NFL Europa dies

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SignGuyDino
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NFL Europa dies

Post by SignGuyDino » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:00 pm

Thank GOD!

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/06/ ... fl-europa/

The NFL would be better off doing some developmental leagues in some smaller cities in the spring and summer to get the second stringers and draftees some playing time and get them in shape for the NFL season. They could do four 8-team leagues by region (one team per NFL team), do 7 game seasons, with one game playoffs per league. Could be worked right into the official preseason schedule.

Give some smaller cities a chance to support their team. It would get more attention even if it failed than NFL Europa ever did. And with the NFL Network I doubt it'd fail. It would take a while to set it up right to compensate the players, but it would give the NFL year-round attention it wants.

The NFL should at least consider it because I think Mark Cuban and his proposed "UFL" is making a mistake playing Friday nights in 2008 in the fall against the NFL.

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Post by Jammer » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:45 pm

I disagree, if they go with a "minor" league for the NFL. They should run it like baseball, every NFL team have a minor team. Play at the same time as the NFL, maybe friday nights.
It could save money because the rosters would be smaller. In case of injury just move guys up and being they have been playing they are ready.
Stick them in samller markets, in 10,000 or 15,000 college stadiums. Get local tv cable deals. I dont see how it could lose.

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Post by Paul S » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:22 pm

I disagree as well.

I think the zenith of NFL Europe was when it was going to do a World Game with the CFL Grey Cup Champs. Once that was ox-nayed, it seemed to decline.

London Monarchs

Barcelona Dragons

Scottish Claymores

the Paris team that never took off.

it was a slow decline but I'll miss it.

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Post by Shootmaster_44 » Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:52 am

This surprises me to be honest. Unless the NFL has a new idea for a minor league, I'm surprised they'd pull the plug on NFL Europa. Without the presence of the league in Europe, it will be much harder to promote the NFL in Europe IMHO. Showing games on TV is much harder to attract fans than it is with a local team. Even if very few NFL Europa vets make the NFL, it does give fans in Germany and Amsterdam a way to follow the NFL. Those that do make the NFL have built in fans from Europe. Without this natural stepping stone, it will be harder to break into Europe.

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Post by SignGuyDino » Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:17 pm

I remember very well that one supposed idea at the start was to develop a league of purely nationals for each country eventually. Like an all Englishman team for London, all Scots for Scotland, all Germans for Berlin, etc.

Now, the biggest contribution will be some minor football leagues in Germany that still exist. Other than that, there was no real program to develop national teams. THIS is what the need to be doing to market the NFL, not waste $30 million a year on a league we don't get to see live and had no real attachment to.

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Post by Pounder » Fri Jun 29, 2007 4:17 pm

Scariest possibility- NFL actually sees Arena League as a feeder.

I think they would have announced something already if there was intent to create a similar league here.

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ChampionOfSteel
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Imminent player salary war with UFL?

Post by ChampionOfSteel » Fri Jun 29, 2007 4:31 pm

If the UFL comes to be, that $30 million dollar loss from NFL Europa stings when you consider an imminent salary war with the UFL for 2nd tier talent?

Was the NFL primary goal to keep 2nd string players limber or was it to educate the players about complex systems?

NFL Europa kept 2nd string NFL players limber. Arena ball keeps their players limber too.

There wasn't enough time to teach complex systems in Europe that would effectively transfer over to each player's NFL team, correct? So what do we gain by keeping NFL Europa if the main supreme objective all along was to teach complex systems that did not materialized as hoped for in NFL E?

If NFL Europa paid for itself (or had minor financial losses) then I would say fine. Keep it around for the fans in Germany.

Losing NFL Europa does pose a problem for the NFL Network. What do they show now in the offseason?
Last edited by ChampionOfSteel on Fri Jun 29, 2007 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If you don't let the people with the money know you prefer the NIFL game system, you won't see any stable leagues copying the NIFL game system for your enjoyment!

Speak up!

Marshal! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PbIlQYR1Qs LAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!

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Post by eightleggedfreak » Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:16 pm

You can't really blame the NFL for not wanting to lose money. But this does seem rather abrupt: I read an article last week that talked about how attendance was up and that NFL Europa was looking to add teams in Leipzig and Hannover.

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NFL Minor Leagues

Post by PolishX » Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:21 pm

They need to do some sort of minor leagues . But they wont , they will let guys toil in practice squads then they crap all over them and it's the NFL's lack of progress in developing players is why they toss huge piles of cash at constant trouble makers rather than let one go and replace him with a guy in the "farm " system . I mean hell if the NFL had QB talent developing why would jeff george get contacted by 3 or 4 teams last year after being what 45 and retired ?

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