United Football League??

[LEONARD]

New pro football league...Mark Cuban is the 1st owner. Heard a blip about it on the radio just now, but can't find anything online...

Sounds failed to me...you can't compete with the NFL...

more details

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070530005349

PLAY: The New York Times Sports Magazine Breaks United Football League Story
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PLAY: The New York Times Sports Magazine reports in its June 3 issue that Wall Streeter Bill Hambrecht and Google executive Tim Armstrong are launching a professional football league to compete with the N.F.L., and have lined up billionaire Mark Cuban as their first team owner.

In an exclusive column, Joe Nocera writes that the new United Football League aims to line up seven more owners “with Cuban’s deep pockets and contrarian mindset” so that it can debut with eight teams. Right now, the league is scheduled to play its first pre-season games in August, 2008.

Cuban owns the N.B.A.’s Dallas Mavericks. Undaunted by the monopolistic N.F.L., which has squashed four competitors, he tells Nocera, “There are quite a few good-sized non-N.F.L. cities that can support a pro team.” So far, the league has picked Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Mexico City. San Antonio and Orlando are among other top markets without N.F.L. teams.

According to U.F.L. executives, Nocera reports, the new league will emulate the old American Football League – one of whose major characteristics was revenue sharing. Each owner will put up $30 million, worth a half-interest in a team; the league will own the other half. Eventually, the plan envisions that fans will become stakeholders – because each team will sell shares to the public to raise an average of $60 million per franchise. Public ownership will reduce the pricing pressure on the teams, resulting in cheaper tickets all around.

Officials are convinced they can land decent players from the get-go, and better players later on. “The U.F.L. will be able to offer most rookies, who aren’t top draft choices, far more money than the N.F.L. would give them,” Nocera writes.

[Marcus Bryant]

Interesting, but I think the NFL is way too established in the American psyche to allow for a successful competitor.

[degenerate_gambler]

they want to play games in the fall??

the old USFL was smart enough to realize that you can't compete with college and the pros so they played in the spring/early summer.

[BacktoBasics]

it said preseason starts in Aug of 08' that would directly compete with the NFL. I don't see this working.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

BacktoBasics I love your avatar.

[BacktoBasics]

Thanks.

[dallaskd]

xfl forum

[Fillmoe]

i guess he decided to switch sports after he realized his squad was a bunch of pussies

[Tippecanoe]

so whats the over/under on number of games played before the league folds?

[j-6]

Busy year for startup pro football leagues. First we heard about the All American Football League (http://allamericanfootballleague.com/), then these guys?

This idea (competing with the NFL) seems to come up every five years or so. Remember when NBC and TNT were going to start a league because they got outbid on NFL broadcast rights?

[Obstructed_View]

Cuban's practicing for when he starts a competing basketball league. He'll probably push to have the minimum NBA age raised one more time and then he'll go buy all the high school phenoms.

[sa_butta]

Well that will not last long.

[703 Spurz]

Well on PTI today they said the 8 teams would be in non NFL cities, including San Antonio.

I dunno if that was an opinion or a fact. Some folks might be interested in it but not many I imagine

[sa_butta]

No other football team has lasted in San Antonio so I cant imagine another will.

[L.I.T]

Cuban's made some odd business moves of late.

Sounds like the investors are going to try and catch the NFL's attention. Maybe stay around a year then convince the NFL to buy them out. Money play.

[j-6]

From Cuban's blog @ blogmaverick.com:

is it crazy to try to compete with the NFL ?

I don't think so. Here is why:

1. There is obviously demand for top level professional football. That is exactly what the UFL hopes to be someday, an equal of the NFL, if not more.

2. The NFL wants and needs competition. They have grown so big and powerful that every move they make is scrutinized by local or federal officials. A competitor allows them to point to us and explain that their moves are for competitive reasons rather than the move of a monopoly.

