Xfl

[Zuplar]

With the recent announcement that the XFL will be returning in 2020, it got me thinking is this something OKC should try for. This time around they plan to be more fan centric and family friendly. Might be interesting to see what happens.

[OKCisOK4me]

Traber was talking about this on The Animal today. Sorry, but I agree with him. Prob not gonna happen. As he stated...which team is gonna give up their stadium? Tulsa? OU?

[Zuplar]

Traber was talking about this on The Animal today. Sorry, but I agree with him. Prob not gonna happen. As he stated...which team is gonna give up their stadium? Tulsa? OU?

Well the league is a winter/spring league so would be completely doable to play in Norman. I get that it’s second rate but if they learned from their mistakes I think it could be successful. They are looking at speeding up the game and making them shorter. I think they might be on to something but time will tell.

[MitchellCole]

Well the league is a winter/spring league so would be completely doable to play in Norman. I get that it’s second rate but if they learned from their mistakes I think it could be successful. They are looking at speeding up the game and making them shorter. I think they might be on to something but time will tell.

THIS. NFL games are nearly unwatchable (at least the primetime games). Touchdown. Commercial. Extra Point. Commercial. Kickoff (usually touchback). Commercial. 1 yard run. Commercial (injury timeout). 3 and out. Commercial.

I doubt XFL will be a big hit, but if they do it right they could be somewhat successful with the Goodell cr*pfest, player kneeling and trump tweeting, domestic violence (XFL will have player standards), etc bringing NFL ratings down.

[Zuplar]

THIS. NFL games are nearly unwatchable (at least the primetime games). Touchdown. Commercial. Extra Point. Commercial. Kickoff (usually touchback). Commercial. 1 yard run. Commercial (injury timeout). 3 and out. Commercial.

I doubt XFL will be a big hit, but if they do it right they could be somewhat successful with the Goodell cr*pfest, player kneeling and trump tweeting, domestic violence (XFL will have player standards), etc bringing NFL ratings down.

The game/TV format could honestly be what makes or break this league. Make it shorter with less commercials and faster action, and there will be people tuning in, especially given it will happen when there is no NFL or college football.

And I agree on CTE making an impact on soccer. Honestly you could make the argument for most sports. At which point you take that risk or try to mitigate it. The more we learn about this disease the better we can handle it and protect players from it.

[Jersey Boss]

THIS. NFL games are nearly unwatchable (at least the primetime games). Touchdown. Commercial. Extra Point. Commercial. Kickoff (usually touchback). Commercial. 1 yard run. Commercial (injury timeout). 3 and out. Commercial.

I doubt XFL will be a big hit, but if they do it right they could be somewhat successful with the Goodell cr*pfest, player kneeling and trump tweeting, domestic violence (XFL will have player standards), etc bringing NFL ratings down.

Yeah, but all ratings are down. Cord cutters, non tv viewing etc. When looking to see what the most watched show of 2017 was, it was Sunday night NFL.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-1...rage-viewers-1

[Laramie]

Traber was talking about this on The Animal today. Sorry, but I agree with him. Prob not gonna happen. As he stated...which team is gonna give up their stadium? Tulsa? OU?

Traber was the one who said the NBA wouldn't work; OKC couldn't support the league long term; Tulsa may be ready for the XFL, TU has gone on record that they don't want to lease Chapman Stadium out to soccer or pro football.

the xfl could have a team in the stadium we build for Funk, who will still be looking for a MLS.........

XFL would only need the 65K lower bowl & some suites of GF Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

Like others have mentioned an expansion of Taft or an MLS style stadium would certainly catch Funk's eye. Also,
OKC-TUL football fans what about Stillwater?

Seems as though we had this debate when William S. Banowsky was OU's President (1978–1984) and the USFL wanted to relocate from Tulsa to OKC. They were willing to short-term lease Memorial Stadium until OKC could build its own stadium. It came with a price, a big chuck of stadium concessions. OU Regents finally balked on the stadium lease. The USFL moved to Phoenix (Arizona Outlaws).

Outlaws president Bill Tatham Jr. announced Monday the first-year team has officially abandoned its Tulsa home because he is dissatisfied with 40,000-seat Skelly Stadium and plans for a proposed domed stadium have not been finalized.

