Under Center: The NFL In The New Millennium
- Thread starter Calcaterra
- Start date
Yeah, the CFL here isn't doing so hot. Fans in Toronto have been flocking to Stallions games, and the CFL as a whole has been lagging since the failure of the southern expansion, ITTL more spectacular, as investors pushed it out for a longer amount of time, and a short re-birth of the expansion happened again from 2007-2009, after the CFL starting to decline, only bringing them into more dire circumstances, culminating in this bill. A team in Calgary certainly wouldn't help them, nor will the Montreal Metros when they come to the city in 2018.
Probably with aid politicians with eggs all over his face metaphoricaly.
Right now, Canada as a whole is split on it. Some see it as patriotic protection of the Canadian national identity, some see it as unjust government intervention, and some see it as jingoistic and without need. It's also been tanking the talks between Calgary and the Cardinals, as the Cards aren't keen on moving to a market only to be forced to either move out soon after or face a penalty.
Chapter Fourteen, Part Thirteen: Bortles Reacts, Legion of Doom, Mulcares, Cronyism, & Calgary Exits The Chat
November 1, 2014: Robby Bortles (now going by “Rob Bortles”), American starting quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts, releases a statement denouncing the proposed “Canadian Football Bill” as “dangerous, xenophobic talk that isn’t what Canada, at least the Canada I know, would want as legislation.”
November 2, 2014: The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 35-17, as Rams CB Aqib Talib nabs three interceptions, including one pick-six, Matt Ryan throws for 363 yards and three touchdowns, and Rams CB Richard Sherman catches an interception and returns it for a touchdown. All in all, it’s a horrific day for starter Eli Manning, who is forced to leave the game after the second quarter due to a gruesome sack by Rams DT Mike Daniels after throwing two interceptions. Manning's backup, Mike Glennon, proceeded to throw two additional interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns.
November 3, 2014: Canadian Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair comments on the “Canadian Football Bill” in the House of Commons, calling it “An affront to all the work we, as a country, have done to not only be accepting and tolerant of other nations and their cultures but to embrace our multiculturalism as a sign of positive change. To provide the CFL, Canadian football, or any sport or private body a monopoly purely out of spite and fear would not be right.”
November 6, 2014: The CFL praises the “Canadian Football Bill” as “a means of protecting what is truly ours culturally against the greedy monolith who hopes to overrun us.” The statement is widely panned by those in the press, who call it hypocritical to refer to the NFL as a “greedy monolith” in this context, and widely agree that it is merely proof that the CFL is monetarily responsible for the bill.
November 10, 2014: It is leaked that talks between the Cardinals and the city of Calgary have fallen through, and the management has instead focused on talks with Tijuana, Chihuahua, and now, San Diego.
November 2, 2014: The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 35-17, as Rams CB Aqib Talib nabs three interceptions, including one pick-six, Matt Ryan throws for 363 yards and three touchdowns, and Rams CB Richard Sherman catches an interception and returns it for a touchdown. All in all, it’s a horrific day for starter Eli Manning, who is forced to leave the game after the second quarter due to a gruesome sack by Rams DT Mike Daniels after throwing two interceptions. Manning's backup, Mike Glennon, proceeded to throw two additional interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns.
November 3, 2014: Canadian Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair comments on the “Canadian Football Bill” in the House of Commons, calling it “An affront to all the work we, as a country, have done to not only be accepting and tolerant of other nations and their cultures but to embrace our multiculturalism as a sign of positive change. To provide the CFL, Canadian football, or any sport or private body a monopoly purely out of spite and fear would not be right.”
November 6, 2014: The CFL praises the “Canadian Football Bill” as “a means of protecting what is truly ours culturally against the greedy monolith who hopes to overrun us.” The statement is widely panned by those in the press, who call it hypocritical to refer to the NFL as a “greedy monolith” in this context, and widely agree that it is merely proof that the CFL is monetarily responsible for the bill.
