United Football League

Plan and simple, I’d pay money to see Daunte Culpepper throw a deep pass against the Oakland Raiders’ secondary.

Can it happen? Possibly.

According to the Sacramento Bee, United Football League Commissioner Michael Huyghue said that UFL officials have discussed playing scrimmages against National Football League players.

"If they wanted to, we’d scrimmage against their [NFL] players and do some things like that and consider some things like that," said Huyghue. "Who knows if that would ever happen? But the concept has been talked about, the same as 'loner players.' None of that may come to fruition, but there have been some conversations."

So it looks like the UFL officials have at least talked about it amongst themselves. During the lockout, the NFL owners and coaches wouldn’t have a say in the matter. It would be the players’ decision to participate or not.

For the UFL, the exposure would be tremendous.

Competing against the top athletes of the sport and the coverage it would get from the national media can’t be overexaggerated. We’ve already seen a lot of media coverage from NBC Sports and ESPN thanks to the new coaches the league has hired. The coverage would be even more if those coaches were on the sidelines against the NFL and their talent.

It’s no secret that the players in the UFL are trying to reach the NFL one day. Some have played in the league in the past, whereas others are trying to reach the NFL for the first time. To be able to lace up your cleats and compete with NFL stars would only benefit those who are trying to prove their worth a look from NFL scouts.

For NFL players, playing in these scrimmages would only help their fight during this lockout. For months, the players have been vocal that they just want to play the sport they love. Some may not want to risk being injured in the UFL season, but would be willing to play a light/no contact seven-on-seven scrimmage if the option was there.

Plus the paycheck could help NFL players pay for one of their seven car payments. Or maybe buy some more bling.

This would be the first major move the UFL would make to take advantage of the labor situation in the NFL. Unlike the previous strikes from the NFL’s past, professional football is the most popular sport in America by a large margin. Fans already tune in to watch anything football related between the scouting combine, pro days and mock draft shows. Give them an option to watch their favorite players against other professional football players, and the ratings will pour in.

We could see DeDe Dorsey turn the corner on Joey Porter, or Ed Hartwell chasing down his former Baltimore Ravens teammates.

Whatever the matchups are, it would make for great television where all parties could benefit.

Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville was named head coach and general manager of the UFL’s Hartford Colonials Monday.

Glanville, who spent nine years as an NFL head coach for the Houston Oilers (1985-89) and the Atlanta Falcons (1990-93), takes over for Chris Palmer, who left to become Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator.

Glanville joins fellow former NFL head coaches Jim Fassel (Las Vegas) and Dennis Green (Sacramento) in the UFL.

Glanville was most recently the defensive coordinator at the University of Hawaii (2005-06) and the head coach at Portland State University (2007-09), where he was 9-24 in his only college head coaching position.

He was 63-73 as a head coach in the NFL.

During a period of uncertainty in the NFL and the potential of an extended lockout, Glanville said the quality of football in the UFL can help carry the league.

“When the NFL is playing or not playing, there’s still good football players out there,” Glanville said on a conference call. “This is good football. And that’s what I love about this. It’s all based on playing good football, having good coaches, and that’s why this league is different than anybody else.”

In addition to Glanville, in another effort for the league to capitalize on a potential fall without NFL football, Marty Schottenheimer will likely become the head coach of the Virginia Destroyers, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, replacing Jay Gruden, who left to become Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator.

This article can also be found at www.footballnewsnow.com.

As of midnight EST on Friday, the NFL had officially locked out its players, thereby making the league's first work stoppage since 1987 almost a foregone conclusion.

Let me ask you a question. Have you heard the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure?"

In layman's terms, the phrase means that someone's unappreciated object or failure in some respect leads to another man's valuable find or success.

Thus, in the midst of the NFL lockout a vast majority of us, the fans, will attempt to find some way to fill the void of having no NFL football next season, if the situation comes to that. 

That's where the United Football League comes into play.

The UFL is, by many accounts, attempting to eventually become a developmental league to the NFL similar to the NBA D-League.

Those plans have long seemed unrealistic, as the league is experiencing severe financial problems. It lost between $45-50 million in 2010 and owes approximately $6 million to creditors, according to an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

However, as a result of the lockout multiple NFL players have been rumored to be interested in temporarily joining the UFL for its 2011 season.

UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue confirmed recently that a 2011 season will take place despite the league's financial troubles, opening the door for potentially increased profit as well as something to fill the fans' void during the lockout. 

Increased exposure and an influx of NFL players could lead to a much-needed increase in revenue for the UFL, which would help the third-year league avoid the fate of its predecessors, the USFL and the XFL, both of which folded soon after their beginnings.

