Commissioner

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Firecop
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Re: Commissioner

Post by Firecop »

I have to dissgree, at least as far as the Dragons were concerned; the GameDay experience at Lumen Field was awesome! I can't speak to other tens but I wouldn't change a thing. That said, I can't help but think that the-re-launch of the US FL may well have put a dagger in the back of XFL 3.0. IMO, they can't get too different from American football or it will be a pass on my part.
Direct from the Dragon's Lair
laxtreme56
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Re: Commissioner

Post by laxtreme56 »

And just today, David Baker, former AFL commissioner and president of the hall of Fame for the past 8 years, has just resigned. With Jeffery Pollack stepping down from his XFL role, and a new hire reportedly imminent, could Baker potentially be the new XFL commissioner?
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Re: Commissioner

Post by GregParks »

laxtreme56 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:10 pm And just today, David Baker, former AFL commissioner and president of the hall of Fame for the past 8 years, has just resigned. With Jeffery Pollack stepping down from his XFL role, and a new hire reportedly imminent, could Baker potentially be the new XFL commissioner?
Interesting name. He's become a bit of a celebrity himself in the way he has presented the HOF news to some on TV over the last few years (telling me he or someone in charge of this sort of thing understands the value of social media and making those moments go viral). I think his experience as commissioner of the AFL is both a plus and a minus: Obviously leading a secondary football league, not many people out there have that qualification; however, the AFL isn't around anymore. I'm not sure what his tenure was like but the AFL was nowhere near the scale the new owners have planned for the XFL. If it's just being in charge of the on-field stuff maybe that doesn't matter. But he'll be 70 when the XFL (supposedly) kicks off in 2023 and in a tweet, the HOF termed this a "retirement" for Baker.
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laxtreme56
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Re: Commissioner

Post by laxtreme56 »

GregParks wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:20 pm
laxtreme56 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:10 pm And just today, David Baker, former AFL commissioner and president of the hall of Fame for the past 8 years, has just resigned. With Jeffery Pollack stepping down from his XFL role, and a new hire reportedly imminent, could Baker potentially be the new XFL commissioner?
Interesting name. He's become a bit of a celebrity himself in the way he has presented the HOF news to some on TV over the last few years (telling me he or someone in charge of this sort of thing understands the value of social media and making those moments go viral). I think his experience as commissioner of the AFL is both a plus and a minus: Obviously leading a secondary football league, not many people out there have that qualification; however, the AFL isn't around anymore. I'm not sure what his tenure was like but the AFL was nowhere near the scale the new owners have planned for the XFL. If it's just being in charge of the on-field stuff maybe that doesn't matter. But he'll be 70 when the XFL (supposedly) kicks off in 2023 and in a tweet, the HOF termed this a "retirement" for Baker.
Baker gets some slack from long time AFL fans, but under Baker's reign, the AFL reached a level of popularity just outside the big 4. With the exception of the lame duck, 4th season on NBC, the AFL averaged 1 million viewers on network T.V. during his tenure as well as bringing in big time owners like Elway, Bon Jovi, Jerry Jones, Tim McGraw, etc. While true the league did ultimately fold, the fact it lasted 22 years before it did speaks volumes to what Baker is capable of doing.
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Re: Commissioner

Post by GregParks »

laxtreme56 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:51 pm
GregParks wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:20 pm
laxtreme56 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:10 pm And just today, David Baker, former AFL commissioner and president of the hall of Fame for the past 8 years, has just resigned. With Jeffery Pollack stepping down from his XFL role, and a new hire reportedly imminent, could Baker potentially be the new XFL commissioner?
Interesting name. He's become a bit of a celebrity himself in the way he has presented the HOF news to some on TV over the last few years (telling me he or someone in charge of this sort of thing understands the value of social media and making those moments go viral). I think his experience as commissioner of the AFL is both a plus and a minus: Obviously leading a secondary football league, not many people out there have that qualification; however, the AFL isn't around anymore. I'm not sure what his tenure was like but the AFL was nowhere near the scale the new owners have planned for the XFL. If it's just being in charge of the on-field stuff maybe that doesn't matter. But he'll be 70 when the XFL (supposedly) kicks off in 2023 and in a tweet, the HOF termed this a "retirement" for Baker.
Baker gets some slack from long time AFL fans, but under Baker's reign, the AFL reached a level of popularity just outside the big 4. With the exception of the lame duck, 4th season on NBC, the AFL averaged 1 million viewers on network T.V. during his tenure as well as bringing in big time owners like Elway, Bon Jovi, Jerry Jones, Tim McGraw, etc. While true the league did ultimately fold, the fact it lasted 22 years before it did speaks volumes to what Baker is capable of doing.
Cool. That helps add some context. Thanks.
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Re: Commissioner

