Death of the Alliance of American Football

[dfwabel]

13 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

Why didn't the AAF decide to do what the CFL is trying to do and expand the player pool beyond the United States?

Because paying for work visas for players is damn expensive.  $460 each, but four times more if you need one expedited.  

 

I have no idea regarding Canada, but for these lower level players in terms of talent, there is a better use of $460.

[rams80]

12 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

Now I think he's intentionally crashing the league to get the tech for TopGolf.

 

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

[dfwabel]

18 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

Now I think he's intentionally crashing the league to get the tech for TopGolf.

 

5 minutes ago, rams80 said:

 

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

February 19...

 

[GDAWG]

So by the time the XFL kicks off, the AAF may be done. 

[IceCap]

3 hours ago, dfwabel said:

This is a sports message board. Posters wish for employee removal weekly.

 

Do we?

[dfwabel]

22 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

Do we?

Seems monthly, but it depends on the specific season.

 

https://boards.sportslogos.net/search/?q="should be fired"&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=and

[GDAWG]

Also, the XFL has had a delay in naming their last 4 head coaches as Oliver Luck had said that all would be named by the end of March

[dfwabel]

Per Darren Rovell today (bolded by me)

 

Quote

Sources tell The Action Network that Dundon, going into his sixth week of ownership, has sunk $70 million into the AAF.

 

The league went to Dundon because he offered to essentially insure that the AAF didn’t have to raise more money from multiple partners in the near future.

 

Fowler, who was initially going to buy the Minnesota Vikings before having financial issues, committed $170 million to the AAF, according to sources. After being vetted and suggested to the AAF by NFL executives themselves, Fowler had only put up $28 million by the time Dundon swooped in.

 

Last month, league co-founder Charlie Ebersol negotiated with Dundon to make the deal, which allowed plenty of breathing room for the AAF. But sources say that as soon as Dundon had control, he changed the business plan.

 

The current AAF management had the goal of building up its own brand before potentially becoming a feeder system to the NFL by Year 3, but Dundon pivoted and immediately began pushing for the AAF to become a minor league.

1

1

 

[GDAWG]

The NFL has to be concerned about attendance in Arizona, Memphis, Atlanta and Salt Lake.  They also probably don't like the fact that Salt Lake doesn't have any of their own colors and symbols on the field at Rice Eccles Stadium. 

[dfwabel]

22 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

Also, the XFL has had a delay in naming their last 4 head coaches as Oliver Luck had said that all would be named by the end of March

So what, Vince sold 3.3M shares of his WWE stock today.  It closed at $84.87 this afternoon.

 

Today, his stock:

Open	at $87.82/share
High	88.31
Low	83.86

[IceCap]

33 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

Seems monthly, but it depends on the specific season.

 

https://boards.sportslogos.net/search/?q="should be fired"&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=and

It’s one thing to want a crappy coach or GM to get the axe. These guys have contacts worth millions. Even if they do get fired they’re making out alright. 

 

It’s a bit different from wishing a guy who just works for a minor league team to lose his job. 

[MJWalker45]

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

So by the time the XFL kicks off, the AAF may be done. 

Makes it easy to assign players, just have each XFL team pick an AAF team and there you go. 

[Sec19Row53]

1 hour ago, GDAWG said:

The NFL has to be concerned about attendance in Arizona, Memphis, Atlanta and Salt Lake.  They also probably don't like the fact that Salt Lake doesn't have any of their own colors and symbols on the field at Rice Eccles Stadium. 

Why would the NFL care about AAF attendance OR field markings?

[dfwabel]

3 minutes ago, Sec19Row53 said:

Why would the NFL care about AAF attendance OR field markings?

Exactly.

 

And NFLPA should not really care about practice squad guys play there too.

Per USA Today's Touchdown Wire blog:

Quote

 

The NFLPA owes exactly nothing to the AAF. If a player was injured in AAF action, then what happens to the NFL contract? What happens if it’s a career-threatening injury? Even a minor injury could hurt a player who is trying to make the roster. If they aren’t recovered by the beginning of camp then that player is already behind the eight-ball. Furthermore, if a player does poorly in the AAF it hurts their chance of being brought back by their NFL team. There is essentially no upside for practice squad or end of the roster players and only downside. What did AAF leadership think would happen?

 

The AAF argued it was going to be a complementary league. It’s quickly shifting to a minor league. The NFL doesn’t need an official minor league because they find talent no matter what. They find undrafted free agents from small colleges. They find players in the CFL. They find players who play rugby or Australian football. They find players some way, somehow. It’s been like that for years. The NFLPA doesn’t need the AAF. The AAF needs the NFLPA.

 

NFL coaches do seem open to the idea of having players get some reps in the AAF, but that’s exactly why the NFLPA should hold strong. The union can use this as a negotiating ploy. They can try and create two-way contracts. They can say that NFL players can go to the AAF, but certain things need to be guaranteed before they do so. The union should want this to be an issue going into the new collective bargaining agreement because it’s another chip they use in their negotiation. If the NFL wants the AAF to be its official developmental league, then concessions must be made.

1

 

[mkg74]

Residence in the football graveyard is next up for this league. Well it was pretty fun while it lasted. 

