The UFL needs to have players that are recognizable names at least regionally.

Maybe you convince players like a Tommy DeVito of the Giants and Tyson Bagent from the Bears to play in the UFL for a while and hone their skills instead of pressing them in the NFL before they are ready.

One of the things that made the old USFL watchable in the 80s was that there were some recognizable names. Even the first edition of the XFL 20+ years ago had guys like Tommy Maddox trying to audition to get back in the NFL

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Posted by TheWalrus

Member since Dec 2012

40573 posts

Posted on 2/22/24 at 7:03 pm to KiwiHead

Yeah the only way to make it viable is as a minor league to the NFL where guys on futures contracts and stuff can play. A guy like Ty Davis-Price would be a good fit.

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Posted by Fat Bastard

coach, investor, gambler

Member since Mar 2009

72754 posts

Posted on 2/22/24 at 10:42 pm to ChestRockwell

quote:
Walter Lewis still the QB?

wow there is a name i have not heard in years

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Posted by Fat Bastard

coach, investor, gambler

Member since Mar 2009

72754 posts

Posted on 2/22/24 at 10:47 pm to KiwiHead

quote:
One of the things that made the old USFL watchable in the 80s was that there were some recognizable names

jim kelly-houston gamblers, herchel walker-NJ generals, doug flutie-NJ generals, cliff stoudt-birmingham stallions, marcus dupree-new orleans/portland breakers, steve young- LA express, Bobby Hebert-michigan panthers, sam mills/vaughn johnson-philadelphia/baltimore stars. and on and on and on

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Posted by lsusa

Doing Missionary work for LSU

Member since Oct 2005

4598 posts

Posted on 2/23/24 at 2:32 am to Fat Bastard

quote:
jim kelly-houston gamblers, herchel walker-NJ generals, doug flutie-NJ generals, cliff stoudt-birmingham stallions, marcus dupree-new orleans/portland breakers, steve young- LA express, Bobby Hebert-michigan panthers, sam mills/vaughn johnson-philadelphia/baltimore stars. and on and on and on

Iirc in the case of Hershel and I think Dupree, those guys went to the USFL because of the NFL draft rules on underclassmen at the time. Flutie was thought to be too small for the NFL. Mills and Vaughn were examples of guys who got the chance in the NFL based on their play in the USFL,
but might not have gotten a shot otherwise.

Young, IIRC, went to the USFL for the money in what was at that time a record breaking $40 million deal. At that point, NFL money wasn’t insane like it was today and the USFL could actually outbid them for some rookies and even a few vets. Doug Williams went to the USFL after the Bucs wouldn’t pay him. Brian Sipe too. Mike Rozier was the third straight Heisman winner they signed.

You had NFL vets like Stoudt and
Greg Landry. Guys who were college “names” like Chuck Fusina and Reeves from Florida.

You didn’t mention Gary Zimmerman and Reggie White, who started in the UsFL and went on to the NFL HOF along with Mills, Kelly and Young.

Obviously this version isn’t going to try to directly compete with the NFL like the previous incarnation.

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Posted by KiwiHead

Auckland, NZ

Member since Jul 2014

27583 posts

Posted on 2/23/24 at 7:41 am to Fat Bastard

For Mills and Johnson, the USFL made them. But the rest you are spot on. You also forgot Kelvin Bryant and Anthony Carter and Reggie White.

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Posted by AlonsoWDC

Memphis, where it ain't Ten-a-Key

Member since Aug 2014

8767 posts

Posted on 3/17/24 at 10:55 pm to maizegoblue

quote:
Memphis Showboats

What an embarrassing team name.

No?

It was Memphis's team name in the original USFL, where they were one of the most successful and well-attended franchises.

Also the showboat is the longtime logo of Memphis's NBC affiliate, WMC TV5.

This post was edited on 3/17/24 at 10:55 pm

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Posted by sms151t