Month: February 2020

Major League Rugby returns

Major League Rugby has expanded to 12 teams for the 2020 season. (Darren Zemanek photo)

I can say with absolute certainty that at no time during my teens, twenties, thirties or forties did I ever say, “I’m excited about the start of a new American rugby season.”

Scott Adamson’s sports column appears when he feels sporty.

Allow me to make up for lost time.

This weekend Major League Rugby begins its third campaign, and I’m genuinely looking forward to it.

It has grown from seven to 12 clubs in just three years, given a showcase to American players while bringing in some international stars, and looks like it might have the makings of a stable league.

I was curious about it in 2018 and got hooked last season. New MLR commissioner George Killebrew knows the key to long-lasting success is making sure American sports fans like me know it’s out there.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to serve as the commissioner for Major League Rugby,” Killebrew said in an MLR news release. “I plan to build upon the groundwork that the MLR has laid in its first two seasons and use the third season to cement the league in the professional sports market. I will be working towards building ticket sales and sponsorships revenues and developing the very best media platform possible as we continue to help grow rugby participation across North America.”

MLR features 11 United States-based teams and one Canadian entry.

The Eastern Conference is made up of the New England (Weymouth, Massachusetts) Free Jacks,  NOLA (New Orleans) Gold, Old Glory DC, Rugby United New York,  Rugby ATL (Atlanta) and the Toronto Arrows.

Comprising the Western Conference are the Austin Gilgronis, Colorado (Glendale) Raptors, Houston SaberCats, San Diego Legion, two-time MLR champion Seattle Seawolves and Utah (Herriman) Warriors.

Each club plays 16 matches followed by the playoffs.

Atlanta, D.C. and New England are the new additions for 2020, and further (though careful) expansion is eyed in coming seasons. For now, the league’s focus is succeeding where it’s at and establishing itself as a viable circuit.

“For those of you new to the (Utah Warriors) and Major League Rugby, this concept isn’t going anywhere – it’s here to stay,” Kimball Kjar, CEO of the Utah team, said during his club’s recent media day event. “This is one of the fastest-growing leagues in the United States because people love the sport in America, they just don’t know it yet.”

I was among those flying blind when I first caught a match on CBS Sports Network a couple of years ago. I knew enough about it to loosely follow what was going on, and I was familiar with the reputations of the All Blacks (New Zealand), Springboks (South Africa) and Wallabies (Australia).

But the more I watched the more interested I became, so I checked out a couple of library books on rugby rules and strategy, and even watched some YouTube videos explaining game play.

United States Rugby is the national governing body for the sport in America, and features more than 120,000 members. There are quality club and college teams all across the country, and many players plucked from those ranks are now on MLR rosters.

But it never hurts to bring in big names from abroad, especially when you’re trying to put your league on the map. (Each team is allowed up to 10 internationals per roster).

Yes, imports like Tendai Mtawarira (Old Glory DC), Ben Foden (Rugby United New York) and Ma’a Nonu (San Diego Legion) are in their mid-30s, and you can make a strong case that they see MLR as a “retirement league.”

That doesn’t mean they’re washed up. Mtawarira, in fact, was a major reason South Africa won the World Cup last year and is a huge get heading into 2020.

“(Signing Mtawarira) is an incredibly strong message that the MLR competition is now a league that top players are starting to take seriously,” U.S. National Rugby Team coach Gary Gold said. “To have a player of Tendai’s ability, and in his current form, as we saw in the recent RWC final, is a testament to the work that has been put in over recent years to form a sustainable competitive competition in the USA that can attract players of the quality of Tendai.”

Part of the fun for me, though, is getting to know players I never knew before and watching as they (hopefully) turn this league into something special.

The season begins today with Colorado versus Houston at noon and Old Glory DC facing NOLA at 4 p.m.

On Sunday Rugby ATL hosts Utah at 3 p.m.; New York meets New England in Las Vegas at 4 p.m.; Seattle travels to San Diego for a 5 p.m. match; and Toronto takes a road trip to Austin for an 8 p.m. contest.

I’m glad I jumped on the MLR bandwagon.

