Can the NFL handle a big expansion.

[snepp]

A real farm league would make a whole lot more sense than unnecessary expansion.

[untrugby]

A farm system just wouldnt work. First off i wouldnt make money. Thats fine if the benefits to the nfl out weigh how much they lose but i dont think they do. The talent level is going to be less than the average BCS conference team. They already try out 16 teams worth of extra players during the 80 man roster stages so these guys are already getting chances every year to make teams and they arent making them. You would hardly ever get and real talent from the farm system to justify running it at a loss.

[coogrfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by TDenverFan

Personally, I would like a farm league. Make 16 teams in mid-sized areas with decent (30-60k) sized stadiums. You could have: Honolulu Norfolk Lehigh Valley (Shout out to my Hometown) Somewhere in Alabama Oklahoma City Sacramento Syracuse LA etc.

The NFL already has a farm league--it's called college football.

[Uncle Way]

I think the league is perfect sitting at 32.. No need to be greedy and over-saturate the market..

I think the league is pretty much in all the markets it needs to be in and the cities suggested by the OP kinda confirms this.. Birmingham? Richmond? Omaha? OKC? The NBA got lucky in having the
Seattle->OKC move work out.. The NFL is definitely popular enough for it to be successful, but why chance it? Don't fix what isn't broken...

I do however think a farm system would work.. Run it in the spring/summer when the only sport on is baseball and I'd definitely watch it.. It would easily be more popular than the NBADL..

[phenom1990]

I don't see how expansion would help the NFL. There is already an issue of not having enough starting quarterbacks combine that with expansion diluting the talent, I don't see it being a good idea. The other thing is I don't think expansion would help increase the NFL media contract that much. The NFL is already the most watched sport in America and I don't see how expansion would help increase ratings since the NFL is already so popular.

[untrugby]

Quote: Originally Posted by phenom1990

I don't see how expansion would help the NFL. There is already an issue of not having enough starting quarterbacks.

I dont think the amount of QBs is an issue its the perception of them. They are viewed as if they arent elite then its time to look for a new one. John clayton had an article before last season where he ranked 14 QBs elite and 2 with an 85% chance or better of becoming elite. Can you name another position where 50% of the starters are elite?

[da ThRONe]

Quote: Originally Posted by untrugby

there's 16 playoff teams each season can you say there's 16 legitimately good centers in the NBA? or even 10? those on the edge get over paid becuase you have to put someone at the position and players like eric dampier get paid. Other positions have some issues but center is the weakest. i mean if your a team looking to compete and there's only lets say 10 max contract worthy SGs then you have 6 other playoff teams looking to get the edge and they bid against each other and next thing you know joe johnson has a max contract. baseball has no salary cap but and this can still happen some but the talent pool is much deeper and you see very few players who get deals they dont deserve.

I agree there's a shortage on big man, but that's about it. The reason guys are overpaid is because teams like the NYK and the LAL can afford to inflat the market which forces smaller revenue teams like Memphis and ATL to overpay guys. If ATL don't over pay Joe Johnson he would leave to go to LAL or NYK then ATL can't put butts in the seats because the have no star player.

[Jistic]

Quote: Originally Posted by TDenverFan

Personally, I would like a farm league. Make 16 teams in mid-sized areas with decent (30-60k) sized stadiums. You could have: Honolulu Norfolk Lehigh Valley (Shout out to my Hometown) Somewhere in Alabama Oklahoma City Sacramento Syracuse LA etc.

Best idea in here. Still have the NFL brand to market it. A 'second' chance league with maybe a supplemental draft at the end of every season?