All indications are that Hartford is officially team number five in the United Football League. Per the Hartford Courant, and other reliable sources, Northland Investment Corp. is the likely ownership group. We also received information last evening that the Hartford team has already identified a likely head coach. Commissioner Huyghue indicated to the press in Connecticut that they are the top priority for the UFL, ahead of Los Angeles, and that we can expect an announcement by the end of the year.
Los Angeles was earlier reported as having an ownership group identified, which we have confirmed. The question remains, based off of the public comments of league officials, whether or not the Los Angeles group wishes to launch in year two or year three. It is a big, expensive market and the league and owners might wish to have longer lead time to launch the team.
The Norwich Bulletin published a list of markets that have expressed interest in the UFL, a list which we have confirmed to be accurate:
Other markets under consideration include Salt Lake City; Portland, Ore.; Philadelphia; Rochester, N.Y.; Milwaukee; Detroit; Chicago; Omaha; San Antonio; Memphis; and Birmingham.
Every indication that we have had states that Salt Lake City is the most advanced of the non-Hartford/Los Angeles group. Other markets can NOT be removed from consideration at this juncture. Rochester, New York is a late addition to the list but is considered viable as well.
Los Angeles is 1a, Salt Lake is 1b for 2010 in other words. We will see which direction the league heads in but if the expansion teams are not announced at the Championship Game then it will be due to the Los Angeles market. We still expect an announcement by the end of the year, if not in Vegas two weeks from now.
u know wut? id name them the Hartford Whalers. the Whalers were the defining sports team in Hartford, even though it was the NHL. they were the last major pro sports team there, and i think if the UFL resurrected the Hartford Whalers, it will not only show Connecticut’s role in pro football, but its role in pro sports. the city of Hartford would feel “United” under the Whalers. idk who owns the rights to the Whalers name, but i think the UFL would have a good chance of acquiring the rights (or at least partial rights). make that extra effort to show that the UFL has a home for Hartford. since the Commish is from Connecticut, he can pull some strings.
And if he can’t then call them the Connecticut Whalers.