Post by GregParks »

Mike posted an article at XFLNewsHub taking a look at three potential commissioner candidates:

https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-3-p ... perations/

He seems to think former Buffalo Bills president and CEO Russ Brandon is the clubhouse leader for the job. Brandon was consulting with RedBird on their Chief Football Officer (commissioner) search. I'd see him more on the business side than football, but we still don't really know what the job will entail quite yet.

Which brings us to another point...any major hires always seemed to hinge on a TV deal; it was said numerous times that the new ownership group wasn't going to move forward/make major hires without a TV deal in place. So with a commissioner hire reportedly imminent, does that mean a TV deal is close, too? Sorry, I don't mean to get people's hopes up. Just couldn't resist :)
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4th&long
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Re: Commissioner

Post by 4th&long »

GregParks wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:26 am Mike posted an article at XFLNewsHub taking a look at three potential commissioner candidates:

https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-3-p ... perations/

He seems to think former Buffalo Bills president and CEO Russ Brandon is the clubhouse leader for the job. Brandon was consulting with RedBird on their Chief Football Officer (commissioner) search. I'd see him more on the business side than football, but we still don't really know what the job will entail quite yet.

Which brings us to another point...any major hires always seemed to hinge on a TV deal; it was said numerous times that the new ownership group wasn't going to move forward/make major hires without a TV deal in place. So with a commissioner hire reportedly imminent, does that mean a TV deal is close, too? Sorry, I don't mean to get people's hopes up. Just couldn't resist :)
I don't think so GP. But we will see. This is now not a new position but a replacement. If anything losing Pollack means they may not be moving forward - IMO.

Since RBC seems more interested in investing in established properties - I could see them invest in another league or team. If they all of a sudden start making moves to build an organization they just squandered 1.5 years + since the end of XFL 2.0, they should have hit the ground running (have I said that before :lol:) .

They've lost they innate value of those XFL franchises by passing on 2021 and now 2022, they needed to strike while the iron was hot. They didn't want to drop the coin then when it had the most impact. The XFL had a bubble plan ready to go, they could have shrunk that. They chose not to. So now they want to build from scratch? for a league looking to launch in 8 cities in 15 months and they have no one?

There is still the Feb-Mid April window they could consider but they are now building from scratch and they have another league to compete against for attention and players.

I think its time for the XFL to s##t or get off the pot.
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Re: Commissioner

Post by GregParks »

4th&long wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:29 am
GregParks wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:26 am Mike posted an article at XFLNewsHub taking a look at three potential commissioner candidates:

https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-3-p ... perations/

He seems to think former Buffalo Bills president and CEO Russ Brandon is the clubhouse leader for the job. Brandon was consulting with RedBird on their Chief Football Officer (commissioner) search. I'd see him more on the business side than football, but we still don't really know what the job will entail quite yet.

Which brings us to another point...any major hires always seemed to hinge on a TV deal; it was said numerous times that the new ownership group wasn't going to move forward/make major hires without a TV deal in place. So with a commissioner hire reportedly imminent, does that mean a TV deal is close, too? Sorry, I don't mean to get people's hopes up. Just couldn't resist :)
I don't think so GP. But we will see. This is now not a new position but a replacement. If anything losing Pollack means they may not be moving forward - IMO.
My reading of it, and confirmed by Mike's report, is that Pollack's responsibilities on the financial side will be absorbed by RedBird and they're looking to hire someone to oversee the actual football part of the league. That would not be a replacement for Pollack, but more of a replacement for Oliver Luck. Regardless of semantics about whether it's a replacement for someone or not, a new major hire of any kind is a sign the league is moving forward (if the hire is indeed made. Nothing's final until it's announced!).
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4th&long
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Re: Commissioner