3. They just extended their CBA. Their CBA structure is not designed for a competitive environment. Competition for top players, even if the UFL gets just a few, increases prices at the top end for all teams. Every star will get paid more, but still have to fit under the cap. That forces teams to use more low cost players, at the expense of signing the middle of the roster. That gives us access to quite a few very, very good NFL players. The downside is that it will significantly impact small market NFL teams and its unclear how the NFL would respond to that and what the impact would be on the UFL.

4. There are a lot of markets that are bigger than some current NFL markets that do not have teams that would love to have a pro football team.

5. There are a lot of smart people involved in the UFL

6. Its a great TV product.

These are just my personal reasons for having an interest in being involved with the UFL. They still have a ton of work to do before a game can be played. Like all good ideas with a great opportunity available to it, the hard part is in the execution.

Hopefully they can get it done.

[Marcus Bryant]

It's great in theory, but it's extremely difficult to execute. Unless you can convince some stars to join the league, it doesn't have much of a chance. It will be viewed as an inferior league and largely ignored by most, including in the franchise cities. Sure, the NFL doesn't have a franchise in LA, but does that mean LA is ignoring the league? Doubtful. If you put a franchise in SA, likely most fans will be too busy following the Cowboys to care. The USFL was able to secure a few big names but it never really gained traction.

[j-6]

It's great in theory, but it's extremely difficult to execute. Unless you can convince some stars to join the league, it doesn't have much of a chance. It will be viewed as an inferior league and largely ignored by most, including in the franchise cities. Sure, the NFL doesn't have a franchise in LA, but does that mean LA is ignoring the league? Doubtful. If you put a franchise in SA, likely most fans will be too busy following the Cowboys to care. The USFL was able to secure a few big names but it never really gained traction.

I just don't know how they're going to compete with the NFL unless they find eight very rich guys that will outbid the Jerrys and the Dan Snyders of the world for talent. Otherwise, you'll be watching Michael Bishop and Adrian McPherson throwing to Charles Rogers and Reggie McNeal. Hell, Reggie might play quarterback.

Who are they going to find to manage these teams? Or coach them? The NFL rapes and pillages itself for those guys. The XFL even had a national TV contract from day one and barely made one season. I think I read that the NFL salary cap is 110 million dollars.

[fyatuk]

No other football team has lasted in San Antonio so I cant imagine another will.

Strangely, the CFL team probably would have been a success if the Browns didn't move to Baltimore and become the Ravens. It's average attendence was roughly what the Canadian CFL clubs were, and the owner was willing to operate at a loss for another few years, but when the Baltimore club moved to Canada leaving the SA one the only one in the US, the owner just blew it off.

But yeah, directly competing against the NFL is stupid. Something like this might work as a spring league. Hell, the USFL might have worked if it stayed a spring league (the league, not the Gunslingers).

All depends on the economics of their business plan though.

Of course, it's not hard to guarantee the success of a San Antonio Franchise given the information here.

Step 1: Name Mark Cuban owner of the San Antonio team (keep reading)
Step 2: Announce the halftime show of every home game will merely involve Mark Cuban sitting in a lounge chair at midfield.
Step 3: Sell water balloons for $1 ea and special "muddy water" balloons for $5 ea.
Step 4: Rake in cash.

[BUMP]

1. There is obviously demand for top level professional football. That is exactly what the UFL hopes to be someday, an equal of the NFL, if not more.


nope, sorry Cubes. but the NFL has lasted too long, too many longstanding rivalries, too many die-hard fans. you will never be able to beat the NFL at their own game. in other words the only chance for it to succeed is to play at a different time in the year, and change up the rules a little bit so it isnt the same thing. Arena Football does both of those so it has experienced some popularity but is still nowhere near the NFL. sorry Cuban but this will be a disaster and it's impossible to surpass the NFL with this strategy.

[blaze89]

Unless they can get their spending in control, an idea the USFL abandoned, they will just escalate a bidding war which will cost these billionaire owners alot. And just how many of these owners are willing to hang on for the long haul?

