There are Rumors that Vince McMahon is going to Revive the XFL

[JirinPanthosa]

It's plausible that undrafted players could use the XFL like undrafted NBA players use the European league. That might be the XFL's best hope.

I wonder how far they'll go in taking away player protections. The fans most angry with the NFL will love that. But, with the science we know now I wonder how many players would be okay with that. I suppose people with no fallback option but sports. People who lost their scholarship because they got a broken leg.

I'll be interesting where they try to establish teams. St Louis is pretty obvious. Oklahoma City seems like another obvious target they might be eyeing. Huge college following, no NFL team but obviously can support an NBA team. Places with huge college football presence but no pro football presence like Alabama. Will also be interesting if they go after liberal markets with weak pro sports coverage like Portland and soon San Diego. Also hard to believe they wouldn't try to target the huge football fan bases in Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio, even though they have good sports coverage already.

We should have an XFL location prediction pool. My initial speculation:
St Louis
Oklahoma City
Alabama
San Diego
New Jersey
Colombus
Nashville
San Antonio

 

[fonzob1]

It's plausible that undrafted players could use the XFL like undrafted NBA players use the European league. That might be the XFL's best hope.

I believe the only outside chance the league has of making money in the future, is to secure contracts with rookies or free agents that people recognize as much as possible. Your players are your revenue. A strict developmental league will always have little to no earning potential, and Vince's style seems to be "go big or go home."

I wonder how far they'll go in taking away player protections. The fans most angry with the NFL will love that. But, with the science we know now I wonder how many players would be okay with that. I suppose people with no fallback option but sports. People who lost their scholarship because they got a broken leg.

Vince stated in the press conference (posted in the OP), that the league would be consulting with physicians to make the game "as safe as possible." He is taking the exact opposite of the approach he had for the original XFL in 2001. This is definitely for the best (not only from a player safety standpoint, but also from a business standpoint). You don't want your starting players going down to injury especially in a secondary league that doesn't have that much depth. The original XFL had this problem.

I'll be interesting where they try to establish teams. St Louis is pretty obvious. Oklahoma City seems like another obvious target they might be eyeing. Huge college following, no NFL team but obviously can support an NBA team. Places with huge college football presence but no pro football presence like Alabama. Will also be interesting if they go after liberal markets with weak pro sports coverage like Portland and soon San Diego. Also hard to believe they wouldn't try to target the huge football fan bases in Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio, even though they have good sports coverage already.

Vince said in his press conference that they are going to be doing some extensive research to determine what markets would be best for the relaunch. I have noticed that the XFL's parent company, Alpha Entertainment, LLC, has not secured the rights to any of the old XFL team nicknames, so it's clear that Vince is looking for a clean slate and any markets are possible right now. I agree that San Diego, St. Louis (and eventually Oakland) have potential because they have been abandoned by the NFL.

We should have an XFL location prediction pool. My initial speculation:
St Louis
Oklahoma City
Alabama
San Diego
New Jersey
Colombus
Nashville
San Antonio

I have no clue where they will end up, but if I could pick the markets, I would probably go with...

East

• New York (the largest media market in the world - you have to try to lay roots here if you want at television contract)
• Washington, DC (DC football fans have been underserved for basically the past 25 years, and it might be a good market to try)
• Birmingham (football is huge in the south and I think Birmingham was a good market to tap the first time around)
• Chicago (the third largest media market in the United States, which is also underserved)

West

• Oakland (they are about to lose their NFL team and I think Vince would be wise to move in and tap that market)
• St. Louis (a decent market that has been abandoned by the NFL)
• San Diego (a very strong media market that has been abandoned by the NFL)
• Sacramento (this proved to be a decent market for the UFL)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Yeah, St. Louis makes sense, as it has the Edward Jones Dome which is still perfectly good for football.

As for San Diego, I think that's out. Now that the Chargers left for L.A., I think they will want to demolish Qualcomm Stadium.

Same goes for D.C. - I doubt Vince would want his teams to play in that rusted out old RFK Stadium.

 

[Timby]

Same goes for D.C. - I doubt Vince would want his teams to play in that rusted out old RFK Stadium.

RFK isn't "rusted out;" Washington, D.C.'s CVB operates it and has been continuing the upkeep on it, and it's been the home to the DC United MLS team for ages (although they're moving into the new field that's been crammed into the peninsula at the southern tip of the district). The soonest RFK will be demolished is probably 2020, though 2021 is more likely; in the meantime the CVB will continue to maintain it so it's available for events--I think there are already a few concerts booked there later this year.

 

[BillJ]

You have to have New York, Chicago, LA if you want the possibility of any kind of lucrative TV money. Competition is so tough there that you wonder what the XFL could possibly do to lure people into watching or paying money. Chicago and LA both crashed and burned as USFL markets, XFL LA did a bit better in overall average attendance, 22,679 a game. Chicago was at the bottom of the league, much like their USFL counterpart. I'm having issues finding game-by-game attendance totals, so it is hard to find any trends to the attendance figures.

