Hey Sports Historians! What did you think about the USFL suing the NFL? And what do you think about the USFL coming back? Will you watch? Let me know in the comments!
I will watch the new USFL. I like pro football. The NFL season that counts is only five months long. Which is two months shorter than any other major professional sport. I believe that the new USFL will succeed in the long run. They are owned by fox which whether you like them or not, has deep pockets. And they are starting out slow. All the games this year will be played in Birmingham Alabama. Counting playoffs that is a total of 43 games. About three months more of pro football. That would make a total of eight months which is the same as the NHL and the NBA. And all the games will be televised on Fox, FS1, NBC, or Peacock. In addition the new XFL will be starting up next season. They already have an agreement with the NFL to be an experimental league so the NFL can try some different rules. What I hope will happen is that the new USFL the new XFL merge and become a 16 team league. And then each team would have two NFL teams to provide players. In affect a real minor league for professional football. The closest thing that pro football is has to a real minor-league is arena football which is still very popular where it is played. But obviously it is a completely different game. I was reminded of that when I sat in the movie theater the other night watching the movie American underdog which is a biopic about the great Kurt Warner. He got his first big break in arena football and the Rams noticed him and the rest is history. Super Bowl MVP and a pro football Hall of Famer.
@@shackdaddy7106 arena ball is still played? It doesn't seem as popular as it once was. I mean it never really "caught on" but it was at least "known" about.
@@duftyboxing Yes it is being played and it is still going strong in cities that are the most part considered minor league. Arena football will never go away. Especially seeing that there is no official minor league in outdoor football. Although I hope that the USFL or XFL or a combination of the two will be someday. Even if that happens, arena football is here to stay. There are so many people who played college ball who never get the chance to play any football beyond that. For the love of the game. Who knows who is the next Kurt Warner might be? We have a team in Phoenix called the Arizona rattlers. They are never talked about on the locals sports talk stations but they have a small but dedicated following. And they have been in existence since 1992. They are in a league called the indoor professional league which started up after the arena football league shut down after 2019.
This league actually had a chance to compete with the nfl. Jim kelly, Doug flutie, herschel walker, reggie white, Doug williams and Steve young, all legends from the usfl
They never had a real chance. They had a competing product because they bid up for top players but the owners of the teams didn’t have the money to stay around long enough to actually compete against the NFL. The lawsuit was a desperation push to win a judgement or force a merger - there was no genuine belief to remain and they turned down a 500% media increase to chase the lawsuit which was why despite “winning” their lawsuit the jury noted that their struggles weren’t caused by the NFL but the mismanagement by the league itself.
That Herschel Walker was willing to hitch his political wagon to the man that played a huge part in destroying his first league as a professional still boggles the mind.
They lost their jobs because trump sued the NFL. He won. His financial victory awarded him $1, while he spent BILLIONS to fight a stupid temper tantrum case.
They were one of the strongest alternative leagues to have been launched but the lawsuit and plan to move to the fall realistically sped up the collapse of the league more than causing it as many believe. The league lost huge amounts of money over the years it operated and in the end over the three years there were only three teams in the entire league that played all the seasons, stayed in the same market, didn’t merge with another team, and kept the same name. The league didn’t follow through on the due diligence standards for the team owners to have the financial standing to ever stand a chance of lasting over the long haul. The original plan required owners to have substantial worths (I read somewhere they wanted owners to be worth at least $50M) and required all teams to have an emergency $1.5M credit line and there were tons of owners who ended up not having near the assets they claimed and lots were later convicted of financial fraud. The league had to take over multiple teams and there was zero stability for teams in the league thanks to lack of league revenue, owners having the money to handle the losses that they’d have to incur for a number of years before they’d gain substantial revenues, and immediately overspent on grabbing top tier players which resulted in essentially none of the owners being financially sound enough to remain long term. The owners were in such poor financial standing as a whole and the league had lost so much money that by the time some sizable television revenue was offered to them to stay in the spring the losses and allure of saving their losses by winning a large settlement or forcing a merger into the NFL killed it for them. And in context the television deal they said no to so they could pursue the fall, which was always focused on their lawsuit and attempting to force the NFL to buy them or let some teams in so they could try and get in on the higher league revenues in the NFL, was actually really good for the stage the league was in. The NFLs first truly gigantic television deal went down in 1982 when they landed a deal that paid 3x their prior one which broke down to the 28 teams earning $14.2M each, meaning that prior to 1982 their revenue per team from TV was $4.73M a team. Assuming the USFL stayed in the spring with the eight teams and taken the offer from the networks each team would have been earning $8.38M each from the revenue which was almost 2x what each NFL team was getting pre 1982 deal which had been the previous largest television sports deal for a league. The fact that they chose to pursue their lawsuit, which had no assurances of a payout and cost millions to keep pursuing for the entire process, when they had an increase in their television money of 500% over what they originally had says everything there is to say about the league having any genuine viability by simply staying in the spring. It was a cool and innovative league but while Trump was chasing the Fall largely in ego the other owners who were behind it did so in desperation because they just couldn’t sustain the losses.
The crazy thing is, it’s not far fetched that Jacksonville eventually got an nfl team. Jax had teams in the USFL and WFL, and the nfl used to play games at the old gator bowl back in the days.
True but the biggest mistake was overplaying their hand. Changing seasons to directly compete with the NFL pushed all their chips to the center of the table. Trump overplayed his hand in hopes of forcing a merger. The league got Trumped
I’ve always liked watching these startup football leagues when they come around because it does give a slightly different alternative to the NFL for a bit, plus it’s more football to watch so I can’t complain there. I remember watching the AAF and 2nd iteration of the XFL when they came around but I’m interested to see what happens when the USFL comes back here in a few months
It's really too bad the original USFL fell apart. The business side obviously stunk but league play at that time actually rivaled the NFL. The NFL once the USFL folded was able to keep a stranglehold on the game of football. They got all the stars the USFL actually created
It's so 😭 sad that all of these unfortunate events 😔 took place! 😮 I really enjoyed watching and attending the USFL games! Our Michigan Panthers won the 1rst Championship 🏆 Game! We had a great team back then! 🎊🎉 The USFL had many excellent players like Anthony Carter, Doug Williams, Stan White, Reggie White, Jim Kelly, Doug Flutie, Herschel Walker, John Corker, Ray Pinney and many others! Damn! I miss that time of my life 🧬! I only hope that the new USFL continues to thrive and the other teams that existed before, return, like the Blitz, Outlaws, Gunslingers, Express, Federals, Bulls, Bandits, Gold, Invaders and Arizona Wranglers!! Bring all of them back 🔙 to the future and keep them in the Spring/Summer League play where they should be!!😊😊
You should do a video about the American Football League and how it competed and eventually successfully merged with the National Football League and ultimately became the AFC.
