UFL Heads to Hartford in 2010
Published on February 16, 2010 under United Football League (UFL 1) News Release
The City of Hartford and State of Connecticut will become home to the United Football League and the former New York Sentinels when the league's second season kicks off in the fall of 2010.
UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue, team owner Bill Mayer and new Head Coach and General Manager Chris Palmer were formally welcomed to the state capital by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell at a press conference at the team's future home venue of Rentschler Field.
The Sentinels team that played one game in Hartford in 2009 and hosted games at three different locations will settle into Rentschler Field for a proposed five home games this season, giving local football fans a team they can call their own.
"We are excited to play a full season of home games in Hartford and I am personally delighted to bring the United Football League to my home state," said UFL Commissioner Huyghue, who is a native of Windsor, CT. "The people of Hartford and the surrounding areas deserve their own professional football team and that is what we will deliver, beginning this 2010 UFL season. I am sure they will respond with great enthusiasm for their team."
Team owner and Senior Partner at Park Avenue Equity Partners, Bill Mayer, said: "It was clear from the game we played in Hartford last year that there is a strong passion for our game in the local community. This region has a rich history of fans supporting sports teams on both the professional and college level and we are proud to now be a part of that landscape."
The team, which will be renamed at a future time, posted a 0-6 record as the New York Sentinels during the inaugural UFL season and lost 24-6 to the championship game-bound Florida Tuskers in Hartford on November 12 in front of 5,201 spectators.
"A UFL team in Hartford is great news not only for football fans of all ages but it comes at a critical time when elected officials, business leaders and others continue to seek creative ways to stimulate our local economy," said Governor M. Jodi Rell. "From Connecticut's Pop Warner football leagues and high school teams to the college game and the NFL, our football fans have always shown a real passion and understanding for the game. Now, these same fans will have another affordable entertainment option while investing in our economy."
New Head Coach and General Manager Chris Palmer played football at Immaculate High School in Danbury and was a quarterback at Southern Connecticut State University before a successful spell coaching at the University of New Haven from 1986-87, posting consecutive 8-2 records. Most recently, Palmer tutored Eli Manning at the New York Giants from 2007 to 2009 and ultimately won a Super Bowl XLII ring when the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14 in Glendale, Arizona.
United Football League Stories from February 16, 2010
- Chris Palmer Named Head Coach, General Manager of Hartford Team - Hartford Colonials
- UFL Heads to Hartford in 2010 - UFL 1
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