UConn and the USFL

[huskymedic]

 

[NowInStorrs]

This tweet is unavailable

 

[Pudge]

I didn't realize much about this USFL venture.

Did you know ... even though there are 8 cities (NJ isn't a city guy) with teams - Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, Birmingham, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Hackensack) - they are playing all their games at cheap rent at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. The Uniforms? Same Brand/Team Names as 1984. They won't come near any city that they purportedly represent.

Second. Owned by Fox. Will simulcast and share broadcasting with NBC. Plan is 2 years in Birmingham and then migrate to the cities they name + 8 others.

Meanwhile, Larry McMahon after losing a quarter billion on the XFL ... the Rock is supposed to re-emerge.

 

[How Sway?!]

What kind of salaries are we looking at?

 

[Kolumbo]

I didn't realize much about this USFL venture.

Did you know ... even though there are 8 cities (NJ isn't a city guy) with teams - Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, Birmingham, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Hackensack) - they are playing all their games at cheap rent at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. The Uniforms? Same Brand/Team Names as 1984. They won't come near any city that they purportedly represent.

Second. Owned by Fox. Will simulcast and share broadcasting with NBC. Plan is 2 years in Birmingham and then migrate to the cities they name + 8 others.

Meanwhile, Larry McMahon after losing a quarter billion on the XFL ... the Rock is supposed to re-emerge.

I read they will also play at Legion Field in Birmingham. So UAB used to play its home games at Legion Field but they built the new Protective Stadium (47k), and the future of Legion is uncertain. A program that just a few years ago was folding its football program now has a brand new stadium. Interesting.

UCONN will be playing at Protective in 2024.

 

[shizzle787]

What kind of salaries are we looking at?

$45,000 a season for full squad members. Not bad for 3 months.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

can we get a team playing at the rent?

 

[UCFBfan]

can we get a team playing at the rent?

I want a XFL team. Now that they are paired with the NFL, they will have more longevity. The USFL will likely last as long as the other league from a few years ago (AFL?)

 

[Alum86]

Many of you weren't born when Donald Trump owned the Generals and had Herschel, Doug Flutie ... and lost often.

I was. There was much buzz and fanfare for this league. They threw big bucks at the likes of Walker and Jim Kelley, Steve Young. Much like the WFL of the ’70s & Csonka/Kiick.
On vacation in Tampa I went to a TB Bandits game at the Sombrero and bought a glow in the dark Bandits tee. They had a decent crowd.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I didn't realize much about this USFL venture.

Did you know ... even though there are 8 cities (NJ isn't a city guy) with teams - Houston, New Orleans, Detroit, Birmingham, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Hackensack) - they are playing all their games at cheap rent at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. The Uniforms? Same Brand/Team Names as 1984. They won't come near any city that they purportedly represent.

Second. Owned by Fox. Will simulcast and share broadcasting with NBC. Plan is 2 years in Birmingham and then migrate to the cities they name + 8 others.

Meanwhile, Larry McMahon after losing a quarter billion on the XFL ... the Rock is supposed to re-emerge.

Many of you weren't born when Donald Trump owned the Generals and had Herschel, Doug Flutie ... and lost often.

You mean Vince McMahon. I loved the XFL- the phrases instead of names on the back of the Jersey Rod Smart with He Hate Me.
The camera work then was groundbreaking. They had remote cameras on wires over the field and could zoom in on the huddle. That is standard nowadays but was created in the XFL.

 

[Husky25]

I thought the 2nd iteration of the XFL folded because of COVID, not because it ran out of funding.

With NFL backing, the USFL has a snowball's chance of succeeding.

 

[Waquoit]

can we get a team playing at the rent?

Did you go to games when we had a team at The Rent?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Did you go to games when we had a team at The Rent?

sure did!

 

[Pudge]

I thought the 2nd iteration of the XFL folded because of COVID, not because it ran out of funding.

With NFL backing, the USFL has a snowball's chance of succeeding.

You are typing some mixed truths and then some misinformation. I do admit I knew that muscle head guy is Vince McMahon (Jr); so there's that.

XFL - owned by McMahon failed - Covid and issue as they were supposed to have a season last year - and was purchased by the ROCK (who obviously became famous under McMahon at WWE) and his EX Wife Dany Garcia out of bankruptcy for $25m. The USFL is playing this Spring and just had a draft and PR their uniforms (which often looked like their uniforms of 1984). Same Brands and Cities. BUT ... again, they are not playing in those cities. They are playing all games in 2022 and 2023 in Birmingham.