the boston breakers apparently also were planned to play at alumni stadium at boston college's campus but it also did not go through but reasons why never were made public
I was a huge fan of the original Boston Breakers in 1983. My dad and I went to a game at Nickerson Field and I really enjoyed it. I was sad and disappointed that they had to leave town. I then lost most of my interest in the USFL. I know of the Breakers' attempts to play at Harvard University and Shaefer Stadium, but was not aware of the team's efforts to play at Fenway Park or Boston College. Now that it is 40 years later, maybe the USFL (or the XFL) can now put a team in the area, particularly since Bob Kraft loves the New England Patriots and the game of football very much, and would allow a team to play at Gillette Stadium. We shall see if it ever comes to fruition.
As a hardcore XFL fan (Ka Kaw) who is looking at getting ready to watch the USFL for the first time (probably gonna be rooting for the Showboats), this was a very fascinating video!
That $3 check was wild. But you have to make a video on St. Louis, if I'm not mistaken, StL may have lost the most sports teams in the history of American sports. From the 1968 Hawks, 1953 Browns, 1988 Football Cardinals, and the 2015 Rams. StL has been bypassed on multiple different expansion teams throughout the years as well by the NFL and the NBA alike. Like in the early 90s, StL got passed over for Jacksonville and Carolina and even got looked over by the NBA for expansion most recently. It is time for you to make a video on my city & why leagues continue to bypass StL.
The original USFL was very popular plus attendance was great in non NFL cities until you know decided on competition with the NFL that would've been a major disaster
As a kid in the 80's I've always been obsessed with the usfl. I scour the web looking for anything usfl. I recently purchased a framed Marcus dupree jersey
Hasn't Birmingham suffered enough at the hands of challenger leagues? They've had the Americans (WFL), Vulcans (WFL), Stallions (USFL), Fire (WLAF), Barracudas (CFL), Thunderbolts (XFL), Iron (AAF), and now the Stallions (USFL2) again.
yes and they always have one of the stronger franchises in each of those leagues....birmingham is one of many cities that could thrive..but it takes the commitment of the leagues themselves and owners to have realistic goals in the beginning years of expansion.
The AFL is the gold standard of "upstart leagues," they got a viable TV contract and forced a merger with the monolithic NFL. All the AFL teams survived to join the NFL so the AFL must be considered pretty much a complete success. The ABA would be next on the scoreboard, four of the six (remaining) teams in 1976 ended up being admitted into the NBA. However numerous ABA teams folded on the way to that merger. I believe there were 14 ABA franchises at various points so 10/14 did not survive. Similarly the WHA had four teams admitted into the NHL but many others folded in the process. 40 years after the merger only one of the transferred WHA franchises still exists in its original market.
I’m not aware how it was arranged but the Kentucky Colonels didn’t merge but received a healthy portion of annual tv revenues seemingly into perpetuity until just recently it was such a jackpot the NBA paid off the deal lump sum.
This is an excellent & informative video. As a soccer fan in addition to football, I would like to see you do a documentary on the North American Soccer League or NASL which existed from 1967-1984. It is an important league in the history of American soccer because its success especially in regard to marketing to young people eventually led to the US getting to host the 1994 World Cup & led to the creation of MLS which is basically the successor of the NASL although much better run. Also the greatest player in the history of soccer Pele played in the league with the NY Cosmos from 1975-1977.
Besides the usfl, there is the xfl, the Aaf, and theworld football league. Also, the nfl has inherent some ideas from the xfl, the usfl, and other defunct football leagues, including unusual names, uniforms designed, cameras surrounding the field, and rules in the playbook.
The USFL starts in April and I can't wait. I just hope they have them on network TV not like the XFL only on FX/ESPN so they can get some good nationwide exposure and grow. They had some games on network TV last year but played in only one stadium. It's supposed to be different this year.
@@rockvilleraven I sure hope you are right. I'm a Maulers fan. I saw them play in Pittsburgh quite a few years ago. It was back in the 80's I think. Still have my Maulers collectables.
@@trainmaster0217 The USFL will be at home stadiums next season, the Maulers will either play at Highmark Park, where the USL second division Riverhounds play or Acrisure Stadium but only if the lease is affordable.
The Chicago Blitz were owned by Ted Diethrich the first season and he hired George Allen to coach and some name players. They were reasonably successful record wise making the playoffs but blowing a 21 point lead in their playoff game and losing. After the season Ted Diethrich basically traded cities with Arizona moving the Blitz players and coach Allen to Arizona becoming the Wranglers, the Wranglers players became the Blitz with new owner Hoffman. The Blitz struggled to draw 18,000 their first year with a good team, in their second season with a bad team and unfamiliar players they couldn't draw flies. Even coach Marv Levy couldn't help.
Nobody told Levy about the team switch. He thought he was coaching a very talented blitz team, not an awful wranglers team that had been exchanged for the original blitz squad.
You forgot to include the planned MIAMI USFL TEAM that became the Renegades that was originally the Federals. Please do: Whatever Happened to the 70s WFL, 90s WLAF, 90s CFL America, 2000s AAFC, 2010s UFL & 2020 AAF
Sorry I didn't listen to your vlog , as I was fortunate to live through the entire affair. As a staunch Birmingham Stallions fan , I can tell you I'm so happy my Stallions are back and I feel like the current owners have the welfare of the league front and center in their business dealings. Goooooooooo Stallions BUCK EM 😎👊👍
If you get a chance, you should have a look at the World Hockey Association (WHA), which existed for most of the 1970s. I think it was started by the same guys who founded the original American Basketball Association (ABA) and the World Football League.
