The Alliance of American Football

[E5 Yaz]

That the Ebersols are behind this would make a great WWE storyline

Unlike McMahon, whose announcement came without a media plan, Charlie Ebersol said that his league, made up of players who didn't make the cut for the NFL, will have the initial contest and the championship game on CBS and one game a week on CBS Sports Network. Other games will be available on the league's app, which Ebersol said promises to integrate live fantasy play into the broadcasts.

While McMahon's league is backed by McMahon's money, Ebersol's league is backed by others, including former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and The Chernin Group, which, among other investments, owns a significant share of Barstool Sports.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22844453/xfl-documentary-maker-plans-own-football-league

 

[bsj]

I dont get the word Alliance in this context. Its like they just searched for a word to fit the letters they already chose.

That being said, Ebersol has a far more well thought out initial product.

 

[kenneycb]

This just sounds like a slightly updated version of the UFL. I doubt it will succeed.

 

[Couperin47]

AFAIK CBSN is not included in any of the upgraded packages available on Spectrum (though this may only be true of former Time Warner) systems and requires an extra $10 small package of other obscure, and not even all sports, channels and also afaik the situation is the same on Comcast...hence it's clearance is minuscule...so it's actual reach will be laughable.

 

[E5 Yaz]

AFAIK CBSN is not included in any of the upgraded packages available on Spectrum (though this may only be true of former Time Warner) systems and requires an extra $10 small package of other obscure, and not even all sports, channels and also afaik the situation is the same on Comcast...hence it's clearance is minuscule...so it's actual reach will be laughable.

You're presuming that the "reach" is limited to CBSN. From what I gather, this league is going multi-platform, incorporating real-time fantasy play, and veering away from traditional methods of charting media success. If you just go by the idea of cable viewers, sure, it'll be miniscule. But it doesn't sound as though this is their intent.

It'll likely fail; but it might have aspects of a template for how we watch sports in years to come

 

[BuellMiller]

I dont get the word Alliance in this context. Its like they just searched for a word to fit the letters they already chose.

That being said, Ebersol has a far more well thought out initial product.

Maybe they wanted to position themselves as the Rebel Alliance to Emperor Roger Palpatine's NFL Empire.


Also, what is "integrate live fantasy play into the broadcasts?" is that just live stats like they do now from the other games for the extreme fantasy junkies that will be getting their fix from this AAF?

 

[Harry Hooper]

I dont get the word Alliance in this context. Its like they just searched for a word to fit the letters they already chose.

"League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" was unavailable. BTW, will this be one of the new league's outlets?

 

[Couperin47]

real-time fantasy play

WTF does this mean in, like, reality? My team is getting it's ass kicked so I can overlay a crude animation of the actual game and pick alternate plays and get points and prizes in some fantasy league while I ignore the actual game ? or is this just a word salad of current buzzwords by an asshole touting his crappy idea...I mean extra violence and tits were already tried by the XFL and failed miserably so, if sex and violence (this is redundant I know..) won't work as gimmicks, for the new generation lets add...fantasy technology because I can't figure out how to incorporate vampires.

 

[Fred not Lynn]

I once had to explain the CFL to a European (who of course hears “football” and thinks soccer). My best description was that that it was the Canadian League of American Football*

* With nominally different rules

 

[kenneycb]

It's probably some equivalent to in-game betting on individual players. That would be a great windfall for the DFS guys but won't touch that because of it is way too close to gambling for the regulators.

 

[OCST]

Who's going to play fantasy with a bunch of unknown players?

 

[cgori]

Who's going to play fantasy with a bunch of unknown players?

Degenerate gamblers, who else?

 

[Infield Infidel]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/03/20/alliance-of-american-football-to-kick-off-after-super-bowl/?utm_term=.e4facb8478e3

The Alliance will do away with extra points; instead, scoring teams will attempt a two-point conversion from the 2-yard line.

There are no kickoffs. The offense will take the ball from its own 25-yard line. Instead of onside kicks, the scoring team will have one play from its own 35-yard line to convert a fourth down and 10 play to keep the ball.

The Alliance will also have a 30-second play clock (the NFL’s is 40 seconds), replays will be limited to two coach’s challenges for either team, and there will be no television timeouts.

“The game will only stop when it naturally stops,” said Ebersol, whose father, Dick, is a former NBC executive and XFL partner.

The goal is to complete a game in less than 2 1/2 hours, and games will have 60 percent fewer commercials, Ebersol said.

I'm interested to see how this plays out. What is the success rate of onside kicks vs 4th-10? Shorter play clock is interesting, but might just cause more delay-of-game penalties. I'm also curious just to see what a 2.5 hour game looks like. It would be even faster if instead of always going for 2, at TD was either automatically 7, or 6 plus a 2 point attempt.

 

[Harry Hooper]

The Alliance will do away with extra points; instead, scoring teams will attempt a two-point conversion from the 2-yard line.

Interesting idea. If they spotted the ball for the conversion a la rugby where the ball crossed the line on the TD, that might be more compelling.

The Alliance will also have a 30-second play clock (the NFL’s is 40 seconds), replays will be limited to two coach’s challenges for either team, and there will be no television timeouts.

“The game will only stop when it naturally stops,” said Ebersol, whose father, Dick, is a former NBC executive and XFL partner.

This sounds like Chip Kelly's dream league. Fewer sub packages probably means fewer jumbo-sized players on the field, and maybe also smaller, lighter pads.

 

[tims4wins]

The only problem with the 4th and 10 idea is that it eliminates surprise onside kicks