10 MARCH, 2022 - SHANK MEDIA, BY MATT HOOPER: FOLLOWING A SLEW OF APPARENT WITHDRAWALS BY PROMINENT PLAYERS, THE RUMOURED LAUNCH OF THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN PUSHED BACK UNTIL THE SUMMER ACCORDING TO ALAN SHIPNUCK. THE JOURNALIST, WHOSE REVELATIONS ABOUT PHIL MICKELSON ROCKED THE WORLD OF GOLF THREE WEEKS AGO, SAYS “The firestorm surrounding Mickelson’s blunt and callous comments were a mild setback, but to say the least, the Saudis are used to bad publicity. In fact, I’m hearing from well-placed sources they have doubled down and are accelerating their timeline, now hoping to launch the SGL in early summer. The thinking is they want to force the hand of the PGA Tour to follow through on its threat to suspend players who compete in the SGL, touching off a legal challenge the Tour very well could lose and thus make it much easier for the SGL to do business.”
IT SEEMS THAT MOST OF THE WORLD'S TOP 20 ARE NOT GOING TO JOIN THE RUMOURED LEAGUE, BUT THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE A BLESSING FOR GREG NORMAN, AND HELP HIS VISION FOR GOLF SUCCEED BY GROWING SLOWLY, AND GAINING TRACTION BY LAUNCHING THE PLATFORM. GREG AND LIV GOLF INVESTMENTS ONLY NEED TO OBSERVE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA TO SEE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SPORTS PLATFORM WHICH HAS RE-EMERGED AND LEARNED FROM PAST MISTAKES, AS USFL RETURNS THIS APRIL.
IT SEEMS THAT MOST OF THE WORLD'S TOP 20 ARE NOT GOING TO JOIN THE RUMOURED LEAGUE, BUT THAT COULD ACTUALLY BE A BLESSING FOR GREG NORMAN, AND HELP HIS VISION FOR GOLF SUCCEED BY GROWING SLOWLY, AND GAINING TRACTION BY LAUNCHING THE PLATFORM. GREG AND LIV GOLF INVESTMENTS ONLY NEED TO OBSERVE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA TO SEE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SPORTS PLATFORM WHICH HAS RE-EMERGED AND LEARNED FROM PAST MISTAKES, AS USFL RETURNS THIS APRIL.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE USFL IS FROM WIKIPEDIA
THE FIRST USFL WAS UNVEILED IN 1982, WITH THE FIRST SEASON TAKING PLACE IN 1983 AND played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be played in the autumn/winter, directly competing against the NFL. However, the USFL ceased operations before that season was scheduled to begin.
The ideas behind the USFL were conceived in 1965 by New Orleans businessman David Dixon, who saw a market for a professional football league that would play in the summer, when the National Football League and college football were in their off-season. Dixon had been a key player in the construction of the Louisiana Superdome and the expansion of the NFL into New Orleans in 1967. He developed "The Dixon Plan"—a blueprint for the USFL based upon securing NFL-caliber stadiums in top TV markets, securing a national TV broadcast contract, and controlling spending—and found investors willing to buy in.
Though the original franchise owners and founders of the USFL had promised to abide by the general guidelines set out by Dixon's plan, problems arose before the teams took the field, with some franchises facing financial problems and instability from the beginning. Due to pressure from the NFL, some franchises had difficulty securing leases in stadiums that were also used by NFL teams, forcing them to scramble to find alternative venues in their chosen city or hurriedly move to a new market.
The USFL had no hard salary cap, and because of this, some teams quickly escalated player payrolls to unsustainable levels despite pledges to keep costs under control. While a handful of USFL franchises abided by the Dixon Plan and were relatively stable, others suffered repeated financial crises, and there were many franchise relocations, mergers, and ownership changes during the league's short existence; however, none of its teams actually folded during any given season. These problems were worsened as some owners began engaging in bidding wars for star players against NFL teams and each other, forcing other owners to do the same or face a competitive disadvantage.
