Death of the Alliance of American Football

[Sec19Row53]

1 hour ago, mkg74 said:

Poor attendance is what will bury the league. 

 

Not This Dundon BS of we need 3rd stringers from the NFL that’s just a lousy cover up pointing the finger at the NFL excuse for their failure. The average AAFer and a 3rd stringer in the NFL is prettty much interchangeable. 

 

If the AAF had 7 other San Antonio’s then the general public would be singing a different tune towards this league. They worked hard in San Antonio to pull fans in the other 7 cities didn’t do :censored:!!  And now it’s come to this. Possible closing down of shop. Poor attendance could kill the AAF. 

 

It’s like this league said. “We just signed Trent Richardson,buy tickets” doesn’t work that way. (I borrowed the Richardson quote from someone else btw. But we get the idea here). 

I would disagree that the average AAfer and a 3rd stringer from the NFL are interchangeable. If poor attendance is the cause for insufficient funds that I agree with that statement (although I don't think that is the case - income should have come from somewhere else).  As for the general public - not sure.  The general public is probably better measured by TV numbers than by game attendance.

I didn't expect it to survive, but I also would bet against any spring league to even begin, so they are way ahead of me on that front. I've been involved in too much low level football to have any confidence in the success of something that isn't NFL, NCAA, or local high school. I'm excluding the CFL in this statement -  I don't see it going anywhere but see it as a different best altogether (as in almost totally independent of NFL, NCAA, and local high school).

[Red Comet]

Claiming 30,000 tonight in San Antonio so I did catch something that I feel has gone without notice. Since Week 4, announced average league-wide attendance has gone up with each progressing week. I don't care what the hell is going on behind the scenes, this number is what I have to work with. The games have gotten better so I think this is one positive sign that has gone without notice until now.

 

 

[mkg74]

10 minutes ago, Sec19Row53 said:

I would disagree that the average AAfer and a 3rd stringer from the NFL are interchangeable. If poor attendance is the cause for insufficient funds that I agree with that statement (although I don't think that is the case - income should have come from somewhere else).  As for the general public - not sure.  The general public is probably better measured by TV numbers than by game attendance.

Attendance is everything...pays the bills,looks better on TV,adds legitimacy. Nobodys gonna want to watch a game with 2,000 people in the stands except the diehards. You put any NFL game in front of 2,000 people in the stands and no matter how exciting it may be it looks bush league. TV ratings have slid but seem to be no concern within the AAF. One would have to think this league can only live by atttendance, they have no TV sponsorship or at least the major players like say Beer companies Coke or Pepsi or other companies catering to males like shaving products or whatnot good hell even Viagra. I'm just a big believer in good attendance at games will breed TV numbers gradually, get people otherwise on the fence to maybe check it out.... 

[rams80]

7 hours ago, GDAWG said:

Pro Football Talk with an update:

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/03/31/no-movement-on-effort-to-get-nflpa-to-agree-to-loan-players-to-aaf-xfl/

 

Good on the NFLPA.  Loaning players to other leagues is a losing proposition for them without a lot more guaranteed money.

[mkg74]

25 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

Claiming 30,000 tonight in San Antonio so I did catch something that I feel has gone without notice. Since Week 4, announced average league-wide attendance has gone up with each progressing week. I don't care what the hell is going on behind the scenes, this number is what I have to work with. The games have gotten better so I think this is one positive sign that has gone without notice until now.

 

 

23,504 attendace

[GDAWG]

2 hours ago, mkg74 said:

Poor attendance is what will bury the league. 

 

Not This Dundon BS of we need 3rd stringers from the NFL that’s just a lousy cover up pointing the finger at the NFL excuse for their failure. The average AAFer and a 3rd stringer in the NFL is prettty much interchangeable. 

 

If the AAF had 7 other San Antonio’s then the general public would be singing a different tune towards this league. They worked hard in San Antonio to pull fans in the other 7 cities didn’t do :censored:!!  And now it’s come to this. Possible closing down of shop. Poor attendance could kill the AAF. 

 

It’s like this league said. “We just signed Trent Richardson,buy tickets” doesn’t work that way. (I borrowed the Richardson quote from someone else btw. But we get the idea here). 

 

San Diego is doing well attendance wise.  Yes, 20,000 in a 70,000 seat stadium doesn't look good, but anything over 20,000 for the Fleet is considered a win seeing as how "The NFL Team that Used to be in San Diego for Half a Century but left for Los Angeles because of Greed" has done worse than the Fleet and their stadium only seats 27,000

[MJWalker45]

37 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

Claiming 30,000 tonight in San Antonio so I did catch something that I feel has gone without notice. Since Week 4, announced average league-wide attendance has gone up with each progressing week. I don't care what the hell is going on behind the scenes, this number is what I have to work with. The games have gotten better so I think this is one positive sign that has gone without notice until now.

 

 

Not sure who claimed 30,000 since the stadium posted 23,300.

