Hawkeyes in the XFL

Fryowa said:
This thing probably won’t be operating after five or six weeks, and definitely boarded up after the season.

Like literally every other non-arena league that’s tried to operate parallel to college and NFL football, it’s going to be bleeding cash by week three and McMahon isn’t going to light his money on fire for very long.

Much ado about nothing.
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It will eventually die but I think it last longer than you think. McMahon went away from the WWF model and he got ESPN & FOX behind it so I think it will take a little longer for the money to bleed dry. He actually brought in some decent people to help run it.
 
ssckelley said:
It will eventually die but I think it last longer than you think. McMahon went away from the WWF model and he got ESPN & FOX behind it so I think it will take a little longer for the money to bleed dry. He actually brought in some decent people to help run it.
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Nah. Viewership is king, and it's been proven for many many decades that when it comes to sports the only thing people want are top level professional versions, and college FB/BB.

Last weekend was the novelty weekend, this weekend will have a bunch less attendance/viewership, and within about 6 weeks it'll be all but dead and then media will start reporting about the end being near. After the season Vince will come out and say "We had a good run but can't compete with the NFL," and that'll be it. I'm not saying it won't have available money, I'm saying that McMahon and his financial team are going to see the writing on the wall.

Nobody has to listen to me, though; Vegas odds were -2,000 last night that the XFL would return for season 2. Those guys typically know better than anyone.
 
Fryowa said:
Nah. Viewership is king, and it's been proven for many many decades that when it comes to sports the only thing people want are top level professional versions, and college FB/BB.

Last weekend was the novelty weekend, this weekend will have a bunch less attendance/viewership, and within about 6 weeks it'll be all but dead and then media will start reporting about the end being near. After the season Vince will come out and say "We had a good run but can't compete with the NFL," and that'll be it. I'm not saying it won't have available money, I'm saying that McMahon and his financial team are going to see the writing on the wall.

Nobody has to listen to me, though; Vegas odds were -2,000 last night that the XFL would return for season 2. Those guys typically know better than anyone.
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I think the deal is, people are so emotionally invested in the NFL and college football that they need a break from watching it after the Super Bowl ends. These leagues pop up and they provide inferior football, despite innovations with rules and such. I know I need to recharge my batteries for football after the Super Bowl. And I love football btw.
 
Fryowa said:
Nah. Viewership is king, and it's been proven for many many decades that when it comes to sports the only thing people want are top level professional versions, and college FB/BB.

Last weekend was the novelty weekend, this weekend will have a bunch less attendance/viewership, and within about 6 weeks it'll be all but dead and then media will start reporting about the end being near. After the season Vince will come out and say "We had a good run but can't compete with the NFL," and that'll be it. I'm not saying it won't have available money, I'm saying that McMahon and his financial team are going to see the writing on the wall.

Nobody has to listen to me, though; Vegas odds were -2,000 last night that the XFL would return for season 2. Those guys typically know better than anyone.
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Viewership is king, but the difference between now and the last run for XFL is that there are now a bunch of specialty sports channels that need content. As long as they can keep operating and production costs relatively low, I think they can stick for year 2. The linear TV model is totally screwed and sports is the last bastion of hope, so I don't think we'll see the plug pulled as early on this one. There is a total dead period where the only things on in February are hoops and NASCAR. I personally like NASCAR, but I am in the distinct minority on that one. If NASCAR can siphon $840 million a year for its dismal ratings, a crap football league probably can generate a little bit of pull while the weather in the Midwest and Northeast sucks.
 
Fryowa said:
Nah. Viewership is king, and it's been proven for many many decades that when it comes to sports the only thing people want are top level professional versions, and college FB/BB.

Last weekend was the novelty weekend, this weekend will have a bunch less attendance/viewership, and within about 6 weeks it'll be all but dead and then media will start reporting about the end being near. After the season Vince will come out and say "We had a good run but can't compete with the NFL," and that'll be it. I'm not saying it won't have available money, I'm saying that McMahon and his financial team are going to see the writing on the wall.

Nobody has to listen to me, though; Vegas odds were -2,000 last night that the XFL would return for season 2. Those guys typically know better than anyone.
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Yeah we'll have a much better idea after week 3 and 4 if it even stands a chance..
 
