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United Football League Readying for Launch

Posted by Roman on March 10th, 2009 | Filed under Business, Sports

Watch out NFL. There’s a new football league in town. Actually, the NFL has nothing to worry about. Not for a while at least. In fact, every league that has ever risen up to try and take away NFL market share has eventually failed. A few in particular come to mind: USFL (1982-1987), XFL (2000-2001), and most recently, the AFL (1987-2008) which has closed shop until further notice. RIP.

The UFL or United Football League will host it’s first season in 2009 and already seems more promising and ready for the long haul than leagues of the past. Lead by commissioner Michael Huyghue, they’re doing things differently from the get-go:

Starting small, starting smart:

• Television broadcast partnership with Versus
• Strong web presence with steady stream of communication
• 6 week season (October – November)
• Similar rule-set as the NFL
• 4 initial teams – Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco
• 2 more teams in 2010 – Monterrey Mexico, Salt Lake City
• $12-20 million player salary cap per team
• $3 million staff salary cap per team
• $30 million will get you half ownership of a team
• Another $30 million ownership steak will be retained by the league
• Shares of team ownership may be sold to the public to raise another $60 million

That last bullet point is the most intriguing. It means that Joe the plumber can become Joe the UFL franchise owner.

Even with a solid foundation, no new venture is without challenges:

• Limited player talent
• Plans to seek out troubled players such as Michael Vick and Adam “Pacman” Jones
• Limited coaching talent; Jim Fassel, Ted Cottrell, Jim Haslett and Dennis Green have been hired
• Potential lack of investor funding
• Economic timing

As with all startups, be they bleeding edge web apps or professional sports leagues, execution matters above all else. The UFL has a solid plan, a smart leadership team and manageable obstacles. Only time will tell how far the league will go and how successful it will be.

I’m a huge sports fan and someone who can never get enough football so I’ve got the UFL’s back. From both a business and entertainment perspective I look forward to seeing the development, growth and performance of this new league on and off the field. Many questions remain, but one stands out and keeps me thinking: Would I invest?

Would you?

Tags: football, investment, sports franchise, ufl, united football league

Read more | Comments (0) | March 10, 2009

15 Fond Memories From a Wild 2008 Eagles Season

Posted by Roman on January 19th, 2009 | Filed under Sports

The 2008 Eagles season was a wild ride and reminiscent of a song you may know by Katy Perry:

“Cause you’re hot then you’re cold
You’re yes then you’re no
You’re in and you’re out
You’re up and you’re down”

You get the picture.

Even though we didn’t make the Super Bowl, we had a memorable season filled with great Eagles moments. Here are some of my favorite:

1) Sheldon Brown Decapitates Steven Jackson (vs Rams 9/7/08)

Hits like these are becoming a staple of Sheldon’s on-field arsenal. Remember Reggie Bush? Eagles went on to win the home opener 38-3 against the Rams.

2) DeSean Jackson’s Primetime Fumble (at Cowboys 9/15/08)

If DeSean wasn’t so talented and able to dazzle us with his speed and great hands, this mistake would probably haunt him for a long time. In a big Monday night matchup at Dallas he celebrated prematurely and dropped the ball a yard shy of the end zone. It helped that Westbrook was able to score soon after that infamous play.

3) Weapon X Shows Flashes of his Old Self (vs Steelers 9/21/08)

Criticism after the Dallas game added fuel to the fire and Brian Dawkins responded with a sack and a vintage leaping tackle which forced a Roethlisberger fumble.

4) A Rookie’s First Pro Touchdown (at Bears 9/28/08)

McNabb threaded the needle on a beautiful pass into double coverage – caught by DeSean Jackson in the end zone.

5) Special Teams Gets a Special Player (at Redskins 10/5/08)

A rising star, DeSean Jackson gave our punt return game the spark we’ve been needing, taking a punt 68 yards to the house.

6) Parker’s Big Day (at 49ers 10/12/08)

Defensive end Juqua Parker dominated the 4th quarter and had a career day, recording a sack and his first career interception return for a touchdown.

7) Who Needs LJ? (at Seahawks 11/2/08)

Brent Celek filled in for an injured L.J. Smith and had himself a career game, leading all receivers with 131 yards, his longest going for a gain of 44.

8) After 75 Minutes of Play (at Bengals 11/16/08)

A bewildered Donovan McNabb learned that regular season games can and do end in ties. Final score 13-13, unlucky.

9) I Can Go the Distance (at Ravens 11/23/08)

Quintin Demps was the only bright spot in a tough loss, returning a kick 100 yards for a touchdown, our first kickoff return for a score in several years.

10) From Franchise Quarterback to Benchwarmer (at Ravens 11/23/08)

Donovan’s season, maybe even his time as an Eagle seemed to be rapidly coming to an end after a 2nd half benching and Kevin Kolb coming in as the starter.

11) Movin’ and Groovin’ on Turkey Day (vs Cardinals 11/27/08)

Andy Reid looked like a genius following the benching, seemingly lighting a fire under Donovan’s ass. The team played excellent ball in all 3 facets of the game and rocked the Cardinals 48-20. Donovan went 27 for 39 with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions on Thanksgiving night.

12) Defense Shines Brighter than Any Star (vs Cowboys 12/28/08)

With their destiny in their own hands the Eagles beat the Cowboys by the largest margin of victory in franchise history. 44-6 final. Our defense arguably had their best game of the season recording 4 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 2 defensive touchdowns. The planets aligned and with a Buccaneers and Bears loss the Eagles moved ahead into the playoffs. Unbelievable.

13) Why We Pay Him the Big Bucks (vs Vikings 1/4/09)

Cornerback Asante Samuel set an NFL record with his 4th playoff interception for a touchdown – the most in the post-season by any player. He brought this one back 44 yards.

14) Catch Me if You Can (vs Cardinals 1/18/09)

DeSean was able to end the season on a high note, bobbling the ball but making a fantastic catch on a 62 yard bomb from Donovan. Immediately after, DeSean proceeded to celebrate by dancing something that looked like an Irish jig mixed with the famous Eagles arm flap.

15) Almost Doesn’t Count (vs Cardinals 1/18/09)

Similar to many games this season, the Eagles were one drive away from a win and this time a Super Bowl appearance. Even after mounting a comeback of 19 unanswered points, the Eagles fell short 32-25, ending a roller coaster of a season.

Through the ups and downs, this season left us wanting more. It’s never enough, not until we win the big game.

I hope you enjoyed the 2008 campaign as much as I did and that these memories last for months and years to come.

Tags: 49ers, asante samuel, bears, bengals, brian dawkins, cardinals, cowboys, desean jackson, donovan mcnabb, eagles, jaqua parker, rams, ravens, redskins, seahawks, sheldon brown, steelers, vikings

Read more | Comments (0) | January 19, 2009

Surprise Super Bowl Run Comes to an End

Posted by Roman on January 18th, 2009 | Filed under Sports

As a fan of everything Philly, a topic I have on my mind often is our pro sports teams. Yesterday afternoon, a gut-wrenching Eagles season came to an end at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals. They played us tough and for the first time in franchise history, the Cards have made the Super Bowl. Congratulations are deserved.

The Eagles faithful will again have to wait until next season. It hurts, but we’ll be ready. We’ll come out in force to training camp, sell out preseason games in anticipation for the home opener and stand around the water cooler, yearning for a star wideout. As Philadelphians, we’ll be ready, ready to bring the Vince Lombardi trophy home where it belongs in 2009.

Tags: cardinals, eagles, super bowl

Read more | Comments (0) | January 18, 2009