Read the debate intro and the argument from Babe Ruthless.
As a ridiculously diehard football fan, I am all for anything that brings football to the masses. Football, no matter how you look at it, is football. By the numbers, it is hard to call the UFL a success when the average attendance was just over 13,000. But as is the case sometimes, the numbers do not tell the whole story.
The UFL was created earlier this year and foreseen as either a developmental league for the NFL or as a complement to the NFL. Judging by the amount of people who left the UFL for the NFL, that is the case. Just yesterday, the Redskins signed former UFL kicker Graham Gano to be the starting kicker after some recent struggles in the kicking game. The UFL certainly does not lack talent on the playing field and coaching on the sidelines. All four of the head coaches from the just completed season (Jim Haslett, Jim Fassell, Dennis Green, and Ted Cottrell) are names that most football fans know. Many of the players that played this past year for one of the four UFL teams used to play in the NFL. Most will recognize many of the names, either from college football or from previously playing for an NFL team. People with strong professional connections are involved in the UFL.
Sports Geek’s intro brought up the fact that the league lost over $30 million this year. While a little higher than normal that was not totally unexpected, according to UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue. He said, “We were prepared for that. The plan is through better marketing, higher attendance, more corporate sponsors, and improved television ratings that we’ll cut our losses in half next year and hopefully break even in year three.” That quote let me know that a business plan is in place for the UFL. Expectations are realistic. Obviously, it’s tough to make money those first few years. There are start up costs and things of that nature that have to be done the first year or two to lay down the foundation. If done properly, though, the bottom line will eventually come out of the red and into the black.
The games are also by carried on Versus and HDNet, which is owned by Mark Cuban. Versus, meanwhile, is owned by Comcast, which just completed a huge transaction deal with NBC last week. Perhaps that will bring more attention and more money to the league.
If nothing else, the UFL is a success because The Sports Debates highlighted the season opener in a debate back in October! Kudos to Bleacher Fan for spotlighting a game that week. But, in all seriousness, the UFL provides an alternate way to enjoy football in markets that consist of serious football fans. It gives fans a chance to see players they used to see in the NFL and also a chance to see up and coming players who are not quite ready for the NFL, but who can improve their skills in the meantime.
