XFL not funding CFL return to play...

[Firecop]

4th & Long, no not an error unless I've missed something (always possible!), I haven't seen anything official on 2022 from the XFL group. I did read Mike's comments though. It just seems inadvisable and counterproductive to me to wait until 2023; although admittedly, that could be the plan. This especially with the emergence of the TSL.

I am not so confident about the CFL talks either, and at some point they may have to pull the plug on that - who knows!? I just find it hard to believe that they would wait until 2023 to re-launch, regardless of the CFL talks.

As you yourself have stated, they are currently just a bunch of pads, helmets, and names plus a few skeleton office folks - not much of a league. I am afraid that waiting until 2023 is a death knell and then, as already said, they might as well have just started an entirely new league? I guess time will tell and we just sit and wait and wait and wait. Finally, I can't help but speculate that if the CFL talks go nowhere and there is no killer TV deal; do they just pick up their football(s) and go home with their tail between their legs?

[Firecop]

HHHMMMM, maybe I'm just in denial...

[4th&long]

4th & Long, no not an error unless I've missed something (always possible!), I haven't seen anything official on 2022 from the XFL group. I did read Mike's comments though. It just seems inadvisable and counterproductive to me to wait until 2023; although admittedly, that could be the plan. This especially with the emergence of the TSL.

I am not so confident about the CFL talks either, and at some point they may have to pull the plug on that - who knows!? I just find it hard to believe that they would wait until 2023 to re-launch, regardless of the CFL talks.

As you yourself have stated, they are currently just a bunch of pads, helmets, and names plus a few skeleton office folks - not much of a league. I am afraid that waiting until 2023 is a death knell and then, as already said, they might as well have just started an entirely new league? I guess time will tell and we just sit and wait and wait and wait. Finally, I can't help but speculate that if the CFL talks go nowhere and there is no killer TV deal; do they just pick up their football(s) and go home with their tail between their legs?

https://www.xfl.com/xfl-latest-news

"The XFL 2022 season is on hold pending the outcome of our conversations with the CFL."

HHHMMMM, maybe I'm just in denial...

ahhhh Yes

Look there's rumors/speculation that the XFL may want the big 3 markets in the CFL.

>> The XFL reportedly wants a foothold in Canada’s biggest markets and according to Jakubec, it behooves the CFL to listen.<<

And they aren't doing well in the CFL...

>> “We are getting pretty good info here, from Dave Naylor, from [Rod Pedersen], from people all across the country, and you can connect the dots and say for these three franchises, the status quo isn’t going to work,” he said emphatically. <<

https://3downnation.com/2021/04/24/foot ... at-1-each/

Clearly they want way more from the breakeven-losses they have now - could be NFL, could be CFL or CFL/XFL. But IMO don't think for a minute they won't destroy the CFL in order to buy into the NFL. So with that said the other 6 franchises need to be careful. And the XFL could be used too. Its alot of players with disparate goals and willingness on how far they are willing to go.

[Firecop]

OK, back to my point; 2022 has not been canseled but only on hold.

[Gopher123]

Firecop,
If you are still in denial don’t think you’re the only one! I think back to the good start XFL 2.0 had, the momentum it had going, and still shake my head at what transpired to end it after 5 weeks.
While I agree that waiting until 2023 is too long to restart the league, I keep reading that this ownership group is comprised of very smart people. I will choose to believe that they know what’s best and will do the right thing. Call it hope, or foolish hope, or whatever you want, it’s really all I have so I’m going with it. Lately, the reports of a 2022 season have not been encouraging but like you, I’m not ready to call it cancelled until it is. Maybe it’s just because 2 more years is a long time and maybe as 2020 showed us, a lot can happen in 2 years.

[Firecop]

Gopher123; I certainly hope you are right.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

I recall mentioning that 2022 is going to be an absolutely horrible year for the XFL to try and relaunch. You'll have to deal not only with a longer NFL season but with the Olympics, not to mention the glut of college basketball action that exists every year at that time. (I'll argue to an extent that the longer NFL season isn't totally relevant because leagues like the XFL build on the momentum of people going from the Super Bowl to nothing, needing that football fix, which doesn't really change unless they drag the season well into March.) So, logically, if we're basically looking like a full reboot, and at this point it's looking like that is the case, 2023 looks like that would be the better year to try and pull that off. If they were going to get the gang back together and basically operate with the same structure as 2020, then I'd say, go ahead and push for 2022... especially since NBC has clearly soured on the NHL and looks like they'll have some TV openings.

I don't see TSL as a threat. They are minor league and don't pay their players. They actually made money off the XFL the last go-round so a league like that benefits them. I'm more concerned about FCF to be completely honest. What they pulled off in 2021—recognizable names, national media attention, a ground-up media platform—has serious potential for staying power if Fanchise doesn't screw it up. Their smaller rosters and shorter season are ideal for the kind of lean operation needed to milk that post-Super Bowl stress disorder to its full potential.

[4th&long]

I recall mentioning that 2022 is going to be an absolutely horrible year for the XFL to try and relaunch. You'll have to deal not only with a longer NFL season but with the Olympics, not to mention the glut of college basketball action that exists every year at that time. (I'll argue to an extent that the longer NFL season isn't totally relevant because leagues like the XFL build on the momentum of people going from the Super Bowl to nothing, needing that football fix, which doesn't really change unless they drag the season well into March.) So, logically, if we're basically looking like a full reboot, and at this point it's looking like that is the case, 2023 looks like that would be the better year to try and pull that off. If they were going to get the gang back together and basically operate with the same structure as 2020, then I'd say, go ahead and push for 2022... especially since NBC has clearly soured on the NHL and looks like they'll have some TV openings.

I don't see TSL as a threat. They are minor league and don't pay their players. They actually made money off the XFL the last go-round so a league like that benefits them. I'm more concerned about FCF to be completely honest. What they pulled off in 2021—recognizable names, national media attention, a ground-up media platform—has serious potential for staying power if Fanchise doesn't screw it up. Their smaller rosters and shorter season are ideal for the kind of lean operation needed to milk that post-Super Bowl stress disorder to its full potential.

Interesting post.

As far as the full reboot... my question to the XFL ownership is - why bother buying the XFL? Save $15mm + assumed debt and start from scratch, isn't that a full reboot sans the cost? Did they just buy the XFL to block someone else from buying them (eg VM)?

While I don't see the TSL as a threat per se (yet), no way FCF IMO is either. TSL is real FB, and on a major broadcast network and major Cable sports net (FOX and FS1). Indoor FB doesn't have the appeal of real FB either. TSL is light years ahead of FCF. Hopefully they don't screw that up.

[Gopher123]

Sooner or later even though history says otherwise IMO an alternative league will catch on and get enough traction to finally succeed. If the XFL doesn’t get rolling until 2023, they could risk getting serious competition from the TSL,FCF, or another league. That’s an example of what I meant in my earlier post about a lot of things can change in 2 years.
With the Super Bowl now taking place on 2-13-22 and assuming the XFL follows on the next weekend the Olympics would really only effect the first weekend. Now if they decide to not start the league until say April then they wouldn’t compete at all with either the Olympics or the NCAA tournament.
If the XFL doesn’t kickoff until 2023, with only a few teams from their original markets, and decide to retire the XFL name then I would question what exactly they purchased too. Time will tell.

[MGB01]

FCF is a glorified offseason fantasy project, nothing more. If it ever becomes real serious all the sudden you're going to have real costs that come with it (we saw how that worked with Fanchise in the past), so no need to blow it up into a thing.