It would be cool to get a new AAF football team here. There are currently only 8 teams, surely they will expand 12 or 16 teams. Most of the teams are located in metropolitan areas that currently don't have an NFL team.

It would be cool to get a new AAF football team here. There are currently only 8 teams, surely they will expand 12 or 16 teams. Most of the teams are located in metropolitan areas that currently don't have an NFL team.

we are getting an FFL team next year.

https://www.freedomfootball.co/why-ffl/

i personally think with AAF, XFL, and FFL all looking at second or first seasons next spring... you will see a merger to get more teams. i think only one of these three leagues will be around for a 3rd season. and it will probably be AAF or XFL...

AAF, almost didn't make it to week two till they got an influx of $250 million in cash to pay players...

AAF isn't going to expand with the XFL launching next year

I'm guessing a team will relocate to OKC 2 to 5 years from now. A couple teams from both the XFL and AAF will draw so poorly that they will be looking a new home after a couple years (maybe 1). Vince McMahon will be hell bent to see the XFL last more than 1 year, and will only publicly discuss a merger with the AAF after the 2nd year. I will pontificate that in 5 years the leagues will be merged into a 14-16 team league with only 8 of the original cities intact.

Better hurry up and build that muti million dollar stadium before another start up league goes the way of all others.
http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/26372845/aaf-jeopardy-folding-says-majority-owner

You would have think they would have had that figured out with the NFL before starting. What a waste of $$$

You would have think they would have had that figured out with the NFL before starting. What a waste of $$$

nope... they rushed to beat the XFL to Market... which is why i think the XFL is going to make it this time... Vince has spent the past 5 years making sure everything was in place for it's relaunch.

nope... they rushed to beat the XFL to Market... which is why i think the XFL is going to make it this time... Vince has spent the past 5 years making sure everything was in place for it's relaunch.

I agree. XFL staged their comeback allowing an extra year to do it right. To me the only question is how long AAF lasts before they fold once XFL starts (if they can even make it the off season).

Bob Stoops alone just gives XFL an immediate pop. Since he has never coached professionally quite a few will want to see how he does. Him staying at OU almost 20 years screams “stability” as well.

I am actually looking forward to XFL next year and have not watched even 1 AAF game.

XFL will be the only one that has a shot at lasting. McMahon lining up deep pockets and they should be able to get some of those practice squad players off NFL teams. Also other players just missing the nfl cut and possibly even some backup nfl players. Not sure if they will contract players fresh out of high school that decide college is not for them.

XFL will be the only one that has a shot at lasting. McMahon lining up deep pockets and they should be able to get some of those practice squad players off NFL teams. Also other players just missing the nfl cut and possibly even some backup nfl players. Not sure if they will contract players fresh out of high school that decide college is not for them.

i don't know if they are going to take straight from high school, but i do think they are going to take players earlier from college than the NFL... maybe a one and done or two and done. i firmly believe Trevor Lawrence will be the first pick in their draft, so they can take the hype of his freshman season and run with it.

i don't know if they are going to take straight from high school, but i do think they are going to take players earlier from college than the NFL... maybe a one and done or two and done. i firmly believe Trevor Lawrence will be the first pick in their draft, so they can take the hype of his freshman season and run with it.



As recently as a few weeks ago he has indicated he is at Clemson for the college experience as well as getting an education.
https://rubbingtherock.com/2019/03/05/clemson-football-trevor-lawrence-discusses-wont-sit-cfb-career/

As recently as a few weeks ago he has indicated he is at Clemson for the college experience as well as getting an education.
https://rubbingtherock.com/2019/03/05/clemson-football-trevor-lawrence-discusses-wont-sit-cfb-career/

yes... but throw the idea of making a couple hundred thousand dollars in pay, as well as being eligible for millions in endorsement deals a year before you can in the NFL... and minds can change.

i really think that will be the XFL selling point... sure you might only make $350k playing for us for that year before you go to the NFL... but think of the endorsement deals...

yes... but throw the idea of making a couple hundred thousand dollars in pay, as well as being eligible for millions in endorsement deals a year before you can in the NFL... and minds can change.

i really think that will be the XFL selling point... sure you might only make $350k playing for us for that year before you go to the NFL... but think of the endorsement deals...

if they are going to try to take players from the nfl for large ammounts of money they will not last long

if they are going to try to take players from the nfl for large ammounts of money they will not last long

agreed... i think they are going to get players before they can get to the NFL. build off of the hype created for them by the NCAA, and know they only have them on a one year loan... if they draft Trevor Lawarence, it will only be for one year, and their bargaining chip will be, why stay in college one more year, when you can come to the XFL, and get paid, plus sign that endorsement deal now... and then go to the NFL after that.

