Bandits on the move?

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laxtreme56
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by laxtreme56 »

It's all about the Benjamin$$. I've said no current USFL market was going to give the league the same sweetheart deal Birmingham has. Memphis has little going on that time of the year, and the Liberty Bowl sits mostly vacant the vast majority of the year. Being that Memphis is only less than a 4 hour drive from Birmingham, the league could just bus 4 teams out the day before the game to save even more $$$. Fox/USFL isn't looking to drop big coin with little to no return, I wonder how long until the Houston Gamblers become the Oklahoma City Wranglers?
4th&long
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by 4th&long »

herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:26 am
4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:00 am
herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 10:56 am

I thought there was reports the NOLA market was one of the leagues top supporters in terms of tv ratings, I doubt they move NOLA. Makes way more sense to move Tampa just due to the stadium issues when you’re in market, you don’t want what’s happening in Vegas for the xfl rn to happen for the USFL so admit a mistake and move the market before the issue and get in a city you think will support it and has a stadium that makes more sense
There is a high % of NOLA but of a SMALL TV market. TB is way stronger in real numbers

Memphis is not a $$ city, isn't growing and is a tiny TV market. I would not be in favor of this change. NOLA to Memphis makes more sense.

TB is 1.68% USA TV households. Memphis is .51%
MSA size (3.2mm TB, 1.3mm Mem) and TB is growing fast. NOLA is .55%
Not if you don’t think the market will buy in quickly or have a good stadium option. Memphis>TB imo and it is t close. Now can we just get Pitt to move to somewhere in Ohio
I'm going to disagree due to the TV aspect. TB also has other TB markets watching the Bandits like Ft Myers.

Also TB Bucs are looking at a fall off and TB baseball could easily relocate as they likely are. That leaves spring FB wide open in a much bigger market.

Agree its close to Birmingham for local travel (or got a sweet heart deal) and I posted that in my first response of the thread.
Last edited by 4th&long on Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
herns
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by herns »

laxtreme56 wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:40 am It's all about the Benjamin$$. I've said no current USFL market was going to give the league the same sweetheart deal Birmingham has. Memphis has little going on that time of the year, and the Liberty Bowl sits mostly vacant the vast majority of the year. Being that Memphis is only less than a 4 hour drive from Birmingham, the league could just bus 4 teams out the day before the game to save even more $$$. Fox/USFL isn't looking to drop big coin with little to no return, I wonder how long until the Houston Gamblers become the Oklahoma City Wranglers?
I could see houston moving if the xfls around and the roughnecks are successful in capturing the market, Austin’s gamblers hopefully
herns
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by herns »

4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:48 am
herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:26 am
4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:00 am

There is a high % of NOLA but of a SMALL TV market. TB is way stronger in real numbers

Memphis is not a $$ city, isn't growing and is a tiny TV market. I would not be in favor of this change. NOLA to Memphis makes more sense.

TB is 1.68% USA TV households. Memphis is .51%
MSA size (3.2mm TB, 1.3mm Mem) and TB is growing fast. NOLA is .55%
Not if you don’t think the market will buy in quickly or have a good stadium option. Memphis>TB imo and it is t close. Now can we just get Pitt to move to somewhere in Ohio
I'm going to disagree due to the TV aspect. TB also has other TB markets watching the Bandits like Ft Myers.

Also TB Bucs are looking at a fall off and TB baseball could easily relocate as they likely are. That leaves spring FB wide open in a much bigger market.

