United Football League

With news that quarterback Terrelle Pryor is not returning to play at Ohio State, it leaves us wondering—what will he do now?

Pryor's No. 1 destination is the National Football League, there's no question about that. But with the NFL and the NFLPA still arguing on how to split $9 billion dollars, Pryor has to decide what's best for his future.

Ohio State coach Luke Fickell said Pryor, "intends to pursue a professional career." That's where the United Football League comes into play.

The UFL is entering its third year as a professional football league. In fact, the Omaha Nighthawks are beginning their mini-camp June 8, the first professional football team to do so since the Super Bowl. The league has ex-NFL coaches such as Marty Schottenheimer, Jerry Glanville and Jim Fassel, and the league has also signed multiple former NFL players. 

The league has also seen their players contribute in the NFL after their success in the UFL. Most notably, running back Dominic Rhodes was signed by the Indianapolis Colts after his time with the Florida Tuskers last season. Rhodes played a significant role in the late stretch to get the Colts into the NFL playoffs. 

Obviously the UFL isn't Pryor's only option.

He can still apply himself for the NFL's supplemental draft. The only problem is NFL scouts haven't had the chance to get personal with Pryor, so the chances of him being taken in the supplemental draft go down. After all, teams would be using a 2012 NFL Draft selection in order to select a player who has multiple question marks.

Not only that, but many NFL scouts even wonder if Pryor can be a starting NFL quarterback. Just a few days ago, CBS Sports reported that a scout questioned Pryor's, "accuracy and poise" as a quarterback, and one of them called Pryor a, "basketball player playing football."

Pryor could show how his skills can translate in a professional football league if he is to sign with a UFL team. It isn't a bad plan for the talented quarterback, as it keeps him out of the NFL labor mess and puts him in a position to show what he can do in a professional football league. 

Omaha Nighthawks long snapper Matt Overton is doing what he’s always wanted to do: give back to his hometown of Tracy, California.

Overton grew up in Tracy back when it was a small farm town, before its recent growth in population. Looking back at his childhood, he knew he wanted to give back as soon as he had the chance.

“Growing up, we never really had a [local] athlete to look up to,” he remembered. “Nobody that made it through college and to the pros.”

After making it to the Seattle Seahawks’ training camp last summer, Overton reached out to different players and sponsors to start the Pros 2 Youth charity for the youth in his hometown and neighboring cities. He hoped to inspire the youth of his hometown to chase their dreams and goals in life like he did.

After just 45 days of preparation, and with the help from former and current United Football League players, Overton held a festival-like event at Tracy High School last July. Over 300 kids showed up to participate in the punt, pass, and kick contest, autograph sessions with players and much more.

Kids had the opportunity to talk with professional athletes, something that Overton knows can truly help them.

“Every player has a unique story on how they got to where they are today. Pro athletes always have to overcome obstacles and believe in themselves.”

“This can help teach kids to never give up.”

Oakland Raiders lineman Chris Cooper, former nine-year National Football League veteran James Hodgins and Las Vegas Locomotives’ Cam Colvin are just some of the current and past players that have helped Overton start his charity.

With the help of the Sacramento Mountain Lions and other UFL players, he’s hoping that he can have more than 20 players at this year’s event.

On June 25^th at Tracy High School starting at 8:00 a.m., the second Pros 2 Youth event will take place.

Matt moved back to Tracy this year after spending time last year in both Omaha and Seattle. Now that he is living in his hometown again, it has helped him put even more effort into the charity, which is picking up momentum.

“With a year under my belt, we now have a great idea of how to run the event and promote it better within the community.”

One of the new ideas for this year’s event is that with every paying adult that brings their child, they will get a free ticket voucher to a Sacramento Mountain Lions game in the 2011 season.

All the proceeds of the event go to youth programs, and Matt is hoping to double last year’s attendance with the support of his friends, community and the UFL.

“The UFL is so involved in interacting with fans, I think it’s awesome to be able to partner with another team and make it a very interactive event.”

Just an hour away from Sacramento, the Mountain Lion cheerleaders and mascot will be in attendance this season, as well as players from the Nighthawks. The two teams that had arguably the most memorable game of the 2010 season will join together for a great cause.

You can follow Matt Overton on twitter at www.twitter.com/MattOverton_LS for more information.