The talent will obviously not be up to the NFL's level, but the prospect of seeing former NFL stars Daunte Culpepper (Sacramento Mountain Lions), Jeff Garcia (Omaha Nighthawks) and Ahman Green (Omaha) as well as infamous former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett (Omaha) go to battle every week is certainly an intriguing consolation.

As far as where to find the UFL's games on television, the games will be carried by Versus as well as HDNet starting this August.

Three weeks ago, United Football League commissioner Michael Huyghue acknowledged that the league owed creditors $six million from the 2010 season.

Although some could understand a new football league having debt within its first three years of existence, many still wondered how such a debt can sneak up on a professional football league.

According to Courant.com, Hartford Colonials owner Bill Mayer informed them that the debt was from an unexpected spike in workers compensation insurance from the 2010 season. The $seven million charge was something the UFL wasn’t ready for and lead to the overall financial problems that the league is currently working out.

Investor Mark Cuban’s $five million lawsuit has been resolved according to Bill Peterson, the UFL’s chief operating officer. But the UFL is still dealing with suits from a Northern California public relations firm as well as a suit from the Mayo Clinic claiming unpaid medical bills.

Mayer said there were problems with the way the UFL handled finances in the past years, and stated changes were going to be made for the upcoming season.

"We're going to have a team president and we're going to start meeting with [creditors] one-on-one," Mayer said. "The explanation [for the non-payments] is pretty clear. Now that we have local control and not central control, things will change. We have a list of who we owe money to and who we don't owe money to. We'll sit down and say now we have control over all of this and let's work together. We're starting to sound like we're repeating ourselves, I know, but it's true...look, I don't want to have the local community thinking about us in that way. And they won't in the future."

"This year, people will know exactly who they're dealing with," Peterson elaborated. "It's a good concept when launching a league to centrally control everything. But after it's on its feet, it's impossible to do business that way."

Early debt in any start-up business, whether it be a local clothing store or professional football league is understandable to a degree. If the UFL wants to last past the third season and continue growing, they need to make sure headlines of lawsuits stay away from the local papers.

It seems like they’re making necessary changes to avoid problems like this from happening again.

This article can also be read at www.uflaccess.com

The United Football League ended its second season back in November but the players involved in the league have continued to be successful on the field.

As the NFL season came to an end, many teams looked to the UFL to find players that could fill a void caused by injury or to replace replace players who were not performing up to expectations.

Although most players do not make an immediate impact when signed to an NFL roster, the opportunity is enough for a player to prove to coaches what they are made of.

One player who took advantage of their opportunity has been former Florida Tuskers running back Dominic Rhodes.

During the 2010 season, Rhodes set new UFL single-season records for rushing yards (547) and total touchdowns (10). His play on the field helped the Tuskers reach the championship game (they lost to Las Vegas) where Rhodes ran for 67 yards on 20 carries.

His former team, the Indianapolis Colts, saw that Rhodes could still play at a high level so they signed him to their roster in early December.

In the three games Rhodes played for the Colts he had 428 all-purpose yards. In a game against the Oakland Raiders, Rhodes fell just two yards shy of a 100-yard rushing performance.

When Rhodes first arrived to the Colts, they ranked dead last in running the football, so having a near 100-yard performance was very impressive for the former UFL player.

If the Colts look to make a run in the playoffs, they will need Rhodes to continue to produce.

Rhodes, however, is not the only player looking to make an impact for his team during the post-season. Another Tusker player, defensive end Eric Moore, has been a nice addition in New England.

As a member of the Tuskers, Moore had two sacks, 12 total tackles, two passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in just five games.

Since he has been with the Patriots, Moore compiled 14 total tackles and two sacks in four games (three starts). Moore was able to step up after the Patriots lost some players to injury on defense.

Not only are Rhodes and Moore going to be helpful towards their team down the stretch, so are many other players coming from the UFL.

The 2010 UFL Defensive Player of the Year, Isaiah Trufant, was signed by the New York Jets just a few weeks ago and was activated for their Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills.

Trufant played cornerback for the Las Vegas Locomotives where he had four interceptions in his second UFL season. He was with the Locomotives during both championship seasons and he finally got his chance at the NFL level.

The Jets even named Trufant a captain for the final game of the season, where he recorded two special teams tackles.

The Jets also signed safety Emanuel Cook from the Hartford Colonials. Also from the Colonials, Gerard Lawson was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles active roster.

All of these players will be used in one way or another to help these playoff teams make a run for the Championship.

For most of these players, all they wanted was an opportunity to be in this position. Due to their play in the UFL, these NFL teams were able to find these players and make them contributors.