[Holmes_Fans]

No way this works if it's in the fall. Can't compete with NFL and College in terms of TV contracts. They should have their season in the spring or summer, and compete with the AFL. NFL has to hope though history doesn't repeat it's self, anything Cuban touches turns into gold.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

so whats the over/under on number of games played before the league folds?
I'll be generous and say 5.

[fyatuk]

I'll be generous and say 5.

total or per team?

[John Patrick]

Will They Have Funky Names Like The Xfl I Wonder???

[Holmes_Fans]

Well on PTI today they said the 8 teams would be in non NFL cities, including San Antonio.

I dunno if that was an opinion or a fact. Some folks might be interested in it but not many I imagine
I don't see why they would come to SA, they can't sell out a WCF nba game. I doubt they can support a football team. I am not trying to trash talk either.


Will They Have Funky Names Like The Xfl I Wonder???
No, the UFL will be a much more serious league then the XFL. These are people who actually want it to work and are willing to pay for it, the XFL was just 1 billionaire in Vince McMahon with a stupid idea. He didn't have enough money or resources to get some top NFL guys. With a multi billionaire owning each team, someone like Mark Cuban can afford to pay a big time NFL player millions of dollars to come play in the league.

[fyatuk]

I don't see why they would come to SA, they can't sell out a WCF nba game. I doubt they can support a football team. I am not trying to trash talk either.


Depends on how seriously the people here take it. Football of any level is a much easier sell than basketball. We actually put more people in the stands than several Canadian teams for our old CFL team.

The bigger problem is trying to outduel the Friday Night Lights. I've never seen a non-full stadium for a high school game, and that's a good deal of the target audience.

I don't know about the UFL, but I know the AAFL was planning on marketting both in Austin and San Antonio (they considered it one market), which would be a wise plan on weekends in the spring, but probably not feasible Fridays in the fall.

The only thing I can tell you for sure, is me and at least one of my friends will be at every game for at least the first season if they do get it going here.

And I certainly agree that the UFL stands a better chance than the XFL.

[Marcus Bryant]

The problem with the WCF tix was Ticketmaster related. This league will fold, but anyways, for the record...

[Holmes_Fans]

Depends on how seriously the people here take it. Football of any level is a much easier sell than basketball. We actually put more people in the stands than several Canadian teams for our old CFL team.

The bigger problem is trying to outduel the Friday Night Lights. I've never seen a non-full stadium for a high school game, and that's a good deal of the target audience.


I think they have to play in the spring and summer. Compete head to head with the AFL, not NFL. People would watch in the spring and summer, and people from other cities would travel to watch a live football game. People need their fix, not something they need during the fall from UFL.




and how the fuck do you have a million post on an internet message board MB?

[BeerIsGood!]

If it's in the fall I'll watch the games as long as they don't correspond with Longhorns or Cowboys coverage. I love my football so I'd watch unless it's really bad.


I would love for it to start in the Spring and run through the middle of August. Right now I'm counting my blessings that the Spurs are in the Finals and are hopefully going to win this thing. Even as is, I have the rest of June, all of July, and most of August with absolutely nothing besides horrible baseball (the Rangers) to watch. It sucks so bad that I watch Cowboys pre-season football, and not just the 1st Q. Pretty much the entire game unless I have something else that needs to be done.

[fyatuk]

If it's in the fall I'll watch the games as long as they don't correspond with Longhorns or Cowboys coverage. I love my football so I'd watch unless it's really bad.


I would love for it to start in the Spring and run through the middle of August. Right now I'm counting my blessings that the Spurs are in the Finals and are hopefully going to win this thing. Even as is, I have the rest of June, all of July, and most of August with absolutely nothing besides horrible baseball (the Rangers) to watch. It sucks so bad that I watch Cowboys pre-season football, and not just the 1st Q. Pretty much the entire game unless I have something else that needs to be done.