and if the go with a one and done policy, they will be able to use these players for two year before they are eligible for the NFL... and still allow the NCAA to do a large portion of the hype building for the league.

agreed... i think they are going to get players before they can get to the NFL. build off of the hype created for them by the NCAA, and know they only have them on a one year loan... if they draft Trevor Lawarence, it will only be for one year, and their bargaining chip will be, why stay in college one more year, when you can come to the XFL, and get paid, plus sign that endorsement deal now... and then go to the NFL after that.

and if the go with a one and done policy, they will be able to use these players for two year before they are eligible for the NFL... and still allow the NCAA to do a large portion of the hype building for the league.
A player with the talent of Lawrence will have more national exposure at Clemson than one playing in the minors. While the XFL might brand itself as major league, the public won't. You can't claim major league status if your roster is full of taxi squad players mixed with college kids. There is more upside to playing 3 years or 4 at Clemson than 2 years at Clemson and 8 weeks of a minor football league season. This is especially true for an unproven entity.

A player with the talent of Lawrence will have more national exposure at Clemson than one playing in the minors. While the XFL might brand itself as major league, the public won't. You can't claim major league status if your roster is full of taxi squad players mixed with college kids. There is more upside to playing 3 years or 4 at Clemson than 2 years at Clemson and 8 weeks of a minor football league season. This is especially true for an unproven entity.

right... but Nike can't write him a $50 million deal while he is still in college... but they can if he is in the XFL... i'm not saying it works that well for all college kids... but you know that Nike or one of the other companies would be all over the opportunity to sign him as quickly as possible... like i said... the league has things they can offer, if they are going to be taking kids before NFL eligibility.

if they are going to try to take players from the nfl for large ammounts of money they will not last long

Don't think they will try to take starters and compete with those high salaries but maybe some backup type players not making the huge dollars. This will force the nfl to increase wages for the lower tier players or they can move to the XFL. I hear that they will be going after some pretty high profile QBs and paying them some pretty decent contracts. I haven't heard about any salary caps yet.

I think you are confusing football endorsement deals with basketball deals. The biggest Nike endorsement is with OBJ at around $5M per year. Baker was the number 1 pick/Heisman winner and Nike pays him less the OBJ. I find it extremely unlikely that a guaranteed 1st round NFL talent would skip a year of college and risk getting injured, just to be paid a fraction of what they would in the NFL. The NFL 1st round money is guaranteed for 4 years.

I think you are confusing football endorsement deals with basketball deals. The biggest Nike endorsement is with OBJ at around $5M per year. Baker was the number 1 pick/Heisman winner and Nike pays him less the OBJ. I find it extremely unlikely that a guaranteed 1st round NFL talent would skip a year of college and risk getting injured, just to be paid a fraction of what they would in the NFL. The NFL 1st round money is guaranteed for 4 years.

you are correct, OBJ's was just 25 Million in total, not 50.. i for some reason was thinking it was 10 a year for 5 years...

and i'm not saying it's going to work... i'm saying it's really the only strategy they have to attempt to pull actual talent, even for a short time, and it sounds like it is going to be what they are going to try and do.

i have never said it will work, just that seems to be the mindset they are going with. trying to get talent a 1 or 2 before the NFL, so they can capitalize on it... but plus, you are also just looking at nike... many nfl stars sign multiple endorsement deals with different brands, and not just related to sports apparel and shoes. the reality is that you can't sign those in College... and even in a minor league you can, there will be some who take the gamble of not getting hurt to get money now. i'm not saying Lawrence will (but the XFL will sure try and see if they can get him too)... but there will be way more who do, then i think people realize.

the NFL dug it's heels in the ground on the 3 year rule when the whole Maurice Clarett situation in 2004. so they won't be likely to change it anytime soon, and players will always choose the NFL over another league, if the money isn't there, it's why the AFL and USFL had to pay more and create the NFL money we have now... the NFL has done a great job of making sure that no start up will ever be able to match the money... so these leagues are going to have to try and do something different to get their Joe Namath and Doug Flutie and Steve Young moments.

