UFL Heading To Norfolk...???

The United Football League says it is adding a team in Norfolk, Virginia.

The team will be the UFL's sixth team and second expansion franchise for the 2011 season, joining one in Omaha. The league says it hopes to eventually expand to up to 14 teams.

The UFL approved Virginia businessman Jim Speros as the provisional owner of the team, and former Washington Redskins quarterback Doug Williams as the general manager.

Speros was the founding owner of the Baltimore Colts/Baltimore CFL team that played in the Canadian Football League in the mid-1990's.

The league's charter teams are located in Orlando, Hartford, Connecticut, Las Vegas, and Sacramento, California.

Here's Bruce Rader explaining the process with a hell of a long reader, thanks to our friends at WAVY-TV...


And Katie Colletta does her indoor package for the WAVY-TV morning show...

The UFL and Omaha

Sure, we'll bite...

After San Antonio said "Thanks, but no thanks," since they didn't want anyone to compete with their upstart college program at Texas-San Antonio, United Football League Commissioner Michael Huyghue and new Omaha head coach Jeff Jagodzinski are now in the heartland selling their brand of pro football...

Here's the in-depth coverage JJ Davis and the folks at KPTM/Fox42 gave the announcement in Omaha...

“Expansion is an exciting time for a sports league and we are excited to be here in a new UFL city that we believe will embrace an exciting and high-quality product on the field at an affordable price,” said UFL Commissioner Huyghue. “Omaha fits the ideal UFL model of having a passionate fan base that we believe deserves a professional football team.”

After year one, the UFL is looking for one more city to expand in to for year two. The San Francisco franchise relocated to Sacramento. The New York franchise relocated to Hartford. Vegas and Orlando are still in Vegas and Orlando.

Some of Year One was unwatchable. Some of it wasn't.
But this is football creating on the fly...
It will be interesting to see if this case study works...

So Much For The New York Sentinels

((HT: WTNH-TV))

The United Football League is settling down in Hartford...

And this is coming on the heels of the possibility of the California Redwoods franchise moving full-time to Sacramento...

There was a presser today explaining the move to UConn's campus...

Four teams, two moves, one season...
Almost sounds like the make-up of a Collective Soul album...

Crystal Haynes got to attend the press conference and "fish for fans..."


"Legendary" and "Chris Palmer" going together in the same sentence...???
That's a first...

The HQ is a fan of football, and the more football there is, the better the HQ feels. The UFL can find its niche and be a feeder to other leagues out there if they can find stable homes and fan bases...

Always the issue... along with the quality of play in a lot of these games overall. The games have been somewhat painful to watch at times in Year One. Here's to thinking they might be a little less painful in Year Two...

But we kinda doubt it... Good luck on that, though...

To remind you what the UFL was all about in Season One...
Here's highlights of the title game, thanks to our friends at Versus and the UFL

Your Week One UFL Update On Game One

((HT: Versus/UFL))

Hey, they actually got the league off the ground to a bunch of empty seats in Las Vegas Thursday night at the Silver Bowl.

The California Redwoods and Las Vegas Locomotives, um, played...

Vegas beat California 30-17...

Shane Boyd is the answer to your trivia question below...


Here's the game in its entirety, thanks to Versus and the UFL itself...

Welcome Your California Redwoods...???

Um, okay...

A while back the United Football League had dibs on a few names in the US Patent Office. The names are, gradually, coming out into view.

They still need some work...
((All images and ideas, thanks to ufl-football.com and the United Football League))
First, we didn't know that trains were part of the fabric of Nevada, and that woolly mammoths were hip to central Florida.

We also didn't know redwoods were green... but if you're in to that whole energy-conversation thing- enjoy...
There's also talk that the New York franchise is going to be called the "Sentinels."
We hate to break it to you, but there's only one team that's really ever the "Sentinels."

Jimmy McGinty is anything, but a conventional guy, Pat...
((HT: Bel Air Entertainment/Warner Brothers))


"When the Washington Sentinels left the stadium that date, there was no tickertape parade, no endorsement deals for sneakers or soda pop, or breakfast cereal.
Just a locker to be cleaned out, and a ride home to catch.
But what they didn't know, was that their lives had been changed forever because they had been part of something great. And greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man.
Every athlete dreams of a second chance, these men lived it."

UFL-Vegas Signs JP Losman

((HT: UFL-Football.com))

The United Football League announced today that its Las Vegas franchise has signed former NFL first-round draft pick Jonathan Paul “JP” Losman for the League’s “Premiere” season.

“I have followed JP’s career since his early days with Buffalo where he impressed me with his raw talent, passing accuracy and on-field competitiveness,” said Jim Fassel, Head Coach of the Las Vegas franchise. “JP has all the attributes of a great professional quarterback and I am truly looking forward to working with him. I am anxious to start the season with JP at the helm of this Las Vegas franchise and show what we can do on the field.”