The original USFL was very badly managed and according to this video many of the owners were losing money. I remember watching the games back then. The league should not have tried to compete with the NFL by playing in the fall. What was so wrong with just playing in the spring and giving football fans more football to watch after the NFL was done for the year.?
Donald Trump in all his selfishness, ruined an awesome league. The USFL is perfect for spring. When there’s no more football during the NFL’s off-season, the USFL would fill in that void. Because not everyone likes baseball like that.
Trump killed it. Watch the ESPN 30/30. He came up with the brilliant idea to play football against the NFL in the fall. 😂 Previously, the USFL played in the Spring.
I don't see this version of the USFL lasting either. Compared to the XFL there not doing all things that are making the XFL stand out on it's first season back.
Believe it was the fans that didnt show up and buy the merchandise. A lot of money was put into this as it would of taken 3 to 4 years to gain it all back, to even make it to profit level. Besides this issues there was no insurance that covered the games( life working was bad before 2000) and every medical bill went to the owners or league and there were plenty of injuries that did likely paying too much week by week they had to give it up the project.
Was in HS, we went to every Wrangler/Outlaw (not so much Outlaws) game we could. At first it felt like rooting for the struggling underdog league fighting against monopoly but then it started to feel like a crooked dishonest con with constant owner scandal. XFL felt like a bit of a joke but none of the other upstart leagues since felt crooked and oily like I remember the USFL becoming once trump started forcing his will (spring/fall change, attempted forcing merger). Trump fit right in with that group even back then. "What happened to the USFL?" It got Trumped😂
The salary cap is what has made the NFL the Great viewing phenomenon that it is. People forget how uncompetitive football was up till the late .90s This is also the reason MLB is failing miserable year after year. No one wants to see a slew of top-notch prospects developed by a team only to have them jump to the Yankees Dodgers or other big market teams year after year after year.
If I’m not mistaken I think the New USFL is owned by FOX and not only that I think they spending the first one or two seasons down here in Alabama to Stack money so and look for The Stadiums to call home ion know though but we will see what happens after the First Season. But so far they looking pretty good and also The XFL Coming back for a single Season
Correct, FOX owns the new USFL, and all the league games were in Birmingham, AL (University of Alabama-Birmingham campus). I know the new XFL is coming back next year.
I loved the USFL! I was so disappointed when they folded. However, you are downplaying Trump's role. He wanted to own an NFL team. The owners didn't want him in their club. So Donald bought the Generals and immediately started pushing for a move to fall. He pushed hard and got his way. Why? He wanted a merger so he could get in the NFL owners club. Even if it meant killing the USFL.
This is why "the USFL will not make it till the 5th week" 5) crowd size . This is the home team with free tickets and Bham can't fill it. 4) XFL2, This is just a reboot of xfl2, with 1 stadium. I say reboot the first xfl with he hate me. 3)No alumni. Hershel Walker was the face of the first usfl in 1983. I would have Mr Walker in Newark giving his report Monday nights.2)Sunday night football. Have you ever asked yourself "why isn't the SB on Saturday afternoon on E$9n?" because a. they want the most ratings possible. Nobody has cable in Kentucky. b. More people are watching TV on Sunday nights. 1) The scores are to low. This is the highest scoring game in the new usfl history , yet no team has scored over 40 points. Any writer knows a book should start off with a train wreck to get the readers attention. I want to watch football ,however it's painful to watch a 0-3 game . I'll turn it off at halftime.
I would like to see the USFL succeed still even now. I think we need more pro football, that can also act as a minor league for guys trying to make it to the NFL...
@@vicepresidentmikepence889 why not? USFL only having 8 teams an XFL having 12. That'll make for a bigger league which equals more games, which equals more rivalies, which drives the fandom of the sport/ league, which fuels the league... an so on and so forth
usfl was good football that had star power. herschel, young, white, kelly. They had the run and shoot before the nfl did. They made the mistake of expanding too quick and the losses began to pile up with many of their teams located right in nfl markets. Even tho some were successful. Michigan panthers were a big draw in the silverdome sometimes outdrawing the lions and won the inaugural usfl title. GO michigan panthers.
USFL won't survive since they're all going to play in one city.....This bring no fans to the games only fans in Alabama. This strategy won't sell tickets.
first off they tried to compete with the nfl going after big name college stars of the time herschel walker, jim kelly,reggie white etc... and also high dollar nfl stars..before the teams and league was finacially stable enough.....then they had the stupid idea of trying to compete with the nfl and college in the fall...the new usfl seems to be doing it right as any expansion league should.....they are plenty of college talent,that were not high dollar athletes..they should continue on this path develope their stars,in each city..have realistic goals inknowing their not likely to have a large profit if any the first few years..i keep saying they or any expansion league should follow the model of the old afl in the early 60's...
I think the NFL needs a rival League it's too much talent in the United States a lot of football players will get a chance to play and it would be nice to see a Super Bowl with the best from one League plays the best from another League like back in the day then that way Pro bowls will mean something again USA versus NFL going to make it worth something it's a lot of money out there in the sport and they can make it work I also think the same thing about the NBA and the ABA the way I see it the NFL in the NBA is too greedy to share the wealth it's a money thing
The two classics were Bill Oldenburg in Los Angeles and Clinton Magnes in San Antonio. Two guys who didn't have a fraction of the money they said they did. The only reason the league ran Los Angeles was that the TV contract required teams in LA, Chicago,and New York . They did relent and allow no team in Chicago. San Antonio didn't go into severe trouble until the season was underway in 1985 when players stopped getting paid.
@@gregorypollard5908 Agreed. Regarding Donald Trump in football, he did make an attempt by the Buffalo Bills football team after the original owner an AFL founder Ralph Wilson passed away in 2014 at the age of 95. The NFL took one look at him and the fact that he tried to sue the NFL in the mid 80s said no way. That lawsuit was the end of the last attempt to try and rival any major professional league. The established professional leagues are worth too much money. It would be literally impossible to get enough people to try to challenge them. There just would be no point.