November 10, 2014: It is leaked that talks between the Cardinals and the city of Calgary have fallen through, and the management has instead focused on talks with Tijuana, Chihuahua, and now, San Diego.
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Dang, was hoping the team would move to Calgary.
Still though, good job on the chapter.
The City of Calgary thought it would be too controversial, and the Cards weren't keen on moving to potentially hostile territory. Remember, there's a lot of time between November and February.
Thanks.
That's a fairly arrogant reply for someone who isn't Canadian, this will probably backfire.
Chapter Fourteen, Part Fourteen: MCU, MPFU, & Donations
November 13, 2014: It is announced that, in the offseason, Aaron Rodgers will star in the MCU movie The Sub-Mariner as the titular hero’s nemesis Captain Barracuda, opposite Keanu Reeves as Namor the Sub-Mariner. Filming for Rodgers is set to begin in the second week of February, lasting for 39 days, and the film is set for an August 21st release date.
November 15, 2014: Several Conservative MPs declare that they will vote against the “Canadian Football Bill”, making the passage of the bill extremely unlikely, dependent on narrow support from Liberals, and the odd rouge NDP MP in order to secure a majority.
November 16, 2014: As later records show, the CFL’s donations, along with that of associated lobbyists, towards politicians and campaigns spike from this date, as a crucial vote on the bill closes in.
November 15, 2014: Several Conservative MPs declare that they will vote against the “Canadian Football Bill”, making the passage of the bill extremely unlikely, dependent on narrow support from Liberals, and the odd rouge NDP MP in order to secure a majority.
November 16, 2014: As later records show, the CFL’s donations, along with that of associated lobbyists, towards politicians and campaigns spike from this date, as a crucial vote on the bill closes in.
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Chapter Fourteen, Part Fifteen: Megachapter
November 21, 2014: The “Canadian Football Bill” is defeated 161-147, with the most dramatic vote coming from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who votes against the bill and his own cabinet minister, who soon after resigns from his position. The defeat of the bill is met with general happiness, with the press praising the vote and the general football-watching community reacting well to it.
November 24, 2014: The CFL privately sends a message to all teams and CFL stadiums saying that, if the NFL further expands into Canada, all CFL teams will be directed to either outright deny the NFL usage of facilities, or pressure their stadium owners to deny the NFL.
November 30, 2014: The New York Jets defeat the Miami Dolphins, 38-31, as Jets RB Tim Tebow rushes for four touchdowns and 288 yards, and Russell Wilson passes for three touchdowns and 304 yards.
December 3, 2014: Rob Bortles announces that he will be available for the NFL Draft. He is considered one of the top two QBs in the draft, alongside Heisman-winning QB Marcus Mariota. Bortles is seen as the more risky pick, as he is older and, although experienced, is thought to be more self-absorbed due to his time in other leagues. Mariota, on the other hand, is seen as somewhat plain, to the point that he was called a “vanilla pick” by Stephen A. Smith, and he is considered relatively safe but lacking in star potential. Both are acknowledged as franchise QBs, but both have their downsides and can underwhelm if picked too early by the wrong team.
December 10, 2014: It is leaked that Calgary has re-opened talks with the Cardinals, after talks with Chihuahua fell through and the San Diego city government began to worry about whether or not they would be seen as flip-flopping if they change their stance on the NFL.
December 14, 2014:
Sports Illustrated
The 2000 Draft Changed Everything
Alex Rubenstein
The NFL as we know it is something to behold. A massive enterprise that spans two nations and, very soon, will welcome two more in, as well. The NFL has been, and most likely will continue to be, a huge money-maker and the keepers of a standard that many young children aspire to, many grown adults watch, and numerous elders reminisce about. But that could have very easily changed if one event went differently: the 2000 NFL Draft.
