UFL Team Coming To Omaha: Nighthawks

GSG5545 said:
GMoose said:
BTW, if I made shirts that said "Omaha Zombies" would anyone buy one?
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Did you really make shirts? I'd have to see one first before I'd consider purchasing one.
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Haha no, but I would soooo buy one if they made them and they were cool. BTW did everyone hear that they're going to do a "Zombie Nation" tribute to the zombie voters on the opening game? Awesome.

 
GMoose said:
BTW, if I made shirts that said "Omaha Zombies" would anyone buy one?
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Show of hands..How many knew hawks could fly at night?

I'd add "Beach" as in "Omaha Beach Zombies" and show up with a bag of sand to throw in the turf.

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You can't kill us...We're already dead!

Ooooooh!

 
Your Team, Your League, Your ChampionshipMay 11, 2010 by Michael Huyghue

Since the last time I blogged, it has been an exciting few weeks for the United Football League!

Our teams are holding a series of tryouts, which are showcasing the incredible depth and breadth of football talent evident in 12 cities around the country and we held our Annual League Meeting in Orlando, Florida. Following the meeting we announced that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will strengthen his commitment to our league by becoming an investor in addition to broadcasting our games on HDNet.

We announced our first expansion franchise in Omaha, Nebraska - a team that was named the “Nighthawks” last week – and also unveiled the 2010 league schedule. Tickets are now on sale in four of our five markets.

It has been a truly busy time for all of us here at the UFL and we’re excited to build momentum as we head towards our second season this fall.

We have been energized by success of the three “Name the Team” contests held this spring. Thousands of fans in Hartford, Sacramento and Omaha played a critical role in naming their new football teams. Their enthusiasm has generated a great deal of grassroots support in all three cities, which is very, very exciting to see.

As we considered ways to increase fan involvement and be as fan friendly as possible, the thought came to us to allow the fans to have a say in influencing the placement of the Championship Game, which will bring a financial boost to the host city during Thanksgiving week.

Last year we announced before the season that Las Vegas would play host at Sam Boyd Stadium, where the hometown Locos won the title in overtime. This year we want to extend the opportunity for all five UFL markets to have a shot at hosting the game.

Several factors will determine the site for the 2010 UFL Championship Game, including each team’s record and local support – a combination of attendance, fan club membership, social media interaction and atmosphere in the home stadium. We will decide which of our five current cities will host the Championship Game following Week 4 of the regular season.

So our fans WILL have a say in where we host our Championship Game and I think that defines the innovation and excitement that defines the UFL.

This is another incentive, beyond supporting your home team, that I hope will inspire you to paint your faces and cheer, purchase tickets for each home game, buy and wear team merchandise and a whole lot more! We look forward to seeing the competitive juices flowing in each city!

Last week in Sacramento I mentioned the idea for this competition to Mayor Kevin Johnson who exclaimed confidently: “We’ve got this!”

That is the type of energy we look forward to seeing in each of our cities this fall and we can’t wait to celebrate our second Championship Game in.... whichever city our fans and teams suggest should host the season finale.
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LINK

 
May 15, 2010
Former Huskers take one more shot at UFL tryout

Robin Washut HuskersIllustrated.com

OMAHA - For roughly four hours on Saturday afternoon, several former Nebraska stars had one more chance to keep their professional football dreams alive.

Nearly 300 players came out to Omaha Central High School for an open tryout held by the Omaha Nighthawks, the city's new United Football League team. Among those trying out were at least seven former Huskers who weren't quite ready to hang up their cleats just yet.

Some of the names included cornerback Armando Murillo, defensive tackle Shukree Barfield, running backs David Horne and Kenny Wilson, punter Dan Titchener, linebacker Randy Stella, wide receiver Isaiah Fluellen and offensive lineman Mike Erickson.

There were also several former NU names simply in attendance for the tryout, including defensive tackle Steve Warren, safety Tierre Green and cornerback Donald DeFrand. There was even a former Husker on the tryout staff, as former tight end Vershan Jackson helped run the prospective tight ends group through individual drills.

Though there was no guarantee that any of the players would be signed from the tryout, the chance to get a shot at making a roster in the UFL - which is essentially just a step down from the NFL in terms of the ranks of professional football - was enough to bring out players from across the Midwest.

