Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[thspfc]

http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/26683501/xfl-games-air-espn-abc-fox-properties

The XFL has announced that ESPN and Fox Sports will air XFL games in 2020.

Now to see if XFL 2.0 can make it through a whole season including playoffs. 

Rick

IMO, because football teams are so large with 50+ players, there aren't even enough great players to fill up every depth chart in the real football league. If you're not on an NFL roster, the money in football isn't good enough and the level of play isn't high enough. It's not worth the risk of brain damage or other injury, or the burden of constant travel with low pay.

[nexus73]

http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/26683501/xfl-games-air-espn-abc-fox-properties

The XFL has announced that ESPN and Fox Sports will air XFL games in 2020.

Now to see if XFL 2.0 can make it through a whole season including playoffs. 

Rick

IMO, because football teams are so large with 50+ players, there aren't even enough great players to fill up every depth chart in the real football league. If you're not on an NFL roster, the money in football isn't good enough and the level of play isn't high enough. It's not worth the risk of brain damage or other injury, or the burden of constant travel with low pay.

Alliance football play level was decent enough.  Journeyman-level players who needed reps and playing time got a chance to round into form.  What was missing: Top level QB's.  Those are scarce.  For that matter so are quality placekickers. 

Since pro football is such a meatgrinder, having a larger inventory of journeymen around would be prudent.  Once you get past a NFL team's handful of stars, the rest of the lineup is journeymen, hence they are fungible goods. 

As for the money, there are those who will chase the dream for $250K per season.  These borderline players  already have invested the better part of their life in football.  Their dream of making it dies hard. 

Rick

[thspfc]

Packers vs Raiders is proof that the NFL is trying way too hard to populate its local game elsewhere. Just give up, NFL.

[1995hoo]

Packers vs Raiders is proof that the NFL is trying way too hard to populate its local game elsewhere. Just give up, NFL.

It was the Raiders who wanted that game. At the time they scheduled it, it was unclear where they'd play the 2019 season and they didn't want to pay the City of Oakland for another game there after the city sued them.

[SP Cook]

Packers vs Raiders is proof that the NFL is trying way too hard to populate its local game elsewhere. Just give up, NFL.

Yep.  The CFL is a viable league which is in the middle of its own season.  I get the London games.  Since PT people watch the ET games in their mid-morning, there is no reason not to believe that ET people will not watch games in their mid-morning from Europe.  It gives them control of another time slot.  The fans actually in London are just props.  I expect, since ET people watch games with night kick offs that last into the wee hours, that the NFL will eventually have a 8 or 9 PM PT game regularly as well. 

But a meaningless game in Canada, in a stadium with a grounds crew that could not even figure out how to move the goal posts was pointless.

[tchafe1978]

It didn't help that it was only a preseason game, and not a very exciting one at that. I was expecting something like a 52-49 shootout on a field only 80 yards long.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

In one of the last years of Veterans Stadium's existence, a pre-season game between Philly & Baltimore was outright canceled due to the condition of the field.

[Big John]

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announces his retirement.

[MNHighwayMan]

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announces his retirement.

A true shock. His latest injury must be worse than he and the Colts organization is letting on, and Luck has finally had enough.

[Max Rockatansky]

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announces his retirement.

A true shock. His latest injury must be worse than he and the Colts organization is letting on, and Luck has finally had enough.

It seems like a lot of players in the last couple decades have retired early to avoid injuries.  For what it's worth it was an absolute shock when Barry Sanders retired and he didn't even get hurt, he apparent just had enough.  For what it's worth Andrew Luck was never quite a top tier quarterback, he was always in that second tier behind the likes to Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.  I don't even think his career quarterback rating was over 90?

[Big John]

I don't even think his career quarterback rating was over 90?

His career rating was 89.5, and was over 90 for 3 of his 6 playing years.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LuckAn00.htm

[Henry]

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announces his retirement.

A true shock. His latest injury must be worse than he and the Colts organization is letting on, and Luck has finally had enough.

