2022 USFL Championship, Stars vs Stallions, Fox 7:30p ET

[dollars 2 donuts]

I don't know if it has been brought up and I didn't watch the game, but going on memory the Stars have tied the Bills for making it to 4 straight football championship games.

 

1983, 1984, 1985, 2022

Edited July 5, 2022 by dollars 2 donuts

[PromoTheRobot]

11 hours ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

I enjoyed the football of the USFL, especially when I  accepted that the QB play was going to be questionable at best. The QBs and reciever did get more cohesive during season but I definitely think that that outside the QB that the talent was pretty strong. I watched about 15 games total through the season and I must state the officiating was substantially better than NFL officiating, they seemed to only make calls they saw, not what they think they saw.

 

The officiating was pretty good. Good enough that the NFL hired 8 officials. Two things I really liked: 1) using a chip in the ball to determine placement. No more chain gang. 2) Review of all personal foul calls. They took back a few QB roughing calls in games. 

[WotAGuy]

6 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

They won't buy a ticket to see their team play, but they will lay out for a Jersey?

Of course. You think every jamoke wearing a Bills jersey goes to a game? 🤨

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, WotAGuy said:

Of course. You think every jamoke wearing a Bills jersey goes to a game? 🤨

 

Stallions games averaged about 12K.

[Nextmanup]

22 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

The majority of AAA baseball players are journeyman who have MLB experience or are on the cusp of the show 

 

 

Well, you have guys on the way up who will never get there, largely because they can't hit a curve ball, then you have guys who were big leaguers but are now on their way down at the end of their careers....and you have the guys who are on their way up and will arrive some day as good MLB players.

 

It's an interesting combination.  Not sure what the % breakdowns are.

 

I'm more familiar with American league hockey, where most guys on the team are simply not NHL caliber and never will be.  They might have a handful of NHL games played at the end of an 8 or 10 year minor league career.

 

 

[bourbonboy]

8 hours ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

I don't know if it has been brought up and I didn't watch the game, but going on memory the Stars have tied the Bills for making it to 4 straight football championship games.

 

1983, 1984, 1985, 2022

I couldn't remember if Philly won any back in the 80's, but yeah, moving from Philly to Buffalo, I watched both, and teams were very similar - great coaching (Marv for Bills, obviously, and Jim Mora for Philly in the 80's, if I remember correctly), but never able to get over the hump......

[PromoTheRobot]

19 minutes ago, bourbonboy said:

I couldn't remember if Philly won any back in the 80's, but yeah, moving from Philly to Buffalo, I watched both, and teams were very similar - great coaching (Marv for Bills, obviously, and Jim Mora for Philly in the 80's, if I remember correctly), but never able to get over the hump......

 

The Stars won it in '84 and '85. Marv was the head coach of the Chicago Blitz.

Edited July 5, 2022 by PromoTheRobot

[PromoTheRobot]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/three-things-nfl-should-adopt-from-usfl-including-running-clock-after-incomplete-passes-depending-on-quarter/

[Mr. WEO]

5 hours ago, WotAGuy said:

Of course. You think every jamoke wearing a Bills jersey goes to a game? 🤨

 

4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Stallions games averaged about 12K.

 

 

The stands are nearly empty.  

 

[Mr. WEO]

 Re the Championship game:

 

"USFL's 1.52 million ranked 46th out of 63 primetime programs last week and sixth out of 11 on Fox. The network's MLB coverage saw 1.89 million viewers, for comparison.

There aren't great comparisons for the USFL with the revived XFL in 2020 and AAF in 2019, as neither league made it to its championship game. Thirteen of 20 XFL games did reportedly average more viewers than the USFL championship, though, including 10 of 12 games on broadcast television."

 

yikes

[Orlando Tim]

8 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 Re the Championship game:

 

"USFL's 1.52 million ranked 46th out of 63 primetime programs last week and sixth out of 11 on Fox. The network's MLB coverage saw 1.89 million viewers, for comparison.

There aren't great comparisons for the USFL with the revived XFL in 2020 and AAF in 2019, as neither league made it to its championship game. Thirteen of 20 XFL games did reportedly average more viewers than the USFL championship, though, including 10 of 12 games on broadcast television."

 

yikes

As I stated I enjoyed it once I set my expectations of QB play lower. People who don't love football want high flying offenses and obviously QBs are needed for that. If there is not a way to get better QBs into their system they will not flourish. 

[PromoTheRobot]

6 hours ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

As I stated I enjoyed it once I set my expectations of QB play lower. People who don't love football want high flying offenses and obviously QBs are needed for that. If there is not a way to get better QBs into their system they will not flourish. 

