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Would it be a bad idea for the XFL to make its way to Houston? Could it be a threat to the Texans?

A threat to the NFL or Texans? no.
I would like to see them compete against the NCAA.
I loved seeing the USFL take on the NFL for top college talents but they rushed things much too fast and that did them in. That and of coarse letting Donald Trump and his monumental ego seal their fate for good.

I could see Houston getting a team. From what I understand Houston is the fourth largest city in the US. I am not sure what the tv viewership rankings are but I would imagine them pretty high. So with getting a tv contract in mind I would venture to say Houston would be a real possibility at some point.

As far as the entertainment of the this new XFL I would venture to say as long as the league keeps the WWE out of the picture and focuses mostly on quality football with few gimmicks than they stand a chance.

I could envision the league becoming stable to strong enough to compete with the NFL for star college players but not as quickly as the USFL did. The USFL moved way too quickly. I like the idea of two high quality football leagues playing in different seasons.
 
A threat to the NFL or Texans? no.
I would like to see them compete against the NCAA.
I loved seeing the USFL take on the NFL for top college talents but they rushed things much too fast and that did them in. That and of coarse letting Donald Trump and his monumental ego seal their fate for good.

I could see Houston getting a team. From what I understand Houston is the fourth largest city in the US. I am not sure what the tv viewership rankings are but I would imagine them pretty high. So with getting a tv contract in mind I would venture to say Houston would be a real possibility at some point.

As far as the entertainment of the this new XFL
What is this fixation people have with this stupid, garbage league? As good as it once was? Are you kidding? Could it be a threat to the Texans? Seriously?

The XFL, if it ever reappears isn't even a threat to pay the second year of whatever leases they sign with stadiums they intend to play in.
I would love to see an upstart league slowly build to what the USFL was trying to become too soon. If they want to compete in the fall we know that is a sure failure but if they want to compete with the NFL for talent to play in the spring that is doable at some point. Say 6 to 8 years.

I don't want college lite I want NFL lite. If the new XFL puts the premium on developing young talent and growing into it's own pro league and they don't use idiotic story lines for the league in the way of WWE they will have a chance. Also while innovation is nice the league should not make major changes to the sport.

I doubt the league will work but there is a chance they learned from their own mistakes as well as the other leagues who failed. I am hoping this time the league will last.
 
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The USFL was a real football league with some damn good talent like Jim Kelly and Steve Young among others. The XFL had "He hate me" and a bunch of nobody's. It's more gimmick then not imo.

Also, the talent is thinner now, and going forward may get even thinner. Many parents are rethinking football at the High school and below level for their sons. That's going to be fewer talented players coming into a larger funnel. Not sure it adds up to quality play.

I think they would have better luck in middle sized markets. I don't see Houston, LA, Chicago, etc as the market for this. I see Little Rock, Boise, Oklahoma City - that sized market. Preferably not real close to an NFL or D1 college team to attract people that don't have a real football choice. Sort of like minor league baseball. I mean you don't see a minor league team in Houston or Chicago. Nope, it's in Corpus and cities like that.

I don't see it lasting a long time but who knows. People are more amused by gimmicks then high quality products and they have short attention spans.
 
I'd love to see a successful spring football league that does NOT challenge the NFL.
I want a new league that eventually competes with the NFL but not in the way you think. I want the competition to be for star talent coming out of college and also some big name older veteran players coming from the NFL to finish their careers. I like the idea of college stars having the extra option of playing in the spring and in that way I eventually would like the two leagues to compete. I also like the idea of some high school stars coming to the XFL as opposed to the NFL.
 
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Just another individual who is echoing my sentiment. Like I've stated in other post', I've been championing this approach to another professional football league since the late 90's. Establishing a league to compete with the NFL is foolhardy and a waste of money. This has been proven on a few occassions in the past.

What no fledgling league has never set out to do...compete with CFB and their pool of athletes. This would be far easier since the league would be competing against scholarships versus NFL contracts. Does this approach affect every potential CFB athlete, no. Some of these young HSFB athletes do have aspirations of playing football and earning a degree in the process, and nothing would prevent that process from continuing. But, the athletes who just want to get better at playing the game of football in order to ultimately improve their chances of playing in the NFL should have that option as well. Not to mention, they would get paid for their time.