If there is this never ending thirst for more football, why not move IAA football to the Spring and put it on TV? UNI Panther's football in March anyone? Its football, that should be enough!

All four home games drew 17k people for the kick off games. Those are the 4 biggest markets, and they drew about like a Drake home football game.

The problem they have is not the quality or the gimmickie rules, which I kind of like. The problem is that the casual fan does not know many of the players or develop a rooting interest. Its like turning on the Division II playoffs on ESPN. Its football, but who cares.

If they can make it to year two, maybe that can develop. But, I likely will not be watching again this weekend.
 
Fryowa said:
This thing probably won’t be operating after five or six weeks, and definitely boarded up after the season.

Like literally every other non-arena league that’s tried to operate parallel to college and NFL football, it’s going to be bleeding cash by week three and McMahon isn’t going to light his money on fire for very long.

Much ado about nothing.
Click to expand...

The USFL was probably the most successful lasting a few seasons.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
If there is this never ending thirst for more football, why not move IAA football to the Spring and put it on TV? UNI Panther's football in March anyone? Its football, that should be enough!

All four home games drew 17k people for the kick off games. Those are the 4 biggest markets, and they drew about like a Drake home football game.

The problem they have is not the quality or the gimmickie rules, which I kind of like. The problem is that the casual fan does not know many of the players or develop a rooting interest. Its like turning on the Division II playoffs on ESPN. Its football, but who cares.

If they can make it to year two, maybe that can develop. But, I likely will not be watching again this weekend.
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Why not put it in that sports "dead period" after the NCAA Basketball tournament somewhere between May and August up until fall football camps. It could be an appetizer before the real shit starts. There is absolutely nothing to watch during this time and the sports media hate this time to fill radio and TV.
 
I think this league lasts and morphs into the minor league for the NFL.

Ticket prices for the home opener in St Louis have climbed from $25 to $90 in the last week.

There is a buzz around here.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Hayden looked for leadership qualities in everyone he hired and recruited. Part of what made him great.
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Surrounding yourself with leaders while making it clear in no uncertain terms that you are still the boss is a tough task indeed.

I'm sure certain coaches in private moments second guessed some of Fry decisions and motives. And I'm sure Hayden knew that. But that didn't diminish the respect factor, and in the end it was proven time and again that Hayden's methods worked, that a bunch of wholes added up greater than the proverbial sum of the parts. And people would see this in subtle ways, before it could be quantified on the surface. Sort of like how Daniel LaRusso was learning critical muscle memory from Miyagi's unique brand of "wax on wax off" karate training.
 
Motigerhawk said:
Butler scores. Too bad he is in June Jones offense.

Go Battlehawks!!!!!! KA-KAW
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June Jones?

I guess once coaching is in the blood, some people can't live without it.

Dick LeBeau was a defensive coordinator into his eighties.

Jim Calhoun is back on the bench, coaching at some small college.

Rollie Massimino in his final years went back to his sixties roots and coached at the high school level.

Our local high school coach is 78 and still at it, and has been since the Lyndon Johnson administration.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
Why not put it in that sports "dead period" after the NCAA Basketball tournament somewhere between May and August up until fall football camps. It could be an appetizer before the real shit starts. There is absolutely nothing to watch during this time and the sports media hate this time to fill radio and TV.
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When the NBA last locked out a few years ago and the season started on Christmas day, I thought that might work to move the opening day to Christmas on a permanent basis. Too much of the NBA season gets overshadowed by NFL and NCAA football.

You could fill the dead time in June and July with a summer of NBA playoffs. Start them on Memorial Day weekend. And wrap things up around the third week of July or so, just in time to give way to NFL training camps and baseball pennant races.
 
I found myself watching the XFL yesterday and was mildly entertained. The try for the point after is becoming a nuisance and I'm thinking they should bring the kick back, perhaps make it a 40 yard attempt. Go back to 2 points from the 2 and make the try from 5 yard line worth 3. Maybe make a 4 point try from the 20.

That QB that plays for Houston (Murry?) is sure fun to watch. I love watching QB's that can run AND throw.
 
Cool that they show Chuck in the booth calling plays and also showing the replay official while he was reviewing.
 
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