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Death of the Alliance of American Football


LAWeaver

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6 hours ago, Gothamite said:

 

Holy :censored:, those :censored:holes all deserve each other.  

 

 

 

And how the hell did Ebersol think would this have worked?

 

 

“Last money in” doesn’t beat “most money in” when determining control of a Board of Directors.  Did Ebersol not ask Dundon to sign any kind of agreement when he sold the controlling interest, or did Ebersol just not read it?

With nearly nine months of hype, the Alt-Football Stans placed all their hopes in THIS!  The Emperor (Ebersol) had no clothes.

 

Stans, Vince McMahon, like it or not, is your ONLY hope for short-term success in Alt-Football.  AAF's week 1 ratings and the attendance in San Antonio cannot be considered short-term success.  It was a smokescreen which, you will know how the balance sheet and the accounting was if/when there is a deposition or discovery.

 

 

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2 hours ago, dfwabel said:

With nearly nine months of hype, the Alt-Football Stans placed all their hopes in THIS!  The Emperor (Ebersol) had no clothes.

 

Stans, Vince McMahon, like it or not, is your ONLY hope for short-term success in Alt-Football.  AAF's week 1 ratings and the attendance in San Antonio cannot be considered short-term success.  It was a smokescreen which, you will know how the balance sheet and the accounting was if/when there is a deposition or discovery.

 

 

See this is the part I don't get about you. Whether the league succeeds or fails, isn't on the fans who watched or attended. It was football. We enjoyed it while it was here. If it had been more successful maybe it would've survived. It didn't. 

 

Also, this wasn't an aaf or XFL decision.  It was a "aaf is here today, XFL isn't started yet". This no different than you and others arguing the reason you shouldn't watch the aaf (or XFL in the future) is because the NFL, like it or not, is better. 

 

But the NFL isn't on right now. The aaf was. Hence the interest. 

 

As for liking or not liking Vince McMahon, it's clear you're already amping up your hatred of the next spring league attempt. Such a sad state you must live in. If you don't like it, don't watch. Don't be a Keyboard Warrior trying to defend other people because something might fail. 

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14 hours ago, Gothamite said:

The NCAA and NFL at least provide medical.  And while the NCAA is indefensible, its hold over players is of limited duration. And it does pay players in trade, after all.

 

The WWE is scummy well beyond the limits of the other two.  It takes the worst qualities of each (the utter disregard for safety of the NFL and the economic exploitation of the NCAA) and combines them in one fetid package. 

 

I’m not sure your assessment of WWE is accurate. 

 

1. They have one of the tougher anti-doping policies around, and have suspended top-drawing performers even during major runs, though it would certainly not be best for business. 

 

2. They do have concussion protocol, and most recently forced one its top draws (Daniel Brian) to retire for a couple of years (while still paying him his contract) until it’s doctors eventually cleared him. That was also certainly not good for business. 

 

3. Right now it’s former women’s champion was just cleared to return after missing months while in concussion protocol. 

 

4. I think they are covered for issues that happen in the ring, but nothing outside of that and nothing once they’re no longer on the payroll (could be wrong but I thought Oliver even acknowledged that). 

 

It’s certainly scummy, but by any reasonable measure is not the same company that used to provide its performers with steroids and drugs. Also the people that complain and bring these to light often also seem to have other issues going on with themselves - they’re usually either miserable humans with bones to pick (CM Punk), or guys who’s careers ranked and don’t want to take responsibility (Ryback is an example). 

 

One of their former wrestlers (a Harvard grad) retired due to concussions and is doing some sort of concussion research and I’m pretty sure (no citation here) that some of that research has made its way into the foundation of their concussion protocol. 

 

Bottom line is that while the employment status thing is certainly a joke, the evidence doesn’t support some of the other claims about unsafe work environment (keeping in mind that like the NFL it’s inherently unsafe to be doing flippy moves onto a floor) and lack of concern for performer well being. 

 

 

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

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15 minutes ago, Sykotyk said:

See this is the part I don't get about you. Whether the league succeeds or fails, isn't on the fans who watched or attended. It was football. We enjoyed it while it was here. If it had been more successful maybe it would've survived. It didn't. 

 

Also, this wasn't an aaf or XFL decision.  It was a "aaf is here today, XFL isn't started yet". This no different than you and others arguing the reason you shouldn't watch the aaf (or XFL in the future) is because the NFL, like it or not, is better. 

 

But the NFL isn't on right now. The aaf was. Hence the interest. 

 

As for liking or not liking Vince McMahon, it's clear you're already amping up your hatred of the next spring league attempt. Such a sad state you must live in. If you don't like it, don't watch. Don't be a Keyboard Warrior trying to defend other people because something might fail. 