Agree its close to Birmingham (or got a sweet heart deal) and I posted that in my first response of the thread.
I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree, I think they wanted a smaller market that they think they can get to buy in due to complaints about attendance so what you do is replace the one looking lease likely to get support and have a good stadium with a city you think will buy in quickly and have a good stadium. I mean the express did pretty good numbers attendance wise and were absolutely terrible with no local marketing
4th&long
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by 4th&long »

herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:50 am
laxtreme56 wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:40 am It's all about the Benjamin$$. I've said no current USFL market was going to give the league the same sweetheart deal Birmingham has. Memphis has little going on that time of the year, and the Liberty Bowl sits mostly vacant the vast majority of the year. Being that Memphis is only less than a 4 hour drive from Birmingham, the league could just bus 4 teams out the day before the game to save even more $$$. Fox/USFL isn't looking to drop big coin with little to no return, I wonder how long until the Houston Gamblers become the Oklahoma City Wranglers?
I could see houston moving if the xfls around and the roughnecks are successful in capturing the market, Austin’s gamblers hopefully
They need large TV markets. Houston is 2.13% USA share, Austin is .75%, that's a big drop off. But I'd prefer TB move there than Memphis.

USFL is all about TV and the reason XFL 2.0 had good TV ratings was they were in 22% of the USA TV markets.
4th&long
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by 4th&long »

herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:52 am
4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:48 am
herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:26 am

Not if you don’t think the market will buy in quickly or have a good stadium option. Memphis>TB imo and it is t close. Now can we just get Pitt to move to somewhere in Ohio
I'm going to disagree due to the TV aspect. TB also has other TB markets watching the Bandits like Ft Myers.

Also TB Bucs are looking at a fall off and TB baseball could easily relocate as they likely are. That leaves spring FB wide open in a much bigger market.

Agree its close to Birmingham (or got a sweet heart deal) and I posted that in my first response of the thread.
I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree, I think they wanted a smaller market that they think they can get to buy in due to complaints about attendance so what you do is replace the one looking lease likely to get support and have a good stadium with a city you think will buy in quickly and have a good stadium. I mean the express did pretty good numbers attendance wise and were absolutely terrible with no local marketing
Memphis is relatively poor, small and didn't support the AAF.

You are making 2 assumptions:

1) TB won't support the USFL when they already are and have
2) That Memphis will when they didn't support the AAF and have a much smaller population to support a team.

The mitigation will be a sweet heart (BHam type deal) and travel distance to Birm for a Birm based team playing in Memphis.

I'm concerned about TV ratings not attendance. IF TV ratings are not good, the league will fold no matter the attendance.

I'm totally Ok disagreeing just pointing my reasoning
herns
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by herns »

4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:58 am
herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:52 am
4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:48 am

I'm going to disagree due to the TV aspect. TB also has other TB markets watching the Bandits like Ft Myers.

Also TB Bucs are looking at a fall off and TB baseball could easily relocate as they likely are. That leaves spring FB wide open in a much bigger market.

Agree its close to Birmingham (or got a sweet heart deal) and I posted that in my first response of the thread.
I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree, I think they wanted a smaller market that they think they can get to buy in due to complaints about attendance so what you do is replace the one looking lease likely to get support and have a good stadium with a city you think will buy in quickly and have a good stadium. I mean the express did pretty good numbers attendance wise and were absolutely terrible with no local marketing
Memphis is relatively poor, small and didn't support the AAF.

You are making 2 assumptions:

1) TB won't support the USFL when they already are and have
2) That Memphis will when they didn't support the AAF and have a much smaller population to support a team.

The mitigation will be a sweet heart (BHam type deal) and travel distance to Birm for a Birm based team playing in Memphis.

I'm concerned about TV ratings not attendance. IF TV ratings are not good, the league will fold no matter the attendance.

I'm totally Ok disagreeing just pointing my reasoning
I get your point mine is more attendance will help tv ratings and Memphis showed up decently for the AAF while having no marketing and an awful team. Tv numbers are of course what’ll matter for fox/USFL in the end but given Tampa was supposed to be the worst in tv numbers and merch sales and if it’s expensive to play there it wouldn’t make sense to play there imo. Could be wrong I just don’t see the market size difference being enough to go with a worse market especially since attendance helps the tv product so should lead to some better ratings but I do get your reasoning. I could see going back to Tampa making sense after the leagues more established
4th&long
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by 4th&long »

herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 12:05 pm
4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:58 am
herns wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:52 am

I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree, I think they wanted a smaller market that they think they can get to buy in due to complaints about attendance so what you do is replace the one looking lease likely to get support and have a good stadium with a city you think will buy in quickly and have a good stadium. I mean the express did pretty good numbers attendance wise and were absolutely terrible with no local marketing
Memphis is relatively poor, small and didn't support the AAF.