"I saw on the news that they were bringing a team here, and I just wanted to come out here and see what I had left in the legs and give it one more try," Horne said.

Horne, who played at Nebraska from 2002-04 before transferring to Northern Iowa after running into some off-the-field issues, said he had played in just one organized football game since he was a member of the Omaha Beef indoor football team in '07-'08.

While he may be a bit rusty, Horne said he wanted to take one more shot at playing pro ball before he was done.

"I still want to play football," he said. "If I can, I definitely want to. I still have the drive. A lot of friends give me a lot of stuff about seeing if I have anything left in the tank. I've got a little bit left. Not as much as I used to, but I think I should be all right. If I keep competing and keep trying, we'll see what happens. All you can do is keep trying."

Some of the more recent Huskers like Murillo and Barfield were still very focused on keeping their NFL dreams alive. After ending their collegiate careers following the 2008 season, both players have stayed on campus while finishing up their degrees and have continued to work with NU's strength and conditioning coaches.

As a result, they had a noticeable advantage over some of the less experienced competition at the tryout, especially Murillo, who was arguably the most talented overall player in attendance.

"I'm just trying to get back in the flow of football," Barfield said. "I've been out a year, and when I heard they were having these tryouts here I thought I should give it a try. I just wanted to come out here and give everything I've got, just like I did when I played for the University of Nebraska."

Nighthawks head coach Jeff Jagodzinski said he and his entire coaching staff spent the day simply evaluating players to decide if any were worthy of calling back for a more detailed workout.

With each of his position coaches working with their own groups and all of the team's scouts observing, Jagodzinski said he and the staff would get together after the tryout and discuss any players who caught their attention.

Though having a few former Huskers on the roster might be a good draw for prospective fans of the state's newest football team, Jagodzinski said he had no intentions of giving anyone preferential treatment based on where they played in college.

"I think there's some talent around here," Jagodzinski said. "We'd like to have Nebraska guys. We'd like to have area guys on our football team, but you know professional football is very competitive. We're glad they showed up, and we're glad that they wanted to be a part of this team. I think there's a lot of guys who want to be a part of it."

So with the tryout portion now in the books, the hard part has only just begun for the former Huskers and the rest of the 300 or so other players. From here, it's a matter of simply waiting for the phone to ring.

"I'm hoping they give us a call back soon," Barfield said. "I know it's going to take some time, but at least let us know soon. It's going to be hard waiting like that."
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I think Murillo and Barfield should at least get a shot. Murillo was underrated at corner. And Barfield, well, I remember seeing him in 3 plays, 2 of which he had sacks.

:bonez

 
Sources: Culpepper, Sacramento close

By Adam Schefter

ESPN

Archive

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Quarterback Daunte Culpepper is on the verge of going from the NFL's Detroit Lions to the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions.

Culpepper and the Mountain Lions are putting the finishing touches on a deal that will make him one of the league's marquee names, according to sources familiar with the talks.

Culpepper will be one of the first big-name players to jump from the NFL to the UFL this offseason, according to sources.

Signing with Sacramento will reunite Culpepper with Dennis Green, the Mountain Lions' coach and general manager. The two men worked together in Minnesota and enjoyed some of their greatest professional successes together.

Culpepper's first full season as a starter in the NFL came under Green in 2000, when the quarterback threw for a league-leading 33 touchdowns and rushed for seven more.

Neither Culpepper nor Green returned telephone calls or texts seeking comment.

But the deal is so close to getting done that sources said UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue is in Sacramento on Tuesday for a trip related to the Culpepper deal.

In fact, Mountain Lions assistant coaches told players trying out for the team that Culpepper will be the starting quarterback for Sacramento this season.

Culpepper spent last season with Detroit but struggled to find work this offseason. He even showed up at the NFL owners' meetings in Orlando to see if he could find a job.

Adam Schefter is ESPN's NFL Insider.

 
On KKAR this morning they commented that there are actually people looking for a stadium site for when the team's attendance can no longer be accommodated by the baseball stadium.

Cart, you're in front of the horse.

 
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