When I first heard the news that the USFL would be returning in 2022, I had goosebumps. I had to make sure it was the original United States Football League I was reading about. I got nervous, and then I had a Joker smile as part of my childhood was coming back into my life. I know what you’re thinking. Here we go again with another Spring football league which will be destined to fail just like the multiple ones in recent years. The USFL was different than all those other leagues. USFL went against the NFL not wanting to join them in the park for a Sunday walk. The USFL went after the great players. The USFL did things to the game of football that are still being used today as the NFL copied the 1980’s league numerous amount of times. The USFL lasted longer than all these other rinky dink operations that could not even finish a regular season, in the case of the latest two. The lone mistake the USFL did was listen to former U.S President Donald Trump when trying to move the Spring league to the Fall. This meant going up against the giant NFL at the time. After the league folded up shop, we somehow trusted Donald Trump again.

The USFL originally started in 1983 and lasted to 1986. They have retained rights to most of their franchises they had in the 1980’s league. The first season, the USFL will bring back 8 of those franchises and split them up into two divisions. If you remember, the USFL at one point had 18 franchises. Twelve of them in the very first season back in 1983. Some of the cool ones I liked were not chosen, just like the home team, the Chicago Blitz. The two divisions will be called North & South which sounds like a civil war of some kind.

NORTH DIVISION: MICHIGAN PANTHERS, NEW JERSEY GENERALS, PHILADELPHIA STARS, PITTSBURGH MAULERS

SOUTH DIVISION: BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS, HOUSTON GAMBLERS NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS, TAMPA BAY BANDITS

The league will start in April of 2022. The USFL has partnered up with Fox sports to provide the coverage of their games. That is very important having one of the top networks doing the games to get this league some legs. In the first season, all the games will be played in one Central location which is smart for the wait until the Covid-19 virus is fully controlled. The location has not yet been determined. Each team will play ten games. All the games will be played every Saturday and Sunday. Four teams make the playoffs. Top division winners & then two wild cards, which will be the second best records in each division.

All the USFL has to do is complete one season with the post-season and a championship to be a better league then the last two that tried Spring football. The AAF, American Alliance Football league, was very close to finishing off their season until they ran out of money. Bad accounting and not enough backing. Come on people you should know what you are getting yourself involved here. Then came the return of XFL, this time without the wrestling mixed in the game of football. The new XFL was only half way through their season until Covid wiped the entire league out. Both the XFL and the AAF were all about the game on the field. The games were interesting to watch. Sloppy football in the beginning, but the product got better as the weeks went on. What will be interesting is that the XFL plans to return in 2023. The XFL was purchased by the ROCK, Dwayne Johnson, and some other backers. Right now the stage is set for the USFL to reclaim their fame of Spring football. I feel the product on the field will be well worth it when they figure everything out. It will be interesting to see who coaches each team and how everything on the field unfolds as there’s more news to come on the return of the USFL.

SOME FUN FACTS ABOUT THE USFL AND THE TEAMS RETURNING

MICHIGAN PANTHERS

The Michigan Panthers logo looks like the Carolina Panthers logo in the NFL. The Michigan Panthers were around first… I’m just saying.

Remember the former New Orleans Saints quarterback, Bobby Hebert? Hebert played in the USFL before he came to the NFL and led the Panthers all the way to the first USFL Championship, which Michigan won. Hebert would be the best Saints quarterback since Archie Manning and help guide that franchise to their first playoff appearance.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS

The Generals had a beast at running back.

Herschel Walker ran people over in the USFL as his legendary collegiate game exploded in the professional ranks. The Generals also had Doug Flutie at quarterback , withthe legendary Hail Mary pass he threw for Boston College. The Generals’ downfall was Donald Trump was your owner. I just threw up in my mouth.

PHILADELPHIA STARS

Remember Coach Jim Mora? Mora was all about the playoffs when it came to the USFL. Mora coached the Stars to two USFL championships. Mora would then coach the Saints in the NFL and his quarterback would actually be Bobby Hebert. The Stars in the 1980’s were Philadelphia & then Baltimore, but they never played their home games in the state of Maryland.

PITTSBURGH MAULERS

By far my favorite logo of the returning USFL teams. The swinging of the sledge hammer in Steel-town is awesome.

The Mauler teams of the past were not that good. Pittsburgh did land running back Michael Rozier, the 1983 Heisman trophy winner. Rozier would end up in the NFL with the Houston Oilers.

Loved that old oil rig on the Oilers helmet. Oilers logo is much better than the Houston Texans helmet in present days.

BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS

The Birmingham Stallions won two division titles in the 1980’s of the USFL. The Stallions have Joe Cribbs, a little shifty speedster running back that created havoc on opposing defenses in the USFL.

Cribbs went on and played well in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills

HOUSTON GAMBLERS

My favorite quarterback of all-time, Jim Kelly, started with the Houston Gamblers and before running the K-Gun offense in Buffalo, Kelly ran the run and shoot in Houston to perfection. Kelly and the Gamblers had one of the best aerial attacks in the history of the USFL. Houston made it to the playoffs but would end up getting knocked out every year. Kelly would become a Hall of Fame quarterback in a Buffalo Bills uniform leading the Bills to 4 Superbowls in a row.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS

The Breakers played all over in the USFL in the 1980’s. Breakers played in in Boston, New Orleans, and did a year in Portland Oregon.

TAMPA BAY BANDITS

Old Smokey the Bandit, actor Burt Reynolds, was part owner of the Tampa Bay franchise. Tampa Bay by far drew the most attendance in the league.

The Bandit games looked like a great time in the stands as they had pretty good teams on the field as well.

THE FORGOTTEN TEAMS

MEMPHIS SHOW BOATS

Reggie White had the Showboats creating problems for opposing offensive linemen across the league. With quarterbacks running for their dear lives.

WASHINGTON FEDERALS

Terrible teams in the 1980’s but cool helmet color scheme.

ORLANDO RENEGADES

Great logo. Native Americans could cause problems if you have anything Indian these days.

JACKSONVILLE BULLS

Can you imagine having two sucky football teams in the same town? Would Urban Meyer jump ship from the Jaguars to the Bulls?

San Antonio Gunslingers

San Antonio logo was a little too cartoonish, but I still like it. Funny story about the Gunslinger team is when the players got their checks, they would all make a mad dash to the bank because if you were towards the end of the line, your check may have bounced that week.

CHICAGO BLITZ

Marv Levy was from Chicago and coached the Blitz back in the 1980’s league. Levy was the head coach of the Blitz before he went to the NFL and coached the Bills.

DENVER GOLD

Nice color scheme the Gold had.

LA EXPRESS

Another Hall of Fame quarterback came from the USFL. Steve Young was the quarterback for the LA Express team.

THE OUTLAWS

One of the coolest logos in the USFL. Outlaws ran in Arizona and Oklahoma. Quarterback Doug Williams played on those Outlaw teams. Williams would go on to win a Superbowl in a Redskin uniform.

OAKLAND INVADERS

Coolest name in the league, The Invaders. I do like the logo. You can probably do something totally different and make it the best logo in sports.

ARIZONA WRANGLERS

The Outlaws merged with the Wranglers and Arizona went on to win their division, and the conference, in 1984.