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From: tankus@hsi.UUCP (Ed Tankus)
Newsgroups: net.sport.football
Subject: Re: USFL + CFL or The Art of Survival (long)
Message-ID: <248@hsi.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Aug-85 12:09:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: hsi.248
Posted: Fri Aug 16 12:09:40 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Aug-85 07:07:50 EDT
References:  <1650@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: Health Systems Int., New Haven, CT.
Lines: 72

> > 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