You see, DE Courtney Brown, seen as a great prospect and probable #1 pick, was passed on by the Browns, who instead took future Pro Bowl DE Shaun Ellis, letting Brown fall to the owners of the #2 (and #3) pick, the then-Washington Redskins. The Redskins would take the surprisingly free Brown over future Pro Bowl LB LaVar Arrington, the other man on the top of their draft board, and then select Arrington, instead of their other top choice, OT Chris Samuels, who would go onto be a six-time Pro Bowler with the Miami Dolphins, after falling to them at #23, as opposed to the Seattle Seahawks, who would be spooked by the rumors surrounding his health (we’ll be talking more about the Dolphins and Washington later). These choices, if made, would alter the NFL a lot. If Courtney Brown, among the biggest busts of all time, went to Cleveland, it’s likely that the Browns would continue their slide into sadness and tanking.
Of course, the Browns instead embraced an analytic-heavy “Beaneology” approach to the draft, which set them on course to be a consistent playoff contender. This will lead to one of my predictions. I think that if this happened, the Baltimore Ravens, who eventually traded away the rights to what eventually became surefire Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher to the Giants, would become a dynasty. Ray Lewis and his Baltimore squad would dominate the AFC North once the Steelers’ run ended after they use their #5 overall pick on future Pro Bowl QB Chad Pennington instead of trading it to the Giants. Pennington would provide a steady hand guiding the offense, and the Ravens could compete on both sides of the ball.
I think that the Giants would then sit at #11 and select Heisman-winning RB Ron Dayne, who, while a decent player, wouldn’t do very much to help the Giants, as shown by his lack of commitment on his real team, the 49ers. They would still win upwards of 10 games, still go to the Super Bowl, and still lose, but Kerry Collins’ injury wouldn’t happen. They would have no need to, the next year, draft future MVP (and arguable GOAT) Drew Brees, and probably wouldn’t become a dynasty.
I think that, then, Brian Urlacher would fall to the Green Bay Packers at #14 due to concerns over why the Ravens and Giants didn’t pick him. Urlacher would help the Packers establish themselves as the NFC’s resident dynasty. With Favre under center and Urlacher helming the defense, I see this team destroying all competition.
Now, let me talk about some of the other things that I see happening. We’re getting back to Washington and the Fins now. Washington, now that they don’t have a cornerstone OT and, instead, have a total draft bust, still spiral and become one of the NFL’s worst teams. They probably don’t change their name, though. With being the worst team comes great draft picks. They will, eventually, start winning again, as they did in real life. They’ll taste success, especially with the Giants being less historically great as they are in our reality. This will most likely happen around 2007-2009 and can continue on. With more success comes great revenue and acclaim, and less controversy. If the Redskins are profitable, then Dan Snyder won’t be forced out, plain and simple, and they will not become Washington F.C. The Dolphins, on the other hand, will get a better offensive line and that will make Jay Fiedler better. With Fiedler getting more opportunities to develop, he will defeat Damon Huard in the QB competition and establish himself as a viable, while not spectacular, franchise quarterback. Ryan Leaf will never get his shot with the Dolphins, and won’t make his comeback. He started to develop his great work ethic after being labeled as a bust during the 2000 NFL Draft coverage, and I think that with the dramatically changed events, he wouldn’t be seeing the same coverage. This means no Miami Miracles of the 2004 season and a somehow worse-off Chargers franchise.
The Cowboys will instead end up drafting Spergon Wynn with the 180th pick, instead of Touchdown Tom Brady, who will probably end up either on the San Fransisco 49ers, where he’ll start with little success, or go undrafted and end up being a very handsome insurance salesman not married to a former Ms.Texas. I can’t help but feel Tom Brady probably gets the bad end of this deal…
But nonetheless, here’s how I see the next few years unwinding:
-The Ravens win against the Giants in the Super Bowl, leading to the Giants entering into a phase of consistent mediocrity, with their only promise probably being either a bratty Eli Manning in 2004 or a horribly inconsistent Alex Smith in 2005.
-The Steelers, led by Tommy Maddox, lose to the Rams post-2001 but still win the next year, this time against the Eagles.
