Can it compete with the NFL?
Tyree Dabney
– Sports Writer –
The long-awaited anticipation of this new football league started with a great game with the California Redwoods and the Las Vegas Locomotives.
The game was intense and the two teams competed viciously to open up the season with a win, but only the California Redwoods left the field as winners in the UFL opener. The United Football League was formed by many former coaches, players, and owners of the NFL.
It’s the UFL’s mission is to excel better than any up-and-starting football league, knowing they are not going to get as much nationally televised air time because of the Nation Football League, and its millions of fans. One of the founders of the UFL is Bill Hambrecht, owner in the Las Vegas Locomotives and owner in a securities business for years. The other founder is Tim Armstrong, chairman and CEO of AOL. Michael Huyghue the commissioner of the league was the NFL manager of the Detroit Lions and was majority owner in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Some of the owners of the teams are Paul Pelosi, California Redwoods, Bill Mayer, owner of the New York Sentinels, and Sunburst Entertainment Group, owners of the FlordiaTuskers. The UFL has four great teams, only two of which have played. The Florida Tuskers and the New York Sentinels have yet to debut their first game. The UFL has many some old NFL faces, like coaches Jim Fassel (Las Vegas Locomotives) former head coach of the New York Giants, Jim Haslett (Florida Tuskers) the 2008 head coach of the St. Louis Rams, and Dennis Green (California Redwoods) the former coach of the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals. Also, Ted Cottrell former defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers.
There are some ex-NFL players in the UFL too, like Tatum Bell formerly of the Denver Broncos, and JP Losman, former Buffalo Bills quarterback. The games will be played on the Versus Network.
Some notable games are New York Sentinels vs. Florida Tuskers, California Redwoods vs. New York Sentinels, and Las Vegas Locomotives vs. New York Sentinels.
