United Football League

Jerry Glanville joined other United Football League officials on a trip to Jackson, Mississippi, where they looked into the possibility of Jackson being a host for the UFL’s next expansion team. Glanville walked away from the visit feeling as if Jackson may be a great fit for the league.

“Jackson may be the cleanest city I’ve ever been in,” Glanville recalled. “There’s a lot of history in that city and stadium. That’s a football city.”

“It’s a class stadium no matter what league you’re in,” he said of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, which hosts Jackson State University games, would be the ideal stadium for a UFL expansion team. The stadium has hosted games for Ole Miss and Southern Miss, as well as professional games, hosting games for the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys as well.

The stadium seats over 60,000 fans, more than any other stadium that a UFL team currently calls home.

“(Veterans Memorial) Stadium has hosted double headers before, and that was brought up during our discussions,” Glanville said. “The idea is that Jackson State would play first, and then 30 minutes later we could have a UFL game.”

Jackson State draws 40,000 fans on any given week for their home games. Having a UFL game immediately after a Jackson State game would not only expose new fans to another professional football league, but give them more of what they want: more football.

“Football is their religion down there,” Glanville said referring to Jackson. “500,000 people watch high school football on Friday nights.”

Although they didn’t talk to investors while in Jackson, it is known that money is a key to bringing a team to Jackson.

Chattanooga, Des Moines, Portland and Salt Lake City are all being considered for an expansion team as well. Although there’s no official visit on Glanville’s schedule just yet, Glanville and the UFL know that they need to continue searching for a potential expansion city to grow the UFL audience.

“The commissioner is smart. He knows that we have to get to six teams in order to get national exposure,” Glanville explained. “You won’t get exposure as a four-team league.”

“We’re looking for sites where we can be on the front page of the newspaper. You have great places like Austin (Texas), but we know it’ll be hard to be on their front page.”

Hartford is also up for consideration to bring back the Colonials at the end of the season.

The Jackson fans have expressed that if they get a UFL team, they want the team to be named the Jackson Blues in honor of the Delta Blues that originated in Mississippi.

Jackson seems like a great fit for the UFL. They have had great media coverage locally since being announced as a potential location, their fans love football, and they have the resources to host a team. If the money/investors are there, it’ll be hard to argue why the Jackson Blues won’t be playing in 2012.

Rob Brown is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Jerry Glanville joined other United Football League officials on a trip to Jackson, Mississippi, where they looked into the possibility of Jackson being a host for the UFL’s next expansion team. Glanville walked away from the visit feeling as if Jackson may be a great fit for the league.

“Jackson may be the cleanest city I’ve ever been in,” Glanville recalled. “There’s a lot of history in that city and stadium. That’s a football city.”

“It’s a class stadium no matter what league you’re in,” he said of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, which hosts Jackson State University games, would be the ideal stadium for a UFL expansion team. The stadium has hosted games for Ole Miss and Southern Miss, as well as professional games, hosting games for the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys as well.

The stadium seats over 60,000 fans, more than any other stadium that a UFL team currently calls home.

“(Veterans Memorial) Stadium has hosted double headers before, and that was brought up during our discussions,” Glanville said. “The idea is that Jackson State would play first, and then 30 minutes later we could have a UFL game.”

Jackson State draws 40,000 fans on any given week for their home games. Having a UFL game immediately after a Jackson State game would not only expose new fans to another professional football league, but give them more of what they want: more football.

“Football is their religion down there,” Glanville said referring to Jackson. “500,000 people watch high school football on Friday nights.”

Although they didn’t talk to investors while in Jackson, it is known that money is a key to bringing a team to Jackson.

Chattanooga, Des Moines, Portland and Salt Lake City are all being considered for an expansion team as well. Although there’s no official visit on Glanville’s schedule just yet, Glanville and the UFL know that they need to continue searching for a potential expansion city to grow the UFL audience.

“The commissioner is smart. He knows that we have to get to six teams in order to get national exposure,” Glanville explained. “You won’t get exposure as a four-team league.”

“We’re looking for sites where we can be on the front page of the newspaper. You have great places like Austin (Texas), but we know it’ll be hard to be on their front page.”

Hartford is also up for consideration to bring back the Colonials at the end of the season.

The Jackson fans have expressed that if they get a UFL team, they want the team to be named the Jackson Blues in honor of the Delta Blues that originated in Mississippi.

Jackson seems like a great fit for the UFL. They have had great media coverage locally since being announced as a potential location, their fans love football, and they have the resources to host a team. If the money/investors are there, it’ll be hard to argue why the Jackson Blues won’t be playing in 2012.