@@shackdaddy7106 This version of the USFL has a good idea with the team branding and should take it's time expanding...they have markets available to them with legend team identities that they can use...if done wisely they can really benefit from that
@@gregorypollard5908 but I would like to see not too far down the road. It’s a merger with the new XFL version two which is starting up in 2023. The new XFL already has an agreement with the NFL to be kind of a experimental league as far as rule changes. If the two leagues merged, you would then have a 16 team league. Each team could be Affiliated with two NFL teams. One AFC, one NFC. For the first time ever you would have a true minor league for outdoor football. For instance you could have a team in San Antonio that is affiliated with the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans. You could have a team in Orlando that is affiliated with the Tampa Bay buccaneers and the Miami dolphins. And so on. The games would still be played in April May and June. Or maybe you could play them on Tuesday nights in the fall. Just some ideas. The bottom line is I think spring football will work this time in the long run. You don’t have multiple owners screwing up things like what happened in the original US FL. Right now the closest thing you have to admire your league in football is arena football. Which is now called the indoor football league. There are 14 teams with three of them being right here in the state of Arizona where I live. The teams are spread throughout the country. Arena football is not what it was 10 years ago. The players are only making $200-$500 per game and the teams pay for housing. So definitely minor-league. But in the cities where teams exist the game is still very popular. In fact I may go to a game this year. I was reminded of this because I went and saw the movie American underdog a few days ago. Which is the story of the great Kurt Warner who was discovered in arena ball by the St. Louis Rams in 1998. One year later Kurt was Super Bowl MVP and is now a Hall of Famer..
@@shackdaddy7106 So here's where i'm going to disagree with you slightly here...I don't think that the XFL and USFL should merge anytime soon...I don't like the idea of any NFL affiliation which could go away at the drop of a hat. These leagues have to survive on their own for at least 5 years to build up their base and brand...if both are on equal footing at that time then they can sit down and discuss a merger
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Hey Sports Historians! What did you think about the USFL suing the NFL? And what do you think about the USFL coming back? Will you watch? Let me know in the comments!
I will watch the new USFL. I like pro football. The NFL season that counts is only five months long. Which is two months shorter than any other major professional sport.
I believe that the new USFL will succeed in the long run. They are owned by fox which whether you like them or not, has deep pockets. And they are starting out slow. All the games this year will be played in Birmingham Alabama. Counting playoffs that is a total of 43 games. About three months more of pro football. That would make a total of eight months which is the same as the NHL and the NBA. And all the games will be televised on Fox, FS1, NBC, or Peacock.
In addition the new XFL will be starting up next season. They already have an agreement with the NFL to be an experimental league so the NFL can try some different rules.
What I hope will happen is that the new USFL the new XFL merge and become a 16 team league. And then each team would have two NFL teams to provide players. In affect a real minor league for professional football.
The closest thing that pro football is has to a real minor-league is arena football which is still very popular where it is played. But obviously it is a completely different game.
I was reminded of that when I sat in the movie theater the other night watching the movie American underdog which is a biopic about the great Kurt Warner. He got his first big break in arena football and the Rams noticed him and the rest is history. Super Bowl MVP and a pro football Hall of Famer.
Buffalo Braves
@@shackdaddy7106 arena ball is still played? It doesn't seem as popular as it once was. I mean it never really "caught on" but it was at least "known" about.
@@duftyboxing Yes it is being played and it is still going strong in cities that are the most part considered minor league. Arena football will never go away.
Especially seeing that there is no official minor league in outdoor football. Although I hope that the USFL or XFL or a combination of the two will be someday.
Even if that happens, arena football is here to stay. There are so many people who played college ball who never get the chance to play any football beyond that. For the love of the game.
Who knows who is the next Kurt Warner might be?
We have a team in Phoenix called the Arizona rattlers. They are never talked about on the locals sports talk stations but they have a small but dedicated following. And they have been in existence since 1992.
They are in a league called the indoor professional league which started up after the arena football league shut down after 2019.
@@duftyboxing Yeah, IFL (Indoor Football League) is still around, but I personally lost interest in that.
This league actually had a chance to compete with the nfl. Jim kelly, Doug flutie, herschel walker, reggie white, Doug williams and Steve young, all legends from the usfl
They never had a real chance. They had a competing product because they bid up for top players but the owners of the teams didn’t have the money to stay around long enough to actually compete against the NFL. The lawsuit was a desperation push to win a judgement or force a merger - there was no genuine belief to remain and they turned down a 500% media increase to chase the lawsuit which was why despite “winning” their lawsuit the jury noted that their struggles weren’t caused by the NFL but the mismanagement by the league itself.
No, no it didnt.
That Herschel Walker was willing to hitch his political wagon to the man that played a huge part in destroying his first league as a professional still boggles the mind.
@@Matt-cr4vv Thank you!!!! Should've remained playing in the Spring. I believe Trump was an NFL mole...an agent of chaos!
They lost their jobs because trump sued the NFL. He won. His financial victory awarded him $1, while he spent BILLIONS to fight a stupid temper tantrum case.
A lot of us are convinced that if they’d stayed in the spring they would’ve never folded.
I agree.
Maybe
As I remember it Trump overplayed his hand and lost.
They were one of the strongest alternative leagues to have been launched but the lawsuit and plan to move to the fall realistically sped up the collapse of the league more than causing it as many believe. The league lost huge amounts of money over the years it operated and in the end over the three years there were only three teams in the entire league that played all the seasons, stayed in the same market, didn’t merge with another team, and kept the same name. The league didn’t follow through on the due diligence standards for the team owners to have the financial standing to ever stand a chance of lasting over the long haul. The original plan required owners to have substantial worths (I read somewhere they wanted owners to be worth at least $50M) and required all teams to have an emergency $1.5M credit line and there were tons of owners who ended up not having near the assets they claimed and lots were later convicted of financial fraud. The league had to take over multiple teams and there was zero stability for teams in the league thanks to lack of league revenue, owners having the money to handle the losses that they’d have to incur for a number of years before they’d gain substantial revenues, and immediately overspent on grabbing top tier players which resulted in essentially none of the owners being financially sound enough to remain long term.
The owners were in such poor financial standing as a whole and the league had lost so much money that by the time some sizable television revenue was offered to them to stay in the spring the losses and allure of saving their losses by winning a large settlement or forcing a merger into the NFL killed it for them. And in context the television deal they said no to so they could pursue the fall, which was always focused on their lawsuit and attempting to force the NFL to buy them or let some teams in so they could try and get in on the higher league revenues in the NFL, was actually really good for the stage the league was in.