Losman, a first round draft choice in 2004 by the Buffalo Bills, spent five seasons with the club. He served as Bills’ team captain in 2007 and his 63.43 completion percentage was the fourth-single best season mark in team history. In 2007, Losman also threw the longest touchdown pass in the AFC and fifth longest in team history with an 85-yard pass against the Jets. He was a two-time team captain at Tulane, setting career records for lowest interception percentage in school history with a mark of 2.73 (27 INTs in 987 attempts). Losman finished his collegiate career ranked in Tulane’s all-time Top 10 in 18 categories including third in touchdown passes (60), completions (570) and passing efficiency (129.81). He also ranks in Conference USA’s all-time Top 10 in ten different passing and total offense records

“The United Football League is providing me with the opportunity to play the sport I love at a high level and for that, I am extremely grateful,” said Losman. “There are many players just like me who possess the skills to compete at the highest levels and just need the playing time to showcase their talents. The United Football League is filling that void and giving more players the opportunity to play. I am excited to get back out onto the field and represent Las Vegas during the League’s first season.”

The United Football League is a new professional football league that will kick-off its “Premiere” season this October. Featuring high-quality traditional football played by world-class athletes and former NFL coaches, the UFL will host four teams in six cities. The UFL’s goal is to provide fans with affordable, innovative and entertaining game-day experiences. The UFL’s games, which will be broadcast live on VERSUS in HD, will take place primarily on Thursday evenings and will culminate with a Championship Game over Thanksgiving weekend in Las Vegas.

True to form, ESPN's Jonathan Coachman got to play the role of heel sports-anchor and interview JP on ESPNEWS...

UFL To Consider 7

If it's, you know, okay...

((HT: CBSSports))

When the United Football League debuts in October, Michael Vick could be one of its players.

Michael Huyghue, the commissioner of the new four-team league, says the UFL is willing to give Vick a place to play -- provided there are no pending legal issues. His rights belong to the Orlando franchise.

"One of the things that is important in our premiere season is to showcase the quality of talent and the coaches, and to be able to show outstanding players who find themselves in this quagmire the NFL creates," Huyghue said. "Michael Vick might be that kind of player because he is ... a phenomenal talent, but he needs transitionining back into the NFL.

"Also gaining as much widespread exposure for the league as possible might be addressed with Michael Vick."

Huyghue said he will monitor the Vick situation closely and "if he is free and clear of legal issues, we will look at the situation."

Vick already has served an 18-month sentence in federal prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. He is under home confinement until July 20, after which the NFL is expected to announce whether the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback will be suspended.

Vick, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, has not played football since the 2006 season.

The UFL will have teams in Orlando, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, playing games mostly on Thursday nights in October and November. The championship game will be Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.

Orlando acquired UFL rights to Vick in an allocation draft of players not under contract in the NFL.

"I don't know if the NFL will suspend Vick," said Dennis Green, coach of the San Francisco team and the chairman of the UFL's competition committee -- a role he also held while coaching in the NFL. "What he did was very wrong, and he paid his debt to society. He was a model inmate, otherwise he never would have made it out from prison early.

"Now he has to show he loves the game and is a responsible citizen. You can't show you love the game if you're not able to play the game. So if Michael Vick were to say, 'I will play for not a lot of money,' well, hello. We're here.

"If he is not allowed back into the NFL and he wants to show he is a model citizen and he loves the game, there is not a better situation for him."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league would have no comment. Joel Segal, Vick's agent, did not immediately respond to a message left by the Associated Press.

While it sounds as if Vick will be welcomed into the UFL, Huyghue would not address the situations of Plaxico Burress, Donte' Stallworth or other NFL players with legal problems.

"Every player will have to be unique and different," he said.

Green reiterated there have been no UFL discussions about those players, and he emphasized the UFL will not be an outlaw league.

"We don't want to be known as a league where if guys are in trouble, that is where you go," Green said.

United Football League Has Coaches

[HT/AP]

Former NFL coaches Dennis Green (The UFL is what we thought it would be), Jim Fassel and Jim Haslett will lead teams in the new United Football League.

The league plans to debut in October with four teams in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando and New York. It announced the coaches Wednesday.

Ex-NFL defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell will coach the New York franchise.

Green, the former Vikings and Cardinals coach, will be in San Francisco. Fassel, who led the Giants to the Super Bowl, will coach Las Vegas. Haslett, the ex-Saints coach, will be in Orlando.

The UFL is an outdoor professional football league. Teams are scheduled to play games in Hartford and Los Angeles along with the home markets.

The league also announced that the San Francisco franchise will play games at AT&T Park.

"When seeking coaches for the UFL we set out to find the most outstanding individuals to lead our teams," said Commissioner Michael Huyghue. "We sought leaders with successful NFL backgrounds, who were excellent communicators and teachers of the game and were excited about building new franchises. We were fortunate to find four individuals who embody these attributes. These men are truly winners in every sense of the word."

