'What Ifs' in NFL History

The idea that fantasy leagues are the major driver for NFL interest over baseball is laughable. Pro football left baseball in the dust in terms of popularity long before there as such a thing as fantasy football. And fantasy (rotisserie) baseball had a large established following long before fantasy football became popular.

In fact, I'd say your reasoning is backward -- fantasy football is more popular than fantasy baseball because pro football is more popular than pro baseball, not the other way around.

As for the gambling factor, sure the NFL benefits from that interest, but that's far from the primary reason for its popularity. And, of course, no one has ever bet on baseball. :

 

Not to un-threadjack this whole thing, but I like the USFL question. If it were whittled down and stayed committed to being a spring league, rather than expanding and shifting franchises around every other month, we could be enjoying some great spring football that "counts" for something.

I wonder what if the refs had called any one of the several illegal blocks in the back on James Harrison's interception return on the final play of the first half of the Steelers-Cardinals Super Bowl? I've been a Cardinals fan since 1977, and I know that's the only Super Bowl I'll ever see them play in, so that one still stings.

For that matter, what if Ben Roethlisberger didn't have both of his Super Bowl titles gift-wrapped by shitty officiating? It's a leap, but maybe he wouldn't think that the rules applied to everyone else but him, and he wouldn't go around being a serial abuser.

OK, maybe that's a big leap.

 

I don't think the USFL would have lasted as a spring-league either. The league was contracting and teams were moving around. Heck, even if it hung around, would it have ever been bigger than what we see of the MLS or WNBA? Throw in the expansion of cable and the NFL being a "year-round" league now and I doubt it would have lasted without an operating aggreement with the NFL to stash players or help develop them.
Though the UFL seems to be close to their breaking point, an NFL lockout and a longer regular-season NFL schedule might keep them around.

 

The reason the USFL folded was there simply wasn't a market for it at the time. Franchises moved in hopes of surviving. The real mistake the league made was trying to get into a bidding war for big-name college stars (Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly, Reggie White, etc.) who were all too happy to let competing leagues jack the price up. The NFL had resources to do that; the USFL did not.

I'm not sure if a spring league would do much better today. Sure, they could get a TV contract with someone. But we've watched the XFL, UFL, Arena League and NFL Europe muddle along with little relevance in the mainstream. The CFL at least has tradition and a monopoly on its markets.

The college and NFL seasons run from early August to early February... about six months. By that time, most everyone but the diehards has had their fill and ready for a break. It's just market saturation.

 

I'm sorta surprised no one's thought of this yet: What if the Chiefs won Super Bowl I?

The AFL realizes, "Hey, we're for real" and calls off the merger. A deal stays in place for the pre-season games and Super Bowls. Eventually, the AFL, with more equal footing, gets fairer terms in a partial merger and what results is a system of "Major League Football" with an AFL and an NFL.

The Steelers, Colts and Browns stay in the NFL. The Steelers, in the tougher NFL, don't appear in as many Super Bowls (Steelers-Cowboys become classic NFL championship game battles instead of Super Bowls X and XIII). The Raiders become the franchise of the 70's winning Super Bowls by having a slightly easier path without the Steelers in the way. The Cowboys appear in at least one less Super Bowl because the Steelers win one of those NFL championship games. It stands to reason that the Vikings probably also end up in at least one fewer Super Bowl. The Colts probably end up the fourth-best team in the NFL in the 70s. Miami-Houston games decide AFL East titles and the Oilers probably appear in at least one Super Bowl.

 

Always wondered what would've happened had Kevin Dyson made it across instead of being stopped at the 1. Would Jeff Fisher gone for the win with no time left or sent Del Greco out to kick the point after? Really, I don't think there's much doubt he would've kicked it. I'm sure Bills fans wonder what would've happened had the refs made a different call a few weeks earlier.

 

Staubach was in command of a river patrol boat (think Apocalypse Now), not at sea. He was very much in harm's way from small arms fire along the river bank at any given time.

 

The Oilers and Raiders would like a word with you.

 

USFL was trying to force a merger with the

The grand goal of the USFL was to force a merger with the NFL. That's the goal of all the upstart leagues -- either merge or force the established league to take in some of the franchises.

 

And stationed on land in Vietnam.

 

From a dozen years ago...

- IF the 1997 Packers would have taken the Broncos seriously in the Super Bowl, Favre would have won a second Super Bowl -- and probably retired about 5 years ago, saving all of us from his annual lies and drama.

- If the 1998 Vikings (15-1) would have beaten the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, they would be playing in their new retractable dome right now and would not be quietly making plans to be in Los Angeles for 2011.

- In 1999, if Trent Green's leg doesn't snap in St. Louis, Kurt Warner doesn't make $60 million as a QB.

- If the 2006 Saints beat Chicago in the NFC Championship Game, Peyton Manning would probably still be without a Super Bowl ring and would only be known as "the guy who makes all of those commercials even though he hasn't won anything".

And, as an old fan of the St. Louis Cardinals...

In 1980, if highly-drafted kicker Steve Little makes two more field goals in a training camp challenge from coach Jim Hanifan, then he doesn't get cut immediately, doesn't go out and get hammered that night, doesn't roll his car and doesn't live his last 19 years as a paraplegic.

 

Yes, if Favre would have been on the Cowboys roster in 1992, he would have been found dead in a sleezy motel room sometime around the Leon Lett Thanksgiving Debacle of 1993.