Sports What Ifs.
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Just look up TLs I've started post-1900, almost all are sports, mostly baseball but 1, maybe 2 football.(I have a few non-sports pre-1900.)
If you're rather new you may not have been around for Dawg Pound Dynasty, that's a very fun one.
As for SI's into GMs, I never thought of that, but you might like to try yourself. I have pondered an ISOT of a player... no spoilers, in case I do it.
Vick? vick besides his stupidity with dogs...could have been elite have he care for the mental part of the game tooJust look up TLs I've started post-1900, almost all are sports, mostly baseball but 1, maybe 2 football.(I have a few non-sports pre-1900.)
If you're rather new you may not have been around for Dawg Pound Dynasty, that's a very fun one.
As for SI's into GMs, I never thought of that, but you might like to try yourself. I have pondered an ISOT of a player... no spoilers, in case I do it.
That would be interesting, but my idea is to make someone not only younger but ablE to have not just a do-over in a different time, but one Where he can have a huge impact 9n a sport itself. Think maybe juat a tliaw type but it would be substantial enough to be very interesting.
What if the Eagles moved to phoenix?
The probable defection of the Philadelphia Eagles to Phoenix... - UPI Archives
The probable defection of the Philadelphia Eagles to Phoenix after 52 years as one of the cornerstones of the city and a way of life for loyal fans, proves...www.upi.com
Eagles Studying Move to Phoenix (Published 1984)
www.nytimes.com
Didinger: When The Eagles Almost Left Philly
Philadelphia Eagles News | Philadelphia Eagles - www.philadelphiaeagles.com/newswww.philadelphiaeagles.com
So if the Eagles move to Phoenix, i'm guessing we see some sort of expansion team. Also, a lot of hatred for the NFL for a time as this would be the 2nd east coast team with a loyal fan base after the Baltimore Colts to leave. If such a thing happened, I see it like this.
1984- The Eagles play their last season in Philadelphia. Angry Eagles fans call local sports radio, spewing hatred of owner Leonard Tose and even of the NFL in general. There also are Eagle fans who claim they will block traffic all the way to Phoenix just to stop the Eagles from moving. But nothing stops the franchise from leaving. Once again, Mayflower trucks are seen leaving in the dead of night, moving a beloved NFL franchise.
1985. The Phoenix Eagles begin play.
1988. The Saint Louis Cardinals relocate, moving to Jacksonville Florida, though there were strong bids from Philadelphia and Baltimore.
1994- A busy off season for the NFL. Both Los Angeles franchises leave, with the Raiders going back to Oakland while the Rams move to Saint Louis. We also see the Browns narrowly miss relocation as the city of Cleveland works to build a new stadium for the Browns and the Indians, though apparently owner Art Modell says that he was "This close to heading to Baltimore. We had quite a sweetheart deal from those guys." Meanwhile the NFL finally begins to expand again, with new teams in Baltimore (the Ravens) and Philadelphia (the team will be called the Cannons who's colors are Red and White, similar to the Phillies). Baltimore will join the AFC while Philadelphia will join the NFC.
1997. The Houston Oilers move to North Carolina and become the Carolina Panthers.
1999. The NFL announces a new expansion teams located in Houston and Los Angeles. The Houston team will be called the Oilers, while the Los Angeles team will be called the Express, after the old USFL team. Teams will begin play in 2000 with a new division system. As a result, the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams switch conferences.
NFC East
New York Giants
Philadelphia Cannons
Washington Redskins
Dallas Cowboys
NFC Central
Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Atlanta Falcons
Jacksonville Cardinals
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Express
AFC East
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
AFC Central
Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Bengals
AFC South
Houston Oilers
Carolina Panthers
Indianapolis Colts
St. Louis Rams
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
Denver Broncos
Oakland Raiders
San Diego Chargers
2018.
the St. Louis Rams move to Nashville Tennessee, and the Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles.
2020. The Chargers move to Las Vegas, leaving San Diego and St. Louis without NFL teams, though there have been talks about the Cardinals returning to St. Louis.
I think we're going to see a different NFCE, the old teams would be the same with Cards moving south, so we could see NFC with Phoneix/Arizona Eagles
Here's a what if I've been thinking about as a fan of college football, and in particular Big Ten football. What if the Chicago Maroons never dropped football? So the story is that the University of Chicago had a pretty good football program from its beginnings in the `1890's until the 20's. They won two mythical national titles and produced some good alumni like Fritz Crisler who later went on to be coach and AD at Michigan (he also introduced the winged helmets.) Anyways, the president of Chicago, a guy called Robert Maynard Hutchins, hated athletics and felt that it distracted from learning, and so he basically gutted the football program, first by firing their only coach Amos Alonzo Stagg in 1933 (he was 70 years old though, but he coached until he was 92, most notably at the University of the Pacific in California) and putting heavy recruiting restrictions on the team so that they got much worse (they already were struggling by the late 20's and early 30's) and in 1939 they played their last season. So lets say Chicago has a new president or something like that. What would happen in college football? Obviously Chicago would be another Northwestern more than likely (Northwestern was terrible for years)but might it affect other things? Would the Big Ten add Michigan State (they were added in 1949 to replace Chicago) and another school to make it 12? If they didn't does Michigan State become a big time independent like say Penn State or Notre Dame? Also, might Chicago be able to at least get some decent local players, like say a Dick Butkus? Might they even somehow get a lucky Rose Bowl bid?
