@westside-steve said:

I wouldn't mind going to an Akron Vulcans game.

WSS

This Akron Vulcans football  ?  A blast from the past......

The Akron Vulcans was a professional football team in Akron, Ohio.  The team played in the Continental Football League for part of the 1967 season. Serving as a minor league for the National Football League and the American Football League, the Continental Football League only existed for a short period, from 1964 to 1969. 

The city of Akron was certain it could support a professional football team. The owner, Frank Hurn, convinced the citizens and the Continental Football League that his team, under head coach Ned Endress, would be a sports and financial success for the city and the league. 

During the 1967 season, The Akron Vulcans played only four games in the Continental Football League. The team won one game and lost the other three before disbanding due to financial difficulties and scandals.  Owner Frank Hurn did not have the money to support the team as he had promised.  Bad checks, unpaid bills, unpaid loans and dishonesty led to the downfall of the Vulcans.  The coaches and players could not be paid their salary.  Even the laundry business that cleaned the team uniforms after each game was not being paid.  Eventually, the laundry would not give back their uniforms until all bills were paid.  .   I remember that my first year at YSU was 1968.

The Akron Vulcans franchise of the Continental Football League ended. Frank Hurn fled to Florida, but later returned in 1968,  pleaded guilty in Summit County Court to fraud and served three years in prison.    

Remember these old programs  ?

WSS

Caught Shea Patterson last nite. Kid has a shot to be good at least at the USFL level.

Still weird to see all the recycled team names.

Both play Clowney's Edge..

Odom's Dad played in Cleveland.. Odom has another sack today, a FF, with a blocked FG..

PLAYERS	GP	SOLO	AST	TCKL	SCK	YDS	INT	INTTD	YDS	LNG	FF	REC	TD	PDEF	HUR	SFTY

1

C. OdomHOU

3

11

2

13

4.5

36

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

0.0

0

2

D. BellamyNO

3

6

4

10

4.5

26

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0.0

0

both playing head to head on national broadcast... Houst. up 13 -10 just before half

--->   ¿ Anyone here watching the USFL ?

USFL TV Ratings For Week 3 Show Surprising Strength, Give League Reason For Optimism .... May 3.  

Douglas Charles BroBible.

• The USFL TV ratings for Week 3 of the new football league’s inaugural season are out and they’re not bad.
• Especially when taking into consideration the competition for viewers posed by the NFL Draft and other sports.
• Read more news about the USFL here.

As is the case with any new football league, the TV ratings for the USFL fell off dramatically from Week 1 to Week 2.

While this was certainly some cause for concern, the Week 3 TV ratings for the USFL were almost equally as encouraging.

In Week 1, the USFL averaged more than 1.5 million viewers for the four games played in Birmingham. In Week 2, the USFL’s four games averaged just 661,000 viewers, or a 57% drop from the Week 1 viewership numbers.

However, in Week 3, with the NFL Draft staring the USFL right in the face, the fledgling football league was able to actually improve its numbers.

According to Sports TV Ratings on Twitter, the USFL had an average audience of 825,000 viewers for the four games played on Saturday and Sunday.

In fact, the Saturday night game between the hometown Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers had an average viewership of 1.114 million.

By comparison, Sports Business Journal states that the USFL’s Week 3 TV ratings are “are on par with Sunday Night Baseball, the Premier League and UFC.”

TV ratings in Week 3 for the USFL rebounded well from Week 2

This is good news for the league’s future, according to Mike Mulvihill, Fox Sports’ executive vice president, head of strategy and analytics.

“The USFL has to establish that it belongs in the same category as sports that have been part of the spring calendar for many years,” Mulvihill told Sports Business Journal. “It’s all about trying to prove that the USFL is in the same class as sports that are going out there and double or tripling their rights deals.”

On the face of it, he’s not wrong. Formula 1, one of the USFL’s competitors for viewership in the spring, is seeking $75 million per year for the rights to its broadcasts and the April 24 race averaged 1.003 million viewers on ESPN – numbers very similar to some USFL games thus far.

Also, NBC paid $450 million per year for the rights to broadcast the Premier League and on April 23 they averaged 631,000 viewers – again similar to the USFL.

If the USFL can maintain its viewership numbers for balance of the 10 game schedule then there is certainly hope it will avoid the fates of the Alliance of American Football and the second iteration of the XFL and actually make it to year two.

On the face of it, he’s not wrong. Formula 1, one of the USFL’s competitors for viewership in the spring, is seeking $75 million per year for the rights to its broadcasts and the April 24 race averaged 1.003 million viewers on ESPN – numbers very similar to some USFL games thus far.

Also, NBC paid $450 million per year for the rights to broadcast the Premier League and on April 23 they averaged 631,000 viewers – again similar to the USFL.

If the USFL can maintain its viewership numbers for balance of the 10 game schedule then there is certainly hope it will avoid the fates of the Alliance of American Football and the second iteration of the XFL and actually make it to year two.

