AAF- Week 2 (1 Viewer)

[Bartyboy]

Any good sky box ref calls?

 

[NatureBoy]

Wanted to take in a couple of weeks of AAF action in before saying too much.

Here are a couple of thoughts, in no particular order.

The Orlando/San Antonio game is far and away the best of the 8 games played so far. Those two teams look to be the class of the league, offensively at least.

If Garret Gilbert keeps playing with this efficiency and confidence, he will find his way back to the NFL.

San Antonio attendance and fan involvement during the game presented itself really well on TV this week.

The shortened play clock favors the defenses IMO. Most often the offense approaches the line of scrimmage with very little time to audible. They don't get a chance to scan the field and make adjustments. It seems like they've just been scrambling to get the play off.

I like hearing the booth discussion about reviews. I also like the way they try to reach a conclusion as quickly as possible and move the game along. In general, I like the pace of the game.

I don't remember seeing the new "on sides kick" equivalent play yet. It's exactly what I thought the NFL should do (create a 4th down situation). Although, it seems that scenario is only reserved for when an AAF team wants to run an offensive play and try to convert. If it were me, I'd create a 4th and 15 type of scenario on what would have been every kick off situation. The team can punt, go for it (traditional offensive play), or fake the punt. The receiving team can also consider going for a block. I think it's just too vanilla starting every drive (after a score or to start the 1st or 2nd half) at the 25. Making the kick off a real punting play would add more excitement to the game.

It hasn't been great, but it's been good, and entertaining, for a football junkie. It's obvious this league is managed by football people. There is a place for spring football, and I think it can be successful over the long haul, if it's managed intelligently. It's beneficial to the players, NFL franchises and football fans.

MJD stinks, get him off my television.

 

[Thunderchild]

MJD stinks, get him off my television.

My God, yes! Get that piece of work off any and all broadcasts.

That is my only complaint so far. I'm loving the action, the rules changes, the Skybox ref, all of it except for mjd.

 

[justdave]

A lot of SSF members adopted the Express as their AAF team to pull for. Some noted the number of local players as their reason for doing so. But sadly they are now 0-2.
Hopefully Express fans won't have to wait 40+ years for a championship team.

If we are still waiting after 40 years, that would be a victory in of itself.

 

[Complex Kid]

Apparently the league has already started to struggle financially.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report...l-last-week-nhl-owner-invested-141446499.html

For all the good publicity the Alliance of American Football received early on, it’s still a startup business.

Like plenty of other startup businesses, the AAF might have been underfunded to start. The Athletic’s David Glenn, citing multiple sources, reported that the league was in danger of not making payroll last week, just the second week of the league’s existence.

The crisis was averted. Glenn wrote that Carolina Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon will be introduced as the AAF’s new chairman after investing $250 million to the AAF. The NHL owner’s investment allowed the league to meet its financial obligations.

 

[Saint Jack]

Apparently the league has already started to struggle financially.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report...l-last-week-nhl-owner-invested-141446499.html

For all the good publicity the Alliance of American Football received early on, it’s still a startup business.

Like plenty of other startup businesses, the AAF might have been underfunded to start. The Athletic’s David Glenn, citing multiple sources, reported that the league was in danger of not making payroll last week, just the second week of the league’s existence.

The crisis was averted. Glenn wrote that Carolina Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon will be introduced as the AAF’s new chairman after investing $250 million to the AAF. The NHL owner’s investment allowed the league to meet its financial obligations.

Financial obligation for next week or the season?
Will this investment cover the paychecks for the season?

 

[Thunderchild]

Financial obligation for next week or the season?
Will this investment cover the paychecks for the season?

He invested $250M. Quick back of the envelope calcs shows a league payroll of $17M - $20M per year. Each player signs a 3 year contract for $250,000.

So it will cover player payroll easily. But then you have staff, expenses, rent, travel, uniforms, etc. I would guess that might cover all expenses for a year. Maybe.

And if my quickie math is even close, lol.

 

[Saint Jack]

Apparently it was a glitch

 

[Dr. Sting]

Financial obligation for next week or the season?
Will this investment cover the paychecks for the season?

Per their "angel investor," Tom Dundon, they are good for quite some time (years) with his stake. They also get TV/streaming money from the NFL Network, TNT, CBS and Bleacher Report.

Also, if they manage to survive for a few years, look for the NFL to invest. They are desperately in need of a developmental league. Especially with the prospect that some Colleges and High Schools may at some point say that they aren't going to keep playing football due to the financial risks associated with CTE. Couple that with the fact that only 22 of the top 120 programs in 2010-11 made a profit or broke even... well, you do the math.

And before you laugh, there is a precedent for that happening. Football almost went away in the early 1900's due to injury concerns before Teddy Roosevelt had the rules changed and saved it.

"How Teddy Roosevelt saved football."

The AAF has a lot of persons connected with the NFL already on board (Bill Polian, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu). At some point they will come under the NFL's umbrella. The XFL on the other hand, I think is going to fail. Aside from Oliver Luck, they have poor leadership, no connection to the NFL, no TV deal as of yet, bad already oversaturated markets (Los Angeles - really?) and Vince McMahon is a flake.

 

[onthurdays]

I can’t believe no ones else is complaining about the terrible camera work for some of these games. One game last week was ENTIRELY in sky cam, the whole game. It was unwatchable. What the heck was that?

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

I can’t believe no ones else is complaining about the terrible camera work for some of these games. One game last week was ENTIRELY in sky cam, the whole game. It was unwatchable. What the heck was that?

Actually I kind of like the skycam, especially for running plays Though for deep passes, not so great.

 

[Complex Kid]

Apparently the league has already started to struggle financially.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report...l-last-week-nhl-owner-invested-141446499.html

For all the good publicity the Alliance of American Football received early on, it’s still a startup business.

Like plenty of other startup businesses, the AAF might have been underfunded to start. The Athletic’s David Glenn, citing multiple sources, reported that the league was in danger of not making payroll last week, just the second week of the league’s existence.

The crisis was averted. Glenn wrote that Carolina Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon will be introduced as the AAF’s new chairman after investing $250 million to the AAF. The NHL owner’s investment allowed the league to meet its financial obligations.

Crisis not so averted I guess:

http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/26423928/source-aaf-suspends-operations-1st-season

 

[Saint Taysom]

Swing-and-a-miss! The AAF is struggling to get through its first season before folding. League operations are already suspended indefinitely.

 

[NatureBoy]

Color me disappointed. I’ve been hoping for a sustainable developmental league to surface. It was far from perfect, and needed some work, but I enjoyed it more than not.

Demanding use of the NFL’s practice squad players at this point of the season, when they are bound by an ironclad CBA, just doesn’t make sense. The AAF owner had to know that couldn’t happen, at least not anytime soon. I don’t believe we are getting the whole story.

Oh well, let’s try the XFL part 2 next spring.

 

[WhoDat9to12]

RIP AAF