Bye Bye XFL!

[NetShrine]

Reports say, in the next 3-4 weeks, the folding of the XFL will be announced - due to $80 million in losses this year.

Always surprizes me that these leagues don't work? More, I am always surprized that some group of players and/or agents don't try to start their own league? Cut out the middle-man (owners), be the owner yourselves, and keep all the TV money. Sound too simple to be doable?

Shoot, now teams are trying to form their own broadcast networks to basically do the same - - keep all the TV money without the TV people getting a cut.

[nyy26wc]

Originally posted by NetShrine
Always surprizes me that these leagues don't work? More, I am always surprized that some group of players and/or agents don't try to start their own league? Cut out the middle-man (owners), be the owner yourselves, and keep all the TV money. Sound too simple to be doable?



It's been tried. In 1890, a group of players formed the Player's League.

But, once the players started acting as owners, they quickly learned they didn't know as much about being businessmen as they thought and the league went out of business after 1 season.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Maybe 120 years was enough time between experiments and another group of players could try. Didn't work to well for United Airlines, either though, did it?

[NetShrine]

Agreed Buzz, a century+ later, you would think some would be more savy.

Still think if someone formed a league of 12 teams, two divisions, and got some local TV/radio deals, they could make a run at it - - wait a minute, it's happening, in the Indy Leagues..........guess the fact of the matter is that you need a national TV deal (or two) to make the big money and get the big players.