The World of Football

NOTE: The intent of the News Section is not to dwell on negative stories that are more suited to be found in the Police and Crime Section of your local newspaper, but to report and document stories that cover the entire realm of The World of Football.

(UFL) March 3, 2010 - The California Redwoods of United Indoor Football announced that they are making their permanent home in Sacramento, California in 2010. Last season, the team split its home games between San Francisco and San Jose. The Redwoods will play their home games in Hornet Stadium at Sacramento State.

(NFL) March 2, 2010 – The NFL announced that the Pro Bowl will once again be played the weekend prior to the Super Bowl when it returns to Aloha Stadium in Hawaii in 2011. The date of the game is set for Sunday, January 30.

February

(Obituary) February 23, 2010 – Mosi Tatupu, a fullback and special teams player in the NFL, dies at the age of 54. The cause of death was not immediately known. Tatupu played college football at USC and was selected in the eighth round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He played for the Patriots from 1978-1990 and finished his playing career with the Los Angeles Rams in 1991. After his playing career was over, he spent time as the head coach at King Philip Regional High School (where he coached his son, Lofa) and he was also an assistant coach at Division III Curry College from 2002-2007.

(College) February 22, 2010 – The thick rimmed glasses once worn by Penn State football coach Joe Paterno are auctioned off for charity. The winning bidders, a married couple who are both Penn State graduates, paid $9,000 for them. Paterno recently underwent eye surgery to correct his poor vision and does not need the glasses anymore. The money raised will go towards supporting Penn State Public Broadcasting.

(College) February 20, 2010 – Ten individuals were inducted into the Black College Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The inaugural class of enshrinees include running back Walter Payton from Jackson State, wide receiver Jerry Rice from Mississippi State, defensive end Deacon Jones who played at South Carolina State and Mississippi Valley State, linebacker Willie Lanier of Morgan State, defensive tackle Buck Buchanan from Grambling State, running back Ben Stevenson from Tuskegee, running back Willie Galimore from Florida A&M and running back/linebacker Tank Younger from Grambling State. Also inducted were coaches Eddie Robinson of Grambling State and Jake Gaither of Florida A&M. (See related article on October 9, 2009)

(IFL) February 19, 2010 - Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon is introduced as the new owner of the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. McMahon led the Bears to a victory over the New England Patriots in the 1985 Super Bowl.

(CIFL) February 18, 2010 - The Columbus Aces of the Continental Indoor Football League will not compete during the 2010 season due to a lack of sponsors. This now leaves the CIFL with just five teams for 2010. One team, the Miami Valley Silverbacks, is a traveling team. The Aces hope to take the field in 2011.

(AF1) February 17, 2010 - Arena Football One has changed its name. Since purchasing the assets of the former AFL a few months ago, it will now be known as the Arena Football League.

(UFL) February 16, 2010 – The New York Sentinels of the United Football League are moving to Harford, Connecticut for the 2010 season. The team will play its home games at Rentschler Field, which is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut. The team will be renamed in the coming months.

(College) February 13, 2010 - A museum dedicated to the late Grambling State head football coach Eddie Robinson opens. The museum is located in a former gymnasium on the school's campus.

(NFL) February 12, 2010 - NFL owners voted unanimously to give commissioner Roger Goodell a five-year contract extension. Goodell became commissioner in 2006 and will continue to serve the NFL through March 2015. However, he will not receive any increase in salary.

(AF1) February 9, 2010 - The NFL Network has signed a one-year agreement with Arena Football One to air a game of the week. The games will air on Fridays.

(IFL) February 9, 2010 - The Amarillo Dusters, formerly of arenafootball2, have a new name. Now that the team has joined the Indoor Football League, it will now be known as the Amarillo Venom.

(CFL) February 9, 2010 - The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League have a new owner. He is David Braley, the owner of Orlick Industries Ltd, a Canadian auto parts manufacturer. He also currently owns another team in the CFL, the British Columbia Lions.

(Media) February 8, 2010 – Yesterday’s Super Bowl XLIV was the highest rated show ever on television. An estimated 106.5 million viewers watched the game. It beat out the 1983 final episode of the TV series M*A*S*H.

(LFL) February 7, 2010 - The Los Angeles Temptation defeated the Chicago Bliss 27-14 in the Lingerie Bowl. The championship game of the Lingerie Football League was played in South Florida.

(NFL) February 7, 2010 - Super Bowl XLIV is played in Miami. The New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts by the score of 31-17. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees was named the game's MVP.

