USFL 2.0

Kind of surprising, since the "owner" is The Rock, and he's currently tied up in broadcasting deals with NBC. Then again, I could see NBC not wanting yet another go-around with the XFL, or, The Rock wanting to diversify what networks he's involved with. (Also, obviously, he's involved with a bunch of Disney franchises.)

 

I didn't watch any of the Panthers-Stallions tonight, but apparently somebody in some position of authority told Fisher, "enough of this bullshit of not having a kicker who can make extra points or a 25-yard FG," cause this week they rolled out a dude who boomed a 56 yarder on the opening drive.

of course they then went on to lose the game, 33-17.

 

I did watch it. My first USFL game. The football was OK. The broadcast...rough. A lot of dead air.

 

From the press release: "Each season, all 43 games (40 regular season games, two playoffs, one championship) will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN networks and FX."
I assume that means if there's a time conflict with NBA / NHL / MLB / NCAA basketball, these games are going to be on FX, FXX, or ESPNews.

 

Tuned in for the final 3-4 minutes of Panthers-Breakers and fucking Fisher is at it again.

It's like every fucking game he commits 3-4 "fire the coach on the spot" fuckups.

I'd guess as the league's "biggest name" coaching hire, he demanded -- and got -- a pretty much ironclad bulletproof contract; he can't be fired, at all, for any reason, without getting every nickel of his deal paid off.

So he's taken the opportunity to say, "what the fuck, who cares" and make every crazy decision and "see what happens."

 

Garth Brooks played at Protective Stadium last night, so all the games this week are being played at Legion Field. One of UAB's gripes about playing at Lesion Field was that because it was built before television, positions for TV cameras had to be added. Since there is no built in media facility other than the press box, the control room is in a tractor trailer under the West grandstand and all the camera mounts are also on that side, looking across to the East (visitor) stands. This meant that virtually all crowd shots were of a near empty visitor side, which always made the 15-20k in a 70k stadium look that much worse. On any hot game day, the majority of the crowd would sit on the West side because it is in the shade while the East stands are in full sun and hotter than hell.

As a result, the USFL closed parking on the West in order to push people to enter on the East and sit in the sun so the place wouldn't look so horribly empty. Fans had to walk all the way around the stadium to get to the shady seats or fry in the sun.

 

Jeff Fisher gotta be Jeff Fisher - Team has about 1-and-10 from the 13. Run, run (FD gained), run, run (TD overturned, clearly short), run (up the middle stuffed), pass on 4th down for TD. XP missed. 12-play drive, 69 yards, 6:58 in clock elapsed. Opposing teams goes 4 plays, 40 yards in about 90 seconds for a TD.

 

USFL Players Vote to Unionize With Steelworkers Backing

 

One weekend at Legion Field will have that effect on anybody.

 

Congratulations USFL, you are the first major spring league to make it to game 9 since the original XFL. A few more weeks and you'll top the XFL which played a 10 game season, one round of playoffs and the championship. Then it's the original USFL which played a few years - and I didn't realize they were playing 18 game seasons back then.

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...eraged-715000-viewers-in-2022-regular-season/

 

There will be a second season of the USFL. They will play home games in two cities instead of just one next year.

https://usflnewshub.com/usfl-news/u...games-in-home-markets-in-2023-expand-in-2024/