The FCFL: Could It Work?

Sports have reached new heights of social interaction in recent years. The world has evolved into a place where social media is king. These days, sports fans are seemingly just as invested in their team as the players themselves. It is clear to see fans opinions posted on social media once a controversial play is called. That is where the FCFL comes in. You might be asking, "Huh? What is the FCFL? Why should I be excited for it?" The answer is simple. The FCFL, or the Fan Controlled Football League, is a new sports league that puts the control in the hands of the fans. It’s 7-on-7 football on a field that is just 50 yards and filmed inside of a television studio. We all know that every fans dream is to be able to give their input and have it be heard by their favorite team. In this new football league, the fans choose who plays for their team and what play are chosen. As fans, we always claim to be able to control our favorite team much better than the current coaching staff. Well, now it's time for fans to put that talk into action.

So how does this wild fantasy of fan controlled football work? That is a valid question. How do you regulate hundreds of thousands of opinions about what the team should do for every single play of a game? Well, the FCF games are streamed on Twitch, a live streaming service that mainly focuses on video game streaming. Twitch has recently diversified its content into more than just video games, the FCF being one of those decisions. In between each play, a pop up will show up on your Twitch stream asking if you would prefer a run or pass play, then they allow you to choose a specific play. They give fans 10 seconds to choose and the option with the most votes is the play that will be executed by your favorite team.

Now in order for this to be a truly exciting league, there needs to be a decent amount of fans involved. The first games of this league started last week and since then they've gained over 70,000 followers on instagram and had 30,000 live viewers on Twitch. With a good fanbase also comes notable names. Johnny Manziel, the Heisman winner and once NFL quarterback, is the biggest name on the FCF rosters. Marshawn Lynch is also reportedly going to suit up at some point in the short season. There are also many notable names involved on the investing side of the FCF. Quavo, Richard Sherman, Renee Montgomery, Trevor May, and Austin Ekeler are some of the celebrities who have chosen a team and invested in it. They advertise what celebrity associates with what team in order to sway a potential fans decision. If a new FCF fan is trying to choose a team and sees that Trevor May is associated with the Zappers, they might choose that team based on their loyalty to Trevor May.

Now for the social aspect. For the league to truly be successful, it needs to gain traction on social media as soon as possible. The fans are the ones who will quite literally support the success of the league. Now why does this league have so much promise? Because it gives the fans a legitimate voice. The fans literally will control everything. The team names, jersey designs, logos, play calls, and even the team roster. Any decision you wish you could make about your professional sports team is now a reality, and that concept could be very attractive to many potential fans. The Super Bowl is an almost holy tradition amongst some households. This proves that the market is there and we will look to see in the upcoming weeks if they can sustain a large enough fanbase. Especially with more and more big names backing the FCFL, it could truly stand a chance in the crazy world of sports.