The Omaha Nighthawks - UFL Football

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:35 pm

If this materializes, this would be a monster get.

This league pays much more than Arena League and they are targeting all the major football hotspots with a high population.

Think Huskers in Omaha! :D

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100331/N ... ew-stadium

Check out the comments from people! Wow is all I can say.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Foo ... gue_(2009)

Post by **Brad** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:38 pm

I think most people would disagree with you.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:41 pm

Brad wrote:I think most people would disagree with you.

That's okay, we're all entitled to our opinions, I think. I think this is huge because I've been following up on the UFL since the concept started.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:57 pm

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:22 pm

This would most definitely be a huge failure.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:26 pm

Stargazer wrote:This would most definitely be a huge failure.

Should we all slit our wrists now or later? Â :lol:

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:05 pm

Stargazer wrote:This would most definitely be a huge failure.

I agree.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:14 pm

the1wags wrote:
Stargazer wrote:This would most definitely be a huge failure.
I agree.

I think it would be a huge success, so I guess 'if' we land the deal that we'll just have to see.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 8:56 am

www.omaha.com wrote:If Omaha lands a United Football League team for TD Ameritrade Park, would you go to games?

» A few games
37% Â

» Several games
10% Â

» Most or all games
6%

» No games
46%

cp jay 07 · Post by **cp jay 07** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:24 am

Yup Pro Football Sucks! I would much rather watch 16 and 21 year olds play. Â :roll:

This city really baffles me sometimes, a pro football franchise wants to come to Omaha and people don't want it, but then people say they want Omaha to be a big major city. Im with Erik here I see no downside to this at all.

And Brad this deserves it's own thread so I say leave this one going.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:45 am

cp jay 07 wrote:And Brad this deserves it's own thread so I say leave this one going.

I tried moving everything over to this thread, but something happened, so this is the only thread now and everything else is lost out in the internet somewhere...

cp jay 07 wrote:This city really baffles me sometimes, a pro football franchise wants to come to Omaha and people don't want it, but then people say they want Omaha to be a big major city. Im with Erik here I see no downside to this at all.

Omaha has proven time and time again, most people want the event, not the sport. Â Some event rolls in to town that most people know nothing about, the place is sold out, but a pro team like the Royals or Knights and people don't care. Â Martie and his gang over at the Royals have busted their tail and are successful, unfortunately most "businesses" would give up like the knights.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:43 am

cp jay 07 wrote:Yup Pro Football Sucks! I would much rather watch 16 and 21 year olds play. :roll:

This city really baffles me sometimes, a pro football franchise wants to come to Omaha and people don't want it, but then people say they want Omaha to be a big major city. Im with Erik here I see no downside to this at all.

And Brad this deserves it's own thread so I say leave this one going.

Come on. This isn't pro football. "Pro" is a relative term. The Beef players get paid too, so technically it's "pro" football. This is NFL washout league, and Omaha won't give a |expletive| beyond a couple of seasons tops.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:54 am

I know they're doing a lot of creative things to try and fill the off days (months?). Â Talked with my contact (sorry kids, anonymous) at QCO after shooting Cirque last week and heard she is also looking into outdoor exhibition hockey games much like the Winter Classic in the NHL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL_Winter_Classic

S33 · Post by **S33** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:56 am

Exatly. There is only one brand of pro anything. NHL, NFL, MLB, PGA, etc. UFL is the Royals in football pads.

cp jay 07 · Post by **cp jay 07** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:51 am

S33 wrote:Exatly. There is only one brand of pro anything. NHL, NFL, MLB, PGA, etc. UFL is the Royals in football pads.

That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. So the Royals are not a pro team? So Alex Gordon is not a professional Baseball player since he is with Omaha to start the season? George Brett was not a pro baseball player during his time in Omaha? The Knights were not a pro hockey team even though half of their roster is in Calgary now playing in the NHL?

Ill give you the Beef because that is a joke league, those are regular guys who work 9-5 still trying to live the dream. The UFL has players that played D-1, D-2 football, have been in the NFL or at least been in NFL training camps and who can still go to the NFL at the end of the season. Look at last years rosters. heck I think the kicker ( I know he is just a kicker) for Las Vegas last year got called up at the end of the year and then kicked a game winning OT field goal for Tampa, I think, in the NFL two weeks later.

The UFL also has a TV contract with Versus and HDNet and a rumored 3rd channer which means TDA would at least be on national cable TV Â a few times a year.

I just don't get what people see wrong with this league, if it fails it fails, if it does not Omaha has a pro football team. Seriously this is the closest thing Omaha will EVER get to the NFL.

