And now, a guest post by Rob Sylvester.
By Rob Sylvester
The United Football League is now in its second year of operation, attempting to carve out a niche in the American sporting landscape while providing Jeff Garcia with a steady paycheck and the poor, bored people of Nebraska with some occasional entertainment (Omaha leads the five-team league in attendance and will also be the site for this year’s title game). Considering our nation’s love affair with football, this most recent attempt at creating a competitor to the NFL should come as no surprise — however, can the UFL succeed where the USFL (and others) have failed? If the UFL if unfamiliar with the idiom that “those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it,” then the answer is no, probably not. But what if they try something new?
On the surface, the strategy being employed by the UFL is not a new one — tweak the NFL rules slightly, draw a couple has-been stars and a lot of not-quite-there-yet training camp fodder from the big league and then bring the action to areas not ensconced in an NFL stronghold — the aforementioned Omaha, despite being a hotbed of college football, is almost 200 miles from Kansas City, home of the nearest NFL franchise (and the best barbeque west of Baltimore). This lesson in supply and demand is taken straight from Economics 101 and directly results in the start-up league’s lifeblood — fans of the game who’ve heretofore not had a rooting interest of their own; the Free Agents of football fandom, if you will (and yes, the UFL does have teams in New York City and the Bay Area — perhaps the only two NFL markets with enough people for this to possibly work).
Where other leagues have run into trouble is by attempting to expand beyond this strategy — with their eyes far larger than their stomachs, they’ve pushed their still-fledgling leagues into markets already occupied by the NFL in a foolish attempt to stand toe-to-toe with their well-established big brother and live to tell the tale (the particularly foolish USFL tried this tactic from the start). As more franchises led to soaring costs and dilution of an already weak product, the NFL brushed off these competitors with ease and still stands as a modern monopoly of football.
So, if the UFL is smart, they’ve been taking notes. Keep the number of franchises low. Stay out of NFL markets and build lasting relationships with the dedicated fanbases in the non-NFL markets. Most importantly? Be patient. Americans love football and the love to watch it be played at a high level — if the league takes the time to invest in its infrastructure, to keep bringing in talented coaches (Jim Fassel and Dennis Green are both currently stewarding franchises) and to bring in a higher caliber player (the toughest task of them all), then the on-field product will improve and the United Football League can have a shot at being more than a few-year flash in the pan. The key is to co-exist, not compete, and the only thing fans care about in the long run is the quality of play.
The wild card in all of this? The looming threat of an NFL lockout next season. If the NFLPA and league owners cannot resolve their current impasse, then, at least for a year, all markets will be non-NFL markets. If this happens, does the UFL abandon its course and go all-in, hoping to capitalize on the labor strife by raiding NFL rosters and moving games to Sunday afternoon?
Only if they’re unwise. Even in the event of the NFL shuttering it’s doors, one would think the league will be out of service for no more than a year — and when the Tom Brady’s and Adrian Peterson’s of the world return to the league in which they became household names, very few people across America will remember the Las Vegas Locomotovies, or even know what the hell a Tusker is. Bottom line, the only way the UFL is still in operation in ten years is if they manage to not put the cart before the horse and try for too much, too soon (a strategy possible future-UFL star JaMarcus Russell would be wise to adhere to at all-you-can-eat buffets across the country).
What do you think? Let us know in the comments if you think the UFL is for real, or if we’re simply dealing with the USFL redux. Have you watched any games, or have a rooting interest for a UFL team? Would you ever watch a professional football league not named the NFL? How is Jeff Garcia not on an NFL roster but Todd Bouman and David Carr are? Will the UFL still exist in 10 years?
And seriously, what the hell is a Tusker?
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Omaha to Host United Football League Championship Game [WOWT.com]
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- Dave - Oct 20, 2010 at 2:47 PM
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I believe the UFL is for real, but as to whether it can survive is a different issue. Obviously their road is littered with other alternative pro leagues that tried and failed for reasons that had nothing to do with quality of play. I support the UFL. I live in California but am a season ticket holder of the Las Vegas Locomotives this season, after traveling to Vegas for the UFL championship last season and seeing the game in person. I watch as many games on Versus or via the live streaming on the UFL website as I can. I support the UFL because I was not really attached to any NFL team as a fan, and I also applaud the efforts to build something new, even if the formula is not original. It’s hard to know how long they will be around. When I see attendance of 19,000 – 23,000 in Sacramento and Omaha, I think it could go pretty good. When I see attendance of 8,000 to 9,000 in Vegas and Orlando then I wonder how long those teams can hold on that way. There is also rumors that the UFL may place a team in the L.A. market. If or when they do I’ll latch on to the L.A. based team instead of traveling to Vegas. If or when they get a decent TV contract for their games, that will be a big help for them. As for the gameplay, I would say it is much improved in Season 2, compared to Season 1. Going thru season 1 and and then having a real training camp in Season 2 probably helped a lot. It’s clear to anyone watching that its not on par with the NFL, and I think the realists in the UFL admit that. Then again, I’ve watched several NFL games in my life that I could say “weren’t on par with what the NFL would like them to be”. I’ve enjoyed the 2 Vegas home games I’ve attended so far this season, am looking forward to the next one on October 23, and have also enjoyed most of the UFL games I’ve watched on TV or internet this season. I hope they are around for a long time, but if not I will enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
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- Joseph Rodriquez - Oct 20, 2010 at 2:50 PM
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Yes as a matter of fact I try watching the games that are televise on the channels Versus and HDNET. Like all leagues that start up the UFL is doing a smart thing by staying away from the NFL’S cities and even if the fan base for the UFL league is in the 20,000 thousand fans per game they are building a following fan base. Where can you take your family for a good night out for under $100.00 dollars where you spent quality time with family and your children can enjoy a good night out with MOM and DAD. BY the way have you watch a UFL game you would be suprise how good the quality of play the UFL puts out.