Tatham said he would like to relocate the team in Oklahoma City eventually. He said he hopes to play next season at the University of Oklahoma's Memorial Stadium in Norman, but the school's Board of Regents has yet to discuss the proposal.

Outlaws' Situation Upsets USFL's Simmons:: http://newsok.com/article/2074699

If the XFL can obtain a good TV contract with NBA type revenue-sharing the XFL can make it. Right now, fans are bored with the player debacle going on in the NFL. Oklahoma is football country worth exploring by the XFL. Jim Ross (currently resides in Norman & OU Alum) may have already put a bug in McMahon ear.

Look for St. Louis, San Diego, Memphis, Birmingham, Oklahoma City or Tulsa to be on the XFL's radar.

[soonermike81]

With the recent announcement that the XFL will be returning in 2020, it got me thinking is this something OKC should try for. This time around they plan to be more fan centric and family friendly. Might be interesting to see what happens.

No, it will be a wasted effort. Second rate athletes in a second rate league. Haven’t read up on it all, but not sure what McMahon is thinking will make it different this go-around.

[dankrutka]

I’ll bet this never takes off. This is just my opinion, but CTE research is increasingly showing the long term dangers of playing football. Soon, it seems players will be able to test whether they have a degenerative brain disease that causes memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, suicidality, parkinsonism, and eventually progressive dementia. Parents and kids are going to increasingly choose to play other sports. I think we’re going to see a real drop in the popularity of football in coming years. Unfortunately, there’s really no way to make the game safe as CTE is caused as much by the everyplay hits as the targeting ones.

If you’re dismissive of CTE and have never watched the Frontline documentary then I really recommend you do so: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/f...gue-of-denial/

And, the evidence for CTE has increased dramatically since the documentary too. I don’t think there’s going to be a market for another football league in the future and I see the current leagues losing a lot of popularity.

On a side note, this could be good for OKC as I see the NBA increasing its popularity in the void.

[Zuplar]

Duplicate post.

[dankrutka]

I’ll bet this never takes off. This is just my opinion, but CTE research is increasingly showing the long term dangers of playing football. Soon, it seems players will be able to test whether they have a degenerative brain disease that causes memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, suicidality, parkinsonism, and eventually progressive dementia. Parents and kids are going to increasingly choose to play other sports. I think we’re going to see a real drop in the popularity of football in coming years. Unfortunately, there’s really no way to make the game safe as CTE is caused as much by the everyplay hits as the targeting ones.

If you’re dismissive of CTE and have never watched the Frontline documentary then I really recommend you do so: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/f...gue-of-denial/

And, the evidence for CTE has increased dramatically since the documentary too. I don’t think there’s going to be a market for another football league in the future and I see the current leagues losing a lot of popularity.

These stories are coming out with more regularity and they're so gut wrenching. This one is from the wife of retired safety Rob Kelly: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/o...in-damage.html

"I don’t think the public has any idea how widespread this problem truly is. There are likely to be hundreds of wives and partners of football players, maybe more, who live a life like mine. Sadly, there is a feeling of shame among those affected, in both the men and their families. Rob and I hope that, in telling this story, we may help other families.

But who these men have become is not who they are, and I write that with conviction. The symptoms they display are beyond their control and occur through no fault of their own. These men chose football, but they didn’t choose brain damage.

I used to read all the articles about C.T.E., all the stories about football players committing suicide. I’d skim the comments to see remarks like: “They know what they signed up for” and “Of course football is bad for the brain, everyone knows that.”

But when all those big hits happened and the fans cheered, did they cheer in spite of knowing a man just greatly increased his risk for dementia? Was anyone worried about an A.L.S. diagnosis or a C.T.E.-related suicide at 40 after their favorite player suffered repeated blows to the head on the field? No, they cheered and they celebrated because they didn’t know. And neither did we."

Also, are leagues like the XFL going to be able to afford the CTE lawsuits?

[Zuplar]

I agree Dan CTE is really starting to affect parents letting kids play, which will degrade the popularity of football. I know the XFL mentioned this is something they are focusing on when re-imaging football so will be interesting to see if they can make a difference where people still want to play.

