Now if I could just figure out how to watch tonight’s game.

What were the ratings for the last few years compared to pre plummet?

I don't have NFL Network but somebody was streaming last night's game on YouTube. The coverage was horrible. The announcers were talking the entire time even over the referee's calls. It sounded like a spring training baseball game. Not a single camera shot of the fans in the stands.

Anyway, last night's game between Salt Lake and Arizona was better than the Sunday afternoon game and the San Antonio/San Diego game the night before.

They said on one of the broadcasts that these players have only been together for about a month. And it shows. The XFL did the same thing you'd think the AAF would've learned from that and given these guys sufficient practice time together before the regular season.

Despite that, I'll tune in again this coming weekend to see if the quality of football gets better. Unfortunately, two of the games are on NFL Network.

I for one hope this AAF becomes a success. I know in terms of quality it's not likely to reach the level of the NFL player wise but, the games thus far have been pretty decent.

Time costs money and every extra week of "chemistry" these guys get will cost the league tons of cash.

Thanks for a different perspective on this, so far all I've seen is "it's great cause there's no kneeling!" and "they don't care about head injuries so it rules!!!!!" and my personal favorite "the players aren't making any money so they are hungry!!!" This is the same stuff more or less I heard about the XFL, and none of it really appealed to me as a reason why I would want to actually spend a few hours of my time watching bad to mediocre football.

I watch the NFL because of its amazing athletes, coaching, quality of the game, and competitiveness. It's going to be hard for some low-budget start up to compete. The fact that the players are broke and I might get to see a QB's brains leak out of his head aren't enough really.

The USFL gave it its best shot because half of the rosters were NFL talent. But nobody can afford to put a league together that way.

The NFL is on board for the first time since EuroNFL. No chance this doesn't succeed. They absolutely need a developmental league.

Do they really?

College seems to do a more than sufficient job at that.

Ahh NFL World League/Europe. I have to admit that's the last upstart league I actually watched. Helmet cam was a great gimmick. Used to watch those games on USA Network back in high school.

Haha.
There you have it, done deal!

Tits up within 2 seasons.

Yes, they absolutely need a development league.

1. For players who don't want to go to college, a lot of these guys have zero interest in academics.
2. For players who want to leave college early and start earning a paycheck before the draft.
3. For players who are cut because they are not ready to make a roster but want to prove themselves.
4. For players that are cut due to injury who want a stage to prove themselves.
5. For coaches/coordinators who don't want to make a commitment to a college team but can't get into the NFL yet.

The NFL dream ends abruptly for too many players. AAF may never be pro level but I guarantee that after even a few years there will be a player or two to come out of there that will make an NFL roster who never had a chance otherwise.

Some of the rules are interesting - no extra points, you need to go for 2. No kickoffs, you get the ball placed at the 25. The game moves along pretty well. It's still curious to me that there was no advertising for the AAF during the superbowl, considering CBS was going to broadcast the game in primetime the following weekend. All of the coverage I've seen is still better than the current MNF crew.

There's been a lot of talk about the XFL here, but that's not the league we're watching - that doesn't start until next year. It will be really interesting to see how the two new leagues coexist. The best thing they could do would be to have their own interleague championship game at the end of the year, a superbowl, if you will.

Of the three games I watched this weekend Trent Richardson was the standout IMHO. If he keeps it up he'll be in NFL training camp this summer.

It would be nice if the XFL started the same weekend as the wretched Pro Bowl. Then the following week, having games on Saturday and a 1 PM game on Super Bowl Sunday for those of us that don't give a shit to watch 8 hours of Super Bowl pre-game. But we don't even know if those games are going to be televised yet.

Yes an AAF/XFL championship would be interesting to watch. Just wondering at this point what the XFL is going to do to attract players to their league instead of the AAF since the last iteration of the XFL was pretty much what the AAF is now (as far as the players go).

I'm pretty sure there was. Several times.