And I’m excited about the start of a new American rugby season.

XFL has edge over most recent spring start-up

The new XFL has eight teams located in major media markets. (XFL Media Relations photo)

As far as spring football goes, this venture seems to be getting off on the right foot.

Scott Adamson writes about alternative pro football leagues because it makes him happy. Follow him on Twitter @adamsonsl

Many of its coaches are known quantities, the players are largely of the NFL “just miss” variety, there are some clever rule innovations, and league officials appear to not only know what to do, but how to do it.

XFL 2020?

Nah, this is what I said about the Alliance of American Football this time last year – just a few days in advance of its debut and a couple of months before it failed to finish its only season.

To casual observers of the AAF, everything looked good up until it didn’t.

So here we are, three days before the revived XFL extends football season for fans, and so far it has made all the right moves.

Guys like Bob Stoops and June Jones are working the sidelines, and they’re proven winners.

The 52-man rosters are stocked with players who already have some NFL experience – men such as Josh Johnson, Cardale Jones, Landry Jones and Kony Ealy – and many more who are closer to being “haven’t-yets” than “has-beens.”

Three-point conversions, safer kickoffs, overtime shootouts and fast game play will make it unique.

And with respected football executive Oliver Luck serving as CEO and commissioner of the league, the XFL’s rollout has been professional and impressive.

But again, at first (and even second) glance, the Alliance checked all those boxes, too.

So what’s different?

A couple of things.

For starters, placing all eight teams in major cities is a smart move by the XFL. It will debut with squads in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Washington, D.C.

All but one have NFL franchises (and St. Louis had one up until 2016) and they represent five of the largest TV markets in the United States, including the top two.

That national footprint no doubt helped the XFL land contracts with ABC, ESPN and Fox, deals that call for all games to be televised.

Although media has changed dramatically just in the last few years, advertising dollars and television saturation is still important, especially to a fledgling sports league.

The Alliance had teams in Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio, Salt Lake City and San Diego, completely ignoring the northeast and dipping into only two NFL metro areas. That puzzled me because the geography gave off something of a regional league vibe.

Plus, its games were shown primarily on CBS Sports Network, the NFL Network and B/R Live, outlets that aren’t as easily accessible to many viewers.

The most important advantage the XFL has over the AAF, however, is Vince McMahon – or to be specific, Vince McMahon’s bank account.

The wrestling mogul and billionaire has reportedly sunk roughly $500 million into the league – enough to cover three full years of operation.

Unbeknownst to those of us on the outside looking in, the AAF was in financial trouble from the get-go when its original primary investor, Reggie Fowler, bailed after the first week. Co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian then had to sell out to Carolina Hurricanes’ owner Tom Dundon to stay afloat.

Dundon pledged $250 million but was angling for a farm system-type deal with the NFL. When he realized one was not forthcoming, he tapped out after spending $70 million. Thus, the Alliance had no money to continue and died with two weeks still remaining in the regular season.

So considering the areas where it has improved over last spring’s gridiron swing and miss, the XFL is a can’t-miss proposition, right?

Hardly.

While it’s starting off with a strong foundation (it has had two full years to get up and running), history certainly isn’t on its side. No domestic spring league has lasted more than three seasons, and the one that did was the United States Football League – which sought major league status and was becoming a major force when it folded.

The World League of American Football, funded and operated by the NFL, fielded North American franchises for just two years before becoming an all-European circuit. It then bled money for 13 years before owners ended the feeder system.

McMahon’s original XFL had a one-and-done season in 2001 – and the viewing public lost interest quickly.

It tried to combine the bravado of World Wrestling Entertainment with AA brand football, and the result was largely boring games framed by sleazy shtick. It also holds the sad distinction of featuring the lowest rated prime-time telecast in TV history. On March 17 of that year the Birmingham-Las Vegas game drew a 1.6 audience share, and was part of a downward ratings spiral that began after a promising opening week in February.

But much has changed since the lowbrow, rasslin’-inspired XFL was rushed to market 19 years ago. This version has been carefully planned, shelved all the sideshow nonsense and looks poised to be a fan-friendly, “major” minor league.