The XFL would need the growth time to eventually see the big picture. Initially, older NFL players, released players, JUCO players, college players wanting to extend their playing years would fill the rosters. If the XFL made a few pitches to some 5-Star FB players to bypass college and join the new league...it could start the process. I would start with a 3-5 year short-term plan of growth in which the league stabilizes it's image, maintains its viewing contracts and has a few of their young players bypass the draft by getting signed with NFL franchises as FA's. Mid-Term goal would be shorter, more like 2-3 years to expand by adding franchises, increasing viewership, and making strong headway in the signing of HS and JUCO talent to the league. Long-term goals should be adding more franchises, adding talent predominantly from the HS, JUCO, and Undrafted College players. This league should be position to compete with CFB and become another acknowledged talent pipeline for the NFL. This league should be in a position to move it's game into the fall and take the weekday schedules not populated by the NFL or CFB. They could look at Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

I'd still feature the City of San Antonio as one of new teams but might even go further by establishing the XFL home offices in San Antonio as well since Texas is one big football loving state. Not to mention, it is a No State Tax location, has a ready to go stadium that's not being utilized and is home to one of deepest pools of young football talent.
 
People are more amused by gimmicks then high quality products and they have short attention spans.
One of the main reasons that the first version of the XFL failed is because of gimmicks and a poor product on the field. Putting WWE story lines and the such into a football league was doomed to failure from the start. If it happens again than it will be another failed football league.
 
One of the main reasons that the first version of the XFL failed is because of gimmicks and a poor product on the field. Putting WWE story lines and the such into a football league was doomed to failure from the start. If it happens again than it will be another failed football league.

Absolutely! Hopefully, McMahon applies his business acumen this go around and realizes the mistakes made last time. Don't add; odd playing fields, foolish looking uniforms, crazy rules, etc. Take the tried and true field dimensions, classic uniforms, logos, rule book, etc....then work on the type of coaches and players selected to get this new league started.
 
How many here watch and care for CFL? I don't see how XFL can produce a product any better than CFL. I imagine the only reason CFL is alive is because it has a whole country behind it.
 
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How many hear watch and care for CFL? I don't see how XFL can produce a product any better than CFL. I imagine the only reason CFL is alive is because it has a whole country behind it.

Well, I wouldn't say a "whole" country. They're having ratings issues too and Canadians aren't nearly as rabid about their football as we are here. The CFL averaged 24,644 per game this past season. That's even less than the Chargers drew in their soccer stadium.

A 5 year TV contract, with 4 years left, is keeping the CFL going for now. Who knows what the landscape will be like when renewal time comes up?

And that's the thing that even the NFL has to look at. The way things are being watched these days and in the future. Me, for example, I cut the cord on cable a long time ago, at least 3 years now, maybe longer. I stream everything, including NFL games, Red Zone channel, Game of Thrones, you name it. If I don't go somewhere this Sunday, I'll be streaming the Super Bowl. That's got to effect how these mega TV contracts get done in the future, I would think.

The XFL getting something done to get their games seen may keep them afloat for however long that deal is, but getting people to tune in is the harder part of that equation, also determining if those contracts get extended, and that comes down to there being a market for minor league level spring football. I don't know the answer to that because I think I can safely say I wouldn't be interested in it, even with a team in Houston. Hell, I hardly watch college football.
 
Haven't seen him mentioned but I would think Tilman Fertitta would be interested in bringing a team to Houston and certainly has the pockets for it
I feel like that guy would love to be involved in every Houston sports team possible
 
No way in hell. Say what you want about the NFL ratings drop, it's still top dog by a long shot. There's no way inferior talent will be a "threat" to anything NFL.
I'd be more worried about the younger football talent at the high school and junior high level (we're starting to see it already) being told by their parents to play other sports instead, because of how dangerous playing in the NFL has become with all the CTE testing and knowledge we now have.

At some point I can see the XFL, if it turns out to be successful in ratings, eventually close that massive talent gap in comparison to the NFL. It will still be a wide gap, don't get me wrong, but we'll probably see some XFL players that are very capable of playing in the NFL.

Unless of course, they do something stupid like try to compete directly against the NFL (like the USFL did). And they spend big money trying to lure some top college talent. badboy said it best, the goal should be co-existing and not upstaging.
 
Haven't seen him mentioned but I would think Tilman Fertitta would be interested in bringing a team to Houston and certainly has the pockets for it
I feel like that guy would love to be involved in every Houston sports team possible
Personally, I'd prefer it if he focused on getting the NHL here instead of the XFL.
 
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