Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

The USFL has hit the field. Discuss it here!
Sounder
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by Sounder »

Oh well....is there anyone here who remembers the original league anyway? It's a cool branding so why not? It's been forty years. But the notion of two competing spring leagues competing for the limited available watchable talent seems zany. It feels as though it's really gonna launch this time though....what we'll see will likely look the same football wise. What team will Brandon Silvers be on?.....tune in and find out.
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by johnnyangryfuzzball »

Sounder wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 8:50 am Oh well....is there anyone here who remembers the original league anyway? It's a cool branding so why not? It's been forty years. But the notion of two competing spring leagues competing for the limited available watchable talent seems zany. It feels as though it's really gonna launch this time though....what we'll see will likely look the same football wise. What team will Brandon Silvers be on?.....tune in and find out.
XFL coexisted with TSL, so I'm not that worried. Where it will fit in will depend on whether or not the Johnson-Garcia-Redbird consortium can get off their keesters and actually resume play like they promised.
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by 4th&long »

johnnyangryfuzzball wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:47 pm
Sounder wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 8:50 am Oh well....is there anyone here who remembers the original league anyway? It's a cool branding so why not? It's been forty years. But the notion of two competing spring leagues competing for the limited available watchable talent seems zany. It feels as though it's really gonna launch this time though....what we'll see will likely look the same football wise. What team will Brandon Silvers be on?.....tune in and find out.
XFL coexisted with TSL, so I'm not that worried. Where it will fit in will depend on whether or not the Johnson-Garcia-Redbird consortium can get off their keesters and actually resume play like they promised.
Clearly the TSL today is not what the TSL was at time of XFL. Also the USFL will be a step or two up from the TSL.

Per Mike M insider info and XFL own "hold statement" 2022 looks off the table for XFL.

More importantly the XFL's need to the CFL has diminished as pandemic fades and then the CFL may see the USFL as another option to partner with. I'm passing on these points as others who have podcast and TV /radio shows have opined.

eg https://twitter.com/RodPedersenShow/sta ... 0457189376
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by GregParks »

4th&long wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:34 pm
More importantly the XFL's need to the CFL has diminished as pandemic fades and then the CFL may see the USFL as another option to partner with. I'm passing on these points as others who have podcast and TV /radio shows have opined.

eg https://twitter.com/RodPedersenShow/sta ... 0457189376
The XFL and CFL seem far enough down the road in talks right now that I don't see the CFL breaking off and starting discussions with the USFL even if it does give them in theory more leverage (this all assumes that talks are not going well with the XFL, of which there's no evidence).

We're not really sure what the XFL has that the CFL is interested in, but in his XFL Show interview, MM seem to hint at it being Dany Garcia's plan to have the XFL be a 365-day-a-year league. That idea, teaming with the CFL for it, and the ability for the idea to be executed by the Garcia, Johnson, RedBird management team can't be replicated with the USFL.

There was also a Twitter thread over the weekend by @CFL_News of TSL and Brian Woods reaching out to the CFL last year for some kind of working relationship and the CFL not really being interested, almost seemingly blowing off the idea. Now, circumstances may have changed and the addition of the USFL could change the equation, but I don't see it as a big enough change for the CFL to pull a U-Turn on XFL talks.

I know we're all down on the XFL right now to varying degrees, but I just don't see how the CFL abandoning talks and partnering with the USFL makes any sense.
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by 4th&long »

GregParks wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:04 am
4th&long wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:34 pm
More importantly the XFL's need to the CFL has diminished as pandemic fades and then the CFL may see the USFL as another option to partner with. I'm passing on these points as others who have podcast and TV /radio shows have opined.

eg https://twitter.com/RodPedersenShow/sta ... 0457189376
The XFL and CFL seem far enough down the road in talks right now that I don't see the CFL breaking off and starting discussions with the USFL even if it does give them in theory more leverage (this all assumes that talks are not going well with the XFL, of which there's no evidence).

We're not really sure what the XFL has that the CFL is interested in, but in his XFL Show interview, MM seem to hint at it being Dany Garcia's plan to have the XFL be a 365-day-a-year league. That idea, teaming with the CFL for it, and the ability for the idea to be executed by the Garcia, Johnson, RedBird management team can't be replicated with the USFL.

There was also a Twitter thread over the weekend by @CFL_News of TSL and Brian Woods reaching out to the CFL last year for some kind of working relationship and the CFL not really being interested, almost seemingly blowing off the idea. Now, circumstances may have changed and the addition of the USFL could change the equation, but I don't see it as a big enough change for the CFL to pull a U-Turn on XFL talks.

