UFL Wants NFL as Investor
by John B on Mar 20, 2010 3:48 PM EDT
16 comments
The upstart United Football League is apparently trying to bring the NFL in as an investor.
The United Football League has been actively trying to convince the NFL to invest in the junior league in hopes of gaining a valuable senior partner, as well as other investors, according to sources.
However, the latest proposal -- which would give the NFL a 30 percent stake in the year-old UFL -- is not on the agenda for discussion during the NFL owners' meetings, which run Sunday through Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.
Such a potential move was interpreted by one source as the NFL acquiring another pawn in the chess match between the owners and the NFL Players Association when the current labor agreement expires after the 2010 season.
An owners source refuted that notion, saying any financial investment in the UFL would be counter-productive to the NFL's collective-bargaining position that the league has significant economic challenges.
The UFL has proposed that in addition to the 30 percent investment, of which the specific dollar amount was not revealed by sources, the NFL will have at least one seat on the UFL's board and a role in the football operations. Sources disagree on whether a deal is likely.
I don't want this to happen. I want the UFL to grow as an independent competitor. It's in our best interest as fans for there to be a strong UFL as a healthy alternative.
The NFL is too powerful. They don't have to listen to their fans. They can do whatever they want like sticking regular season games in London and Toronto and pricing the average fan out of league stadiums. Rival leagues don't have that luxury. They need to be fan friendly to develop a loyal customer base. They're also more likely to take chances on unconventional thinking. Do you like the two point conversion? How about the zone blitz or the run 'n shoot or the three point line and slam dunk contest in basketball? These all came into being because of upstart leagues.
This league may be hemmoraging money to the point where it doesn't have a choice, but this move would continue the NFL's monopoly, making the UFL a feeder system, which is to our detriment.
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The NFL could use a development league
Which be the only reason why the NFL would buy the UFL.
Otherwise I don’t see it happening, they will poach players from the UFL at whim if the UFL can support itself.
Staring down Mark Sanchez. Just look into the those brown beauties.
At the moment, but the UFL has stated they feel like they eventually plan to be able to compete for guys lower on the depth chart.
If there is a strike or a lockout, we could see some guys jump ship also.
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If there is a strike or a lockout, we could see some guys jump ship also.
Which is why it makes sense for the NFL to do this.
by bluecollarbuffalo on Mar 20, 2010 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d be interested to read some figures on the UFL’s first year, what kind of audience it got, demographics etc
I actually took a little interest when it was first announced, and wrote some articles previewing the league, and one of them was how the NFL and UFL can work together., but once the NFL swung into it’s off-season/season program, it became impossible to maintain an interest. The NFL just suffocates the media market for football, I just can’t see it surviving without some incorporation with the NFL powers that be.
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Eh,
the NFL can do what it want because it has a great product. I personally don’t care about watching a game from the stadium, I am just as good watching from my TV at home. I have went to one Jet game in my life, it was awesome, I’m fine with that. The one game was a great one, week 17, 2002, Jets vs GB, to make the playoffs, win 42-17.
I get your point, but I feel that it is okay either way. The UFL can say what it wants, but what is to stop the NFL from stealing every halfway talented player that comes through that league? I enjoy watching HS and NCAA football, so watching the next tier down from NFL players wouldn’t be the problem for me, I just don’t see how the UFL could ever compete without having the NFL behind them.
"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS
I've been
too two games here in las vegas , both playoff games ,,championship game that is , it waz good football ……. IMO they need too play 2 to 4 weeks after the SB……. maybe summer but way too hot here …..
Kewl
I’ve heard that the quality id quite good, but then I look at the numbers that Brooks Bollinger put up, and I find it hard to believe lol
They have added more teams this off-season haven’t they. They can try and compete, the USFL did have a little support before it tried to take on the NFL head-to-head, but that came from some high draft choices who chose them over the NFL. Not sure if picking up training camp fodder only will ever enable them to really compete, but what’s so wrong with playing football on the next rung down. As long as it’s turning a profit (I have no idea if it is or not).
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I think the philosophies were different. The USFL paid big names before the league was established. The UFL seems to be pursuing more of a slow but steady growth strategy.
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Gang Green Nation
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Although I didn’t put it very well there, I guess what I’m trying to say is, can the league ever become established when they are basically made up of players that were unable to play in the NFL. Like you said the USFL paid big names, but that was also one of the reasons why it became established. I’m not sure that the UFL can establish itself without following the same route.
Writer/Assistant editor
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New York Jets
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It can’t, but they’re building slowly so that they’re relatively more financial stable than the USFL was.
Editor-In-Chief
Gang Green Nation
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I was watching the documentary on the USFL a couple of weeks ago, the ESPN film. The impression I got from that is that it would of had a good chance of surviving and competing, providing an alternative to the NFL, if Trump had not of insisted on going head to head with the season structure.
Writer/Assistant editor
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First off, from what I heard they are already moving 2 of the 4 teams.
I watched a few games, but whose going to watch any league but the NFL during the regular season?
I want a spring league so bad, I loved the first season that AFL was on NBC, and then NBC had to f that all up.
Come on Isles! 11-0-0 or 10-0-1 I'm not picky! Playoffs!
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