Usfl 1986

[USFL13]

To: Any USFL fans
from: USFL Sim 1986

To any USFL fans; I am currently working on putting together a simulated USFL website/league. The premise of this site/league will be to have the USFL stay as a spring time league from 1986 onward. I will be using ACTION PC Football to simulate the games. The league will be committed to the original Dixon plan.

My questions are; when I try to put together the best 12-14 team league which teams do I keep and which ones have to go.

Here are the main problems:

1. To keep things realistic do I keep teams like Chicago & Los Angeles which were part of the mandated television network agreements but had horrible attendance?

2. Do I go with large cities or ones that will not have NFL teams?

3. Do I re-instate solid spring time teams like Michigan and New Orleans?

4. How many divisions? Go back to the original 83 divisions or East vs. West? Liberty vs. Independence?

5. If the league continues in 1986 should Jim Kelly remain a Gambler or be traded to New Jersey?

6. Teams on semi-solid footing would include: NJ, Baltimore, Tampa, Jaxville, Houston, Oakland, Birmingham, Memphis and Arizona. Open to suggestions here............

Any input is greatly appreciated.......my hope is to continue the USFL from 1986 onward as strictly a spring time entity which can survive with players from college, ex-NFLers, CFL as well as other alternate leagues which could range from the Arena League to CFL America.

Thanks in advance!

Long live the USFL

[Jamie]

If you are going to re-arrange history... keep the Michigan Panthers and Bobby Hebert in the Pontiac Silverdome...

The only pro football champions Detroit has seen since the fifties!

Jamie
Michigan Panthers Season Ticket Holder

[ChampionOfSteel]

1. To keep things realistic do I keep teams like Chicago & Los Angeles which were part of the mandated television network agreements but had horrible attendance?

That was a myth. The league did not have to keep LA and Chicago alive in the USFL's third season. The book, The $3 League, addressed that.

The truth was if the league dropped below a minimum number of teams, ABC had in writing they could walk.

[tops804]

Add the Chicago Blitz...They sat out the 1985 season, but planned to return in 1986. (Before the lawsuit)

From there, I would say that expansion, and future franchise locations are up to you -- and how they fair(ed) {including in 85}. For one, I often wondered if the Breakers would have remained in Portland...

Because it's what I would have hoped, I like to think that all 14 teams were
coming back in 1986 -- in their same locations. The beauty of a sim-league, is
that it's up to you.

5. If the league continues in 1986 should Jim Kelly remain a Gambler or be traded to New Jersey?

Based on my suggestion...Pretend it is August 1985 to start. Keep him on
Houston.

Divisions, at least 4. Not the two conferences, as divisions, like the USFL did in 1985.

But that's just me...I have thought of doing the same thing with a football
board game.

BTW -- If you google, you can find download's for Statis Pro cards of all 3 USFL seasons...Good luck!!!!:cool:

[Sam Hill]

That was a myth. The league did not have to keep LA and Chicago alive in the USFL's third season.

And they didn't keep Chicago alive in the USFL's third season.

They did keep LA alive. Usher convinced the other owners that would be the way to go.


5. If the league continues in 1986 should Jim Kelly remain a Gambler or be traded to New Jersey?

Based on my suggestion...Pretend it is August 1985 to start. Keep him on Houston.

Kelly wasn't "traded" to New Jersey. The Gamblers and Generals merged on August 1, 1985.

[Sam Hill]

Add the Chicago Blitz...They sat out the 1985 season, but planned to return in 1986. (Before the lawsuit)


Eddie Einhorn had the rights to the team. I don't believe he ever actually intended to field it (there was a brief chance it would come back in Dallas) in 1986. He just liked having the rights to a team.

[USFL13]

Gents,

Thanks for the input everyone.........any ideas for divisional alignments? 12 or 14 teams?

Tops804 are you by chance in western New York? I see you have the JSB arena as your avatar............

Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated!

thanks

USFL 86'

[tops804]

Tops804 are you by chance in western New York? I see you have the JSB arena as your avatar............

Cleveland, Ohio's south suburbs actually. Jamestown became adopted a
long time ago for minor league sports (Expo's NY/Penn). I had given the
Vikings hope, but obviously they were in the wrong hands from the beginning.
In the end, they gave us another "Titans disaster".