Former Florida Tuskers quarterback Chris Greisen has gone from being a backup in the United Football League, to starting in the UFL Championship Game, and now he will be activated for the Dallas Cowboys final game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Greisen was the main reason why the Tuskers were able to make it to the Championship game. He was the backup quarterback when the team had a record of 2-3. Then, when was named starter, Greisen led his team to three consecutive victories. Florida's 5-3 record was good enough to land them in a Championship game against a tough Las Vegas defense.

When he made the Championship game, Greisen put on a great performance. He completed 24 of his 42 attempts for 346 yards passing, along with two rushing touchdowns. The 34 year old quarterback's performance throughout the season was impressive enough for the Dallas Cowboys to sign him to the practice squad on December 27.

Dallas was in need of a quarterback because their starter Tony Romo had been placed on injured reserve and their backup, Jon Kitna, was injured in a game on Christmas day. The Cowboys starting quarterback this Sunday is Stephen McGee, a second-year player who has yet to make an NFL start.

McGee played fairly well last week against an Arizona Cardinals defense, but if he struggles against the Eagles on Sunday then the Cowboys might consider benching him and letting Greisen play. Greisen has not played in the NFL since 2000, but he showed that he still has some skills during 2010 when he played in the UFL.

Not only has Greisen played in the UFL, but earlier in 2010 he played in the Arena Football League with the Milwaukee Iron. When playing in the AFL, he led the league in passer rating (128.2) and passing yards (5,146), and finished second in touchdown passes (107). It is not often when a player signs with three different professional teams in one year. But Greisen is just looking for a chance to play wherever he can.

The city of Omaha is on its toes today after speculation broke out on Sunday that the Nighthawks quarterback Jeff Garcia may consider leaving his current undefeated UFL team for a return with the Philadelphia Eagles now that Michael Vick might miss time due to a rib injury and Kevin Kolb is struggling.

Garcia is free to leave Omaha if an NFL team is willing to pay $150,000 to buyout his services.

The 40 year old quarterback currently makes $25,000 a week with the Nighthawks and the entire state of Nebraska has welcomed him as one of their own. That’s incredibly rare for a state that usually only cheers for athletes that have ties to the Cornhuskers.

But one thing Nebraska has always appreciated is their football. It has taken Garcia just two come-from-behind victories to win the hearts of Nebraska. These days you can’t go anywhere in Omaha without seeing someone wearing a Nighthawks shirt or jersey.

In just two games Rosenblatt has sold out and it has been packed with hardcore football fans willing to give the UFL and Jeff Garcia a chance to win their hearts. On Saturday when he led the team to an amazing comeback over Daunte Culpepper and the Sacramento Mountain Lions—everyone in Nebraska had became a fan.

Fast-forward to today and now fans are left wondering if the quarterback they had just welcomed with open arms is deciding to leave them after just two games.

It’s just rumors at this point but if Garcia ditches Omaha for the Eagles before the end of the UFL season, Nebraska fans will never forgive him and he will never be welcomed back into the state without receiving an ear-shattering amount of boos.

His replica jerseys will be burned, all of those autographs he signed will be sold on eBay in a matter of minutes and a new Jeff Garcia hate club will quickly be formed among Nighthawk faithful.

In Nebraska they take their football seriously. He better think twice before he betrays the most loyal football fans in the world.

Of course he’ll receive more publicity with the Eagles and he may even get the chance to start a few games, but as soon as Michael Vick is healthy he’ll be placed right back on the bench. Why should he leave Omaha when he’s already making a nice salary and his job is as safe as they come?

While most football fans are focusing on the highly anticipated Sunday afternoon NFL game between Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, United Football League fans are looking forward to Daunte Culpepper vs. Jeff Garcia Saturday night at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.

Those of you who don’t follow the UFL may have never heard of the Sacramento Mountain Lions or the Omaha Nighthawks, but if you’ve paid any attention to the NFL in the past 10 years you definitely know who Daunte Culpepper and Jeff Garcia are.

Five years ago the mainstream media would have hyped this quarterback matchup like no other. Unfortunately this isn’t the NFL and public opinion says both of these QBs are past their primes.

It’s true that they may be a little older, but neither of them have forgotten how to sling the pigskin around.

Last week, Jeff Garcia led the Omaha Nighthawks to a fourth quarter comeback, finding former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Robert Ferguson in the end zone for the game winning touchdown with just six seconds left on the clock.

Daunte Culpepper led his Mountain Lions to a win in a similar fashion with a come-from-behind victory over the Florida Tuskers.  With just 31 seconds remaining in the game he hooked up with former AFL rookie of the year, Rod Windsor, for the game winning touchdown.

Culpepper may not have NFL caliber wide receivers, but he still managed to get his roll on for a total of 374 passing yards.

Jeff Garcia and Daunte Culpepper both shared the “Player of the Week” honors from the UFL for their exciting victories in week 2.