The big problem with that is the AAFL is planning on playing in Spring. The two leagues are going to end up competing for the same player pool most likely (UFL would have a larger pool due to the restrictive requirements of the AAFL). Hopefully they'll let people play in both leagues and make sure there's no schedule overlap. If they do that, there's a chance to catch higher level talent since they'd have two different places to play, and more chances for experience to improve.

[footballguy08]

I'm a football fanatic and very optomisitc that the United Football League (http://unitedfootballleague.com) will do quite well. I think the idea to play on friday nights is great, but in the future it could interfer with HS sports, but that's a ways off for my boys.

[Extra Stout]

1. There is obviously demand for top level professional football.
Not precisely correct. There is demand for NFL football.

[samikeyp]

So far, the league has picked Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Mexico City. San Antonio and Orlando are among other top markets without N.F.L. teams.

God, I hope not. SA is already the Graveyard for Wannabe Pro Football teams.

[fyatuk]

God, I hope not. SA is already the Graveyard for Wannabe Pro Football teams.

In all fairness, SA has done a decent job of supporting teams. The biggest problem has always been that either the team had a crappy owner, or the league was not in a position to tolerate any sort of loss. Apparently the UFL is planning on a minimum 5 year run, and supposedly is only recruiting prospective owners that would be willing to lose money for that length, so it might have a leg up on the competition there.

[samikeyp]

Yeah...I don't blame the fans on that.

[AlamoSpursFan]

I had Season Tickets for the Gunslingers, the Riders, and the Texans.

Bring it on!

[fyatuk]

I had Season Tickets for the Gunslingers, the Riders, and the Texans.

Bring it on!

Lucky you! I hadn't discovered football when the Gunslingers were playing, and I never got a chance to see the Riders or Texans (or even the Force for that matter) except a handful of games on TV.

I'm up for season tickets though if we do get a team in either the UFL or AAFL.

[AlamoSpursFan]

I don't think many people had Riders season ducats. The day after I bought mine, Larry Benson called to say thank you.

:lol

(I'm not kidding either!)

[fyatuk]

I don't think many people had Riders season ducats. The day after I bought mine, Larry Benson called to say thank you.

:lol

(I'm not kidding either!)

LOL. That doesn't suprise me though.

This is the guy who failed to get the CFL team up and running on time later. And apparently he was in a financial crunch at the time.

[samikeyp]

I had Season Tickets for the Gunslingers, the Riders, and the Texans

Nice.

Shows you how old I am....I went to Gunslinger Football Camp in 1984!! :)

Met some guys named Jim Kelly and Doug Williams.

Wonder whatever happened to them? :lol

Seriously though, two of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

[exstatic]

There has only been one successful upstart league, the first one...AFL. No one else has done anything close to the right thing.

OTOH, we probably WILL have a team, since we've had one in every non NFL league except the AFL.

[fyatuk]

There has only been one successful upstart league, the first one...AFL. No one else has done anything close to the right thing.

OTOH, we probably WILL have a team, since we've had one in every non NFL league except the AFL.

Not entirely true. All signs point to the USFL succeeding if Trump wasn't involved, but since he was, bleh.

But yeah, if this league actually gets going and they can find someone willing to make the $30 investment as well as get a usage agreement with the Alamodome, SA gets a team.

It's pretty much set in stone that SA gets a team in the AAFL since supposedly they already have an agreement in principal with the Alamodome and have UT-Austin signed to be the host school.

Oh, if anyone's interested, http://www.uflfans.com is a message board/news site. The operator seems to go out of his way to find whatever news articles he can about the UFL if you actually want to keep up with it.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

I haven't read this whole thread, but where would a UFL team play in SA on Friday nights?

You can already toss out Comalander, Alamo, Gustafson, Harlandale, Farris, etc.

