PTrudellJr

so, does all this mean players are actually going to get paid? 

How's this working anyway?

4 hours ago, Dynasty said:

I'm not wowed by it, but it's still an overall fine identity.

 

Valkyries just feels like it belongs in this league so that's a plus. I don't like the Golden State moniker, but I get it.

Valkyries belong in freakin' MINNESOTA guys!  

On 5/5/2024 at 2:52 PM, Sec19Row53 said:

How is he on PATs?

 

Yes. I know they don't kick them. It's a question worth asking. 

I guarantee they're easier than 64yd FGs.

Problem with HS stadiums (at least in Texas) is no beer sales.  No matter how appealing it is to play in one of our 6A Football Stadiums, that little issue kills it.

8 minutes ago, TheAnt755 said:

Honestly, AAF is more memorable (& entertaining) than AFL '24.

At least their games were televised, crowds were excited and actually existent.  

On 5/2/2024 at 8:44 AM, MJWalker45 said:

If you ditch the USFL/XFL conferences, I'd keep Memphis and St. Louis together. I think that short distance would help their rivalry much better. New Orleans is further west than St. Louis as well. 

I'd go with Rhythm instead of either of these. It just flows better too. 

I see what you did there...

Could be worse, they could have substituted a semi-pro team for one of their teams to play a game.

oh wait...

13 minutes ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

According to posts in the ArenaFan message board, the games that were to have been carried by the NFL Network are now off that channel's schedule.

It is entirely a matter of speculation whether someone at the AFL didn't make a payment, or whether the NFL Network was scared off by the Iowa Rampage's preseason game that was shown on YouTube and/or by the pictures of the Oregon Blackbears' preseason game that that team shared.

On the NFL Network schedule, I see one game showing on Thursday 2-May at 20:00 EDT with a repeat at 00:30 on 3-May.

On 4/21/2024 at 3:59 PM, McCall said:

Houston and Michigan need to be moved. NFL markets that aren't drawing well. Birmingham should be doing better, but going up against the A-Game (which drew 72k) one week and poor weather another, I'll give them some leeway. But Michigan and Houston have been low all 3 home games between them.

Moving teams would be the death knell for the league.

Holding a gun to fans heads and tell them in year one, "If you don't show up, we'll yank your team" is no way to win support.  Why bother if the team's not going to be here next year?  Why would ANY fan support a team in that league if that's the threat?  

They didn't have an offseason to market the league because of the merger.  Michigan didn't start selling tickets until 2 weeks before kickoff.  Houston's in a new venue since TDECU is being renovated right now.

TV numbers are good, better than either league at this time last season.  It's not time to hit the panic button.

On 4/20/2024 at 6:03 PM, DCarp1231 said:

Putting two games on at the same time on the same channel is certainly a choice.

I believe that the late merger finalization really put the screws to finding venue dates and broadcast times for all teams and so doubling up games for 3 weeks was a necessity.  

33 minutes ago, Sykotyk said:

That's not uncommon with minor league teams. Saves them a lot and costs them just two season tickets usually. 

But this is supposed to be the premiere indoor football league paying their players more than the UFL.

I agree with everyone else.  I don't see this league making a full season.  

5 hours ago, GDAWG said:

 

I am waiting for an episode where the league fails and he blames the NFL for it and plans to sue the NFL.  

By his timelines, we've got around 2 months for that to happen.

3 hours ago, GDAWG said:

It's been a while since I posted about this moron:

 

Says his goal is to make MLFB the best football league in America and that they will be better than the NFL.  

 

In other words, he's a delusional schmuck.

Wait, which nut job with the MLFB is this one... Frank Murtha, or the other jackass?

Wow, actually listened to the video.  This is such a trainwreck.  He came so close to saying, "We're going to pay players in exposure".  We want the best talent, but we're going to pay them from ticket sales... and coaches should coach for the love of the game...

5 hours ago, BottomlessPitt said:

O.J. Simpson died. 

He can finally rest as his wife's killer has been brought to justice.

I'm shocked there's still little tangible news out of this league.  The more I see of the IFL, the less I have hopes for the return of the AFL.  The IFL appears to be a solid league, setting itself as the premiere Indoor/Arena football league.

2 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnitedFootballLeague/s/tgsekTNYdI

So Destroying apparently has multiple fractures in his neck. He said he needs to learn proper tackling form for next time.

I hope he comes back next year and continues his journey with the Brahmas.  Dude is a class act.

21 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

De La Haye injured himself making a tackle. Vasher hasn't done anything yet this year. I don't even think he's been on the field.

 

De La Haye fractured his neck in multiple places.  No idea what happened with Mollette, but he's expected to return.  Vasher hasnt' seen the field much with the Roughnecks receivers getting so many catches.

22 hours ago, Cruhawk7975 said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lions basically told Bates to stay in Detroit after the season’s end. 

The Lions have already reached out to him.

10 hours ago, CS85 said:

 

The lemons were just the beginning.  Someday there will be another seemingly harmless promotion that will result in meme-actions aplenty once more.  The league may publicly poo-poo things like hurling lemons, but they need that kind of organic tomfoolery to generate buzz.

