The USFL is back? Why?

[Spider]

I watched some of it. The sound was horrible, I hope NBC does a better job tomorrow that Fox did tonight. The game itself was entertaining enough considering it's minor league football. I'll be watching tomorrow to see how the Gamblers do.

 

[BillJ]

Seems Jeff Fisher is just as overmatched in the USFL as he was in the NFL.

And that stadium is empty…

 

[Aragorn]

I guess the people of Birmingham only care about their hometown team.

 

[BillJ]

Jeff Fisher sabotaged his own comeback attempt with that 2pt conversion call early in the 3rd quarter.

 

[BillJ]

I guess the nostalgia bug has bitten me with this. Ended up ordering SlingTV for FS1 and USA.

 

[Aragorn]

Attendance for the second game is just as bad. I wonder if they're a new crowd or the same crowd from the first game.

It's not really good for building a fanbase when 7 of the 8 cities don't get home games since the season is at one location.

 

[BillJ]

All their money has to be coming from TV. They just had a commercial about their tickets only being $10 and kids being free.

 

[Aragorn]

The AAF had the worst TV deal of all these recent spring leagues and it wasn't even close. I think one game was streamed on one of those sports sites where people who don't have access to sports teams write about sports teams and don't get paid for it.

Being on basic cable and network TV sure helps the USFL. There's a big difference between Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2.

 

[BillJ]

I do wonder if Easter weekend wasn’t the best time to launch from a ticket selling perspective.

 

[Aragorn]

Paxton Lynch is in the league and still as awful as ever.

 

[BillJ]

I hope the TV ratings are far stronger than the attendance, or they might fold tomorrow.

 

[Aragorn]

If both the USFL and XFL are playing in 2023, imagine how watered down the talent will be then.

 

[BillJ]

If both the USFL and XFL are playing in 2023, imagine how watered down the talent will be then.

I’m not convinced either can survive long term.

 

[Spider]

So far three South Division teams have beaten their North Division opponent, the forth game delayed until tomorrow. So, technically, the Gamblers are in 1st place! Go Gamblers! LOL

 

[Timby]

I’m not convinced either can survive long term.

I mean, the XFL went bankrupt once, then after its resurrection, it lasted five weeks into its first season before running out of money yet again, and now it's only propped up by a venture capital firm and The Rock.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Why indeed. I've always regarded football as entirely too much fuss over a lousy 25 cents.

Spoiler: In the unlikely event you don't know THAT old chestnut . . .

You know, they start with a coin toss, and spend the rest of the game trying to "get the quarter back!"

My own taste in sports runs more to figure skating, curling (on paper, it may look like a combination of shuffleboard, lawn bowling, and janitorial work, but in practice, it's almost a chess game on ice), and baseball (at least, if the Angels aren't back to their old habit of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory").

 

[BillJ]

USFL projects an average of 3 million viewers on Saturday night...

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...r-opening-night-simulcast-streaming-audience/

 

[Aragorn]

One more game tonight since last night's game was postponed. Maybe we'll see more than 40 people in the stands.

 

[BillJ]

One more game tonight since last night's game was postponed. Maybe we'll see more than 40 people in the stands.

They said they "distributed" 40,000 tickets for the game and had 17,500 in attendance. I don't buy either of those numbers, and honestly, there's a big part of me that doubts the 3 million viewers on Saturday night.

 

[Jack Wolfe]

One more game tonight since last night's game was postponed. Maybe we'll see more than 40 people in the stands.

OK, I'll get a chance to see if the Tampa Bay [checks notes] Bandits are worth watching. They're playing the Pittsburg [checks notes again] Maulers in... Birmingham? Do they even know about anything football that doesn't involve Alabama or Auburn?