OT: New UFL set to kickoff tonight

[Tunescribe]

They have the coach calling plays on the sidelines miked live. What's to prevent the opposition from watching television and signaling the defense?

Those uniforms are eyesores.

 

[pats1]

They have the coach calling plays on the sidelines miked live. What's to prevent the opposition from watching television and signaling the defense?

Those uniforms are eyesores.

Well, all the teams are part-owned by the league, so there's incentives for teams not to do that.

 

[primetime]

http://www.ufl-football.com/userfiles/LV_PR_Guideline_F.pdf

It's explained on the left; the uniform designer had to use the four UFL colors (green, blue, silver, white) in each of the uniforms.

It's a 'soft launch.' Next year they'll have unique uniforms for each team, plus a longer season and two more teams (LA and one other). Actually not a bad business model. Build some brand recognition by whetting the appetite. The only decision I'm not sure of is to play during the same season as the NCAA/NFL.

The XFL had a few guys with NFL experience. Our own Dino Philyaw, Heisman winner Rashan Salaam who played for the Bears for a few years, and a few other guys. A lot like the UFL, though the UFL isn't seeking to be revolutionary with the rules, nor EXTREME like the XFL.

Also, some hilarity. Peter Warrick was supposed to be California's headline player but got cut in camp.

 

[efin98]

The XFL had a few guys with NFL experience. Our own Dino Philyaw, Heisman winner Rashan Salaam who played for the Bears for a few years, and a few other guys. A lot like the UFL, though the UFL isn't seeking to be revolutionary with the rules, nor EXTREME like the XFL.

Salaam was the biggest name of them all who participated in the XFL...all the rest though look like they were career backups or over the hill players brought out of retirement to train the rest of players, doesn't compare with the experience of the UFL's former NFL players.

 

[JDSal45]

It's a 'soft launch.' Next year they'll have unique uniforms for each team, plus a longer season and two more teams (LA and one other). Actually not a bad business model. Build some brand recognition by whetting the appetite. The only decision I'm not sure of is to play during the same season as the NCAA/NFL.

The XFL had a few guys with NFL experience. Our own Dino Philyaw, Heisman winner Rashan Salaam who played for the Bears for a few years, and a few other guys. A lot like the UFL, though the UFL isn't seeking to be revolutionary with the rules, nor EXTREME like the XFL.

Also, some hilarity. Peter Warrick was supposed to be California's headline player but got cut in camp.

I actually was flipping onto the game here and there and thought it was pretty well played and decent football. Pretty much akin to the preseason in the NFL without as much substitution. Alot of these guys are just barely out of the NFL. Like DeDe Dorsey, for example.

Its not bad and they're not claiming to be competing with the NFL. I like the business model of starting slow and building it up and the people involved are impressive.

I thought the game tonight was head and shoulders over the joke that was the XFL and was good, basically minor league football. Not bad for the first week.

J D Sal

 

[Tunescribe]

I noticed how the camera shots were always really tight on the field because there was hardly anybody in the stands.

By the way, I think their big PR coup was to get Michael Vick. I think that's a major reason Goodell reinstated him so quickly.

 

[Wolfpack]

I watched about a half hour and found it to be reasonably decent play. Keep in mind it was Minor League Football, so you're not going to get the caliber of play we see in the NFL, but they certainly weren't buffoons making fools of themselves.

I think the UFL must be pissed that Versus dropped DirecTV (or perhaps I should say DirecTV dropped Versus) so right off the bat they have lost many of the country's most dedicated football fans.

 

[Wolfpack]

They have the coach calling plays on the sidelines miked live. What's to prevent the opposition from watching television and signaling the defense?

There's probably a 4-5 second delay (if not more) between the action and the TV broadcast.

 

[TrueBeliever]

1) The UFL is designed to be a minor league farm system for the NFL, even though their teams are in relatively major league markets. The XFL, on the other hand, tried to pass itself off as a major league but the meager talent it had couldn't deliver. That's a major difference.

2) I might check in on these games except that thanks to the financial geniuses at Comcast I won't be able to. Apparently Comcast owns the Versus Channel and tried to use the new league as an excuse to jack up the price, and DirecTV dropped it. So let's get this straight - Comcast doesn't think it should charge more for NFL Network, but it should charge more for showing games played by guys who can't make an NFL roster?

 

[Tunescribe]

1) So let's get this straight - Comcast doesn't think it should charge more for NFL Network, but it should charge more for showing games played by guys who can't make an NFL roster?

Coincidentally I checked with Comcast yesterday and NFLN is STILL available only as part of the $7.95 premium sports tier in my town.

 

[WhiZa]

Coincidentally I checked with Comcast yesterday and NFLN is STILL available only as part of the $7.95 premium sports tier in my town.

That never changed. All they did was add it to the digital premium tier which cost an extra $13 a month. I'm not sure what the fuss was about.

 

[Afterlifemobile-86]

I find it funny that some people in this thread are dumping on the UFL calling it a "joke" and "unprofessional". This league is designated as a minor league system for the NFL. Something the NFL could use. They are not trying to compete and do lame marketing gimmicks like the XFL did. Please get off your high horse and do some research before you make asinine comments. You just come off sounding ignorant.