I know we're all down on the XFL right now to varying degrees, but I just don't see how the CFL abandoning talks and partnering with the USFL makes any sense.
This was, per Woods inteview, about using American hub during pandemic in order to play CFL games to meet their TV commitment. The CFL would have lost money as we know and they apparently got a pass from TSN in Canada anyway so that idea never panned out.

The question is will a 365 day a year league work? for a league playing 10 games? or even 18 as in Canada? ie is it too pie-in-sky and do fans just want 8-12 weeks of spring FB.

I think the XFL and CFL need to make an announcement sooner than later as cities line up with a league.
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by GregParks »

4th&long wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:10 am
GregParks wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:04 am
4th&long wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:34 pm
More importantly the XFL's need to the CFL has diminished as pandemic fades and then the CFL may see the USFL as another option to partner with. I'm passing on these points as others who have podcast and TV /radio shows have opined.

eg https://twitter.com/RodPedersenShow/sta ... 0457189376
The XFL and CFL seem far enough down the road in talks right now that I don't see the CFL breaking off and starting discussions with the USFL even if it does give them in theory more leverage (this all assumes that talks are not going well with the XFL, of which there's no evidence).

We're not really sure what the XFL has that the CFL is interested in, but in his XFL Show interview, MM seem to hint at it being Dany Garcia's plan to have the XFL be a 365-day-a-year league. That idea, teaming with the CFL for it, and the ability for the idea to be executed by the Garcia, Johnson, RedBird management team can't be replicated with the USFL.

There was also a Twitter thread over the weekend by @CFL_News of TSL and Brian Woods reaching out to the CFL last year for some kind of working relationship and the CFL not really being interested, almost seemingly blowing off the idea. Now, circumstances may have changed and the addition of the USFL could change the equation, but I don't see it as a big enough change for the CFL to pull a U-Turn on XFL talks.

I know we're all down on the XFL right now to varying degrees, but I just don't see how the CFL abandoning talks and partnering with the USFL makes any sense.
This was, per Woods inteview, about using American hub during pandemic in order to play CFL games to meet their TV commitment.
It was about more than that - per Woods via Dan Ralph, it was about a partnership that would see TSL teams practice and play against CFL teams in the states in September. At the time, Ambrosie was too busy dealing with COVID-19 to think about a partnership. Said Woods could send him a follow-up e-mail but he never requested a formal proposal from Woods. This is all from Ralph via the @CFL_News Twitter a few days ago.

The 365-day-a-year league thing, no one REALLY knows what that means or looks like. My interpretation is it's a way to keep the XFL in the hearts and minds of fans year-round, allowing them to reach a wider audience using various media beyond simply airing games on television. For a league like the XFL to work, they NEED to get as many fans as possible, so I don't think trying to appeal to MORE fans and a wider, younger base (a base that, in increasing numbers, no longer watches linear TV) is a bad thing. Add in any kind of rights fees or advertising the XFL can gain by creating this content, and that's a bonus.

Bigger picture, again, though: I'm not sure what the USFL has to offer that would lead to the CFL cutting off talks with the XFL and glomming onto the USFL.
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by laxtreme56 »

This could be a huge game changer in the XFL-CFL talks. Let's see the USFL match this.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports.yah ... 58067.html
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by Tank55 »

If we're going to recklessly speculate, a three-way partnership strikes me as more likely than the CFL pitting the XFL and USFL against one another. After all, the XFL and TSL already have had a working relationship, and TSL has proven extremely adept at filling whatever void is left around it rather than picking fights. They're a symbiotic organism, not a predator.
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by 4th&long »

laxtreme56 wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:39 pm This could be a huge game changer in the XFL-CFL talks. Let's see the USFL match this.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports.yah ... 58067.html
Already posted in in XFL discussion in separate thread. He's a RBC hire to be clear - RBC owns 1/3 of XFL recall.
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Re: Woods, Fox launching USFL in 2022

Post by laxtreme56 »

4th&long wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 6:25 pm
laxtreme56 wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:39 pm This could be a huge game changer in the XFL-CFL talks. Let's see the USFL match this.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/sports.yah ... 58067.html
Already posted in in XFL discussion in separate thread. He's a RBC hire to be clear - RBC owns 1/3 of XFL recall.
Good point 4th, but his main course of action may be brokering a significant rights fee for both leagues. Remember the last days of the AFL, Ted Leonis essentially ran the league with people already working for his company. They were part time AFL employees at best and full time Leonis executives through and through. From a cost perspective this is great. Let Redbird do what they do best, broker tv deals and advertising while keeping the CFL commissioner and board of governors in place. I suppose you could hire a token U.S based figure head commissioner for $500k instead of finding another Oliver Luck to the tune of $4million+
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