I saw zero programming notes for the AAF during the Super Bowl. I brought this up earlier in this thread. I thought it was odd. I would've thought sometime in the 4th quarter they would've said "btw kids, football coming up this Saturday on CBS..." but it never happened.

There must have been some bumpers at least in the coverage leading up to the SB.

Nothin online about it except this from last year

https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2018/05/24/nfl-approves-new-football-league-ad-to-air-during.html

If ultimately no ad ran during the actual game, I guess it's cause the NFL didn't ok it.

The NFL ran the game on their own network last night, so it's pretty curious they would block any ads from running when they seem to be a stakeholder.

I guess I was under the impression that the network covering any NFL game was free to pimp any of their programming.

Wow Browns signing Hunt... Man they are actually gonna turn this thing around. Top move for Jack shit. Well played

My sentiments exactly.

Robert Kraft to be charged with soliciting a prostitute in Florida. Part of a Chinese human trafficking ring from the early details.

GOOAT

Kraft

If this was any other owner it would be a minor story. Because it's Kraft it will be blown way up and include words like trafficking and slavery and will result in him stepping down, 1st round draft pick loss and $1mm fine. For a rub and tug by a guy who is not even married. Mark my words.

Interesting twist, hadn't seen that they'd disclosed the gender of the prostitute.

woah, English is complicated

Are you out of your fing mind? I'm more than happy to mark your words.

I'm sorry, any NFL owner getting wrapped up in a prostitution and HUMAN TRAFFICKING scandal would have been more than a "minor story."

Is it a bigger story than say, if the Browns owner got busted? Yeah I guess so. Tough titty. Not sure if you noticed but Patriots fans never want to the shut the F up about the Patriots, so you get your wish. When your elderly, drunken owner gets busted for soliciting prostitution from sex slaves, people tend to notice and "blow it way up."

This Patriots fan persecution complex is off the charts. Get real dude.

And he's never "stepping down." Look who pals around with...accountability, apology, and admission of guilt are not exactly the way guys like this roll.

Absolutely 10000% not true in anyway shape or form; cut the bullshit.
Now, Obviously whom gives a shit, a quick HJ no harm in that what so ever...but lets skip the "pats agaisnt the world" routine here.
Anytime any billionaire gets arrested it's news.

Yeah I'm sure nobody would have noticed if it were Dan Snyder or the Mara family busted in a human trafficking sex slave sting. Would have just been a minor footnote and nobody would have cared or made a big deal out of it.

But the Patriots just can't catch a break! IT'S SO WRONG!!!

It's a hard knock life

Even worse, I think it's a fucking set up. Whats the other big headline today?
"Kraft Heinz posts huge loss, slashes dividend and reveals SEC investigation.."

Kraft hookers and Hienz catsup....ummm hello?!?! Fucking NFC plot or that Irsay Colts owner guy that got caught again with a briefcase full of cash and a ton of pills is behind it. Oh wait we never heard aboot that one I forgot

It's always swept under the rug unless it's the Patriots!!!!!

Funny, the Haters rarely have their day on the football field but LIVE for offseason Patriots shenanigans. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Even Jim Irsay is cringing right now.

My favorite thing about all of this is that we're back in the correct thread.

Oh come on dude like your shit don't stink? LOL @ "the haters." God I'm sick of that word.

If it was the Eagles or Giants owner you'd be throwing a parade. "Yeah they beat us in the Super Bowl but at least our owner doesn't have to pay for sex LULZ!!!"

You really shouldn't take this personally. Robert Kraft isn't your friend or a family member, he's just some billionaire who doesn't give a shit about you and happens to own the football team you like.

The Pats won the Super Bowl and a couple weeks later their owner was busted in a chinese sex slave trafficking sting. So yeah, this story might have some legs.

Some sexy, illegally trafficked chinese legs.

Well, this IS the Patriots thread.

I am no saint, but I don't have much respect for him after that.

Let's calm down guys, especially you Levi.

