Minor football leagues

[hotdogPi]

Alabama should have NFL team.

Given that Connecticut has a WNBA team and no other major sports, I think this one is actually quite reasonable.

[1995hoo]

Honestly, what is with this weird European obsession with promotion and relegation?

Because promotion and relegation is better. It is boring to have same teams in every season.

No, it's not. What's boring is to have whiny Europeans constantly complaining whenever anyone else doesn't do things their way. Don't like our way of doing things? Then don't watch.

[hotdogPi]

There is a problem with our sports, and that is tanking. It's not just a meaningless preference.

[Roadgeekteen]

There is a problem with our sports, and that is tanking. It's not just a meaningless preference.

We need to stop rewarding teams for being bad than. We can do that without promotion/relegation. We should have an NFL draft lottery, and in the NBA we need to drastically change the odds. Don't watch enough MLB/NHL to know about those leagues.

[1995hoo]

There is a problem with our sports, and that is tanking. It's not just a meaningless preference.

We need to stop rewarding teams for being bad than. We can do that without promotion/relegation. We should have an NFL draft lottery, and in the NBA we need to drastically change the odds. Don't watch enough MLB/NHL to know about those leagues.

The NHL uses a draft lottery that's based on the NBA's–which is not at all a surprise when you consider that the NHL's commissioner, Gary Bettman, worked for the NBA before the NHL owners hired him.

MLB will institute a draft lottery this year to determine the first six overall picks.



Another thing Poiponen13 probably doesn't understand is the importance of collective bargaining in North American pro sports. The players' unions are never likely to agree to promotion and relegation because of the problems it would cause in terms of players under contract to play for a team in a particular league suddenly being excluded from that league and sent to another one that pays less. In the NHL as things stand now, for example, there are "two-way" contracts and "one-way" contracts. A two-way contract means that if the team sends a player to the minor leagues, he gets paid less when he's in the minors; a one-way contract means he's paid the same. There are age-related rules regarding which sort of contract a player must sign (and those rules have been the subject of collective bargaining). The players' union is not about to agree to a system that could then send players who signed one-way contracts to the minors.

[Poiponen13]

But promotion and relegation is wayyyyyyyyy better than no promotion and relegation.

[1995hoo]

But promotion and relegation is wayyyyyyyyy better than no promotion and relegation.

Relegation without promotion would be weird.

[Poiponen13]

But promotion and relegation is wayyyyyyyyy better than no promotion and relegation.

Relegation without promotion would be weird.

I meant that promotion and relegation happening is wayyyyyyyyy better than not happening.

[mgk920]

I'm just waiting for the universities to implode in all regards (financial, academics, athletics, etc) and those players and fans having to go elsewhere for their sports fix.  Remember that there are *NO* interscholastic and intercollegiate sports in Europe.  It is ALL local private sports clubs that play against each other in many various sports and age levels, with the teams promoting and relegating in different leagues based on their respective playing strengths, all the way up to the very top level.  Except at the very top levels of the most popular sports, people play for their communities, not schools.

Mike

[Poiponen13]

I'm just waiting for the universities to implode in all regards (financial, academics, athletics, etc) and those players and fans having to go elsewhere for their sports fix.  Remember that there are *NO* interscholastic and intercollegiate sports in Europe.  It is ALL local private sports clubs that play against each other in many various sports and age levels, with the teams promoting and relegating in different leagues based on their respective playing strengths, all the way up to the very top level.  Except at the very top levels of the most popular sports, people play for their communities, not schools.

Mike

College sports should end. This would make structure similar to Europe.

[Roadgeekteen]

I'm just waiting for the universities to implode in all regards (financial, academics, athletics, etc) and those players and fans having to go elsewhere for their sports fix.  Remember that there are *NO* interscholastic and intercollegiate sports in Europe.  It is ALL local private sports clubs that play against each other in many various sports and age levels, with the teams promoting and relegating in different leagues based on their respective playing strengths, all the way up to the very top level.  Except at the very top levels of the most popular sports, people play for their communities, not schools.

Mike

College sports should end. This would make structure similar to Europe.

Congrats on causing the second American Civil War. You know in regions where college football is the most popular, guns are the most popular? You better watch your head Poiponen.

[Poiponen13]

I'm just waiting for the universities to implode in all regards (financial, academics, athletics, etc) and those players and fans having to go elsewhere for their sports fix.  Remember that there are *NO* interscholastic and intercollegiate sports in Europe.  It is ALL local private sports clubs that play against each other in many various sports and age levels, with the teams promoting and relegating in different leagues based on their respective playing strengths, all the way up to the very top level.  Except at the very top levels of the most popular sports, people play for their communities, not schools.

Mike

College sports should end. This would make structure similar to Europe.

Congrats on causing the second American Civil War. You know in regions where college football is the most popular, guns are the most popular? You better watch your head Poiponen.

But college football has been let to too popular sport, therefore its popularity should decrease while soccer's, volleyball's, floorball's and team handball's increase.

[hotdogPi]

I definitely agree that we need a wider variety of sports with decent audiences.