remember these are just young men who don't have a lot of life experience and often make dumb decisions, and i think the XFL is hoping that throwing a little bit of money at them will work.. heck, if guaranteed 1st round talents were worried about risking their NFL career, they wouldn't be posting video's of them doing dumb stuff and acting like the kids, they mostly are. we see it almost every draft year that some kid falls, because of something stupid he has done... so with all the dumb decisions these kids already make, i can see quite a few going for the quick lesser cash and the chance to sign an endorsement deal a year sooner. heck... jonny manziel probably would have, just so that he could actually make money off of all those autographs and such...

you are correct, OBJ's was just 25 Million in total, not 50.. i for some reason was thinking it was 10 a year for 5 years...

and i'm not saying it's going to work... i'm saying it's really the only strategy they have to attempt to pull actual talent, even for a short time, and it sounds like it is going to be what they are going to try and do.

i have never said it will work, just that seems to be the mindset they are going with. trying to get talent a 1 or 2 before the NFL, so they can capitalize on it... but plus, you are also just looking at nike... many nfl stars sign multiple endorsement deals with different brands, and not just related to sports apparel and shoes. the reality is that you can't sign those in College... and even in a minor league you can, there will be some who take the gamble of not getting hurt to get money now. i'm not saying Lawrence will (but the XFL will sure try and see if they can get him too)... but there will be way more who do, then i think people realize.

the NFL dug it's heels in the ground on the 3 year rule when the whole Maurice Clarett situation in 2004. so they won't be likely to change it anytime soon, and players will always choose the NFL over another league, if the money isn't there, it's why the AFL and USFL had to pay more and create the NFL money we have now... the NFL has done a great job of making sure that no start up will ever be able to match the money... so these leagues are going to have to try and do something different to get their Joe Namath and Doug Flutie and Steve Young moments.

remember these are just young men who don't have a lot of life experience and often make dumb decisions, and i think the XFL is hoping that throwing a little bit of money at them will work.. heck, if guaranteed 1st round talents were worried about risking their NFL career, they wouldn't be posting video's of them doing dumb stuff and acting like the kids, they mostly are. we see it almost every draft year that some kid falls, because of something stupid he has done... so with all the dumb decisions these kids already make, i can see quite a few going for the quick lesser cash and the chance to sign an endorsement deal a year sooner. heck... jonny manziel probably would have, just so that he could actually make money off of all those autographs and such...

The reality of the AFL and USFL are markedly different as well as what changes the NFL made. The AFL-NFL merger was one that was initiated at the behest of the NFL and all AFL teams were included into the new NFL entity. THE USFL at the behest of the owner of the NJ Generals pushed for the spring league to go to the fall and attempt a head to head. The USFL failed at this, sues for anti-trust and was awarded $3, whereupon it folded.

The reality of the AFL and USFL are markedly different as well as what changes the NFL made. The AFL-NFL merger was one that was initiated at the behest of the NFL and all AFL teams were included into the new NFL entity. THE USFL at the behest of the owner of the NJ Generals pushed for the spring league to go to the fall and attempt a head to head. The USFL failed at this, sues for anti-trust and was awarded $3, whereupon it folded.

correct. but both were competing.. especially the AFL... and the USFL made much larger changes than people realize. without the USFL... the strike and then Free agency might not have occurred. the USFL did a lot more to change the workings of the NFL than really the AFL did... it was still the same game after the merger, just more teams and color football on TV.

correct. but both were competing.. especially the AFL... and the USFL made much larger changes than people realize. without the USFL... the strike and then Free agency might not have occurred. the USFL did a lot more to change the workings of the NFL than really the AFL did... it was still the same game after the merger, just more teams and color football on TV.
Mackey v. NFL (1976) ruled previous Roselle Rule violated Sherman Anti Trust. This case was about free agency and well before the USFL. Also post merger with AFL the 2 point conversion was made part of new NFL rules. The AFL and their style of high octane passing had more of an effect on the pro game rhan the USFL, IMO.

Mackey v. NFL (1976) ruled previous Roselle Rule violated Sherman Anti Trust. This case was about free agency and well before the USFL. Also post merger with AFL the 2 point conversion was made part of new NFL rules. The AFL and their style of high octane passing had more of an effect on the pro game rhan the USFL, IMO.

yes... but the system put in place on March 2nd, of 1993 specifically came as a result of collective bargaining after the strike of 1987, and one of the main points of the strike was the lack of choice with reguards to teams and contracts... players were still hurt by the fact that rookie's were going to the USFL and making more money, and how after the fall of the USFL the players felt they had no other rights, as they had been asking for Free agency for well over a decade (proven by Mackey v NFL, but that case did not result in a great change in free agency, it just expanded the rules of the NFL's restricted free agency) as this case only ruled that the Leagues very very limited free agency was an antitrust violation.

