Is there room for yet another alternate football league out there?
“Do we really need another sports team in the Colorado landscape? We already have a healthy dose of teams to cheer for and spend our hard earned money on. “
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Americans love their football.
Technically, baseball is “America’s past time” but the NFL is truly King. Football is more exciting, fast paced and explosive than any of the other major sports and generates the most revenue for its owners, advertisers and the league in general.
Over the years, others have tried to latch on to the NFL’s success by creating alternate football leagues. I understand the premise behind it, there is certainly not lack of talent, those who have had success in college and are just not able to make it translate in the NFL.
Members of the alternate football league graveyard include: the WFL, USFL, WLAF, XFL and the most recent UFL. Some of these leagues actually had smart and very successful businessmen behind them such as Donald Trump and Vince McMahon, however were still unable to generate success and last long-term.
This brings two questions to mind: With the popularity of football in America why are these leagues failing to generate popularity? And why do people still keep trying to bring alternative football leagues to fruition in this country after so many have gone under before them?
To address the first question, though Americans love our football, we are certainly not suffering from a lack of it. The NFL is now seemingly a year-round sport between the combine, draft, free agency and mini camps. College football also has a pretty decent schedule starting from early September and finishing up just after the New Year. Are people really jonesing for the sport that badly that they want to invest both emotionally and financially in another team of guys that couldn’t quite make it to the NFL level?
As to why folks keep trying, that’s an even greater mystery to me.
Perhaps, people are attempting to cater to markets that do not already have an NFL team? That would seemingly make the most sense. However, the latest attempt at an alternate football league, the A-11 will include eight teams, almost all of which are located in markets that currently have NFL teams.
As of right now the teams listed for this newly minted spring league include: San Francisco Bay Area Sea Lions, New Jersey Generals (I know, the Globetrotters want their competitor’s name back) Los Angeles Express, Dallas Wranglers, Chicago Staggs and Tampa Bay Bandits. Two more teams, including one in Denver will also be added.
Do we really need another sports team in the Colorado landscape? We already have healthy dose of teams to cheer for and spend our hard earned money on. Denver currently has the Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche, Rockies, Rapids, Mammoth and Outlaws. Not to mention CU, DU, CSU and Metro athletics, as well. Is there really enough fandom to go around justifying another team in this crowded marketplace?
I do understand the argument that prices for the A-11 league will be significantly lower than those of the NFL. Especially since the Denver Broncos have recently stated that they are raising ticket prices for the third year in a row. The A-11 league’s tickets are said to be hovering around $30, much more affordable for those looking to treat their families to a football game day experience. However, how great will that experience be? That’s still up for debate.
Personally, I do not see a need for yet another alternate football league. I have been a football fan since the womb and soak up all that I can get, year-round. However, the NFL has my heart and no other little spring league will ever make a dent. I want to see the best of the best, and have no interest in watching guys that couldn’t cut the mustard in the NFL- I’m looking at you Tim Tebow.
They can keep creating these leagues and generating the investments needed to get them off the ground for generations to come, but I just don’t see them ever being successful.
