USFL (Alt History)

[BengalErnst]

Thought for sure we would be getting the Tenneesse Titans here. I’ll be rooting for the St Louis Battlehawks 

[neo_prankster]

2 hours ago, WideRight said:

OK, just about to publish the article where the move from St. Louis to Nashville becomes official.  So you all get a bit of a preview. 

 

Initially, and for most of the 2002 season, the uniforms are unchanged, and the helmet is reduced to the basics as the club awaits new branding and does not want to use the logo with the Arch in it.  So, this is the 2002 look:

 

 

Just a wordmark and a helmet with player number.  But, at some point in the 2002 season the club will unveil their new look, and, with permission of the league, they will wear this if they qualify for the 2002 playoffs.

 

 

The uniforms remain basically as they were (based on LA Xtreme of XFL), but with the new sword (Titans-based) logo, and alternate logos including an "N-with-sword" and the state flag motif.   Not sure how long the Knights will keep this motif.

 

Also not sure how long St. Louis will go without a USFL club, or whether we will see more teams move as sales are pending on several clubs.  I guess you would need to tune in to find out.   

See it all play out at https://apsbertsche.wixsite.com/mysite

Didn't you say the Rams went to St. Louis like they did in real life?

[BengalErnst]

Sounds like the Bandits are leaving the USFL in real life and they’re bringing back the Memphis Showboats 

[WideRight]

On 11/4/2022 at 4:51 PM, neo_prankster said:

Didn't you say the Rams went to St. Louis like they did in real life?

The Rams are in St. Louis, so they won't be without football, just spring football.  One of the reasons the Knights left was the issues with the Dome, where they were treated like 2nd hand citizens even though they got there first.   Bigger issues (ownership scandal) but that was also a reason. 

[WideRight]

8 hours ago, BengalErnst said:

Sounds like the Bandits are leaving the USFL in real life and they’re bringing back the Memphis Showboats 

 

I saw that.  I have a theory. I think they wanted a 2nd southern hub city along with Birmingham this year and Memphis offered them a better option than Tampa, Houston, or New Orleans could.  While I am glad Memphis is getting a shot, I think Tampa Bay is a more iconic USFL team.  Banditball and all.   Ideally I would want to see both in the league, along with about 16 other cities, but I am not sure this USFL will get there.  I just want 2 things:  1) for them to get to all 8 stadiums ASAP, and 2) to add a Western Division so I can go to Gold games in Denver. 

 

 

BTW, for those of you following my Alt History, there is going to be news relatively quickly about one team, and that will lead directly to a poll where you (Cris Creamer followers and followers of my alt history page) will get to vote on a team identity. 

[BengalErnst]

I think you’re spot on with the second hub city. I agree that that is the reason and I posted that in a different thread. They want a second hub city and since the league is a single entity it’s easy to just “relocate” a team now before negotiating with new stadiums anyways 

[Wildcomet]

That idea would make sense. Agreed that losing Tampa is a shame, but makes sense to make sure the hub city has a team to call its own.

 

I wonder if they're relocating Tampa to Memphis because the helmets are more or less the same shell color so they can be reused with Memphis to save on cost? Possibly even the uniforms with some changes to switch logo patches, etc?

[Skycast]

On 11/7/2022 at 4:08 PM, WideRight said:

add a Western Division so I can go to Gold games in Denver.

 

I’m right there with you. I grew up about 2 hours from Tampa and went to many Bandits game but I’ve lived in the Boulder, CO area for nearly 26 years now and am hoping for a revived Gold so I can adopt them as my team.

[neo_prankster]

From the latest update on the site, I love seeing all the teams' helmets together.

 

@WideRight

By the way, do you have an archive of your old football concepts saved somewhere? Because your USFL thread in the old Fan Fiction forum had plenty of gems that I liked.

[ManillaToad]

18 hours ago, neo_prankster said:

From the latest update on the site, I love seeing all the teams' helmets together.

 

Yeah this is great. It really shows off how well balanced the helmet colors are in the league

 

[BengalErnst]

Agreed. That was first thing I noticed from that picture. A much more well balanced league color wise than my XFL rebuild. Dang. Nice work. 

