|
|
Post by dubber on Oct 6, 2009 19:35:52 GMT -6
I was reading Bob Goodman's thread on starting a different football league (other than NFL or CFL) in North America.
It is a worthy conversation.
I decided to start a different thread to discuss a particular thought, and didn't want to hijack's Bob's thread.
So, what sort of gimmick would bring you out to the stadium?
I mean, Arena obviously had success (emphasis currently on the HAD) because it was DIFFERENT enough to draw fans and sponsers to the games. They had rules that placed a premium on the passing game, and a field where field position was ALWAYS good (for the offense).
Those types of "gimmicks" made it more viable than a copycat with the same rules as the NFL but lesser athletes.
In short, what would it take for you to get out and watch lesser athletes play football (other than, "they try harder")?
|
|
|
|
Post by brophy on Oct 6, 2009 19:57:15 GMT -6
No timeouts (never stop the game, maybe 10 min qtrs)
13-15 man roster (injury? Tough...put the next guy in...have to be complete football players)
Free beer
Plenty Half-nekked womens
Not necessarily in that order
|
|
|
|
Post by phantom on Oct 6, 2009 21:27:35 GMT -6
No timeouts (never stop the game, maybe 10 min qtrs) 13-15 man roster (injury? Tough...put the next guy in...have to be complete football players) Free beer Plenty Half-nekked womens Not necessarily in that order Half? |
|
|
|
Post by cmow5 on Oct 6, 2009 21:41:10 GMT -6
for me as a coach, just put some players on the feild, dont try to compete with the big boys (NCAA and NFL) and I will watch and go.
but most fans wont. if its not a big name player, coach, team, then who cares. Maybe some fans will show if it is the home town team and they dont have to travel more then a few miles.
|
|
|
|
Post by touchdownmaker on Oct 7, 2009 2:47:40 GMT -6
no punting allowed
|
|
|
|
Post by coachinghopeful on Oct 7, 2009 2:54:24 GMT -6
How about the gimmick of using "hometown boys" as football players? This isn't exactly a new idea--just look at how many NFL teams like to draft based on this principle even today--but it would be nice to go see a game knowing the guys are actually from that town and have a history there.
Personally, I'd like a league with no "5 yard rule" on the WRs, no "eligible numbers" rule for the OL, and none of the silly "illegal contact" or "illegal hit" rules with NCAA or HS hash marks but those aren't really gimmicks. To me, I just don't care about gimmicks, so long as the game is well played.
That said, I do like Brophy's idea of limiting the rosters to very small numbers so that guys have to be ready, willing, and able to go both ways for 60 minutes. IIRC, the Arena League kind of did this with the exception of their "offensive specialists" etc. It limits payroll and makes the game more interesting. Maybe have a 22 man roster, but put a rule in so that you can't sub out more than 4 players at a time.
I also would be interested in instituting the Canadian rule where multiple players can go in motion and get a running start before the snap. It might be interesting to see what develops if you allow forward passes from anywhere on the field, too. That might make the game a little too akin to Ruby for most people's tastes but it could be fun to watch, too.
These are all just minor tweaks, though. I still want 11 man tackle football.
|
|
|
|
Post by touchdownmaker on Oct 7, 2009 5:03:36 GMT -6
"you make the call"- how about letting the fans call plays? or letting the fans overrule an officials call when there is a challenge?
|
|
|
|
Post by jpdaley25 on Oct 7, 2009 5:17:00 GMT -6
Fan participation -
Let the fans play: When drunk macho guy starts getting down on the team and says anyone else could do better, he signs a waiver and can go get him some, by gawd!
People in the crowd can vote for the next play on their computer consoles.
Alcohol, Gambling, and Women always bring them in - You could do it on Indian Reservations and in Western states where prostitution is legal.
|
|
|
|
Post by brophy on Oct 7, 2009 8:49:22 GMT -6
along the dancing girls thing......you have no idea how much of a draw those freaking mascots are, especially when they interact with fans. If I had a ball club, I'd have a freaking cast of Muppets of about a half dozen characters. It'd be like Chucky Cheese between the goal posts (kids LOVE them.........and will nag their parents to visit them).   Look at davecisar's NU thread about family environment. The drunken bum crowd is a fickle niche, one that can be drawn to a Buffalo Wild Wings just as easy. Get the families involved (30 - 65)....if you have the families coming, you'll also get the grandparents coming, too.....get THOSE people coming and now your concessions and merchandising is going to take off. Also, if I were going to start up a 'new league', I would relegate it to a Harlem Globetrotters kind of thing. If you could guarantee "Sports Center" type plays, people would come. It is gimmicky, but you also are controlling the product & brand (quality product), but you will get the best talent (not playing ball) to dedicate to it. So, you may have 1 or 2 'globe trotter' teams, and maybe 5 regional teams to battle them. |
|
|
|
Post by tiger46 on Oct 7, 2009 15:08:17 GMT -6
This would be silly. But, it would be fun for me to watch and I'd pay to go see it.