This is not the XFL, or Arena league, this is REAL football.

S33 · Post by **S33** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:18 pm

cp jay 07 wrote:
S33 wrote:Exatly. There is only one brand of pro anything. NHL, NFL, MLB, PGA, etc. UFL is the Royals in football pads.
That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. So the Royals are not a pro team? So Alex Gordon is not a professional Baseball player since he is with Omaha to start the season? George Brett was not a pro baseball player during his time in Omaha? The Knights were not a pro hockey team even though half of their roster is in Calgary now playing in the NHL?

Ill give you the Beef because that is a joke league, those are regular guys who work 9-5 still trying to live the dream. The UFL has players that played D-1, D-2 football, have been in the NFL or at least been in NFL training camps and who can still go to the NFL at the end of the season. Look at last years rosters. heck I think the kicker ( I know he is just a kicker) for Las Vegas last year got called up at the end of the year and then kicked a game winning OT field goal for Tampa, I think, in the NFL two weeks later.

The UFL also has a TV contract with Versus and HDNet and a rumored 3rd channer which means TDA would at least be on national cable TV a few times a year.

I just don't get what people see wrong with this league, if it fails it fails, if it does not Omaha has a pro football team. Seriously this is the closest thing Omaha will EVER get to the NFL.

This is not the XFL, or Arena league, this is REAL football.

Nope, Alex Gordon is a race car driver and there was never any such team as the Omaha Knights. I think you're smoking crack.

Seriously though, as a mentioned a few posts ago, before your pink panties bunched up and started stinking, I (PERSONALLY) cannot get myself excited about semi-pro sports!

We can throw in 30 crappy |expletive| teams in our market and it just won't drum up any significant excitement. What do people in Omaha like to do on the weekends? Saturday it's college football, Sunday it's NFL. They aren't going to lose any market share in Omaha even if we do add the Omaha Wankers to our sports menu.

Oh yeah, and I highly doubt that is the dumbest thing you've ever heard, I've been a member on this forum for at least 2 years now. ;-)

cp jay 07 · Post by **cp jay 07** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 1:54 pm

And this is why Omaha is a minor city. I bet if the GODDAMN NBA or NHL came knocking with a team we would turn them away because our Â "Midwestern vaules" (whatever the |expletive| that means) won't support the high ticket prices.

I'm sorry I'm just sick and tired of losing pro affiliated sports teams, not the beef or Indy baseball, and then seeing everyone including that idiot Shittel write in the OWH and say that "we are a college and high school sports town who likes watching 16 year olds play football". I want some actual sports in this town, we lost AAA basketball, we lost AAA hockey, we almost lost AAA baseball (please don't turn that statement into a Sarpy Omaha pissing match), and now we have a chance for the equivalent of AAA pro football and no one wants it. But at the same time people want Omaha to be a major city, do you think OKC just got handed the NBA, heck NO, their CHL, CBA, and PCL teams all drew and still draw very well. Omaha could take a major step here but no one wants to do it.

And the think that really upsets me off is that the people that are saying no to the UFL are the same people bitching about how the stadium will sit empty.

The censor is really going to have fun with this post. END RANT.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 4:22 pm

the1wags wrote:Come on. This isn't pro football. "Pro" is a relative term. The Beef players get paid too, so technically it's "pro" football. This is NFL washout league, and Omaha won't give a |expletive| beyond a couple of seasons tops.

It is "pro" football, and it's basically the NFL's developmental league much like NFL Europe was. Many of the players and coaches have already been given second chances in the NFL as well.

I'd love to see this in Omaha.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 8:11 pm

yeah, it may not be as high-caliber as the kansas city chiefs (laugh: here), but if someone wants to come in and get it going, i'm down. Â Who gives a |expletive| if 85% of people will be glued to the tv on saturday or sunday? Â In a market of 900,000 (or so) people, that means there are still 135,000 potential fans for the game. Â If they could get 8,000 per game (which would be pretty good), that's not even 1% of the metro (comes out to 0.008). Â in 10 years people may look back and see that it was the expansion to Omaha that helped the league grow in stature. Â Plus it's just more money for the economy in an area seeking development. Â Who'd want to turn that away?