[mkg74]

24 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

San Diego is doing well attendance wise.  Yes, 20,000 in a 70,000 seat stadium doesn't look good, but anything over 20,000 for the Fleet is considered a win seeing as how "The NFL Team that Used to be in San Diego for Half a Century but left for Los Angeles because of Greed" has done worse than the Fleet and their stadium only seats 27,000

I don’t follow the NFL anymore haven’t for years. So I wouldn’t know of the Chargers woes however that makes me happy to hear they aren’t doing well. It’s too bad rest of the NFL isn’t suffering the same fate. 

[GDAWG]

9 minutes ago, mkg74 said:

I don’t follow the NFL anymore haven’t for years. So I wouldn’t know of the Chargers woes however that makes me happy to hear they aren’t doing well. It’s too bad rest of the NFL isn’t suffering the same fate. 

 

During week one of the last NFL season, the Chargers had a home game and it did sell out, but the problem was that most of the fans at the Chargers home game were fans of the opposing NFL team: the Kansas City Chiefs:

 

https://thebiglead.com/2018/09/09/los-angeles-chargers-welcomed-another-pathetic-crowd-in-week-1/

 

So anything over 20,000 in attendance at home is a win for the Fleet. 

[CrimsonBull9584]

8 hours ago, dfwabel said:

 

 

 

Except more fans came in after that.

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

1 hour ago, MJWalker45 said:

Not sure who claimed 30,000 since the stadium posted 23,300.

 

The announcers said during the broadcast that the attendance was 30,000.

[MJWalker45]

8 minutes ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

The announcers said during the broadcast that the attendance was 30,000.

At least we know San Antonio isn't fudging numbers.  

[Red Wolf]

1 hour ago, CrimsonBull9584 said:

 

Except more fans came in after that.

 

I can't say one way or the other, but in my experience this is true in regards to the Birmingham game. However, I don't know how many times I've attended a sporting event and heard somebody say, "thin crowd" five minutes before kickoff only for the stands to fill in really well by five minutes after the game had started. The announced was around 17k for whatever that's worth.

[Red Comet]

3 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

Not sure who claimed 30,000 since the stadium posted 23,300.

 

Media broadcast. Just goes to show you that believing in integrity of the media is like believing in Santa Claus.

[mkg74]

6 hours ago, CrimsonBull9584 said:

 

Except more fans came in after that.

He posted same thing for Fleet Stallions game the day It was like 10 min before game time lol When obviously more people would arrive. 

[Gothamite]

Except these game action vids don’t look a whole lot better.  

 

 

the other end zone is actually empty.  Did they close it to cluster fans together?  If so, that was a smart move. 

 

 

[Gothamite]

4 hours ago, Red Comet said:

Media broadcast. Just goes to show you that believing in integrity of the media is like believing in Santa Claus.

 

“The media” is reliable. Sports commentators, on the other hand....

[Red Comet]

Veteran agent Leigh Steinberg thinks the NFLPA may actually come to an agreement with the AAF.

 

 

Honestly? The only way the truth is ever going to come out is with waiting. Not to mention it seems like Polian and DeMaurice Smith allegedly have a decent rapport despite Dundon's dundering. 

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

 

28 minutes ago, Red Comet said:

Veteran agent Leigh Steinberg thinks the NFLPA may actually come to an agreement with the AAF. 

 

Steinberg notes that the union's job is to advance the interests of players; and he asserts that players having an opportunity to prove themselves in game action under conditions similar to those in the NFL is indeed in players' interests.

 

The article says:
 

Quote

...there is a concern that NFL teams would, in turn, abuse their power and force young players into action with the AAF in exchange for consideration to make an NFL roster in the fall.

 

While I am firmly pro-player as opposed to pro-owner in my orientation, I have to say that do not see this as an abuse of power.  A baseball player who is willing to play winter ball can often gain an advantage over a similarly-rated marginal player who does not play winter ball.  So it seems reasonable that an NFL practice-squad player who accepts an assignment to the AAF would increase his chances to make an NFL roster.

 

My bet is that the important question is not this but, rather, what to do in case of injury.  I think that, if NFL teams agree to treat players injured in AAF action just as they would treat players injured in NFL action, then the potential exists for agreement on the part of the union.
 

[Red Comet]

15 minutes ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

 

Steinberg notes that the union's job is to advance the interests of players; and he asserts that players having an opportunity to prove themselves in game action under conditions similar to those in the NFL is indeed in players' interests.

 

The article says:
 

 

While I am firmly pro-player as opposed to pro-owner in my orientation, I have to say that do not see this as an abuse of power.  A baseball player who is willing to play winter ball can often gain an advantage over a similarly-rated marginal player who does not play winter ball.  So it seems reasonable that an NFL practice-squad player who accepts an assignment to the AAF would increase his chances to make an NFL roster.

 

My bet is that the important question is not this but, rather, what to do in case of injury.  I think that, if NFL teams agree to treat players injured in AAF action just as they would treat players injured in NFL action, then the potential exists for agreement on the part of the union.
 

 

If blue-collar professions like plumbers or electricians require you to have many years of apprenticeship in order to really know the craft well, then I don't think having fringe bench players putting in work is so horrible. I think of this more like fall rookie ball in baseball than anything else. As for injuries, my father and I have yet to meet anyone who is/was a carpenter that still has functioning knees at 50.