The ancient Egyptians had a hieroglyphic sign for 1,000,000: an man with hands stretched in astonishment above his head. That was about my reaction, as a paperboy in the mid-1980s, upon seeing the headline that Steve Young had signed a $40 million contract with the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League. I didn't realize that numbers went so high. A quarter century later I am again that hieroglyph upon reading Paul Beston's article that a spring-league USFL is making a comeback in 2010. What's next? Comebacks by Mike Rozier, Kelvin Bryant, and Bobby Hebert?
Used to go to the Breakers games at Nickerson field at B.U. The stands were so close to the action, you could literally catch passes from over thrown plays in the end zone. Plus, watching "pro" football in shorts in the warm sunshine was sweet.
Walker and Flutie made a ton of dough as well.
USFL 1st year champions: Michigan Panthers!!
They would have hornswaggled the Lions of last year.
I'm of half a mind to agree with you. It's amazing how many guys on Lions boards wanted Martz gone after making the Lions one of the more potent passing offenses.
"We need to run more!" is how they saw it. I kept suggesting that maybe a professional like Martz has sized up our line, and decided not to go that route. But they knew better, and we spent a year of trying to "establish the run more" but really just punting a whole lot more.
But the reason I said "half a mind" is that in my mind, Lions beat the Vikes at Minnesota. It was probably the worst job of officiating I have ever seen. (A guy reaches over a prone Calvin Johnson and flips the ball out, resulting in a "fumble". The tape did not show beyond a doubt that he had control all the way down to the ground, so it stood.) The idea of giving a questionable 30-40-yard PI within the last two minutes of the game is ridiculous. When you've already given them two really squeakers of calls.
Ah well, Lions suck. No one will ever be a worse team than they were. We have that. Other atrocious teams here on out, only have to worry about "sucking as bad as the 08 Lions". Thanks, Matt Millen.
