USFL and XFL officially merge to form UFL

[bfmx1]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

yeah, that's likely how most of the other teams' fans felt that first year of the USFL. hard to tell what effect that will have on attendance, though. it's not like fans see them practicing and living here. it may help that the brand was fairly well established the past 2 years. i'm certainly not anticipating a big increase in attendance, but i'm not sure i see a big drop off either.

But practicing here and being in the community drives fanfare. Local news reports from the practice facility, players are visiting schools/hospitals. You're right, it's very much like every other team last year since they all practiced/lived in Bham. It's just very hard to feel a connection to "your" team when they literally only play here sometimes. Other than that, it's not home grown, not managed or ran locally, and players spend practically no time here.

[OldBankhead]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

yeah, that's likely how most of the other teams' fans felt that first year of the USFL. hard to tell what effect that will have on attendance, though. it's not like fans see them practicing and living here. it may help that the brand was fairly well established the past 2 years. i'm certainly not anticipating a big increase in attendance, but i'm not sure i see a big drop off either.

The first season, every game was played here. No team flew anywhere to play or practiced anywhere else. 2nd year they established Memphis, Detroit and Canton as hubs but still half the teams never saw their home cities yet they still built followings. I don't think it is ideal but the team and the league has momentum and if this way cut costs and maintains viability I can work with it and I'll still go to games like I have been, not stay home and whine about how bad it it'll be on the internet. It'll just be that much sweeter once the league grows and prospers and the Stallions come back home.

[TimCity2000]

i was kind of hoping we'd get a larger league. like 12 teams minimum. i know smarter people than me have crunched numbers and analyzed the scenarios, but a merger feels like it should result in something larger than before, not the same size.

[OldBankhead]

I think it came down to stadium deals. Some teams has them, some didn't.

[tacosman]

Spring football leagues have never worked and I don't see why this go at it will be any different.

[TimCity2000]

i think the XFL and USFL have proven that there is some appetite for spring football. i hate that they decided to get off the ground at roughly the same time and ended up with this clunky merger 2 years in though.

[tacosman]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

i think the XFL and USFL have proven that there is some appetite for spring football. i hate that they decided to get off the ground at roughly the same time and ended up with this clunky merger 2 years in though.

eh I think it's mostly gambling that is driving it to the small extent it is. When one of these games gets like a 0.7 rating or whatever on cable, I wonder what percentage of those viewers are watching because they played it on Bovada or wherever......

still counts I guess.

[GotLuv4Bham]

I think we have a real dynasty in the Birmingham Stallions! Nice crowd, and huge win vs St Louis! We seem to be the Crimson Tide of professional football! Giddy Up!

[OldBankhead]

We made it loud for AJ today. What a game. Buck 'em.

[GotLuv4Bham]

Originally Posted by OldBankhead

We made it loud for AJ today. What a game. Buck 'em.

Yeah man..... that game nearly gave me a heart attack! Came down to the wire!