2011 Omaha Nighthawks

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Big E
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Post by Big E »

almighty_tuna wrote:Yeah, will know more details in a couple hours apparently.
I heard Steve Minard is buying the entire league and relocating it to South California.
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Post by almighty_tuna »

UFL wrote:The United Football League today announced that it is moving its 2011 season game schedule to begin in mid-September, consistent with the past two years.  The new season had been slated to begin on August 13, 2011.

...

UFL owner and founder BILL HAMBRECHT said: “Our ownership group is committed to funding our 2011 season.  Uncertainty and instability in professional sports, notwithstanding, we believe fully in our investment, our product and the UFL mission.”
http://www.ufl-football.com/news/ufl-mo ... h-november
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Greg S
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Post by Greg S »

I did not think this league would last for more than this season, but thought they would complete this one.  Now I'm not so sure.  The numbers for minor league football just don't work.  No way the NFL wants any part of this either.

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Post by Coyote »

I think I heard the reason for this delay - the UFL had planned on the NFL lockout to continue through their season and wanted to play on Sundays - but now since it looks like the CBA will come through the UFL has to now plan on playing on Saturdays - and they have yet to get a TV deal - which would float the league...
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Post by iamjacobm »

The TV deal is the make or break for this league.  They cannot continue to pay Versus to air their games.
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Post by Edagger »

espn.com makes good mention of the Nighthawks.
http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/ufl/new ... id=6783547[/url]
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Post by Omababe »

Edagger wrote:espn.com makes good mention of the Nighthawks.
I'm very surprised the players only get about $40k. Granted it's only 1/3 of a year real work, but to get beat up like they do, I find it very difficult to imagine.
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Greg S
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Post by Greg S »

It's hard to pay them 40k with no TV money and only 4 home games.  I think this will definitely be the last year of the UFL if they even make it this year.

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Post by Coyote »

UFL to delay start of season one month amid financial woes
sportsillustrated.cnn.com wrote:Huyghue said in a statement that the delay will give the league time to finalize television agreements and "other critical business affairs. Players who reported to training camps this week are returning home at league expense, with the plan being to reopen them in about a month.
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Greg S
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Post by Greg S »

Going to be interesting they may make it to training camp how many players they lose due to the uncertainty.  

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Post by nebugeater »

iamjacobm wrote:The Nighthawks are going to make Crouch official tomorrow and they signed Purify.
Today the Nighthawks announced that Purify is no longer on the roster.  On what I saw there was no details to why.
For the record  NEBUGEATER does not equal BUGEATER    !!!!!!!
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iamjacobm
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Post by iamjacobm »

I sounds like we may only be looking at 3 home games now.  This is turning into a mess.
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Brad
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Post by Brad »

iamjacobm wrote:I sounds like we may only be looking at 3 home games now.  This is turning into a mess.
Mike'L said someone posted on twitter that Hartford is folding the team.
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Post by Linkin5 »

Brad wrote:
iamjacobm wrote:I sounds like we may only be looking at 3 home games now.  This is turning into a mess.
Mike'L said someone posted on twitter that Hartford is folding the team.
Yeah OWH made it seem like Hartford is gone.  RIP UFL.
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Post by HskrFanMike »

The official word will come out this afternoon, but it sounds like Hartford probably won't make it...but the other 4 teams will still play a 6 game schedule.
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Post by Linkin5 »

I just heard on the radio UFL has already lost more than $100 million in its first two years.

I did not realize it was that bad.  Does anyone know if these games are still going to be on versus?
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Post by Coyote »

UFL shuts down Hartford team
NY Post wrote:Huyghue has said the UFL needs an injection of new revenue or a partnership with the NFL to survive beyond this year. Huyghue said he tried unsuccessfully to negotiate deals with CBS and TNT. UFL spokesman Michael Preston said games would be carried on HDNet and regional sports networks. Versus had televised games last season, but the league had to pay production costs.
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Post by Bosco55David »

The UFL would be wise to drop it's gimmicky rules. That might help to get more people interested.
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Brad
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Post by Brad »

Bosco55David wrote:The UFL would be wise to drop it's gimmicky rules. That might help to get more people interested.
Like What?
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Post by HskrFanMike »

What gimmicky rules?  Also, the UFL games will not be on Versus.  Probably some on HDNet, and allegedly other regional sports networks.
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Post by Bosco55David »

HskrFanMike wrote:What gimmicky rules?