[BengalErnst]

Sounds like 3 hubs for new USFL. Memphis and Birmingham like we called.. but also Detroit? 

[WideRight]

Only days away from you all getting a vote on the new Boston franchise's logos and nickname.  I will be adding a page to the website to have a poll but I will post the images here as well. 

 

Until then, here are the three patches the teams are wearing in 2002.  A 9/11 commemoration patch, and two variants of the league's 20th Season patch, one for teams that were not 1983 teams (no team logo) and one for those that started in 1983 (team's original helmet in design).

 

 

 

[WideRight]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:18 AM, ManillaToad said:

 

Yeah this is great. It really shows off how well balanced the helmet colors are in the league

 

Thanks, color diversity and balance is something I actually pay attention to as I alter uniforms or add new teams.   The original USFL did a great job of this, but as we add more teams it becomes tougher.  If (and it is an "if" right now) this alternate USFL does expand to 28 teams, it will get tougher, though I notice that currently there are no orange helmets, so that could be a thing, only 1 red helmet (NJ), despite a lot of teams having red as a color.   Right now we have:

 

4 Silver/Grey

3 Gold/Champagne (but notice all 3 tones are very different from each other)

3 Black

3 White

2 Blue (1 navy, 1 royal)

2 Green (1 forest, 1 kelly)

2 Purple

1 Red

1 Burgundy (Yes, that's a red, but it isn't "RED!!!")

1 Silver Sky (not really blue, not really silver)

1 Copper

1 Yellow

 

That leave orange, brown, sky blue, teal and maybe a very dark grey like pewter or anthracite as realistic color options that are not in use.  

 

 

[WideRight]

OK, my last post here before I can provide the link to the poll where we will have all 3 Boston identity choices.    It is your chance to guess where my head is going.   Here is what I will give you as hints:

 

1.  We know the first option is the Boston Colonials, based on the UFL Hartford Colonials logo.  But, I have changed one of the three colors.  What 3 colors would the Colonials be?

 

2.  The second option is based on another Boston club from an entirely different sport.  Colors are changed, but the logo will remain largely as it is in that other sport (with some required changes, of course.)   Any guesses?

 

3. The third option will combine a logo from a failed football league that started after 2010 with a name used by 1 of the 4 major league sports for one of their clubs, but not a Boston club.  Colors will be Navy, Athletic Gold, and gunmetal grey.  Any guesses on what would combine a major league name with a logo from one of many failed outdoor football leagues we have seen. 

 

3 Names, 3 identities pulled from "reality" and repurposed.   Your votes will get to decide which club Boston becomes. 

[Brian in Boston]

1. Personally, I - like the Robert Kraft of your alternate universe - think the UFL Hartford Colonials identity is far too close to that of the New England Patriots to be adopted by a USFL franchise. That said, if you choose to go said route, I believe that the darker blue color is a lock for the palette. I could see it paired alongside the existing gold, with a gunmetal grey replacing the powder/sky blue; paired with the existing gold, with red replacing the powder/sky blue; or paired with the existing powder/sky blue with a gunmetal grey replacing the gold.

2. I could see the logo from the Boston Cannons (lacrosse) or Boston Beacons (soccer) being adapted/updated for USFL use.  

3. The logo of the Alliance of American Football's  San Diego Fleet franchise would look pretty sharp rendered in a palette of Navy, Athletic Gold, and Gunmetal Grey. Combined with a name like Boston Commanders, Boston Mariners, Boston Blue Jackets, or Boston Blues, such an identity could be positioned as a nod to the rich naval heritage of coastal New England, particularly the history of the Charlestown Navy Yard/Boston Naval Shipyard and the Fore River Shipyard in nearby Quincy and Braintree, Massachusetts.

Should be interesting.  

[BengalErnst]

UFL start prior to 2010 so I’m leaning towards him referring to a FXFL team. 

[Brian in Boston]

While the United Football League launched in 2009, the Virginia Destroyers didn't take the field until 2011.

[BengalErnst]

Yep but he said failed league

[neo_prankster]

For Boston, I'd like to see if there's a way to fit a shamrock into the Amsterdam Admirals logo. Boston Admirals could be the name.