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On 4/10/2019 at 6:46 PM, dfwabel said:

Class Action suit filed against the AAF by former Birmingham employee

 

Bill Polian, Jared Allen, former DC mayor Adrian Fenty, JK McKay, Troy Polamalu, Chernin Group, and Founders Fund among the defendants.  Charlie Ebersol, not named personally, rather Legendary Field Exhibitions is.

 

The plaintiff is suing because they were not given 60 or more days notice prior to the layoff.  Being a single entity, everyone was working for Legendary, thus there were over 100 employees and a 60-day notice is required by law. 

 

EDIT: Another class action suit filed. This one against Dundon, Ebersol and Ebersol-formed companies.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/aaf/news/aaf-2019-two-players-sue-league-alleging-they-were-misled-and-defrauded/

Deadspin has the suit at their page.

https://deadspin.com/lawsuit-claims-the-aaf-intentionally-misled-and-defraud-1833959393

Stallions VP of Ticketing files suit against AAF charging the same violations as the Birmingham employee's suit regarding 60 day notice.

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2019/04/12/former-salt-lake/

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Makes zero sense.  If some AAF players want to play up North and get their passports in order, they should do so.  Good lord, it's no wonder the CFL has been looking to expand it's talent pool via partnerships in Mexico and Europe. 

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41 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

 

Makes zero sense.  If some AAF players want to play up North and get their passports in order, they should do so.  Good lord, it's no wonder the CFL has been looking to expand it's talent pool via partnerships in Mexico and Europe. 

 

I don't get this. If the AAF is in breach of players' contracts by virtue of not paying the players, then those players are free agents and can sign anywhere. 

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1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

 

 

Makes zero sense.  If some AAF players want to play up North and get their passports in order, they should do so.  Good lord, it's no wonder the CFL has been looking to expand it's talent pool via partnerships in Mexico and Europe. 

 

40 minutes ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

I don't get this. If the AAF is in breach of players' contracts by virtue of not paying the players, then those players are free agents and can sign anywhere. 

This likely has more to do with the fact that CFL CBA talks have stalled and the players are five weeks away from a lockout.  Rookies are to report on May 15, CBA expires on May 18.

 

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1 hour ago, dfwabel said:

This likely has more to do with the fact that CFL CBA talks have stalled and the players are five weeks away from a lockout.  Rookies are to report on May 15, CBA expires on May 18.

 

I don't see how these things are related, I think it's more the bankruptcy aspect.

 

1 hour ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

I don't get this. If the AAF is in breach of players' contracts by virtue of not paying the players, then those players are free agents and can sign anywhere. 

 

The question is if the AAF breaching the contract by not paying the players means the contract is over. Just because one party in a contract breaches the contract doesn't necessarily mean the contract is immediately terminated, it depends on what's written in the contract.

 

If the contracts are still valid, they are assets of the AAF and can be sold off for money to pay creditors during bankruptcy proceedings. This also means the AAF might not legally be able to let the players go to the CFL because it could be seen as giving away or hiding assets, which you can't do prior to filing for bankruptcy because it's bankruptcy fraud.

 

As for why players can sign in the NFL, the AAF must have had some writing in their contracts allowing the players to sign in the NFL but not specifying any other leagues, leading to where we are now.

 

Again, this is all speculation without knowing what is in the contracts.

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+On the day the league shut down, Tom Dundon was golfing. Some team level employees were "enraged and wanted to publicly criticize Dundon's lack of empathy as hundreds of people were losing their jobs."

+It was estimated that the league needed roughly $20 Million to finish out the final 2 weeks of the season.

+Dundon was apparently willing to contribute $10 Million more dollars (on top of the $70 Million invested) to keep the AAF solvent through the end of the season...

He pulled the plug on the league before new investor(s) could match that contribution.

+There were 4 to 6 investors interested up until 0 hour to keep the league afloat.

+Some team level employees felt Dundon cancelled the league, in part, to spite Ebersol.

wow, dude, awesome!

♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫

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Billionaires golfing while peoples' lives fall apart is a feature, not a bug. You really can't understate the sociopathy of our ruling class.

1 hour ago, ShutUpLutz! said:

and the drunken doodoobags jumping off the tops of SUV's/vans/RV's onto tables because, oh yeah, they are drunken drug abusing doodoobags

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14 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

Billionaires golfing while peoples' lives fall apart is a feature, not a bug. You really can't understate the sociopathy of our ruling class.