So maybe – just maybe – second-tier pro football will finally defy all the odds and find a niche.

I mean, there’s a first time for everything, right?

For more information on the league, including schedule, TV times and rules, go to XFL.com.

 

 

Happy birthday, ABA

Break out the red, white and blue basketballs, dust off the Converse high-tops and let your hair down – or blow it out big and round.

Scott Adamson’s sports column appears when he feels sporty.

It’s the 53rd anniversary of the American Basketball Association’s birth, and today I pay tribute to the greatest roundball circuit ever created.

Announced on February 1, 1967, the ABA was officially unveiled during a news conference in New York on February 2. Plans called for the circuit to be divided into an Eastern Division featuring franchises in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York, New Orleans and Pittsburgh and a Western Division of Anaheim, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and Oakland.

Former National Basketball Association great George Mikan was named commissioner, and he made it clear the newbies were going to challenge the NBA for talent.

“I have not read the present NBA contract, (but) we would be stupid not to ask players if they are not tied down,” Mikan told the Associated Press. “You have to respect contractual obligations, but if there is a player without a contract, we invite him to contact us.”

As for a bidding war, Mikan fully expected it.

“When two people compete, you show me a way it won’t spiral cost,” he said. “I’d like to be a 25-year-old kid now. The NBA isn’t happy with our move. They try to give the impression there’s no room for somebody else, but they’re expanding.”

Philadelphia 76ers standout Wilt Chamberlain was the first target of the ABA, and the 7-1 center didn’t deny his interest – or the interest of other NBA stars.

“I have been approached,” Chamberlain told the Newspaper Enterprise Association syndicate. “I do listen to all financial offers – that’s all I can tell you. I know some of the other names, but I can’t reveal them.”

As a kid I wasn’t concerned with the business aspect of the ABA, but they had me at the red, white and blue basketball.

“It’s a patriotic ball,” Mikan told the Associated Press when he unveiled the multi-colored orb on August 19, 1967. “Everyone will stand when this one goes up.”

It was the 3-point shot (from 25-feet and beyond), however, that kept me.

It was actually a rule “borrowed” from the defunct American Basketball League, which lasted only one full season in the early 1960s.

“It gives the smaller players who usually perform at guard more of an opportunity to star in the ABA,” Mikan told United Press International. “It’ll open up the defense and make the game more enjoyable for the fans.”

Other rules that differed from the NBA included a 30-second shot clock and 12-foot lane.

But you have to have athletes to succeed, and the upstarts got them. In fact, 36 players selected by the NBA in the 1967 draft chose the ABA instead.

The league started in October, 1967, and actually had 11 teams – the Anaheim Amigos, Dallas Chaparrals, Denver Rockets, Houston Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Kentucky Colonels, Minnesota Muskies, New Jersey Americans, New Orleans Buccaneers, Oakland Oaks and Pittsburgh Pipers.

Chamberlain decided to stay in the NBA but the ABA had guys like Connie Hawkins and Doug Moe, and quality basketball was delivered right out of the gate.

Over nine seasons the ABA produced superstars such as Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Artis Gilmore, and it was easy to love the high-scoring, free-spirited nature of the league. The players performed with such joy and abandon that it made every game fun to watch.

Like most leagues that challenge the establishment, however, the ABA struggled. Only two of its original teams (Indiana and Kentucky) survived relocation, dissolution and/or name changes during the organization’s existence.

And with most of its teams losing money (and losing bidding wars to the NBA) the ABA had no choice but to agree to a limited merger in 1976.

The Pacers, New York Nets (originally the Americans), Denver Nuggets (originally Rockets) and San Antonio Spurs (originally the Chaparrals) were absorbed by the NBA, and the American Basketball Association was no more.

I hated to see it go, but glad at least a few pieces of it lived on.

To this day the Nets remain my favorite pro team, and I always find myself rooting for the ABA survivors against the rest of the NBA.

The best part, though, is that the ABA’s stars and rules influenced the NBA to such a degree that it elevated the sport. Look at it that way, and it’s like the American Basketball Association never even left.

Still, I miss that red, white and blue basketball …