The United Football League hosted their 2011 Draft via Twitter on May 2 and, with the 41^st overall pick, the Las Vegas Locomotives selected wide receiver Cam Colvin from the University of Oregon.

The road for Colvin to get to this point in his career has not been easy. His father died when he was six and his mother died when he was fifteen. For many, losing both parents at such an early age could have been devastating. Luckily for him, it was not.

Colvin attended De La Salle high school, which is known for its powerhouse football program. It has produced NFL players such as Maurice Jones-Drew and Amani Toomer. He played wide receiver and was one of the nation’s top collegiate recruits following his high school career.

Weighing his many offers, Colvin decided to attend the University of Oregon. A big factor in his decision was that a lot of people from De La Salle were attending Oregon and it made it more appealing.

“Having best friends, a winning program and a top academic institution. You can't lose with that,” said Colvin.

Sadly, Colvin would face tragedy again. Just a few days before the start of practice for the Oregon football team, Colvin’s friend Terrance Kelly was shot and killed.

“His loss was very hard, not only for me, but an entire community. He was one of the people I turned to when I lost my mother. So his family was like my family,” said Colvin. “It was tough but opened my eyes about life.”

Colvin admitted that it had an affect on him during his freshman year of college.

“At the time I did not think so, but I believe it did. It was a kind of distraction that most students don’t have in college,” said Colvin.

He really started to grasp the Oregon offense during his senior year after having two incredible games against Stanford and California. He produced eight receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown against Stanford and followed it the very next week with seven receptions for 74 yards and another touchdown against Cal.

Then, the next week, on October 13, 2007 against Washington State, Colvin suffered a broken ankle early in the game.

“I was thrown a bubble screen and my foot was caught under me and was cut at the same time, and I broke my ankle,” said Colvin.

The injury ended his senior season but it did not end his dream of reaching the National Football League.

“What's life without obstacles and pressures, I look at my pressures and the pressures of a soldier at war. I'm blessed to have dealt the things I have. Lessons learned. I take my hat off to a soldier, imagine that pressure,” said Colvin.

He put up modest numbers at Oregon with 74 receptions for 892 yards and seven touchdowns, but they were not well enough to be drafted by the NFL.

But with NFL size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds and good speed (reportedly ran a 4.37 40-yard dash) the intrigue was enough for the San Francisco 49ers to sign him as an un-drafted free agent.

“It was amazing, living your dream. All the countless hours put in, long days, shorts nights, becoming the best of the best,” said Colvin. “Putting on that uniform definitely had a special meaning.”

Colvin’s NFL career was short lived but now he is focused on playing for his new UFL team.

“[Being drafted] is extremely big for me, to be apart of a winning franchise, for the staff to see something in me to help contribute to the UFL, locos and the city of Las Vegas,” said Colvin.

Colvin said he is ready to do whatever the Locomotives want him to do to help them win their third UFL Championship.

“Whatever way they need me to: special teams, offense. I'm ready to play my role and make some big things happen. We have a very talented WR core, so I'm excited to learn from the guys and make plays,” said Colvin.

The UFL has been around for two seasons and Colvin said that he has followed the league’s progress.

“I've had a few good friends and former teammates that are on teams. I am a fan of the league and what they are doing for us players,” said Colvin.

Now, he is ready to join his friends and start his career over with the UFL.

“I live to compete, regardless of the odds and elements,” said Colvin. “I'm a talented football player that loves to work, be a part of a team and play the game we all love so much.”

The United Football League hosted their 2011 Draft via Twitter on May 2 and, with the 41^st overall pick, the Las Vegas Locomotives selected wide receiver Cam Colvin from the University of Oregon.

The road for Colvin to get to this point in his career has not been easy. His father died when he was six and his mother died when he was fifteen. For many, losing both parents at such an early age could have been devastating. Luckily for him, it was not.

Colvin attended De La Salle high school, which is known for its powerhouse football program. It has produced NFL players such as Maurice Jones-Drew and Amani Toomer. He played wide receiver and was one of the nation’s top collegiate recruits following his high school career.

Weighing his many offers, Colvin decided to attend the University of Oregon. A big factor in his decision was that a lot of people from De La Salle were attending Oregon and it made it more appealing.

“Having best friends, a winning program and a top academic institution. You can't lose with that,” said Colvin.

