USFL 2022??

[Blue In BC]

I was being generous with my low estimate of costs. Everything from equipment, laundry and stadium costs all factor into operational costs. Didn't know the housing costs come out of the salary costs but there are variables like the $1K per player for winning a game. Additional costs moving to Ohio for playoff games.

Anyway. I'll take another look at games broadcast over the next couple of weeks. One to check quality of the games and 2nd to see what happens with attendance. None of the games were blow outs which was a bonus.

[theaardvark]

I was being generous with my low estimate of costs. Everything from equipment, laundry and stadium costs all factor into operational costs. Didn't know the housing costs come out of the salary costs but there are variables like the $1K per player for winning a game. Additional costs moving to Ohio for playoff games.

Anyway. I'll take another look at games broadcast over the next couple of weeks. One to check quality of the games and 2nd to see what happens with attendance. None of the games were blow outs which was a bonus.

They doubled the number of cameras, and added in geolocation chips to the football for better placement and review of scoring plays.  But you still need competent directors deciding which cameras to use when, competent drone operators to decide the proper angles to fly the buggers at, and some sort of improved image stabalization for the helmet cams and drones. 

Not sure what you mean by quality of the games, if you mean are the teams competitive and are the games full of interesting/exciting plays, pretty sure the calibre of player and the amount of coaching will make that impossible.  If you mean production values, sure, those will improve, but how much and how fast, I guess we will see. 

As to gate, I think we might have seen its peak at game 1... next week, they should decide whether to only sell the bottom of the tv side of the stadium for $1 ticket and try to get a "crowd" to impress the TV audience, or shut down the stadium completely...  this is not going to be a gate driven league, playing out of one stadium...  and having a "crowd" of 10k for the Birmingham games and a few hundred for the rest is going to look real bad...
 

[Blue In BC]

Games could be competitive which help make things interesting. Initially I didn't see many penalties but then started to see dropped passes and bad throws. That could be that chemistry is still a work in progress.

A few good players stood out. Whether that was because they were good or because defences were not good is uncertain. Coaches have good experience which is an advantage.

[theaardvark]

I guess we will see if a week of practice improve the play...

[TecnoGenius]

The drones are annoying, and the helmet cams even worse.  Both need some heavy duty image stabilization to make them even watchable. 

Ok games.  To me it's basically the same as AAF-level play.  OK, with a few remarkable players making some good plays.  I liked the AAF team names and uniforms more!

Ya, drones were awful.  The whining motors on every shot (even when it's not a drone shot the noise is picked up) gets old really fast.  Find a tech way to cancel out that noise!!  I didn't find the drone shots added much.  When they are in fast motion I started getting ill.  Too jerky.  It's like someone playing Doom on crack.

But I did like the helmet cams.  They only used them 2-3 times a game for a replay.  But this is mostly because I've never played the game in a helmet.  It's like that early scene in the Ladykillers movie.  See what it's really like, 1st person!  Used a couple of times a game, this is a neat addition.  Imagine having the helmet cam from AH on his '19 GC 20+ yard romp!

I get a bazillion of the Shaw packages on the newest tech and I can't even get all the weekly games.  WEAK.  I gotta subscribe to some stupid new streaming thing to see the rest?  Ya, good luck with that.

And some want to change CFL to the same lame boring 4 down model.... we'd look as bad as these USFL amateurs.

[theaardvark]

Ok games.  To me it's basically the same as AAF-level play.  OK, with a few remarkable players making some good plays.  I liked the AAF team names and uniforms more!

Ya, drones were awful.  The whining motors on every shot (even when it's not a drone shot the noise is picked up) gets old really fast.  Find a tech way to cancel out that noise!!  I didn't find the drone shots added much.  When they are in fast motion I started getting ill.  Too jerky.  It's like someone playing Doom on crack.

But I did like the helmet cams.  They only used them 2-3 times a game for a replay.  But this is mostly because I've never played the game in a helmet.  It's like that early scene in the Ladykillers movie.  See what it's really like, 1st person!  Used a couple of times a game, this is a neat addition.  Imagine having the helmet cam from AH on his '19 GC 20+ yard romp!

I get a bazillion of the Shaw packages on the newest tech and I can't even get all the weekly games.  WEAK.  I gotta subscribe to some stupid new streaming thing to see the rest?  Ya, good luck with that.

And some want to change CFL to the same lame boring 4 down model.... we'd look as bad as these USFL amateurs.

The USFL 4 downs let them shift to a run only O pretty quick.  They should adopt 3 downs...

I have no issues with using helmet cams or drones, as long as the tech is watchable.  The helmet cams are horrible production value.  The picture is jumpy, breaks up and is disorienting. Get a composite camera shot in there, with smoothing and image stabilization.  Then I'd love it... but as is, it is worthless.  And the drones, I have noise cancelling headphones that cost under $100 with that tech built in, c'mon... unless they are worried about scrubbing out the "crown noise" as well, but that shouldn't be an issue if the crowds continue the current trend...

And yeah, subscriptions to Peacock and Fubo are not in the plans... you want eyes on the games, put it all on FOX.  You created the league for content anyways... unless the idea was to get eye from other sources to see the product and then move to FOX when everyone else drops it.