The NFLs first truly gigantic television deal went down in 1982 when they landed a deal that paid 3x their prior one which broke down to the 28 teams earning $14.2M each, meaning that prior to 1982 their revenue per team from TV was $4.73M a team. Assuming the USFL stayed in the spring with the eight teams and taken the offer from the networks each team would have been earning $8.38M each from the revenue which was almost 2x what each NFL team was getting pre 1982 deal which had been the previous largest television sports deal for a league. The fact that they chose to pursue their lawsuit, which had no assurances of a payout and cost millions to keep pursuing for the entire process, when they had an increase in their television money of 500% over what they originally had says everything there is to say about the league having any genuine viability by simply staying in the spring. It was a cool and innovative league but while Trump was chasing the Fall largely in ego the other owners who were behind it did so in desperation because they just couldn’t sustain the losses.
@@Matt-cr4vv TLDR
The crazy thing is, it’s not far fetched that Jacksonville eventually got an nfl team. Jax had teams in the USFL and WFL, and the nfl used to play games at the old gator bowl back in the days.
Man the houston gamblers and jim kelly was a treat to watch!
The first USFL had big money behind it - where they made a mistake was paying way to much for players before they could build a fan base .
True but the biggest mistake was overplaying their hand. Changing seasons to directly compete with the NFL pushed all their chips to the center of the table. Trump overplayed his hand in hopes of forcing a merger. The league got Trumped
I’ve always liked watching these startup football leagues when they come around because it does give a slightly different alternative to the NFL for a bit, plus it’s more football to watch so I can’t complain there. I remember watching the AAF and 2nd iteration of the XFL when they came around but I’m interested to see what happens when the USFL comes back here in a few months
It's really too bad the original USFL fell apart. The business side obviously stunk but league play at that time actually rivaled the NFL. The NFL once the USFL folded was able to keep a stranglehold on the game of football. They got all the stars the USFL actually created
Usfl in the 80's was awesome in the beginning.
The idiotic lawsuit sank the USFL. Whosever idea that was should have been dragged to prison.
Agreed and The New USFL Better Not Fold Either!
That was Trump who should be in prison for many reasons
Didn't Trumpy (the ex President of The USA) have something to do with that lawsuit?!!?
I think he will be the way things are going. Lol.
That was Trump. No truer words spoken. Probably will make it to prison yet. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_American_football
Those ref socks are classic!
It's so 😭 sad that all of these unfortunate events 😔 took place! 😮 I really enjoyed watching and attending the USFL games! Our Michigan Panthers won the 1rst Championship 🏆 Game! We had a great team back then! 🎊🎉 The USFL had many excellent players like Anthony Carter, Doug Williams, Stan White, Reggie White, Jim Kelly, Doug Flutie, Herschel Walker, John Corker, Ray Pinney and many others! Damn! I miss that time of my life 🧬! I only hope that the new USFL continues to thrive and the other teams that existed before, return, like the Blitz, Outlaws, Gunslingers, Express, Federals, Bulls, Bandits, Gold, Invaders and Arizona Wranglers!! Bring all of them back 🔙 to the future and keep them in the Spring/Summer League play where they should be!!😊😊
You should do a video about the American Football League and how it competed and eventually successfully merged with the National Football League and ultimately became the AFC.
I Would Love To See That From All Sports History)
Nfl films did a very good documentary on the AFL.
You need to watch the Doumentary "Full color Fotball" which is exceptional. Available on you tube.
Amazing how iconic some of these helmet design still are especially the Wave, Outlaws, and Gunslingers
This is the best explanation of what happened on the business end of the USFL I’ve seen.
The current USFL is a developmental style league that has managed to find its niche
the boston breakers apparently also were planned to play at alumni stadium at boston college's campus but it also did not go through but reasons why never were made public
Crazy Stuff That Is About The Original Boston Breakers!
I was a huge fan of the original Boston Breakers in 1983. My dad and I went to a game at Nickerson Field and I really enjoyed it. I was sad and disappointed that they had to leave town. I then lost most of my interest in the USFL. I know of the Breakers' attempts to play at Harvard University and Shaefer Stadium, but was not aware of the team's efforts to play at Fenway Park or Boston College. Now that it is 40 years later, maybe the USFL (or the XFL) can now put a team in the area, particularly since Bob Kraft loves the New England Patriots and the game of football very much, and would allow a team to play at Gillette Stadium. We shall see if it ever comes to fruition.
The Dixon plan was good start. Id change from NFL sized arenas to domes or MLS stadiums
As a hardcore XFL fan (Ka Kaw) who is looking at getting ready to watch the USFL for the first time (probably gonna be rooting for the Showboats), this was a very fascinating video!
Still rooting for them? They just got blown out
Bet he is now after back to back wins 😅
I hated that the USFL went away and really liked that guys like Jim Kelly and Steve Young played in the league.
The USFL's biggest failure was that Dixon never got owners to buy into his vision or vet any prospective franchise owners
Nah it was allowing the bonehead Trump into the league
The most perfect jury decision in the history of American jurisprudence...
I miss going to the Arizona wranglers games
Please do one on the 2022 USFL version of the league?
That $3 check was wild.
But you have to make a video on St. Louis, if I'm not mistaken, StL may have lost the most sports teams in the history of American sports. From the 1968 Hawks, 1953 Browns, 1988 Football Cardinals, and the 2015 Rams. StL has been bypassed on multiple different expansion teams throughout the years as well by the NFL and the NBA alike. Like in the early 90s, StL got passed over for Jacksonville and Carolina and even got looked over by the NBA for expansion most recently. It is time for you to make a video on my city & why leagues continue to bypass StL.
Yeah I definitely I want to make videos on each of those, St. Louis is a great sports city!
I hope you consider making a video either about the World Football League or a video about Gary Davidson, the man who co-founded the ABA, WHA and WFL.
Yeah I want to do videos on the WFL, ABA, and WHA, for sure!
The original USFL was very popular plus attendance was great in non NFL cities until you know decided on competition with the NFL that would've been a major disaster
Yeah, shame he wanted an NFL club at all costs. Even said the USFL would only ever be "small potatoes." Who you rooting for in the league's reboot?