[Roadgeekteen]

I'm just waiting for the universities to implode in all regards (financial, academics, athletics, etc) and those players and fans having to go elsewhere for their sports fix.  Remember that there are *NO* interscholastic and intercollegiate sports in Europe.  It is ALL local private sports clubs that play against each other in many various sports and age levels, with the teams promoting and relegating in different leagues based on their respective playing strengths, all the way up to the very top level.  Except at the very top levels of the most popular sports, people play for their communities, not schools.

Mike

College sports should end. This would make structure similar to Europe.

Congrats on causing the second American Civil War. You know in regions where college football is the most popular, guns are the most popular? You better watch your head Poiponen.

But college football has been let to too popular sport, therefore its popularity should decrease while soccer's, volleyball's, floorball's and team handball's increase.

Who made you the boss of American sports?

[Poiponen13]

I definitely agree that we need a wider variety of sports with decent audiences.

Mayde someday the last three mentioned sports have all a major men's professional league comparable to "Big Five" leagues. And NFL a women's version.

[Roadgeekteen]

I definitely agree that we need a wider variety of sports with decent audiences.

Mayde someday the last three mentioned sports have all a major men's professional league comparable to "Big Five" leagues. And NFL a women's version.

We have four major pro sports leagues, a fifth one that is not as popular but still has fans, and two very popular college sports. There probably aren't enough eyeballs for a very popular pro volleyball league. If there were it would exist already.

[hotdogPi]

I definitely agree that we need a wider variety of sports with decent audiences.

Mayde someday the last three mentioned sports have all a major men's professional league comparable to "Big Five" leagues. And NFL a women's version.

We have four major pro sports leagues, a fifth one that is not as popular but still has fans, and two very popular college sports. There probably aren't enough eyeballs for a very popular pro volleyball league. If there were it would exist already.

They don't need absolutely huge audiences. Tennis, golf, and auto racing get screen time on TV even though their fanbase is nowhere near the Big Four (I wouldn't include soccer yet as a Big Five). I think volleyball should become more popular.

[Poiponen13]

I definitely agree that we need a wider variety of sports with decent audiences.

Mayde someday the last three mentioned sports have all a major men's professional league comparable to "Big Five" leagues. And NFL a women's version.

We have four major pro sports leagues, a fifth one that is not as popular but still has fans, and two very popular college sports. There probably aren't enough eyeballs for a very popular pro volleyball league. If there were it would exist already.

But volleyball league would be good. Volleyball is interesting because its games are "best-of-five" and sets are to 25 points. Like tennis, table tennis and badminton.

[Roadgeekteen]

I definitely agree that we need a wider variety of sports with decent audiences.

Mayde someday the last three mentioned sports have all a major men's professional league comparable to "Big Five" leagues. And NFL a women's version.

We have four major pro sports leagues, a fifth one that is not as popular but still has fans, and two very popular college sports. There probably aren't enough eyeballs for a very popular pro volleyball league. If there were it would exist already.

But volleyball league would be good. Volleyball is interesting because its games are "best-of-five" and sets are to 25 points. Like tennis, table tennis and badminton.

It's a fun sport. I've been to some high school games and had a good time. Much better than tennis, which I consider quite boring.

[Poiponen13]

I definitely agree that we need a wider variety of sports with decent audiences.

Mayde someday the last three mentioned sports have all a major men's professional league comparable to "Big Five" leagues. And NFL a women's version.

We have four major pro sports leagues, a fifth one that is not as popular but still has fans, and two very popular college sports. There probably aren't enough eyeballs for a very popular pro volleyball league. If there were it would exist already.

But volleyball league would be good. Volleyball is interesting because its games are "best-of-five" and sets are to 25 points. Like tennis, table tennis and badminton.

It's a fun sport. I've been to some high school games and had a good time. Much better than tennis, which I consider quite boring.

US should have team tennis league.

[hotdogPi]

I don't see why tennis needs to have large teams like other sports. I'm fine with it remaining individual players.

[Poiponen13]

I don't see why tennis needs to have large teams like other sports. I'm fine with it remaining individual players.

In Germany, there is Tennis Bundesliga. And US should also have such league too.

[1995hoo]

The US has World Team Tennis. That's sufficient.

[NWI_Irish96]

North American sports are entirely driven by TV ratings.

Higher tv ratings = higher ad rates = higher revenue for the broadcaster = higher rights fees to the sports league = higher salaries for the players = greater interest in kids playing the sport. You can't force a sport onto TV.

Back on the original topic of the thread, my idea for a spring sports league:

First of all, expand NFL practice squads. Then allow each NFL team to loan practice squad players to the spring league. Each of the 8 spring league teams would have players from 4 NFL teams, and then supplement with free agents as necessary.

The connection to NFL teams would generate more interest. I don't naturally get interested by a game between Birmingham and San Antonio, but if one of the teams has Chicago Bears players now I'm interested.

Also, play the games (all times ET) Saturday 7:30pm, Sunday 4:00pm and 7:30pm and Monday 7:30pm. Minimizes conflicts with golf and NASCAR

[1995hoo]

^^^^

To some extent, that was part of the concept behind the original World League of American Football in the early 1990s–the NFL encouraged teams to allocate players to the World League by allowing them additional training camp roster spots for each such player, although most teams ultimately didn't do so.