[dfwabel]

Dondon wants practice squad guys because of the obvious....to help him reduce payroll.

Excerpts from Mike Florio late Wednesday night
 

Quote

Per a source with knowledge of the league’s plans, games will be played this weekend, Week Eight of the inaugural season. Beyond this weekend, however, it’s entirely possible that the plug will be pulled.

 

Modification of the labor deal is needed in large part because players who are loaned by NFL teams to the AAF would need protection against serious injury suffered while playing in the developmental league. As the source explained it, those players would receive the same payment that a practice squad player receives if he suffers a season-ending injury. Players also would receive extra compensation from the AAF for games played there, but not necessarily the full salary that gets paid to AAF players with no NFL connection.

 

Dundon’s comments to USA Today were not posturing or grandstanding. Without a mechanism for using NFL players in its 2020 season, the AAF may not make it to the end of its 2019 season.

 

 

 

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

15 minutes ago, dfwabel said:

Dondon wants practice squad guys because of the obvious....to help him reduce payroll.

Excerpts from Mike Florio late Wednesday night
 

Quote

Per a source with knowledge of the league’s plans, games will be played this weekend, Week Eight of the inaugural season. Beyond this weekend, however, it’s entirely possible that the plug will be pulled.

 

Modification of the labor deal is needed in large part because players who are loaned by NFL teams to the AAF would need protection against serious injury suffered while playing in the developmental league. As the source explained it, those players would receive the same payment that a practice squad player receives if he suffers a season-ending injury. Players also would receive extra compensation from the AAF for games played there, but not necessarily the full salary that gets paid to AAF players with no NFL connection.

 

Dundon’s comments to USA Today were not posturing or grandstanding. Without a mechanism for using NFL players in its 2020 season, the AAF may not make it to the end of its 2019 season.

 

Here is what makes no sense to me: Dundon surely knew the payroll costs before he decided to buy into the league a few weeks ago.  Nothing has changed since then.  So, if using NFL players (and paying them less than the AAF pays its own players) is so bloody important to Dundon, then why didn't he make that a condition of his investment?  Why did he spend his money in the first place when no such scheme was in place?

 

If this guy is not playing some kind of leverage game, if he is seriously thinking of folding up the league over this issue, then he is completely irrational.

[rams80]

25 minutes ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

Here is what makes no sense to me: Dundon surely knew the payroll costs before he decided to buy into the league a few weeks ago.  Nothing has changed since then.  So, if using NFL players (and paying them less than the AAF pays its own players) is so bloody important to Dundon, then why didn't he make that a condition of his investment?  Why did he spend his money in the first place when no such scheme was in place?

 

If this guy is not playing some kind of leverage game, if he is seriously thinking of folding up the league over this issue, then he is completely irrational.

 

This is why "he just wants the tech" is the likeliest explanation.

[dfwabel]

15 minutes ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

Here is what makes no sense to me: Dundon surely knew the payroll costs before he decided to buy into the league a few weeks ago.  Nothing has changed since then.  So, if using NFL players (and paying them less than the AAF pays its own players) is so bloody important to Dundon, then why didn't he make that a condition of his investment?  Why did he spend his money in the first place when no such scheme was in place?

 

If this guy is not playing some kind of leverage game, if he is seriously thinking of folding up the league over this issue, then he is completely irrational.

Revenues are not what Ebersol promised (or projected when at the table with Dundon).  Darren Rovell wrote that Dundon already dumped $70M already in five weeks. 

Orlando Sentinal columnist/radio host Mike Bianchi really took Charlie Ebersol to task.  Starts at the 6:20 mark.

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

2 hours ago, dfwabel said:

2 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

If this guy is not playing some kind of leverage game, if he is seriously thinking of folding up the league over this issue, then he is completely irrational.

Revenues are not what Ebersol promised (or projected when at the table with Dundon).  Darren Rovell wrote that Dundon already dumped $70M already in five weeks. 

Orlando Sentinal columnist/radio host Mike Bianchi really took Charlie Ebersol to task.  Starts at the 6:20 mark.

 

Thanks for this! 

While Bianchi and co-host Marc Daniels accuse Ebersol and Bill Polian of having lied to people, Daniels also wonders why Dundon would have proceeded without a plan to make his money back.  Daniels goes on to characterise Dundon's act of giving the AAF money without looking at its books as "a stupid move".

And then Bianchi presses Daniels on what he is owed by the UFL's Florida Tuskers, for whom Daniels had called some games; and Daniels reveals a few details.  Fascinating stuff!  Daniels says that the guy who "screwed everybody" was "your [Bianchi's] friend who used to run the Jaguars", to which Bianchi responds by mentioning a name that sounds like "Mike Yuke".  (Can someone who knows about this provide more?)  This segment begins at about the 20-minute mark.

Side point: local radio is fantastic when issues such as this come up.  I spent plenty of time listening to XTRA in San Diego when the Chargers moved.  And, going way back to 1996, when the Browns announced their move to Baltimore, I spent hours every night for months listening to stations in Cleveland (WWWE and WKNR) and in Baltimore (WBAL), "DX-ing" those stations on my AM radio.  I called into all of them, and even became something of a regular caller on the Cleveland stations — they would bump "Freddie from New York" up to the front of the queue!