You are making 2 assumptions:

1) TB won't support the USFL when they already are and have
2) That Memphis will when they didn't support the AAF and have a much smaller population to support a team.

The mitigation will be a sweet heart (BHam type deal) and travel distance to Birm for a Birm based team playing in Memphis.

I'm concerned about TV ratings not attendance. IF TV ratings are not good, the league will fold no matter the attendance.

I'm totally Ok disagreeing just pointing my reasoning
I get your point mine is more attendance will help tv ratings and Memphis showed up decently for the AAF while having no marketing and an awful team. Tv numbers are of course what’ll matter for fox/USFL in the end but given Tampa was supposed to be the worst in tv numbers and merch sales and if it’s expensive to play there it wouldn’t make sense to play there imo. Could be wrong I just don’t see the market size difference being enough to go with a worse market especially since attendance helps the tv product so should lead to some better ratings but I do get your reasoning. I could see going back to Tampa making sense after the leagues more established
I do not know where you get that TB was worst in TV sales?? They were 4th for FOX/FS1 and in a Big market. NOLA at 1.71 is still a smaller audience than TB, these are % not viewership numbers.
The idea that attendance helps the TV numbers is myth, there is nothing factual that says that. Being IN MARKET and marketing to locals is more important.

>> Top 10 Local markets for the USFL season across FOX/FS1
Market Household Rating
1. Birmingham 2.69
2. New Orleans 1.71
3. Tulsa 0.96
4. Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) 0.80
5. Detroit 0.70
6. Indianapolis 0.69
7. Austin 0.68
8. Kansas City 0.67
9. Jacksonville 0.66
10. Albuquerque-Santa Fe 0.66 <<

https://usflnewshub.com/usfl-news/usfl- ... ox-sports/
Tank55
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by Tank55 »

4th&long wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:06 am When was that report over a year ago, never substantiated or reported again right?
You don't think it's true? New Orleans doesn't make a ton of sense to me as a market otherwise, for a lot of the reasons you've been pointing out.
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GDAWG
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Re: Bandits on the move?

Post by GDAWG »

laxtreme56 wrote: Sun Nov 06, 2022 11:40 am It's all about the Benjamin$$. I've said no current USFL market was going to give the league the same sweetheart deal Birmingham has. Memphis has little going on that time of the year, and the Liberty Bowl sits mostly vacant the vast majority of the year. Being that Memphis is only less than a 4 hour drive from Birmingham, the league could just bus 4 teams out the day before the game to save even more $$$. Fox/USFL isn't looking to drop big coin with little to no return, I wonder how long until the Houston Gamblers become the Oklahoma City Wranglers?
Oklahoma City is one of those places where there is curiosity as to where they would play in terms of venue, like Bay Area of California or Austin, Texas. There's Taft Stadium, but that seats 7,500 and it was recently announced that the Oklahoma City Energy FC of the second tier USL Championship will return for 2023 after renovations to Taft Stadium that forced them to take a hiatus. That might end up being the only option as you run into a similar situation as Austin because like Austin, there's a massive football stadium close by (Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, a suburb of Oklahoma City) but also like Austin, it's owned by a major university and they might be hesitant to say yes to a spring football league team.

The XFL is fortunate to receive a "yes" from the University of Houston to allow spring football to play there and allow the Roughnecks to have their own images on the field. Not all major universities will be like Houston though and if they are, more often than not it would be like the Salt Lake Stallions of the AAF, where the Stallions were allowed to play at the University of Utah,but were not allowed to have any of their own images or logos on the field.

As for Memphis Showboats, I can see them tweaking and modernizing the old logo without making a major change, as they have done with all of the USFL logos.
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