We Americans love pro football. I don't have to tell you that. The NFL itself is a $20 billion business, and that doesn't even catch how much cash is moved surrounding pro football, from the money advertisers shell out to get their products on NFL broadcasts to the beers Buffalo Wild Wings sells on Sunday afternoon in the fall.
It's such a big business that many a businessman has convinced himself he can slice off a piece of that pie. The Association of American Football is set to begin play next Saturday. The XFL relaunches in 2020. Pacific Pro Football is set to start at some point in the future. There's also the Spring League, the league Ricky Williams and a bunch of other former NFL players are launching, and some others I'm probably forgetting. Basically, pick a pair of letters, put "FL" behind them, type them into Google and there's a decent chance you'll hit on a new professional football league.
Most of those business ventures can be aptly summarized in this 13-second "Arrested Development" clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po4adxJxqZk
Most of those leagues fail because they offer the same product as the NFL, but on teams you've never heard of and with players that aren't good enough to play in the NFL. You can't out-NFL the NFL. It's just not going to happen.
But there's yet another professional football league set to launch later this year that I think has a chance at succeeding because it isn't trying to a similar, worse product as the NFL. It's trying to be something entirely different.
It's called the Fan Controlled Football League, and the product is exactly as it sounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3C0FqD6MpI&app=desktop
Backed by Joe Montana and Marshawn Lynch, the FCFL is an 8-team league existing entirely in Las Vegas and its primary competition won't be the NFL, but a night out at the movies. In a world where a trip to the driving range has been turned into a night out on the town, why can't the FCFL work?
For a generation that grew up playing offensive coordinator on Madden, a chance to drink some beers and play real life offensive coordinator for a night has a chance at succeeding.
That's what the FCFL's organizers are betting, and they're looking to hire coordinators right now.
The Fan Controlled Football League is a new eight-team professional indoor football league that will kick off in the summer of 2019 with all teams located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The FCFL is currently searching for Offensive and Defensive Coordinator candidates for each of the leagues eight franchises. Preferred candidates should have prior collegiate, indoor or arena football playing or coaching experience. The positions will begin on April 15, 2019 and will run until August 31, 2019. Salary for the position will be $3,500 per month and Housing and Meal Plan will be provided for the duration of the contract in Las Vegas, NV. To begin the application process interested qualified candidates should submit a resume and 3 professional references to Shawn Liotta at CoachLiotta@fanchi.se. Please include if you are interested in an Offensive or Defensive Coordinator position in the Subject Line of your email. For more information on the FCFL visit fcfl.io.
Will it work? Most people launching new football leagues delude themselves into thinking it might... but it might work for them.