Pitts P-G: Former players hope Maulers get second chance in new USFL

[4th&long]

>> 'Pittsburgh breathes, lives and dies football': Former players hope Maulers get second chance in new USFL <<

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ste ... 2106100135

>> Former Maulers cornerback Jerry Holmes echoed Carano’s sentiment. Since he finished playing, he’s coached younger players at the college and professional level and said that the existence of a league like the USFL provides crucial opportunities for their development.

Clancy, for one, reflected on his time as a player and the role the USFL played in his growth.

“I didn't have the talent to be on an NFL field yet,” he said. “The Maulers gave me an opportunity to develop. They made it comfortable for me because I was 250 pounds and an ex-basketball player trying to learn professional football. It’s how I really learned because now I'm playing every snap instead of playing just a few nickel downs. …To have a place where you really can sharpen your skills a little more, I think that's going to be big.” <<

This is why Fox and B Woods went with the USFL name... people remember it fondly and it still gets attention... good read

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

Pittsburgh would be an ideal spot for a league like this. No MLS in the summer, their MLB team is languishing in the basement, and no NBA (they have the Penguins but as the XFL generally showed, pro football and the NHL can coexist).

The only issue would be a stadium. Heinz Field is really the only one in the immediate Pittsburgh area that can accommodate the pro game. Duquesne's stadium is too small, as is the Highmark soccer stadium. (That is, if they go back to using the paying fans as a business model. If they stick to the TSL pay-to-play model, there is a really nice practice facility they could use if fans are not an issue.)

[Tank55]

You know, 20K seat stadiums only make sense if you can fill them. For the USFL, maybe USL stadiums are a better fit. Highmark does really look cool on TV.