Monday, 15 Dec 2008
United Football League's Frank Vuono On Debut And Future
Posted By: Darren Rovell
Topics:Sports
ufl-football.com
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Despite the Arena Football League’s fall, the United Football League is still going ahead with plans to debut next year. I spoke with the UFL’s chief operating officer Frank Vuono about the league’s future.
Darren: I’ve gone to the league web site and there are a lot of things still up in the air even though you are launching next fall. How many owners have committed?
Vuono: We have identified four groups, but we’re not naming names until the checks clear.
Darren: How many ownership groups do you need in order to start the season?
Vuono: We think we need six in order to move forward in some fashion, even if that means the league would own some teams. The economy has hurt us in that we’ve had people that were right on the ledge about to take the step and then they lost tons of money and pulled back.
Darren: What are the cities you have finalized?
Vuono: We have Hartford, New York, Orlando, Los Angeles, Vegas and San Francisco. And once we get off the ground, we believe there are second year commitments in Monterrey and Salt Lake City.
Darren: When is the deadline for debuting the league this year? When is the point that this is on or off?
Vuono: We’re going to have something by the weekend of the Super Bowl (Feb. 1).
Darren: And if you can’t go for 2009, what happens?
Vuono: Well, we don’t really want to think about that because we have too much momentum right now. We’ll have a television deal, we have all the venues set and I think it would be a mistake to put it off one more season. If we did that, it would be hard to criticize though, given this economic environment.
Darren: How does the Arena Football League going down for 2009 affect you?
Vuono: It doesn’t hurt us at all. In fact, in provides all those people who loved their league and have disposable income with an alternative. But from a quality of play perspective, it will be an upgrade. Nothing against their players, but many of their players wouldn’t be playing in the NFL. Our guys are going to be pulled from the bottom half of NFL rosters and are the guys who would be the last cuts of an NFL team. We’ll sign guys that have been squeezed out of the league because of the salary cap. The truth is that the NFL could expand by eight to 10 teams and we’re going to take advantage of the talent that is out there.
Darren: What’s the planned schedule?
Vuono: From August through Thanksgiving. It’s a 10-game season that will take place mostly on Friday nights. The national television deal would be a Thursday night primetime game.
Darren: What’s the salary cap?
Vuono: It’s a $20 million cap for each team, including salary, benefits and pension. And with that, we feel like we can get that undrafted free agent. The average salary will be in the $300,000 to $350,000 and we think we’ll be able to pay a college quarterback that got drafted in the fourth to sixth round in the NFL Draft more money to come to us.
Sports Biz Poll
Will the UFL make its scheduled debut in 2009? * 279 responses
Yes
53%
No
47%
Not a scientific survey.
Darren: Do you think anyone who went with your league would be blackballed from the NFL?
Vuono: You never know, but I doubt it.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
MICHAEL VICK? SHOULD HE OR SHOULDN"T HE?
I recently submitted a comment on whether Michael Vick should play in the UFL on the UFL'S official website www.ufl-football.com
Was I too hard?
Read below:
Re: Commissioner Huyghue's Blog - Quality of UFL Players
Posted by Scotty D at 12.09.08
No! I think, though it would create buzz around the league, it is a PR nightmare. There are already, based on supposition, people calling the UFL "The All Convict League". If you are trying to make the league a "family" environment where role models are created, why go after a convicted felon. There are many talented players out there with a clean pedigree and the FOOTBALL can stand on its own. Please don't let this league be an outlet for ego-centric, arrogant felons who think that life has two sets of rules.
Michael Vick deserves a second chance- yes- but let not the UFL come running after him. This sends the wrong PR message and will sour many on the league's mission statement.
"If you don't stand for anything , you'll fall for everything"
Go UFL- send the right message to our kids!
I'll state "NO MICHAEL VICK"!!!
OK- Here's my sober rebuttal:
Sports are about BIG MONEY! Ok, we're all smart enoughb to have figured that out by now!
If I'm the hierarchy of the UFL, I need to weigh public perception versus monetary gain.
The truth is: a Michael Vick signing will give mega publicity to the UFL!
It would be the lead story on ESPN and sports shows across the country.
This, in turn, would sell tickets and create a curiousity factor that would lead to major ticket sales.
Fans that normally wouldn't watch, would tune in, showcasing the other talent on the field in the process.
There would be a beat of established media outlets following his every move, every day, his first full season.
The UFL couldn't buy this type of publicity, good or bad.
So even though my moral conscience is asking for the UFL to be above the almighty dollar fray and set a new sports moral standard ( yeah right... I am in fantasy land) let's face it- sports is about money and how to best make it!
I think the UFL will sign Michael Vick, and take the chance the enormous publicity will more than make up for the negative publicity.
Was I too hard?
Read below:
Re: Commissioner Huyghue's Blog - Quality of UFL Players
Posted by Scotty D at 12.09.08
No! I think, though it would create buzz around the league, it is a PR nightmare. There are already, based on supposition, people calling the UFL "The All Convict League". If you are trying to make the league a "family" environment where role models are created, why go after a convicted felon. There are many talented players out there with a clean pedigree and the FOOTBALL can stand on its own. Please don't let this league be an outlet for ego-centric, arrogant felons who think that life has two sets of rules.
Michael Vick deserves a second chance- yes- but let not the UFL come running after him. This sends the wrong PR message and will sour many on the league's mission statement.
"If you don't stand for anything , you'll fall for everything"
Go UFL- send the right message to our kids!