-The Colts and the Ravens become huge rivals, battling for the AFC as Peyton Manning’s offense clashes with Ray Lewis’ defense often in the playoffs. Manning still wins three rings before retiring in 2013, while the Ravens end up with an additional two championships before their nucleus breaks apart after 2007.
-The Packers and Brett Favre come back to the Super Bowl much more often, winning two times in three appearances before Favre triumphantly retires in 2008, with no failed comeback.
-The Rams stay relatively successful and don’t leave St. Louis, instead staying in Missouri while Jon Gruden and Al Davis take a great Raiders team south to LA along with the division-rival Chargers, who themselves eventually move to Salt Lake City later on.
-Roger Goodell becomes NFL Commissioner instead of Steve Young. While it seems like a no-brainer to have Young on as the NFL’s resident rule-maker, Goodell was a company guy who gave the Hall of Famer a run for his money. Goodell would become Commissioner and wouldn’t purchase the Bills, who would, of course, stay the Bills.
-Oh, I forgot to mention, I think that the Broncos will end up taking Drew Brees in 2001. Mike Shanahan will find success, although the Broncos probably won’t win the Super Bowl until after Favre retires and the Raiders break down.
January 5, 2015: Mike Shanahan, former Raiders and Broncos head coach and NFL Hall of Famer, makes his return to coaching as he is hired by the Dolphins on an eight-year contract worth $75 million, a record sum.
January 11, 2015: Matt Leinart announces that he has signed with the new FFL expansion team, the Denver Diggers. The signing is seen as the last chance for the scandal-ridden former first-rounder, and he pledges that he will make the most of it.
November 24, 2014: The CFL privately sends a message to all teams and CFL stadiums saying that, if the NFL further expands into Canada, all CFL teams will be directed to either outright deny the NFL usage of facilities, or pressure their stadium owners to deny the NFL.
November 30, 2014: The New York Jets defeat the Miami Dolphins, 38-31, as Jets RB Tim Tebow rushes for four touchdowns and 288 yards, and Russell Wilson passes for three touchdowns and 304 yards.
December 3, 2014: Rob Bortles announces that he will be available for the NFL Draft. He is considered one of the top two QBs in the draft, alongside Heisman-winning QB Marcus Mariota. Bortles is seen as the more risky pick, as he is older and, although experienced, is thought to be more self-absorbed due to his time in other leagues. Mariota, on the other hand, is seen as somewhat plain, to the point that he was called a “vanilla pick” by Stephen A. Smith, and he is considered relatively safe but lacking in star potential. Both are acknowledged as franchise QBs, but both have their downsides and can underwhelm if picked too early by the wrong team.
December 10, 2014: It is leaked that Calgary has re-opened talks with the Cardinals, after talks with Chihuahua fell through and the San Diego city government began to worry about whether or not they would be seen as flip-flopping if they change their stance on the NFL.
December 14, 2014:
Sports Illustrated
The 2000 Draft Changed Everything
Alex Rubenstein
The NFL as we know it is something to behold. A massive enterprise that spans two nations and, very soon, will welcome two more in, as well. The NFL has been, and most likely will continue to be, a huge money-maker and the keepers of a standard that many young children aspire to, many grown adults watch, and numerous elders reminisce about. But that could have very easily changed if one event went differently: the 2000 NFL Draft.
You see, DE Courtney Brown, seen as a great prospect and probable #1 pick, was passed on by the Browns, who instead took future Pro Bowl DE Shaun Ellis, letting Brown fall to the owners of the #2 (and #3) pick, the then-Washington Redskins. The Redskins would take the surprisingly free Brown over future Pro Bowl LB LaVar Arrington, the other man on the top of their draft board, and then select Arrington, instead of their other top choice, OT Chris Samuels, who would go onto be a six-time Pro Bowler with the Miami Dolphins, after falling to them at #23, as opposed to the Seattle Seahawks, who would be spooked by the rumors surrounding his health (we’ll be talking more about the Dolphins and Washington later). These choices, if made, would alter the NFL a lot. If Courtney Brown, among the biggest busts of all time, went to Cleveland, it’s likely that the Browns would continue their slide into sadness and tanking.
