It's almost time

October 8th, 9 PM on Versus. The UFL plays the first down. I am really excited.
I have also already been proven wrong! I assumed Craig Nall would be the starter in Orlando...well, he was cut! That's impressive. If the team can cut NFL-caliber talent then the UFL talent must be pretty high.
Here is a great article about the league itself. It's more eloquent than I can be so I will just post the link .
It does have a touching story about a guy who tried out but did not do well. He called to try and get a second shot. Apparently he has been working 60-70 hours a week in a plant and was exhausted and did not have time to prepare for the try out.
Maybe he gets another shot and maybe he doesn't. That's for the league to decide, but let it be a lesson to the rest of us.
Sometimes you only get one shot. Better make the most of it.

Darrel Hackney as starter in Orlando?

The Orlando Sentinel (newspaper in Orlando - not to be confused with the New York Sentinels) published this article indicating Darrel Hackney may have a shot as starter for the Orlando Tuskers.

I assumed Craig Nall would be the starter with his NFL pedigree and what I have seen of him in his professional career. The Orlando Sentinel makes a pretty good case for Hackney though. Sounds like some Jamarcus Russel comparisons. Jamarcus has not been superlative in the NFL, but he does play for the Raiders after all.

This will be interesting to watch as it unfolds closer to kickoff of the 2009 season.

Craig Nall

One great thing about professional sports can be summed up in one word, "storylines". I don't care which professional athlete you choose, you could write a book or a movie about what got them to the professional level. There have been succeses and failures and heartache and comebacks and dedication and victory. This is true in almost every case.

This pic is Florida Tuskers QB Craig Nall and I think we are right at the edge of one of those stories. Craig had star potential at LSU, but fell behind some really good QBs before transferring to Northwestern State and really lighting things up.

He went to the NFL and only got a few opportunities. He backed up Brett Favre in Green Bay and that is where I remember him best. He looked great in the games where he actually got to play, but the list of QBs who have backed up Brett Favre and never got a chance to play is long and distinguished (Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks).

If Drew Bledsoe had never gotten injured, would we know who Tom Brady was? He was always good at Michigan, but also a perpetual back-up (Brian Griese in college and then Bledsoe at New England).

Let's watch Craig Nall. Tuskers could put up impressive numbers with him under center.