For those of you who like discussions around “What If” topics, here is one which covers what could have happened if the USFL had started with 8 teams instead of 12 and a few other topics around the league’s origination:

• http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=176579

BleacherReport.com had a “remember the USFL players” type of feature article/slideshow.  There is some interesting post-career information on some of the players:

• http://bleacherreport.com/articles/296663-usfl-supplemental-draft-quiz

This is an interesting resource as it lists the 1984 USFL-NFL supplemental draft picks:

• http://drafthistory.com/supplemental/supplemental-1984.html

That is an impressive first round as at least a dozen players saw action in the NFL during the mid-1980′s and beyond.

This is a pretty intense article from the vault of SI about the jury trial verdict in 1986 between the USFL and the NFL:

• http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065099/1/index.htm

There are quotes from Paul Brown, NFL attorney Frank Rothman, Joe Robbie, and it even mentions Al Gore as wanting a team in Memphis in this article.  In all it was a helpful article to understand some of the ramifications on the pro football industry as a result of the jury’s verdict and damages punishment.

If you enjoy old photos of the USFL, then here is a great page which should bring back some fun memories:

• http://www.oursportscentral.com/usfl/picsarch.php

Here is a fun article written in 2006 commemorating the 2oth year of the fall of the USFL:

• http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/061205

Here is an article from the Houston Chronicle about the 25 year reunion of the Houston Gamblers of the USFL:

• http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/7050200.html

The article has some great stories, especially how the team believes that it would have beaten the Houston Oilers of the NFL during the same era.  Jerry Argovitz, part owner of the Gamblers, was quoted as saying that he made a bet with Bud Adams to donate money to the winning team’s owner’s charity of choice.

Enjoy the article as it will give you insight as to how the players felt about their experiences as pro football players

If you liked the 1984 and 1985 USFL Houston Gamblers, then you will enjoy a terrific website which has just about everything you could want about the Gamblers.  This includes unique photos, photos from the 2010 Gamblers 25th anniversary reunion (has it been that long?!?), and lots of other USFL-related information.
Be sure to check out:

• http://www.houston-gamblers.com

Chet Simmons was the first commissioner of the USFL when the league was announced in 1982. He then held the position until after the 1984 USFL season when he was replaced by Harry Usher. He passed away late this week at the age of 81.

Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues throughout the sports and television industries. Here are two clips about Chet Simmons from ESPN:

• http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5029218
• http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5029297

On a personal note, when doing a college research project on the USFL years ago I was able to track down Chet Simmons.  Yes, this was before the internet was widely available!

He was gracious to answer my questions and I found out that when he was the USFL commissioner that he lived about 2 miles from where I did.  We shared stories about the neighborhood as well as the USFL and was gracious with his time to a complete stranger.

Those who were involved with the USFL had lots of good things to say about him, and USFLMemorabilia.com wishes Chet’s family all of our prayers during this time.

A special thanks goes to Mrs. Young, Steve Young’s mom, for giving me this pin from the Los Angeles Express when she was teaching junior high school. She knew that I was a huge USFL fan, so she gave this to me one day after class:

Pin Of The USFL Los Angeles Express