Taking on the NFL in 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/playmagazine/0603play-business.html?ex=1338523200&en=e87310a952fa557f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Cuban is the first owner to sign on.

 

No shit. Did you read the part where it says they plan to play their games on Friday nights in the fall? How ridiculously oblivious can you be?

 

My thoughts, exactly, Junkie. I don't get why Play did this story. Maybe this is just an excerpt to "get people's attention" (ooooh), but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot in there that leads me to believe that this new league will be different than the others before it.

Other than the story about the kid who was pitching for the super all-star traveling baseball team, I've been pretty disappointed with "Play." I thought it was supposed to a little more hard-core sports, but it just seems like sports written for non-sports people to ignore.

 

Here is my suggestion for the league's first commissioner given that he's had so much succes in this area in the past......

 

hahahaha

vinnie mac!

 

The fact they want to copy the AFL's business model is the key.
If they can hold on during the initial losses, they might have a chance to build a niche product.
If they try to take on the NFL after a few years, they'll become USFL II.
If they last more than 5 years and can get some talent, they could give the NFL a run for its money.
The key, as always, is TV.
The NFL has every major network locked up and you can only do so well airing only on Versus.
I can't think of any other major cable outlet that does not have NFL ties.

 

And of course, this will naturally be the new football league's first superstar.....

 

Yeah, all those dads of high school players will head over there instead.

 

The AFL's business model was to compete for the NFL's star players, not the bottom 20 on the roster. Not sure I see the next Joe Namath out there, unless Cuban is willing to dig deep into his own bankroll.

 

It can be done. Get a few disgruntled stars, a few has beens and a few college superstars and the NFL suddenly has competition.

 

sorry I jumped you on the deleted thread, Bootsie.

 

Souds a lot like what the reinvention of the World Hockey Association tried to do a couple of seasons ago but failed miserably. They even had an NHL lockout working in their favour and still screwed it up.