I was a ball boy for the Bandits in the USFL in 1984. It was an amazing experience for a 15 year old kid. Sad to see the Bandits disappear again. Hopefully one day they'll return.
If they expand to have a western division, or Pacific division as it was named back then, just put the Express in San Diego like they were originally planned to. Oakland and San Diego both have great football fans that were jilted by the NFL and would welcome new teams.
I think LA just sucks for sports. LIke the Rams were great recently but even in the playoffs they had trouble with fan support. They even hosted the Superbowl that they played in but there just weren't that many Rams fans there, then the parade was just a shitshow attendance wise. You really telling me there are diehard football fans who can't be bothered to go to the playoffs or Superbowl because they want to go hiking or something they could do practically any other day of the year? Doesn't make sense to me. LA needs dynasty level teams to support them
@@billblaski9523 Yep. The Rams will never have good fan support in LA unless they win like 3 Superbowls in a row or at least 3 of 4. For whatever reason, LA is the worst city in America for fan support in ratio to its size
@@gothenmosph5151 Thank you. I've lived in LA for most of my life and these "fans" out here will only pay attention to you if you win consistently, and even then, they'll come to the game get on their cellphones, drink, talk up a storm with friends or family, or just pay attention when a touchdown is scored.
Al Davis did NOT help either! Remember, the Rams were in Orange County by that point. So instead of Rams vs. Express, it ended up being Rams vs. Express vs. Raiders, while the Bay Area got 49ers vs. Invaders to replace 49ers vs. Raiders.
Great video! The old USFL was really fun. I hope the UFL works out as I'd love for spring football to actually become a regular thing. But, one thing standing against it is that it doesn't have reams in major markets, and it's a minor league. The average non-fanatic will tune into or attend a game to see stars. With zero star power, it's going to be a tough sell. It would be like airing G-League or AAA Baseball on ABC or FOX in prime time and expecting huge ratings. So, I wish the UFL luck - but, it's going to be a tough road.
The UFL can't afford to pay top college talent. But, they can be a ticket for players to make an NFL squad. That would be a way to sell it to the general public. Make it seem like it's "The Voice or American Idol" for a football player. But, the catch is that if a team has a good QB or any other player who looks like NFL talent he'll get snatched up and your team loses it's best player or players. Suddenly a team that one year was good becomes average or lousy.
Spring football is always a gamble. The hardest part is, like you said, grabbing those causal viewers. Part of me wishes they'd start in mid-April and catch the June/July viewers, but I guess they have people who have more knowledge than I do on that!
Fun fact: the LA Express uniforms were used for the fictional California Bulls in the late 80s/early 90s HBO series "1st And 10",which featured OJ Simpson and Donald Gibb (aka Ogre from "Revenge of the Nerds"),and footage from actual Express games were used for "highlights"
I know the market appeals but theyd be smart to avoid, cant draw. Do Oakland and San Diego, should be looking at markets screwed by NFL like XFL and St. Louis
@@SlausonAve60s - San Jose has a team. It's called the 49ers, who play in a sxxty suburb that was stupid enough to allow the ixxot owners to continue to leech off of the San Francisco name!
Went and saw the Express, with Young at QB, vs the Invaders, with Bobby Hebert at QB, at the Oakland Coliseum. It was "Mormon Day" at the stadium. Those two would go on to have a great rivalry in the NFC West, with the Niners and Saints respectively.
I didn't know about the San Diego component. Because I'm pretty sure from memory back in 1982 they initially said there would be 3 teams in California. One in LA, San Diego and the Bay Area.
That is true. That was the plan. The USFL had even given the San Diego franchise schools for a territorial draft (UCLA, San Diego State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Hawaii, Nevada-Reno). Daniels and Harmon opted to move 8 months before the season and the USFL forced the previous owner to move his planned team to Arizona.
I was at that last game at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. I felt bad that the Express was going out like that. A few weeks before the game the Express disbanded their cheerleaders because it had no money to pay them, so the idiot sitting behind me kept yelling "where are the cheerleaders?" for the entire first quarter.
I’m pretty sure Steve Young has publicly said he got his money because the contract was good even if the league folded. He was still getting paid up until a few years ago.
Young never got paid anywhere close to the $40 million+ in that annuity. He joked not too long about how the league still owed him money. He actually opted for a $1 million payout while he was with the Express rather than fund the annuity that had no chance of lasting four decades.
