Inside Slant: FXFL set to debut, ready or not

[dead_poet]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... ady-or-not

[HardcoreVikesFan]

It sounds like it would be interesting to watch. But I doubt it succeeds.

It is a shame. There really needs to be a league-funded developmental league. So many players are left out in the cold after being cut. Heck, the league would do wonders for the practice squad players as well.

[fiestavike]

It seems like they would really increase their chances of success if these teams were directly affiliated with NFL squads. The appetite for football is so big, if you could watch your teams "farm team" I think it would prove to be pretty interesting, at least to the really hard core fans. Its like watching preseason football and getting to see all the backups and longshots, seeing who might flash enough to earn a roster spot next year, or be worthy of getting called up.

To me the problem with these developmental leagues, like NFL Europe, is that the teams are just made up of random guys who can get pulled off of the team at any moment to go to some NFL team that decides to sign them. It makes it hard to get invested in the Nebraska team, or the Tulsa Team, or whatever. But if the Minnesota Vikings had a farm team in South Dakota, they would have a fan base that could really get invested in their team, and I would be interested to watch them play on Friday Nights.