NFL to get competition (UFL to start in '08)

[LTR]

- New NFL rival started by Wall Street investor Bill Hambrecht and Google exec Tim Armstrong.

- Mark Cuban is on board as first team owner.

- Teams in L.A., Las Vegas and Mexico City so far. They are aiming for eight, particularly in cities with no NFL team.

- Aiming for debut in August 2008.

- Playing on Friday nights.

- Aiming for TV deal with cable networks like USA, TNT or Versus (OLN).

- No players with "He Hate Me" on the back of their jersey. Yet.

- They claim that this time, things will be different.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/playmagazine/0603play-business.html

[Awsi Dooger]

1. I don't like their chances

The USFL got plenty of big name players. NFL salaries were much lower at that point and they might have made it as a fall league. Remember, that was long before the NFL had its games on ESPN. If the USFL could have played in the fall with some games on network and the rest on ESPN, I always thought they had a shot. There were 28 NFL teams at that point, not the 32 of today.

As per this league, I can tell you Las Vegas will flop. The stadium is terrible and in a lousy location. The city basically doesn't care, as demonstrated by the CFL and WFL teams that bombed here.

Friday nights is a questionable choice. That's high school football night around the country. Also I think it's the lowest TV audience of the week.

[jmowreader]

2. Why WOULDN'T they want He Hate Me?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Smart

"He Hate Me" was one of the few XFL players who could play professional football. The Panthers used him as a kickoff returner; he made a 100-yard touchdown carry against the Saints.

[LynneSin]

3. Still waiting for the XFL to dominate the sports world

:eyes:

[Initech]

5. Yeah, beat me to it... this has "XFL" written all over it!

XFL... crashed and burned two weeks into the season. This sounds like a bad idea.

[northzax]

4. $2 million?

they have pledged $2million? that's it? if they can find 8 people willing to spend a half a billion each, they might pull this off.