OL, Week 6, VM and the XFL bankruptcy

[nick1091]

VM certainly can be angry all he wants, but whether or not they went forward with one more week is sort of a moot point. Within a week or two of the games being cancelled was when the recommendations on gatherings turned into full on shelter-in-place orders, and that would've been the ballgame. Best case scenario was likely a few weeks of games in empty stadiums, and they'd still be taking the revenue losses they mentioned in the bankruptcy - perhaps even worse because they'd need to pay transportation, lodging, etc for the teams but getting no game day money to offset it.

It's probably convenient for Vince to blame OL, but this is entirely a hindsight exercise and with an order of magnitude more information about COVID than we had a month ago. What's also unknowable is how many players, coaches, etc. would've opted no to play or participate due to their own concerns or family members, etc.

[Sounder]

This is a rumor, not fact yet......but there is a speculation that Vince may be entertaining the idea of selling WWE to ESPN/Fox. This is not the "Khan buys AAF" rumor of a month ago. If it were true, maybe that includes the XFL as well.

[MGB01]

VM certainly can be angry all he wants, but whether or not they went forward with one more week is sort of a moot point. Within a week or two of the games being cancelled was when the recommendations on gatherings turned into full on shelter-in-place orders, and that would've been the ballgame. Best case scenario was likely a few weeks of games in empty stadiums, and they'd still be taking the revenue losses they mentioned in the bankruptcy - perhaps even worse because they'd need to pay transportation, lodging, etc for the teams but getting no game day money to offset it.

It's probably convenient for Vince to blame OL, but this is entirely a hindsight exercise and with an order of magnitude more information about COVID than we had a month ago. What's also unknowable is how many players, coaches, etc. would've opted no to play or participate due to their own concerns or family members, etc.

Yeah but you make the PTB make that move, see Dana White.

[MGB01]

This is a rumor, not fact yet......but there is a speculation that Vince may be entertaining the idea of selling WWE to ESPN/Fox. This is not the "Khan buys AAF" rumor of a month ago. If it were true, maybe that includes the XFL as well.

I don't know how much else ESPN can afford in the coming years, unless the pan(dem)ic is the one to finally break the bubble on TV rights. You'd sort of have to be banking on that happening. Plus, how's that going to work with WWE having contracts with NBCU and FOX?

WWE goes back seven decades and across four generations. Vince isn't letting it effectively become WCW--not with the years of bad blood between him and Turner, even as bad as things got in the mid 90s this wasn't an option.

So while it might not be the utter joke that was the Khan ridiculousness, it's slightly more credible--but in the way that saying the Dolphins were better than the Bengals last year

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

VM certainly can be angry all he wants, but whether or not they went forward with one more week is sort of a moot point. Within a week or two of the games being cancelled was when the recommendations on gatherings turned into full on shelter-in-place orders, and that would've been the ballgame. Best case scenario was likely a few weeks of games in empty stadiums, and they'd still be taking the revenue losses they mentioned in the bankruptcy - perhaps even worse because they'd need to pay transportation, lodging, etc for the teams but getting no game day money to offset it.

It's probably convenient for Vince to blame OL, but this is entirely a hindsight exercise and with an order of magnitude more information about COVID than we had a month ago. What's also unknowable is how many players, coaches, etc. would've opted no to play or participate due to their own concerns or family members, etc.

But you have to wonder: knowing then what we know now, would we have agreed to any of this back in March? You ask people back then, most would have assumed we'd be back to close to normal by now. There are still signs up where I live saying they'd be back in April. Looks like not even close.

If we knew they would've expected us to live like this for months, we would've likely revolted. Already we're seeing protests.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

VM certainly can be angry all he wants, but whether or not they went forward with one more week is sort of a moot point. Within a week or two of the games being cancelled was when the recommendations on gatherings turned into full on shelter-in-place orders, and that would've been the ballgame. Best case scenario was likely a few weeks of games in empty stadiums, and they'd still be taking the revenue losses they mentioned in the bankruptcy - perhaps even worse because they'd need to pay transportation, lodging, etc for the teams but getting no game day money to offset it.

It's probably convenient for Vince to blame OL, but this is entirely a hindsight exercise and with an order of magnitude more information about COVID than we had a month ago. What's also unknowable is how many players, coaches, etc. would've opted no to play or participate due to their own concerns or family members, etc.

I think we all realize that, but that extra week with no competition would have put the league in better position for 2021 with a strong ratings boost... and it would have likely eased the minds of an anxious public for a little bit with everything else collapsing so suddenly.

[nick1091]

VM certainly can be angry all he wants, but whether or not they went forward with one more week is sort of a moot point. Within a week or two of the games being cancelled was when the recommendations on gatherings turned into full on shelter-in-place orders, and that would've been the ballgame. Best case scenario was likely a few weeks of games in empty stadiums, and they'd still be taking the revenue losses they mentioned in the bankruptcy - perhaps even worse because they'd need to pay transportation, lodging, etc for the teams but getting no game day money to offset it.

It's probably convenient for Vince to blame OL, but this is entirely a hindsight exercise and with an order of magnitude more information about COVID than we had a month ago. What's also unknowable is how many players, coaches, etc. would've opted no to play or participate due to their own concerns or family members, etc.

I think we all realize that, but that extra week with no competition would have put the league in better position for 2021 with a strong ratings boost... and it would have likely eased the minds of an anxious public for a little bit with everything else collapsing so suddenly.

I suppose you're just more optimistic than I about what an extra week or two of games played would've netted.