Jamestown is trying to put together a Junior A hockey team. It is being put
together, primarily by arena management. My avatar change, is in support
of their efforts.

As far as your division alignments....

Again, it is up to you. 12 teams can work in a 4 division alignment. 3 teams
in each. It would also depend on your playoff structure and how you feel
about some team's seeming like they are in a division out of their region.

Don't forget, this is a "fantasy league" -- they don't really have to pay travel
costs. Hope this helps...

[Aaronhere]

LIBERTY DIVISION
Baltimore Stars
New Jersey Generals (merged with the Houston Gamblers)
Memphis Showboats
Birmingham Stallions
INDEPENDENCE DIVISION
Arizona Outlaws
Tampa Bay Bandits
Orlando Renegades
Jacksonville Bulls (merged with the Denver Gold)

* Take the players from Los Angeles, Portland, San Antonio and Oakland and place them in a dispersal draft, but place the franchises on "hiatus"
* Use the original 1986 schedule - http://www.thisistheusfl.com/1986%20schedule.htm
* Add expansion teams down the road every three years
1988 - Denver Gold (Independence) and New Orleans Breakers (Liberty)
1991 - Michigan Panthers and Indianapolis Invaders (old Oakland franchise)
INDEPENDENCE - Arizona, New Orleans, Denver, Michigan, Memphis, Indianapolis
LIBERTY - Baltimore, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville, Birmingham
1994 - San Antonio Gunslingers (the Alamodome opened the previous year) and California Express (playing games in Anaheim)
INDEPENDENCE - Arizona, Denver, California, San Antonio, Michigan, Memphis, Indianapolis
LIBERTY - Baltimore, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Birmingham
1997 - Chicago Blitz and St. Louis Stallions (failed NFL expansion franchise)
THE 1997 UNITED STATES FOOTBALL LEAGUE
LIBERTY CONFERENCE - Eastern Division
New Jersey Generals
Baltimore Stars
Jacksonville Bulls
Orlando Renegades
LIBERTY CONFERENCE - Southern Division
Birmingham Stallions
Tampa Bay Bandits
Memphis Showboats
New Orleans Breakers
INDEPENDENCE CONFERENCE - Central Division
Michigan Panthers
Indianapolis Invaders
Chicago Blitz
St. Louis Stallions
INDEPENDENCE CONFERENCE - Western Division
San Antonio Gunslingers
Arizona Outlaws
California Express
Denver Gold

Just spitballing...............

[Sam Hill]

Uh, Jacksonville was the Bulls, there, pookie.

[USFL13]

After analyzing the messages here, the yahoo USFL fans board and various e-mail replies; I believe that the following scenario could be plausible:

Atlantic Division
New Jersey
Baltimore-Philly
Jacksonville
Tampa
Orlando

Central Division
Michigan
Memphis
Birmingham
New Orleans
Houston

West or Pacific Division
Arizona Wranglers
Denver
Oakland
Los Angeles

Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

USFL13

[Ron]

Hail to the Feds!
http://i31.tinypic.com/j79112.gif

[USFL13]

Still a cool logo after all these years..........sort of sci-fi meets the Concorde!

USFL1986

[Aaronhere]

Still a cool logo after all these years..........sort of sci-fi meets the Concorde!

USFL1986

Your thoughts on the Feds logo? Was the original better than the 1984 version, when they tweaked the helmet

1983 HELMET
http://www.misterhabs.com/usfl_files/USFL_Federals_1.gif

1984 HELMET
http://www.misterhabs.com/usfl_files/USFL_Federals_2.gif

The Fighting Federals
We're the Fighting Federals
We're gonna march down the field and score!
We'll bring victory to Washington,
And watch the Eagle soar!

We're the Fighting Federals,
We've got our hearts on the line.
When you back the Fighting Federals,
You back a winner every time!
- author unknown, introduced 1984

[USFL13]

I prefer the white helmet myself..........