when people talk about free agency in the NFL, they talk about the current NFL free agency... i do apologize if i inferred that the USFL created the whole idea of free agency.

the 1982 strike didn't get the players the CBA they wanted, two things happened after the failed 1982 strike that ultimately would lead to free agency as we now know it. the NFLPA hiring Gene Upshaw as president, and the start up of the USFL and the contracts that used to get Hershal Walker, Steve Young and several others to choose the USFL over the NFL. while the league didn't last but a few seasons, by the time these players came into the league they had seen how another league worked with regards to contracts and the players have a bit more control. it's why some of those USFL players were the most outspoken in early 1987, before the strike that fall. Gene Upshaw had a clear goal in mind after the 1987 strike and make it the sole focus of the NFLPA and the end result was the free agency rules that went effective in sprint of 1993.

Mackey v. NFL (1976) ruled previous Roselle Rule violated Sherman Anti Trust. This case was about free agency and well before the USFL. Also post merger with AFL the 2 point conversion was made part of new NFL rules. The AFL and their style of high octane passing had more of an effect on the pro game rhan the USFL, IMO.

the 2 point conversion didn't come to the NFL until 1994

the 2 point conversion didn't come to the NFL until 1994

correct, and the USFL also had a 2 point conversion... so when it cam in in 1994, the NFL had seen two league and college with it

the USFL also had a salary cap, and the NFL brought that in with the new Free agency rules, and fully going into affect in the 1994 season
The USFL was the first league to offer coach's challenges in instant replay by officials... that seems to be something pretty big in the NFL.

the high octane passing of the AFL was nothing compared to the Run'n Shoot offenses that we saw in the USFL, that also made their way into the NFL, and did way more to create the passing teams of the 90's..

had it not been for the success of several USFL teams in terms of attendance, the Cardinals would not have moved to Arizona, and the NFL might not have considered Jacksonville or Nashville in expansions in the future, and Baltimore might still be without an NFL team.

Dang 49 years feels like 25, lol. Spot on Boulder. I guess the one thing the AFL was able to bring was the players names on the back of the jersey. In my opinion Upshaw was weak sauce as the prez of NFLPA. This union is weaker than MLB or NBA.

Dang 49 years feels like 25, lol. Spot on Boulder. I guess the one thing the AFL was able to bring was the players names on the back of the jersey. In my opinion Upshaw was weak sauce as the prez of NFLPA. This union is weaker than MLB or NBA.

i know upshaw gets that reputation, but he did things sometimes whether the players wanted it or not... Upshaw got the players free agency, the start of nfl retirement for the current players, continued insurance along with that retirement, things that the players weren't thinking about, but him as a former player, knew was needed. he tried twice to get money set aside for the older players, but the union itself ended up telling him no. he was better for the players than any of the other NFLPA presidents, including Mackey... the 1993 CBA is what allowed for the players to all become millionaires... remember it was DeMaurice Smith as NFLPA president who allowed the passing of the CBA that gives Godell all of his power, that power didn't exist in the 1993 CBA, but when it was redone in 2011. i don't think Upshaw would ever have allowed it... Smith let them put it in, so the players could get fewer padded practices.

Have a good weekend.

Have a good weekend.

you as well! and watch the AAF... it might be their last games...

you as well! and watch the AAF... it might be their last games...
Ha ha, you are a sage. Another failed start up, who woulda thunk it.

Source: AAF suspends operations in 1st season https://es.pn/2TQOVkA
via @ESPN App http://es.pn/app

Ha ha, you are a sage. Another failed start up, who woulda thunk it.

Source: AAF suspends operations in 1st season https://es.pn/2TQOVkA
via @ESPN App http://es.pn/app

well, lets just say informed. but i'll take sage. hahaha. it almost happened after week 1, till they got a new $250 Million investor...
the AAF was doomed from the start... the quickly tried to get together after the initial rumors of the XFL return, and then threw everything together as quickly as possible, once the XFL announced the 2020 start date, to try and beat them to market.

the XFL knows they can't survive if they are just getting NFL cast offs, and it is why they are looking at every option available, and we shall see if any of those options pan out for them. next year we have both the XFL and here in OKC, the FFL, if it actually gets off the ground.

So Lawrence may not go... but other NCAA football players are certainly interested in what the XFL might give them for a year or two, before a jump to the NFL

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/04/04/clemsons-justyn-ross-thinks-some-players-will-leave-the-ncaa-for-the-xfl/