There are many people in the United States who believe, no matter how much football there is, there isn’t enough.

If you are reading this column, you most likely are one of those people.

There are people who are hanging on every move (or non-move) the United Football League makes, those who are curious and those who might give the league a look for a game or two, or only if a certain quarterback who used to wear No. 7 comes aboard.

So the latest news that the UFL is pushing back its big announcements another week understandably has people concerned.

Why?

• Earlier this year, the proposed United National Gridiron League had a draft, then postponed its inaugural season to (supposedly) 2010.
• In 2008, the All-American Football League had a draft, then postponed its inaugural season to (supposedly) 2010.
• In 2000, the Spring Football League started a short “test season,” only to stop it after two weeks and never return.
• In 1999, the Regional Football League played its only season, but cut it short after financial problems beset the league.
• In 1992, the Professional Spring Football League had a draft and a supplemental draft, but never kicked off.
• The proposed “New United States Football League” might never get off the ground after all its fits and starts.
• And, perhaps most interestingly, a trivia question – how long has it been since the last fall professional football game in an exclusively-American league that wasn’t the National Football League? Try October 19, 1975, the last day of business for the World Football League.

In short, the UFL is a LONG time coming.

And while concern is warranted, over-the-top reactions laced with expletives and doom-and-gloom scenarios really aren’t necessary.

Why?

Unlike every one of the aforementioned start-up football leagues, the UFL has the money and the backing to have at least one season, and, very likely, a second.

While it can get annoying that the league still hasn’t announced things like team names, a schedule and all the playing venues almost two months before kickoff, they will be announced within the next two weeks. Unlike leagues like the UNGL and the AAFL, the UFL is hoping to under-promise and over-deliver.

Finally, since all four teams have ownership groups, the combination of that, the quality coaches guiding the four teams and the initial capital infusion mean this league has a much better base to start from than any start-up football league in the last 35 years.

So while there is some consternation about not getting enough information from the UFL itself – not to mention the potential nicknames being floated around – there needs to be some deep breaths taken, because the UFL is NOT the UNGL, the AAFL or any of the other leagues that either didn’t live to see kickoff or didn’t last a full season.

The UFL has staying power. Its fans need to exhibit some of the same.