United Football League

[John F]

Originally Posted by grizzly

that is a step above the minor leagues, CFL and Arena Football.

They do, it's called the NFLE.

[John F]

Originally Posted by grizzly

I would place leage teams in Honolulu, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Salt Lake City for a 4 team western division and 4 teams in an eastern division in Orlando, Birmingham, Memphis and Oklahoma City.

With LA absent a pro level team, it'd be foolish to leave it vacant in favor of Honolulu.

Also -- I can't see four teams in the east with non of them in the Northeast. I'd sacrifice OKC or Orlando for a team somewhere in the Tri State area or as part of the rust belt.

[grizzly]

No kid coming out of high school is ready to play professional football. Heck, it takes a certain level of maturity to grow up and be ready to play professionally.

I have a very mature 17 year old son, but he needs college and a little of life yet to get a little seasonong as my grand dad use to say!

[grizzly]

Originally Posted by John F

With LA absent a pro level team, it'd be foolish to leave it vacant in favor of Honolulu.

Also -- I can't see four teams in the east with non of them in the Northeast. I'd sacrifice OKC or Orlando for a team somewhere in the Tri State area or as part of the rust belt.

Make no mistake about it. LA will have an NFL team. Regardless of what the rumors are, my sources at the NFL office in NEW YORK have indicated the NFL wants a team in LA.

Why it has not happened? Good question, obviously the powers that be are searching for specific qualifications to be met before hand!

What they are? Good question. We will know that when a team is awarded or relocated.

[John F]

Originally Posted by grizzly

Make no mistake about it. LA will have an NFL team. Regardless of what the rumors are, my sources at the NFL office in NEW YORK have indicated the NFL wants a team in LA.

Why it has not happened? Good question, obviously the powers that be are searching for specific qualifications to be met before hand!

What they are? Good question. We will know that when a team is awarded or relocated.

The NFL wanting in, in LA is a fact that's been knocked around for more than 10 years, and over that time -- it hasn't happened. Need we take a step back and look at history? Cleveland is awarded a new Browns expansion team and a second expansion team needs to be awarded to even the schedule (32 teams). LA is given every friggin' chance in the world to get their act together and what happens.

Nothing. Welcome to the NFL, Houston Texans.

Then San Diego flirts with relocation to LA -- sorta. They get their new stadium because of it. That's the same with Indianapolis. The NFL tried to influence the Saints to go to LA after Katrina. No go there.

Corporate support doesn't mean there is civic support. If there was a strong civic march for an NFL franchise -- there would already be a team back in LA. But instead, the NFL comes off like Wal-Mart and tries to force the hand.

LA's quite happy with college football, and while the fans can argue about how NFL football is so much better than college -- well, it's a lost argument.

Any league that wants in, in LA doesn't have to ask for much to get there. THe less, the better in fact (or someoen with deep-pockets has to foot the bill in it's entirety). The UFL could set foot in LA if they are content with the LA Colesium

[LongtimeBravesFan]

Not having a team in LA has hardly hurt the NFL.

[grizzly]

Originally Posted by John F

They do, it's called the NFLE.

NFL Europe is dead. I was told from some sources that the owners want to move forward but how they were unsure. Some wanted to go world wide while others wanted to do something in the states.

Bottom line, every owners knows they are losing money when these very talented players are not developed and driven off. What is worse these owners do not care.

A UFL league will work and be extremely profitable. BUT it will not work as a rival to the NFL. If it is organized as an in between the NFL and CFL it will be a massive success.

8 teams, 8 cities, all players cut and those top stars needing more playing time will fill this dvelopmental league.

The quality will be above the NCAA and equal to the CFL but using the NFL rules. The league could very well work and be a massive success.

Over time the NFL OWNERS will support it and use it in the USA as they did the NFL Europe.

[LongtimeBravesFan]

The first two years of the Europe League they had teams in the United states. apparently that didn't work very well.

[John F]

Originally Posted by LongtimeBravesFan

The first two years of the Europe League they had teams in the United states. apparently that didn't work very well.

The WLAF. Scott Mitchell became a star there. Their (most memorable) gimmick were helmet cams.

[John F]

Originally Posted by LongtimeBravesFan

Not having a team in LA has hardly hurt the NFL.

This is the truth but the NFL would be poised to make more money and have increased ratings with a team somewhere within the Los Angeles basin. Thus why they've been trying to get a team back in LA since the Raiders and Rams left.

[bedir than average]

NFL.com - International

The NFL has determined that it will switch the focus of its international business strategy to presenting the NFL to the widest possible global audience, including broader media visibility and the staging of international regular-season games, and will discontinue NFL Europa.

"The time is right to re-focus the NFL's strategy on initiatives with global impact, including worldwide media coverage of our sport and the staging of live regular-season NFL games," commented Mark Waller, senior vice president of NFL International.

Well there is a player pool of a couple hundred former pros for the UFL to have access too. Several players from NFL Europe made the big show, but now the talent will be able to play in the USA. Things couldn't have gone better for Cuban and the UFL crew.

and grizzly, good call

[bedir than average]

The AAFL | SavannahNow.com

Another startup league this one offering six figure incomes to guys less talented than Cuban's adventure.

[grizzly]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

The AAFL | SavannahNow.com

Another startup league this one offering six figure incomes to guys less talented than Cuban's adventure.

If this is the league I think it is, you will find it is to be played on college campuses in the spring and the players must be college graduates.

All fine and good but it does not answer the developmental problem facing the NFL now nor in the future.

[Hank Kingsley]

Here's another list of potential UFL franchise locations-

UFL - United Football League

I'd guess pretty much the same except Portland and Havana. I'd go with the other 6 plus Salt Lake City and Orlando. I think they'd be best off avoiding big college towns - seems many college fans don't get too into pro ball.

[VikeGuru]

Honolulu, L.A., Salt Lake, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Birmingham, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Connecticut (Hartford), Orlando. These are all good options. I'd look at mid-sized cities in the midwest and elsewhere if it were going to be developmental. Places like Wichita, Omaha, Boise, Helena (Montana), Des Moines (Iowa), Jackson (Miss), Columbia (SC), and elsewhere.

They should just try to partner with the NFL and have the new NFL Europe just be NFL2 or something, a minor league spring function. It'd be NFL and if run from March through June, that'd get fans through the long offseason. It'd give the NFL Network alot to show, too.