 

It will be interesting to see what happens to most of the employees from the various teams (not counting the players). I don't know what happens to Birmingham Head Coach Tim Lewis or Atlanta Head Coach Kevin Coyle.  Arizona head coach Rick Neuheisel will still have his CBS gig, Mike Singletary is a high school football coach in Addison, Texas.  Singletary's DC with Memphis Dennis Thurman works during the NFL season as an in-studio analyst for Cowboys games on the local NBC station here in Dallas.  San Antonio GM Daryl Johnston will go back to his gig at Fox.

 

I don't know if we'll see Riley, Martz, Spurrier, Coyle or Lewis in the XFL. 

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13 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

It will be interesting to see what happens to most of the employees from the various teams (not counting the players). I don't know what happens to Birmingham Head Coach Tim Lewis or Atlanta Head Coach Kevin Coyle.  Arizona head coach Rick Neuheisel will still have his CBS gig, Mike Singletary is a high school football coach in Addison, Texas.  Singletary's DC with Memphis Dennis Thurman works during the NFL season as an in-studio analyst for Cowboys games on the local NBC station here in Dallas.  San Antonio GM Daryl Johnston will go back to his gig at Fox.

 

I don't know if we'll see Riley, Martz, Spurrier, Coyle or Lewis in the XFL. 

Mike Riley received $6.2 million from Nebraska last year as they decided to pay his buyout in a lump sum, not over 42 months.

Before the AAF, he was to be the Associate HC at Oregon State but with a really small salary of $50,002/year.  He'll likely go back to Oregon St. as a consultant for the year and possibly be given the title of a coach for 2020. 

 

Spurrier never resigned from his paid ambassador/consultant gig for the University of Florida.  He'll be there tomorrow for the Gators Spring Game.

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2 hours ago, monkeypower said:

The question is if the AAF breaching the contract by not paying the players means the contract is over.

 

Really? Wow. I thought it did. When Charlie Finley in late 1974 failed to make a payment on an annuity that was part of Catfish Hunter's contract, an arbitrator ruled that this act breached the contract, and that Hunter was a free agent, even though Finley was still paying Hunter his salary. I suppose that I assumed that this was more or less a general principle now, and also that the failure to pay the salary would surely be enough to consider the contract breached.

 

2 hours ago, monkeypower said:

Just because one party in a contract breaches the contract doesn't necessarily mean the contract is immediately terminated,

 

Interesting. Well, I can understand if a breached contracts remains in force to the extent of imposing certain duties on the party that breached it. But what seems bizarre to me is the idea that the breaching party can continue to benefit from the value of this contract.

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2 hours ago, monkeypower said:

 

I don't see how these things are related, I think it's more the bankruptcy aspect.

 

 

The question is if the AAF breaching the contract by not paying the players means the contract is over. Just because one party in a contract breaches the contract doesn't necessarily mean the contract is immediately terminated, it depends on what's written in the contract.

 

If the contracts are still valid, they are assets of the AAF and can be sold off for money to pay creditors during bankruptcy proceedings. This also means the AAF might not legally be able to let the players go to the CFL because it could be seen as giving away or hiding assets, which you can't do prior to filing for bankruptcy because it's bankruptcy fraud.

 

As for why players can sign in the NFL, the AAF must have had some writing in their contracts allowing the players to sign in the NFL but not specifying any other leagues, leading to where we are now.

 

Again, this is all speculation without knowing what is in the contracts.

Considering that non-payment by the league materially breaches the contract the players would not be required to perform their end of the agreement.  Combine that with the fact that since the league's now ceased operations it would be impossible for the players to perform their end of the agreement.  The contracts between the league and the players for all intents and purposes are done as the AAF can't be unjustly enriched from their breach.  Now if the AAF wants to pay out those contracts or negotiate individual buyouts with each player then it's a different story but since they don't have any money...

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4 hours ago, GDAWG said:

 

 

Makes zero sense.  If some AAF players want to play up North and get their passports in order, they should do so.  Good lord, it's no wonder the CFL has been looking to expand it's talent pool via partnerships in Mexico and Europe. 

This may elevate it to the best/worst league meltdown. Completely ridiculous.

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1 minute ago, Cosmic said:

This may elevate it to the best/worst league meltdown. Completely ridiculous.

It is, and if those players wanted to go up north and play in the CFL I say do it and let the already broke AAF try and drag them all into court.  The hilarity would be rich.  Meltdown now at Defcon 2.

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Just now, tp49 said:

It is, and if those players wanted to go up north and play in the CFL I say do it and let the already broke AAF try and drag them all into court.  The hilarity would be rich.  Meltdown now at Defcon 2.

The players really need to get a judge to slap the AAF down. The CFL doesn't want to become a defendant, and I can't really blame them.

 

Also, kudos for using DEFCON properly.

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