The AAF thread?

[transplant99]

So the new league kicks off this weekend. No idea how good the product will be nor if we even get to see much of it up here, though it looks to be readily available online and CBS is showing some of them.

Sportsbooks are even offering action on it.

Arizona Hotshots +250
Salt Lake Stallions +400
San Antonio Commanders +500
Orlando Apollos +500
Atlanta Legends +500
San Diego Fleet +1000
Memphis Express +1000
Birmingham Iron +1000

Also some familiar names are involved.

Arizona Hotshots: Head coach Rick Neuheisel, QB Trevor Knight (Oklahoma)
Atlanta Legends: Head coach Kevin Coyle (previously Brad Childress), offensive coordinator Mike Vick, QB Aaron Murray (Georgia), WR Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech)
Birmingham Iron: Head coach Tim Lewis, QB Blake Sims (Alabama), RB Trent Richardson (Alabama), QB Scott Tolzien (Wisconsin)
Memphis Express: Head coach Mike Singletary, QB Christian Hackenberg (Penn State), QB Zach Mettenberger (LSU)
Orlando Apollos: Head coach Steve Spurrier
Salt Lake Stallions: Head coach Dennis Erickson
San Antonio Commanders: Head coach Mike Riley
San Diego Fleet: Head coach Mike Martz, RB Bishop Sankey (Washington)

Going to be interesting to see if this goes the way of the USFL or they can get a piece of the American football pie.

https://aaf.com/

[Erick Estrada]

I don't think it's going to be very successful but unlike the USFL they aren't paying the players a lot of money so even if nobody goes to the games they may be able to stay afloat for a while as a developmental league for the NFL. Some of the players on these teams couldn't even crack the CFL.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by transplant99

So the new league kicks off this weekend. No idea how good the product will be nor if we even get to see much of it up here, though it looks to be readily available online and CBS is showing some of them.

Sportsbooks are even offering action on it.

Are they offering odds on whether the league folds after 2019? That might be the smarter play...

I think it will be decent football to watch (comparable to NCAA), but it's going to bleed money once they have full rosters, injuries, etc.

And if you think of how few XFL guys parlayed that into an NFL career (Tommy Maddox, Rod Smart), most guys either stopped playing or went back to the CFL. I don't buy it as being a "developmental" league for the NFL.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Are they offering odds on whether the league folds after 2019? That might be the smarter play...

I think it will be decent football to watch (comparable to NCAA), but it's going to bleed money once they have full rosters, injuries, etc.

And if you think of how few XFL guys parlayed that into an NFL career (Tommy Maddox, Rod Smart), most guys either stopped playing or went back to the CFL. I don't buy it as being a "developmental" league for the NFL.

I see this as much closer to the USFL than the XFL. The USFL was doing OK until Donald played his usual Trump card and unintentionally allowed his ego to sabotage the whole thing.

Regardless of that history, this league has some financial backing and, as it turns out, a whole lot more media exposure than anything before it.

Some of the locatons are a bit odd as well but maybe were the ones that had a more sloid business model? I have no idea.

I will tune in to see the quality of the product. Like many players before them a lot of these guys couldnt translate their game to the Canadian model but thrive in the American rules.

I hope it fails ultimately because it is/will be a drain on CFL teams to compete for talent, but also realize there may be room for a "minor" league for the NFL after all these years.

[GirlySports]

Should have been the San Antonio Cobra Commanders.

[GirlySports]

I looked at the new rules.

1. No extra points, all 2 point conversions.
2. No kickoffs, teams start on their own 25. If teams want to do an "onside kick', it's 4th and 12 at their own 28.
3. Only one foot in bounds needed for a catch.
4. 30 second play clock
5. no tv timeouts, games expected to last 2 and a half hours.
6. teams get two challengers but there is also a sky ref who can reverse penalties (like VAR in soccer)
7. High school overtime rules, each team gets the ball at the opponents 10, one set of downs only. If the teams equal points, it ends in a tie.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I looked at the new rules.

1. No extra points, all 2 point conversions.
2. No kickoffs, teams start on their own 25. If teams want to do an "onside kick', it's 4th and 12 at their own 28.
3. Only one foot in bounds needed for a catch.
4. 30 second play clock
5. no tv timeouts, games expected to last 2 and a half hours.
6. teams get two challengers but there is also a sky ref who can reverse penalties (like VAR in soccer)
7. High school overtime rules, each team gets the ball at the opponents 10, one set of downs only. If the teams equal points, it ends in a tie.

2&3 are great things to have IMO.

7 is awful.

[CaptainCrunch]

I would change 7 to 2 half's, that way there are two possessions per team.


I like 2 and 3 a lot, I like the no kickoffs, since kickoffs can be really filled with injuries.

[Erick Estrada]

IMO 4th & 12 is IMO a lot more make-able than an onside kick. Teams can design specific plays for that situation.

[Senator Clay Davis]

NFL is probably going to go to a 4th and 15 to replace the onside kick eventually (fun fact: A Greg Schiano idea) and as I recall Football Outsiders did an extensive study and said 4th and 15 would be converted around 15% of the time. Onside kick success rates were around 20% prior to the rule change last year, so I think 4th and 15 is probably fair. There needs to be a lot worked out with it, and yes offenses will no doubt adapt and improve the number, but even if it gets to 25% that's still close to in line with the percentages for onside recoveries before the rule change. Kickoff is eventually going to be eliminated and it probably should based on the concussion numbers, so letting the AAF experiment with the 4th and 12 is a start.

[TheIronMaiden]

30 second play clock is a great rule. I like that they are trying to make the games fast passed. The NFL could really benefit from shaving time off the Play clock IMO.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I would change 7 to 2 half's, that way there are two possessions per team.


I like 2 and 3 a lot, I like the no kickoffs, since kickoffs can be really filled with injuries.

Not to mention the kick offs are a waste of time. Their only real use is to sneak in a couple extra commercials these days.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

30 second play clock is a great rule. I like that they are trying to make the games fast passed. The NFL could really benefit from shaving time off the Play clock IMO.

The NFL's issue is TV timeouts.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by rubecube

The NFL's issue is TV timeouts.

It really does suck. Nothing worse than flipping from one game on Sunday at commercial time only to find the next game is also at commercial and then the next one as well. I have got into the habit of watching Raiders games on PVR 30 minutes after they start so I can skip a lot of the commercials. It's got a little out of control. I can't imagine it lends to the fan experience at the stadium either.

[Scornfire]

Interesting that they're purposely hampering their own profitability with no TV timeouts

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Scornfire

Interesting that they're purposely hampering their own profitability with no TV timeouts

I think there are ways around it, the most obvious being advertisements on jerseys. Outside of North America, it's very uncommon for sports to be constantly interrupted by commercials.

[GirlySports]

Or advertising on the screen. Or very quick 15 sec split screen commercials between possessions.

[CaptainCrunch]

Or the old school, that sack bought to you by the good people at google, that quarterback got googled.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Scornfire

Interesting that they're purposely hampering their own profitability with no TV timeouts

Another way is to broadcast on demand. Get the audience to pay a premium for a streaming service.

[Erick Estrada]

How much revenue are they really losing out on with the ads? Most of the CBS broadcasts are regional and with most games being predominantly broadcasted on the NFL network which already has it's own advertising revenue stream. I think making the games shorter plays in their favor in roping in casual fans as it's one thing to endure the commercials for the NFL but something different to endure the same long breaks for a tier 2 league. I'm not sure this league is being created to be a money maker and if they could just break even it's mission accomplished as an experimental league for the NFL.