 

Unless WEO works for Fox/NBC Sports programming, he's not the decider if the USFL comes back. Every indication from those networks says they are very pleased with how the ratings were. In fact I read 63% of ad spots have been already sold for USFL 2023.

[Orlando Tim]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Unless WEO works for Fox/NBC Sports programming, he's not the decider if the USFL comes back. Every indication from those networks says they are very pleased with how the ratings were. In fact I read 63% of ad spots have been already sold for USFL 2023.

I chose the word flourish purposely, survival can be had a lower level but I want either the XFL or the USFL to do well enough that we have quality football for years to come.

[PromoTheRobot]

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2022/07/usfl-championship-ratings-most-watched-since-opening-weekend/

[LeGOATski]

17 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Unless WEO works for Fox/NBC Sports programming, he's not the decider if the USFL comes back. Every indication from those networks says they are very pleased with how the ratings were. In fact I read 63% of ad spots have been already sold for USFL 2023.

Yeah, it doesn't need to be a prime time superstar program to survive. It just needs a niche to fill and it seems like they're finding it.

[Buffalo Super Fan]

I want a Buffalo USFL franchise for the new Bills stadium or else where in Buffalo if PSE refuses to let a USFL team in. Maybe in a future music venue outdoor stadium downtown at Canalside at some point? I rather have that then Dinosaur exhibits and washed up rock singers that are dinosaurs themselves at the new Bills stadium. Buffalo has only the Buffalo Bisons IL Baseball in the Spring Summer season. The Buffalo Bills with PSL’s are television for a lot of Buffalo fans who are or will be priced out of professional football in Buffalo with PSL’s. Buffalo isn’t getting NBA, MLB or MLS throw the Buffalo fans a bone.
 

Pittsburgh has a USFL team with the major league Pittsburgh Pirates. Buffalo certainly can have one the USFL isn’t cost prohibitive for Buffalo and if Buffalo Bills fan is worried about affecting the Bills attendance different demo graphics of fan the NFL isn’t a working class fan base league anymore. It is upper middle to upper class fans now. Working class fans are priced out already they have been for a while and will continue to be that is why the Bills stadium is getting smaller. It isn’t like that no thrills new Bills stadium is really useful for more than football in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[Mr. WEO]

On 7/7/2022 at 2:26 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Unless WEO works for Fox/NBC Sports programming, he's not the decider if the USFL comes back. Every indication from those networks says they are very pleased with how the ratings were. In fact I read 63% of ad spots have been already sold for USFL 2023.

 

It seems like only yesterday that we heard that, since Vince McMahon put up 250 million of his own money, the XFL was going to be around for a while.  Instead, he chose the pandemic stoppage after a handful of weeks to cut his losses and bail out on an impending fiancial disaster---and his game had ratings at least as good as USFLs, which reached rock bottom before the "playoffs".

 

With so few viewers, it's hard to imagine how little they are commanding per ad spot.  Combine that with essentially zero gate money and merchandise sale cash and Fox will hang in there until their cut and run loss amount is reached.   At least costs are low: they pay these players nothing and that Div 1A college stadium is probably fairly cheap to rent.  If Fox has to send production crews and pay the costs to rent/staff 4 nearly empty stadiums every week, they will hemorrhage cash on this.

 

13 hours ago, Buffalo Super Fan said:

I want a Buffalo USFL franchise for the new Bills stadium or else where in Buffalo if PSE refuses to let a USFL team in. Maybe in a future music venue outdoor stadium downtown at Canalside at some point? I rather have that then Dinosaur exhibits and washed up rock singers that are dinosaurs themselves at the new Bills stadium. Buffalo has only the Buffalo Bisons IL Baseball in the Spring Summer season. The Buffalo Bills with PSL’s are television for a lot of Buffalo fans who are or will be priced out of professional football in Buffalo with PSL’s. Buffalo isn’t getting NBA, MLB or MLS throw the Buffalo fans a bone.
 

Pittsburgh has a USFL team with the major league Pittsburgh Pirates. Buffalo certainly can have one the USFL isn’t cost prohibitive for Buffalo and if Buffalo Bills fan is worried about affecting the Bills attendance different demo graphics of fan the NFL isn’t a working class fan base league anymore. It is upper middle to upper class fans now. Working class fans are priced out already they have been for a while and will continue to be that is why the Bills stadium is getting smaller. It isn’t like that no thrills new Bills stadium is really useful for more than football in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

 

 

wut....

