I think it would be GREAT fun to see some up and coming players..I wonder about coaches..though and how the pay structure would be..BUT I think it's an idea worth investigating....I also wonder how other fans in other areas feel about all this?? I wonder if there are any other message boards in INdy, San Diego, Buffalo talking about this??I'll leave it to the marketing wizzes to decide whether there is a market for such a league.
From my own personal perch, I cannot see it being otherwise. Look around this board. We're drawing a thousand a night to TALK ABOUT a sport that ISN'T EVEN BEING PLAYED!
I think things have changed significantly since NFLE (or the WorldLAF, as it began) first played. America is football crazy.
I would trade the Wednesday in-season idea for the spring idea, just to have a way to continue to follow football after the Super Bowl (and God help us, the Pro Bowl.)
The injury risk, again, is a non-issue, for anybody who would not have a shot at the NFL otherwise. Similarly, a guy "sent down" to the minors would retain his NFL contract. So, it's a risk of injury against (putatively) slower, weaker players, or stronger, faster players. Either way, you get the same check. That keeps it in the team's interest to fish or cut bait with the veteran guys.
I think 3 things are necessary for this to be a HUGE draw:
1) NFL affiliation. E.g., the Pawtucket Patriots.
2) Realistic possibility of advancement to the NFL.
3) ESPN, NFLN, and/or other network interest.
20 bucks a head for 50,000 fans is a million bucks. Remember how the "super bowl" for the XFL was the "million dollar game"? Think about it. currently the players get around 60% of NFL revenue. I don't know for sure how costs would scale from the NFL to the minor league; you don't need to rent a huge megastadium, for instance; but of course, the gate is lower.
Let's say an average NFL minors contract is 100K per annum. Let's say 50 guys get paid. That's 5 million per year in payroll. Let's say they take up 60% of gross, like in the NFL (doubtful, if networks get on board.) That means the grand total take is 12 million per team per year. If you get 50,000 fans at 20 bucks a head, you can get that just on gate. Obviously, the network contract(s) is/are very important, because that puts you on the "razor's edge" without network money. WITH network money, you can scale back gate expectations to more like 30,000 fans. Sort of in the range of American soccer in most markets.
So we're back to would people watch it -- which is what drives TV contracts. So you tell me: it's March 1. Maybe there's snow on the ground. The Pawtucket Pats are playing the Baton Rouge Saints. There's a "minor" fantasy league in play. The Pats have Bam Childress in at wideout, and there's talk about him making the "real" team. Gutierez is at QB. Lua is a linebacker. You really don't want to know how these guys do?
Or maybe it's not them. Maybe Alexander is in at LB, and you're seeing improvement that might just translate. Whatever.
Either way, there's Patriots football on on Sunday -- just not the REAL Patriots. Except some of them might become REAL.
You're telling me you just go ho-hum, I am watching golf, or the little league world series? Hell, I'd watch this game before I'd watch NCAA basketball. But that's just me.
How about you guys? Would you watch it?
PFnV
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