Sadly, Colvin would face tragedy again. Just a few days before the start of practice for the Oregon football team, Colvin’s friend Terrance Kelly was shot and killed.

“His loss was very hard, not only for me, but an entire community. He was one of the people I turned to when I lost my mother. So his family was like my family,” said Colvin. “It was tough but opened my eyes about life.”

Colvin admitted that it had an affect on him during his freshman year of college.

“At the time I did not think so, but I believe it did. It was a kind of distraction that most students don’t have in college,” said Colvin.

He really started to grasp the Oregon offense during his senior year after having two incredible games against Stanford and California. He produced eight receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown against Stanford and followed it the very next week with seven receptions for 74 yards and another touchdown against Cal.

Then, the next week, on October 13, 2007 against Washington State, Colvin suffered a broken ankle early in the game.

“I was thrown a bubble screen and my foot was caught under me and was cut at the same time, and I broke my ankle,” said Colvin.

The injury ended his senior season but it did not end his dream of reaching the National Football League.

“What's life without obstacles and pressures, I look at my pressures and the pressures of a soldier at war. I'm blessed to have dealt the things I have. Lessons learned. I take my hat off to a soldier, imagine that pressure,” said Colvin.

He put up modest numbers at Oregon with 74 receptions for 892 yards and seven touchdowns, but they were not well enough to be drafted by the NFL.

But with NFL size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds and good speed (reportedly ran a 4.37 40-yard dash) the intrigue was enough for the San Francisco 49ers to sign him as an un-drafted free agent.

“It was amazing, living your dream. All the countless hours put in, long days, shorts nights, becoming the best of the best,” said Colvin. “Putting on that uniform definitely had a special meaning.”

Colvin’s NFL career was short lived but now he is focused on playing for his new UFL team.

“[Being drafted] is extremely big for me, to be apart of a winning franchise, for the staff to see something in me to help contribute to the UFL, locos and the city of Las Vegas,” said Colvin.

Colvin said he is ready to do whatever the Locomotives want him to do to help them win their third UFL Championship.

“Whatever way they need me to: special teams, offense. I'm ready to play my role and make some big things happen. We have a very talented WR core, so I'm excited to learn from the guys and make plays,” said Colvin.

The UFL has been around for two seasons and Colvin said that he has followed the league’s progress.

“I've had a few good friends and former teammates that are on teams. I am a fan of the league and what they are doing for us players,” said Colvin.

Now, he is ready to join his friends and start his career over with the UFL.

“I live to compete, regardless of the odds and elements,” said Colvin. “I'm a talented football player that loves to work, be a part of a team and play the game we all love so much.”

Building a solid tradition and stability is important in any line of business, and the United Football League is no different. Just months away from their third season, Commissioner Michael Huyghue echoed his confidence about the upcoming year.

While the National Football League has been in a labor stoppage for more than 70 days, the UFL has attracted new fans and the attention of media outlets across the nation.

“Fans are attracted to the league because of its newness and how the league is gaining more stability,” Huyghue said. “The creativity of the league and its constant use of social media prove to bring in fans and keep them engaged.”

The UFL and its staff of coaches and executives have more than 15 different twitter accounts and can be seen interacting with fans on a daily basis. In the recent months, the UFL has held an hour-long question and answer with Hartford Colonials’ coach Jerry Glanville as well as a live draft over Twitter.

In the draft, the UFL was able to select players like first overall draft pick Jerrod Johnson, who might not have had the league as an option if it wasn’t for the NFL lockout.

“In the beginning [of the lockout] not many people thought the NFL season would be delayed because of it,” Huyghue said. “Although their season is still salvageable, the fans are becoming a bit skeptical.”

“With the NFL lockout, players who normally would be signing with other teams are coming to the UFL which reminds fans that there is a lot of great talent out there. A hundred players have gone up to the NFL clubs in the past two seasons. And we’re continuing to replace coaches and players with other outstanding talent.”

Commissioner Huyghue doesn’t believe the lockout has had either a positive or negative financial impact on the UFL, but players are now putting the UFL in the forefront as an option whereas in previous years they’d already be in NFL organized team workouts by now.

The UFL will start training camps in July. Prior to the July start to camp, the Commissioner and others will be feverishly working to iron out their schedule and television deal.