The USFL had no hard salary cap, and because of this, some teams quickly escalated player payrolls to unsustainable levels despite pledges to keep costs under control. While a handful of USFL franchises abided by the Dixon Plan and were relatively stable, others suffered repeated financial crises, and there were many franchise relocations, mergers, and ownership changes during the league's short existence; however, none of its teams actually folded during any given season. These problems were worsened as some owners began engaging in bidding wars for star players against NFL teams and each other, forcing other owners to do the same or face a competitive disadvantage.
On the field, the USFL was regarded as a relatively good product. Many coaches and team executives had NFL experience, and many future top NFL players and coaches got their start in the new league, including several who were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and/or the College Football Hall of Fame. The Michigan Panthers won the first USFL championship in 1983. The Philadelphia Stars won the second USFL championship in 1984, and after relocating to Baltimore, won the final USFL championship in 1985 as the Baltimore Stars in what was effectively a rematch of the first USFL title game.
THE DEMISE OF THE FIRST USFL BEGAN In August 1984, WHEN the USFL voted to move from a spring to a fall schedule in 1986 to compete directly with the NFL. This was done at the urging of New Jersey Generals majority owner Donald Trump and a handful of other owners as a way to force a merger between the leagues. As part of this strategy, the USFL filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Football League in 1986, and a jury ruled that the NFL had violated anti-monopoly laws. However, in a victory in name only, the USFL was awarded a judgment of just $1, which under antitrust laws, was tripled to $3.[2] This court decision effectively ended the USFL's existence. The league never played its planned 1986 season, and by the time it folded, it had lost over US$163 million (over $389 million in 2021 dollars).
DESPITE ITS ULTIMATE FAILURE, THE USFL GAINED TRACTION WITH FANS AND MEDIA, AND WITH THE NFL SEASON ONLY LASTING FROM SEPTEMBER TO FEBRUARY, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A YEARNING FROM MANY AMERICAN FOOTBALL FANS TO SEE MORE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL AT A DIFFERENT TIME OF THE YEAR, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT TEAMS IN DIFFERENT PLACES TO THE NFL.
LAST YEAR IT WAS ANNOUNCED THE USFL WAS RETURNING IN 2022, UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF FOX SPORTS AND FEATURING AN INITIAL 8 TEAMS WITH THE SEASON BEGINNING ON APRIL 16, WITH AN HISTORIC SIMULCAST BY FOX AND NBC FEATURING THE BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS AND THE NEW JERSEY GENERALS. THE ENTIRE REGULAR SEASON WILL BE PLAYED IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA ACROSS TWO STADIUMS, WITH THE PLAYOFFS BEING STAGED IN CANTON, OHIO, AS THE USFL RETURNS IN A MODEST BUT SENSIBLE WAY.
LAST YEAR IT WAS ANNOUNCED THE USFL WAS RETURNING IN 2022, UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF FOX SPORTS AND FEATURING AN INITIAL 8 TEAMS WITH THE SEASON BEGINNING ON APRIL 16, WITH AN HISTORIC SIMULCAST BY FOX AND NBC FEATURING THE BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS AND THE NEW JERSEY GENERALS. THE ENTIRE REGULAR SEASON WILL BE PLAYED IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA ACROSS TWO STADIUMS, WITH THE PLAYOFFS BEING STAGED IN CANTON, OHIO, AS THE USFL RETURNS IN A MODEST BUT SENSIBLE WAY.