How about the rule that requires defenses to have 4 down linemen on the line of scrimmage? That prevents defenses from having the flexibility to run a 3-4 base defense, 3-3-5 and 2-4-5 nickel sets and 3-2 dime sets. Or what about the rule that says you can only have a maximum of 6 players rushing the quarterback? That precludes the use of just about all fire and Cover Zero schemes. Oh, and of those 6 pass rushers, 4 of them have to be the down linemen. That means you can't run any zone blitz schemes. Then you also have the rule that allows the quarterback to throw the ball away from inside the pocket, basically ensuring that an even remotely aware quarterback can avoid a sack by simply taking a loss of down rather than losing yardage and potential fumbles and interceptions.  

It's absolute bull****. They were so obsessed on creating scoring and "fun" that they completely castrated defenses in the process which forces everyone to essentially run the same vanilla Cover 2 and Cover 3 defenses out of the same fronts. Those same kinds of gimmicks are what killed the XFL in one season, and as someone who considers himself a student of the game it literally turns me off to the entire league.
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Big E
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Post by Big E »

I think gimmicky is a stretch in those examples.  It's not like we're talking about a sprint to a football instead of a coin toss or an MTV Rock n Jocks 30 pt shot or anything.  Regardless, the league isn't going to fail because of limited blitz schemes.

This league, like the others before it, is going to fail because of the NFL's anti-trust exemption.  I'd absolutely LOVE to see an English Premiere league relegation/promotion model applied to pro sports in the US.  The amount of economic activity would be mind blowing.
Stable genius.
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Post by Bosco55David »

Big E wrote:I think gimmicky is a stretch in those examples.  It's not like we're talking about a sprint to a football instead of a coin toss or an MTV Rock n Jocks 30 pt shot or anything.
Actually I think it's right on target considering that the definition of a gimmick is "a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business" and the UFL is pretty open about their rule changes being for the purpose of increased scoring resulting in increased fan support. Granted, they are not as gimmicky as your examples, but it's still a very poor move IMO.
Regardless, the league isn't going to fail because of limited blitz schemes.


Oh but I think it will, and according to alot of my fellow football fans, it already has. It may not matter to the most casual of casual fans, but the rest will be turned off by it. They don't want to see scoring increased because the league neutered the defenses. They want to see superior game planning and play calling win out whether it's the offense, defense, or both.
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Post by Brad »

I am going to guess that at least 75% of football fans don't have a clue about what defense is what...
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Post by Bosco55David »

Brad wrote:I am going to guess that at least 75% of football fans don't have a clue about what defense is what...
Wanna bet? At the very least they can differentiate between your basic fronts, and blitzing tendencies are easy to discern even with an untrained eye.
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Big E
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Post by Big E »

Brad wrote:I am going to guess that at least 75% of football fans don't have a clue about what defense is what...
And the other 75% can't do math.

Changing defensive alignment rules is about as important to the masses showing up at these games as the difference between one or two feet in bounds for a catch.  

Ultimately, we're not talking about something truly significant to sports, like $1 beer, inflatable kiddie castles and free parking.
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Post by S33 »

The league is failing because, beyond the atmosphere and beer guzzling, nobody gives a flying |expletive| about this league and its washed up has-beens or the "couldn't quite make its", the lack of traditional and historical brand equity, and lack of accessible media coverage.

I said it before and I will say it again - there will NEVER be another mainstream football league in this country beyond D1 College and NFL. We have plenty of football in this country regardless of whether or not we have a hometown team and and all other attempts at other leagues have been nothing more than an annoying nuisance. <-- that part is my opinion, of course.

I'm not sure an ease in NFL anti-trust laws would change that, either.
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Big E
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Post by Big E »

S33 wrote:I'm not sure an ease in NFL anti-trust laws would change that, either.
Just easing/eliminating anti-trust exemptions, no.  You'd still have to apply the promotion/relegation model.  (Which, I suppose, could happen without adjusting the anti-trust exemption for the NFL, if the NFL wnated to be in charge of the whole thing.)
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Post by Bosco55David »

Big E wrote:Changing defensive alignment rules is about as important to the masses showing up at these games as the difference between one or two feet in bounds for a catch.
The alignment rule itself may not be that big of a deal, especially with the 4-3 defense coming back into vogue, but the limits on blitzing and dropping linemen into coverage are definitely big deals.
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Post by riceweb »

