TiVo alert: The USFL has a birthday party
To remind us about the 25th anniversary of the launch of the USFL -- the spring pro football league that was supposed to show the NFL that the game could be played in a different season with the same quality of talent -- ESPN Classic has a seven-hour marathon of shows Thursday that we'd advise those with a sense of history and humor make sure is on the radar.
"Here Comes the USFL," a one-hour show that highlights the first season -- 1983 -- kicks it off at 9 a.m..
From there:
The March 7, 1983 Birmingham Stallions vs. Michigan Panthers game (10 a.m. to noon). This is the first USFL game televised by ESPN.
The July 15, 1984 USFL title game between the Philadelphia Stars and Arizona Wranglers (noon to 2 p.m.)
The July 14, 1985 USFL title game between the Baltimore Stars (having moved there from Philly) and Oakland Invaders (rhymes with Raiders) (2 to 4 p.m.), which was the last game of the final season of the league's existence.
If we're not mistaken, ESPN used Jim Simpson as the voice of the league and the analyst .. .you'll have to tune in to remember...
Somewhere, we hope there's mention of the Los Angeles Express, a team that included for a time Steve Young at quarterback (and once, as a fullback), John Hadl as the coach and William Oldenberg as the excentric, pre-Bruce McNall-type owner who disappeared almost as soon as he came and delivered the now famous $40 million contract that Young signed out of BYU to give the league another star player.
Comments
What about the triple overtime game between the Express and Michigan - the longest professional football game ever? How could they leave that off?
Posted by: Jon | March 5, 2008 2:55 PM