Also TV viewership  is another thing quickly from 3M to less than 1M ?  Will it last ?

......After pulling in 3 million viewers for the kickoff game of the USFL season, things tailed off in the next two days. With a matchup between the Philadelphia Stars and New Orleans Breakers being broadcasted on USA Network, viewership dipped significantly. According to ShowBuzzDaily.com, viewership for the Sunday matchup averaged 771,000 viewers with a 0.18 rating. On a positive note, the broadcasted fared better than ESPN’s SportsCenter Weekend (604,000).

Due to weather conditions, a Sunday matchup between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers on Fox Sports 1 averaged 268,000 viewers with a 0.06 rating in the 7 PM slot. The postponement and a lack of awareness for the Monday night game certainly impacted the USFL TV ratings.......

@mjp28 said:

Hey a USFL game is on tonight,  Michigan versus the NJ Generals......but I may catch some Guardians in NY, NY.  0-0 bottom 3rd.

Talk about a snoozer Friday night USFL  10-6 final ?  Uh-oh........   

The New Jersey Generals won the first edition of “The Northern Duel,” defeating the Michigan Panthers, 10-6, at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday night.

After a Generals field goal in the first quarter, the Panthers were able to capitalize on an interception, scoring six to take the lead early in the second. New Jersey responded with a touchdown drive of their own, leading 10-6 at the half. Running back Darius Victor scored that touchdown for the Generals, his first of the season. He led the team in rushing with 40 yards on 11 carries.

The second half was scoreless with both teams making unsuccessful field goal attempts. Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson led a late game surge, converting on fourth-and-20 to give the Panthers a last shot at the end zone. The Generals’ pass rush shut Patterson down, sealing the win for New Jersey, their first of the season......

.......Now, that 3 million number has a lot to do with the game being simulcast on two network channels — Fox and NBC. Whatever these behemoths put on is going to draw a rating. It’s no different than putting a movie in 200 theaters; it’s going to sell tickets even if it’s as unwatchable as The Addams Family 2 (which I’ve seen because, ya know, the kids).

That said, the USFL did have competition in the form of the NBA playoffs, plus a full slate of baseball and hockey. So … there were options and 3 million chose football.

I want to hear why.

This isn’t the Donald Trump USFL, with Heisman Trophy winners and first-round NFL draft picks dotting rosters. This is Luis Perez (Texas A&M–Commerce) throwing to Randy Satterfield (Lyon College).

We’ll see what the ratings are for Sunday’s games, which didn’t get the benefit of a primetime slot on two networks. And we’ll see how many of those 3 million stick around next weekend as the curiosity begins to wear off.......

Paxton Lynch at QB now.

@unsympathetic said:

Laser and Blazer should play Assault at halftime..

Yes back around 1987 Pittsburgh did get the Gladiators in Arena ball iat the old Civic Arena. 

Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987–90)Edit

When arena football was first announced in 1986, Jim Foster targeted Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for an inaugural franchise due to the great football tradition of the area. The franchise was originally known as the Pittsburgh Gladiators, and was one of the original four AFL teams formed in 1987. The team was named by Robert Ninehouser whose entry for the team name was selected in 1987. They originally played their home games at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. On June 19, 1987, the Gladiators defeated the Washington Commandos 48–46 in the first ever AFL regular season game. The Gladiators participated in ArenaBowls I nd III, losing both.

@mjp28 said:

Pittsburgh got the Gladiators in Arena 2? ball

Laser and Blazer should play Assault at halftime..

.... Two former YSU football players will be a part of the newly formed United States Football League this season.

With the first pick in Round 7 of the USFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Maulers selected former Youngstown State lineman Charles Baldwin.

In Round 10, the New Jersey Generals drafted former Penguins’ cornerback David Rivers......

@mld-woody said:

The first overall draft pick and first defensive draft pick were both from Michigan... we could have the first draft pick in both drafts this year 


I'm torn between rooting for the Panthers and rooting for the Maulers. But I'm just excited to see some football either way

Pittsburgh Maulers,  I remember the first year Pittsburgh got the Gladiators in Arena 2? ball.  A guy I worked with  from Wheatland, PA bought season tickets and a bunch of other merchandise and souvenirs.   Well the team and league folded but he said he enjoyed the experience    -and-   neat heirloom souvenirs. 

If I were up to it I'd make the 60+ mile trip to Pittsburgh......oh wait they are playing in Alabama,  nevermind. 

I will be checking out the USFL, at least at first. 

@syd said:

so the first 2 losers who were drafted in a league that will be gone by summer are from michigan well thats something to hang your hat on

42 - 27

@mld-woody said:

The first overall draft pick and first defensive draft pick were both from Michigan... we could have the first draft pick in both drafts this year 


 

so the first 2 losers who were drafted in a league that will be gone by summer are from michigan well thats something to hang your hat on