[fyatuk]

I haven't read this whole thread, but where would a UFL team play in SA on Friday nights?

You can already toss out Comalander, Alamo, Gustafson, Harlandale, Farris, etc.

The best and most obvious answer is the Alamodome. The Alamodome is usually only used for HS football once or twice a year. It might be a bit expensive, but it's easily the best chance to be able to make money there is in San Antonio.

But for that they need to be working out the deal now or they'll be availability problems.

[AlamoSpursFan]

It's also the only stadium a new pro team could sell beer at.

No beer sales would be immediate doom for a pro team.

[samikeyp]

Lucky you! I hadn't discovered football when the Gunslingers were playing, and I never got a chance to see the Riders or Texans (or even the Force for that matter) except a handful of games on TV.

I think an Arena team would do great in SA at the AT&T Center.


You know the Force, even though they just played one year, still hold an Arena Football record!!!





The only team ever to be shut out. :depressed


:lol

[cherylsteele]

Met some guys named Jim Kelly and Doug Williams.

Wonder whatever happened to them? :lol
What a couple of scrubs....j/k:D

[cherylsteele]

But yeah, if this league actually gets going and they can find someone willing to make the $30 investment as well as get a usage agreement with the Alamodome, SA gets a team.
Am I reading this correctly?....$30....is this for ownership or what?
If so....I bet we could get 30 people here to contribute $1.00 for this endeavor.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Am I reading this correctly?....$30....is this for ownership or what?
If so....I bet we could get 30 people here to contribute $1.00 for this endeavor.

I'm guessing there's a "M" missing.

[fyatuk]

I'm guessing there's a "M" missing.

You are correct sir! You win a cookie! Or something..

[cherylsteele]

You are correct sir! You win a cookie! Or something..
I knew it was too good to be true.
Wouldn't that be something.....$30 to own a pro football team? :lol

When all is said and done that be all this UFL will be worth....you never know though.

[bresilhac]

God, I hope not. SA is already the Graveyard for Wannabe Pro Football teams.

I don't want this minor league either. It would just be another huge failure and disappointment for everyone when the league would eventually fail. I've seen Gunslinger and Rider games so I speak from experience. While those teams were fun to watch they were doomed from the start because of the all powerful NFL. What San Antonio needs is what me and our Mayor and many others want. And that's our own NFL team. There is no substitute for the best. And that's what our great city deserves now more than ever. The best. So forget the UFL and all other flimsy minor leagues.

[fyatuk]

I don't want this minor league either. It would just be another huge failure and disappointment for everyone when the league would eventually fail. I've seen Gunslinger and Rider games so I speak from experience. While those teams were fun to watch they were doomed from the start because of the all powerful NFL. What San Antonio needs is what me and our Mayor and many others want. And that's our own NFL team. There is no substitute for the best. And that's what our great city deserves now more than ever. The best. So forget the UFL and all other flimsy minor leagues.

Uhh, replace Riders with Texans please.

Riders were the WLAF team, a league owned by the NFL. Granted, the NFL didn't handle that league very well, but still.

The NFL will never give San Antonio a team or approve a relocation here because of media market BS. The area only becomes even remotely appealing if you include SA and Austin together, but really that's just an excuse. The real thing with the NFL is they don't need to put a team here. They already have huge ratings from the Austin/SA area, better than most NFL home markets when the Cowboys games are on TV here.

Since most of the NFL's income is now from it's TV contract, it will only put a team someplace if it will help their ratings in some way and increase the value of their TV contracts. ASA will not help them, despite the size of the area.

In all likelihood, in the next 5 years or so, we'll probably see Jacksonville move to LA, and the NFL will call it good. If we're really lucky and they do end up adding a 17th regular season game like they are talking about, they'll play some games in domestic neutral sites as well as in their targetted overseas locations.

That's probably the best we can hope for from the NFL, unless one of these minor leagues starts taking San Antonio and Austin's attention away from the NFL and the Cowboys.