(NFL) February 6, 2010 - The members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 are announced. They are guard Russ Grimm of the Washington Redskins, wide receiver Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks, running back Emmett Smith of the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, cornerback Dick LeBeau of the Detroit Lions, running back Floyd Little of the Denver Broncos, linebacker Ricky Jackson of the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers and defensive tackle John Randle of the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks.

(Obituary) February 4, 2010 - "Bullet" Bill Dudley, who was the NFL MVP in 1946, dies at the age of 88. Dudley played college football at Virginia and was the Number 1 overall selection in the 1942 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. After his rookie season, he spent the next two years serving in the Army during World War II. Dudley returned to play for the Steelers in 1945 and 1946. He also played for the Detroit Lions from 1947-1949 and the Washington Redskins from 1950-1952. Dudley was a running back, a passer, punter, field goal kicker and he also played defensive back. After his nine-year NFL playing career was over, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1966-1975 and Virginia's Board of Visitors from 1976-1984. Dudley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Virginia Sports Hall of fame in 1972. In 1990, the annual Dudley Award was created to honor the top college football player in the state of Virginia.

(AF1) February 4, 2010- The Dallas franchise of Arena Football One finally unveils its name and logo. The team will be known as the Dallas Vigilantes.

(IFL) February 4, 2010 - The Arkansas Twisters, formerly of arenafootball2, have a new name and logo. Now that the team is a member of the Indoor Football League, it will be known as the Arkansas Diamonds.

(CFL) February, 2, 2010 – Five new members were selected for induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. They are punter Bob Cameron, who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, wide receiver Don Narcisse, who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, defensive player Elfrid Payton, who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, Edmonton Eskimos, Baltimore Stallions and Shreveport Pirates and quarterback Tracy Ham, who played for the Edmonton Eskimos, Toronto Argonauts, Montreal Alouettes and Baltimore Stallions. Ham led the Stallions to the Grey Cup championship in 1995, the only U.S. team to ever win the league title. Also selected was Joe Pistilli, who was involved in junior football in Quebec for 42 years and was with Football Canada for 29 years.

(NFL) February 1, 2010 - Television ratings for yesterday's Pro Bowl game in Miami were the highest since 2000. The game, which was televised on ESPN, was watched by an average of 12.3 million viewers. This was the first time that the Pro Bowl had been played the weekend prior to the Super Bowl. It was also the first time since 1979 that the game was not played in Hawaii.

(NFL) January 31, 2010 – The NFC defeated the AFC 41-34 in the Pro Bowl game played in Miami. Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was named MVP. This was the first time that the Pro Bowl has ever been played prior to the Super Bowl.

(NFL) January 31, 2010 – In a ceremony that took place prior to the playing of the Pro Bowl in Miami, a new statue is unveiled of former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula. The 11-foot statue is located in front of the team’s offices at the stadium. The address of the offices was also changed and they are now located on Don Shula Drive. In addidtion, the NFL announced the formation of the Coach Shula Award which will be given out annually to a football coach (high school, college, NFL or other level) who best exhibits the qualities of Don Shula.

(Obituary) January 29, 2010 - Tom Brookshier, a former NFL defensive back and broadcaster, dies of cancer at the age of 78. Brookshier played college football at Colorado and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 10th round of the 1953 NFL draft. After his rookie season in 1953, Brookshier joined the Air Force and served two tours in the military before returning to the Eagles. He was a member of the 1960 Eagles team that won the NFL championship. When he retired as a player, he joined CBS Sports and was teamed with Pat Summerall. The two broadcast NFL games for many years.

(College) January 27, 2010 - The Louisville Sports Commission announced the creation of a new award to honor the most versatile college football player each year. The Paul Hornung Award is named after the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner from Notre Dame who went on to star with the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. During his senior season with the Fighting Irish, Hornung led the team in passing, rushing, punting, scoring, kickoff and punt returns, field goals and points after touchdowns.

(AF1) January 27, 2010 - The Milwaukee Iron of Arena Football One is being purchased by Genesis Capital Corporation of Nevada. The company plans to offer fans a chance to purchase stock in the team. The Iron will become the only professional football team in the country to be publicly traded.

(AIFA) January 25, 2010 - The American Indoor Football Association announced a new expansion team in Trenton, New Jersey for the 2011 season. The Trenton Steel will play its home games in the Sun National Bank Center.

(Media) January 25, 2010 – The NFC and AFC Conference championship games that were played yesterday drew the highest television ratings in almost 30 years. The AFC title game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Jets drew 46.9 million viewers, the most since 1986. The NFC title game between the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings drew 57.9 million viewers, the most since 1982.