 

[TrueBeliever]

Coincidentally I checked with Comcast yesterday and NFLN is STILL available only as part of the $7.95 premium sports tier in my town.

Not to get off topic here, but when I had cable NFLN was part of a tier that cost an extra $4 a month. I paid it, I didn't care, because 2/3 of the channels I was paying for on my basic line-up I never watched anyway. If the cable provider (Charter) had taken away that option just because it didn't like the NFL, I would've been pyst. (And trust me, I had more than enough reasons already to be pyst at Charter - those people are the Oakland Raiders of TV providers.)

 

[Northcountry]

MY EYES! MY EYES! did you see those uniforms? I could use some of whatever drug the designer was taken when he came up with those...

 

[khayos]

Picked up 4 tickets for friends and I for the Nov 12th game in Connecticut... 50 yd line, row 4. Should be fun!

 

[SoonerPatriot]

It's a 'soft launch.' Next year they'll have unique uniforms for each team, plus a longer season and two more teams (LA and one other). Actually not a bad business model. Build some brand recognition by whetting the appetite. The only decision I'm not sure of is to play during the same season as the NCAA/NFL.

The XFL had a few guys with NFL experience. Our own Dino Philyaw, Heisman winner Rashan Salaam who played for the Bears for a few years, and a few other guys. A lot like the UFL, though the UFL isn't seeking to be revolutionary with the rules, nor EXTREME like the XFL.

Also, some hilarity. Peter Warrick was supposed to be California's headline player but got cut in camp.

Actually I'm not sure it's such a great business model. Each team has a certain number of players who are guaranteed at least $1 million a year. I think it's 4-6 players. Regardless, where does the revenue to pay that overhead come from? Judging from last night it's not ticket sales and I question how lucrative their TV deal with Versus is. I doubt they opened the bank for the rights to broadcast an unknown product.

Beyond that, to have get corporate sponsorships you have to demonstrate you have a marketable product. I can't imagine they're rolling in dough on that end either.

I hope it works, just don't see how it can.

 

[khayos]

Actually I'm not sure it's such a great business model. Each team has a certain number of players who are guaranteed at least $1 million a year. I think it's 4-6 players. Regardless, where does the revenue to pay that overhead come from? Judging from last night it's not ticket sales and I question how lucrative their TV deal with Versus is. I doubt they opened the bank for the rights to broadcast an unknown product.

Beyond that, to have get corporate sponsorships you have to demonstrate you have a marketable product. I can't imagine they're rolling in dough on that end either.

I hope it works, just don't see how it can.

The owner of the California Redwoods is Nancy Pelosi's husband. I'm sure he'll get a bailout if it fails

(hope that wasn't too political)

 

[primetime]

Actually I'm not sure it's such a great business model. Each team has a certain number of players who are guaranteed at least $1 million a year. I think it's 4-6 players. Regardless, where does the revenue to pay that overhead come from? Judging from last night it's not ticket sales and I question how lucrative their TV deal with Versus is. I doubt they opened the bank for the rights to broadcast an unknown product.

The MLS has survived for almost a decade and a half while drawing similar numbers and having as much TV exposure and similar salary structure. This is because the owners funding the MLS don't expect to make money in the venture; their profit comes from their other business endeavors. For the UFL owners, sinking the $14 million salary cap while making only a small portion of it back in revenue is simply not that much of a deal. It's just a hobby for them, similar to going out and playing golf. You pay $20 for 18 holes once or twice a week, and you don't expect to make that $20 back while playing.

 

[pats1]

Florio said the attendance for last night's game was about 14,000, "not even a third" of their goal.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

For anyone who cares...

2009 Media Guide

Live Stream, 10/8/09 9 PM, Versus, California Redwoods @ Las Vegas Locomotives, Sam Boyd Stadium

Former Patriots who made the cut: Doug Gabriel (Florida), Chas Gessner (Florida), Jermaine Wiggins (Florida), Gene Mruczkowski (Florida - retired from Pats in 2008), Willie Andrews (Florida), Todd Sauerbrun (Florida), Jake Nordin (Las Vegas), Brandon Moore (Las Vegas - Pats PS 2002), Danny Baugher (Las Vegas), Tom Malone (New York).

Other notables: LB Dontarrious Thomas (California), P Derrick Frost (California), QB Brooks Bollinger (Florida), RBs Tatum Bell and Michael Pittman (Florida), DT Claude Wroten (Florida - suspended from NFL), LB Odell Thurman (Florida), DBs Fakhir Brown and Dexter Jackson (Florida), QBs Tim Rattay and J.P. Losman (Las Vegas), RB Marcel Shipp (Las Vegas), LBs Brian Toal and Teddy Lehman (Las Vegas), WR Koren Robinson (New York), DE Simeon Rice (New York).

Make it an off season league and get a good TV deal where I can follow one team and I'm in. Until then: yawn.