Defense may win championships, but offense draws the crowds. The United Football League is built for a great fan experience.

There will be no shortage of offensive firepower when Garcia and Culpepper meet up tomorrow night.

To all of the UFL haters out there: Yes, the NFL is better. Yes, the majority of UFL players are guys who couldn’t make it in the NFL. And yes, the league’s biggest stars are former NFL greats who are way past their prime.

But if you’re a fan of football, you have to be at least somewhat excited to see how these two former NFL greats will do against each other.

One thing is certain, Rosenblatt will be rocking on Saturday night.

Saturday. This day was made for football. Russell Wilson leads NC State to the best record in the ACC. Alabama gets a win off Arkansas in a dramatic fourth quarter comeback. Boise State solidifies a victory on the blue turf against Oregon State.

A good day of college football was coming to a close. It was a little after eleven so I began flipping through the channels looking for a no name game, or maybe to just catch some highlights. I came across something that caught my eye.

Sacramento vs. Orlando.

It said "football" so I felt obligated to check it out. It was obviously not the National Football League or Canadian Football League. Sacramento doesn’t have an Arena Football team. So what was it?

The United Football League. My immediate instincts told me to change the channel, but I didn’t. It may have been one of the best decisions I've made in a while, because I saw something I hadn’t seen in a professional football game in a very long time.

Passion.

The Sacramento Mountain Lions, led by quarterback Daunte Culpepper, took on the Brooks Bollinger led Florida Tuskers. It sounded like a really bad NFL game from 2003. It ended up being anything but that.

Sacramento entered the fourth quarter trailing 17-7, giving up 14 unanswered points after an early 7-3 lead. I then watched Daunte Culpepper do something nobody has seen since his Pro Bowl days in Minnesota.

Culpepper marched his team down field, setting up an early field goal. Sacramento got the ball back, and this time Culpepper led the team 80 yards for a touchdown. Florida responded, hitting a field goal with 2:53 remaining, putting the Tuskers up 20-17.

But Culpepper wasn’t done. Looking poised in the pocket he led the Mountain Lions down the field again. The team was easily in range for kicker Fabrizio Scaccia, who can apparently kick the ball nearly 70 yards.

Culpepper had other plans, hooking up with wide receiver Rod Windsor on a beautiful 33 yard touchdown throw with 31 ticks left in the game. Culpepper rushed down field to celebrate with Windsor because in the UFL, you are allowed endzone celebrations.

“Daunte was a warrior down the stretch,” head coach Dennis Green said. "We wanted to take our chances. (Culpepper) had the opening and he took it.”

Yes, that’s the same Dennis Green that coached Culpepper in Minnesota. The “they are who we thought they were” Dennis Green.

After all of this being said, it wasn’t the exciting finish that caught my attention. What did catch my attention was that every player on the field was playing as if this game was the Superbowl. Receivers were diving for passes, running backs were fighting for every inch, and defenders were recklessly throwing their bodies into tackles. There was nobody taking a single play off.

Every player on the field was there for one of two reasons. They either truly loved the game of football, or they weren’t considered good enough to play in the NFL and this was their last chance. Either way, it made for a game filled with passion and the desire to succeed, something that I haven’t seen in the NFL for a very long time.

So who are some of the current players in the UFL? I bet you didn’t know many of them were still playing football.

Daunte Culpepper, Brooks Bollinger, Odell Thurman, Dominic Rhodes, Jeff Garcia, Morlon Greenwood, Maurice Clarett, Ahman Green, Rogert Ferguson, Calvin Lowry, Josh McCown, Lorenzo Booker, Kevin Jones, Tim Rattay, Marcel Shipp, Michael Ray Garvin, Cato June.

The UFL began play in October of 2009 under owner Paul Pelosi (husband of US Rep Nancy Pelosi). The league currently has only five teams. Although the league has no connection with the NFL some speculation is that the league could become a “developmental” league for the NFL, much like NFL Europe used to be. Others question whether or not it could eventually become a competitor to the NFL.

With the possibility of a player lock-out or strike in the NFL next season, there is opportunity on the horizon for the UFL. The NFLPA has suggested that players cut from teams in the NFL consider playing in the UFL. 

The UFL has plans to expand in 2011, adding a sixth team to the league. Although specifics are still unknown, the franchise will be located in the Norfolk region of Virginia. Former NFL quarterback Doug Williams will be the general manager for the team. The league says depending on the economic situation of the league, they see potential for up to 14 teams in the future.

Unfortunately, the chance for the success of the league isn’t great. That being said, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire organization. Even if nothing else comes from the league, they gave me the chance Saturday evening to watch one of the best games I’ve seen in my lifetime.