Some fans may grow impatient because of the anticipation, but the Commissioner asks that the fans realize that the newness of the league can sometimes prevent issuing hard dates for schedule releases, television deal announcements, etc. The UFL thrives to do their best at getting the fans the information when they can.

“It would be nice to have the 75 year history and stability of the NFL, but the reality is that we’re in our third year," Huyghue said. "We fight tooth and nail to make moves in the right direction and promote as many stabilized ideas as we can.”

Once the schedule and television deal are released, fans can look forward to an affordable gameday experience that the Commissioner stated will be both fun and competitive.

Last season, some UFL teams averaged between 10,000 to 15,000 fans in attendance while other teams averaged 20,000. With the increased attention that the league has gotten this offseason, Huyghue predicts those numbers will go up as well.

“We’re going to elevate to 20,000 people in attendance across the board,” he said.

The combination of media attention, possibility of being the only professional football on this fall, and the quality of players and coaching should help the league excel in their third season that starts in August.

The United Football League released a list of players with familiar names such as ex-Steelers running back Willie Parker, former Heisman candidate quarterback Colt Brennan, West Virginia’s former athletic quarterback Pat White and many more.

All of these players are free agents who do not have rights to any other professional team. There are other notable players ex-NFL players such as Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown, so for a complete list of all 50 players (five teams, 10 free agents each) you can visit this page on the official UFL website.

The players mentioned still aren’t under contract with the UFL currently, but if any of the players gain attention from the National Football League then the NFL can pay for the rights to those players. If not, then the UFL can negotiate a contract to sign these players.

Last year the UFL produced a couple of players that ended up signing with an NFL team at the conclusion of the UFL season. Most notably, Dominic Rhodes signed on with the Indianapolis Colts after playing for the Florida Tuskers (who are no longer a franchise). Rhodes played in the final three games and played in the playoff game for the Colts. He was two yards shy of having 100 yards rushing during Week 16 against the Oakland Raiders.

The UFL is headed into its third season and could gain more attention this year if the NFL is still in a lockout when the UFL season begins. Commissioner Michael Huyghue stated earlier in the offseason that the UFL intends to play on Sundays prior to the start of the NFL season this fall.

Carson Palmer is looking for a way out of Cincinnati. The UFL is looking for legitimacy and a big draw. Could these two possibly help each other?

Palmer is with the Bengals, a team that refused to trade a disgruntled wide receiver (Chad Johnson/Ochocinco) for reportedly more than a first round pick and maybe up to two first round picks. The point is that they do not trade unhappy players.

The UFL's stars up to this point have been the coaches. They have had a few NFL castoffs but the league does not have a lot of draw. It is closer to MLS "football" that NFL football in terms of fan appeal.

Carson could not make NFL money in the UFL, but it is more money than he would make retiring, and it would give him the ability to show the Bengals that he is serious about never playing for them, while still keeping himself in football shape.

For the United Football League there would be many benefits. One, it would give them the immediate national media coverage they desire. Two, it would get them a set of viewers who would never have watched a UFL game before and finally they would set themselves up as a landing spot for future NFL players who are frustrated with the NFL.

While the level of competition is not the same, the UFL is a place where Palmer could help get back to being the QB he was a few years back. In Las Vegas, for example, he could be closer to home and work with Jim Fassel.

If this were to happen, the people that would be the most excited would be the NFLPA. A star in the UFL would give the players associate a bargaining chip they have never had before. Even if no one other that Carson Palmer ever moved to the UFL, the threat, now viable, would always be there. 

The Bengals may trade or release Carson Palmer, but if they do not, the United Football League and Palmer would be a match that would work well for everyone.

Hartford Colonials’ head coach Jerry Glanville took to Twitter for roughly an hour this morning, answering questions from all fans about anything football-related. That included his thoughts on the United Football League’s next step towards success.

“The UFL success is dependent on six and then eight teams. If we [get] there soon, then TV will cover,” he told fans.

Glanville may be right in this case; with more teams and more games, the country is more likely to tune into the United Football League. Of course, this is easier said than done.

“People believe cash is king and some are sitting on it now,” Glanville continued. “The economy is rough, but the UFL is working on it.”

It goes without saying that many fans were disappointed that there was no announcement of a sixth team this past February at the Las Vegas press conference. It sounds as if investors are hesitant to put money into the UFL with the economy being in such a rough shape.