[bresilhac]

Uhh, replace Riders with Texans please.

Riders were the WLAF team, a league owned by the NFL. Granted, the NFL didn't handle that league very well, but still.

The NFL will never give San Antonio a team or approve a relocation here because of media market BS. The area only becomes even remotely appealing if you include SA and Austin together, but really that's just an excuse. The real thing with the NFL is they don't need to put a team here. They already have huge ratings from the Austin/SA area, better than most NFL home markets when the Cowboys games are on TV here.

Since most of the NFL's income is now from it's TV contract, it will only put a team someplace if it will help their ratings in some way and increase the value of their TV contracts. ASA will not help them, despite the size of the area.

In all likelihood, in the next 5 years or so, we'll probably see Jacksonville move to LA, and the NFL will call it good. If we're really lucky and they do end up adding a 17th regular season game like they are talking about, they'll play some games in domestic neutral sites as well as in their targetted overseas locations.

That's probably the best we can hope for from the NFL, unless one of these minor leagues starts taking San Antonio and Austin's attention away from the NFL and the Cowboys.


Just because the Austin-San Antonio market does huge ratings numbers for the Cowboys doesn't mean that this area will never have its own team. That is negative thinking at its worst. At 2.2 million people San Antonio is already ready to support its own team. The fact that their are lots of poke fans here doesn't change that. Think of all of the other cities who have recently joined the NFL who previously had no team of their own. For instance for decades Charlotte was considered Redskin territory. And it was for awhile. Joe Gibbs is even from NC. But Charlotte grew to the point where an NFL team in that market was warranted. Charlotte and San Antonio are very similar in size and makeup.

What really made it happen in Charlotte however was a concerted effort by both the city government and the local business community. The same thing will have to happen here if there is to be a team in San Antonio. To sum up, no one should ever believe that just because Dallas is popular that SA can never have its own team. That's faulty, negative, short-sighted, inferior thinking. And imo there's too much of it in San Antonio. And on this board in particular.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio

[fyatuk]

Just because the Austin-San Antonio market does huge ratings numbers for the Cowboys doesn't mean that this area will never have its own team. That is negative thinking at its worst. At 2.2 million people San Antonio is already ready to support its own team. The fact that their are lots of poke fans here doesn't change that. Think of all of the other cities who have recently joined the NFL who previously had no team of their own. For instance for decades Charlotte was considered Redskin territory. And it was for awhile. Joe Gibbs is even from NC. But Charlotte grew to the point where an NFL team in that market was warranted. Charlotte and San Antonio are very similar in size and makeup.

What really made it happen in Charlotte however was a concerted effort by both the city government and the local business community. The same thing will have to happen here if there is to be a team in San Antonio. To sum up, no one should ever believe that just because Dallas is popular that SA can never have its own team. That's faulty, negative, short-sighted, inferior thinking. And imo there's too much of it in San Antonio. And on this board in particular.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio

I think you're missing part of the big point. One is the NFL is not going to expand if it can help it. Right now they have a good setup with all divisions having the same number of teams, which leads to an easily balanced scheduled. If the NFL expands, it would need to expand by 4 teams and a massive realignment (2 conf, 3 div per, 6 teams per) to maintain the easily balanced schedule.

If any team does move, the NFL will try to force it into LA to fill that market and hopefully increase ratings in LA. The only teams that are truly possible of moving are really Jacksonville and New Orleans. New Orleans isn't going anywhere unless there's an utter collapse of season ticket purchases, which is not going to happen unless Benson tosses Brees, Bush, et al into the wind. Jacksonville will probably end up moving to LA. There's the possibility that the Chargers might move to LA, but that would probably end with the Jags moving to San Diego.

The NFL is a business driven by television. It is by far more advantageous to put teams in areas where ratings need to improve than a place where you already have excellent ratings.

I'm not doubting a team in San Antonio could excel and succeed. I believe that to the bottom of my heart. And it's something that I really do want to see.