@@jackmiller-johnston8689 Philadelphia Stars!!
@@jackmiller-johnston8689 maybe the Birmingham Stallions or Houston Gamblers
@@jackmiller-johnston8689 He mainly ran the league out of business
@@jackmiller-johnston8689 What's stupid too is that the USFL was going to get that big TV deal in 1986 that would have set them up to thrive
As a kid in the 80's I've always been obsessed with the usfl. I scour the web looking for anything usfl. I recently purchased a framed Marcus dupree jersey
You should do a video on the CFL's brief foray into the United States.
Now That I Would Love To Watch on This Channel Which I Enjoy As a Sports Fan!
CFL expanding south of the border? That didn't last long.
@@mrmusicverse What a Dumb Idea That Was!
@@mrmusicverse I know right. But long enough for the Baltimore Stallions to win the Grey Cup.
@@JoeyArmstrong2800 True and Seeing a Video Of The CFL Into The US Would Be a Great Idea From This Channel!
Hasn't Birmingham suffered enough at the hands of challenger leagues? They've had the Americans (WFL), Vulcans (WFL), Stallions (USFL), Fire (WLAF), Barracudas (CFL), Thunderbolts (XFL), Iron (AAF), and now the Stallions (USFL2) again.
yes and they always have one of the stronger franchises in each of those leagues....birmingham is one of many cities that could thrive..but it takes the commitment of the leagues themselves and owners to have realistic goals in the beginning years of expansion.
The nfl should move a team out to Birmingham
Almost the same with Memphis, Southmen (WFL) Showboats (USFL), Maddogs (CFL), Maniax (XFL). Express (AAF) and the Showboats (USFL 2)
Does someone still have that check for $3.76? That could sell for a pretty absurd price!
They should have stopped at 12 teams
@allsportshistory you should do a video on the Rise and fall of the Arena Football League and how the IFL, NAL have taken the AFL's place
Hopefully the recent one adds the original teams back.
That was a great video.
I got a couple of good ones.
What happened to The BCS?
What happened to the ABA?
What happened to the Kansas City Scouts?
Yeah those are all great topics! I have the scouts on my to do list, but I can add the others as well :)
Thank you All Sports History. I wanted to see this for a long time.
Yeah no problem!
@@AllSportsHistory Can you do a profile on the World Football League?
The AFL is the gold standard of "upstart leagues," they got a viable TV contract and forced a merger with the monolithic NFL. All the AFL teams survived to join the NFL so the AFL must be considered pretty much a complete success.
The ABA would be next on the scoreboard, four of the six (remaining) teams in 1976 ended up being admitted into the NBA. However numerous ABA teams folded on the way to that merger. I believe there were 14 ABA franchises at various points so 10/14 did not survive.
Similarly the WHA had four teams admitted into the NHL but many others folded in the process. 40 years after the merger only one of the transferred WHA franchises still exists in its original market.
Edmonton Oilers who won the Stanley Cup in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990.
I’m not aware how it was arranged but the Kentucky Colonels didn’t merge but received a healthy portion of annual tv revenues seemingly into perpetuity until just recently it was such a jackpot the NBA paid off the deal lump sum.
@@davidcouch6514
That was the Spirits of St. Louis that got the seemingly infinite payout from NBA TV revenues.
The biggest mistake they made was expanding too quickly. They should’ve just kept it to 12 teams.
Exactly and Some of The Teams For This Football League Were Bad At Times!
This is an excellent & informative video. As a soccer fan in addition to football, I would like to see you do a documentary on the North American Soccer League or NASL which existed from 1967-1984. It is an important league in the history of American soccer because its success especially in regard to marketing to young people eventually led to the US getting to host the 1994 World Cup & led to the creation of MLS which is basically the successor of the NASL although much better run. Also the greatest player in the history of soccer Pele played in the league with the NY Cosmos from 1975-1977.
Thank you, I appreciate it! Yeah I definitely want to do more soccer videos in the future, and for sure would love to do one on NASL!
@@AllSportsHistory I Like That Idea As a Part Soccer Fan!
MLS was born as a stipulation for holding the World Cup in the US in 1994, the US had to form a first division caliber pro soccer league.
5:42 I wonder if the Canadian government would react similarly if the NFL wanted to put a franchise in Canada 🤔
I didn't know any of this about the USFL I thought they were a new league
Imagine Pete Rozelle tossing 5 dollars like he’s at a strip club saying “y’all got us good😂😂😂”
Besides the usfl, there is the xfl, the Aaf, and theworld football league. Also, the nfl has inherent some ideas from the xfl, the usfl, and other defunct football leagues, including unusual names, uniforms designed, cameras surrounding the field, and rules in the playbook.
The Michigan Panthers...the first league champions ...a fun season to watch
The USFL starts in April and I can't wait. I just hope they have them on network TV not like the XFL only on FX/ESPN so they can get some good nationwide exposure and grow. They had some games on network TV last year but played in only one stadium. It's supposed to be different this year.
This year the play in 4 hubs, Birmingham, Memphis, Detroit and Canton. They should had a hub in New Jersey with the Generals and Stars.
@@rockvilleraven Gotta agree with that.
@@trainmaster0217 I feel that they will eventually put a USFL team in Ohio, either Columbus, Canton or Akron.
@@rockvilleraven I sure hope you are right. I'm a Maulers fan. I saw them play in Pittsburgh quite a few years ago. It was back in the 80's I think. Still have my Maulers collectables.
@@trainmaster0217 The USFL will be at home stadiums next season, the Maulers will either play at Highmark Park, where the USL second division Riverhounds play or Acrisure Stadium but only if the lease is affordable.
The Chicago Blitz were owned by Ted Diethrich the first season and he hired George Allen to coach and some name players. They were reasonably successful record wise making the playoffs but blowing a 21 point lead in their playoff game and losing. After the season Ted Diethrich basically traded cities with Arizona moving the Blitz players and coach Allen to Arizona becoming the Wranglers, the Wranglers players became the Blitz with new owner Hoffman. The Blitz struggled to draw 18,000 their first year with a good team, in their second season with a bad team and unfamiliar players they couldn't draw flies. Even coach Marv Levy couldn't help.