[LeGOATski]

2 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

It seems like only yesterday that we heard that, since Vince McMahon put up 250 million of his own money, the XFL was going to be around for a while.  Instead, he chose the pandemic stoppage after a handful of weeks to cut his losses and bail out on an impending fiancial disaster---and his game had ratings at least as good as USFLs, which reached rock bottom before the "playoffs".

 

With so few viewers, it's hard to imagine how little they are commanding per ad spot.  Combine that with essentially zero gate money and merchandise sale cash and Fox will hang in there until their cut and run loss amount is reached.   At least costs are low: they pay these players nothing and that Div 1A college stadium is probably fairly cheap to rent.  If Fox has to send production crews and pay the costs to rent/staff 4 nearly empty stadiums every week, they will hemorrhage cash on this.

 

 

 

wut....

Last I checked the XFL is still here. The pandemic isn't. 🤔

[Mr. WEO]

12 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Last I checked the XFL is still here. The pandemic isn't. 🤔

 

You must have missed, while checking,  the part where McMahon cashed out of the XFL after 5 games.  He could have just restarted after the pandemic (like every other pro league did). Instead, the league went bankrupt.  Another fool with his money has bought the league.

 

 

[LeGOATski]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

You must have missed, while checking,  the part where McMahon cashed out of the XFL after 5 games.  He could have just restarted after the pandemic (like every other pro league did). Instead, the league went bankrupt.  Another fool with his money has bought the league.

 

 

Nope, you said that already. And your point is still moot.

 

Hello XFL. Goodbye pandemic. 👋 

[Big Turk]

The USFL set offensive football back 30 years. OMG those games were brutal to watch offensively. Games were like 13-10, 17-13, etc...

 

The QB play was really bad most times also...literally reminded me of watching "bad Tyrod" where he would struggle to complete a pass or get first downs most of the game.

 

They are going to have to do something about that and if they can't due to lack of talent, make rule changes that encourage more offense.

[PromoTheRobot]

3 hours ago, Big Turk said:

The USFL set offensive football back 30 years. OMG those games were brutal to watch offensively. Games were like 13-10, 17-13, etc...

 

The QB play was really bad most times also...literally reminded me of watching "bad Tyrod" where he would struggle to complete a pass or get first downs most of the game.

 

They are going to have to do something about that and if they can't due to lack of talent, make rule changes that encourage more offense.

 

You're exaggerating a bit on the scoring. There were plenty of high-point games too. But you have to maintain some perspective here. How great can you be when you are drafting an entire team 6 weeks before the season starts? So yes, USFL offenses were a lot more basic. But what you're looking at is execution, and that was pretty good. Stop comparing spring football to the NFL.

[Mr. WEO]

4 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Nope, you said that already. And your point is still moot.

 

Hello XFL. Goodbye pandemic. 👋 

 

This is the 3rd time we've said "hello" to the XFL..

 

 

Why didn't McMahon just wait it out, come back the next season after we said "goodbye pandemic"?

[LeGOATski]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

This is the 3rd time we've said "hello" to the XFL..

 

 

Why didn't McMahon just wait it out, come back the next season after we said "goodbye pandemic"?

Because he sucks. Have you seen the news on him lately? The league is in better hands now.

[PromoTheRobot]

16 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

Because he sucks. Have you seen the news on him lately? The league is in better hands now.

 

The fact that TV networks like ESPN/ABC (for XFL) and Fox/NBC (for USFL) want football in the spring, and investing in it, tells you all you need to know. They know there's a market for spring ball. It doesn't have to outperform the NFL. Then there's sports betting dollars, something that earlier spring leagues didn't have.

Edited July 11, 2022 by PromoTheRobot

[hjnick]

If the USFL teams can keep continuity with their coaching staffs and the QB, the offenses should be better next year.

 

Also, the USFL was smart and saved costs so they would survive.

 

Hopefully they succeed.

[PromoTheRobot]

5 hours ago, hjnick said:

If the USFL teams can keep continuity with their coaching staffs and the QB, the offenses should be better next year.

 

Also, the USFL was smart and saved costs so they would survive.

 

Hopefully they succeed.

 

https://usflnewsroom.com/column/the-key-to-the-usfls-success-a-strong-infrastructure-with-fox/

[Mr. WEO]

On 7/11/2022 at 2:40 PM, LeGOATski said:

Because he sucks. Have you seen the news on him lately? The league is in better hands now.

 

He saw the huge financial losses the league had for him.  It had no chance to make money.    The funniest part of all this is that there will be 2 semipro leagues competing for the tiny number of viewers who watch these games, splitting an already paltry pie.

 

Football viewers in this country have proven that they won't support these league over and over....now there will be two of them at once.  Solid business plan!