It seems like a lot of players in the last couple decades have retired early to avoid injuries.  For what it's worth it was an absolute shock when Barry Sanders retired and he didn't even get hurt, he apparent just had enough.  For what it's worth Andrew Luck was never quite a top tier quarterback, he was always in that second tier behind the likes to Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.  I don't even think his career quarterback rating was over 90?

I don't even think his career quarterback rating was over 90?

His career rating was 89.5, and was over 90 for 3 of his 6 playing years.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LuckAn00.htm

Despite being the heir to Peyton Manning's throne in Indianapolis, Luck never lived up to the hype and expectations that came with it. I'm pretty sure that Colts fans will be disappointed that he's not going to be in action for the NFL's centennial season.

Hopefully Manning's heir in Denver (most likely Joe Flacco) will have better luck this year, no pun intended.

[thspfc]

Flacco is going to be what he's always been: a decent QB who takes all the blame for losing because he has a mediocre team around him.

[Henry]

Flacco is going to be what he's always been: a decent QB who takes all the blame for losing because he has a mediocre team around him.

But let's not forget, he won a Super Bowl in Baltimore, but that's because they had a stellar defense there. Can't say the same thing about Denver, though...outside Von Miller, that is.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I have never seen a player get his title and obligatory ensuing fat contract and then mail it in as hard as Flacco has.

[MNHighwayMan]

I have never seen a player get his title and obligatory ensuing fat contract and then mail it in as hard as Flacco has.

I'm not so sure that he's mailed-it-in in as much as he is just incredibly average.

[mgk920]

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck announces his retirement.

A true shock. His latest injury must be worse than he and the Colts organization is letting on, and Luck has finally had enough.

It seems like a lot of players in the last couple decades have retired early to avoid injuries.  For what it’s worth it was an absolute shock when Barry Sanders retired and he didn’t even get hurt, he apparent just had enough.  For what it’s worth Andrew Luck was never quite a top tier quarterback, he was always in that second tier behind the likes to Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers.  I don’t even think his career quarterback rating was over 90?

Barry Sanders was fed up with being stuck on a rotten team.  Imagine Sanders' tenure overlapping with Brett Favre's at Green Bay - the Packers passed on Sanders to pick the biggest draft failure in league history (Tony Mandarich) in 1989.

I consider Sanders to be #1 on my list of players in the Super Bowl era to have deserved a 'ring' without getting one.
Mike

[thspfc]

49-0 win for my badgers on the road, I think the largest road shutout in program history.

[amroad17]

I have never seen a player get his title and obligatory ensuing fat contract and then mail it in as hard as Flacco has.

I'm not so sure that he's mailed-it-in in as much as he is just incredibly average.

Maybe that hit by Kiko Alonso of the Dolphins a couple of seasons ago may have something to do with his performance.  There have been some memes that call it the "Check please!" hit.

[Alps]

I have never seen a player get his title and obligatory ensuing fat contract and then mail it in as hard as Flacco has.

I'm not so sure that he's mailed-it-in in as much as he is just incredibly average.

This. Flacco was never a great QB, only a competent one with a great defense

[Henry]

The season starts tonight with my Bears taking on the Packers to kick off the NFL's centennial season. Good luck to both of them (but I hope Chicago wins), as well as the other 30 teams!

[jakeroot]

Got my first Google-generated notification of the season. Shit's getting real!

I'll be at B-Dubs in Tacoma, WA tonight if anyone is in the area

[MNHighwayMan]

I watched only the first half of the game last night, and that was boring as shit. I suspect, going by the score, that the second half was not much better.

[tchafe1978]

People just don't appreciate good defense anymore. I'll take a lower scoring defensive game over an offensive shootout any day. A close defensive game will keep me biting my nails and on the edge of my seat, whereas with a shootout I'll be getting frustrated as my team keeps giving up scores. BTW, congrats to the good guys winning last night!

[MNHighwayMan]

BTW, congrats to the good guys winning last night!

Haha, no. 

But for real, that wasn't so much good defense (which I can appreciate) as much as it was bad offense. Especially Trubisky. He did not look good last night.