For the true football fan the current fall football season ( college and NFL) leaves us pining for more action. The UFL is that much needed fix ( hey I'm a football junkie) 😅😅. There's no doubt an additional football league is needed. MLB , I can only watch the world series. NBA , I can only watch the finals. MLS , I watch none. NHL , I watch none . Golf , I watch none. Tennis, since Serena has retired, I watch very little. The Olympics, I watch every 4 years. I place my Stallions flag on the front of my house every morning and patiently await the return of my beloved team. Trust me John, if you guys are fortunate enough to get a team there in Louisville you'll probably feel that same way too. Giddy up and Buck EM 👍 😊😊
I’m with you. I watch college basketball, the NFL and the UFL. If we are lucky enough to get a team in Louisville, my wife has already been informed season tickets are getting bought ASAP 😂
Well, it was a capsule recap of the Express' history but it doesn't suggest why the new USFL would or should never revive the franchise. If the league continue to play in hub cities, why should having a team in LA be a problem?
I wish the USFL (and/or XFL) would put a team in LA. The point I was trying to make was that the Express "brand" is probably not one the USFL would like to revisit.
With this merger news. I’ve been waving the flag for west expansion and I live In Alabama. Maybe not LA, but the Oakland and San Diego would love a football team. They would support it dearly. Idk about LA tho.
I'm wondering with the merger if the western markets may be out initially. The USFL had none and the XFL in Vegas was a debacle and Seattle was middle of the pack in attendance. Hopefully the merger is a success and maybe in 2025 we see some teams out west. I'm with you: let's bring back the Invaders!
Most USFL teams don't play in their home cities. My point is the franchise was so snakebitten, I don't think the league will try to use that trademark again
@@johnlewissports they are playing in hub cities to help cut cost,which is a good idea for expansion leagues to take baby steps at first.it is my hope that they will begin playing in their home cities in the 3rd year. i agree about the old express franchise..
@@johnlewissports i think they would have..it would make sense to..i think eventually they will expand west...oakland{to bring back the invaders makes sense} other cities san diego,,san jose, portland, saltlake city...even cities like oklahoma city or tulsa,,omaha,,or boise that have a big college football base seem reasonable to me.
@@michaelstallings5824 love those ideas! I still think there will be an eventual merger, but if so, I think it would be great to expand into those markets
I wouldn't count LA out just yet. The sports fans in LA are very shewed. They know that they can sell their tickets at a premium to fans traveling from cold weather cities. For any league to have creds, they need teams in the top 4 markets. NYC, LA, CHICAGO and PHILLY. If the Bears move out of Soldier Field, you can bet the USFL or XFL will swoop in and fill the void. I don't think the city of Chicago would be willing to demolish that venue. Too much history there. Gooooooooo STALLIONS BUCK EM 😎👍👊
The USFL already has the Generals and the Stars. They just need to mortgage their teams to get Rutgers and soccer's the Union to share the stadiums. L.A. will NOT work! Out of towners will pay for Charger and especially Ram tickets, but not for the former Wildcats (now the San Antonio Brahmas), and Express. Chicago, yes. But everytime Chicago gets a replacement for the Cardinals, they always flop hard. Better than Hollywood though, but I think Chicago needs an AFC team as the successful successor to the Cards.
I was a ball boy for the Bandits in the USFL in 1984. It was an amazing experience for a 15 year old kid. Sad to see the Bandits disappear again. Hopefully one day they'll return.
Maybe 2026 will be the year!
If they expand to have a western division, or Pacific division as it was named back then, just put the Express in San Diego like they were originally planned to. Oakland and San Diego both have great football fans that were jilted by the NFL and would welcome new teams.
100% !! Personally I think XFL should take San Diego, but if not San Diego Express would be awesome for the USFL.
@@SacTownLions0future NSFL/UFL expansion team?
Still true!
That 3OT Michigan-LA playoff game was really a great moment in football that doesn't get enough talk.
One of the all time greatest in pro football. Luckily it's preserved ua-cam.com/video/xsLsJurXt40/v-deo.html
The problem with California and Florida teams is there so much other stuff to do.
And nice weather.
I think LA just sucks for sports. LIke the Rams were great recently but even in the playoffs they had trouble with fan support. They even hosted the Superbowl that they played in but there just weren't that many Rams fans there, then the parade was just a shitshow attendance wise.
You really telling me there are diehard football fans who can't be bothered to go to the playoffs or Superbowl because they want to go hiking or something they could do practically any other day of the year? Doesn't make sense to me.