The News: XFL announced a collaborative agreement with the NFL - not the USFL. XFL PR is going to be the laboratory of trying new rules and things. Next year in Spring 2023. They will have Teams in cities that don't have NFL in general. St. Louis, San Antonio. It is going to be interesting with 2 Minor Leagues and 16 Teams.

 

[huskymedic]

Missed this one along the way…

 

[HuskyDogArt]

sure did!

If one of those leagues makes it, I believe Hartford will be an expansion team.

Tampa Bay's USFL Bandits outdated the Bucs when they were around. I think they will not be as successful this time. Two reasons, Tampa Bay has the Rays and the end of the NHL regular season (and the Lightning are always in the playoff hunt.), so I think the Bandits will fail. Hope I'm wrong...

 

[huskymedic]

Look closely…

 

[DoctorWho85]

Look closely…

I see he's re-branding himself to try to restart his career. At this point, hope he does well and stays in the pros.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Look closely…

Bob is a good football coach. His issue was his personality and communications and management style. More suited to pros where he can just devise and teach football schemes.

As far as new XFL and USFL, I did a lot of leg work when the Colonials came to Hartford talking with the commish and the gm and head coach a lot.

The biggest issue with all these football leagues is they can't control costs. Rent, storage salary, etc. for the amount of players out there and the salary, Impossible. These teams need TV deals immediately and deep pockets run deficits for several years.

NFL really wants a spring league. IMO, i think the world league was too early. That might work now, though with a ground war going on in eastern europe not sure it is a good time to launch an international venture.

 

[UCFBfan]

The biggest issue with all these football leagues is they can't control costs. Rent, storage salary, etc. for the amount of players out there and the salary, Impossible. These teams need TV deals immediately and deep pockets run deficits for several years.

NFL really wants a spring league. IMO, i think the world league was too early. That might work now, though with a ground war going on in eastern europe not sure it is a good time to launch an international venture.

I agree with the idea that the NFL wants a spring league. I know they teamed up with the XFL but it was just for rule experiments.

If the NFL wants a spring league, they'll need to step up and fund one. Not sure what they are looking for before they invest, but like you said, there is a lot of sunk cost in these leagues and money from the NFL is the only way to help one survive.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Bob is a good football coach. His issue was his personality and communications and management style. More suited to pros where he can just devise and teach football schemes.

I don't know how you can say he is a good coach...and then say he has communication issues. Good football coaches don't have communication issues. And good football coaches don't have consistent bad resuits. He had a couple good years with ND...but now that appears to be a fluke. Maybe it was more Brian Kelly.

He may have football knowledge...but he isn't a good coach.

 

[Pudge]

Bob is a good football coach. His issue was his personality and communications and management style. More suited to pros where he can just devise and teach football schemes.

As far as new XFL and USFL, I did a lot of leg work when the Colonials came to Hartford talking with the commish and the gm and head coach a lot.

The biggest issue with all these football leagues is they can't control costs. Rent, storage salary, etc. for the amount of players out there and the salary, Impossible. These teams need TV deals immediately and deep pockets run deficits for several years.

NFL really wants a spring league. IMO, i think the world league was too early. That might work now, though with a ground war going on in eastern europe not sure it is a good time to launch an international venture.

... and the Rock + Ex Wife. XFL and USFL coming soon in same basic time frame is certain to be trouble. You also have the circumstance of the CFL stumbling post-covid. Deep Pocket Toronto Maple Leaf group bought the Argonauts a few years ago ... and I kinda think they should play both XFL and CFL. Two integrated teams. But ... I am not certain either the XFL or USFL are going to have "franchises" ... or just control costs via the League owned total entity. Like MLS had early in its existence. One League in the Spring; they are talking salaries in the USFL for 3 months of $45000; that seems about right. And then ... no rentals as the League is going to have all 8 teams play out of Birmingham's Protective Life Stadium - brand new.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskyblooz]

Skip Holtz, Jarren Horton, Noel Mazzone AND Bobby Fishcakes, who can wear his red pants with the Generals.

 

[BugsyCT]

Vontae Diggs with the pick-six for NOLA