IT IS CLEAR THE USFL WANTS TO TAP INTO THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF CITIES AND STATES WHICH DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE NFL FRANCHISES, INCLUDING BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, AND THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO GROW STEADILY RATHER THAN RAPIDLY, ENSURING THE PRODUCT AND PLATFORM SURVIVES LONGER THAN THE INITIAL USFL DID. THE USFL ISN'T PITCHING ITSELF AS A RIVAL TO THE NFL, BECAUSE IT IS FIRSTLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RIVAL IT AND BECAUSE IT WANTS TO STAND ALONE AS A SPRING AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' COULD ALSO FOLLOW THE LEAD OF THE USFL AND GO TO DESTINATIONS CURRENTLY UNSERVED BY THE PGA TOUR, INCLUDING THE PACIFIC NORTH-WEST OF THE USA, UTAH, NEW MEXICO, MIAMI, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON DC, BOSTON, PENNSYLVANIA, THE CANADIAN WEST AND EAST COAST, JAMAICA, BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, SOUTH AFRICA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, INDIA, SINGAPORE, THE MIDDLE EAST AND EUROPE. GIVING MOST OF THESE TERRITORIES A NEW, BIG GOLF EVENT WOULD SURELY GAIN SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, MUCH IN THE SAME WAY THE USFL IS ALREADY DOING IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA AND THE COMMUNITIES WHICH HAVE PARTICIPATING TEAMS.
PLAYERS WHO COULD BE TEMPTED, AND I WOULD SAY MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO JOIN THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' (PLEASE GREG, CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE) INCLUDE ADAM SCOTT, LEE WESTWOOD, LUKE DONALD, HENRIK STENSON, PAUL CASEY, IAN POULTER, LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN, CHARL SCHWARTZEL, BRANDEN GRACE, MARC LEISHMAN, CAMILO VILLEGAS, RYO ISHIKAWA, HAOTONG LI AND OTHER GLOBAL GOLFERS WHICH HAVE A REPUTATION AND HAVE ACHIEVED A GREAT DEAL IN THE SPORT. THESE PLAYERS ARE CERTAINLY STAR NAMES, FROM ALMOST EVERY PART OF THE WORLD, AND THE FACT THEY AREN'T RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD RANKINGS OR THE FEDEX CUP RANKINGS IS ACTUALLY IRRELEVANT. IF GREG NORMAN CAN ATTRACT THESE PLAYERS AND ADD OTHER YOUNGSTERS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD TO THE MIX IT COULD ACTUALLY GIVE THE LEAGUE A COSMOPOLITAN MIX OF GOLFERS, COMPETING ACROSS THE WORLD ON A RADICAL NEW PLATFORM.
THIS WEEK'S PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP HAS SHOWN THAT SHOTGUN STARTS FOR TOURNAMENTS OUTSIDE THE MAJORS ARE SURELY THE WAY FORWARD, AND IT COULD BE DONE WITH THE 144-PLAYER FIELD AT SAWGRASS THIS WEEK. IF THE FIELD PLAYED IN FOURBALLS, RATHER THAN THREEBALLS, YOU COULD HAVE HAD 72 PLAYERS TEEING OFF AT 7AM, COMPLETING THEIR FIRST ROUND BY 11.30AM, WITH THE SECOND WAVE OF PLAYERS TEEING OFF AT 12PM, AND FINISHING BY AROUND 4.30PM. EVEN WITH THE DELAYS EXPERIENCED AT SAWGRASS THIS WEEK THE FIRST ROUND WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY NOW, AND THE SECOND ROUND WOULD BE UNDERWAY, MAKING IT MUCH MORE LIKELY THE CHAMPIONSHIP WOULD BE CONCLUDED ON SUNDAY.
TRADITION AND HISTORY HAS ITS PLACE IN GOLF, BUT SOME ELEMENTS OF OUR TRADITION ARE HOLDING THIS SPORT BACK, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT SHOTGUN STARTS WOULD DELIVER MORE DRAMA OVER A CONDENSED PERIOD, MAKING THIS SPORT MORE ENTERTAINING AND DRAWING IN MORE PEOPLE. SHOTGUN STARTS ALSO MAKE TOURNAMENTS WHICH EXPERIENCE WEATHER DELAYS MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE WITH OFFICIALS NOT HAVING TO CONSIDER STAGGERED TEE-TIMES, WITH EVERYONE STARTING AT THE SAME TIME. THE FINAL GROUP WOULD JUST BECOME KNOWN AS THE LEADING GROUP, AND I THINK IT WOULD ADD AN INCREDIBLE DYNAMIC TO ANY CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT ESPECIALLY THIS ONE BECAUSE SOMEONE WOULD HAVE THE 17TH AND 18TH HOLES AS THEIR FIRST TEE SHOT OF THE DAY, OR LAST TEE SHOT OF THE DAY, THE POSSIBILITIES FOR EXCITEMENT ARE ENDLESS.
