Oh, for sure. The Continental Football League is one I'm particularly invested in, mainly because it was an forgotten third league, did give rise to a couple of Hall of Famers(Ken Stabler), and also the stories are rather interesting(In particular, the Toronto Rifles).
These are on topic, but not books?
[https://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website\_Files/Coffin\_Corner/10-05-347.pdf](https://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/10-05-347.pdf)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental\_Football\_League](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Football_League)
I became aware of the Continental Football league and the Atlantic Coast Football league because of players who eventually ended up in the NFL like Jake Dolbin, Wade Key, Otis Sistrunk,Coy Bacon, and Garo Yapremian
And guys that were drafted by both leagues and chose the USFL - Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, etc.
The USFL drew some big names but ultimately was not financially stable enough to really compete with the NFL. Maybe if they had won more than $3 in their antitrust lawsuit.
Sold them a while back, but I had the complete sets of the Topps USFL cards from 1984 and 1985. Tons of guys that would go on to have stellar NFL careers. Grew up a Jacksonville Bulls fan.
- WFL (1970s)
- USFL1 (1983-85)
- NFL-E (1990s-2000s)
- XFL1 (2001)
- UFL1 (2010s)
- AAF (2019)
- XFL2, USFL2, and current UFL2.
Mexican LFA, German GFL, & ELF for Euro leagues.
Or US semi-pro teams.
Let's talk about all of them.
I'm not opposed to chatting about it, just not something I watch since it's not based on traditional style football. Same reason I've never had success at getting myself interested in Canadian football (field size & to a lesser extent rule differences).
As a Browns fan, I have to be interested in the ~~AAFL~~ AAFC. But I don’t confuse those championships with NFL championships. EDIT: Correcting the initials.
But today's Colts are not the same AAFC Colts! That team went defunct after joining the NFL.
Then the NFL expanded the Dallas Texans in the early 50s, but that franchise performed poorly and was revoked. It was awarded to the "modern" Colts in Baltimore. Apparently they shared a lot of personnel, but today's Colts are also not considered a continuation of the early 50s NFL Dallas Texans.
Writing a short story about a failed nfl like entity. Go so enthralled with the world building and making up fake teams, uniforms, backstories that I never finished the story.
Not just you. I collect defunct team and defunct league stuff from all sports.
I'm always on the lookout for AFL, WFL , and USFL items, especially for the Chicago Fire and the Chicago Blitz.
I'm very interested in Leagues that competed with the NFL. The AFL is my favorite, but I really liked the USFL. I watched their games for all 3 years. I don't care as much about the minor leagues, but the Leagues that signed players the NFL wanted are of great interest to me.
Even today, I wish the NFL had major league competition...
The lawsuit that destroyed the original USFL proved the NFL was stacking the odds against any competition. If they made it convenient to watch on a streaming channel that was free the USFL would still be intact and playing. Being a feeder league for the NFL is weak shit.
I'm not interested in the current spring league. The play is not bad, but minor league sports are nothing in this country. There is so much competition for the entertainment dollar. I don't believe that spring football is viable any more. The old USFL was working for a while, but the owners killed it.
Now, there are so many sports going on simultaneously in this country, particularly in the spring, that there just isn't room for another one. I'm not saying that one would succeed but a new league would have to take the NFL on head to head.
Not just you. I spend hours some days watching NFL games from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
It shocks people who haven’t seen a lot of film from that era. The game in general was brutal and much more physical without all of the modern rule changes.
I also like to study players considered “all time greats” so I can compare them to present day players.
My son and I watched the 79 Super Bowl and had more fun. I noticed games, play, the commentators, the format and generally everything except the equipment and camera quality was better all around. Though kinda like the old grainy games
Yeah I say stand on your own, the nfl doesn’t want them to succeed and the investors want too much of a return too early from the investments. Too many people too willing to take the money in the nfl
I was a big fan of the USFL Philadelphia Stars back in the 80’s. The consensus of the Philly sports media was that the Stars could beat the Eagles. They were clearly the best team in the league and had some exciting games (their comeback against Chicago in the first playoff game is a great memory forty years later). It was a shame how that league ended, courtesy of a few bad owners and a guy named Trump.