Sorry, it's never OK to throw things on the field.  Have your fun otherwise, but don't become the lemon-chuckers of the UFL.  (See Cleveland or Philly for how bad that could get)

On 4/1/2024 at 11:29 AM, CS85 said:

Stallions v. Renegades

• Matt Corral is an intriguing talent
• The Renegades can suck it

Battlehawks v. Panthers

• Great uniform matchup
• Not a great turnout.  Easter/Elite Eight weekend didn't help, but I hope those numbers turn around, for everybody's sake
• McCarron may not finish the season if his line doesn't give him more protection.  He's gonna get rolled up on one of these games.
• EJ Perry is once, twice, three times a Panther, and he was solid.  Gutsy draw at the goal line, knowing he was going to get rocked. He puts on a good show with his legs, somebody to keep an eye on as the season gets going.
• The color commentator was peaking all over with his mic levels.  Annoying.
• Jake Bates is going to be an NFLer this season if he keeps this up.

Showboats v. Roughnecks aka Broke-Ass Wal-Mart Oilers

• Houston continues to have probably the worst uniforms in the sport.  Just awful.
• Darius Victor, 30 years old, the Liberian Loveboat, gave CTE the stiffarm (for now) with some tough runs.  Not many good runs, but ya know, tough-like.
• Case Cookus sucks.
• Daewood Davis is someone to keep an eye on.
• TJ Pledger confused me.  For a minute I thought his name was "Pleasure," so when the broadcaster said that Guarantano found Pleasure, I stifled a giggle.
• Sage Surratt's name being called reminded me of the existence of Chazz Surratt, who never amounted to much.  Bummer, I really liked Chazz coming out of college.
• Game ending on a muffed punt kinda blew, but hey, UFL football baybay.

Defenders v. Brahmas

• McFarland returning the opening kickoff with one shoe is peak UFL.
• Keep the name Pooka Williams in mind.  He's in the running (from the cops) for the UFL's Bad Boy candidate of the year.
• Cool red zone play by SA, fake shovel pass into an end around.  Didn't score, but I liked the concept.
• Love the optical measurement of the 4th down.  Again, another brilliant thing the NFL should adopt, but probably won't because the officials wouldn't be able to shave points.
• Big swollen balls call by the Brahmas to let their punter chuck a deep ball for a touchdown just before half.  Caught by the center, no less!  The UFL needs to encourage this kind of stuff.  Go wild.
• Jordan Ta'amu fumbling for no reason,  then completing a no-look whoopedy-doo spinning pass while taking a hit is what this league is all about.
• Jean DeLance not only committing a false start, then spitting on a guy is the inaugural, and thus eponyous recipient of the Jean DeLance Award for Being a Sports Dumbass.

I totally approve of the Jean DeLance Dumbass Award.  Needs to happen every week.

On 3/31/2024 at 5:52 PM, MJWalker45 said:

 

I think if this game had been the 3PM game, they could have gotten more fans, but not much more beyond 15,000. Houston was hurt by the look of poor weather and an older stadium, but hopefully those numbers improve too. I was walking back to the garage from the stadium and some people were like, "they played today"? I will say that the ads are much more prevalent than last year so hopefully we see 15,000-18,000 for the next home game. It's against St. Louis so I'd expect to get to 15,000 easily. 

 

The team today was much more energetic than last year. Not losing half the OL this time probably helps. Having a coach that's more willing to go for it, even on 4th and 3 on our side of the field feels so much better. 

I too think if it were the late game attendance would have been higher... but still Easter.

If we win this weekend, I expect more than 20k in the dome for St. Louis.  Brahmas got a LOT of publicity on the sports shows and across YouTube due to the ballsy calls.  Also, Brad Wing is a character.  They need to put the mic closer to his face.  He's not the type to lean forward.

21 hours ago, See Red said:

Turned off the late game early to watch basketball but enjoyed what I saw today. Hopefully ESPN’s broadcasts aren’t “spread” this, “over-under” that, “live odds” blah blah blah like it was with the XFL last year that made it nearly unwatchable. 

Players that were on the team were automatically slotted on the team coming into the draft.  Teams drafted about 28 from the pool of released players from defunct teams going into training camp. 

With roster churn, I'd say about half the team from last year was on the opening day roster for this season.  As a Brahmas fan, I know there was a LOT of players that didn't come back from last year as well as a new coach/new philosophy looking for a different type of player so we have about 1/4th of the team returning from last year.

18 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

 

a bit disappointing, but considering it's Easter, San Antonio and Houston are understandable.  Still SA pulled more than 4 of their games last season and Arlington was above average as well.  We have no numbers for USFL attendance last year, so no idea if Michigan was better or worse than their average.

1 minute ago, MJWalker45 said:

I was trying to forget the rest of that game.

Thankfully the highlight is contained to just the good part of the game! (Shaking my fist at Jack Coan) Hoooogan!

On 3/27/2024 at 7:55 AM, Cujo said:

The new kickoff rule is fine. I get they're trying to cut down on injuries. But I can't recall the last time I saw or heard of a serious head/neck injury on a kickoff. Has to have been before the last modification to the rule.

In addition to reducing full-speed hits in coverage, this will also force more runbacks.  Too often last season the ball would go into the endzone and come out to the 25, no runbacks. 

So you'd have 5 minutes of commercials, come back for a kick into the endzone and then another 2 minutes of commercials... such fun.