Nobody told Levy about the team switch. He thought he was coaching a very talented blitz team, not an awful wranglers team that had been exchanged for the original blitz squad.
Spring football has NEVER worked, period.
You forgot to include the planned MIAMI USFL TEAM that became the Renegades that was originally the Federals.
Please do: Whatever Happened to the 70s WFL, 90s WLAF, 90s CFL America, 2000s AAFC, 2010s UFL & 2020 AAF
Yeah some of those are on my to do list!
@@AllSportsHistory You're doing a great job. I show these shorts to my Sports Marketing Class.
@@theprolificnetwork4670 I Love Watching This Sports Channel!
I like watching them. Who is that qb with the irish last name who got moved up to the nfl? Mcgoo or something like that?
And IIRC, there have been no other serious attempts since in baseball/basketball/football/hockey to create a rival "major league"
I had season tickets to the New Orleans Breakers
Sorry I didn't listen to your vlog , as I was fortunate to live through the entire affair.
As a staunch Birmingham Stallions fan , I can tell you I'm so happy my Stallions are back and I feel like the current owners have the welfare of the league front and center in their business dealings.
Goooooooooo Stallions BUCK EM 😎👊👍
If you get a chance, you should have a look at the World Hockey Association (WHA), which existed for most of the 1970s. I think it was started by the same guys who founded the original American Basketball Association (ABA) and the World Football League.
Yeah I definitely want to do a video on the WHA, as well as the ABA and WFL eventually too. Would be great to cover all of the defunct leagues.
@@AllSportsHistory Also can you do Arena Football, World 🌎 League of. American Football 🏈 & NFL Europe?
I hope in a couple of years maybe the USFL would add second teams to have in state rivalries with Houston and Tampa Bay.
They don’t have Tampa Bay team anymore.
You should do what happened to the Baltimore bullets
Yeah it’s on my future list :)
The original USFL was very badly managed and according to this video many of the owners were losing money. I remember watching the games back then. The league should not have tried to compete with the NFL by playing in the fall. What was so wrong with just playing in the spring and giving football fans more football to watch after the NFL was done for the year.?
Donald Trump in all his selfishness, ruined an awesome league. The USFL is perfect for spring. When there’s no more football during the NFL’s off-season, the USFL would fill in that void. Because not everyone likes baseball like that.
Agreed 100% and Hoping The New USFL Doesn’t Fold!
Anyone plating any kind of ball growing up, whether that be pee-wee, middle or high school ball, is 100% used to seeing refs in shorts!
The nfl has a history of wiping out the competition
Trump killed it. Watch the ESPN 30/30. He came up with the brilliant idea to play football against the NFL in the fall. 😂 Previously, the USFL played in the Spring.
As a development league... I'd watch
Hey I was watching the first season they ever had U. S. F. L. L league
If the USFL would have stuck to spring, they would likely still be around today.
I don't see this version of the USFL lasting either. Compared to the XFL there not doing all things that are making the XFL stand out on it's first season back.
Believe it was the fans that didnt show up and buy the merchandise. A lot of money was put into this as it would of taken 3 to 4 years to gain it all back, to even make it to profit level. Besides this issues there was no insurance that covered the games( life working was bad before 2000) and every medical bill went to the owners or league and there were plenty of injuries that did likely paying too much week by week they had to give it up the project.
If they’d stayed the course and played in the spring they’d still be around. Possibly even had a merger by now.
Please do video on the XFL or AAF leagues
For sure! They’re on my to do list!
Hi, does anyone know how many times Walker took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown? jw
Was in HS, we went to every Wrangler/Outlaw (not so much Outlaws) game we could. At first it felt like rooting for the struggling underdog league fighting against monopoly but then it started to feel like a crooked dishonest con with constant owner scandal. XFL felt like a bit of a joke but none of the other upstart leagues since felt crooked and oily like I remember the USFL becoming once trump started forcing his will (spring/fall change, attempted forcing merger).
Trump fit right in with that group even back then. "What happened to the USFL?" It got Trumped😂
The salary cap is what has made the NFL the Great viewing phenomenon that it is. People forget how uncompetitive football was up till the late .90s
This is also the reason MLB is failing miserable year after year. No one wants to see a slew of top-notch prospects developed by a team only to have them jump to the Yankees Dodgers or other big market teams year after year after year.
What happened to the U.S.F.L.? Three words. Don "the Con".
If I’m not mistaken I think the New USFL is owned by FOX and not only that I think they spending the first one or two seasons down here in Alabama to Stack money so and look for The Stadiums to call home ion know though but we will see what happens after the First Season. But so far they looking pretty good and also The XFL Coming back for a single Season
Correct, FOX owns the new USFL, and all the league games were in Birmingham, AL (University of Alabama-Birmingham campus). I know the new XFL is coming back next year.
What happened to the WFL? I tried out for the Philadelphia Bell.
You should do one on the giants and dodgers moving
Dodgers are my favorite team, so for sure would love to do a video on them and the Giants at some point!
@@AllSportsHistory Now That's a Good Idea of Both Rivals!
I loved the USFL! I was so disappointed when they folded.
However, you are downplaying Trump's role. He wanted to own an NFL team. The owners didn't want him in their club. So Donald bought the Generals and immediately started pushing for a move to fall. He pushed hard and got his way. Why? He wanted a merger so he could get in the NFL owners club. Even if it meant killing the USFL.
A certain team owner pushed to force the league into the fall, and it couldn't compete.
its back
Tried to compete against the big dog and got thrown off the porch !!!
Rich guys f*cking things up. Things never change!
You should do a "what happened to the Minnesota North Stars."
Norm Green still sucks.
It’s my next video, and should be coming very soon!
This is why "the USFL will not make it till the 5th week" 5) crowd size . This is the home team with free tickets and Bham can't fill it. 4) XFL2, This is just a reboot of xfl2, with 1 stadium. I say reboot the first xfl with he hate me. 3)No alumni. Hershel Walker was the face of the first usfl in 1983. I would have Mr Walker in Newark giving his report Monday nights.2)Sunday night football. Have you ever asked yourself "why isn't the SB on Saturday afternoon on E$9n?" because a. they want the most ratings possible. Nobody has cable in Kentucky. b. More people are watching TV on Sunday nights. 1) The scores are to low. This is the highest scoring game in the new usfl history , yet no team has scored over 40 points. Any writer knows a book should start off with a train wreck to get the readers attention. I want to watch football ,however it's painful to watch a 0-3 game . I'll turn it off at halftime.