I'll state "NO MICHAEL VICK"!!!
OK- Here's my sober rebuttal:
Sports are about BIG MONEY! Ok, we're all smart enoughb to have figured that out by now!
If I'm the hierarchy of the UFL, I need to weigh public perception versus monetary gain.
The truth is: a Michael Vick signing will give mega publicity to the UFL!
It would be the lead story on ESPN and sports shows across the country.
This, in turn, would sell tickets and create a curiousity factor that would lead to major ticket sales.
Fans that normally wouldn't watch, would tune in, showcasing the other talent on the field in the process.
There would be a beat of established media outlets following his every move, every day, his first full season.
The UFL couldn't buy this type of publicity, good or bad.
So even though my moral conscience is asking for the UFL to be above the almighty dollar fray and set a new sports moral standard ( yeah right... I am in fantasy land) let's face it- sports is about money and how to best make it!
I think the UFL will sign Michael Vick, and take the chance the enormous publicity will more than make up for the negative publicity.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE FAN STORE
EXCITING TIME FOR AN "OLD" NEW LEAGUE JUNKIE!
Thank you for coming to my blog. I will be providing reports on the who/what/when/and why of the fledgling United Football League in the coming months as we inch our way towards the opening ceremonies in September of 2009.
I have been a long time fan of start up professional sports leagues since I was a young boy of about 12, when the then World Hockey Association made it's debut.
I continued to follow the progress- if you can call it that- of the World Football League, and it's short lived time on our sports map.
I saw Dr J at the apex of his career while dunking with the Virginia Squires and New York Nets of the old ABA. Still THE most exciting basketball player I ever saw!
The USFL with Jim Kelly and Herschel Walker came next, showing off their extreme talents, before the league faded into memory with a whopping legal settlement of $1 against the monopoly NFL! (NO FUN LEAGUE)!
Finally, I was in the stands when Orlando made it's XFL debut, my then girlfriend and current wife next to me. (I figured if she would go to this, she was good in my book). Rememeber "He hate me"! Hey it was ALL good in my book!
I should have known that the league was cursed, when on the opening kickoff/scrum, a player dislocated his shoulder.
The UFL has many naysayers, as they all did. They may all turn out to be right, though I feel the originators of the UFL have taken the truism "If you don't learn from history, you are destined to repeat it" to heart!
There is something, though, about a fresh start, a new vision, that has always inspired me to root for, and even support... via ticket sales, merchandise, TV viewing upstart ventures going against the almighty- in this case the NFL - establishment.
Maybe it is just at my core, "I LOVE the underdog".
One thing I craved as kid when a new league started was getting my hands on merchandise........ official or not! Anything that showed I was in on something new, exciting, and unique!
I still have a collection of WFL media guides...... remember the vaunted New York Stars!
Therefore, I have provided you with a link to the first UFL merchandise you can purchase, to show your pride, to thumb your nose at the doomsdayers, to give grassroot support to this venture, which many think "won't work".
Today we say to them " We are alive and believe".
I am wearing my UFL gear knowing they will deliver on the slogan "Stars of tommorrow"
Because, this is at heart what America stands for! Underdogs succeeding!
Go UFL!
I hope to provide some insight into this league as the days progress, no matter how demented and distorted they may be.
After all, I am an "Old" new league junkie!
Thank you for coming to my blog. I will be providing reports on the who/what/when/and why of the fledgling United Football League in the coming months as we inch our way towards the opening ceremonies in September of 2009.
I have been a long time fan of start up professional sports leagues since I was a young boy of about 12, when the then World Hockey Association made it's debut.
I continued to follow the progress- if you can call it that- of the World Football League, and it's short lived time on our sports map.
I saw Dr J at the apex of his career while dunking with the Virginia Squires and New York Nets of the old ABA. Still THE most exciting basketball player I ever saw!
The USFL with Jim Kelly and Herschel Walker came next, showing off their extreme talents, before the league faded into memory with a whopping legal settlement of $1 against the monopoly NFL! (NO FUN LEAGUE)!
Finally, I was in the stands when Orlando made it's XFL debut, my then girlfriend and current wife next to me. (I figured if she would go to this, she was good in my book). Rememeber "He hate me"! Hey it was ALL good in my book!
I should have known that the league was cursed, when on the opening kickoff/scrum, a player dislocated his shoulder.
The UFL has many naysayers, as they all did. They may all turn out to be right, though I feel the originators of the UFL have taken the truism "If you don't learn from history, you are destined to repeat it" to heart!
There is something, though, about a fresh start, a new vision, that has always inspired me to root for, and even support... via ticket sales, merchandise, TV viewing upstart ventures going against the almighty- in this case the NFL - establishment.
Maybe it is just at my core, "I LOVE the underdog".
One thing I craved as kid when a new league started was getting my hands on merchandise........ official or not! Anything that showed I was in on something new, exciting, and unique!
I still have a collection of WFL media guides...... remember the vaunted New York Stars!
Therefore, I have provided you with a link to the first UFL merchandise you can purchase, to show your pride, to thumb your nose at the doomsdayers, to give grassroot support to this venture, which many think "won't work".
Today we say to them " We are alive and believe".
I am wearing my UFL gear knowing they will deliver on the slogan "Stars of tommorrow"
Because, this is at heart what America stands for! Underdogs succeeding!
Go UFL!
I hope to provide some insight into this league as the days progress, no matter how demented and distorted they may be.
After all, I am an "Old" new league junkie!
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