[Thomas Vu]

I didn't think they were marketing for safe football. Wasn't their message that safety was beginning to be a detriment to the game the first go around?

[dankrutka]

I didn't think they were marketing for safe football. Wasn't their message that safety was beginning to be a detriment to the game the first go around?

I have no clue how they marketed the XFL the first time around, but there was no CTE research then. My point is that football in general is going to lose popularity across the board (less fans, players, interest) in the coming years.

[OKCretro]

the xfl could have a team in the stadium we build for Funk, who will still be looking for a MLS.........

[jerrywall]

Yeah. This is a no starter. Vince is the hype genius but he announced something two years off, no specific cities, no stadium agreements, no broadcasting or sponsorship deals. I expect this to die before it starts.

I actually enjoyed parts of the XFL last time, and am happy that some of thier technology innovations made there way into mainstream football, but I don't expect anything this time around. Vince should quit being embarrassed about being a wrastlin promoter and embrace it. I'd be proud of building something like he did.

[Urbanized]

I agree with Dan’s assessment; I’ve been thinking the same for a number of years now. Sadly I believe football as we now know it will be gone or at least unrecognizable in less than 20 years. I say this as a passionate, lifelong fan of the game.

[bradh]

Same here. I have a couple friends who played football at P5 schools and they won't let their boys play.

Maybe we finally become a soccer nation. Football still will be around for a while though, it's the only way out for some kids.

[Zuplar]

I think soccer could potentially take over. Seems like the alternative people are putting their kids in which I imagine means we are raising more and more soccer fans. Still I'd like to see some form of football survive, and I think it will because there will always be people wanting to take the risk to make the money.

[MitchellCole]

I think soccer could potentially take over. Seems like the alternative people are putting their kids in which I imagine means we are raising more and more soccer fans. Still I'd like to see some form of football survive, and I think it will because there will always be people wanting to take the risk to make the money.

I'm afraid soccer is going to have a CTE issue arise some day due to headers and accidental headbutts.

[jn1780]

I'm afraid soccer is going to have a CTE issue arise some day due to headers and accidental headbutts.

Not nearly on the same level though as football though.

[Uptowner]

Besides the argument about the decline of football and CTE. This is something I would buy a season ticket to. I don’t know what kind of numbers they expect. But Taft is setup for football. And it could be RE-expanded to its former 18,000 capacity pretty easily. Alls I’m saying is yes, I would watch this. And btw it’s original concept was to have less rules and promote more violent play. As to the “second rate players” comment. The NFL is an extraordinary competitive sport. Players on the edge of a spot spend years training and attending summer camps with multiple teams even playing on the practice squad before they earn a spot or wash out. A league where Tim Tebow wasn’t good enough, josh white didnt get drafted or even invited to tryout. A league where first round picks are regularly chewed up and spit out. There’s enough semi-pro talent out there.

[Zuplar]

Yeah I really think OKC might already be something the XFL looks into as a market that has one professional team but void of one for football. There is a lot of people I know hat would buy tickets to this especially if they are reasonably priced comeoares to the nfl.

[Jersey Boss]

Yeah I really think OKC might already be something the XFL looks into as a market that has one professional team but void of one for football. There is a lot of people I know hat would buy tickets to this especially if they are reasonably priced comeoares to the nfl.

Other than baseball. minor league sports of late have fared poorly. AHL Barons and CBA Calvery being two examples.

[Zuplar]

Other than baseball. minor league sports of late have fared poorly. AHL Barons and CBA Calvery being two examples.

True, but an alternative to the NFL may make more noise and be more appealing. If they hit the ground running, and really put thought into it this time, they could have success.

Not sure how many people watched the 30 for 30 ESPN did on the XFL not too long ago, but looking back and reflecting on what they did wrong almost proves that had they not done some of the stupid stuff they did, they may very well have been around for at minimum a couple more seasons. I think Vince McMahon has learned a lot and I don't look for him to make the same mistakes. He's going to take advantage of technology and he's going to attempt to fix the problems that fans have with the NFL.