I AM A TOTAL BELIEVER IN WHAT GREG NORMAN IS PROPOSING AND THE VISION FOR AN ELITE WORLD TOUR IN GOLF, BUT FOR HIM TO SUCCEED THIS TIME HE NEEDS TO BUILD SOMETHING FROM THE GROUND UP, AND THAT MAY MEAN ENDURING EVENTS WITH FEW SPECTATORS, JUST AS KERRY PACKER DID WITH WORLD SERIES CRICKET. IN THE END PACKER SUCCEEDED IN CREATING A SPORT-CHANGING LEGACY FOR CRICKET, AND I STILL BELIEVE THAT OPPORTUNITY IS THERE FOR THE TAKING.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME IT WILL BE SEEN AS A DEFINING MOMENT FOR OUR SPORT, ONE WHEN THE SPORT CHANGED AND CREATED A TRULY GLOBAL PLATFORM, WITH BIG EVENTS ALL OVER THE PLANET, AND CREATED A PLATFORM WHICH WAS MORE EXCITING AND COMPELLING THAN EVER BEFORE. AND ONE WHICH WILL ALSO HELP TO ELEVATE THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, MAKING THEM UNIQUE IN THE MEN'S GAME, AND IN TIME, MAYBE QUICKER THAN THE MEN, THE LPGA AND WOMEN'S GOLF COULD ADOPT THE SAME PLATFORM.
HE HAS HAD TO ENDURE INSULTS, FALSEHOODS, WILD CRITICISM AND BACKLASH FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT, BUT SLOWLY, SLOWLY CATCHY MONKEY AND THE SHARK IS ABOUT TO BREACH THE WATER'S SURFACE, WITH A GAME-CHANGING PRODUCT, THE LIKE OF WHICH GOLF HAS NEEDED FOR SO MANY YEARS, AND ONE WHICH SO MANY HAVE REBUFFED.
PLAYERS WHO COULD BE TEMPTED, AND I WOULD SAY MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO JOIN THE 'SUPER GOLF LEAGUE' (PLEASE GREG, CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE) INCLUDE ADAM SCOTT, LEE WESTWOOD, LUKE DONALD, HENRIK STENSON, PAUL CASEY, IAN POULTER, LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN, CHARL SCHWARTZEL, BRANDEN GRACE, MARC LEISHMAN, CAMILO VILLEGAS, RYO ISHIKAWA, HAOTONG LI AND OTHER GLOBAL GOLFERS WHICH HAVE A REPUTATION AND HAVE ACHIEVED A GREAT DEAL IN THE SPORT. THESE PLAYERS ARE CERTAINLY STAR NAMES, FROM ALMOST EVERY PART OF THE WORLD, AND THE FACT THEY AREN'T RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD RANKINGS OR THE FEDEX CUP RANKINGS IS ACTUALLY IRRELEVANT. IF GREG NORMAN CAN ATTRACT THESE PLAYERS AND ADD OTHER YOUNGSTERS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD TO THE MIX IT COULD ACTUALLY GIVE THE LEAGUE A COSMOPOLITAN MIX OF GOLFERS, COMPETING ACROSS THE WORLD ON A RADICAL NEW PLATFORM.