It did make sense why USFL had a lawsuit they had to merge with the NFL to survive
I would like to see the USFL succeed still even now. I think we need more pro football, that can also act as a minor league for guys trying to make it to the NFL...
I’m going to watch USFL I Denver Gold
I'm so pumped up for the New USFL then a merger with the XFL will happen
Lol..why??????
@@vicepresidentmikepence889A certain person who will remain nameless owned the generals wanted move to the fall plus hopefully force a merger
@@vicepresidentmikepence889 why not? USFL only having 8 teams an XFL having 12. That'll make for a bigger league which equals more games, which equals more rivalies, which drives the fandom of the sport/ league, which fuels the league... an so on and so forth
@@TheForbidden_1ne Or, you can just watch the nfl, like a normal person and not watch these pointless spring leagues that NEVER SURVIVE
@@vicepresidentmikepence889 major league football is another league coming
usfl was good football that had star power. herschel, young, white, kelly. They had the run and shoot before the nfl did. They made the mistake of expanding too quick and the losses began to pile up with many of their teams located right in nfl markets. Even tho some were successful. Michigan panthers were a big draw in the silverdome sometimes outdrawing the lions and won the inaugural usfl title. GO michigan panthers.
I do watch n have gone 2 a game
The stallions won the 2022 USFL championship.
USFL won't survive since they're all going to play in one city.....This bring no fans to the games only fans in Alabama. This strategy won't sell tickets.
I’m guessing Fox Sports is willing to eat the losses on attendance, hoping people will tune in and build a following for 2023.
@@AllSportsHistory I Would Be Shocked More Then Surprised If The New USFL Folds!
IT WAS AN ANNUITY! ;) (The Young contract)
I see you watched the ESPN 30 For 30
Quick answer: trump touched it.
first off they tried to compete with the nfl going after big name college stars of the time herschel walker, jim kelly,reggie white etc... and also high dollar nfl stars..before the teams and league was finacially stable enough.....then they had the stupid idea of trying to compete with the nfl and college in the fall...the new usfl seems to be doing it right as any expansion league should.....they are plenty of college talent,that were not high dollar athletes..they should continue on this path develope their stars,in each city..have realistic goals inknowing their not likely to have a large profit if any the first few years..i keep saying they or any expansion league should follow the model of the old afl in the early 60's...
I think the NFL needs a rival League it's too much talent in the United States a lot of football players will get a chance to play and it would be nice to see a Super Bowl with the best from one League plays the best from another League like back in the day then that way Pro bowls will mean something again USA versus NFL going to make it worth something it's a lot of money out there in the sport and they can make it work I also think the same thing about the NBA and the ABA the way I see it the NFL in the NBA is too greedy to share the wealth it's a money thing
WOW!!! The USFL had a lot of shady owners? OR Did the NFL call in some favors!?!
The two classics were Bill Oldenburg in Los Angeles and Clinton Magnes in San Antonio. Two guys who didn't have a fraction of the money they said they did. The only reason the league ran Los Angeles was that the TV contract required teams in LA, Chicago,and New York . They did relent and allow no team in Chicago. San Antonio didn't go into severe trouble until the season was underway in 1985 when players stopped getting paid.
Donald Trump happened to it, that’s what.
Go Showboats Go
Boy, that Donald Trump guy sure is a great business mind.
EVERYTHING that Trump touches.......dies.
@@gregorypollard5908 Agreed. Regarding Donald Trump in football, he did make an attempt by the Buffalo Bills football team after the original owner an AFL founder Ralph Wilson passed away in 2014 at the age of 95. The NFL took one look at him and the fact that he tried to sue the NFL in the mid 80s said no way.
That lawsuit was the end of the last attempt to try and rival any major professional league. The established professional leagues are worth too much money. It would be literally impossible to get enough people to try to challenge them. There just would be no point.
@@shackdaddy7106 This version of the USFL has a good idea with the team branding and should take it's time expanding...they have markets available to them with legend team identities that they can use...if done wisely they can really benefit from that
@@gregorypollard5908 but I would like to see not too far down the road. It’s a merger with the new XFL version two which is starting up in 2023. The new XFL already has an agreement with the NFL to be kind of a experimental league as far as rule changes.
If the two leagues merged, you would then have a 16 team league. Each team could be Affiliated with two NFL teams. One AFC, one NFC. For the first time ever you would have a true minor league for outdoor football. For instance you could have a team in San Antonio that is affiliated with the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans. You could have a team in Orlando that is affiliated with the Tampa Bay buccaneers and the Miami dolphins. And so on. The games would still be played in April May and June. Or maybe you could play them on Tuesday nights in the fall. Just some ideas.
The bottom line is I think spring football will work this time in the long run. You don’t have multiple owners screwing up things like what happened in the original US FL.
Right now the closest thing you have to admire your league in football is arena football. Which is now called the indoor football league. There are 14 teams with three of them being right here in the state of Arizona where I live. The teams are spread throughout the country. Arena football is not what it was 10 years ago. The players are only making $200-$500 per game and the teams pay for housing. So definitely minor-league. But in the cities where teams exist the game is still very popular. In fact I may go to a game this year.
I was reminded of this because I went and saw the movie American underdog a few days ago. Which is the story of the great Kurt Warner who was discovered in arena ball by the St. Louis Rams in 1998. One year later Kurt was Super Bowl MVP and is now a Hall of Famer..
@@shackdaddy7106 So here's where i'm going to disagree with you slightly here...I don't think that the XFL and USFL should merge anytime soon...I don't like the idea of any NFL affiliation which could go away at the drop of a hat. These leagues have to survive on their own for at least 5 years to build up their base and brand...if both are on equal footing at that time then they can sit down and discuss a merger
I prefer the XFL
They should've stayed with playing in the spring. As soon as Trump got involved the USFL was in trouble.
Small Potatoes.