For the purpose of this article I am strictly referring to the United States Football League (USFL) that existed for three seasons during the 1980's. If you were a sports fan from 1983-1985 you probably remember the USFL pretty well. It was one of the few professional football leagues besides the NFL that rose to some degree of prominence and respectability.
The USFL of course went out of business after a more or less failed attempt to collect anti-trust damages from the NFL but that doesn't mean that they did not create a legacy during their brief existence. There were plenty of incredible USFL teams out there. The New Jersey Generals were loaded with the talents of Doug Flutie and Hershel Walker in addition to plenty of other great players. They never made it to the USFL championship game but they were a force on the field.
The Michigan Panthers won the first USFL championship trophy but soon went out of business. The Arizona Wranglers and Oakland Invaders also had some great post-season moments.
With all that in mind, who was the best USFL team? Which team was the greatest USFL team ever? I have some thoughts and I suspect a lot of fans of the former league would feel the same way.
The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were the best United States Football League team ever. Why do I say that? We'll I generally love Philadelphia sports teams in general but that isn't the only reason or even the most important. The Stars existed in all three USFL seasons. During those seasons they had great, great success during the playoff season. They never lost one single playoff game and were a highly respected team around the league.
During the USFL's three seasons of play, the Stars played in all three Championship games. They lost the first game to the Michigan Panthers and then won the next two to the Arizona Wranglers and the Oakland Invaders. Few teams in any professional sports make it to three title games in a row and perhaps the Stars would have been a USFL dynasty with more consecutive titles if the league had existed past the 1985 season.
The Stars also left an NFL legacy. Head Coach Jim Mora went on to a respected NFL career as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. Stars, star running back Kelvin Bryant played in the NFL as well as punter Shawn Landetta and linebacker Sam Mills. I'm sure I'm missing some other players and front office staff that graduated to the National Football League.
The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were the best USFL team ever. Their record book and legacy proves. it. What are your thoughts? Did you have a favorite United States Football League team? Let us know you thoughts. Would love to hear them.
The USFL of course went out of business after a more or less failed attempt to collect anti-trust damages from the NFL but that doesn't mean that they did not create a legacy during their brief existence. There were plenty of incredible USFL teams out there. The New Jersey Generals were loaded with the talents of Doug Flutie and Hershel Walker in addition to plenty of other great players. They never made it to the USFL championship game but they were a force on the field.
The Michigan Panthers won the first USFL championship trophy but soon went out of business. The Arizona Wranglers and Oakland Invaders also had some great post-season moments.
With all that in mind, who was the best USFL team? Which team was the greatest USFL team ever? I have some thoughts and I suspect a lot of fans of the former league would feel the same way.
The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were the best United States Football League team ever. Why do I say that? We'll I generally love Philadelphia sports teams in general but that isn't the only reason or even the most important. The Stars existed in all three USFL seasons. During those seasons they had great, great success during the playoff season. They never lost one single playoff game and were a highly respected team around the league.
During the USFL's three seasons of play, the Stars played in all three Championship games. They lost the first game to the Michigan Panthers and then won the next two to the Arizona Wranglers and the Oakland Invaders. Few teams in any professional sports make it to three title games in a row and perhaps the Stars would have been a USFL dynasty with more consecutive titles if the league had existed past the 1985 season.
The Stars also left an NFL legacy. Head Coach Jim Mora went on to a respected NFL career as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. Stars, star running back Kelvin Bryant played in the NFL as well as punter Shawn Landetta and linebacker Sam Mills. I'm sure I'm missing some other players and front office staff that graduated to the National Football League.
The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were the best USFL team ever. Their record book and legacy proves. it. What are your thoughts? Did you have a favorite United States Football League team? Let us know you thoughts. Would love to hear them.
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