Smiley Dear Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 I think an NFL sponsored spring developmental league would be very successful. People love college football and it's a huge moneymaker, so the "inferior product" argument doesn't hold water. The NFLDL would essentially be staffed by practice squad players, UFAs, and kids who decide that they would rather make $50k-150k a year in the NFL minors than play for free in college. It may turn out to be a better way to groom kids for the NFL, especially for QBs. From a marketing standpoint, each NFL team could have a minor league team with the same uniforms and name and superfans could follow their team's stars of the future yearround. Some games could be played in other cities to expand the parent franchise's fan base. I really see no downside for the NFL. The SEC might be pissed though. What do you guys think? I mentioned this in another thread but I think it could be an intresting topic on it's own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 NCAA is the NFL's minor league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 I think an NFL sponsored spring developmental league would be very successful. People love college football and it's a huge moneymaker, so the "inferior product" argument doesn't hold water. The NFLDL would essentially be staffed by practice squad players, UFAs, and kids who decide that they would rather make $50k-150k a year in the NFL minors than play for free in college. It may turn out to be a better way to groom kids for the NFL, especially for QBs. From a marketing standpoint, each NFL team could have a minor league team with the same uniforms and name and superfans could follow their team's stars of the future yearround. Some games could be played in other cities to expand the parent franchise's fan base. I really see no downside for the NFL. The SEC might be pissed though. What do you guys think? I mentioned this in another thread but I think it could be an intresting topic on it's own. Whaddya think the Bills, Browns, Lions, and Raiders are??? Just Kidding of course!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Whaddya think the Bills, Browns, Lions, and Raiders are??? Just Kidding of course!! We laugh now, but when the Joneses, Krafts, and Snyders of the league get their way, the rest of the NFL will serve as a seasoning ground for the rich teams. Until then, like the poster said above, the NFL will just have to continue using the NCAA as their farm system. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 We laugh now, but when the Joneses, Krafts, and Snyders of the league get their way, the rest of the NFL will serve as a seasoning ground for the rich teams. Yup...if those guys win, in ten years the Bills will be the KC Royals of football. A permanent farm system for the big boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 We laugh now, but when the Joneses, Krafts, and Snyders of the league get their way, the rest of the NFL will serve as a seasoning ground for the rich teams. Until then, like the poster said above, the NFL will just have to continue using the NCAA as their farm system. GO BILLS!!! If the NFL doesn't resolve the revenue sharing issues amongst the owners, then it will be a two tired league with Large market, "high revenue" teams (Dallas, NY, et al) and small market teams (like Buffalo and Cincinnati). W/O revenue sharing and a cap system, say goodbye to the NFL as we've know it since the 90s. We'll see starting in 2011 or whenever the next season beyond '10 is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaBill Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 College is a good farm system, promote education as a means to the pros, remember the NFL is the only pro sports league to require some college Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malazan Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 College is a good farm system, promote education as a means to the pros, remember the NFL is the only pro sports league to require some college Somehow, it seems college football doesn't "promote" education as many of the players are exempt from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 They already have a no-cost minor league - the taxpayers who far outnumber fans, that have $ pulled out of their hides under threat of jail time to pay for stadiums for owners and glomming, subsidized fans who la-di-da in the parking lot and think that a ticket gives them rights to abuse anybody for 4 hours. How's zat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 NCAA is the NFL's minor league. True...except not all players coming out of college are physically ready for the NFL. Take NFL Europe and play in the USA. Put the games on NFL Network and ESPN. Charge $25-$35 for tickets. Play a 10-12 game season in the spring/summer....oh, and play the games in NFL cities, not in Hartford or Las Vegas. As long as it carries the NFL brand I can't see how it could fail. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 College is a good farm system, promote education as a means to the pros, remember the NFL is the only pro sports league to require some college NBA requires one year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Yup...if those guys win, in ten years the Bills will be the KC Royals of football. A permanent farm system for the big boys. If the NFL doesn't resolve the revenue sharing issues amongst the owners, then it will be a two tired league with Large market, "high revenue" teams (Dallas, NY, et al) and small market teams (like Buffalo and Cincinnati). W/O revenue sharing and a cap system, say goodbye to the NFL as we've know it since the 90s. We'll see starting in 2011 or whenever the next season beyond '10 is. Sad, but true. Although I'm sure the usual suspects, if they care to, will just continue to defend the highly leveraged big boys, call RW a cheapskate just looking for a handout, and saying this scenario will NEVER happen because of the TV revenues alone. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoretalk Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 NCAA is the NFL's minor league. You are sooo right!!! Those "student athletes" majoring in creative basket weaving are in school for just one purpose and that is to try to show they are NFL worthy. I'd love to see the NCAA track what happens to the majority of Division 1 athletes who cruised along on a free ride while the rest of our kids have to pay the big bucks to get a degree that means something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yungmack Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 No professional sport league in the US requires one minute of college. Both the NBA and the NFL base their qualification on the number of years that have passed since the candidates high school class graduated. Technically, not even high school is required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaBill Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 No professional sport league in the US requires one minute of college. Both the NBA and the NFL base their qualification on the number of years that have passed since the candidates high school class graduated. Technically, not even high school is required. find me 1 current NFL player that didnt go to college Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaBill Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Somehow, it seems college football doesn't "promote" education as many of the players are exempt from it. a few cases makes the whole system, i highly doubt it, the majority of athletes are held to the academic standards of the university just like other students. Nobody can force them to major in pre med or prelaw, but they are still required to pass, anyone heard of academic probation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FutureBillsGM Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 find me 1 current NFL player that didnt go to college Eric Swann, former DT from the Cardinals, is the biggest name as I believe he was drafted from a semi-pro team. The only current example I could find is Antonio Gates. He did go to college but did not play football at the NCAA level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albany,n.y. Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 I think an NFL sponsored spring developmental league would be very successful. People love college football and it's a huge moneymaker, so the "inferior product" argument doesn't hold water. The NFLDL would essentially be staffed by practice squad players, UFAs, and kids who decide that they would rather make $50k-150k a year in the NFL minors than play for free in college. It may turn out to be a better way to groom kids for the NFL, especially for QBs. From a marketing standpoint, each NFL team could have a minor league team with the same uniforms and name and superfans could follow their team's stars of the future yearround. Some games could be played in other cities to expand the parent franchise's fan base. I really see no downside for the NFL. The SEC might be pissed though. What do you guys think? I mentioned this in another thread but I think it could be an intresting topic on it's own. Where have you been? They tried one years ago & lost too much money. 1st they called it the World League of American Football (WLAF) and had teams in the USA, Canada & Europe. Eventually it became NFL Europa (NFLE). It is now dead. It was exactly as you describe & they failed. Each team had to allocate a number of players to European teams. It was a great way to groom QBs, with 2 Super Bowl winning QBs (Kurt Warner & Brad Johnson) among the QBs. A former player was Gibran Hamdan, he was MVP in 2006. The league also produced several successful punters & kickers. The Bills Chris Mohr played for the WLAF's Montreal team before he was with the Bills. Adam Vinatieri played in NFLE before he was with the Patriots. Current Bills RB Fred Jackson played there in 2006. The UFL is on their own with no NFL affiliation, trying to fill the void left by NFLE. They have a sweetheart TV contract that guarantees their existance the 1st 2 seasons. They'll probably fold after the TV deal expires, unless an NFL lockout gives them enough of a market to keep going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FutureBillsGM Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Eric Swann, former DT from the Cardinals, is the biggest name as I believe he was drafted from a semi-pro team. The only current example I could find is Antonio Gates. He did go to college but did not play football at the NCAA level. Syracuse's own Ray Seals never attended college and Darren Bennett the Chargers former punter came from an Australian rules league. But yeah, the list is nowhere near NBA standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaBill Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Syracuse's own Ray Seals never attended college and Darren Bennett the Chargers former punter came from an Australian rules league. But yeah, the list is nowhere near NBA standards. are any of those guys CURRENT players? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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