Grab bag offenses & defenses.
At the start of each week, a rep from each team reaches into the offense and defense bags. Whatever they pull out are the offenses and defenses that they have to run.
Now, every conceivable offense & defense in the world doesn't have to be included and certain adjustments can be allowed.
Now, here's my wrinkle. It's sort of like a game of cards. Let's say it's a 10 game season. At the start of the season, each team has 5 offenses & defenses that they can run. No team is told what they are. They have to grab each one each week. Obviously, a real grab bag isn't needed. The teams can just find out what they have at the start of each week.
Now, after five games, every team knows what cards they have. They then get to choose what they want to run for the next five games. However, they can only run that offense/defense for one game. The next game, they have to play one of the others that they pulled. The fun would be in watching the team's strategy of when, where & how to play their cards.
There would be a 're-shuffle' for the play-offs. Say there's two play-off games & a championship. All 5 'O's & 'D's that the team are available. But, the team's are only going to get to grab bag 3 of the 5. Now, they know what 3 'O's & 'D's that they have for the post season. But, they have to decide the best strategy of how to use them.
|
|
|
|
Post by phantom on Oct 7, 2009 18:01:41 GMT -6
I was reading Bob Goodman's thread on starting a different football league (other than NFL or CFL) in North America. It is a worthy conversation. I decided to start a different thread to discuss a particular thought, and didn't want to hijack's Bob's thread. So, what sort of gimmick would bring you out to the stadium? I mean, Arena obviously had success (emphasis currently on the HAD) because it was DIFFERENT enough to draw fans and sponsers to the games. They had rules that placed a premium on the passing game, and a field where field position was ALWAYS good (for the offense). Those types of "gimmicks" made it more viable than a copycat with the same rules as the NFL but lesser athletes. In short, what would it take for you to get out and watch lesser athletes play football (other than, "they try harder")? This is not sarcasm- how about a game using A-11 rules? As much as I was against the A11 it wasn't because I didn't think it could make for an exciting game. I just didn't think it was football. Now a game that's based on A11 stuff? That might be fun to watch. |
|
|
|
Post by coachwoodall on Oct 8, 2009 9:01:59 GMT -6
Have a league where the coin toss determines which team you get to coach.
|
|
|
|
Post by jpdaley25 on Oct 8, 2009 11:16:16 GMT -6
Remove the rules governing motion before the snap.
Rockne would put ten guys in motion before the snap (I read that - I wasn't around then) and the one-man-in motion rule was created to stop him.
Just think about what you could do with that.
|
|
|
|
Post by bobgoodman on Oct 8, 2009 11:37:02 GMT -6
This would be silly. But, it would be fun for me to watch and I'd pay to go see it. Grab bag offenses & defenses. At the start of each week, a rep from each team reaches into the offense and defense bags. Whatever they pull out are the offenses and defenses that they have to run. That's like checkers tournaments that have openings drawn by lot. Most ways that people could think of changing the game have the potential to become interesting over time. That's the way it's always been. However, some changes have tipped the game away from certain tactics to the degree that they became rare and were eventually abolished -- often not because they were thought to be unfairly advantageous or dangerous, but because officials would forget how to administer them. |
|
|
|
Post by bobgoodman on Oct 8, 2009 11:48:39 GMT -6
Remove the rules governing motion before the snap. I wouldn't remove them completely, but I'd loosen the rules on backs in motion. Any number could be in motion, but any who were moving forward at the snap would have to (after the snap) stop moving forward before reaching the plane of where the rearmost line player's waist was at the snap, unless the ball was first kicked across the neutral zone. I admit it would make things harder on the officials. I'd also have a restriction on forward motion following the snap on kick plays similar to what Rugby Union had last I heard. Any player of K who was on R's side of the neutral zone at the time the ball was kicked across the neutral zone would have to stop moving forward within 2 steps that player was made onside or the kick ended. Also no picnic for officials. |
|