Unfortunately, there’s not much the UFL or Glanville can do to suddenly fix the country’s economy.

What Glanville has done, however, is put together a coaching staff that he continues to rave about. He has a staff that he referred to as “teachers” rather than just coaches.

“We challenge any NFL team to match our staff. We got ‘em!”

“37 years of NFL coaching experience on just my first three coaches announced.”

Glanville now has the task of taking on a team that only won three games last year but showed plenty of promise. The league made a good step forward bringing him—as well as Marty Schottenheimer—in this year as head coaches.

The next step seems to be adding more teams to draw the country to tune in.

You can follow Glanville on twitter – @JerryGlanville

The United Football League started operations in 2009, becoming America's first alternative to the National Football League since 1987. While the UFL has no connections to the NFL, some in the media thought that it would eventually serve as a developmental league.

Others speculated the UFL was born at the time it was to swoop in when the NFL and their players would lock out after the 2010 season. Now that this has happened, the UFL is on the cusp of doing something only one other league has done before. Competing against the NFL has been more a losing proposition.

There have been many leagues formed to oppose the NFL. The first was the American Football League in 1926, created by Hall of Famer Red Grange and his agent after Chicago Bears owner George Halas reneged on monies owed to Grange.

The AFL tried to capitalize on a messy 1925 season for the NFL. Commissioner Joe Carr had just stolen the Championship Trophy from the Pottsville Maroons and handed it to the Chicago Cardinals. The Cardinals owner, NFL co-founder Chris O'Brien, refused the trophy, but the Bidwell family bought the Cardinals in 1933 and have claimed the trophy since.

Grange started the New York Yankees Football Club. A charter NFL team, the Rock Island Independents, joined the AFL and the league played one game in Canada that year. One team, the Brooklyn Horsemen, merged with the Detroit Lions.

This AFL folded after just one season due to financial issues. The second AFL formed in 1936, lasting two years before folding. This league had a team, the Los Angeles Bulldogs, that was the first professional team to play home games on the West Coast. The league had a team called the Cincinnati Bengals, who Hall of Famer Paul Brown named his 1967 expansion team after.

The lasting legacy of the second AFL was the Cleveland Rams, who are now known as the Saint Louis Rams in the NFL. The Rams had a rookie by the name of Sid Gillman on their 1936 team. Gillman is a Hall of Famer known as the "Father of the Modern Day NFL Offense." A second Yankees team was founded as well, and starred Hall of Fame running back Ken Strong.

Though the Los Angeles team drew fans, the rest of the league only garnered local interests in their respective areas. The financial strains of trying to compete against the NFL caused them to fold after 1937, but the dream of competition lived on.

The third AFL formed in 1940. They had a third version of the Yankees, a team that has lineage tied to the Indianapolis Colts, and Bengals. The Yankees called themselves the Americans in 1941, creating a coup by signing 1940 Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon over the Chicago Bears. The league folded after just two years because World War II emptied most of their rosters.

The All-American Football Conference was born after the war. The Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts, and San Francisco 49ers were teams born from the AAFC that would later join the NFL, though this Colts team has no ties to the current version. The Browns dominated the league, once going a record 29 games without defeat.

The AAFC is most remembered for breaking the color line professional sports employed in that era. The Browns signed Bill Willis and Marion Motley, two men who would later be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The AAFC drew well at first, and helped the NFL get more viewers as well.

The increasing popularity of pro football led to salary increases for the players. Only two NFL teams had profits in 1946. The AAFC instilled the use of the face mask, refining pass route running, shuttling players with plays called from the sideline, a year-round coaching staff, and classroom sessions that broke down games on a chalkboard and film.

The league folded when the Browns, Colts, and 49ers merged with the NFL. A fourth AAFC team, the Buffalo Bills, had their large fan base unsuccessfully campaigned for their teams inclusion but failed. Ralph Wilson, then a part-owner of the Detroit Lions saw this rabid fan base and would reward them a decade later.

The fourth American Football League was founded in 1960. Owners like Wilson, Bud Adams, and Lemar Hunt made the league work even despite their initial struggles. The AFL took an aggressive approach. They did not only line their rosters with ex-NFL players, but they held their own annual drafts and offered college kids more money than the NFL.

