OT: Bianchi's man crush on Tebow and the XFL..........hmmm

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

If we can't make Arena Football work here, how can the XFL thing compete with the 100 year old NFL (not sure of the real age just making a point).

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/open-mike/os-sp-xfl-tebow-orlando-mcmahon-20180125-story.html

You need large crowds and other sales to support a pro football team.

I don't see it happening.

Arena Football was indoors, we had an established team.....etc.

Thoughts?

ps: Bianchi should just propose to Tebow LOL

 

[Poolside Knight]

I don't get the local(and UCF) media's fascination with the XFL. It doesn't help Orlando in any way, it just cheapens it bc trashy & 2nd rate is the first thing think of when I hear XFL. I also think it's good for UCF to be the only form of Football entertainment within 60+ miles. Some of those bandwagon fans that are buying UCF Season tickets this week would be buying Spring XFL tickets instead.

If Orlando wants another Pro franchise they should try to swoop in and steal the Rays. That would be way more beneficial for the market than the XFL. I think Orlando is fine being a 2 Pro(MLS and NBA) market, too many cities over-saturate their market with franchises they can not support(see Tampa Bay).

 

[thespiritof1976]

The Predators shut down not b/c they didn't have support - they had great support, right up to the end. Siegel shut the team down due to the decreasing number of teams in the league. He demanding a minimum of an 8 team league and when it got below 6 teams he closed shop.

There are 4 teams in the league now after the Storm shut their doors too - much for the same reasons.

EDIT: We probably have NOT heard or seen the last of the Orlando Predators. They stand a good chance to return by 2020, whether in the AFL - or in another indoor league. A deal was almost struck for them to come back in a rival indoor league in 2018 but the City wanted too money up front to spring the Predators carpet and end zone nets (which are still mothballed in storage at the Amway) and the AFL/Siegel wanted too much money to spring the Predators logo and trademark, etc...

 

[UCFBS]

I've long said you have to take American football internationally.
And that means you cannot do it with 60-80 player rosters.
You downsize it, tailor it for international play, shorter games, less players.

Get down to 30-32 player rosters with 8 players on the field.
20 minute halves, cut the breaks by increasing clock tickets, etc...

And use metric, so it's instantly compatible with soccer fields, 80m field.
Deeper, 15m endzone for safety, an inner sideline with an outer, like a tennis court.
E.g., passes have to be within the inside line, run or post-catch can go outside

Have North American, South American, European and Asian regions.
Then have the regional leaders meet for a 4 team playoff.
You get international buy-in and investment.

Especially since there's really not a "minor league" for the NFL.
There's not enough international interest for a 'full size' set of team and league.
But there is plenty of interest in American-rules football, even in Japan.

 

[Poolside Knight]

I've long said you have to take American football internationally.
And that means you cannot do it with 60-80 player rosters.
You downsize it, tailor it for international play, shorter games, less players.

Get down to 30-32 player rosters with 8 players on the field.
20 minute halves, cut the breaks by increasing clock tickets, etc...

And use metric, so it's instantly compatible with soccer fields, 80m field.
Deeper, 15m endzone for safety, an inner sideline with an outer, like a tennis court.
E.g., passes have to be within the inside line, run or post-catch can go outside

Have North American, South American, European and Asian regions.
Then have the regional leaders meet for a 4 team playoff.
You get international buy-in and investment.

Especially since there's really not a "minor league" for the NFL.
There's not enough international interest for a 'full size' set of team and league.
But there is plenty of interest in American-rules football, even in Japan.

with the CTE issue I don't see the sport growing globally.

 

[Ace of Knights]

with the CTE issue I don't see the sport growing globally.

It’s not even growing domestically. Youth participation rates due to CTE are down across the board. Soccer and baseball are making the biggest gains.

 

[Poolside Knight]

It’s not even growing domestically. Youth participation rates due to CTE are down across the board. Soccer and baseball are making the biggest gains.

I initially downplayed the effect when it started making news but it has escalated pretty rapidly the last few years to where I think the future of the Sport long term is in question

 

[Stormthecourt?]

It’s not even growing domestically. Youth participation rates due to CTE are down across the board. Soccer and baseball are making the biggest gains.