USFL 1986

[Ron]

Your thoughts on the Feds logo? Was the original better than the 1984 version, when they tweaked the helmet

1983 HELMET
http://www.misterhabs.com/usfl_files/USFL_Federals_1.gif

1984 HELMET
http://www.misterhabs.com/usfl_files/USFL_Federals_2.gif

The Fighting Federals
We're the Fighting Federals
We're gonna march down the field and score!
We'll bring victory to Washington,
And watch the Eagle soar!

We're the Fighting Federals,
We've got our hearts on the line.
When you back the Fighting Federals,
You back a winner every time!
- author unknown, introduced 1984
I definitely prefer the white helmet and uniforms.

[Ron]

Here's my choice fantasy league mixing teams from several defunct pro football leagues...

Trump Conference
Eastern Division
Washington Federals (USFL)
New Jersey Generals (USFL)
Philadelphia Stars (USFL)
Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL)

Atlantic Division
Boston Breakers (USFL)
Charlotte Hornets (WFL)
Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)
Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL)

Central Division
Denver Gold (USFL)
Houston Gamblers (USFL)
Michigan Panthers (USFL)
Oklahoma Outlaws (USFL)

Pacific Division
Arizona Wranglers (USFL)
Los Angeles Express (USFL)
Oakland Invaders (USFL)
Honolulu Hawians (WFL)

German Division
Berlin Thunder (NFLE)
Cologne Centurions (NFLE)
Frankfurt Galaxy (NFLE)
Hamburg Sea Devils (NFLE)
Rhein Fire (NFLE)

McMahon Conference
Northern Division
Baltimore Stallions (CFL)
Chicago Enforcers (XFL)
New York Hitmen (XFL)
San Francisco Demons (XFL)

Southern Division
Birmingham Bolts (XFL)
Memphis Maniax (XFL)
Orlando Rage (XFL)
San Antonio Texans (CFL)

Heartland Division
Ohio Glory (WLAF)
Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL)
Raleigh Skyhawks (WLAF)
Portland Thunder (WFL)

Coastal Division
Florida Blazers (WFL)
Sacramento Surge (WLAF)
Shreveport Pirates (CFL)
Southern California Sun (WFL)

European Division
Amsterdam Admirals (NFLE)
Barcelona Dragons (NFLE)
England Monarchs (NFLE)
Montreal Machine (WLAF)
Scottish Claymores (NFLE)

[USFL13]

http://unitedstatesfootballleague.blogspot.com/

[USFL13]

Which city gets a franchise for the 1986 season to round the league out to 14, Chicago or Los Angeles?

Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

USFL13

[tops804]

...L.A. would have known it was going to play to empty houses, remove
them instead...

Transfer the Los Angeles roster to Chicago and put Chicago in the West.

If you really want to get crafty...Hold a dispersal draft between Arizona &
Chicago in order to give some of the original Blitz players a chance to return.
Similar to what San Jose and Minnesota did in the NHL. (Remember that
Chicago & Arizona essentially swapped players in 1984.)

[USFL13]

http://unitedstatesfootballleague.blogspot.com/

thanks

USFL 1986:)

[tops804]

The USFL Survives Chronology

Event Date: Sunday, July 14th, 1985

Event Description: The day after the USFL Championship game, in which the Philadelphia Stars won 28-24 over the Oakland Invaders, the league officially “freezes” the rosters of all 14 teams, preventing those players not already under contract with NFL teams from jumping leagues.


Just a reminder: The actual 1985 champions were the Baltimore Stars.

[USFL13]

Thanks, their will have to be some "poetic license" along the way...........

USFL 1986

[USFL13]

Who should be named head coach of the Chicago franchise for the 1986 season? To cast your vote, please visit the USFL blog:

http://unitedstatesfootballleague.blogspot.com/

thanks

USFL 1986:cool:

[USFL13]

Check out the USFL Blog for the latest polls regarding the 1986 season;

thanks

USFL 1986

http://unitedstatesfootballleague.blogspot.com/

[USFL13]

The 1986 Virtual USFL will be posting here in the future:

thanks

USFL 1986

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/VirtualUSFL/

[USFL13]

the Virtual USFL website is now up and running........thanks to those of you who provided input and suggestions:


http://web.mac.com/robertricker/Site_2/Intro86.html


USFL 1986:p