I don't believe they put in the blitzing/grounding rules to increase scoring. I think they put them in place so that they could secure guys like Culpepper and Garcia without seeing them get injured.
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Post by HuskerDave »

I'm sure it's been said before, but how wonderful would it be for the NFL to adopt an MLB-style system of farm teams?  I really think it would be better for the mid-size communities, as the Omaha, Albuquerque, SLC baseball teams are, for the players, who could grow into their roles or step down a level rather than into unemployment when things go poorly, and for the league, who would maintain some part of the broadcast and merchandising rights.
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Post by Linkin5 »

Do you really think changing the blitzing rule and defense formations is going to draw in more people?  

The UFL will ultimately not survive because no one really cares about anything other than NFL and college football.
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Post by almighty_tuna »

Fwiw, I'm just going to be happy seeing live football.  It may not be NFL, it may not survive another season, but it's a fantastic feeling to enjoy football on a cool fall night in my own town.
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Post by Bosco55David »

riceweb wrote:I don't believe they put in the blitzing/grounding rules to increase scoring. I think they put them in place so that they could secure guys like Culpepper and Garcia without seeing them get injured.


Well first off, the UFL executives have been pretty open in stating that they designed the rules to increase scoring. Secondly, that's a really dumbass reason to change the rules if they actually had that train of thought. The NCAA and NFL rules already provide more than adequate protection for the quarterback, even being arguably restrictive. If someone is still a risk with those rules then they have no business being a quarterback.
Linkin5 wrote:Do you really think changing the blitzing rule and defense formations is going to draw in more people?  

The UFL will ultimately not survive because no one really cares about anything other than NFL and college football.
It would definitely help. Will it solve all their problems? Not by a longshot, but when a significant number of people ignore the league because of the way you designed the rules, that's a big problem.
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Post by cp jay 07 »

almighty_tuna wrote:Fwiw, I'm just going to be happy seeing live football.  It may not be NFL, it may not survive another season, but it's a fantastic feeling to enjoy football on a cool fall night in my own town.
Couldn't agree more, nothing better than heading to Caniglia to watch some colle.......errr never mind, thanks Trev.
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Post by Brad »

2011 Revised Schedule

Wk 1    9/15     VIRGINIA                   7pm    

Wk 2    Bye

Wk 3    10/1     at Sacramento            4pm    

Wk 4    10/8     at Las Vegas               5pm    

Wk 5    10/15   LAS VEGAS              7pm    

Wk 6    10/21   at Virginia                    7pm    

Wk 7    10/28   SACRAMENTO         7pm
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Post by S33 »

UFL commissioner being (strongly) linked to booster and Miami scandal - UFL just can't catch any breaks.  :)
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Post by iamjacobm »

Former WVA RB Noel Devine is a Nighthawk.
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Post by HskrFanMike »

cp jay 07 wrote:
almighty_tuna wrote:Fwiw, I'm just going to be happy seeing live football.  It may not be NFL, it may not survive another season, but it's a fantastic feeling to enjoy football on a cool fall night in my own town.
Couldn't agree more, nothing better than heading to Caniglia to watch some colle.......errr never mind, thanks Trev.
Don't blame Trev...blame the 9000+ empty seats at games last season...
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Greg S
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Post by Greg S »

HskrFanMike wrote:
cp jay 07 wrote:
almighty_tuna wrote:Fwiw, I'm just going to be happy seeing live football.  It may not be NFL, it may not survive another season, but it's a fantastic feeling to enjoy football on a cool fall night in my own town.
Couldn't agree more, nothing better than heading to Caniglia to watch some colle.......errr never mind, thanks Trev.
Don't blame Trev...blame the 9000+ empty seats at games last season...
Yeah, the Mavs have struggled at the gate off and on for years.  The Nighthawks did great at the gate last year.  On the one in a million shot the NFL steps in, it would test that.  If the NFL buys that league it would be more developmental.  Unlike minor league baseball though, the 1st and 2nd rounds can play in the NFL immediately.  The Nighthawks would have late round picks and undrafter players.  I don't think they'd pay aging past their players like Garcia and Green.  I think it would be a tougher sell.  It's not like you'd be seeing future NFL stars in Omaha.

Greg
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