Next time see a UFL game before you put the league down,take your family and watch a game if your near a city that have UFL teams because like the saying goes spending a night out with your family PRICELESS.
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- Greg K - Oct 20, 2010 at 2:51 PM
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I do think the UFL is for real. As a season ticket holder for the Hartford Colonials, there is my rooting interest. I can also attest to the high quality of the football product. While it may not be of the same caliber of the NFL, I’d claim that it is not as far off in quality as some may be led to believe. The UFL can succeed if they stay their current course and don’t get greedy by expanding too quickly or into NFL markets. The Omaha franchise is the hallmark of the league at this point, and it proves that there is demand for football outside of NFL markets. If the UFL can cultivate similar markets and slowly build upon their fanbase while keeping costs down, there is no reason to believe it can’t learn to coexist in the NFL’s shadow. If the league learns to coexist alongside the NFL and develop their niche, perhaps an agreement could be made to become the official D-league of the NFL.
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- Vinny - Oct 20, 2010 at 6:22 PM
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I think the UFL will stay to provide a developmental league for the NFL. The UFL gives players who might just barely miss a roster cut a place to spend a season or two so they can keep in shape and eventually have another shot at the NFL. It seems to me like the UFL wants to co-exist with the NFL, in fact, I believe they even tried to form a partnership.
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- TJ - Oct 20, 2010 at 9:33 PM
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I agree with the sentiments on this page. I am a UFL fan because NFL blackouts and the greed of things like the NFL Network and NFL Redzone have turned me off to the NFL. I also love how all UFL games are streamed for free. No other league would do that. While the quality of the play may not be NFL caliber the Omaha vs. Hartford game at the begining of the year was one of the most exciting football games I’ve ever seen. I would reccomend that you watch it. Best part is past games can be streamed for free on the UFL website.
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- TA - Oct 20, 2010 at 9:54 PM
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Might want to do a little more research before writing an article like this. There are no teams in New York or San Francisco. Both of those moved months ago. The New York Sentinels became the Hartford Colonials (announcement made in February), and the California Redwoods took up residence in Sacramento as the Mountain Lions.
I’ve been to all of the home games in Hartford and had a lot of fun. The tickets cost about a fifth of what you’d pay to see an NFL game but the quality of the product on the field is much, much greater than what you pay for. I hope this league succeeds.
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- BC - Oct 21, 2010 at 10:32 AM
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I unfortunately have not been able to make it to a Hartford game, but have watched a couple games on TV. The quality of football is good – not as many spectacular plays, but it’s good. On a par or even better than the CFL.
The TV telecasts are so-so. Not a lot of snazzy graphics, its just sort of “generic football”. I don’t mind that, because I generally am turned off by that and want to watch the game. But the casual fan may not feel the same way.
Hopefully – if they get their labour situation resolved – the NFL buys into the league and it becomes a true developmental league.
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- Dave - Oct 22, 2010 at 1:41 AM
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Me again. Gotta say that the Sacramento – Florida game tonight was a good one. After punting their first 4 or 5 posessions, Culpepper finally got on track and looked pretty good the rest of the evening, wich 2 lead changes in the 4th quarter and Sac coming from behind to win 21-17. Las Vegas vs. Hartford on Saturday. Go Locos!
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- Ho - Oct 22, 2010 at 5:30 AM
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1. They need to find more cities like Omaha and give up locations that always fail like Florida and LA. Milwaukee would be good, especially if they played at Miller Park, since it’s a world-class stadium with the added novelty of a baseball ‘dome’ with grass. Another way to find locations would be to look at the random cities where Arena Football was abnormally popular, like wherever the Iowa Barnstormers were. These people love football, and have nothing else to do. One reason often cited for the the Omaha franchise’s success is that there a ton of football fans but Cornhusker tickets are hard to get. A similar scenario could be seen in Milwaukee with Packers tickets.
2. Have a regional draft (if they don’t already?) so that popular college stars would be on their regional team, like Ahman Green in Omaha. Basically, they should just build a Cornhuskers all-time great team in Omaha, a Badgers all-star team in Milwaukee, etc, etc.
3. Finally, they should try and tie the team names to a corporate sponsor, rather than giving them stupid names like the ‘redwoods’ and ‘colonials’. If it was a legit sponsor with a strong brand, like the Milwaukee Harley’s, or the Milwaukee Pabst Blue Ribbons, or the Peoria Deere’s or something, then it would make the teams seem much less cheezy than they are now. The Kentucky Colonels was a cool concept back in the ABA, and aside from the Nighthawks, much better than any nickname/team brand/concept the UFL has now. So you would have an instant brand, it would make money for the teams, and differentiate the UFL from the NFL, where they just put stupid Rebock logos on all the team’s uniforms.