They made a few huge signings, starting with 1959 Heisman winner Billy Cannon. Adams recruited him in the end zone of his final collegiate game. Cannon would help lead the Houston Oilers to the first two championship wins in AFL history.

Others soon followed Cannon to the AFL. Hall of Famers like Joe Namath, Lance Alworth, Ron Mix, and Johnny Robinson were all first-round draft picks of the NFL who opted for the AFL. All are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame except Robinson, who should be as well. The AFL put 31 men in the Hall of Fame, so far, and should have more.

The AFL brought an exciting brand of big play football without castrating the defenses. The offenses were exciting, as opposed to the grind-it-out style of the NFL then. Despite their fun play, the NFL considered them inferior and called them a "Mickey Mouse League."

When the AFL beat the NFL in the third Super Bowl, opinions changed. Secret meetings between Hunt and NFL owners in 1966, that were held without the knowledge of league commissioners Pete Rozelle and Al Davis, bred a merger that was agreed upon in 1970.

The AFL won the Super Bowl one more time in 1969 before it happened. Most of the AFC teams of today started in the AFL and no AFL team is in the NFC.

Since then, the World Football League, United States Football League, and XFL tried to compete with the NFL. The WFL signed several NFL stars and even took a few out of college.

Hall of Famers Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield were joined by Pat Haden, Danny White, Alfred Jenkins, Greg Latta, Jim Fassell and Vince Papale, along with coaches like Jack Pardee, Marty Schottenheimer, Lindy Infante and John McVay, to play two years with the WFL until it folded.

The XFL lasted one year before folding. They tried to bring in old school fans by allowing the bump and run defense, except they let defenders hit the receiver at any time. After four weeks, they adopted the NFL's five-yard chuck rule to increase scoring.

They only allowed the two-point conversion after touchdowns, which the WFL also had, and they did not flip a coin to begin games to determine possession. They had a player from each team run 20 yards to gain possession of the ball laying on the 50-yard line.

The XFL put 33 players in the NFL and seven played in Super Bowls. Five won Super Bowl rings and Tommy Maddox, Bobby Singh and Rob Carpenter won both an XFL and NFL championship.

The USFL had some successes in their three years of play. The league has six men in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and several others who later became stars in the NFL. They were aggressive in bidding for NFL free agents and college stars. Some of their biggest signing were Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Steve Young out of college, as well as 1982 Heisman winner Hershel Walker, 1983 winner Mike Rozier, and 1984 winner Doug Flutie.

The USFL also attained the services of Hall of Famers Reggie White and Gary Zimmerman by offering them more money. Despite all of this, they could not keep up financially and teams began folding before they suspended play after 1985 and took the NFL to court. After losing their lawsuit, the USFL folded in 1987.

The UFL has all of this history to learn from. To see what works and what is a risk for failure. They are struggling some already, having their New York team move to Connecticut and Florida team move to Virginia and become owned by the league.

The league has just five teams right now and plans to play on Sundays starting in August. If they receive an influx of NFL players, there is a possibility of a sixth team. The UFL allows celebrations by players and have a "No Tuck Rule."

Several NFL coaches are in the UFL. Jim Fassel, Marty Schottenheimer, Jerry Glanville and Dennis Green lead teams. Joe Moglia, the Ameritrade CEO who was an unpaid assistant at Nebraska University, will coach the other team. The UFL has had 27 of their players go on and play in the NFL.

The UFL appears to be restricted financially. They borrowed $5 million from Mark Cuban last year and now have been taken to court by Cuban for failure to repay him on time. Cuban was once rumored to be interested in owning a UFL team and broadcasted their games on his HDnet network the first two years of their existence.

With the NFL appearing a long time away from solving their differences, the UFL could benefit. There is also a chance the lock out can hurt them. NFL players are trying to convince college players to skip the draft, so owners have been said to consider using replacement players like they did in 1987 during a players strike. The UFL could see most of their players in NFL uniforms.

Getting NFL players to join them could take time, as many may prefer to sit back and observe the negotiations. The UFL also does not appear to have the maverick leadership the AFL in the 1960s enjoyed. But it could work.

If an influx of bored NFL players decides to go to the UFL to collect a paycheck, their popularity could increase. It may increase already, considering they are the only game in town right now. In this tenuous situation, the next few months can define the legacy of the United Football League.