Post by 4th&long »

GregParks wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 10:30 am
4th&long wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:29 am
GregParks wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:26 am Mike posted an article at XFLNewsHub taking a look at three potential commissioner candidates:

https://xflnewshub.com/xfl-news/xfl-3-p ... perations/

He seems to think former Buffalo Bills president and CEO Russ Brandon is the clubhouse leader for the job. Brandon was consulting with RedBird on their Chief Football Officer (commissioner) search. I'd see him more on the business side than football, but we still don't really know what the job will entail quite yet.

Which brings us to another point...any major hires always seemed to hinge on a TV deal; it was said numerous times that the new ownership group wasn't going to move forward/make major hires without a TV deal in place. So with a commissioner hire reportedly imminent, does that mean a TV deal is close, too? Sorry, I don't mean to get people's hopes up. Just couldn't resist :)
I don't think so GP. But we will see. This is now not a new position but a replacement. If anything losing Pollack means they may not be moving forward - IMO.
My reading of it, and confirmed by Mike's report, is that Pollack's responsibilities on the financial side will be absorbed by RedBird and they're looking to hire someone to oversee the actual football part of the league. That would not be a replacement for Pollack, but more of a replacement for Oliver Luck. Regardless of semantics about whether it's a replacement for someone or not, a new major hire of any kind is a sign the league is moving forward (if the hire is indeed made. Nothing's final until it's announced!).
I read the article too. Regardless they are 15 months away for 2023 season with nothing visible and no staff (more or less). Perhaps they are working behind the scenes but it looks like a cost savings measure. Since nothing is happening right now there's not much for RBC to absorb.

I'll be honest, talk of NBC (which owns USA) possibly televising USFL games next year - is not a good sign for XFL/NBC. ESPN/ABC now has NHL and NBA with still some MLB. So wondering what they are looking at for that "lucrative tv contract"

Granted there is now all this streaming time to fill from NBC and ESPN+ etc, but its not as clear as it was pre-USFL birmingham announcement.

Also - at some point when the rubber hits the road - I do not want to see a SFL competition. That's what hurt the AAF badly. They rushed and over extended themselves (even with it being a snake oil show). XFL scared them into over paying and adding 2 teams too many etc...
herns
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Re: Commissioner

Post by herns »

4th&long wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:06 am
GregParks wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 10:30 am
4th&long wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:29 am

I don't think so GP. But we will see. This is now not a new position but a replacement. If anything losing Pollack means they may not be moving forward - IMO.
My reading of it, and confirmed by Mike's report, is that Pollack's responsibilities on the financial side will be absorbed by RedBird and they're looking to hire someone to oversee the actual football part of the league. That would not be a replacement for Pollack, but more of a replacement for Oliver Luck. Regardless of semantics about whether it's a replacement for someone or not, a new major hire of any kind is a sign the league is moving forward (if the hire is indeed made. Nothing's final until it's announced!).
I read the article too. Regardless they are 15 months away for 2023 season with nothing visible and no staff (more or less). Perhaps they are working behind the scenes but it looks like a cost savings measure. Since nothing is happening right now there's not much for RBC to absorb.

I'll be honest, talk of NBC (which owns USA) possibly televising USFL games next year - is not a good sign for XFL/NBC. ESPN/ABC now has NHL and NBA with still some MLB. So wondering what they are looking at for that "lucrative tv contract"

Granted there is now all this streaming time to fill from NBC and ESPN+ etc, but its not as clear as it was pre-USFL birmingham announcement.

Also - at some point when the rubber hits the road - I do not want to see a SFL competition. That's what hurt the AAF badly. They rushed and over extended themselves (even with it being a snake oil show). XFL scared them into over paying and adding 2 teams too many etc...
There’s also the chance they partner with a streaming company and not cable, maybe they become part of the proposed MLB, nba, and NHL app. Maybe it’s Amazon, Netflix, or HBO
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