Rob Brown is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

While one team is sitting on top of the mountain and breathing in the fresh air that the peak brings, the other is on its third attempt to even start climbing said mountain. The Sacramento Mountain Lions (0-2) will visit the Virginia Destroyers (2-0) Friday night in a game where the unbeaten will thrive to stay that way and the beaten must win to stay alive in the championship race.

It’s always funny to hear someone call the third game of a season a “must-win”, because in any other league, that’s an exaggeration. However, the Mountain Lions don’t have the luxury of a 16-game regular season. The United Football League has a short six-game season that will send the two top teams to the championship game.

I’m sure you can do the math. Point blank—the Mountain Lions can’t afford to start 0-3.

The two teams kick off at 7 p.m. (EDT) at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex Friday night, a matchup that (at least on paper) looks to favor the Destroyers.

But you should never count out a team that has its back against the wall.

Last season, the Mountain Lions started the season 1-3, being outscored 54-93 by their opponents in the first four games (including a win over the Florida Tuskers, who are now the Destroyers).

With their backs against the wall and looking to push towards the championship game, they defeated the Tuskers in Florida before winning three of their last four games.

Unfortunately for them, they needed the Omaha Nighthawks to defeat the Tuskers in the final game of the regular season, which did not happen. That sent the Tuskers and the Las Vegas Locomotives to the championship game while the Molos sat at home to watch.

The Mountain Lions have nothing to be ashamed of in their loss to the Nighthawks last week. They went toe-to-toe with them without their star running back, Cory Ross, and had the game taken away from them in the final seconds of the game.

The biggest mistake the Mountain Lions made in that game was giving the Nighthawks the ball with a full two minutes on the clock. That was just enough time for the Nighthawks to steal the game away. If the Mountain Lions could do their final drive all over again, I’m sure they do their best to prevent their quarterback Ryan Colburn from being sacked, which ultimately led to them punting the ball away.

Mistakes like that don’t seem huge when they happen, but could ultimately lead a team to a loss rather than victory. And a veteran team like the Destroyers knows how to capitalize on its opponents’ mistakes regardless of how big or small they are.

A key to the Mountain Lions pulling an upset Friday night will be to minimize those mistakes and make some big plays on defense. Chris Greisen has yet to throw an interception this season, and if the Mountain Lions can force the veteran quarterback to show a chink in the Destroyer armor, it could lead to a victory.

The Fleet (Destroyers fan club) will have the Sportsplex loud and proud as their team tries to stay undefeated. But for the Mountain Lions, this is a must-win situation. They either beat the Destroyers, or stay in the basement of the UFL.

While one team is sitting on top of the mountain and breathing in the fresh air that the peak brings, the other is on its third attempt to even start climbing said mountain. The Sacramento Mountain Lions (0-2) will visit the Virginia Destroyers (2-0) Friday night in a game where the unbeaten will thrive to stay that way and the beaten must win to stay alive in the championship race.

It’s always funny to hear someone call the third game of a season a “must-win”, because in any other league, that’s an exaggeration. However, the Mountain Lions don’t have the luxury of a 16-game regular season. The United Football League has a short six-game season that will send the two top teams to the championship game.

I’m sure you can do the math. Point blank—the Mountain Lions can’t afford to start 0-3.

The two teams kick off at 7 p.m. (EDT) at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex Friday night, a matchup that (at least on paper) looks to favor the Destroyers.

But you should never count out a team that has its back against the wall.

Last season, the Mountain Lions started the season 1-3, being outscored 54-93 by their opponents in the first four games (including a win over the Florida Tuskers, who are now the Destroyers).

With their backs against the wall and looking to push towards the championship game, they defeated the Tuskers in Florida before winning three of their last four games.

Unfortunately for them, they needed the Omaha Nighthawks to defeat the Tuskers in the final game of the regular season, which did not happen. That sent the Tuskers and the Las Vegas Locomotives to the championship game while the Molos sat at home to watch.

The Mountain Lions have nothing to be ashamed of in their loss to the Nighthawks last week. They went toe-to-toe with them without their star running back, Cory Ross, and had the game taken away from them in the final seconds of the game.

The biggest mistake the Mountain Lions made in that game was giving the Nighthawks the ball with a full two minutes on the clock. That was just enough time for the Nighthawks to steal the game away. If the Mountain Lions could do their final drive all over again, I’m sure they do their best to prevent their quarterback Ryan Colburn from being sacked, which ultimately led to them punting the ball away.

Mistakes like that don’t seem huge when they happen, but could ultimately lead a team to a loss rather than victory. And a veteran team like the Destroyers knows how to capitalize on its opponents’ mistakes regardless of how big or small they are.

A key to the Mountain Lions pulling an upset Friday night will be to minimize those mistakes and make some big plays on defense. Chris Greisen has yet to throw an interception this season, and if the Mountain Lions can force the veteran quarterback to show a chink in the Destroyer armor, it could lead to a victory.