Of course, the Browns instead embraced an analytic-heavy “Beaneology” approach to the draft, which set them on course to be a consistent playoff contender. This will lead to one of my predictions. I think that if this happened, the Baltimore Ravens, who eventually traded away the rights to what eventually became surefire Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher to the Giants, would become a dynasty. Ray Lewis and his Baltimore squad would dominate the AFC North once the Steelers’ run ended after they use their #5 overall pick on future Pro Bowl QB Chad Pennington instead of trading it to the Giants. Pennington would provide a steady hand guiding the offense, and the Ravens could compete on both sides of the ball.
I think that the Giants would then sit at #11 and select Heisman-winning RB Ron Dayne, who, while a decent player, wouldn’t do very much to help the Giants, as shown by his lack of commitment on his real team, the 49ers. They would still win upwards of 10 games, still go to the Super Bowl, and still lose, but Kerry Collins’ injury wouldn’t happen. They would have no need to, the next year, draft future MVP (and arguable GOAT) Drew Brees, and probably wouldn’t become a dynasty.
I think that, then, Brian Urlacher would fall to the Green Bay Packers at #14 due to concerns over why the Ravens and Giants didn’t pick him. Urlacher would help the Packers establish themselves as the NFC’s resident dynasty. With Favre under center and Urlacher helming the defense, I see this team destroying all competition.
Now, let me talk about some of the other things that I see happening. We’re getting back to Washington and the Fins now. Washington, now that they don’t have a cornerstone OT and, instead, have a total draft bust, still spiral and become one of the NFL’s worst teams. They probably don’t change their name, though. With being the worst team comes great draft picks. They will, eventually, start winning again, as they did in real life. They’ll taste success, especially with the Giants being less historically great as they are in our reality. This will most likely happen around 2007-2009 and can continue on. With more success comes great revenue and acclaim, and less controversy. If the Redskins are profitable, then Dan Snyder won’t be forced out, plain and simple, and they will not become Washington F.C. The Dolphins, on the other hand, will get a better offensive line and that will make Jay Fiedler better. With Fiedler getting more opportunities to develop, he will defeat Damon Huard in the QB competition and establish himself as a viable, while not spectacular, franchise quarterback. Ryan Leaf will never get his shot with the Dolphins, and won’t make his comeback. He started to develop his great work ethic after being labeled as a bust during the 2000 NFL Draft coverage, and I think that with the dramatically changed events, he wouldn’t be seeing the same coverage. This means no Miami Miracles of the 2004 season and a somehow worse-off Chargers franchise.
The Cowboys will instead end up drafting Spergon Wynn with the 180th pick, instead of Touchdown Tom Brady, who will probably end up either on the San Fransisco 49ers, where he’ll start with little success, or go undrafted and end up being a very handsome insurance salesman not married to a former Ms.Texas. I can’t help but feel Tom Brady probably gets the bad end of this deal…
But nonetheless, here’s how I see the next few years unwinding:
-The Ravens win against the Giants in the Super Bowl, leading to the Giants entering into a phase of consistent mediocrity, with their only promise probably being either a bratty Eli Manning in 2004 or a horribly inconsistent Alex Smith in 2005.
-The Steelers, led by Tommy Maddox, lose to the Rams post-2001 but still win the next year, this time against the Eagles.
-The Colts and the Ravens become huge rivals, battling for the AFC as Peyton Manning’s offense clashes with Ray Lewis’ defense often in the playoffs. Manning still wins three rings before retiring in 2013, while the Ravens end up with an additional two championships before their nucleus breaks apart after 2007.
-The Packers and Brett Favre come back to the Super Bowl much more often, winning two times in three appearances before Favre triumphantly retires in 2008, with no failed comeback.
