NFL Europa is no more.

The developmental league begun in the early 1990s closed shop Friday, the NFL announced. The six-team league had enjoyed a mild surge in attendance this season, but the NFL was still losing money on it and decided to focus its overseas efforts on playing an occasional regular-season game abroad (like this fall’s game in London).

I’m sure many people are surprised NFL Europe still existed. Remember when it started as the World League of American Football (or WLAF, too close to “we laugh”) and there were a few American teams, which went over as well as CFL teams in the Lower 48? Eventually, it switched over to a Europe-only league (and almost a Germany-only league), changed names a few times, and saw some future stars get some pro experience, including Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme and Adam Vinatieri.

The league didn’t work in Europe, and that’s fine, but the NFL still needs some sort of developmental league (the Arena League and CFL don’t count). Could a football minor league work? Not a true farm system like baseball or hockey, but something like NFL Europa, only not way over there. After all the attempts to get another pro football league going in the U.S. (including the ridiculous XFL), maybe the next one shouldn’t aim so loftily. The XFL didn’t fare so badly some of its smaller markets, it was in the larger ones where it was mostly ignored (and on NBC, of course). Why not try a spring developmental league in those and other similarly smaller, non-NFL markets? If the NFL can keep costs down, televise the games on their own network, and work with their 32 primary franchises, such a league could be a success, or at least not a total failure.

OK, maybe I’m being overly optimistic, but such a league would have a better chance at succeeding whatever Mark Cuban comes up with. The NFL holds the monopoly and would be best to come up with a second league.

In the meantime, here’s to the memory of the Frankfurt Galaxy and the Scottish Claymores.

It’s almost the end of June, meaning training camps start in a few weeks, meaning the season starts in two months. This also means fantasy football drafts will be here before we know it. Yes, the Fourth of July is still a week away, but it’s never too early to start some basic research on the upcoming fantasy football season. And the best way to do that this early is to buy a magazine.

A slew of fantasy football magazines are already on the shelf. Though the Web is a popular source for fantasy preparation (even this early), a magazine has the portability perfect for summer. Take it on vacation, by the pool, on the porch with a malted beverage — you get the point. Some tips for selecting a magazine:

– Make sure you buy one that was published AFTER the April draft. Believe it or not, there are fantasy football mags that are released before the draft. The easy way to see if it was published after (most are) is to look for a rookie section, or see if JaMarcus Russell is included in QB rankings or Marshawn Lynch in RB rankings.

– Some magazines will point you to online updated rankings. The rankings you buy today will change by the end of the summer, and if the mag is advertising updates, you know they are serious about their rankings.

– Remember that rankings are mostly arbitrary, as are projected sleepers and busts. One magazine’s surprise for 2007 might be another’s must-avoid-at-all-costs pick. That said, the magazine you consult should just be once source of fantasy info, along with other magazines (Sports Illustrated did a big fantasy blowout last summer, I guess they’ll do it again) and numerous sources on the Web.

– Magazines also will be valuable tools on draft day. Find one you not only like, but also can look up players quickly and easily. Some fantasy owners won’t have a computer on draft day to quickly look up who the Texans’ third RB might be or which kicker missed more field goals in the last three years, so the ability to look for this information in a magazine becomes crucial.

– Finally, a glossy cover is more water resistant when you spill that malted beverage onto your magazine. You’re SOL if you drop it (your mag and your beer) in the pool, though.

The Bears gave up on defensive tackle Tank Johnson on Monday, releasing him after his latest brush with the law.

The NFL already had suspended Johnson eight games after a multitude of troubles over the last couple years. His latest transgression — the police pulled him over for speeding and appearing impaired by the arrested officer. Though Johnson wasn’t charged or booked (yet), it was the last straw for the Bears.

The league’s crackdown on off-the-field bad behavior is being taken to heart by the teams. Obviously, the Bears had enough. Aside from any moral issues, could they count on him to play that second half of the season after this latest incident? Better they cut him now and plan for a season without him.

Hopefully, the harsh consequences for Johnson and Pacman Jones will be a wakeup call for other players to avoid trouble, or at the very least, avoid it again after getting busted a first time. Wouldn’t it have been prudent for Johnson, impaired or not, not to be speeding knowing even getting pulled over for that would get his name in the newspapers? Or for Jones not the visit a strip club the night before his meeting with the league?

Maybe not. I’m thinking more players will find themselves suspended before the 2007 season is over.

Welcome to Da NFL Blog!

Please bear with me through this boring introductory post, but I wanted to let you know what to expect. This blog will have two primary aims as the NFL season approaches and throughout the fall:

– To provide musings, news, rants and observations on the National Football League. The NFL is not boring, from the weekly buildup to Sunday, the imminent quarterback controversy in Chicago, and the latest Bengal to get arrested, to injury news, playoff runs and the endless saga of Ricky Williams. When the season gets going, I’ll also be sharing my weekly picks — hopefully I’ll pick better than .500.

– To impart fantasy football advice, strategies and news. Of all fantasy sports, football is the most fun, and certainly the easiest, and it has made being an NFL fan even more fun. Look for position rankings in August in advance of the season, then weekly updates in the fall.

I’m looking forward to the 2007 season and blogging about it. And hopefully, a certain team on the shore of Lake Michigan, once led by a certain coach (but now guided by another coach, but that’s OK) can get back to the Super Bowl!