The Fleet (Destroyers fan club) will have the Sportsplex loud and proud as their team tries to stay undefeated. But for the Mountain Lions, this is a must-win situation. They either beat the Destroyers, or stay in the basement of the UFL.

Picture a scenario where you’re working at your dream job. You might be the executive of a major firm, a teacher that touches hundreds of lives or the creator and owner of the most popular restaurant in town.

For argument’s sake, let’s say your dream job is to be a sports writer for ESPN.com.

Now imagine that you have to leave ESPN.com due to circumstances outside of your control. The economy went down, you are a victim of a numbers game or maybe that recent college graduate will now do your job for less money.

No matter how you cut it, losing your job wouldn’t feel too great.

But as you were being canned, your boss told you, “Sorry we have to let you go, however you can take a huge paycut and go to our sister company, ESPNTheOcho.com, and there’s a chance that you’ll be right back here in two or three years.”

Sounds like a no-brainer right?

“Of course I’ll do it,” you would exclaim. “I’ll do anything to get my job back!”

“Good,” your boss would reply. “But I must warn you, The Ocho has had its ups and downs, and there’s no promise that you will get your job back.”

You sit and think about it for a second, wondering if it’s even worth your time and effort. You quickly weigh the pros and cons before asking, “Then why send me there in the first place? What is in it for you?”

“Honestly…” your boss begins. “If that guy we replaced you with isn’t who we think he is, we’ll need someone who can step in immediately. I don’t want you sitting at home on your couch in the meantime, who knows how the sports world will change while you’re gone. I want your mind fresh in the event that we need to give you a call for a huge assignment.”

Now remember, this is your dream job.

There’s nothing better than this company, this industry, this position. There’s no competitor that you can simply jump to for a mirrored position, you don’t have another calling or back-up plan. This is it!

Now let us snap back into reality. It’s 2011, and the National Football League is going into its 91st season while the United Football League is going into its third. There is no official partnership between the two leagues, but many believe that one is needed.

It’s no secret that the UFL has had financial issues due to the economy being down, amongst other reasons. And the NFL has yet to find a suitable developmental league since ceasing the operations of NFL Europe in 2007.

The marriage almost seems destined to be.

The most important thing is that a partnership between the two has to work for both of them. The UFL would want the NFL’s backing, since it would mean a more stable financial structure including more sponsors, investors and media coverage. The NFL would gain the ability to promote someone from the UFL when/if a team is in need of a player who is already in game shape.

Working out in your local Gold’s Gym isn’t the same as being in football shape.

Just ask Chicago Bears wide receiver Roy Williams. He admittedly wasn’t ready for training camp after the NFL lockout was over. He said there was nothing he could do to get in football shape because the only thing that does that is football.

“I’m a firm believer in no matter what you do in the offseason, nothing will get you football-ready except for playing football,” Williams said. “That’s what I believe. It’s tough. You can run all the hills and mountains that you want to, but when you get out here and play for four seconds and jog back to the huddle, that’s what gets you in shape.”

A partnership between the two allows for the NFL not to worry about that. The last thing it wants is to see a team sign a player off of the street, only for the player not to be ready and end up injured.

The UFL has 70 of its former players currently on NFL rosters at the time of this writing. From players making their way back into the league like running back Dominic Rhodes to players getting their first opportunity like safety Andrew Sendejo, these players took the long road to get to their dream jobs.

Maybe the most important factor, the group that wins most from this partnership would be the fans.

Fans always want more football. Although baseball is America’s pastime, football is America’s passion.

The UFL reaches out to the fans that the NFL seemingly has left behind. The fan who doesn’t live in the major market and can’t spend $200 on a NFL ticket can now afford a seat to an Omaha Nighthawks game or see the Destroyers at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. The fan who would do anything to see their favorite player in person is now invited to the press conferences and team practices.

In a situation where seemingly everyone wins, it’s only a matter of time before it happens. There will always be negotiating and compromise in a partnership, but this one seems like a no-brainer.

The leagues win, the fans win, everyone wins.

It’s always nice to have a “good problem” when you’re looking at your football roster. While many UFL teams can struggle to find one player to fill a starting position, there are others who have the luxury of having multiple players that can start on any given game day.

Just last season, the Las Vegas Locomotives had the exact same luxury, and it led to their second championship in as many years. When Tim Rattay went down for the year with an injury and Drew Willy wasn’t producing in the regular season, Chase Clement was ready to take over the quarterback position. His athleticism and calm demeanor were key in the Locos’ victory over Florida in the championship game.

The Omaha Nighthawks now have a talented cast of quarterbacks on their team, and with the addition of former Baltimore Raven Troy Smith, they arguably have the most athletic group of quarterbacks in the United Football League.

