Any agreement between the AAF and NFL would allow players under futures contracts to play in the XFLGETTY IMAGES
AAF games "will be played this weekend," the eighth week of the league's inaugural season, but beyond this week, it is "entirely possible that the plug will be pulled," according to a source cited by Mike Florio of PRO FOOTBALL TALK. Modification of the NFL's labor deal is "needed in large part" because players that would be "loaned by NFL teams to the AAF would need protection against serious injury while playing in the developmental league." Any agreement between the AAF and NFL, if one "were to be reached, also would allow players under 'futures' contracts to play in the XFL" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 3/27). Florio said the state of the AAF was "very precarious" when league Chair Tom Dundon got involved, and that if he "didn't get involved it was done than." Florio said the league will fold if Dundon "walks away now." Florio: “It very well could go away after this week if Dundon decides he’s out and they don’t have another investor" ("PFT," NBCSN, 3/28). ESPN Radio's Mike Golic: "Part of this is definitely some sort of negotiating ploy. We've already seen the NFL take a couple of things from the AAF from the rules side of it so maybe this is kind of a negotiating thing." Mike Golic Jr. said, "You wonder if it's unilateral because Dundon is a new player in this and was not part of the original group we all heard about going into it." ESPN Radio's Trey Wingo said the NFLPA's responsibility is to "do what's best for the players and probably the best thing for the players is to protect them and make sure they can get the most money by playing in the NFL" ("Golic & Wingo," ESPN Radio, 3/28).
BEGINNING OF THE END? USA TODAY's Allen & Jones note the NFLPA had "no official response to the accusations that their lack of cooperation is prompting the AAF to fold." This comes after a union official expressed "serious concerns about the risks of lending active NFL players" to the spring league. Dundon said that the AAF's "inability to secure cooperation" from the NFLPA has put the league in "danger of folding." Dundon: "If the players union is not going to give us young players, we can't be a development league." A source said that the NFLPA is founded on the "belief that using active NFL players and practice squad members for the AAF would violate the terms of the CBA and the restrictions that prevent teams from holding mandatory workouts and practices throughout the offseason." An additional concern for the union is that if an NFL player "played in the AAF and suffered serious injury, that player could face the risk of missing an NFL season." Dundon said that he is "considering all options and expects to make a decision about the league's future over the next two days" (USA TODAY, 3/28). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "If they fold this, what chance does the XFL have next year? The answer would be no chance whatsoever" ("PTI," ESPN, 3/27).
DUNDON DONE? THE ACTION NETWORK's Darren Rovell cited sources as saying that Dundon has sunk $70M into the AAF going into his "sixth week of ownership." The league went to Dundon in February because he "offered to essentially ensure that the AAF didn't have to raise more money from multiple partners in the near future." The AAF's "main football investor, whose name has not appeared in the press to this point," is former Vikings investor Reggie Fowler. Sources said that Fowler, who was initially going to buy the Vikings "before having financial issues," committed $170M to the AAF. Fowler had "only put up" $28M of that by the time Dundon "swooped in" (ACTIONNETWORK.com, 3/27).
SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE: Sports business outlet JOHN WALL STREET writes if the AAF business model was "predicated on a formal affiliation with the NFL, why spend tens of millions of dollars" to play the '19 season "without their support?" It is likely Dundon "now sees that the writing is on the wall for the AAF and wisely wants to cut his losses." If Dundon decides to "drop the curtain on the start-up league, we can't say he didn't warn us" (JOHN WALL STREET, 3/28). In Orlando, Mike Bianchi wrote it appears the AAF is "on the verge of being just another here-today, gone-tomorrow football league that is no better than the UFL or the USFL or the XFL or the WLAF." In fact, the AAF "might be even worse because it couldn't even get through two weeks of its inaugural season without facing bankruptcy." Bianchi: "We were told the Alliance would be different than all the rest. We were told the Alliance had a plan" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 3/27).
DETROIT VS. EVERYBODY: AAF co-Founder & CEO Charlie Ebersol prior to yesterday's USA Today report said that Detroit has "emerged as a leading candidate for potential expansion." Ebersol: "We are having conversations about whether or not we are going to expand next year, and it's really Tom Dundon's decision." Ebersol added with a "domed stadium in the north" where the league could allocate Big Ten players, Detroit "certainly fits that mold." In Detroit, Dave Birkett noted Detroit is "not one of the half-dozen or so cities that already have made a formal proposal to the AAF about expansion." As of now, the AAF has "no firm plans for league expansion" in '20 or beyond. However, Ebersol said it is "not outside the realm of possibility" that there is an AAF team in Detroit next spring (FREEP.com, 3/27).
