The NBA has a Developmental League, the MLB has an entire Minor League farm system, and hockey has so many spinoff leagues that there is an entire Wikipedia Page devoted to them.
So why does the NFL, America’s most popular sport, lack a Minor League? It makes so much sense for the NFL and the fans that we need one yesterday.
Reason #1: Minor League Football Would Fix the Summer Sports Monotony
The sports calendar has built-in a cliff so big during the Summer you have to wonder if the schedule was invented by Wile E. Coyote.
The NBA and NHL playoffs crescendo into incredible finishes every year with stars like LeBron James, Alex Ovechkin and Riley Curry in primetime. Then the Summer solstice comes, and seemingly overnight the only thing on ESPN is the San Diego Padres vs. Chicago White Sox. (Odrisamer Despaigne vs. John Danks! Followed by PBA Bowling Quarterfinals! Stay Tuned!)
That's Riley Curry learning the San Diego Padres have to play 90 games between the NBA Finals and Week 1 of the NFL season. Who can stay awake for that?
Having an NFL Minor League season in the summer would fix this. Instead of having to cover baseball, NASCAR and the annual moronic NFL story du-jour (from Favre’s retirement to Tebowmania and now this Deflate-Gate nonsense), there could be actual football on television.
June football is a win-win for everyone. (Unless you really like those Padres White Sox games.) The fans would love it, and the league would too, because...
Reason #2: Minor League Football Would Be Profitable.
The NFL makes more money than Jordan Belfort does in his quaalude induced dream-states.
People love the NFL so much that those stupid NFL stories du jour are traffic drivers for websites and ratings drivers for TV shows. Deflategate was essentially a bigger news story than the entire Stanley Cup Playoffs (!!!). Mentioning Tim Tebow in July is enough to rev the NFL money mint.
Think about how many people would tune in to see NFL Minor League games if Americans already consider the PSI of Tom Brady’s footballs as must-see television.
And just like Tom Brady's footballs made his teammates better...
Reason #3: Minor League Football Would Improve the Quality of NFL Players
NFL teams go into training camp with almost 100 guys, but only 53 make the team. Of those remaining, only a handful are lucky enough to make the practice squad in the hope of earning their way onto the roster during the season.
That means there are a lot of players who want to play in the NFL but need to improve their skills before they can make a team. Getting more reps as part of a Minor League team in the offseason is more valuable than individual training.
Instead of teams having to cut the dozens of players who want to play for them, they could retain those guys as part of a minor league affiliate and be able to grow them with the organization in a way that Arena Football and the short-lived United Football League couldn’t offer. Better players = Better Football
And finally, perhaps the best reason...
Reason #4: Minor League Football Would Be More Fun to Watch
Don’t get me wrong, the quality of play would be laughably far from the NFL. But that means the NFL could tinker with the rules and create a hybrid of Arena Football and NFL Street.
Imagine the potential rule changes. Facemasks? Legal now. The Dancing with the Stars judges grading every touchdown celebration and awarding points based on performance? Done. Switch-blades allowed on fourth down conversions? The possibilities are endless.
Additionally, these televised games would provide national profile for flashy but flawed players who can dominate the Minor League. When a guy makes his NFL season debut in Week 9 as a sixth string receiver, we ask questions like, "Who the hell is Torque Lewith?"
But if we had an NFL Minor League, that question becomes, "Isn't that the guy who got the perfect score on his touchdown dance from Bruno Tonioli to win the championship in overtime?"
I want to live in a world where people ask about players who got perfect scores from Bruno Tonioli to win championships in overtime. I'm also tired of the San Diego Padres. Come on NFL. Let's make this happen. Even the Dancing with the Stars Judges Love it.
