Category: Alternative Football

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

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.

 

 

With regular season games in England and the possibility – one day – of adding a franchise in London, the National Football League has certainly made a substantial international footprint.

But while its goals and approach are different, the Canadian Football League is stepping out as well.

In fact, its passport is already accumulating quite a few stamps.

On Tuesday, Brazil’s tackle football federation became the 13th such group to partner with the CFL as part of its International Alliance of Gridiron Football (IAGF).

“It is an honor to be part of this exciting partnership,” said Italo Mingoni, president of the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol Americano (CBFA). “Our work together will showcase the talent and skill of Brazilian players on the world stage and further develop the foundations of the game in our country.”

Brazil is the first South American country to become part of the IAGF, joining Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway and Sweden.

“Our international partnerships now include the leading football federations and leagues in South America, Europe and Asia, as well as, Mexico,” CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said. “Together, we are building new pathways for players from around the world to seek opportunities in the CFL, for Canadians to play in other countries, and for the league to share its experiences and expertise on coaching, officiating and player development.”

The “mission statement” of the IAGF is as follows:

* Encourage more young people to try football, and to continue pursuing the game in all its forms – from a simple game of ‘catch’ to touch football, flag football, and tackle football at the amateur and professional levels.

* Build pathways which allow football players to fully follow their passion and fulfill their dreams, regardless of birthplace and unrestricted by borders.

* Share experiences and expertise in areas such as player health and safety, officiating, coaching and player development, and more, to develop best practices in each country.

* Seek new opportunities to serve fans with experiences that are deeper and more varied than ever, while attracting new fans and followers to the sport.

* Pursue revenue opportunities that elevate all members of the Alliance while exploiting none.

As an American who cheers for the CFL on and off the field, I’m for anything that helps the league grow stronger. And the movers and shakers pushing this initiative are doing more than just talking.

It started last season when CFL rosters featured designated “global players” (from outside Canada and the United States). Each of the nine teams could have up to three in 2019, while this summer a club may sign as many as five – two on the active roster and three assigned to the practice squad.

The athletes are chosen from combines held in member countries as well as a global draft, which is set to take place on April 16.

CFL Chief Financial Officer and Head of Football Operations, Greg Dick, oversees the combines.

Ambrosie also sees CFL regular season games being played outside of North America, possibly as early as the 2021 campaign.

This is a win-win for all involved, although ultimately I think the players who’ll benefit most will be the ones from Canadian universities.

With the CFL’s ratio rule that demands a minimum of 21 national players on a 46-player roster, there’s a limit to just how many global athletes will be able to find a football home in the league.

On the other hand, guys who played college ball in Canada but failed to make a CFL roster might be able to go pro abroad. Hopefully the addition of a 10th franchise in Halifax will soon increase domestic opportunities, but there will still be those left out. Many international leagues are quality circuits and getting better each year, and I’m guessing several clubs would gladly make room for experienced Canadian players.

“As we build a CFL that is both proudly Canadian and boldly international, we want to work with our partners, and see them work with one another, as we grow the game everywhere it’s played,” Ambrosie said.  “That cooperation and unity is what this International Alliance of Gridiron Football is all about.”

Guys, I’m starting to think the Freedom Football League won’t be getting off the ground in May.

It doesn’t look like Major League Football will tee it up then, either.

And the Pacific Pro Football League, slated for a July launch, has been deathly quiet for quite a while.

So much for the Summer of (alternative football) Love.

Fans who can’t get enough gridiron action will be able to watch the XFL reboot starting on February 8 and follow it until the championship game on April 26. But the FFL and MLF promised to kick off in May, ensuring that those of you with a tackle football addiction could always get a fix.

I just don’t see it happening – at least not this year.

If my calendar is correct (and I’m pretty sure it is) today is January 18. That means if the FFL and MLF are to start in early May, they need to get cracking in securing stadium and media deals and hiring players, coaches and staff.

To the best of my knowledge, none of those things have happened.

The Freedom Football League, in fact, has worked backward.

Instead of putting together franchises and then giving them nicknames, the FFL branded teams without actually forming them.

Take the Birmingham Kings, for example. As a native of the Magic City I’d certainly root for them. But unless I missed something, this team doesn’t even exist. And I’d assume if they wanted to play at Legion Field in May, the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board would probably have gotten a heads-up by now.

I messaged the league a few weeks back and asked if the May 2020 start was still planned but haven’t heard anything.

Their website hasn’t been updated in months, and the FFL’s last tweet seeking employees was sent on Oct. 8, 2019.

In this case, no news is bad news.

As for MLF, that enterprise continues to get flagged for false starts.

Founded in 2014, it has threatened to play every season but never comes close to reaching the starting gate.

In July, 2019, the league announced on its Facebook page that it would commence play in six cities in 2020 with training camp set for April in Florida.

And last October MLF revealed it had purchased football equipment, video equipment, and medical supplies from the defunct Alliance of American Football.

That was the last transmission from the league. However, if you happen to see some dude running around wearing a San Diego Fleet helmet with a roving end zone camera in one hand and ankle tape in the other, you might be able to get some intel from him.

So, yeah, not really counting on Major League Football to ever be anything more than a minor footnote.

I guess Pac Pro still has a puncher’s chance since it will primarily target prep graduates who don’t want to go to college. With many high schools wrapping up in May or early June, that would be the time when the bulk of players are made available.

Still, this is another league that has developed a habit of pushing back its start date. It was originally supposed to take the field in 2018, then 2019, and here we are still waiting for any news about the four Southern California-based teams set to serve as inaugural franchises.

The Pac Pro website hasn’t had fresh content in almost a year, and that suggests to me it might be finished before it ever begins.

So what happened?

Well, there are many pro football ventures that never got beyond the planning stages.

Remember the “new” United States Football League?

Or the All-American Football League?

Or the United National Gridiron League?

Or the North American Football League?

For all that have come and gone, many never showed up at all.

But who knows? Perhaps we’ll hear exciting news about the Freedom Football League, Major League Football and the Pacific Pro Football League any day now.

Regardless, all you alternative football league fans are just three weeks away from the sport’s latest spring fling – courtesy of the XFL.

But if you’re really jonesing for summer pro football, you don’t need to wait for the FFL, MLF or Pac Pro.

A new Canadian Football League season kicks off on June 11.