Is the Time Right for Another Professional Football League?
Please don’t call me crazy. But hear me out. I think the time is right for another professional football league to challenge the NFL.
The NFL is a behemoth. A giant, money-making, headline-grabbing monster that dominates the professional sports scene in America. But like all monsters, it can be slayed. It can be slayed through its own hubris and missteps.
Why would anyone want to do this? It’s very simple. Money. The pot of gold that the monster is guarding.
Not all the financials details are known about how much the NFL makes. The only real numbers we have are from the sale of teams, and the financial records of the Green Bay Packers, which are publicly held, and thus must be published.
And what is available out there shows what can be made.
The Packers received – as did every other team – a distribution from the NFL. This is the money that comes primarily from TV contracts and licensing. And the distribution this year, was $226 million. That means that the Packers start the season with $226 million in the bank, before ever selling a beer at Lambeau Field and filling a single seat with a shirtless cheesehead in January.
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For your information, the salary cap is set at $133 million, which means you have a cool $100 million to play with to fund operations or – more importantly – to line your pockets with after you have paid the players. And it isn’t just the league generated review – the Packer team revenues and profits are rising at double digits percentages each year. The Packers (and, one assumes, the league) is booming.
What another reference point, from the limited information we have? The Buffalo Bills, valued at approximately $935 million by Forbes, sold for $1.4 billion. THE BUFFALO BILLS. Can you imagine what the Cowboys or the Giants franchises might be worth? It boggles the mind.
So the number on reason to take on the NFL is there – the opportunity to make money.
What would it take? Well, first and foremost it would take a high roller – or several of them – to bankroll the project. Someone with business acumen, knowledge of the sports world, and the gumption to try it. And maybe even someone who has criticized the NFL in the past – Mark Cuban. He has every attribute needed. He would love the attention, and the challenge. And even if he was making half of what the NFL makes, I am sure he could convince some of his billionaires buddies and NFL-empty cities to join him.
What would it take to get players? It’s simple. The NFL, through their contract with the NFL Players association, has set a salary cap for rookies. You want the best players? Just offer a better deal. You know what the numbers are. Exceed them. Guarantee rookie contracts. It might cut into your initial profits, but in the long run you will attract the players, that will attract future fans.
Want another thing you can do, that drives the current union crazy? Offer independent arbitration for all disputes. It is obvious the players hate Roger Goodell – this could help when a college player is trying to decide where to go. It might even help from a PR standpoint – do you think Goodell ever gets tired of the flack he gets from the public? With an outside arbitrator you can just say “hey, not my fault.”
The best part is you already have a roadmap of what not to do. Remember the USFL? Probably not – only us old guys do. But the USFL was actually successful for a few years. They pulled in the Heisman trophy winner for three consecutive years, and were doing well selling tickets and had TV contracts. But they made the mistake of changing from a spring league to a fall league, and got eaten up. You also have the UFL and the A11 league, which also tried something similar. The lessons are there of what not to do…and should point you in the right direction going forward.
Heck, you could even get crazy and allow players to celebrate in the end zone. You could accept sophomores from college, whereas the NFL makes you wait until after your junior year. Let them wear the kind of socks they want. Actually – gasp – be player friendly, since they are truly the source of your income. Do a better job of defining the rules, both on and off the field. Let the players play on the field. Look at everything the NFL does poorly, and do it better. They have given you a perfect roadmap of what not to do.
Obviously lots of logistical items need to be worked out. Where would you play (college stadiums maybe?) When would you play (Spring/summer?) who would watch (probably every American).
Would it be difficult? Sure. But am I crazy for thinking it might work? I don’t think so.
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