Muda69 Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 (edited) https://deadspin.com/boot-this-reboot-1848609325 Quote The new USFL is bullshit. It makes me sad to write such a thing, but it’s true enough that I’ll type it once again. The new USFL is bullshit. Like, total bullshit. In case you missed Monday’s news, the upcoming spring football league is being sued by a handful of former team owners and executives from the original USFL (United States Football League), a splendid spring rival to the NFL that existed from 1983-85 before succumbing to financial hardship and the sabotaging sinisterness of one Donald J. Trump (it’s a long, bonkers story. I wrote a book about the ordeal). In case you don’t know, the old USFL brought you Steve Young and Reggie White; Jim Kelly and Sam Mills; Gary Zimmerman and Jim Mora and Herschel Walker, and more than 200 players, coaches, and executives who wound up in the NFL. The old USFL is responsible for the Run ‘N Shoot offense, the two-point conversion, and the coach’s challenge. It is the No. 1 reason player salaries skyrocketed in the mid 1980s. The basis of the suit is that the new league (which, I believe, will never play a game) is using original team names and logos without permission, and a complaint filed in a California federal court seeks to stop Fox Sports, the new USFL owner, from continuing with its efforts. I don’t know whether the suit will succeed, but as a USFL originist, the whole recent effort lands between farce and sham. From the day it announced its arrival, the new USFL has done three things amazingly well: Peddle some of the shittiest sports merchandise I have ever seen. Make absolutely no living homo sapiens excited for its arrival (the USFL held its draft last week. It was available to watch. Somewhere. I think. Maybe). Ignore the history of the original USFL. That third one is what really gets me. ... Why take team names if the names mean nothing? Why rip off logos if the logos have no significance? I am legitimately bewildered. It’s not as if Americans were clamoring for the return of the USFL, or can’t wait to see the big Houston Gamblers-Michigan Panthers reunion clash. Hell, I had to beg people to buy my book. So what, in God’s name, is the purpose of the new USFL? And if the history means jackshit, why evoke the history at all? It all feels like a lazy, half-assed effort to throw some football on TV and hope people lap it up. And to the three or four of us who love the original USFL, it also feels like bullshit. I pretty much agree with this Deadspin hot take. Any professional football fans out there really looking forward to this? Edited March 2, 2022 by Muda69 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumfriesYMCA Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 I have no intentions to watch it. i just don’t understand why they keep trying these sub-NFL leagues. The interest is minimum. They all struggle financially….and I have to think most people know it’s going to fail….yet hey somehow raise money for it part of what makes football great imo is that we have limited access to it. For 6 months we get football as entertainment basically 2 days a week….and then it’s over and we have to wait 6 months for it again. It both creates a scarcity and let’s you get a break from the sport. By the time summer is coming to an end, people are just itching to watch some football. it’s a really good system to retain fans without burning them out and it becomes an annual routine in peoples minds. All these sub-nfl leagues just don’t understand that apparently. People want a break from things and they like exclusivity. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 35 minutes ago, DumfriesYMCA said: I have no intentions to watch it. i just don’t understand why they keep trying these sub-NFL leagues. The interest is minimum. They all struggle financially….and I have to think most people know it’s going to fail….yet hey somehow raise money for it part of what makes football great imo is that we have limited access to it. For 6 months we get football as entertainment basically 2 days a week….and then it’s over and we have to wait 6 months for it again. It both creates a scarcity and let’s you get a break from the sport. By the time summer is coming to an end, people are just itching to watch some football. it’s a really good system to retain fans without burning them out and it becomes an annual routine in peoples minds. All these sub-nfl leagues just don’t understand that apparently. People want a break from things and they like exclusivity. NFL has adopted somewhat of the WWE model. Have at least 1 big event every month, not including the months games are played. To me, I couldn't care less. If it is on and NOTHING else is on, I will likely watch it. Especially since MLB is killing itself. Unions hurting workers, again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishman Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 The MLB owners locked the players out. They could have stayed open while negotiating. This is NOT the players doing. The players have conceded a lot in order to get a deal done.........but owners demand 14 teams in the playoffs? horrible idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 6 minutes ago, Irishman said: The MLB owners locked the players out. They could have stayed open while negotiating. This is NOT the players doing. The players have conceded a lot in order to get a deal done.........but owners demand 14 teams in the playoffs? horrible idea We both agree, it ALL boils down to money, no? Had way too many conversations about pro sport leagues player's unions and their athletes prima donna status. It is all gross. 8 minutes ago, Irishman said: The MLB owners locked the players out. They could have stayed open while negotiating. This is NOT the players doing. The players have conceded a lot in order to get a deal done.........but owners demand 14 teams in the playoffs? horrible idea Have the 2 sides discussed cutting the amount regular season games from 162 to say roughly 130? Playoffs start in September.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishman Posted March 2, 2022 Share Posted March 2, 2022 6 minutes ago, DE said: We both agree, it ALL boils down to money, no? Had way too many conversations about pro sport leagues player's unions and their athletes prima donna status. It is all gross. Have the 2 sides discussed cutting the amount regular season games from 162 to say roughly 130? Playoffs start in September.... Nope....owners want to stick with 162. Yes it is about the money for the owners; to the point they want a salary cap, which is basically impossible for the league at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustRules Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 If this league only tries to be the developmental league it is giving players still trying to get to the league with an opportunity to compete against other players and get things on film, it may create an opportunity for someone. They aren't trying to fill up 60k seat stadiums. They aren't trying to attract millions of TV viewers. But they could be fun games to attend or watch. I watched some of The Spring League last year in Indy. These would probably be a lot of the same players. The games were entertaining. Some players got camp invites or signed with CFL teams. It's not a bad thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 13 hours ago, JustRules said: If this league only tries to be the developmental league it is giving players still trying to get to the league with an opportunity to compete against other players and get things on film, it may create an opportunity for someone. They aren't trying to fill up 60k seat stadiums. They aren't trying to attract millions of TV viewers. But they could be fun games to attend or watch. I watched some of The Spring League last year in Indy. These would probably be a lot of the same players. The games were entertaining. Some players got camp invites or signed with CFL teams. It's not a bad thing. It might not be a bad thing, but will it be good for the viewer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustRules Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 4 hours ago, DE said: It might not be a bad thing, but will it be good for the viewer? 4 hours ago, DE said: It might not be a bad thing, but will it be good for the viewer? It will if you understand what you are watching. If you are looking for NFL-level quality you'll be disappointed. The players were all good college players and the games were competitive. I assume they'll likely experiment with some NFL rules and broadcast techniques. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DE Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 1 hour ago, JustRules said: It will if you understand what you are watching. If you are looking for NFL-level quality you'll be disappointed. The players were all good college players and the games were competitive. I assume they'll likely experiment with some NFL rules and broadcast techniques. That response sums up all these leagues trying to start up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustRules Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 9 hours ago, DE said: That response sums up all these leagues trying to start up. T Most of the other leagues were either trying to compete with the NFL (original USFL) or tried to be over the top (XLF). They will definitely fail if they try to be either. Leagues that were trying to be there own thing with reasonable expectations were fairly successful (NFL Europe, Arena League). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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