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Maybe. It'd be weird to see the Eagles name in another city. Could they do something like Cleveland in OTL and try to keep the name? In my little timeline I had Houston do that since Houston did really love the Oilers back in the 70's and 80's during the "Luv Ya Blue" era.
Another thing about 1984, as it was the USFL Stars moved, but now they likely stay and either the Breakers move to Baltimore and not Portland or some other club moves. If the USFL would just shrink to a manageable number of teams, they might move to the fall and have some success for a year with a city as big as Philadelphia. Because in 1987, the strike - if the NFL doesn't settle out of fear - could mean a still existing league which doesn't go the lawsuit route could throw all kinds of butterflies into the works.
Maybe they go to eight teams by 84 or 85 (when they go to fall in this world): Arizona Outlaws, Baltimore Breakers, Birmingham Stallions, Jacksonville Bulls, Memphis Showboats, Philadelphia Stars, New Jersey Generals, and Tampa Bay Bandits.
Then, in 1990, they add new expansion teams in St. Louis (Archers) and Los Angeles (Aztecs). Here is the USFL in this world circa 1990:
Independence Division: Arizona, Birmingham, Jacksonville, LA, Tampa Bay
Liberty Division: Baltimore, Memphis, New Jersey, Philadelphia, St. Louis
By 1994-95, though, I can see talks of a merger begin since they probably are taking some of the top college talent. As a result, the 1993 expansion (to CAR and JAX in OTL) is delayed.
1995 was a red-letter year for franchise movement in the NFL. In this alternate world, the league (as part of the merger) decides that they want to add the Baltimore Breakers team from the USFL, so they make Modell sell the team to Al Lerner and keep it in Cleveland (which is what they should have done).
Also, Bud Adams was getting ready to move the Oilers. However, a compromise was reached. The league decided to keep the Oilers in Houston (with Bob McNair as the new owner), and they let Adams either take over the Memphis Showboats or get an expansion team in Nashville (that's what he chose. They called the team the Tennessee Titans).
The other two cities added to the NFL would be the Carolina Panthers (expansion) and the St. Louis Archers (merger. As a result, the Rams find a way to stay in LA). That brings the league to 32 teams beginning in the 1997 season, and four division re-alignment happens five years earlier:
AFC East: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
AFC North: Baltimore Breakers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Houston Oilers, Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Archers, Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
NFC North: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneeers
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks
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Fearless Leader
Donor
So if I'm reading this article right, apparently Ron Artest had a couple of other candidates for a possible name change instead of "Metta World Peace"
sports.yahoo.com
Obviously we are living in a better TL than one in which he changed his name to "Queensbridge." I think we can all agree that would be an awful one to live in. That being said somewhere in the multiverse there's a universe with a "Ron So Hood"
Metta World Peace says he changed his name again to Metta Sandiford-Artest
The new name comes from his new wife.
sports.yahoo.com
Obviously we are living in a better TL than one in which he changed his name to "Queensbridge." I think we can all agree that would be an awful one to live in. That being said somewhere in the multiverse there's a universe with a "Ron So Hood"
After watching The Last Dance, I was wondering what would have happened if they made a different choice instead of going for only one more year:
1. Krause is given the green light to blow it up after the 1997 title team.
2. Everyone is extended for three more seasons (until 1999-00).
1. Krause is given the green light to blow it up after the 1997 title team.
2. Everyone is extended for three more seasons (until 1999-00).
You know I have to wonder what would happened with the USFL had a Donald J Trump taken over one of the teams. IIRC he was the one who really pushed the USFL to its breaking point by pushing for it to go to fall football instead of the spring football it had been playing. So lets say in 1984 the New Jersey Generals are not taken over by him as he was in a bankruptcy phase of his, and the USFL looks at him and views it as not worth the risk and finds another owner for the Generals. They get a better ruling in the USFL v NFL ruling, i.e. not that joke of a check, they play the spring 86 season. Following that ruling and seeing the USFL is making money the NFL decides to merge them into the NFL. Talks start following the Spring 86 season.
I'm thinking the merger happens in the 87 NFL Season. Not all of the USFL gets the merge, but the four teams merge into the NFL. The NFL reforms it division system into a four team four division system that we know today but with. The owners of the USFL that don't make the cut have first rights to any new NFL teams that are formed. The USFL players on teams that don't make the merge get thrown into a Supplemental Draft that year to keep a bidding war from happening for those players who are good but don't make it to the NFL on their current USFL team.
I'm not going to try and figure out the teams that make it, but what are your thoughts on such events?
I'm thinking the merger happens in the 87 NFL Season. Not all of the USFL gets the merge, but the four teams merge into the NFL. The NFL reforms it division system into a four team four division system that we know today but with. The owners of the USFL that don't make the cut have first rights to any new NFL teams that are formed. The USFL players on teams that don't make the merge get thrown into a Supplemental Draft that year to keep a bidding war from happening for those players who are good but don't make it to the NFL on their current USFL team.
I'm not going to try and figure out the teams that make it, but what are your thoughts on such events?
I doubt a merger would happen, if anything NFL would not give a damn and USFL would die as other league only a niche cared