tankus@hsi.UUCP (Ed Tankus) (08/16/85)
> > I remember something coming up back when the USFL first got going - there > > were proposals that they merge with the Canadian Football League ... > > etc., etc. > > > > But now that the USFL is going to a fall schedule - why not a merger? > > lots of etc.'s and great liberties taken with this text for brevity. I think a merger is the right idea but not with the CFL. That's the point of the above article. I think the USFL has to take a good hard look at itself. It obviously can't afford the salaries it tried to pay it's players. The NFL is trying to hold the line this year for various reasons and I believe the CFL is and has done the same thing. The USFL is gambling with a fall schedule and with a billion dollar anti-trust suit against the NFL. What it should do is merge with the NFL. (Please hold your flames 'til I finish. Thanks.) The USFL has a great talent pool. Not every player however, is NFL caliber. The USFL should sit back, take stock of all its teams, their individual attendence records, etc. Then they should put together the 4 to 6 *BEST* overall teams based on these criteria. For example, the Generals had both a winning record and good attendence figures. The merger with the Gamblers didn't hurt the team either; include them. The Baltimore Stars won the championship and had good attendence records too (yes I do know the difference between 25,000 and 70,000 people in attendence); include them. Possible divisional, conference and inter-conference rivalries with NFL teams could be part of this criteria as well. For example, the Oakland Invaders vs the LA Raiders, Baltimore Stars vs Indianapolis Colts, etc. I made this point in a previous article. The USFL could propose the following as a settlement to their anti-trust suit: The USFL would take the above teams, allow each to team to protect X number of players (20 to 25 might be reasonable) and allow the rest to be put into a supplemental draft pool. The NFL would do the same thing but would be allowed to protect more players (say 35) and ALL of their collegiate draft picks. The USFL would also be allowed to protect their college draftees as well. The remaining unprotected players would be placed in a supplemental draft pool. NFL and USFL teams would draw lots, flip coins, draw cards or whatever to establish a drafting order. This idea would benefit both leagues. The NFL teams would be allowed to preservetheir present (35 vets) and their future (ALL of their college talent). And theywould have one-up on the USFL by having more players protected. The USFL could also protect their present and future in the same way. However, now BOTH leagues have a shot at some REALLY good talent! There are a lot of players in the USFL that the NFL wants and vice-versa. This proposal would more evenly divide the talent in the expanded league without the price wars of the past. This was the same reasons given for the AFL-NFL merger. The fan loyalties, new rivalries and new players might just give the NFL a real shot in the arm. The future of a lot of PEOPLE, players, fans, vendors, etc. hang in the balance here. Witness the recent baseball strike. Sure, the owners will hurt too. Witness the recent football strike. But it's time to drop the old league vs league stuff and get down to what is best for all concerned. The NHL-WHA merger worked: the Edmonton Oilers have been champs two years in a row. How did they do it? A BLEND OF TALENT! An shared philosophy of dollars don't always make sense. Thanks more being patient with my verbiage. Now, bring on the flames!!!! -- " For every word there is a song upon which inspiration lies ..." Ed Tankus Net : {noao!ihnp4!yale!}!hsi!tankus Snail: Health Systems Int'l, 100 Broadway, New Haven, CT 06511 Bell : (203) 562-2101
mcdonald@sask.UUCP (Shane McDonald) (08/27/85)
> I think the USFL has to take a good hard look at itself. It obviously can't > afford the salaries it tried to pay it's players. The NFL is trying to hold > the line this year for various reasons and I believe the CFL is and has done > the same thing. A player named Vince Goldsmith was just let go by one of the teams in the CFL - sorry, I can't remember who he played for. I think it was three years ago, he won the rookie of the year award while playing for Saskatchewan. He's still been playing pretty awesome. The paper said the reason he was let go was because he had reached the top salary level that his team was willing to pay an import - $78,000. They figured it was better to get a rookie to play his position at a much lower salary. I guess this is one way of holding the line on salaries. -- Shane McDonald (ihnp4!sask!mcdonald)
jims@hcrvax.UUCP (Jim Sullivan) (09/04/85)
> A player named Vince Goldsmith was just let go by one of the teams > in the CFL - sorry, I can't remember who he played for. I think > it was three years ago, he won the rookie of the year award while > playing for Saskatchewan. He's still been playing pretty awesome. > The paper said the reason he was let go was because he had reached > the top salary level that his team was willing to pay an import - $78,000. > They figured it was better to get a rookie to play his position at > a much lower salary. I guess this is one way of holding the line > on salaries. > -- > Shane McDonald > (ihnp4!sask!mcdonald) I find that this is one of the big problems with the CFL. As long as you're average, and don't cost too much, a CFL team will keep you. But, as soon as you start to earn more money, and are worth more, then you are given your walking papers. As a result, there is no continuity between seasons (except for the 'stars'), often not even between games. As a result, I can never remember who's play on the Argos, or the RoughRiders, or anyone. And if I can't tell the players without a scoresheet, I really don't care. By the way, the book store next door has a 'Men of the CFL' calender (1986). I'm tempted to buy it and keep a running score of the players still in the calender by the Grey Cup, start of next year, and the 1986 Grey Cup. There goes April. Jim Sullivan