NFL Europe finished?

[Dozerdog]

From an ESPN Lenny P column



Although it isn't likely that World Bowl XI on Saturday will be the last title game for the NFL Europe League, the future of the springtime loop is clearly uncertain, and there are some NFL owners ready to seriously consider pulling the plug. The owners invest about $25 million-$27 million annually in NFLE and, with its audience stagnant both in the stadiums and in the television ratings, there is real debate about how to proceed beyond this season.

Exacerbating the situation is that NFL Europe is not really the feeder system, the developmental league, that owners envisioned it as being. Most of the teams now allocate players who typically comprise the bottom 10 performers on a roster and the league isn't developing even third-string quarterbacks the way it once did.

At the recent league owners meeting in Philadelphia, commissioner Paul Tagliabue acknowledged that NFL Europe is undergoing close scrutiny, and that all sorts of possibilities are now under consideration. A few owners, though, are leaning toward ending the experiment. "We're pouring cement down an endless hole," said one NFC owner. "Some of us have pretty much had it (with NFL Europe)." The fate of the European league could be decided in mid-September when NFL owners are scheduled to consider their options.


http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1567356.html

[Dozerdog]

Know what I would like to see?


1) Move the draft up to the end of February/first week of March

2) Move up the June 1st deadline to April 1 for cutting players in the "New" Salcap year

3) Bring the NFL Europe back to the USA. Have 8 teams, and each NFL team in the league will be REQUIRED to send at least 5-10 players. The rest of the rosters can be filled out by free agents or older players trying to come back.

To make it interesting, each of the 8 NFL minor league clubs should represent an NFL division and play in the region the division represents. For example- Put the AFC East team in Rochester or Syracuse, Put the AFC North Team In Columbus, The NFC West team in Vegas, Portland, or Sacremento, NFC South tream in Birmingham, and so on. This would really generate local interests and help attendance.

4) Use the NFL Minor league to develop minority coaches and execs (Make Johnny Cochran happy)

5) By moving up the salcap and draft by 2 months, you can put players who might be lower round picks and who may not even make the cut or are practice squad material eligible to play in this league from the same year's draft. Obviously, those with a serious shot at the roster won't play ( or get burnt out) but someone like Lauvele Sape, Ben Sobieski, Joe Burns, Rodney Wright or a Domonique Stevenson could really benefit.

Plus, you make each participating NFL club send skill players, like their 3rd or 4th string QB's. Why not a Travis Brown or Sage Rosenfelds of Miami?

5) Manipulate this summer league schedule so that when mini camps take place in May and June these players can be present.

It's very doable. Players get to play and develop, the NFL gets rid of the stigma of being a white only country club, we have something to entertain ourselves with (This isn't going to be an XFL) .....

Schedule? 2 4 team divisions, 2 games vs division foes, 1 vs out of division teams. (10 Game schedule) Start 14 weeks before Training Camps open, play 10 games and a championship game for the division winners. ( a couple of off weeks for mini camps).

Players who are drafted and are allocated can join a few games into a season if they haven't graduated.

[Dozerdog]

How it might look-

Eastern Division

AFC East Team- Upstate New York (Rochester or Syracuse )
NFC East Team - Harrisburg or Hartford
AFC North Team- Columbus, OH
NFC South - Birminham AL, or Orlando



Western Division-

NFC West - Las Vegas or LA (until they get their own team)
AFC West - Albaquerque NM or Portland OR
NFC North- Madison/ Milwaukee or Des Moines
AFC South - San Antonio, Oklahoma City, or Little Rock



The divisional thing would be a nice twist, or you could just keep it regional (All the Florida teams plus New Orleans, for instance)

I'd drive to see a game

[The_Philster]

Not a bad idea, :dozer: :up:

[Dozerdog]

Think of all the other issues this thing can help solve-


Full time Refs. Everybody *****es about the poor officiating. The officials now work only the weekends during the season, and have pretty sweet full time jobs (Some are CEO's executives, ect..) The knock is that there isn't enough employment year round .... well... this will help keep them busy, in shape, and give them more experience.

Technology- Replay equipment, Safer helmets and pads, new surfaces all can be tried out before implementing it in the NFL. Try out new rules as well.

Expansion- it brings the NFL to cities that don't have it. (or at one time used to have it)

College alternative- Every one has heard of the well documented cases of potential football stars who don't belong in or don't deserve scholarships to major schools. End the charade of stupid players taking basket weaving, or dropping out in their sophmore seasons. Here they can play and not take up valuable classroom space.

[Ebenezer]

Wow :dozer: should be commish.

[The_Philster]

I love the divisional idea. Basically turning the league into a real developmental league. Players would have teammates with them (Bills players all on one team) and also get to know their divisional opponents better as well by practicing with and against them every day.

[The Natrix]

That would be great. You make an excellent point about older players trying to come back. I think they would be much more likely to keep playing for pride if it was in the USA. France and Germany don't deserve the business.

[The Natrix]

How about the Central New York Kings?

[BillsFever]

I haven't seen an NFLE game in a couple years,lol

[The Natrix]

Originally posted by BillsFever
I haven't seen an NFLE game in a couple years,lol

I have never been to one.

[BillsFever]

Originally posted by The Natrix


I have never been to one.

I'm talking on TV, not going to the game :lol:

[The Natrix]

Originally posted by BillsFever


I'm talking on TV, not going to the game :lol:



:phew:

[Dozerdog]

Welcome tot he boards, BillsFever!

[G. Host]

I understand what you are trying to do and I like the divisional thing but:

If it is too early you will run into snow and other bad weather in the North and if you do it too late players are too beat up for training camp.

College teams will scream bloody murder about the players who are graduating early

A lot of kids who would stay in school otherwise may drop out on chance of making some money in minor league.

A number of countries (Germany) have supported NFL Europe and troops over there watch the games.

A number of teams have fingers in AFL pot - they may be competing with themselves.

There is not enough work for full time refs either.

I doubt fan support for teams would be any better than Europe - part of reason for lack of support is turnover every year - hard to identify with team.

Hard to assemble teams with pieces allocated by other teams - at least with NFL Europe you can pick which players you get.

Some things they may want to consider IF they tried this:

Give teams incentives for players signed by other teams - no sense developing a player which is snagged by another team if you are not compensated for them. Make it a pool that all participate to give incentives.

Cut number of preseason games - it allows more time to adjust and there are too many as is.

[Dozerdog]

I'm all for cutting the pre-season.


Not that worried about snow- you can play the northern teams on the road or in a dome (like the carrier dome)

As it stands now, drafted kids wait OVER a year to get to NFL Europe.

NFLE has played in front of a lot of empty seats. And if US soldiers are going to be a huge part of the fan base, then they should move a bunch of the NFLE franchises to Eastern Europe. Over the next 10 years a large portion of the US forward deployed forces are heading out of Western Europe eventually going to places like Rumania and possibly Poland. (closer to the action, but that's for another thread and time)