XFL Bankruptcy Thread

[MGB01]

You know there probably is one last unseen option here: Turner, for a couple reasons.

1)Get them back in the football business after a brief taste of it with the AAF, only proper this time

2)A replacement, property-wise, for UEFA?

And the overall weirdness of Turner holding a Vince McMahon-originated property, fitting into them getting back into the (blank) night wars (although it's hardly the same deal). The name Monday Nitro came from TNT Sunday nights in the first place.

I wouldn't hold my breath for it though, seeing as Turner also handles March Madness (and if the NCAA tolls their contract over they would also keep the Final Four, although they might do it as a lead-in).

Nevertheless I'm waiting for Meltzer to flip flop and start complaining about how Vince cratered the XFL's sale by not being part of it, three months after complaining that he possibly would be, and you know it'll happen too.

[Sounder]

Sinclair owns "Stadium".....their very own ESPN wannabe. Stadium is a free digital channel available pretty much everywhere. In Seattle.....Sinclair owns KOMO and I would see no gripes about airing a live XFL game on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in place of Emeril Legasse and his miracle chopper. There's a place.

[MGB01]

Sinclair owns "Stadium".....their very own ESPN wannabe. Stadium is a free digital channel available pretty much everywhere. In Seattle.....Sinclair owns KOMO and I would see no gripes about airing a live XFL game on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in place of Emeril Legasse and his miracle chopper. There's a place.

The league isn't going to have a long-term future being "syndicated sports", that hasn't happened since NCAA basketball back in the old pre-TV days (or an argument can be made for most conferences pre Oklahoma vs NCAA). Their predecessor, American Sports Network, was set to air Major League Football, so you see where we're going here.

And what about non-Sinclair markets? I guess you could have a deal with some programming-starved stations, but you put yourself in the position of losing possible viewers if they fall through. This is something for a league like the IFL, not the XFL.

[Sounder]

And I understand that. But national syndication is still an explorable option. A company like that, that owns a local station can have it's affilates in every XFL market at least offer television coverage of every road contest for it's team. An option is an option. I believe they have ownership of some Fox Sports channels as well. I just hope this doesn't become a subscription to Amazon tv kind of thing,. or live on Netflix or Facebook because if you make people reach for it for a monthly or full season price.....they likely won't. Vince was letting us watch.

[GregParks]

BTW, we're seeing some college football seniors now begin to opt-out of the fall season. Best case scenario for the XFL: The pandemic fears clear up by January/February, the league keeps its rule where college-eligible players can participate, those players who opted out in the fall decide they want to put some recent game tape on film for NFL scouts and opt-in to the XFL. Remember, if not, these guys will go into the NFL draft a year and a half removed from their last game film available. The injury risk may be too much, but just a thought. Trying to put some positive vibes out there.

[Tanker_54]

Yes, I think that a syndication could actually be a nice idea for the XFL... It would allow them to ride through the current issues, and to reinject some solidarity back into the community.
At least, that's an idea I find applicable, from home, on my couch, while procrastinating while I should be working on an article about this Montenegro citizenship program https://tranio.com/montenegro/passport/... There have been better experts in sports economics in history, let's say

[GDAWG]

I've read somewhere that the NFL is prepared (if necessary) to delay the Super Bowl a month or even until the last week of March if they have to. Something like that could also affect any plans the XFL might have at a possible 2021 return.

[Sounder]

The CFL seems indecisive as to whether they'll give it a go. I've heard anywhere from a truncated season starting in September to no season at all. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been awarded the 2022 Grey Cup game.....they were to host this year but ..........it'll be a win and host model if the league does play. If it doesn't.....that's another batch of players who'll need something to do.

[MGB01]

The CFL seems indecisive as to whether they'll give it a go. I've heard anywhere from a truncated season starting in September to no season at all. The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been awarded the 2022 Grey Cup game.....they were to host this year but ..........it'll be a win and host model if the league does play. If it doesn't.....that's another batch of players who'll need something to do.

If there's no CFL this year they're done, period. Back to the Toronto Sun article from May (David Braley):

“I think there’s enough time to play from Sept. 5, Sept. 6 on, to play an eight-game, nine-game schedule,” said Braley, now owner of only the Lions. “I don’t think we should throw it out because I really believe if we don’t play this year, there’s a very good chance that we won’t survive."