Tweet
Another AFL,AAFC,USFL...whatever they wish to call it. Not the end of the world. I'm ready for it.
This is about simple economics, relative to market size and pricing..Only now the economics are crazy. I see Freeney getting a 30 Mil signing bonus and setting another insane benchmark for future NFL contracts. Throw in other factors such as a salary cap that rises far too fast, making roster stability next to impossible. Then add bigger market clubs who are able to charge premium dollar for tickets and the bottom 7-8 clubs will soon hit the wall.
Will these clubs move ? No. The NFL will just contract/reduce the number of teams. Those wealthy teams will eventually reach their pricing ceiling but the smaller teams will be long gone, since they cannot simply double ticket prices across the board and draw good crowds. Profit sharing would never be enough.
So Buffalo, Cinci, Jacksonville and several other cities will have these large,modern empty stadiums and still hold a good many football fans in their area. Too tempting for smart $$ not to take advantage. Now this WOULD work in former NFL markets and other high growth areas that can't afford the insane NFL franchise fee.
Realistic salaries with a hard cap. Reasonable ticket pricing. Rosters that stay relatively stable, so fans can identify with many of the players.
When I was a kid in the 1960's and attending the Bills games at the Rockpile, I never viewed the AFL Bills as a minor league team in the shadow of the NFL. Neither did anyone else in Buffalo. A far different economic era these days but opportunity knocks.
8-10 teams is all that is needed to form a new league and big $$ has been thrown around at much worse ideas in sports. There is always one major network looking for a spike in it's ratings. Football is the ticket.
Come on. We all know the economic challenges of WNY and the way the NFL is doing business these days. Many other NFL markets face the same challenges. The NFL is pushing out the little guys in the long run but they do not have a monopoly on the game itself. Many like Jerry Jones, Snyder etc. foolishly believe displaced fans will flock to their teams.
How dumb could they possibly be ? Buffalo fans will be too busy supporting a new league that will give them a chance to enjoy football again without raping their wallets. You have seen the parking lots on Sunday mornings, packed with fans enjoying each others company. Thinks it's all about the game itself ? Hardly. A new league is coming.
Discuss
This is about simple economics, relative to market size and pricing..Only now the economics are crazy. I see Freeney getting a 30 Mil signing bonus and setting another insane benchmark for future NFL contracts. Throw in other factors such as a salary cap that rises far too fast, making roster stability next to impossible. Then add bigger market clubs who are able to charge premium dollar for tickets and the bottom 7-8 clubs will soon hit the wall.
Will these clubs move ? No. The NFL will just contract/reduce the number of teams. Those wealthy teams will eventually reach their pricing ceiling but the smaller teams will be long gone, since they cannot simply double ticket prices across the board and draw good crowds. Profit sharing would never be enough.
So Buffalo, Cinci, Jacksonville and several other cities will have these large,modern empty stadiums and still hold a good many football fans in their area. Too tempting for smart $$ not to take advantage. Now this WOULD work in former NFL markets and other high growth areas that can't afford the insane NFL franchise fee.
Realistic salaries with a hard cap. Reasonable ticket pricing. Rosters that stay relatively stable, so fans can identify with many of the players.
When I was a kid in the 1960's and attending the Bills games at the Rockpile, I never viewed the AFL Bills as a minor league team in the shadow of the NFL. Neither did anyone else in Buffalo. A far different economic era these days but opportunity knocks.
8-10 teams is all that is needed to form a new league and big $$ has been thrown around at much worse ideas in sports. There is always one major network looking for a spike in it's ratings. Football is the ticket.
Come on. We all know the economic challenges of WNY and the way the NFL is doing business these days. Many other NFL markets face the same challenges. The NFL is pushing out the little guys in the long run but they do not have a monopoly on the game itself. Many like Jerry Jones, Snyder etc. foolishly believe displaced fans will flock to their teams.
How dumb could they possibly be ? Buffalo fans will be too busy supporting a new league that will give them a chance to enjoy football again without raping their wallets. You have seen the parking lots on Sunday mornings, packed with fans enjoying each others company. Thinks it's all about the game itself ? Hardly. A new league is coming.
Discuss
Comment