http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/sports/football/24league.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
For those too lazy to read the link, here’s the gist of it: A Connecticut based entrepreneur has conceived of a spring football league that will augment, rather than compete with, the NFL. Playing in college stadiums in reasonably populated areas, the teams will be composed of accomplished college players who were on the fringe of making the NFL. Unlike past start-ups, this league will encourage the NFL to scout its players as a secondary pool of talent. Scheduled to launch next January, the league would initially consist of 8 teams (3 of which have already been founded, locations not yet disclosed).
This league is a bit different than other start-ups like the XFL, USFL, and CFL. Those leagues all planned to compete with the mother league, an unrealistic prospect at best. Now that the NFL’s own farm system, NFL Europe, has officially failed, there may be a void that the “United National Football League” can occupy.
The stadia (impressed with my use of the archaic plural of stadium?) will never sell-out. People don’t like spending money for third-tier talent, and they probably never will. If the league proves to be a fertile ground for talent, however, the NFL could subsidize the costs to keep the league afloat until they build their own niche. Minor league baseball parks everywhere have learned that $2 tickets and $1 hot dogs bring families to the stadium, even if most of the kids on the diamond will never progress past single-A. If teams develop that sort of atmosphere while also sending one or two players into the league each year, they might have a chance. But they need to be in the right cities.
And Annapolis would be absolutely perfect.
Mid-sized population? Check. Disposable income? Check. Local tourist attractions that could supplement the stadium experience? Check. More importantly, the city’s proximity to two professional football teams would allow it to operate as an ideal short-order farm team for both franchises. Comment below if you think I’m getting carried away, but I think this is a pretty good idea.
Other cities that would work in my fantasy planning of this new league:
Newark, NJ- Equidistance from the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and New York Jets and positioned to take advantage of the nation’s wealthiest state (even if Newark itself is a bit of a slum these days), this is another mid-market city with ideal geographical placement. They can play in Rutgers Stadium.
New Haven, CT- They might compete with Newark for the NY teams’ attentions, but with two pro teams that shouldn’t be a problem. They can also feed to the Buffalo Bills and the vile scum of the NFL, the New England Patriots. They can play at Yale.
Columbus, OH- The city bleeds scarlet and grey, but what if the franchise made a commitment to bringing in ex-Buckeyes? It’s becoming a huge city, but they’re unlikely to ever get an NFL team since it wouldn’t be able to compete with Ohio State. This team wouldn’t have that problem. Both the Cincinatti Bengals and Cleveland Browns are a short trip away. They can play at Ohio State’s stadium, The Horseshoe.
Greenville, NC- Smack-dab between Atlanta and Charlotte (homes of the Falcons and Panthers, respectively) lays this, once again, mid-sized college town. East Carolina University’s stadium would make a perfect home.
Morgantown, WV- This team would mainly feed to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but could also contribute to nearby Philadelphia and Cincinatti without much conflict. This is a football-crazed town (for West Viginia University), with a good-sized population and not much spring competition.
Gainesville, FL- This city splits the difference between the home sites of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars and offers football to the loyal faithful of the Florida Gators during the off-season.
Providence, RI- The last city was a tough decision. Though potentially over-exposing the league to the northeast, I think the strategy will work because the region has the people and money to make two teams work. They can play at Brown University and feed to both New York teams, as well as the Patriots and Bills.
You’ll notice a heavy East Coast bias here. To begin with, the league should be concentrated in one area to reduce travel costs, build rivalries, maximize advertising and sponsorship possibilities, and develop a captive audience.
So what do you think? Any reason to suspect Annapolis is a good place for a franchise in this most likely ill-fated league?