There's alot of bad talk about the AAF here, and while the comments about the poor game play are valid, that league was intended to be a testing ground for NFL rule changes & develop a minor league for upcoming NFL players.

The rules were unique though. No TV time outs & game in under 2.5 hours. Shorter play clock. No extra points, 2 point conversion mandatory. No kickoffs. Onside kicks replaced by a 4th & 12 play from your own 28 yard line. The biggest thing was that all players & the football had microchips with real-time tracking technology. That app could eventually allow the potential for real time sports betting for every play or series, but the league could never get it to work right. Sports Illustrated said the league was eventually purchased & immediately shut down, just to obtain the rights to that technology.

It's heart was in the right place though. It had the support of the NFL (former executives in charge, former NFL coaches, use of NFL practice squad players, games on CBS/TNT/NFL Network, etc). It just didn't have the financial backing of the NFL. When the league really started hemorrhaging cash, they pulled the plug fast. Can't really blame them.

The reason leagues like the USFL worked in the mid-80s was because they had deep pockets, had teams in big markets & signed the top players out of college (like Hershel Walker, Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Doug Flutie, etc), which gave the league immediate legitimacy & sparked interest. The games were fun & exciting. They had a good thing going & showed that a spring football league could be successful. But when they decided to compete directly against the NFL & play games their games in the fall, everything collapsed. It was a different time.

When your star players are NFL 3rd stringers & practice squad guys, a new league is never going to be successful. Too many other entertainment choices for people today than to sit there & watch bad football. XFL is going to suffer the same fate. If they were smart, they would sign Antonio Brown ASAP and make him the showcase of the league. Let him put up 2000 yards receiving & 20+ TDs. People would tune in to see that shitshow, that's for sure.

I would counter that AB is basically kidding himself if he thinks he's going to get a new deal next year if he's still carrying around all that baggage. And apparently he still hasn't learned a thing. I heard that when the Saints offered him a tryout a couple weeks ago, they told him "If you are serious, just show up for the workout, no entourage, no distractions". Of course he showed up with his entourage, Saints told him no thanks.

He's a complete fool. AB & Vince McMahon are a match made in heaven. He could act the fool all he wants in the XFL & that league would eat it up. Plus he would completely dominate against NFL 3rd stringers & it would make a strong case that he deserves another NFL contract. Or he can sit at home instead and just cry to twitter about how the world is against him. I really don't care either way, but it would do wonders for TV ratings for a startup league.

https://www.xfl.com/rules

The rules are interesting for sure. Should be a big play league IF there are some talented players. Games are going to go fast though, and that's a big key for these types of leagues. 25 second clock, 2 timeouts, 10 minute halftime & the clock only stops during last 2 minutes of each half.