FXFL - Minor League Football to have a team in Boston.

[cupofjoe1962]

http://nesn.com/2014/06/boston-area-to-host-fxfl-minor-league-football-team-without-nfl-affiliation/

Minor league football will be coming to the Boston area this fall.
The Fall Experimental Football League, with six teams, 40-man rosters and a six-game schedule, plans to start play in October with teams in the New York and Boston areas, Austin, Texas, Portland, Ore., Omaha, Neb., and Florida, The Associated Press reported Friday. The FXFL will have no NFL affiliation and will serve as a developmental league

Where will they play in Boston?
They say the league plans to play in minor league baseball stadiums.
If they played at McCoy Stadium, it would not be a Boston team.
The home of the Brockton Rox, might not be a bad location.

Anybody know where they are going to play?
I heard they were going to play on Wednesdays.

“Given the current Division I landscape in football and the collective bargaining agreement the NFL has with the union, there is more than ever a need for another platform out there,” FXFL commissioner Brian Woods told the AP. “A platform like for basketball and baseball players.
“Pro football has nothing. The NFL has the practice squad, but it does not develop players because they don’t get into games. You don’t develop if you aren’t getting on the field.”
The league, which plans to play in minor league baseball stadiums, hopes to someday partner with the NFL.

The league would need to the NFL to get on board for any long term success, but I would check out a Wednesday night game, for a cheap price.

 

[Patstopia]

Just from my point of view, I would think that an early spring start and a early summer end (before training camp) would be better than a competition with other sports in the fall. And they need the NFL to participate unless union rules preclude having a minor league system unless they are paid like a practice squad player.

 

[JMC00]

The FXFL will have no NFL affiliation and will serve as a developmental league

So if it has no affiliation with the NFL then it really isn't a minor/developmental league. It's basically just another UFL where guys that can't catch on with the NFL go instead of taking the journey to Canada.

Also not sure if it is a good idea for the initials to include XFL.

 

[OhExaulted1]

I say it's about time. The CFL has different rules and while being translatable to the NFL does inherently give a player a steeper learning curve. While a few have made the successful transition more often than not (Moon, Flutie off the top of my head) most of the time it's where players go when their NFL career is over. The European league was a good idea but it's about as popular over their as soccer is on this side of the pond. Thanks for Vinatieri and RIP NFL Europe. It was just to far from the limelight to keep most Americans interest.

The NFL would be smart to jump in on this, especially in an era where guys are basically going on IR for hangnails and hathead. Maybe they'd have to learn how to suck it up with a minor leaguer nipping at their heels to take their job. I hope this takes off. Imagine having the opportunity to see these guys on the PS squad or red-shirt IR'ed or intriguing UDFA's getting an opportunity to shine. 32 teams have 90 players on the team and have to cut down to 53 with 8 PS. There's an entire league of players looking for work come September.

 

[blackglass3]

I sincerely hope this works, if for no other reason than for guys who love the game to keep playing.

Will the games be nationally broadcast? I almost hope not, at least for this first season. Let them get going and maybe get some local/regional coverage with maybe a championship game on ESPN2.

 

[Joker]

Great idea! I missed watching Terrell Owens every week...

 

[Deus Irae]

The Jets are relocating to Boston? Wait, that would be bush league, not minor league.





My mistake.

 

[Joker]

I could see them trying to get a "toe" hold into the Boston market..butt...they'd fumble the negotiations in all probability

 

[Angry Man]

Also not sure if it is a good idea for the initials to include XFL.

Oh man... between the potential for people to not wanting to watch it due to the name and the potential for some kind of legal action coming from Vince McMahon and the WWE yeah they better think of a better name.

 

[Sicilian]

You make this league a success (from an attendance standpoint) by having cheap tickets and playing the games in a stadium that has a large parking lot. I'd pay ten bucks to go tailgate and watch a semi-pro football game once in a while.

 

[mgteich]

Without a TV contract or a contract with the NFL, a lot of money will be lost.

 

[Kontradiction]

The FXFL is probably the worst acronym I've ever seen... for anything.