Leagues That Could Have Been

The recent NFL work stoppage has brought up a lot of comparisons to past labor strife. Former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski discussed the implications of the 1982 strike, which lasted 57 days, on the Eagles' season that year. Jaworski said that the strike hindered the Eagles, and speculated that the current lockout may have similar effects in 2011. That year's season was cut almost in half, resulting in a half-season long "Super Bowl tournament." In 1987, another strike occurred, however it had much less solidarity from the players, with many crossing the picket lines to play, and ended in decertification of the union and antitrust suits being filed by players, most notably then-Eagle Reggie White. Many of the basics of the NFL's CBAs came out of these experiences, such as the salary cap, a salary floor, and new free agency rules. The texts of later CBAs have been modified over the years, but this was the last major interruption in pro football. While the last two labor disputes differ from each other, and in major ways from the current one, they have nonetheless been mentioned continuously as prior examples, and the basis for current predictions.

One former NFL thorn that has been slightly neglected in discussion is the competition of alternate leagues. Throughout the NFL's history, there have been some major challengers to the NFL's nearly eight-decade supremacy. The most successful of these were the American Football League, the All-American Football Conference, and the United States Football League. Out of these, the AFL made the most gains, as its demise was the form of a merger with the NFL, many of its teams being absorbed into the older organization, creating much of today's American Football Conference. The USFL and the AAFC, however, also left their marks on the NFL.

The AAFC is barely remembered today, challenging the NFL in the mid- to late-1940s, however interleague warfare proved too much for the new league, and it folded after the 1949 season, merging the San Francisco 49ers, the Cleveland Browns, and the now-defunct Baltimore Colts (not related to the current Indianapolis Colts) into the NFL. The league also caused the NFL to develop changes, mostly thanks to head coach Paul Brown, who lent his name to the current Cleveland team. Full-time coaching staffs, studying game film, and the addition of face masks are a few of the innovations credited to Brown. The AAFC was also the first league to reintegrate, after African-American players were banned from the NFL from 1934-1945. The USFL had a slightly longer run, from 1983-1987, ending just before the 1987 players' strike. The USFL took the interesting route of playing games during the NFL's offseason, but was struck by franchise instability throughout its existence. The league did contribute the two-point conversion, instant replay challenges, and a salary cap, among other innovations. Many USFL alum, like AAFC alum, entered the NFL and became some of its greatest players. While they were not the Eagles, the USFL's Philadelphia Stars were a dominating force throughout the league's existence.

The thing to learn from this little history lesson is that the NFL is vulnerable to challengers. While the most recent challengers, such as Vince McMahon's XFL, have not been seen as threats, if the lockout cancels or even severely hinders the season, it could prove to be an opportunity to a rival league. The United Football League, after several years of obscurity, has speculated that it could become home to NFL players, should the lockout continue. While the UFL would likely not oust the NFL as the primary pro football establishment, it could prove itself to be a force for the future, enticing investors with ideas of Major League Baseball-esque league alignments. All of this is speculation, but something for the owners to consider while continuing the league lockout.