The gang in the OSG HQ are puzzled by this quote by the commish. What the UFL has attracted are three of the most mediocre head coaches in the NFL and a former NFL defensive coordinator who was on everyones list but never got hired as an NFL head coach. Sure that trio got into the playoffs some years but only Fassel sniffed the Super Bowl and then his NY Giants team got embarrassed.

At least one of those coaches can claim a championship at the end of the "premier" UFL season to put on their resume.

Is "7" Headed For The UFL...?

((HT: Howard Balzer/cbssports))

Those of us at OSG HQ would venture to say that we had talked about this idea before, but we'll let Howard Balzer give his version since he tells us who the new UFL head coaches are.

The fledgling United Football League, set to play in four cities beginning in October, will officially announce its four head coaches at a news conference in San Francisco on Wednesday.

In addition to former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, who will lead the Las Vegas team, the UFL has hired Dennis Green as San Francisco's coach, Jim Haslett for Orlando and Ted Cottrell for New York. All except Cottrell have been head coaches in the NFL.

It is also believed the league is trying to have former NFL quarterback Michael Vick play in its inaugural season.

Each team will play six games, with the championship game expected to be played in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving weekend. The UFL has announced a deal for a Thursday night game of the week to be televised on Versus, which is also home for NHL games.

Each team will have three "home" games, but all won't be played in the "named" city. New York will play a game in Hartford, Conn., Las Vegas will play a game in Los Angeles and San Francisco will play a game in Sacramento, Calif.

Fassel was last a head coach with the New York Giants in 2003, Green with Arizona in 2006 and Haslett was the interim coach for St. Louis last season. Cottrell is a longtime NFL assistant who was fired by the San Diego Chargers during the 2008 season as defensive coordinator. He was a coach with the USFL's New Jersey Generals in 1983-84.

Said UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue, "With the confirmation of four teams and the announcement of an infusion of a $30 million investment to operate the league, the UFL is excited to bring affordable, accessible football to underserved markets this October. [This] will allow us to set the foundation within the cities we feel would be a good fit, demonstrate the terrific talent of the coaches and players at our high level of competition, and integrate innovation into all aspects of the league so we are ready for expansion in 2010."

Head coaches will reportedly be paid $500,000 for the season.

The UFL - 4 Teams, One Owner

Desperate time call for even desperate measures and it seems the United Football League is desperate to kickoff its premier season in 2009. The UFL was envisioned to be a 6 - team, 6 - owner association but that darn economy got in the way. Instead, the UFL will become 4 teams that will barnstorm across as many as nine cities playing 13 games starting in October. Those clubs will be own by one man, Paul Pelosi. You may not know Paul but you know his wife, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Nice political connections.

Paul Pelosi was former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue’s roommate at Georgetown University. Damn this dude is connected.

UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said, "The real focus is to treat this is a soft launch and come back strong in 2010." Let's hope their is a 2010 for the UFL.

Frank Vuono, the league’s acting chief operating officer, told Sports Business Journal the UFL is in advanced talks to play in the Los Angeles area at the Home Depot Center; on Long Island at Hofstra University; in San Francisco at AT&T Park; in Orlando at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium; in Hartford, Conn., at Rentschler Field; and in Las Vegas at Sam Boyd Stadium. He identified Memphis, Sacramento and Birmingham, Ala., as other cities that could host games.

Will TV camera's be present when the UFL kicks off? They just might. Huyghue says one is ready to be signed but won't disclose who that outlet is.

There are no sponsorships in place but Vuono says his going out, hat in hand, in the worst U.S. economy in history.

The feeling at the OSG HQ is we love more football and hope the UFL kicks off however, it's business model is almost like that famous Bob & Doug McKenzie Christmas song. 11 players on offense, 11 players on defense, 7 cities hosting, 4 teams a playin' and one owner of the whole thing.

UFL On The Move, Fassel Signs On

While the economy continues to tank the sports world continues to feel the pain. As noted the CBA is packing it in for the rest of the season and may never be heard from again. NASCAR can't even sell out the Daytona 500, stock car racing's signature race, where tickets still remain on sale.

Fear not sports fans, there is good news. Another football league, the United Football League is in the works and planning to kick off this fall. According to a source the UFL has already hired a Super Bowl coach.

According to the Las Vegas Review/Journal, former New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel has been hired to become the head coach of the Las Vegas franchise. That's strange since the league hasn't officially named Las Vegas as a franchise.

UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue would not confirm or deny Fassel's hiring.

There's more on that from the Las Vegas Journal/Review right here.

In fact the UFL has not even decided which cities will receive a franchise but lists 8 potential markets on its website.

For you future UFL fans, check out there website at http://www.ufl-football.com/

Reportedly, billionaire Bill Hambrecht and Google executive Tim Armstrong are the money behind the UFL. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban also is believed to be involved in the league. I wonder how their stock portfolios are doing.

We here at the OSG headquarters see nothing wrong with more football. Good luck in this economy.

Photo Courtesy: Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images