United Football League

[Maxx]

Quote

The NFL-XFL agreement will give the NFL a "petri dish" to experiment with proposed rules, test new equipment and develop prospective officials and coaches, XFL president Russ Brandon told ESPN.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

Basically it was them or the new USFL getting the proper "minor league" approval. Figured when The Rock showed up at the Super Bowl it was leaning towards the XFL 

[Maxx]

Still nothing for players, but it’s potentially a very good solution to getting more minorities head coaching experience.  Which, is still bad in it’s own way because the NFL shouldn’t have to be contracting out that kind of development in the first place.

[Maxx]

The draft started tonight.  First player selected?  Shea Patterson.

Each round is assigned to a position, QB was first, then D-Line, O-Line and CB, and finally a second QB round.  Last QB selected? Paxton Lynch

Tomorrow is for offensive skill positions and linebackers

[LL!]

 

 

 

[Maxx]

They should be thrilled, the Michigan Panthers are a football team that can actually win a championship.

[The Buscher]

Breaking the draft into positional groups is similar to how the XFL did it.  Football rosters are so big it's probably the only way to ensure the teams end up "even".  If you made it a free for all you'd probably have some gunslinger head coach not take a single defensive player until round 15.

[GhostMachine]

Too many red uniforms for my liking. I'd hate to go to a game with the Generals visiting the Bandits or Stars. The Stars logo is too plain and boring. The Maulers color scheme is a rip-off of Clemson's, but more purple and it makes my eyes hurt. But I agree with Krabby and LL about the Panthers. 

The Stars should switch to a red, white and blue color scheme. Provided the league actually lasts, that is.

 

[Lineker]

Quote

LOS ANGELES -- A group of former team owners and executives from the original USFL is suing Fox Sports to halt the launch of the new spring football league with the same name, alleging the new USFL is inappropriately using the old league's branding.

The complaint filed in California on Monday alleges trademark infringement, false advertising and false association by the new league. The group is seeking an injunction to prevent the new league from using any names or logos associated with the defunct league.

The original USFL played games from 1983 to 1985, and the group suing the new league alleges Fox Sports and its partners didn't properly obtain use of the league's trademarks and other intellectual property. The suit calls the new league "an unabashed counterfeit."

The former owners and executives are seeking an order preventing Fox from calling its league the USFL or using the names and logos of any of the original league's 18 teams. All eight teams in the new league are using the names of 1980s USFL teams.

The league is composed of eight teams split into two divisions. The North Division has the Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers. The Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers and Tampa Bay Bandits are in the South Division.

 

[Lineker]

 

Quote

Three-point conversions, an alternative option for the onside kick and a best-of-three-play shootout in overtime are among the different rules for the revitalized USFL.

The new league released its rules Wednesday, explaining several twists to the traditional rules in the NFL and college football.

Scoring teams have a third option to attempt an extra point. A successful scrimmage play from the 10-yard line equals three points.

A second option to retain possession after scoring will be converting a fourth-and-12 from a team's 33.

In overtime, each team's offense will alternate plays against the opposing defense from the 2. Each successful scoring attempt will receive two points. The team with the most points after three plays wins. The subsequent attempts become sudden death if the score is tied after each team runs three plays. The overtime period will extend until a winner is declared.

Other distinctive rules:

• Two forward passes from behind the line of scrimmage are legal.
• Each coach will be allowed one replay challenge. USFL Replay Command at Fox Sports Control Center in Los Angeles will make all replay decisions.
• All kickoffs will be from the 25. No kicking team member may line up any further back than 1 yard, while the receiving team must have at least eight players in the setup zone between their 35 and 45. After a kickoff travels 20 yards, the first touch must be by the receiving team. If an untouched kick becomes dead, the ball belongs to the receiving team at that spot.
• On punts, gunners may not line up outside the numbers and they cannot be double-team blocked until the ball is kicked.
• The clock will stop for first downs inside 2 minutes of the second and fourth quarters.
• The penalty for defensive pass interference will mirror the NCAA rule with exceptions. First, a defender intentionally tackling a receiver beyond 15 yards would become a spot foul. The penalty will be a spot foul if it occurs 15 yards or less from the line of scrimmage or a 15-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage if the spot of the foul is beyond 15 yards.
• If a pass does not cross the line of scrimmage, there can be no pass interference or ineligible player downfield penalties.

 

[Maxx]

It’s go time!

[LL!]

What? We're doing fantasy USFL?

[Maxx]

No the season starts tonight.

There’s a drone camera, it’s awful

[DMN in the House]

Damn, watching the replay of this Michigan/Houston game and is it a COVID thing or do they just have exponentially less fans than even I played in front of in HS?

Also, man, Paxton Lynch is here?

[gunnar hendershow]

1 hour ago, DMN in the House said:

Damn, watching the replay of this Michigan/Houston game and is it a COVID thing or do they just have exponentially less fans than even I played in front of in HS?

Also, man, Paxton Lynch is here?

They are playing every game in Birmingham to save on costs but it makes for optically bad football since unsurprisingly fans aren't going to travel down there to see a team that they have no attachment to play.

[Maxx]

15 hours ago, DMN in the House said:

Damn, watching the replay of this Michigan/Houston game and is it a COVID thing or do they just have exponentially less fans than even I played in front of in HS?

Also, man, Paxton Lynch is here?

That game began after a lengthy delay due to lightning, thunderstorms remained in the area throughout so people just didn't bother coming back after the delay.

Opening night, featuring the only team actual home team in the league, looked like it had attendance similar to what XFL 2.0 was pulling in.

[Krabby]

I'm still not sure how there isn't a true minor league for football - every other major sport has one

[LL!]

Broken bodies probably. 

[Lineker]

 

[Maxx]

Death to the New York Guardians!  Death to the Los Angeles Wildcats!  Death to the Tampa (Bay) Vipers!

XFL team locations for the 3rd go round are:

Arlington, TX
Houston, TX
San Antonio, TX
Orlando, FL
St. Louis, MO
Seattle, WA
Washington, DC
Las Vegas, NV