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

If the USFL documentary, “Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL” had been given an extra hour on tonight’s show, then which important topics would you like to have seen addressed?  You are welcome to leave your comments provided that they are relevant, use clean language, and are on point.

Here are one man’s suggestions for additional topics which could have been addressed (in no particular order):

• The ownership infighting which led to the new commissioner, Harry Usher, who replaced Chet Simmons
• The combining of teams in 1985 as a result of the 1984 post-season announcement to move to the fall of 1986
• Mentions of owner Taube, Taubman, and Tanenbaum (sp?)
• Some mention of the Marvin Warner situation with Birmingham in 1985
• The 1984 Chicago Blitz/Arizona Wranglers “franchise swap”
• The futures contract to which Lawrence Taylor was signed for the 1988 season with the Generals
• Marcus Dupree as being a sophomore to sign with the USFL
• The concern among NFL owners when Debartolo, Sr. bought the Pittsburgh Maulers while his son owned the 49ers
• The mention of TBS’ initial interest in the USFL’s cable deal
• The mention of the effect that LA Express’ demise had on not getting a legitimate network contract for 1986
• At least one mention of the 1983 draft with Dan Marino being the # 1 pick
• The near-sellout crowd in Jacksonville
• Larry Csonka’s role with the Bulls
• How the logos and jerseys were innovative for its time
• Mentions of the other Hall Of Fame inductees with USFL experience (Marv Levy, etc.)
• How the Stars were poised to take over Baltimore in 1986 since the city was deserted by the Colts
• Mention of Tim Wrightman and other “firsts” in USFL history
• Some mention of George Allen, Lindy Infante, and other significant coaches
• Some mention of the territorial draft
• Some mention of the Breakers being in 3 cities in 3 years

Again, there are probably dozens more unique stories which could have been covered.  At least it finally showed (on a national level) respected NFL Hall of Famers talking about how much fun they had while being in the USFL!

If you want to get more history on each USFL team then go to the right-hand column of this page and choose the “Squidoo” lens for the particular team(s) which interest you.  Each page is called a “lens” on Squidoo.com; and you will be able to get the Wikipedia article for each team along with other useful content.

Here is a terrific timeline to understand the history of the Birmingham Stallions and the USFL:    http://www.birminghamprosports.com/birminghamstallionshistory.htm

If you want to see the different versions of all of the USFL team logos then consider visiting this link:  http://www.sportslogos.net/league.php?id=22

It covers the different versions of USFL logos, including season-by-season changes.

In the next few weeks a new documentary will be aired on ESPN called “Who Killed The USFL?”  Here is the link to more information:

http://www.espnmediazone.com/press_kits/ESPN_Films/30for30_TCA.htm#E

Here is a terrific website which breaks down the changes in the helmets used by USFL teams, including season-by-season changes.  It also shows the intra-season intricacies such as when the 1984 Pittsburgh Maulers added a white outline to their helmets during the season to help add clarity for television viewers.

http://www.misterhabs.com/usfl.htm

Here is a link to a sports memorabilia dealer who specializes in minor league and folded professional sports leagues.  This link goes directly to his USFL memorabilia page:  http://www.murfandpat.com/a-22.htm

I bought my first USFL jerseys here nearly two decades ago, and at the time the service was great.  Be sure to contact first and make sure that the item you want is still available.

Hope this helps those of you looking for unique, hard-to-find USFL items such as:

• Jackets and windbreakers
• Game used USFL jerseys
• Shirts and sweaters

Here is a 1987 New York Times review of “The $1 League: The Rise and Fall Of The USFL”:  http://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/15/books/books-of-the-times-071287.html

It is not a favorable review of the book.  Nonetheless at the time you have to remember the New York Times’ influence with its sports section and its affinity for the NFL.  In future posts, items stories mentioned in Jim Byrne’s book will be analyzed.  For now, if you wish to purchase a copy of the book then start your search on Amazon.com by visiting the link below:

The $1 League, The Rise and Fall of the USFL