Kraft was accused of a crime. Let's see if it sticks. There have been a few recent news stories where social media and regular media rushed to judgement.

(disclaimer-my personal opinion, not posting as a Pinside Moderator)

I don't mean to pick on Rondogg, and the rest of the Patriots' contingent hasn't chimed in yet, but to me his response is just so striking.

If it were ME...if say, Dan Snyder had gotten busted, my reaction would have been "HAHAH what a dipshit! This is hilarious and ridiculous."

I don't understand the defensive posture. Why lash out at "the haters" here? None of us forced that jackass to (allegedly) solicit handjobs from sex slaves. It's outrageous and a little amusing.

Might as well accept it. This doesn't reflect poorly on you or the team you like, it's about one apparently senile rich moron (allegedly) getting caught (potentially) in a very embarrassing situation. Might as well enjoy the ride like everybody else instead of declaring that all the attention this "minor story" is getting is some kind of anti-Patriot conspiracy.

If you read the police investigation details... they had cameras in the place recording the activities and then were stopping people after they left.

The prosecutor in florida is not going to make this kind of potential shit storm hit his desk without pretty solid stuff. The police investigation (which is not part of the naming of kraft) gives a pretty detailed look into what evidence the police had been gathering.

https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/74/98/64c708b942ac9a24ed0e40f57db0/hua-pc.pdf

If he was part of the trafficking then I will disavow any affiliation with the Patriots, sell my Season tickets and all memorabilia. If he was some old man happily getting a rub and tug, it is a non story non issue. If the Haters try and make this out to be some massive conspiracy when it isn't then yes I will defend him.

Truth is, the truth isn't out yet so slow your roll Levi.

The latter part of that is a uber exaggeration.

This is just about a podunk rub & tug operation that yes... had 'trafficking' in that they had people they were bringing in and housing, etc.. but don't make this out to be some Kraft running an empire or something.

He got caught up in a investigation into rub & tug massage parlors.

As a Pats fan, he could have just called me. After 6 Super Bowls, I'd have given him a Satin Handshake to remember!

(For those with a dirty mind that read that as Satan's Handshake, that's way too dirty. Even us Pats fans have their limits)

Fair enough, but seriously, I cannot stress this enough:

This is Pinside, not a court of law. We are under no obligation to give anybody a presumption of innocence here and I don't see why we should be forced to.

Like you said, it'll play out and we'll see what happens. It's really just another piece of Patriots "outlaw" lore and doesn't take away from what they've done on the field. I'm sure you've noticed that I'm on Pats' fans side when it comes to all of that "cheatriots" nonsense.

One thing is for sure: there will be memes. Lots of 'em. Hopefully at least some are funny.

I can't understand why someone with his money would have to resort to something illegal like this. That's why my respect for him, (if guilty,) goes out the window. You would think that he could get women without breaking the law, and being associated with that type of place.

I couldn't understand why Robert Irsay - a billionaire - can't call a cab instead of driving home drunk and on pills from a bar. Dude could hire a limo every night for this. Dude could hire a helicopter.

I think there's a certain arrogance that comes with being that rich. Rich guys get busted all the time for relatively minor crimes which could be easily avoided.

Dude have you ever had a Florida HJ? It's worth it

LOL, I know where you stand on a lot of issues. You have a very strong opinion on EVERY damn ISSUE. I love you only when I'm not hating you. See you in May.

I think there are a couple of reasons.
Even though it is illegal, rich people really tend to get away with a lot. In fact...i am not a big believer in race or gender inequality, but class inequality is alive and well.
He probably did this 1,000 times before and thought nothing of it.

There is a certain NSA (no strings attached) appeal that goes along with it. How many pro athletes have we heard of that get "trapped" and end up shelling out millions for child support?

I'm sure you've heard the saying "you don't pay a hooker for sex, you pay her to leave."

So that's your explanation for why he'd go that route.

Why he couldn't go a slightly higher-class, more expensive, and more discrete route with less chance of this embarrassment? There's your arrogance.