AAF suspends all operations

[WhatWouldDitkaDo]

I'm surprised AAF

[ninotoreS]

Never would've happened. Having league prospects play in a developmental league just carries too much injury risk in this sport.

Not for all the positions. Maybe not even for most of them. RB, is a problem, maybe O-linemen. But for most everything else, average career length expectancy with injuries factored in is long enough that there's enough time for them to spend the first half of their 20s in a developmental league, and still have enough time and good health left to move to the NFL and have something substantial to offer.

Besides, it only refers to young guys that would otherwise be stuck on practice-squads and the like. Where's the risk for team or player? The team has little invested in such players, and the player would like to do whatever he can to get an NFL opportunity.

[saw061600]

They should have waited and worked it out in the CBA. Could have followed European soccer where teams essentially rent players from their rosters to other teams.

While not exactly the same consider: If practice squad players could have been signed by AAF with the AAF covering the salary of contract AAF and NFL contract year, there could have been a salary cap benefit for the NFL teams (the AAF player's salary removed from NFL team cap). It may not have been huge savings but it would have made the risk of injury a bit more acceptable.

[problemsolver]

I heard some guy on the radio say that the main sticking point was that the NFLPA wouldn't sign off on using the AAF as a developmental tool because the way the salary cap is structured it already favors younger cheaper players and the last thing the NFLPA wants is a bigger pool of younger cheaper players to potentially take jobs from its older higher paid members.

[Paul717]

Yeah. One of its chief owners / shareholders warned everyone a few weeks ago that the league was in imminent danger of suspension if the NFL players' union doesn't allow the AAF to have more young players, i.e. players on practice-squads, those signed to futures contracts, etc.

Can't be a developmental league if you're not allowed to have developing players.

It's a shame. The sport itself would be improved with a legitimate minor league system. The jump from the NCAA is just so huge, especially for D-2 and D-3, ofc. I bet with a proper farm system, half of the NFL's teams wouldn't be desperate for competent QB play.

Some good takes here. Was listening to the guys on the Sirius XM NFL channel discuss this. They discussed that without NFL buy-in, or someone with very deep pockets, leagues like this won't last long.

I think some of the AAF players can ball, we'll likely hear more from a few guys.

Bit of a tangent, but this thread reminded me of the USFL for some reason; and it brought back memories of my favorite player: Herschel Walker! That he is NOT in the PRO FOOTBALL Hall of Fame speaks volumes to me. The NFL likely sees these leagues as a threat without considering the upside possibilities.

[ninotoreS]

So, I read about why the NFLPA doesn't want a developmental league. Supposedly it has something to do with the negative impact a developmental league would have on veteran players.

The idea is that with a thriving developmental league giving young fringe players live reps, the veterans that have to be paid their veteran minimum salary would start losing job opportunities across the league, because teams would start preferring the younger developmental league prospects with their cheaper non-veteran minimum salaries and greater athletic upside to round out their 53 man rosters than the old vets.

With no credible developmental league, right now the older replacement-level veterans have a major advantage over the younger replacement-level players: experience. A developmental league would threaten that advantage.

The NFLPA is controlled by veteran players.


edit:

I heard some guy on the radio say that the main sticking point was that the NFLPA wouldn't sign off on using the AAF as a developmental tool because the way the salary cap is structured it already favors younger cheaper players and the last thing the NFLPA wants is a bigger pool of younger cheaper players to potentially take jobs from its older higher paid members.

Oops, you beat me. Also much more succinct than me.

[ArrylT]

https://www.cbssports.com/aaf/news/aaf- ... 16-10abi8e

Article with more details on AAF shutdown (from Ebersol pov).

[Jason]

I watched for the first few weeks but March Madness eventually took my interest away. I tried to be a Birmingham Iron fan.

AAF did so much wrong. The fact you never knew when or where to watch the games. The fact you could never find a box score. Sports betters and Fantasy guys were gonna be the only way this league would stay afloat and they didn't cater to them whatsoever in this regard.

XFL sounds like they get that fact so there is a sliver of hope there.

[DelawareRiverEagles]

This bummed me out hard, but I like that the XFL is coming back. Honestly, I'd like to see the Alliance and XFL "merge" somehow, or have the XFL's champion play the AAF's champion.

[whodunnit]

I watched for the first few weeks but March Madness eventually took my interest away. I tried to be a Birmingham Iron fan.

AAF did so much wrong. The fact you never knew when or where to watch the games. The fact you could never find a box score. Sports betters and Fantasy guys were gonna be the only way this league would stay afloat and they didn't cater to them whatsoever in this regard.

XFL sounds like they get that fact so there is a sliver of hope there.

all of that could have been found at noextrapoints.com it was pretty easy to find, actually.

[ArrylT]

I personally have never heard of that site - but as I do not do gambling thats probably why. Regardless I concur that it did feel difficult to find boxscores & results - not that I was trying too hard - but they certainly were not any where near as easy as any other professional sport - which is a must for a casual fan. I dont think that is the main cause for the demise - but may have played a part in why their funding was lost.