Smith is coming off of a four-year career in the NFL where he played with the Baltimore Ravens and most recently the San Francisco 49ers. He started eight games in the NFL and has thrown for over 1,700 yards in the process.

Combine that with his collegiate career where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2006, and it is obvious that he has the potential to become the starter in Omaha.

He has more NFL experience than any of the other quarterbacks on the roster, which would make one believe that he’s a shoe-in to be given the nod when the Nighthawks welcome the Virginia Destroyers at the season opener.

But some may disagree.

“I think you have forgotten about (Jeremiah) Masoli,” Matt Overton, the Nighthawks' long snapper told me. “This offense is Masoli’s bread and butter.”

The Nighthawks are looking to use an offensive system that capitalizes on the speed of their quarterbacks. Coach Joe Moglia wants the starting signal caller to be just as much a threat with his feet as he is with his arm.

Masoli fits that mold as well.

Masoli comes to the Nighthawks as an undrafted rookie free agent who set the single-season record for rushing yards by an Ole Miss quarterback in 2010 with 544 yards.

“Jeremiah has a unique skill set for the quarterback position and it fits with what we do on offense," General Manager Rick Mueller said when Masoli signed with the team. "He is a competitor and winner and we are excited to have him officially wearing a Nighthawk jersey.”

When looking at the quarterback depth chart, it’s hard to compare Masoli and Smith to the other QBs since there is a lack of recent game tape on the others. The two can easily be the front-runners for the starting position.

Although I’m sure many Cornhusker fans are hoping for Eric Crouch to emerge as the starter. Much like Denver Bronco fans are dying to see Tim Tebow start.

Not a knock on either guy. But the fans want him because he’s a fan favorite, not because he’s the best quarterback on the roster.

I believe it’s a two-man race in Omaha, which is still a good thing. If it were a three- or four-person race, it would be hard to split practice snaps between all of them. Matt Overton told me that all the quarterbacks are currently splitting reps in practice, but as we get closer to opening day I’d expect Masoli or Smith to start garnering the majority of them.

With Smith, you have a player who is coming directly from a pro-style camp into what many will believe is a spread offense. Obviously he’ll start behind the eight-ball since Masoli has been with the team throughout the offseason.

If you’re a Nighthawk fan, you must be happy to have such a talented and young team. The ‘Hawks are a complete opposite this season than they were just a year ago. Last season, they were starting a quarterback who was approaching the age of 40. This season they’ll start a young, mobile quarterback to hopefully bring some wins and excitement for Nighthawk Nation.

No matter who they pick to start, it’ll be interesting to see a mobile quarterback use a unorthodox offense in professional football.

According to the Associated Press, Maurice Clarett has been signed to the Omaha Nighthawks' active roster.

The 5'11", 220 lb Ohio State running back is trying to work his way back to relevance.  After an amazing freshman year with the Buckeyes, in which he rushed for 1,237 yards and 18 TDs, Clarett could not stay out of trouble.  He argued with coaches (sometimes during games), blamed school officials for not paying him for flying home to attend a friend's funeral and most notably was involved with an alleged academic scandal.  

The University finally had enough with Clarett and released him in 2003 after filing a falsified police report, claiming he had lost over $10,000 in items stolen from a car he had borrowed from a local dealership.

Unable to enter the Draft until 2005, due to the NFL's rule that a player must wait three years after high school before declaring for the draft, Clarett performed poorly in the combine and, to everyone's surprise, was still drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 3rd round (#101 overall). However, on August 28, 2005 Clarett was released on waivers after never playing in a single preseason game and several incidents with his coaches.  No NFL teams expressed any interest in taking a chance on him.  His NFL career tanked before it even got started.

On January 2, 2006, Clarett turned himself in to police in Columbus, Ohio for his involvement in two armed robberies. He would eventually agree to a plea bargain and was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison with the possibility of early release at three-and-a-half years. On April 7, 2010, Clarett was given his early release and was ordered to spend the next six months in a halfway house.

On August 30, 2010, Maurice Clarett was signed by the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League (UFL) after impressing the team during his workouts. He would spend the season as the team's second-string running back behind local favorite Ahman Green and served as the primary kick and punt returner.  Clarett worked hard during the season and showed improvement game-to-game.  The coaching staff continued to be impressed with his work ethic and his new attitude. The return to professional football had a successful start.

Today's re-signing of Clarett is proof of that success.  The coaching staff has shown that they are completely confident in his abilities.  He has a very good shot at being the #1 running back going into the season and showing the world what he can still do on the field. Omaha, arguably the best fan-base in the UFL, will stand behind him all the way.

Everyone deserves a second chance, but it is what a person does with that chance that defines their character.  So far, Maurice is doing a fine job.