However, from a business standpoint, it doesn't make sense for the NFL to put a team in San Antonio. It would not increase the value of the TV contract at all, and if it's an expansion team it would dilute the money from the contract and if it's a relocated team it may actually lesson the value of the contract.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you really want an NFL team, ignore the NFL for a few years. That would get them thinking.

[bresilhac]

I think you're missing part of the big point. One is the NFL is not going to expand if it can help it. Right now they have a good setup with all divisions having the same number of teams, which leads to an easily balanced scheduled. If the NFL expands, it would need to expand by 4 teams and a massive realignment (2 conf, 3 div per, 6 teams per) to maintain the easily balanced schedule.

If any team does move, the NFL will try to force it into LA to fill that market and hopefully increase ratings in LA. The only teams that are truly possible of moving are really Jacksonville and New Orleans. New Orleans isn't going anywhere unless there's an utter collapse of season ticket purchases, which is not going to happen unless Benson tosses Brees, Bush, et al into the wind. Jacksonville will probably end up moving to LA. There's the possibility that the Chargers might move to LA, but that would probably end with the Jags moving to San Diego.

The NFL is a business driven by television. It is by far more advantageous to put teams in areas where ratings need to improve than a place where you already have excellent ratings.

I'm not doubting a team in San Antonio could excel and succeed. I believe that to the bottom of my heart. And it's something that I really do want to see.

However, from a business standpoint, it doesn't make sense for the NFL to put a team in San Antonio. It would not increase the value of the TV contract at all, and if it's an expansion team it would dilute the money from the contract and if it's a relocated team it may actually lesson the value of the contract.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you really want an NFL team, ignore the NFL for a few years. That would get them thinking.

You're business aspect argument is partly right. But flawed in other ways. San Antonio is already a viable TV market now with better than 2.2 million people in it and it is growing like wildflowers. The league knows this. What Goodell has to come up with is a way to placate the all powerful Jerry Jones, whom as you mentioned does not want to see the rich, lucrative San Antonio market go away. But Jones will see his precious SA market go away imo. Another point you brought up was Los Angeles. Despite her size Goodell has already been quoted as saying that he is perfectly fine with there being no team in LA. In other words it isn't a priority for the league. Big time ratings notwithstanding.

What really excites me on the other hand is that San Antonio now more than ever is so close to getting her own team. The Saints could move here after the 2010 season and this time a new commissioner could approve the move.
And secondly the Chargers are nowhere near completing a stadium deal in San Diego. So, the Chargers could be here as early as 2009 if things work out in our favor. And these are real scenarios not pipe dreams. And these instances don't even include a league expansion or as of yet unnamed teams wanting to pack up and leave and move here.

[greenroom]

As Much as I would love to see the NFL come here. I cannot see it. You would not only have to placate Jerry Jones, but also the Texans would also have a fit if a team was placed in San Antonio.

[j-6]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/08/10/ufl/index.html

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Michael Huyghue, commissioner of the United Football League, rival to the NFL. Fancy seeing you here, at Carolina Panthers training camp.

"In the VIP section, no less,'' he said, laughing, the other day, sitting among the families and employees of the Panthers during a torrid afternoon practice.

The UFL is scheduled to kick off -- and I use "scheduled'' because one never knows what can happen with startup leagues -- a year from now, with a season that will last until Thanksgiving. Huyghue said there will be six teams: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando, New York and Hartford. Yes, Mark Cuban will be one of the owners, as, apparently, will be the Wilpon group of New York.

The New York team, interestingly, will play at the new Citi Field, home of the Mets. (I can't wait to hear what the Mets think about their field being chewed up by football during a pennant race next September.) Hartford. Hmmm. Not an optimum site; the team will play in East Hartford, at the UConn football stadium.

