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New USFL Hoping To Succeed Where Other Spring Leagues Failed

Y2kTheNewOldies

Y2kTheNewOldies


NBC Sports President Jon Miller knows the perils of starting a spring football league. He was with NBC when the network teamed with Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment during the XFL’s first launch in 2001 and has seen other leagues crash and burn. Miller is optimistic that a new version of the USFL could have some staying power. “Hopefully, the fifth time is a charm. I think the timing is right, the partnership is right, and the model is bred for success,” Miller said. “We’re optimistic, hopeful, and excited at the same time.”


The USFL kicks off Saturday night in Birmingham, Alabama, when the New Jersey Generals face the Birmingham Stallions. Fox and NBC Sports will each carry 22 games, including Saturday’s opener. It is the first time since the 2007 regular-season finale between the New England Patriots and New York Giants that a game will air on multiple broadcast networks.


Fox Sports owns the USFL and is making a $150 million investment over three years. The only similarity between the USFL of 1983-85 and this one is the team names.
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NBC and Fox Sports were named to get the USFL but in this case they have to deal with the issues over how the USFL is different from the XFL.
 
We'll see. With baseball's regular season just getting underway and playoffs for both the NBA and NHL just beginning, I'm not sure how the USFL premier on Saturday will fare. I've also seen very little mention of the USFL in the news, on social media, etc. In contrast, I remember a pretty sizable media blitz and an effort to build hype ahead of the ill-fated XFL's launch.
 
Mikey Radio said:
We'll see. With baseball's regular season just getting underway and playoffs for both the NBA and NHL just beginning, I'm not sure how the USFL premier on Saturday will fare. I've also seen very little mention of the USFL in the news, on social media, etc. In contrast, I remember a pretty sizable media blitz and an effort to build hype ahead of the ill-fated XFL's launch
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I keep running into USFL ads when I'm watching the 4 major networks, but I do wonder if there will be enough fanfare overall for the league to even be a starter. I hope so, and I'll be tuned in, but the chances aren't good
 
It's still minor league football going up against the NBA and NHL playoffs, plus MLB's regular season. And don't forget the NFL Draft in a couple of weeks. I'll be shocked if it finishes its season. It is an irrelevancy, just like all the other minor football leagues.
 
KeithE4 said:
It's still minor league football going up against the NBA and NHL playoffs, plus MLB's regular season. And don't forget the NFL Draft in a couple of weeks. I'll be shocked if it finishes its season. It is an irrelevancy, just like all the other minor football leagues.
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The NCAA is the NFL's minor league.
 
This is obviously a made-for-TV league since all the games will be played in Birmingham, Alabama. A lot less expensive for the league as well as the TV networks. Even the teams practice facilities are in the Birmingham area. There goes the home field advantage.
 
CTListener said:
The NCAA is the NFL's minor league.
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I wouldn't call it that. The NCAA has baseball; however, between that and MLB, there are four classes of minor league baseball, from Single-A to AAA. Therefore, I reserve the term "minor league" for professional leagues that are less important than the top leagues.
 
xkxrx said:
This is obviously a made-for-TV league since all the games will be played in Birmingham, Alabama. A lot less expensive for the league as well as the TV networks. Even the teams practice facilities are in the Birmingham area. There goes the home field advantage.
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The thought occurred to me that the new USFL is an eight team league with one home team and seven traveling teams. Gonna be hard for anyone outside of the Birmingham area to make any emotional connection to “their” supposed team.

Here in Houston, the original USFL Gamblers (1984-85) are fondly remembered as they were a fun, exciting team led by a young Jim Kelly, at a time when the old Oilers were horrible. But in that case fans could actually go see Gambler games without traveling three states over.
 
Apparently, neither Fox nor NBC have anything worthwhile to air tonight. This Birmingham Generals vs Birmingham Stallions minor league game is a joke. At least the original Generals had Herschel Walker (and Donald Trump as team owner, but the less said about that, the better).
 
KeithE4 said:
Apparently, neither Fox nor NBC have anything worthwhile to air tonight. This Birmingham Generals vs Birmingham Stallions minor league game is a joke. At least the original Generals had Herschel Walker (and Donald Trump as team owner, but the less said about that, the better).
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I watched the entire game on a DVR delay so I could get through it quicker. Actually a pretty decent contest with the Birmingham Stallions coming from behind to score the go-ahead TD with :23 seconds left. Good crowd, good atmosphere. Use of a drone camera was quite intriguing. I’ve seen plenty of NFL contests that were absolute garbage compared to the USFL 2.0 debut.

Still, the acid test will be if anyone shows up for games involving teams not named Birmingham. As I said earlier the hub city arrangement makes it difficult to form any emotional connection with the remaining seven teams.
 
Hardly anyone in the stadium for today's game between "Michigan" and "Houston." Is admission even being charged for these games? Was the league counting on people coming to non-Birmingham games as a significant part of its financials?
 
CTListener said:
Hardly anyone in the stadium for today's game between "Michigan" and "Houston." Is admission even being charged for these games? Was the league counting on people coming to non-Birmingham games as a significant part of its financials?
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Yeah, the crowd looked pretty thin on NBC today. Inwas really hyped for that punt return for a Michigan touchdown, until that penalty came, LOL.
What do you all think of that Helmet cam and drone cam?
CTListener said:
." Is admission even being charged for these games?
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Just came across an ad that said $10 for adults, and free for kids. Cool! Oh wait... The rest of the cost is travel to Birmingham! 🤣
 
What was #96 thinking when he charged the QB before the snap?
 
Now that's pretty exciting: Thorson just threw a huge touchdown to #1 (Zuber)(how did he stay inbounds 🤯?) for Houston, and then they goofed the 2-pt attempt. Quick question: Are teams required to try them?

Also, Zuber did it again. Caught a pass on the sideline. Imagine how Gus Johnson would respond
 
@CTListener I would think the wet weather has an impact on attendance. The field is moist and people are slipping out there
 
2.9 million per Nielsen is pretty disappointing for a game that was telecast on TWO of the major networks and received bunches of promotion from both of them. That's significantly less than the NASCAR races this season that have aired on Fox.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
2.9 million per Nielsen is pretty disappointing for a game that was telecast on TWO of the major networks and received bunches of promotion from both of them. That's significantly less than the NASCAR races this season that have aired on Fox.
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What were they thinking? This league belongs on FS1 and/or USA at best.
 
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