The AAF released an unsigned statement Friday in which the league "acknowledged it put players and coaches in a difficult position" with its decision to fold, according to Michael David Smith of PRO FOOTBALL TALK. The statement said, "We are very sorry. This is not the way we wanted it to end. ... Due to ongoing legal processes, we are unable to comment further or share details about the decision." The statement "leaves several questions unanswered." Smith: "For starters, who wrote it? ... And what does it mean that the AAF will find 'solutions for all outstanding issues?'" The reference to "ongoing legal processes" is also "unclear." Is the league "anticipating getting sued?" The end of the AAF "was not handled well" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 4/6). NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King writes someone from the AAF "owes eight cities and players and coaches an explanation about the league folding in the middle of its first season." One of the issues the AAF faces was that it trusted an early $170M investment from former Vikings investor Reggie Fowler, and "had his money vetted through league investigators." It is "unclear how or why this money turned out to be an issue during the first year of the AAF, but when the league needed Fowler's money in year one, it had a problem accessing all of it" (NBCSPORTS.com, 4/8).
SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE: THE MMQB's Albert Breer writes "no one was surprised" when the AAF suspended its football operations last week. It is an "unfortunate conclusion" because the league's vision "was playing out." The AAF "was developing players, as the dozen or so signings of the last few days would indicate" (SI.com, 4/8). In Boston, Ben Volin wrote generating publicity was the "only thing the AAF was good at." What made the start-up league's failure "even sadder was that it was all so predictable." The AAF, and "pretty much all developmental football leagues, are doomed because the economics don't add up." To make money, the leagues "need a compelling product." Americans "don't love football -- they love good football." There "simply aren't enough good quarterbacks on the planet to deliver entertaining football to a league other than the NFL" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/7). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote blaming the AAF's "sudden death spiral" on the unwillingness of the NFLPA to cooperate is a "flawed argument." The AAF "failed not because it didn't have access to NFL-caliber players but because it started its only season without enough money in the bank to finish" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 4/6). In Boston, Tom Curran wrote blaming the NFLPA for the AAF's demise makes "no sense." Curran: "If I were starting a venture hoping employees contracted to another business were going to be loaned to me, I'd feel uneasy until I got that promise in writing" (NBCSPORTSBOSTON.com, 4/7).
WORTH ANOTHER SHOT: USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell wrote the concept of developing players for the NFL -- which has "long had a farm system with college football -- still has legs." If one of these start-up leagues can survive, it "won't threaten the behemoth that is the NFL." It would ultimately "help the quality of the NFL product which has diminished before our very eyes in recent years" (USATODAY.com, 4/6).
LONG LIVE THE KING: SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL's Daniel Kaplan notes in December, AAF co-Founder & CEO Charlie Ebersol approached WWE Chair and XFL Founder Vince McMahon "about a merger," and McMahon "turned him down." Fairly Group President Alex Fairly, who is an advisor for the XFL, said that McMahon's denial was "because Ebersol wanted to beat the XFL to market." Fairly declined to work with the AAF, which he said was because "we did not think they had enough time to get ready." Fairly: "Vince announced in February 2018 he was going to play in 2020. ... The AAF guys came in after that time, so less time than Vince." He added, "It's a daunting task to pull this off and we just simply did not think they had time" (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/8 issue).
ON THE PLUS SIDE: In San Diego, Jennifer Van Grove wrote despite the AAF folding, the city and the Fleet franchise "had a backup plan -- a ticket guarantee of sorts -- and will close its books on the league in the black." Ticket sales for Fleet games were managed through the San Diego Ticketmaster account, per the contract with the team, meaning the city "has complete control over the $340,135.08 collected from the four games" played at SDCCU Stadium. The city also "gets to keep all parking and concession revenue." San Diego is "currently showing an estimated $545,758.16 in total revenue." SDCCU Stadium Manager Michael McSweeney said that is "more than enough" to cover the $400,312 in estimated expenses (SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE, 4/6).
