What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

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XtremeFanForever
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What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by XtremeFanForever »

This can be anything from rule changes, broadcasting, relocation, expansion, etc.

Here's my top 3:

1. Increase base pay for players.

Even if they have to slightly reduce roster sizes (I'm thinking go from 45/52 to 44/50) and QB salaries (5-10%). AJ Tarpley addressed this in a recent reddit AMA and we know the story of Cory Vereen quitting over salary.

QB quality should remain a priority, but not at the expense of overall team quality. Improved base pay will help ensure the talent gap in the league doesn't get too wide.

2. Model all TV broadcasts after Fox.

Think this was pretty much the consensus. Staying on ESPN would be great, but the more Fox games the better as far as I'm concerned.

3. Keep the game clock running on out of bounds plays and incompletions (previously they waited until the ball was spotted to run the clock).

I honestly liked just about all the rules, but games only got marginally shorter than NFL games. Quicker ball spotting will perpetually be the goal but keeping the clock running is the easiest way to reduce game times.

There's some concern about losing some plays from scrimmage because of this but I think the effect would be minimal. One thing that could help mitigate the effect (and would fit with the spirit of the "comeback period") would be to have one untimed down at the conclusion of each half.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by GregParks »

Great topic.

The pay range is going to be interesting, not only for players, but for coaches. It would be tough to cut player salaries, but I wonder if they'll dole out the same $$ for coaches that Vince and Oliver Luck did. Remember, they won't have ticket revenue coming in for 2021 if they do the bubble, so the new owners will have to eat a lot of cost in year 1.5. That being said, AJ Tarpley has a Stanford degree and quit the NFL at one time because of concussions, so his priorities may be different than other players.

The only thing I'd say, and I may add more once I have time to think a little deeper on this, is that NY and Tampa need to find new stadiums if they're returning to those cities. The prestige and the price of playing in NFL stadiums may have been an advantage, but it was offset by the atmosphere of empty seats and how it looked on TV. I think they did most everything else right, aside from a few gameplay tweaks here and there (fixing the penalty enforced on the kickoff, etc.).
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by Firecop »

This is a great topic for certain. I also prefer the Fox style broadcasts and hope to see it continue. I like the concept of the OT rule but need to see it more in action to be sure. I really like the kickoffs but not too keen on the punt one. I may be alone on this next one but I would like to see a graduated field goal scoring system, similar in nature to the extra points.

There is a lot the NFL could/should adopt from the abbreviated XFL season, hopefully they will concentrate more on game play and less on social activism.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by Tank55 »

The best change they're going to bring is just not being Vince McMahon. That's not a shot at him -- I have a ton of appreciation for what he's done -- but just an acknowledgement that he brought baggage that created challenges. That won't be entirely gone, but hopefully lightened.

I have a ton of small ideas that I'll list, but I'm really excited that the new ownership likes the original direction.

- Teams being allowed to choose their conversion attempt level in OT like they are after touchdowns.
- Team logos at midfield. Or, at least, painting the XFL logo in the team colors like the game ball.
- Building on the Kenny Robinson experience and pursuing impact college underclassmen.
- Paul Johnson as XFL DC coach. The Dragons being forced to trade Keenan Reynolds to the Defenders to play quarterback.
- The Guardians and Wildcats moving to Red Bull Arena and Banc of California stadium, respectively.
- Giving the Wildcats an orange jersey or white pants or anything to break up the all-black look.
- The Vipers moving elsewhere in Florida, preferably rebranded and with Steve Spurrier as a coach.
- A 20th anniversary celebration of the original XFL in 2022, complete with throwback uniforms for the LA/NY game.
- A team in Austin for 2022.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by MGB01 »

If we had a draft like last year, only using the transfer portal (although with the P5 conferences giving the old college try this is more fantasy now), I can imagine QBs looking like this

1. J.T. Daniels, USC
2. Jamie Newman, Wake Forest
3. K.J. Costello, Stanford
4. Feleipe Franks, Florida
5. Anthony Brown, Boston College
6. Keytaon Thompson, Mississippi State
7. D'Eriq King, Houston
8. Jarren Williams, Miami(FL)

Now regardless of whether you want would-be college freshmen and sophomores populating your league (probably not a good idea) you want "prime/next" players, in other words more Bunmi Rotimis, less Matt McGloins.

One of the things I thought killed the UFL right off the bat was most of their first draft was filled with guys like Ryan Sims (sixth overall pick in 2002) and barely actual rookies.

There's very much a place for guys like Steven Johnson, who quite frankly could fill a back end role on some NFL teams (except for this year every team's going to have two or three of those guys), just not 40-50% of the league.

It's going to be dependent on how many different investment groups (turned owners if they decide to go the franchise route) they can pull in. Cause while you wanna keep player costs down, mid five figures ain't gonna cut it. So if Dwayne can turn that 15 mil into say 150, there should be room for salaries to grow accordingly.

After all, if your QB matchup went from Taylor Cornelius vs. Phillip Nelson to Jordan Ta'amu vs. Anthony Gordon then you got something. Funny how the best teams in the league had the best QBs (JT, PJW, even Cardale--cause you can at least make the argument that defenses were jumping up to make him look like hot trash), ain't it?

Ratings were fine, attendance was good (although nix that one for a while), but they could be even better. JT, PJW, K-Rob, Rotimi, and others showed the way.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by GregParks »

I think what they could do to increase player salaries across the league is to simply cut the number of players per roster. If they went from 52 to say, 45, they could use the money saved on those 56 players league-wide and add a little more to the pot for all the others. It wouldn't be a huge difference, but it would be something. I would be surprised if Team Nine returns - if it doesn't, whatever salary they were paying players/coaches there could also be divvied up amongst other roster members throughout the league.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by SamTheRam28 »

Tank55 wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 12:40 pm Teams being allowed to choose their conversion attempt level in OT like they are after touchdowns.
I don't like this at all. The whole point of the OT format is that neither team has an advantage whether they go first or second. This gives the second team the advantage of knowing what they need.
Tank55 wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 12:40 pm Team logos at midfield. Or, at least, painting the XFL logo in the team colors like the game ball.
Completely agree, would love to see the winged sword in the middle of the field at the Dome.
Tank55 wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 12:40 pm The Guardians and Wildcats moving to Red Bull Arena and Banc of California stadium, respectively.
Also agree, especially the Guardians to Red Bull.
Tank55 wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 12:40 pm The Vipers moving elsewhere in Florida, preferably rebranded and with Steve Spurrier as a coach.
I would like to see the Vipers in Orlando, and the Renegades in San Antonio unless Stoops wants to come back. I understand why they went to Dallas, but the stadium situation is not ideal and San Antonio has clearly shown they can support a team.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by Tank55 »

SamTheRam28 wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 8:21 pm I don't like this at all. The whole point of the OT format is that neither team has an advantage whether they go first or second. This gives the second team the advantage of knowing what they need.
That's a valid point. Still think I'd change it.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by XtremeFanForever »

Tough to critique the OT rules without ever seeing them in practice but I liked the idea Luck initially floated when a turnover counted as a point for the defense. Think they ended up scraping that.
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Re: What changes do you hope new ownership brings?

Post by Tank55 »

Also a valid point. I ended up liking the PAT rule a lot more than I thought I would. Here's hoping we get to see it in action soon!
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