USFL returning after 4 decades

[Sec10-A-14]

Keep Trump as faraway as possible.... He can screw up a game of marbles!

While Biden has nothing but marbles rolling around in his head.

[WVIAC-F-EVER]

[SW_Mustang]

I'm not so sure. If there really was a market for some kind of spring football- we wouldn't be burning through leagues.

That's a fair point - though things can be shut down for any number of reasons.

The way I see it, these rich business guys wouldn't be taking on the risk that they are if they didn't see an opportunity.

[SW_Mustang]

But I have to say that I am very excited to see a reboot of the USFL. If they do it as a feeder/farm leauge in conjuction with the NFL it may be able to work. Sort of like what NFL Europe was.

Yeah, I think to truly be sustainable - a league will need a tie-in with the NFL. I think that was the ultimate goal with the AAF, but they couldn't make it happen.

The NFL Europe was cool. I remember watching some of those games. Definitely not sustainable given the location, but cool nonetheless.

[Wildcat Khan]

Yeah, I think to truly be sustainable - a league will need a tie-in with the NFL. I think that was the ultimate goal with the AAF, but they couldn't make it happen.

The NFL Europe was cool. I remember watching some of those games. Definitely not sustainable given the location, but cool nonetheless.

I remember seeing Kitna play in NFL Europe and was surprised at first to see a CWU player. The NFL I think would also benefit from a developmental league as it would be a lot easier to keep practice squad players in game shape if they need to be called upon and may have helped the Eagles when all their receivers were hurt.

[CHIP72]

I was 10-12 years old when the original USFL was around and growing up in the Philadelphia TV market I was definitely a Stars fan, at least their first two years. The 1984 Philadelphia Stars, who were probably the best single season team in USFL history (16-2 regular season, won USFL championship), were probably better than the 1984 Philadelphia Eagles. Stars owner Myles Tanenbaum actually challenged then-Eagles owner Leonard Tose to a game between the two teams but Tose (wisely) declined.

[Wildcat Khan]

I was 10-12 years old when the original USFL was around and growing up in the Philadelphia TV market I was definitely a Stars fan, at least their first two years. The 1984 Philadelphia Stars, who were probably the best single season team in USFL history (16-2 regular season, won USFL championship), were probably better than the 1984 Philadelphia Eagles. Stars owner Myles Tanenbaum actually challenged then-Eagles owner Leonard Tose to a game between the two teams but Tose (wisely) declined.

When you realize some of the name from the USFL it shows how good it was. Here are a few:

Jim Kelly
Marv Levy
Bill Polian
Steve Young
Reggie White

All are in the NFL hall of fame and Levy and Kelly made 4 straight Super Bowls, while Steve Young took over for Joe Montana and led the rivalry with Dallas for SF in the 90's.

[CHIP72]

When you realize some of the name from the USFL it shows how good it was. Here are a few:

Jim Kelly
Marv Levy
Bill Polian
Steve Young
Reggie White

All are in the NFL hall of fame and Levy and Kelly made 4 straight Super Bowls, while Steve Young took over for Joe Montana and led the rivalry with Dallas for SF in the 90's.

The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars by themselves had Sam Mills, William Fuller, Irv Eatman, Bart Oates, and Sean Landeta on their team, five guys who were standout, multi-season Pro Bowl caliber NFL players after the USFL closed up shop. They also had Carl Peterson as their GM (and Peterson hired three other guys while with the Stars who later became NFL general managers) and Jim Mora Sr. as their head coach (and Peterson and Mora hired three other guys while with the Stars who later became NFL head coaches - Vince Tobin, Dom Capers, and Vic Fangio).

A lot of NFL teams, including the Eagles of the same era, would have been envious of acquiring that on and off field talent in a short period of time. Now the Stars were the best team in the USFL's three year history, but many of the other USFL teams, particularly the stronger, better organizations in the league, had many future standout NFL players, coaches, and front office personnel men.

I've long thought the best USFL teams would have been playoff contenders had they played in the NFL at that time. They wouldn't have won the Super Bowl or anything like that, but they would have been competitive teams.

RELATED COMMENT: Interestingly, in 1983 the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Philadelphia Stars (USFL), and the Philadelphia-based Temple Owls (DI-A/FBS college football) all hired new head coaches. The Eagles hired Marion Campbell, who was a good NFL player and a very good NFL defensive coordinator but a very poor NFL head coach. The two non-NFL teams? One of them hired Jim Mora, who did not have playoff success in the NFL but DID turn around the New Orleans Saints and to a lesser degree Indianapolis Colts when he coached those teams. (The Saints never had had a winning record in their first 19 seasons when Mora took over in 1986; by his second season the Saints made the playoffs for the first time and they posted five winning seasons and earned four playoff berths in Mora's first seven seasons in New Orleans.) The other team hired a young guy named Bruce Arians, who was last seen on a football field hoisting the Super Bowl trophy (and of course was successful as a head coach on an interim basis with the Colts and a full-time basis with the Cardinals, turning around the latter team).

[Wildcat Khan]

The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars by themselves had Sam Mills, William Fuller, Irv Eatman, Bart Oates, and Sean Landeta on their team, five guys who were standout, multi-season Pro Bowl caliber NFL players after the USFL closed up shop. They also had Carl Peterson as their GM (and Peterson hired three other guys while with the Stars who later became NFL general managers) and Jim Mora Sr. as their head coach (and Peterson and Mora hired three other guys while with the Stars who later became NFL head coaches - Vince Tobin, Dom Capers, and Vic Fangio).

A lot of NFL teams, including the Eagles of the same era, would have been envious of acquiring that on and off field talent in a short period of time. Now the Stars were the best team in the USFL's three year history, but many of the other USFL teams, particularly the stronger, better organizations in the league, had many future standout NFL players, coaches, and front office personnel men.

I've long thought the best USFL teams would have been playoff contenders had they played in the NFL at that time. They wouldn't have won the Super Bowl or anything like that, but they would have been competitive teams.

RELATED COMMENT: Interestingly, in 1983 the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Philadelphia Stars (USFL), and the Philadelphia-based Temple Owls (DI-A/FBS college football) all hired new head coaches. The Eagles hired Marion Campbell, who was a good NFL player and a very good NFL defensive coordinator but a very poor NFL head coach. The two non-NFL teams? One of them hired Jim Mora, who did not have playoff success in the NFL but DID turn around the New Orleans Saints and to a lesser degree Indianapolis Colts when he coached those teams. (The Saints never had had a winning record in their first 19 seasons when Mora took over in 1986; by his second season the Saints made the playoffs for the first time and they posted five winning seasons and earned four playoff berths in Mora's first seven seasons in New Orleans.) The other team hired a young guy named Bruce Arians, who was last seen on a football field hoisting the Super Bowl trophy (and of course was successful as a head coach on an interim basis with the Colts and a full-time basis with the Cardinals, turning around the latter team).

The USFL is also the only major league besides the NBA to have a team in Portland. Too bad the stadium at the time wasn't very good in Civic Stadium, but the Timbers have changed that. There isn't even a D1-FBS school in Portland!