JPenny · Post by **JPenny** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:15 pm

I completely agree with thenewguy. why wouldn't someone want this here? yeah its not NFL but it is something. I would much rather have an option to go watch "pro" football here then not even having one at all. its their money. Â all i see is this making use out of the new stadium thats only gonna be in use for a couple weeks out of the year

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 4:41 pm

JPenny wrote:I completely agree with thenewguy. why wouldn't someone want this here? yeah its not NFL but it is something. I would much rather have an option to go watch "pro" football here then not even having one at all. its their money. all i see is this making use out of the new stadium thats only gonna be in use for a couple weeks out of the year

It's never work because it's not the NFL..
It sucks because it's not the NFL..
It's a pipe dream to think we will ever get an NFL team..

So why is the next best thing so bad?

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 8:58 pm

We've already got one of the best college football programs in the country... I personally don't think the atmosphere of an NFL game can remotely touch that like we have in Lincoln on football Saturdays. Â Why would I want to go watch a semi-pro football team playing in an empty baseball stadium. Â That's even worse than watching the ORoyals play in an empty baseball stadium.

omahahawk · Post by **omahahawk** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:19 am

What difference does it make, UFL, NFL, College? Â They're all better than an empty stadium. If you can sell tickets to it, put it in there.

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:35 am

The CBA failed everywhere....

The Knights charged too much for their tickets the first year and had the wrong front office staff. Â They were starting to succeed the 2nd year then the owners from Quad City got paranoid their league was gonna fold and approached the Flames and got them to move (big mistake looking back). Â It also did not help that there were so many paranoid/fearful UNO hockey fans of the Knights.

The Royals will thrive in Omaha now that we will have a stadium that is actually built for them not a much, much bigger event. Â Considering where they play now and their challenges they've done well already.

I have no issue with the UFL, but I think this whole league will be gone in a year or two if it makes it to this fall at all. Â Minor league football does not have a good track record at all. Â Right now, this is not a feeder league to the NFL as NFL Europe was. Â I believe of the 4 teams in this league, at least one franchise is already moving after it's 1st year, not a good sign. Â Look at all the football leagues that have failed or not even started recently. Â Again I have no problems with this coming to Omaha if it does I just don't think the UFL is long for this world. Â I also don't think football works in a baseball stadium.

Greg

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:37 pm

The CBA failed everywhere....

The CBA failed everywhere....

Not everywhere. There were some well run clubs. Â Isiah Thomas kind of ran the league into the ground when he was the commissioner but Sioux Fall's team became part of the D-League for the NBA.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:39 pm

I don't have a problem with the UFL coming to Omaha, but putting them in a stadium optimized for baseball is too much of a compromise. They'd be better-off playing at UNO.

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:37 am

There were pockets in the CBA that did fine but they seemed to be smaller cities that did not have much competition. Â I seem to remember every year Omaha had a team at least one franchise either relocated or folded during the off season. Â The franchise not surviving in Omaha was not the exception and to me did not reflect poorly on Omaha considering all of the other markets the CBA tried and failed in.

Greg

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:17 pm

Greg S wrote:There were pockets in the CBA that did fine but they seemed to be smaller cities that did not have much competition. I seem to remember every year Omaha had a team at least one franchise either relocated or folded during the off season. The franchise not surviving in Omaha was not the exception and to me did not reflect poorly on Omaha considering all of the other markets the CBA tried and failed in.

Greg

This is true, but one thing to note here is that Omaha and a large distance around the city is many times for fan friendly for football than it is for basketball. Â As a matter of fact, I really don't know of too many die-hard basketball fans in the area. Â

Football is on another planet as almost everybody is a big fan of some Div 1 or NFL team. Â Even the Beef (a second rate Arena Team) is doing alright here. Â The reason this team has a higher chance of success is due to the fact that it will pay out the highest next to the NFL (okay so the CFL will be very close). Â This and the fact that the UFL is aiming towards large college football fan bases to target players coming from their area.

As a matter of fact, the UFL is so college football derived that they have worked towards ex college players to get alumni support. Â Cory Ross (an ex-Husker RB) and other ex-Huskers have been working with UFL and the city of Omaha to get this going.

My point is that a football league centered on the area's ex college players, in the large college fan base regions, working with ex college greats of the area is on a COMPLETELY different scale than a AAA hockey team with a low to mid level regional interest and no ties to the area.

The dynamics for success are greater with their strategy. Â Is it going to be an auto 100% success? Absolutely not, but they are dealing with a better set of cards than a lot of the previously failed leagues.

Zilla · Post by **Zilla** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:12 am

This is great! Â I've been hoping to get a look from the UFL since it's inception! Â Erik is right in that one of the draws is going to be the potential local players. Â What Husker fan wouldn't go and watch some of the former Huskers play in another medium? Â Nebraska has always been a football first state, and something like this has a better chance to succeed than any other minor league baseball, hockey, or basketball league.