The big news, I suppose, from my talk with Huyghue was this: He said the chances of a UFL team signing Michael Vick to play the 2009 season are "98 percent.'' Strange percentage, but that's what he said.

"Michael's not going to be able to walk right back into the NFL,'' Huyghue said. "He's going to need some kind of buffer before he signs in the NFL, and we'll be able to provide that for him.''

Assuming the league gets off the ground, it makes perfect sense. Vick is due to get out of federal prison in July 2009, and in all likelihood he'll be suspended for the 2009 season by the NFL, which would also make him ineligible for the Canadian Football League. If the UFL is Triple-A football, or even Double-A, it's probably Vick's best option.

Vick would likely be able to recoup some of the money he lost while in jail. The UFL will have a per-team salary cap of $20 million, with most quarterbacks making between $1 million and $4 million a year. The coaching staffs will be capped at $3 million, with head coaches making in the range of $1.5 million. So the UFL could get some decent names. It wouldn't be folly for an NFL position coach or coordinator not immediately destined to be an NFL head coach -- Mike Tice of Jacksonville, Chris Palmer of the Giants, Mike Trgovac of Carolina, for instance -- to take one of the UFL head-coaching jobs for a payday for a year or two.

It also wouldn't be folly for players near the bottom of NFL rosters to make the jump, unless the NFL threatens to blackball them and make it hard for them to re-enter the big league. Huyghue said the league will sign players to contracts of one year plus an option, or two years. "If they sign the one-year deal,'' Huyghue said, "they'd be able to re-sign with an NFL team around Thanksgiving. So the downside wouldn't be that great -- and they'd be able to get the playing time they need to develop as players.''

Huyghue may have been welcomed here because before he took this job, he was a player agent, and he represented the Panthers' first-round pick in 2007, middle linebacker Jon Beason. But I wondered how Huyghue had been received in his trips to NFL camps. Seems to me he'd be the mortal enemy. He said no.

"Strangely enough,'' he said, "I've been very well-received in NFL camps. I think the NFL people think the league will be good for player development. The problem with NFL rosters is you can't really develop the player on the bottom of the rosters because they don't get much playing time. Plus, we're not going to be taking their prime-time guys anyway.''

That's why Huyghue was here the other day. He was checking out the Panthers' backup quarterbacks, particularly Brett Basanez, the energetic and interesting third-stringer. "If you're a third-team quarterback in the NFL like Basanez,'' he said, "how long do you wait before you take meaningful snaps in the NFL? Some of these guys have to wait three, four years before they get a chance to play in the regular season. We can give guys like him the experience they need so they'll be more valuable to NFL teams.''

After practice, I approached Basanez.

"Ever heard of the United Football League?'' I asked.

"No,'' he said.

"Well, they're here scouting you today,'' I said.

He was confused, so I explained the parameters of the new league.

"Hey, sounds great,'' Basanez said. "I'm interested.''

One more note about the UFL, which veteran player activist Muhsin Muhammad of the Panthers pointed out to me: The league could be a place of refuge for NFL players if it survives into 2011, the first year we might have no NFL games because of a possible job action.

It's all very interesting. Still, if I were an owner, I'm not sure I'd be rolling out the training-camp red carpet for Mr. Michael Huyghue.

[BacktoBasics]

Running this concurrently with the NFL is stupid hopefully their season kicks off sometime in early summer.

[fyatuk]

Running this concurrently with the NFL is stupid hopefully their season kicks off sometime in early summer.

Actually it's not. They are planning on playing mostly on days the NFL can't, with the regular season beginning when the NFL starts preseason and ending up before the stretch run to the NFL playoffs.

They'll only be competing on TV on one game a week likely (Thursday nights where most viewers probably don't have NFL Network), and there's no ticket competition in most of the markets they are looking at. Not really that big a deal going concurrently under those circumstances.

Apparently they did numerous surveys, etc, and found that people just plain don't take spring leagues seriously and fall is really the only chance for more than minimal success.