Yes, it goes without saying that we all wanted the league to finish the season or at minimum see more games played before they pulled up stakes. But let's just say that did play that week as scheduled, and they even got a 50% ratings boost (entirely possible with no athletic competition and everyone at home)

-They'd stand to lose operating costs in empty stadiums or at least significantly smaller crowds
-They'd have had to cease games anyway once shelter-in-place orders became the law, and/or when the Dragons player's COVID test came back positive
-Regardless of ratings, they were stuck in non-revenue generating TV deals

And I think maybe most importantly, they were still stung by the WWE taking a huge hit since they couldn't put on shows in front of live crowds. Obviously with the money initially invested by Vince he was banked in the league being successful, but couldn't have foreseen a situation his primary business would lose their revenue streams. I can only imagine if the McMahon's fortune came from a hedge fund, manufacturing tires, chains of gas stations, etc. 2021 could very well have happened.

[4th&long]

VM certainly can be angry all he wants, but whether or not they went forward with one more week is sort of a moot point. Within a week or two of the games being cancelled was when the recommendations on gatherings turned into full on shelter-in-place orders, and that would've been the ballgame. Best case scenario was likely a few weeks of games in empty stadiums, and they'd still be taking the revenue losses they mentioned in the bankruptcy - perhaps even worse because they'd need to pay transportation, lodging, etc for the teams but getting no game day money to offset it.

It's probably convenient for Vince to blame OL, but this is entirely a hindsight exercise and with an order of magnitude more information about COVID than we had a month ago. What's also unknowable is how many players, coaches, etc. would've opted no to play or participate due to their own concerns or family members, etc.

I think we all realize that, but that extra week with no competition would have put the league in better position for 2021 with a strong ratings boost... and it would have likely eased the minds of an anxious public for a little bit with everything else collapsing so suddenly.

I think that's VM's MO and my point. It was a golden opportunity an din grand scheme not the biggest issue mid march.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

VM certainly can be angry all he wants, but whether or not they went forward with one more week is sort of a moot point. Within a week or two of the games being cancelled was when the recommendations on gatherings turned into full on shelter-in-place orders, and that would've been the ballgame. Best case scenario was likely a few weeks of games in empty stadiums, and they'd still be taking the revenue losses they mentioned in the bankruptcy - perhaps even worse because they'd need to pay transportation, lodging, etc for the teams but getting no game day money to offset it.

It's probably convenient for Vince to blame OL, but this is entirely a hindsight exercise and with an order of magnitude more information about COVID than we had a month ago. What's also unknowable is how many players, coaches, etc. would've opted no to play or participate due to their own concerns or family members, etc.

I think we all realize that, but that extra week with no competition would have put the league in better position for 2021 with a strong ratings boost... and it would have likely eased the minds of an anxious public for a little bit with everything else collapsing so suddenly.

I suppose you're just more optimistic than I about what an extra week or two of games played would've netted.

Yes, it goes without saying that we all wanted the league to finish the season or at minimum see more games played before they pulled up stakes. But let's just say that did play that week as scheduled, and they even got a 50% ratings boost (entirely possible with no athletic competition and everyone at home)

-They'd stand to lose operating costs in empty stadiums or at least significantly smaller crowds
-They'd have had to cease games anyway once shelter-in-place orders became the law, and/or when the Dragons player's COVID test came back positive
-Regardless of ratings, they were stuck in non-revenue generating TV deals

And I think maybe most importantly, they were still stung by the WWE taking a huge hit since they couldn't put on shows in front of live crowds. Obviously with the money initially invested by Vince he was banked in the league being successful, but couldn't have foreseen a situation his primary business would lose their revenue streams. I can only imagine if the McMahon's fortune came from a hedge fund, manufacturing tires, chains of gas stations, etc. 2021 could very well have happened.

The New Jersey situation would have been something interesting. Because MetLife Stadium has so much capacity, they could have spaced out seating much wider and still accommodated your typical Guardians crowd, which might have been smaller with the virus fears but, let's face it, people would have come out knowing it was the last time they could for a while.

I don't think the Seattle situation had a workable solution.

[4th&long]

I think we all realize that, but that extra week with no competition would have put the league in better position for 2021 with a strong ratings boost... and it would have likely eased the minds of an anxious public for a little bit with everything else collapsing so suddenly.

I suppose you're just more optimistic than I about what an extra week or two of games played would've netted.

Yes, it goes without saying that we all wanted the league to finish the season or at minimum see more games played before they pulled up stakes. But let's just say that did play that week as scheduled, and they even got a 50% ratings boost (entirely possible with no athletic competition and everyone at home)

-They'd stand to lose operating costs in empty stadiums or at least significantly smaller crowds
-They'd have had to cease games anyway once shelter-in-place orders became the law, and/or when the Dragons player's COVID test came back positive
-Regardless of ratings, they were stuck in non-revenue generating TV deals

And I think maybe most importantly, they were still stung by the WWE taking a huge hit since they couldn't put on shows in front of live crowds. Obviously with the money initially invested by Vince he was banked in the league being successful, but couldn't have foreseen a situation his primary business would lose their revenue streams. I can only imagine if the McMahon's fortune came from a hedge fund, manufacturing tires, chains of gas stations, etc. 2021 could very well have happened.

The New Jersey situation would have been something interesting. Because MetLife Stadium has so much capacity, they could have spaced out seating much wider and still accommodated your typical Guardians crowd, which might have been smaller with the virus fears but, let's face it, people would have come out knowing it was the last time they could for a while.

I don't think the Seattle situation had a workable solution.

They either could have cancelled the seattle game or played with no fans just for TV to wrap up the weekend.