We all know what happened on TV, as the numbers plummeted week-to-week.

I'm interested in seeing what kind of hook they have to sell tickets/attract viewers, beyond "more football".

 

[Timby]

I'm interested in seeing what kind of hook they have to sell tickets/attract viewers, beyond "more football".

I'm not entirely sure there is one. But, then again, McMahon is delusional enough to believe that the drop in NFL viewership actually is due to National Anthem protests as opposed to rapidly changing viewer habits, and remember this is the guy who pissed away about a hundred million bucks of his own money to try and get his wife a Senate seat.

Edit: I forgot that the XFL set the record for the lowest-rated primetime broadcast in history.

 

[Thestral]

Nashville is a weird suggestion for a market. I mean, I know they don't make a huge impression but my Titans *did* make the playoffs this year.

Memphis though... maybe?

 

[BillJ]

Nashville is a weird suggestion for a market. I mean, I know they don't make a huge impression but my Titans *did* make the playoffs this year.

It is more about what is going on from early-February to mid-April. Nashville likely has to corporate presence to help secure a team. But, it is a small TV market (relatively speaking) and will people show up for Double-A football during the worst weather of the year?

 

[fonzob1]

Yeah, St. Louis makes sense, as it has the Edward Jones Dome which is still perfectly good for football.

As for San Diego, I think that's out. Now that the Chargers left for L.A., I think they will want to demolish Qualcomm Stadium.

Same goes for D.C. - I doubt Vince would want his teams to play in that rusted out old RFK Stadium.

Nationals stadium and Fed Ex Field are both possible locations for a DC team.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I don't think Nats Park would be a legitimate option. That's a fine baseball-only facility, no need to ruin it by putting a football team in there.

 

[fonzob1]

It is more about what is going on from early-February to mid-April. Nashville likely has to corporate presence to help secure a team. But, it is a small TV market (relatively speaking) and will people show up for Double-A football during the worst weather of the year?

I don't like the fact that Vince is sticking with the early February start of the season. The XFL got crushed in the ratings by NCAA basketball, and no one was interested the XFL during March Madness. The time frame where there is less competition from other sports is late Spring into the Summer (a la, NFL Europe).

 

[fonzob1]

^ I don't think Nats Park would be a legitimate option. That's a fine baseball-only facility, no need to ruin it by putting a football team in there.

But, how would you know? Money talks. I bet Vince could make that possible if it was a market that interested him.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But, how would you know?

Whenever you try to mix football and baseball in the same stadium, there are always compromises involved, which violate the integrity of both sports (especially baseball). Haven't we learned anything from the disaster that was the "cookie cutter stadium"?

Besides, as you pointed out (and which I forgot ), FedEx Field is available, so that's yet another reason not to ruin Nats Park by diluting it with football.

 

[fonzob1]

Whenever you try to mix football and baseball in the same stadium, there are always compromises involved, which violate the integrity of both sports (especially baseball). Haven't we learned anything from the disaster that was the "cookie cutter stadium"?

Yeah, I hear all that, but it doesn't make it impossible. Vince specifically mentioned in the press conference that he would consider baseball stadiums in markets where that might be his best option. We shall see what happens.

 

[Timby]

The time frame where there is less competition from other sports is late Spring into the Summer (a la, NFL Europe).

At which point your counterprogramming is the first few months of baseball, as well as the NBA playoffs (the latter of which are a ratings behemoth nowadays).

With FedEx Field, Dan Snyder owns it, so I imagine he would charge a hefty fee for another football team to use it.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ I don't think Nats Park would be a legitimate option. That's a fine baseball-only facility, no need to ruin it by putting a football team in there.

The Bears played in baseball-only Wrigley Field for 50 years. Didn't exactly ruin it, outside of the turf (probably )

 

[Timby]

The Bears played in baseball-only Wrigley Field for 50 years. Didn't exactly ruin it, outside of the turf (probably )

Hockey at Wrigley Field was pretty fuckin' sweet, too.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Vince specifically mentioned in the press conference that he would consider baseball stadiums in markets where that might be his best option.

He said that, huh? Well, in that case, I hope it tanks.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

You can fit other sports in baseball stadiums, but then half the seats are at awkward angles. Not optimal, but workable, if you really really don't want to spend money.

Some of the bigger college stadiums could work better.

 

[fonzob1]

At which point your counterprogramming is the first few months of baseball, as well as the NBA playoffs (the latter of which are a ratings behemoth nowadays).

It's better than going up against March Madness, NHL playoffs, and NBA playoffs and probably easier to schedule games around just one league.

With FedEx Field, Dan Snyder owns it, so I imagine he would charge a hefty fee for another football team to use it.

Probably any NFL owner would though.