In 20 years more people will be playing lacrosse than football

 

[80'sKnight]

In 20 years more people will be playing lacrosse than football

And then maybe they'll realize that you can get the same thing in soccer, lacrosse, etc etc because as some docs are trying to get across, even the small inconsequential hits can cause it too. They've done a good PR job on spotlighting football only, ignoring everywhere else it can occur. So once football is eliminated, which sport do you think they'll go after next?*

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

And then maybe they'll realize that you can get the same thing in soccer, lacrosse, etc etc because as some docs are trying to get across, even the small inconsequential hits can cause it too. They've done a good PR job on spotlighting football only, ignoring everywhere else it can occur. So once football is eliminated, which sport do you think they'll go after next?*

They’ve already started making headgear for kids that play soccer mandatory in some places.

 

[Stormthecourt?]

And then maybe they'll realize that you can get the same thing in soccer, lacrosse, etc etc because as some docs are trying to get across, even the small inconsequential hits can cause it too. They've done a good PR job on spotlighting football only, ignoring everywhere else it can occur. So once football is eliminated, which sport do you think they'll go after next?*

Hockey

But back to lacrosse. I don’t see dudes getting blindsided or hit helmet to helmet the way guys do in football. Is it as safe as swimming? No but the head trauma has to be significantly less

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Hockey

But back to lacrosse. I don’t see dudes getting blindsided or hit helmet to helmet the way guys do in football. Is it as safe as swimming? No but the head trauma has to be significantly less

They wear helmets for a reason. Maybe the stick or the ball? Would be same as baseball I’m assuming.

 

[KnightVision82]

Tebow is NFL or road to majors only. He didn't go to Canadian league or Arena football so why does the XFL think they have a shot?

 

[SiberianKnightmare]

If the plan is just to be like the NFL, but with “high character” players, the whole thing is DOA.

 

[Nautiknight]

I've long said you have to take American football internationally.
And that means you cannot do it with 60-80 player rosters.
You downsize it, tailor it for international play, shorter games, less players.

Get down to 30-32 player rosters with 8 players on the field.
20 minute halves, cut the breaks by increasing clock tickets, etc...

And use metric, so it's instantly compatible with soccer fields, 80m field.
Deeper, 15m endzone for safety, an inner sideline with an outer, like a tennis court.
E.g., passes have to be within the inside line, run or post-catch can go outside

Have North American, South American, European and Asian regions.
Then have the regional leaders meet for a 4 team playoff.
You get international buy-in and investment.

Especially since there's really not a "minor league" for the NFL.
There's not enough international interest for a 'full size' set of team and league.
But there is plenty of interest in American-rules football, even in Japan.

Then you get the college football committee to pick the 4 best teams across the world and they need to use the eye test. Some of the teams outside of America will clearly be in the group of 5 to make it fair.

 

[G8RLegist]

Hockey

But back to lacrosse. I don’t see dudes getting blindsided or hit helmet to helmet the way guys do in football. Is it as safe as swimming? No but the head trauma has to be significantly less

I've personally seen more kids get concussions in lacrosse than I have personally seen in football. I coached youth football for a bit over a decade and was heavily involved in lax for about 8. It may be due to the fact that the lax helmet is no where near as protective as a football helmet. There are plenty of collisions in lax, just not the blind side hits you see in football. But even lax has made some changes to attempt to reduce concussions. Shooters can no longer leave their feet and go horizontal to shoot.

 

[UCFBS]

I've personally seen more kids get concussions in lacrosse than I have personally seen in football. I coached youth football for a bit over a decade and was heavily involved in lax for about 8. It may be due to the fact that the lax helmet is no where near as protective as a football helmet. There are plenty of collisions in lax, just not the blind side hits you see in football. But even lax has made some changes to attempt to reduce concussions. Shooters can no longer leave their feet and go horizontal to shoot.

I've always felt the most physical, team sports were ...

hockey > american-football ~ la crosse > rugby** ~ futbol-soccer > basketball**
(I'm sure I'm missing many here, going for most revenue generating)

**Rugby players can get very physical, but they purposely don't impact each other at high speeds because of the lack of any protection. Basketball can be quite physical, because of the arm swings and eye/teeth hits (goggles and mouthpieces are popular for a reason), but the kicks make football-soccer far more impactful.

I really love playing rugby and futbol-soccer most. They are very aerobic. But watching I find far less exciting.