WLAF guy here. I wear Sacramento surge and Barcelona dragons t’s under my work shirts some days. In madden I usually try to recreate head cannon for an Ohio glory, or Orlando thunder, or any of the other awesome teams. The monarchs are actually on madden as a relocation possibility!
Oh, for sure. The Continental Football League is one I'm particularly invested in, mainly because it was an forgotten third league, did give rise to a couple of Hall of Famers(Ken Stabler), and also the stories are rather interesting(In particular, the Toronto Rifles).
They have a book on it?
These are on topic, but not books? [https://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website\_Files/Coffin\_Corner/10-05-347.pdf](https://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/10-05-347.pdf) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental\_Football\_League](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Football_League)
Hadn't heard of the Continental. Will have to look them up. Thanks for sharing!
I became aware of the Continental Football league and the Atlantic Coast Football league because of players who eventually ended up in the NFL like Jake Dolbin, Wade Key, Otis Sistrunk,Coy Bacon, and Garo Yapremian
NFL Europe was a great developmental league. Damned shame it didn't continue.
As a Panthers fan, the one thing I knew about Jake Delhomme when he became our starter in 2003 was that he had been Kurt Warner's backup in the NFLE.
Missed out on them Raleigh Durham Skyhawks! I liked their uniforms.
Exactly.
Is this the same as the World League form the early-mid 90s? Or was it a reworked league?
It's what the world league became after they shut down the IS teams.
I always think it's cool to see NFL stars that jumped to the USFL.
And guys that were drafted by both leagues and chose the USFL - Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, etc. The USFL drew some big names but ultimately was not financially stable enough to really compete with the NFL. Maybe if they had won more than $3 in their antitrust lawsuit.
WFL drained Dolphins. Memphis Southman pilfered Csonka, Kiick & Warfield.
This crushed me. Those Dolphins were my first sports heroes. My first harsh lesson re: professional sports.
Sold them a while back, but I had the complete sets of the Topps USFL cards from 1984 and 1985. Tons of guys that would go on to have stellar NFL careers. Grew up a Jacksonville Bulls fan.
I've always loved old leagues like the Continental FL, as well as the Canadian Football League.
- WFL (1970s) - USFL1 (1983-85) - NFL-E (1990s-2000s) - XFL1 (2001) - UFL1 (2010s) - AAF (2019) - XFL2, USFL2, and current UFL2. Mexican LFA, German GFL, & ELF for Euro leagues. Or US semi-pro teams. Let's talk about all of them.
And previous AAFC or whatever that league was that gave us 49ers
WLAF/NFL E had the best run, I think new UFL should approach about being the developmental league. Is arena off the table?
I'm not opposed to chatting about it, just not something I watch since it's not based on traditional style football. Same reason I've never had success at getting myself interested in Canadian football (field size & to a lesser extent rule differences).
I definitely feel that.
As a Browns fan, I have to be interested in the ~~AAFL~~ AAFC. But I don’t confuse those championships with NFL championships. EDIT: Correcting the initials.
Niners fan here also a fan of the AAFC (for the same reason), wasn’t there a third team picked up by the NFL as well
Wikipedia says the Colts were the third team and that I don't know what I'm talking about because it was the AAFC.
lol I knew AAFC but was letting it be
A rare, kind soul who passes up the opportunity to correct someone on the www. Cheers to you!
But today's Colts are not the same AAFC Colts! That team went defunct after joining the NFL. Then the NFL expanded the Dallas Texans in the early 50s, but that franchise performed poorly and was revoked. It was awarded to the "modern" Colts in Baltimore. Apparently they shared a lot of personnel, but today's Colts are also not considered a continuation of the early 50s NFL Dallas Texans.
Didn’t know that. Interesting.
I used to go see the Boston Breakers in '83. Fun times. Remember when the CFL came to the US? Baltimore won the Grey Cup and blew town.
Writing a short story about a failed nfl like entity. Go so enthralled with the world building and making up fake teams, uniforms, backstories that I never finished the story.