[Blue In BC]

Watched most of the 1st half. Very disappointing. Only a couple of hundred fans in the stands? I suppose when you have a choice of 4 games over a weekend, you might choose only one. That might be the Stallions which is the " home " team in theory. I won't have access to that game but it will be interesting to see if their draw goes up or down after week one.

In fairness, these are totally new rosters and offensive chemistry doesn't exist yet. No pre season games to even fine tune a bit. Now in an 18 game schedule a slow start might not kill your play off chances. In a 10 game schedule it could be an early exit.

Lots of mistakes by coaches and players. Poor use of time outs, challenges etc. An early int on 4th down should have been knocked down not caught. Net result is the defence error cost them 24 yards.

Just saw a blatant face mask. Leagues need a bigger penalty similar to targeting in college football. That was not an incidental face mask. Every ref threw a flag and the player was pulled down  by an excessive grab and pull. High risk of injury.

Camera work still needs work. Looking at punts / kicks from above or behind the kicker not useful.

Helmet cam on the opening kick off return is like trying to avoid sea sickness. It makes you dizzy. Same as on one for a RB getting caught in the back field.

I may watch more of the 2nd half and some of tomorrow's game. I don't see how they can attract an audience when only half of the games are broadcast on FOX or ABC. Only 40 games in total and only 20 on network TV. Nobody in the stands for 4 of 5 games to date.

Horrible start continues.

[blue_gold_84]

From what I've seen and read online, it sounds like the USFL is a disaster thus far.

[theaardvark]

Thought the production values on this game were better... suspicious lack of crowd shots though.

No drone buzz...

Play was marginally better... but still not a professional level game, certainly not a CFL level...

[Blue In BC]

I think the XFL games were better in their short short 1st season. Not great but better than what I've seen so far in the USFL. Part of the problem is not being able to see parts of each game. No fans in the stands is an immediate downer as well.

Another game on at noon today that I'll watch part of in order to see how Dobson is doing.

Breakers rosters I found didn't show a player number for Dobson. I wonder if that indicates he isn't a starter?

EDIT: Dobson isn't listed as a starter. He may be injured, or on their PR. Or he simply was not yet as good as their other OL players.

A few good plays / players in the game by half time. Also some really inept plays, missed tackles. A couple of the cheer leaders are cute. Why do they have cheerleaders but no fans in the stands?

If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck then it's a duck. Cue taps.

[theaardvark]

As the sole property of FOX Sports, I don't think they counted on gate, they gave up on gate by haing a single venue.

This is purely TV content.  The most surprising thing is that NBC is involved.  They must have a contract that is a no lose deal, that they pay for content only if they make money.

With FOX committing $250 mil to the league to operate (obviously that money is based on revenue streams, and not just a gift), if they are getting any traction with advertisers, or can generate sufficient viewership that could potentially be monitized, they will keep it going.  But, if they can't see that light at the end of the tunnel, the pin could be pulled at any time.

I'd set the over/under on 5 games, and take the under...   

[TecnoGenius]

A few good players / players in the game by half time. Also some really inept plays, missed tackles. A couple of the cheer leaders are cute. Why do they have cheerleaders but no fans in the stands?

You noticed, didn't you?  Success!  Now you know why they are there. 

Maybe NBC is involved simply to push those ads for Peacock?

Aards thinks 5 weeks?  Haven't they planned finances around a whole season?  I don't remember, did either AAF or XFL2 play a whole season and cup?  I recall seeing one... maybe it was spring-league though.  Someone start taking bets.

$250M?  For comparison, what's the total spend of the entire CFL?  Less than this?  Our product is just so much better.  We need to market more in the states... how can Americans tune in for this amateur hour and not the CFL??  Boggles the mind.

No drone buzz...

It looks like they ditched a ton of the drones for this week.  The wide-field shots previously would have drones clearly visible in shot.  Nothing visible this week.  Just the spidercam.  Smart move.  Put the drones in for special moments like kickoff, then keep them down or far away for most play.

Fans: The first Birmingham "home" game had tons of fans: at least half full.  The non-"home" games have almost no one.  I thought for a second they were just allowing friends/family of players?  If that's full-open to all comers, then the attendance is pathetic.  I'd go to non-WPG CFL games at IGF if we had a similar situation, but I'm weird.  (Good thing CFL never did that 1-city idea for covid.)

Quarterbacking seems to be the weakest link in USFL league so far.  Maybe the CFL cohort isn't so bad after all.

[TecnoGenius]

Does anyone know if 66's man LDW is in USFL??

[Blue In BC]

Does anyone know if 66's man LDW is in USFL??

I don't think he is. He was in the XFL IIRC but might now be out of football.

[theaardvark]

Quarterbacking seems to be the weakest link in USFL league so far.  Maybe the CFL cohort isn't so bad after all.

Very hard for a QB to build any repoire with rec's in a few weeks, some have played previously with one or more of thier teamates in college, and at least one has played in his coaches system for a period before.... those QB's seem "better" than the others. 

Remember, these QB's are getting the same wage as every other player, IIRC.  The best starting QB and the worst backup DB are getting the same paycheck, the DB gets even more if his team wins and the QB's team loses...

I have no idea how.why Sloter played most of the game with a "popped groin".  I guess having played for 6 NFL teams and been tried out in 26 different venues over the last few years, he does not want to give up any airtime he might be allowed...