I have zero interest in baseball or basketball....but I'd certainly head down to the stadium to watch this.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:54 pm

Let's clarify that... -college- football first. Â The UFL's schedule is in direct competition with that AND the NFL. Â Why they wouldn't have the season in the spring is beyond me (and that would only draw 'Beef' crowds at BEST).

S33 · Post by **S33** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:00 pm

Stargazer wrote:Let's clarify that... -college- football first. The UFL's schedule is in direct competition with that AND the NFL. Why they wouldn't have the season in the spring is beyond me (and that would only draw 'Beef' crowds at BEST).

I doubt they would want to destroy the baseball turf before the series. Spring rains + football cleats = |expletive|-hole.

Erik · Post by **Erik** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:09 pm

Stargazer wrote:Let's clarify that... -college- football first. The UFL's schedule is in direct competition with that AND the NFL. Why they wouldn't have the season in the spring is beyond me (and that would only draw 'Beef' crowds at BEST).

You're entitled to your entirely wrong opinion! Â :;):

cp jay 07 · Post by **cp jay 07** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:57 pm

Stargazer wrote:Let's clarify that... -college- football first. The UFL's schedule is in direct competition with that AND the NFL. Why they wouldn't have the season in the spring is beyond me (and that would only draw 'Beef' crowds at BEST).

You are wrong on this, while yes there are some Saturday UFL games most games are Thursday and Friday. Spring football never has really worked with the exception of the USFL which failed when Trump moved the league to the fall, of course the USFL was in NFL markets and that worked in the spring.

2Adam29 · Post by **2Adam29** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:30 am

PRO TEAM IN OMAHA LOOKING FOR CHEERLEADING DIRECTOR

http://ultimatecheerleaders.com/2010/04 ... -in-omaha/

I'm guessing that this is a nod for Omaha's bid for the UFL team. ;)

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:52 am

Gee... how do you come upon a link like that?

(so to speak)

By the way... I'd much rather watch a good class A rivalry on Thursday/Friday night, than sit in an empty baseball stadium watching semi pro football.

Blade1655 · Post by **Blade1655** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:02 pm

More on the UFL development:

http://www.huskerlocker.com/blogs/view/ ... otball/o/0

joeglow · Post by **joeglow** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:27 pm

Stargazer wrote:By the way... I'd much rather watch a good class A rivalry on Thursday/Friday night, than sit in an empty baseball stadium watching semi pro football.

Agreed. Â If it is on a Friday night, I would much rather watch Prep make Westside their bltch.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:48 pm

joeglow wrote:
Stargazer wrote:By the way... I'd much rather watch a good class A rivalry on Thursday/Friday night, than sit in an empty baseball stadium watching semi pro football.
Agreed. If it is on a Friday night, I would much rather watch Prep make Westside their bltch.

I believe you have that backwards, Prep is the B|tch!

Post by **Brad** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:00 pm

UFL plans announcement

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100413/N ... nouncement

Thad Livingston WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Omaha, welcome to the United Football League . . . almost.

The commissioner of the upstart professional football league will be joined by Omaha officials Thursday at Qwest Center Omaha for what the UFL bills as a “major announcement” regarding the league.

UFL officials were in Omaha two weeks ago talking with local officials about the possibility of playing this fall at Rosenblatt Stadium and perhaps moving to the new downtown stadium in 2011-12.

As for Thursday's announcement, the UFL — heading into its second year of attempting to meet the needs “of football fans in major markets currently underserved by professional football” — is remaining coy.

“We'll have an announcement on Thursday. The UFL has been in Omaha to discuss possibilities, but I can't say more than that," said UFL spokesman Michael Preston.

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:39 pm

Let me see.... I am guessing they are coming here to announce there new San Antonio location!

Brad wrote:UFL plans announcement

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100413/N ... nouncement

Thad Livingston WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:Omaha, welcome to the United Football League . . . almost.

The commissioner of the upstart professional football league will be joined by Omaha officials Thursday at Qwest Center Omaha for what the UFL bills as a “major announcement” regarding the league.

UFL officials were in Omaha two weeks ago talking with local officials about the possibility of playing this fall at Rosenblatt Stadium and perhaps moving to the new downtown stadium in 2011-12.

As for Thursday's announcement, the UFL — heading into its second year of attempting to meet the needs “of football fans in major markets currently underserved by professional football” — is remaining coy.

“We'll have an announcement on Thursday. The UFL has been in Omaha to discuss possibilities, but I can't say more than that," said UFL spokesman Michael Preston.