(S16) - PT4 - New Day

[terriblehippo]

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Ready to be graded (310 words)

One of the advantages that the NSFL has over a real-life league like the NFL or CFL is that it can create franchises anywhere, without worrying about things like travel time, local population, or the team's ability to generate a profit. The league has already played into this: the real-life city of Yellowknife, according to Wikipedia, is "the largest community in the Northwest Territories, Canada," with approximately 20,000 residents. It is the last place any professional football league would consider putting a team, but the NSFL has the freedom to place teams wherever it wants, simply because it can. And while I understand that there are some users who would prefer to maintain some sense of "realism" when it comes to the league, I'd personally like to see the NSFL make full use of this freedom to create truly unique franchises.

Let's look at the most recent expansion. The two new teams ended up being placed in Chicago and Austin. While those are both great cities, there's nothing forcing the league to place teams in major cities in North America. Those teams could have been placed anywhere, and that allows for some really cool branding opportunities. What if the teams had been placed in, say, Scotland and Australia? This season could have seen the established franchises facing off against the Glasgow Unicorns and the Sydney Dingoes.

While I do appreciate the league's commitment to realism, I feel like that can greatly limit creativity and innovation when it comes to team branding. I think that if the opportunity arises for new teams to be created (whether through relocation of existing teams or another expansion), the league should look beyond the shores of the North American continent when considering location; it might be surprised by what it finds there.