-The Rams stay relatively successful and don’t leave St. Louis, instead staying in Missouri while Jon Gruden and Al Davis take a great Raiders team south to LA along with the division-rival Chargers, who themselves eventually move to Salt Lake City later on.
-Roger Goodell becomes NFL Commissioner instead of Steve Young. While it seems like a no-brainer to have Young on as the NFL’s resident rule-maker, Goodell was a company guy who gave the Hall of Famer a run for his money. Goodell would become Commissioner and wouldn’t purchase the Bills, who would, of course, stay the Bills.
-Oh, I forgot to mention, I think that the Broncos will end up taking Drew Brees in 2001. Mike Shanahan will find success, although the Broncos probably won’t win the Super Bowl until after Favre retires and the Raiders break down.
January 5, 2015: Mike Shanahan, former Raiders and Broncos head coach and NFL Hall of Famer, makes his return to coaching as he is hired by the Dolphins on an eight-year contract worth $75 million, a record sum.
January 11, 2015: Matt Leinart announces that he has signed with the new FFL expansion team, the Denver Diggers. The signing is seen as the last chance for the scandal-ridden former first-rounder, and he pledges that he will make the most of it.
From a cursory check of Wikipedia, he’s still eligible, as people have been drafted out of other leagues (Arena Football, CFL, GFL) before.
I can't think of anyone that has sure they were not drafted from collage and did not sign for what ever reason?
I guess a lot of it must be injury concerns and the availability of college. Here, Bortles is eligible for the Draft but can’t go back to college football, so he must go to the CFL after the FFL in order to make money while maintaining eligibility.
Which makes sense, other than the XFL (which was mostly veterans) there has been no other pro leagues that people would go to before they reach eligibility. Here, the FFL is that place, while the CFL is just a means to get money during the period between the end of the FFL’s season and the beginning of NFL Draft speculation.
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Chapter Fourteen, Part Sixteen: 2014 NFL Season Standings
2014 NFL Season Standings:
NFC East
Giants: 11-5
Cowboys: 7-9
Eagles: 5-11
F.C.: 3-13
AFC East
Dolphins: 11-5
Jets: 10-6
Stallions: 6-10
Patriots: 3-13
NFC North
Packers: 11-5
Vikings: 8-8
Lions: 3-12-1
Bears: 1-14-1
AFC North
Ravens: 10-6
Steelers: 9-7
Browns: 4-12
Bengals: 2-14
NFC South
Falcons: 13-3
Buccaneers: 8–8
Saints: 5-11
Panthers: 3-13
AFC South
Titans: 12-4
Jaguars: 7-9
Colts: 5-10-1
Texans: 3-12-1
NFC West
Rams: 14-2
49ers: 10-6
Cardinals: 8-8
Seahawks: 1-15
AFC West
Broncos: 12-4
Raiders: 10-6
Express: 7-8-1
Chiefs: 3-12-1
NFC East
Giants: 11-5
Cowboys: 7-9
Eagles: 5-11
F.C.: 3-13
AFC East
Dolphins: 11-5
Jets: 10-6
Stallions: 6-10
Patriots: 3-13
NFC North
Packers: 11-5
Vikings: 8-8
Lions: 3-12-1
Bears: 1-14-1
AFC North
Ravens: 10-6
Steelers: 9-7
Browns: 4-12
Bengals: 2-14
NFC South
Falcons: 13-3
Buccaneers: 8–8
Saints: 5-11
Panthers: 3-13
AFC South
Titans: 12-4
Jaguars: 7-9
Colts: 5-10-1
Texans: 3-12-1
NFC West
Rams: 14-2
49ers: 10-6
Cardinals: 8-8
Seahawks: 1-15
AFC West
Broncos: 12-4
Raiders: 10-6
Express: 7-8-1
Chiefs: 3-12-1
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You know what would be a good NFL timeline? Start in 1970 when the merger happened. No team is allowed to relocate but expansion is allowed. Just think that would be an interesting idea.