The United Football League hasn't yet signed a player or scheduled a game, but it does have a commissioner and a few billionaire backers, and it plans to start playing in a year. Right now, hardly any football fans even know the UFL exists, but commissioner Michael Huyghue has big plans for changing that.
His biggest plan: Sign Michael Vick.
Vick, the former Falcons quarterback, is expected to be released from prison in July of 2009, and Huyghue told Peter King that there's a "98 percent" chance that the UFL will sign Vick in time for its 2009 season. He explains:
"Michael's not going to be able to walk right back into the NFL,'' Huyghue said. "He's going to need some kind of buffer before he signs in the NFL, and we'll be able to provide that for him.''Let's be honest here: There' s a fairly good chance that the United Football League will never get off the ground. This is a league, after all, that still says on its web site that it is planning to kick off in August of 2008 -- as in, now -- even though the owners decided long ago to push back the inaugural season to the fall of 2009.
But if the league does start play next year, and if Vick is out of prison and the NFL won't let him play, they'd be crazy not to try to entice him to become their biggest star.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-11-2008 @ 10:37AM
Dick said...
Good luck- you shouldn't have a PROBLEM getting him since he will never play again in the NFL. You could call the team bullfighters.
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8-11-2008 @ 4:58PM
rj said...
yup, the leagues biggest star...and its only player.
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8-12-2008 @ 1:14PM
Amy said...
No joke. Anyone with brains would realize the NFL community doesn't ever want Michal Vick back! I sure as hell wouldn't welcome him in my hometown nor welcome him to play "professional" anything!!!!
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8-12-2008 @ 8:23PM
CS Gregg said...
Sports figures should be drawn from a pool of talented heroes not infamous criminals.
Vick would be a potential advertiser's worse nightmare!
With decisions like that Michael Huyghue may be the United Football Leagues first and LAST commisioner.
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8-15-2008 @ 3:26PM
RStepka said...
Good Idea!! Get a bunch of billionaires to invest their money in America's most hated athlete. The ROI should be amazing.
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8-20-2008 @ 7:45AM
MarzGray said...
An excellent idea signing Vick to the leage, a "good" talent exploiting "lesser" talent making him the posterboy for the league. It gives this fledgling eague some marketability. The best idea for this league to initially survive is to lure middle and low teir NFL talent whose playing tme is limited to so both (player/owner) can further their agendas. If this league can manintain its infrastructure into 2011 it may give the NFL some competition as far as player and fan relations go.
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8-21-2008 @ 9:54PM
Don Carter said...
I HAVE A FUTURE SUPER STAR WHO IS JUST AS EXCITING TO WATCH AS M.V. AND HE HAS NEVER BEEN "LOCKED UP"
HE CAN RETURN KICKS,PUNTS AND PLAY C/B.
HE IS 5'9.5'',WT. IS 185 lb.(remember D.Green/Wash.Redskins).I DON'T WHY THE NFL WON'T TAKE A LOOK @ THIS KID.
HE IS CURRENTLY PLAYING WITH CORPUS CHRISTI SHARKS OF THE AFL"2".
HIS NAME IS IVORY MCCANN # 6.
O' DID I MENTION HE RUNS A "4.29" FORTY AND IS AS QUICK AS A CAT.
SOMEBODY HELP US OUT...
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8-22-2008 @ 8:30AM
ben said...
GUYS STOP! Don't act like you never did anything bad in your life. You just never got caught! Don't act like the players in the all mighty NFL are any different.
I think if this can workout and this league can stick around long enough to build some fans we benefit in the end. Having a little competition is healthy and good for the consumer (us)!
Trying to sign Vick is a smart business move! Say what you want, Vick still has a following and people will watch Mr. Electric himself "Vick". Yes he got caught in the wrong but hey there are worst crimes being done folks.
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8-28-2008 @ 3:19PM
Alf said...
Ben is 100% right... Why is the world acting like Vick did the worst thing a man could ever do? Yes, I agree a 100% it was wrong. The man is paying his dues and serving his time unlike so many others who rec'd a slap on the wrist for doing much worse in the sports world and the real world. Don't sleep and think that an NFL team in the near future won't try to sign Vick as an established back-up or even just to fill some seats in the stadium. The public at large may hate him until he dies but I'm willing to bet that the average NFL fan w/ a struggling team would take Vick if they thought it was the slightest chance of him helping them win. The NFL as it stands now, although entertaining and righteous as it may seem, shouldn't be put up on a pedestal. It's all about the money and hiding or covering up all of it's issues from the public the best that they can. There are players now who abuse their wives & kids, who are on steroids/drugs despite the so-called-drug policy, there are former super bowl champions dying w/o a penny or homeless because of the ridiculous pension plan the league employs. The NFL will make sure that they get the best talent for the league. This is the same league that tried to get Lawrence Phillip on the field despite his criminal past during his school days. Regardless, not making light of Vicks actions, pending his behavior and attitude he deserves another shot at pro football...UFL, CFL or the NFL.
8-25-2008 @ 8:00AM
lizzie said...
gee what a great idea. maybe he could play for the Fall River Felons.
yes we've all made mistakes in our lives. of course if i'd made a "mistake" as egregious as Vick's, i would probably never be able to get anything but a minimum wage job after release from prison. thank goodness for the NFL and other professional sports teams,
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8-30-2008 @ 10:00AM
Vick Supporter said...
Please, this guy made a mistake and he's paying for that; maybe more than some because of his celebrity. If he makes it back he would be the poster child for the UFL.
Others criminals, Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson, now play for America's team; so I'd say that we as a nation now how to forgive and forget. Plus add the fact that some will love him some will hate him makes for most butt's in seats.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. was quoted telling Jeff Gordon "when there's as many boo's as cheers, that's when you've made it."
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11-03-2008 @ 2:43PM
EBONY said...
I'm exicted for Michael Vick unlike these other stupid people on here its all racism seriously I have learned of 2 white players who drove drunk and killed 2 people are still playing football today 2 people vs a couple of dumb animals wow and the commissioner has a prior history of the same dog fitting problem wow just astonishing its cool to jump on the band wagon but I will put my jersey on to support vick there are sex offenders who do much worse and serve less time.
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