine off the NFL veneer. However, all the NFL would have to do to undermine such a start up league would be to expand to the market/area of the start up league. Which team would fans glom on to? The one that has the chance of competing against the best in the world.

 

[Cochese]

this has got to be unreal.

Stupidest thing i've heard

if its true, this is gonna be like the d-league for the NBA. A bunch of nobodies playing in a game, to give themselves a chance in the NFL

Why is this stupid? Why is more football bad for anyone? Why is the idea of giving fringe players a chance to prove themselves a bad idea? How is giving fans in cities that dont have NFL football a chance to watch real (non Arena garbage) football live a bad idea?

 

[rojan]

Quincy can now get kicked out of this league too.

 

[Hostile]

Quincy can now get kicked out of this league too.

I knew this was coming.

:laugh2:

 

[cowboys#1]

whats all the hubbub about, lets them start a new league. if you dont like it dont watch it. im all for new things. hopefully they play their season in spring so we can have football all year.