LA needs dynasty level teams to support them
@@gothenmosph5151lol right the Rams actually played the Super Bowl in their home stadium but they had no fan support
@@billblaski9523 Yep. The Rams will never have good fan support in LA unless they win like 3 Superbowls in a row or at least 3 of 4. For whatever reason, LA is the worst city in America for fan support in ratio to its size
@@gothenmosph5151 Thank you. I've lived in LA for most of my life and these "fans" out here will only pay attention to you if you win consistently, and even then, they'll come to the game get on their cellphones, drink, talk up a storm with friends or family, or just pay attention when a touchdown is scored.
Sadly the LA Express stood no chance with weak ownership from the start.
Felt like it was snakebitten from the very start
@@johnlewissports I agree
Al Davis did NOT help either! Remember, the Rams were in Orange County by that point. So instead of Rams vs. Express, it ended up being Rams vs. Express vs. Raiders, while the Bay Area got 49ers vs. Invaders to replace 49ers vs. Raiders.
Now the Greasy Governor has people leaving the state. He should just have the real Invzders come back and take the jobs, lol
Great video! The old USFL was really fun. I hope the UFL works out as I'd love for spring football to actually become a regular thing. But, one thing standing against it is that it doesn't have reams in major markets, and it's a minor league. The average non-fanatic will tune into or attend a game to see stars. With zero star power, it's going to be a tough sell. It would be like airing G-League or AAA Baseball on ABC or FOX in prime time and expecting huge ratings. So, I wish the UFL luck - but, it's going to be a tough road.
The UFL can't afford to pay top college talent. But, they can be a ticket for players to make an NFL squad. That would be a way to sell it to the general public. Make it seem like it's "The Voice or American Idol" for a football player. But, the catch is that if a team has a good QB or any other player who looks like NFL talent he'll get snatched up and your team loses it's best player or players. Suddenly a team that one year was good becomes average or lousy.
Spring football is always a gamble. The hardest part is, like you said, grabbing those causal viewers. Part of me wishes they'd start in mid-April and catch the June/July viewers, but I guess they have people who have more knowledge than I do on that!
Fun fact: the LA Express uniforms were used for the fictional California Bulls in the late 80s/early 90s HBO series "1st And 10",which featured OJ Simpson and Donald Gibb (aka Ogre from "Revenge of the Nerds"),and footage from actual Express games were used for "highlights"
I remember seeing it on A-Team back in the day as well!
Really? Nice! I'll have to look that up. Thanks! 👍🏽
@@henrymanzano2201 check out the episode called "Quarterback Sneak" Some hall of famers in that one!
I know the market appeals but theyd be smart to avoid, cant draw. Do Oakland and San Diego, should be looking at markets screwed by NFL like XFL and St. Louis
Even San Jose
@@SlausonAve60s The Los Angeles Express should move to Sacramento cause the stadium in Oakland is run down
@@SlausonAve60s - San Jose has a team. It's called the 49ers, who play in a sxxty suburb that was stupid enough to allow the ixxot owners to continue to leech off of the San Francisco name!
Still true a year later!
40 million contract in 84 was crazy.
A lot of the other USFL owners agreed with you 😂
Went and saw the Express, with Young at QB, vs the Invaders, with Bobby Hebert at QB, at the Oakland Coliseum. It was "Mormon Day" at the stadium. Those two would go on to have a great rivalry in the NFC West, with the Niners and Saints respectively.
What a QB matchup to see in person! Hebert is one of those quarterbacks who I think has been forgotten over the decades.
I didn't know about the San Diego component. Because I'm pretty sure from memory back in 1982 they initially said there would be 3 teams in California. One in LA, San Diego and the Bay Area.
That is true. That was the plan. The USFL had even given the San Diego franchise schools for a territorial draft (UCLA, San Diego State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Hawaii, Nevada-Reno). Daniels and Harmon opted to move 8 months before the season and the USFL forced the previous owner to move his planned team to Arizona.
I was at that last game at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. I felt bad that the Express was going out like that. A few weeks before the game the Express disbanded their cheerleaders because it had no money to pay them, so the idiot sitting behind me kept yelling "where are the cheerleaders?" for the entire first quarter.
@@drewnogy what a memory 😂 Seems to sum up that franchise.
I’m pretty sure Steve Young has publicly said he got his money because the contract was good even if the league folded. He was still getting paid up until a few years ago.
Young never got paid anywhere close to the $40 million+ in that annuity. He joked not too long about how the league still owed him money. He actually opted for a $1 million payout while he was with the Express rather than fund the annuity that had no chance of lasting four decades.