 

On 7/11/2022 at 2:47 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

 

The fact that TV networks like ESPN/ABC (for XFL) and Fox/NBC (for USFL) want football in the spring, and investing in it, tells you all you need to know. They know there's a market for spring ball. It doesn't have to outperform the NFL. Then there's sports betting dollars, something that earlier spring leagues didn't have.

 

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

https://usflnewsroom.com/column/the-key-to-the-usfls-success-a-strong-infrastructure-with-fox/

 

From "the USFL Newsroom"!!  

 

This is where they hide the bad news: "as each game averaged around 715k viewers across each respective network."  Clearly, they are ignoring the fact that the ratings steadily and significantly declined for all games as the season headed to its end (I posted upstream).   The 4 games of week 10 pulled in 239k, 649k, 282k, and 181k viewers.  The final game of the season had under 200k.  The USFL is proudly comparing itself against other products like MLS in ratings.  But MLS makes a huge chunk of its money at the gate.  USFL has empty stadiums (even for the home team).   And now they will have to share the football nation's very small appetite for "Spring football" with another low level league (both competing for the same retreads and rejects to fill their rosters).

 

Sure, Fox can put a little money into this product on speculation (they list it as an "investment").  When the costs of leaving "the Magic City" to actually play in cities kick in, they will pick a point and cash out.

 

And then there's this inevitable bit of news:

 

"From ESPN:

The XFL continued its efforts to counterprogram the USFL’s return to the field by convening a virtual meeting of agents Monday night to pitch them on the league’s plans for 2023 and beyond … The XFL’s top football executives — Marc Ross, Doug Whaley and Russ Giglio — told agents that the XFL would offer higher salaries and better benefits than the USFL.

Ross, Whaley and Giglio also suggested that the XFL’s season schedule, which will begin in February and end in May, would be more “advantageous” for players who want to get subsequent consideration from NFL teams. the XFL will have 200 more players employed (eight teams with 70-man rosters; the USFL has 45-man rosters) and promises larger salaries and full housing and meal costs in-season. "

 

Plus the XFL has an official collaboration with the NFL and  a 5 year  deal with Disney ESPN/ABC.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Mr. WEO

[LeGOATski]

44 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

He saw the huge financial losses the league had for him.  It had no chance to make money.    The funniest part of all this is that there will be 2 semipro leagues competing for the tiny number of viewers who watch these games, splitting an already paltry pie.

 

Football viewers in this country have proven that they won't support these league over and over....now there will be two of them at once.  Solid business plan!

 

Dude, you've already said this, except this time you left out the part about the pandemic. You're repeating yourself and making your argument weaker at the same time.

 

In the same post you cite the 5 yr deal the XFL has with ESPN/ Disney (the largest, richest media company in the world). Seems like they're doing fine and get better with each iteration.

 

Your point is lost.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, LeGOATski said:

Dude, you've already said this, except this time you left out the part about the pandemic. You're repeating yourself and making your argument weaker at the same time.

 

In the same post you cite the 5 yr deal the XFL has with ESPN/ Disney (the largest, richest media company in the world). Seems like they're doing fine and get better with each iteration.

 

Your point is lost.

 

 

Clearly lost on you.  McMahon could have waited out the pandemic like every sports league in the spring he was competing with.  He cashed out.  Simple as that.

 

The point about the XFL is that it's got a TV contract--this will make it viable competition for the USFL.  They can't split a few hundred thousand viewers a game and survive for long.  The Rock doesn't have the cash McMahon did for financing the XFL. 

 

Every new spring league was "***** fine"...until it went belly up.  So your argument that the XFL, despite not having put a game on yet,  is "doing fine" is an excellent point...lol.

[LeGOATski]

19 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

Clearly lost on you.  McMahon could have waited out the pandemic like every sports league in the spring he was competing with.  He cashed out.  Simple as that.

 

The point about the XFL is that it's got a TV contract--this will make it viable competition for the USFL.  They can't split a few hundred thousand viewers a game and survive for long.  The Rock doesn't have the cash McMahon did for financing the XFL. 

 

Every new spring league was "***** fine"...until it went belly up.  So your argument that the XFL, despite not having put a game on yet,  is "doing fine" is an excellent point...lol.

No he couldn't. Because he was also trying to keep the WWE going amid that pandemic, while paying millions in shady hush money apparently...lol. The guy was not going to keep his league afloat by himself or be a good spokesman for it, no matter what he wanted. And he's not dumb. He didn't sell because of the black-and-white reason you want to think he did.

 

The fact that you're trying to stand on an argument around Dwayne Johnson's net worth tells me you're "belly up" in this discussion.