THIS WEEK'S PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP HAS SHOWN THAT SHOTGUN STARTS FOR TOURNAMENTS OUTSIDE THE MAJORS ARE SURELY THE WAY FORWARD, AND IT COULD BE DONE WITH THE 144-PLAYER FIELD AT SAWGRASS THIS WEEK. IF THE FIELD PLAYED IN FOURBALLS, RATHER THAN THREEBALLS, YOU COULD HAVE HAD 72 PLAYERS TEEING OFF AT 7AM, COMPLETING THEIR FIRST ROUND BY 11.30AM, WITH THE SECOND WAVE OF PLAYERS TEEING OFF AT 12PM, AND FINISHING BY AROUND 4.30PM. EVEN WITH THE DELAYS EXPERIENCED AT SAWGRASS THIS WEEK THE FIRST ROUND WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY NOW, AND THE SECOND ROUND WOULD BE UNDERWAY, MAKING IT MUCH MORE LIKELY THE CHAMPIONSHIP WOULD BE CONCLUDED ON SUNDAY.
TRADITION AND HISTORY HAS ITS PLACE IN GOLF, BUT SOME ELEMENTS OF OUR TRADITION ARE HOLDING THIS SPORT BACK, AND THERE'S NO DOUBT SHOTGUN STARTS WOULD DELIVER MORE DRAMA OVER A CONDENSED PERIOD, MAKING THIS SPORT MORE ENTERTAINING AND DRAWING IN MORE PEOPLE. SHOTGUN STARTS ALSO MAKE TOURNAMENTS WHICH EXPERIENCE WEATHER DELAYS MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE WITH OFFICIALS NOT HAVING TO CONSIDER STAGGERED TEE-TIMES, WITH EVERYONE STARTING AT THE SAME TIME. THE FINAL GROUP WOULD JUST BECOME KNOWN AS THE LEADING GROUP, AND I THINK IT WOULD ADD AN INCREDIBLE DYNAMIC TO ANY CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT ESPECIALLY THIS ONE BECAUSE SOMEONE WOULD HAVE THE 17TH AND 18TH HOLES AS THEIR FIRST TEE SHOT OF THE DAY, OR LAST TEE SHOT OF THE DAY, THE POSSIBILITIES FOR EXCITEMENT ARE ENDLESS.
I AM A TOTAL BELIEVER IN WHAT GREG NORMAN IS PROPOSING AND THE VISION FOR AN ELITE WORLD TOUR IN GOLF, BUT FOR HIM TO SUCCEED THIS TIME HE NEEDS TO BUILD SOMETHING FROM THE GROUND UP, AND THAT MAY MEAN ENDURING EVENTS WITH FEW SPECTATORS, JUST AS KERRY PACKER DID WITH WORLD SERIES CRICKET. IN THE END PACKER SUCCEEDED IN CREATING A SPORT-CHANGING LEGACY FOR CRICKET, AND I STILL BELIEVE THAT OPPORTUNITY IS THERE FOR THE TAKING.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME IT WILL BE SEEN AS A DEFINING MOMENT FOR OUR SPORT, ONE WHEN THE SPORT CHANGED AND CREATED A TRULY GLOBAL PLATFORM, WITH BIG EVENTS ALL OVER THE PLANET, AND CREATED A PLATFORM WHICH WAS MORE EXCITING AND COMPELLING THAN EVER BEFORE. AND ONE WHICH WILL ALSO HELP TO ELEVATE THE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, MAKING THEM UNIQUE IN THE MEN'S GAME, AND IN TIME, MAYBE QUICKER THAN THE MEN, THE LPGA AND WOMEN'S GOLF COULD ADOPT THE SAME PLATFORM.
HE HAS HAD TO ENDURE INSULTS, FALSEHOODS, WILD CRITICISM AND BACKLASH FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT, BUT SLOWLY, SLOWLY CATCHY MONKEY AND THE SHARK IS ABOUT TO BREACH THE WATER'S SURFACE, WITH A GAME-CHANGING PRODUCT, THE LIKE OF WHICH GOLF HAS NEEDED FOR SO MANY YEARS, AND ONE WHICH SO MANY HAVE REBUFFED.