San Diego should get the express.
I hope when/if the merger happens, San Diego ends up with a franchise. Agreed.
Lol. LA already has two professional football teams too many. 49ers, Cowboys, and Raiders run LA.
As I heard someone say: no one is from LA. That's why SoFi is always full of fans of the opposition 😂
The Raiders are now in Las Vegas.
Still a ton of fans remain in LA
Wow that’s unfortunate
Always loved the logo and the uniforms, but the USFL might steer clear of bringing that one back to life!
Other than the Hollywood Stars (baseball) i can't think of a better name for an LA based team than Express.
Loved the name, for sure. And some of my favorite OG unis
For the true football fan the current fall football season ( college and NFL) leaves us pining for more action. The UFL is that much needed fix ( hey I'm a football junkie) 😅😅.
There's no doubt an additional football league is needed. MLB , I can only watch the world series. NBA , I can only watch the finals. MLS , I watch none. NHL , I watch none . Golf , I watch none. Tennis, since Serena has retired, I watch very little. The Olympics, I watch every 4 years.
I place my Stallions flag on the front of my house every morning and patiently await the return of my beloved team.
Trust me John, if you guys are fortunate enough to get a team there in Louisville you'll probably feel that same way too.
Giddy up and Buck EM 👍 😊😊
I’m with you. I watch college basketball, the NFL and the UFL. If we are lucky enough to get a team in Louisville, my wife has already been informed season tickets are getting bought ASAP 😂
Well, it was a capsule recap of the Express' history but it doesn't suggest why the new USFL would or should never revive the franchise. If the league continue to play in hub cities, why should having a team in LA be a problem?
I wish the USFL (and/or XFL) would put a team in LA. The point I was trying to make was that the Express "brand" is probably not one the USFL would like to revisit.
Hey tight!
Memphis Express sounds better anyway…😂 give me the cool AAF teams!
Loved the name and logo, which both made sense for Memphis!
With this merger news. I’ve been waving the flag for west expansion and I live In Alabama. Maybe not LA, but the Oakland and San Diego would love a football team. They would support it dearly. Idk about LA tho.
I'm wondering with the merger if the western markets may be out initially. The USFL had none and the XFL in Vegas was a debacle and Seattle was middle of the pack in attendance. Hopefully the merger is a success and maybe in 2025 we see some teams out west. I'm with you: let's bring back the Invaders!
why should they? if they need a team in socal.move it to san diego, or maybe north to san jose.they would have more fan support in either city
Most USFL teams don't play in their home cities. My point is the franchise was so snakebitten, I don't think the league will try to use that trademark again
@@johnlewissports they are playing in hub cities to help cut cost,which is a good idea for expansion leagues to take baby steps at first.it is my hope that they will begin playing in their home cities in the 3rd year. i agree about the old express franchise..
@@michaelstallings5824 we are on the same page. I do wonder if the USFL expanded west, if they would have a hub out there. That could be cool.
@@johnlewissports i think they would have..it would make sense to..i think eventually they will expand west...oakland{to bring back the invaders makes sense} other cities san diego,,san jose, portland, saltlake city...even cities like oklahoma city or tulsa,,omaha,,or boise that have a big college football base seem reasonable to me.
@@michaelstallings5824 love those ideas! I still think there will be an eventual merger, but if so, I think it would be great to expand into those markets
I wouldn't count LA out just yet. The sports fans in LA are very shewed. They know that they can sell their tickets at a premium to fans traveling from cold weather cities.
For any league to have creds, they need teams in the top 4 markets. NYC, LA, CHICAGO and PHILLY. If the Bears move out of Soldier Field, you can bet the USFL or XFL will swoop in and fill the void. I don't think the city of Chicago would be willing to demolish that venue. Too much history there.
Gooooooooo STALLIONS BUCK EM 😎👍👊
The USFL already has the Generals and the Stars. They just need to mortgage their teams to get Rutgers and soccer's the Union to share the stadiums.
L.A. will NOT work! Out of towners will pay for Charger and especially Ram tickets, but not for the former Wildcats (now the San Antonio Brahmas), and Express.
Chicago, yes. But everytime Chicago gets a replacement for the Cardinals, they always flop hard. Better than Hollywood though, but I think Chicago needs an AFC team as the successful successor to the Cards.
A lot of this is still true a year later!
Go Houston roughnecks
Maybe 2025 is their year.