Loved the Washington Federals back in the day
Absolutely. I have a few old school USFL items around and several tee shirts of folded teams in other sports
Hey I just discovered the [Dead Football site!](https://deadfootball.com) it might have stuff relevant to this post. I haven’t looked into it though.
I found this one the other day…https://www.royalretros.com/
I wonder if the dead football has a streaming channel on roku
Not just you. I collect defunct team and defunct league stuff from all sports. I'm always on the lookout for AFL, WFL , and USFL items, especially for the Chicago Fire and the Chicago Blitz.
I loved the New Orleans Night despite the zubaz uniforms and losing every game. Can’t find a stitch of original memorabilia.
I'm very interested in Leagues that competed with the NFL. The AFL is my favorite, but I really liked the USFL. I watched their games for all 3 years. I don't care as much about the minor leagues, but the Leagues that signed players the NFL wanted are of great interest to me. Even today, I wish the NFL had major league competition...
It wouldn’t be the shit show it is now if they had proper competition
Agree. A bit of real competition would improve the product.
The lawsuit that destroyed the original USFL proved the NFL was stacking the odds against any competition. If they made it convenient to watch on a streaming channel that was free the USFL would still be intact and playing. Being a feeder league for the NFL is weak shit.
I'm not interested in the current spring league. The play is not bad, but minor league sports are nothing in this country. There is so much competition for the entertainment dollar. I don't believe that spring football is viable any more. The old USFL was working for a while, but the owners killed it. Now, there are so many sports going on simultaneously in this country, particularly in the spring, that there just isn't room for another one. I'm not saying that one would succeed but a new league would have to take the NFL on head to head.
The new owners are going to kill the new USFL-ufl Frankenstein
Not just you. I spend hours some days watching NFL games from the 70s, 80s and 90s. It shocks people who haven’t seen a lot of film from that era. The game in general was brutal and much more physical without all of the modern rule changes. I also like to study players considered “all time greats” so I can compare them to present day players.
My son and I watched the 79 Super Bowl and had more fun. I noticed games, play, the commentators, the format and generally everything except the equipment and camera quality was better all around. Though kinda like the old grainy games
The OG USFL was pretty good, unless any spring leagues get the quality players they got then none of these spring leagues are gonna ever get big
Yeah I say stand on your own, the nfl doesn’t want them to succeed and the investors want too much of a return too early from the investments. Too many people too willing to take the money in the nfl
I was a big fan of the USFL Philadelphia Stars back in the 80’s. The consensus of the Philly sports media was that the Stars could beat the Eagles. They were clearly the best team in the league and had some exciting games (their comeback against Chicago in the first playoff game is a great memory forty years later). It was a shame how that league ended, courtesy of a few bad owners and a guy named Trump.
Jeff Pearlman wrote a great book on the history of the USFL: Football For A Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL https://a.co/d/hiwdE2M
There were also 2 AFLs in the 30s/40s(?). Some teams merged into the NFL, but I don't think any were successful (could be wrong)
I know there were a bunch before WW2
WLAF guy here. I wear Sacramento surge and Barcelona dragons t’s under my work shirts some days. In madden I usually try to recreate head cannon for an Ohio glory, or Orlando thunder, or any of the other awesome teams. The monarchs are actually on madden as a relocation possibility!
Weird how Ohio has had some of the best named defunct teams over other states
Their uniform and name were my favorite in the league. Amir Rasul was the running back and he was awesome.
I’m hunting an Ohio Glory and Scottish Claymores mini helmet as we speak
Birmingham fire helmets are underrated
They are rad. Rhein Fire were too.
I also loved Orlando’s whole scheme. The cartoonish cloud was very 90s and unrefined but it was still pretty cool and the colors were GROUNDBREAKING.
Yeah that was a unique one for sure. They were the Thunder right?
Yes. The surge also had a daring scheme but somewhat boring logo. I like how the San Antonio riders used brown too
Yes. The WFL loved that as a kid. Also, the "he hate me" guy in the USFL2 I think. Cracks me up.
X-League (formerly known as Lingerie Football League and Legends Football League) is interesting.
The aafc