(AIFA) January 24, 2010 - The American Indoor Football Association played its 2010 Kickoff Classic exhibition game at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The Richmond Raiders defeated a team of AIFA All-Stars 49-46.

(SIFL) January 22, 2010 - The Southern Indoor Football League announced a new expansion team. The Augusta Mavericks will take to the field in 2011, but will play a couple of exhibition games in 2010. The team will play its home games in the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia.

(College) January 21, 2010 - The University of California has approved a $321 million renovation project for UC Berkley's Memorial Stadium. The project will decrease seating at the stadium from 72,000 to 63,000, but will upgrade restrooms, food service areas and public safety facilities. Work will begin later this year and is scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the 2012 season and will be closed during the 2011 season. The 87-year-old stadium sits on the Hayward Fault. (See related article on January 28, 2007)

(af2) January 21, 2010 - The Stockton Lightning has suspended operations for 2010. The team, which was formerly a member of arenafootball2, was planning to be part of the lower tier of Arena Football One, but a two-tiered system of teams in the league did not work out as planned this year.

(NFL) January 20, 2010 - The home stadium of the Miami Dolphins, which is also the site of the upcoming Pro Bowl on January 31 and the Super Bowl on February 7, has a new name, AGAIN. The $20 million dollar, five-year deal will rename the facility Sun Life Stadium. The stadium opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium, but over the years it has also been known as Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium and Dolphin Stadium. In May 2009, the name was changed to Land Shark Stadium. (See related article on May 8, 2009)

(Obituary) January 17, 2010 - Gaines Adams, a defensive end for the Chicago Bears, dies of cardiac arrest at the age of 26. A autopsy showed that Adams had an enlarged heart. He played college football at Clemson and was the fourth over selection in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was traded to the Bears in October 2009.

(Arena) January 14, 2010 - Former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Mike Ditka has joined the ownership group of the reincarnated Chicago Rush of Arena Football One. Ditka was a member of the group that owned the Rush in the, now defunct, Arena Football League.

(AIFA) January 14, 2010 - The Erie RiverRats have a new name. The team will now be known as the Erie Storm. The team was originally known as the Pittsburgh RiverRats before moving to Erie, PA in 2008.

(IFL) January 12, 2010 - The Odessa Roughnecks of the Indoor Football League has a new name. The new owners have changed the team's name to the West Texas Roughnecks.

(SIFL) January 11, 2010 - The Southern Indoor Football League announced that the Houma Conquerors from Houma, Louisiana and the Texas Hurricanes from Beaumont, Texas will not participate in the 2010 season. Both teams are planning to rejoin the league in 2011.

(IFL) January 11, 2010 – The Indoor Football League announced that the El Paso Generals will not participate in the 2010 season. The current team owners have been unsuccessful in finding new ownership for the team. The league hopes to have another team in El Paso in 2011.

(College) January 7, 2010 - In the BCS National Championship game, Alabama defeated Texas 37-21 at the Rose Bowl. Alabama's Steve Saban becomes the first head to lead two different teams to national titles since 1936. He also led LSU to a BCS national championship in 2003. Alabama is now tied with Notre Dame with eight national titles since 1936.

(Obituary) January 6, 2010 - Tim Davey, an NFL executive since 1991, dies at the age of 58. Davey was an athletic trainer for the New York Jets from 1974-1988. He joined the NFL's Game Operations Department in 1991 and, at the time of his death, was the league's Director of Football Operations.

(Obituary) January 6, 2010 - Dr. Robert Jackson, who was a pioneer in the field of arthroscopic surgery, dies of cancer at the age of 77. Jackson spent a year in Japan learning the technique in the mid 1960's and spent over 40 years traveling all over Canada and the United States teaching the technique. A native of Toronto, Canada, he was the team physician of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League from 1976-1991. The team's players were some of the first athletes to benefit from his newly acquired surgical skill. Jackson founded the Wheelchair Sports Association of Canada in 1967. On its 40th anniversary in 1994, Sports Illustrated honored Jackson as one of the 40 individuals who have dramatically changed the world of sports.

(AIFA) January 5, 2010 - The American Indoor Football League announced that it has added a franchise in the city of Wasilla, Alaska for the 2010 season. The team will be known as the Arctic Predators and will play its home games in the Curtis D. Menard Sports Center. A Predators team was originally slated to be members of the Indoor Football League, but the original team moved to Kent, Washington when it was unable to secure a venue to play in. (See related IFL article on December 7, 2009)

(Obituary) January 4, 2010 - Casey Johnson, the daughter of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, is found dead in her Los Angeles home. She was 30 years old. Authorities say there was no sign of fowl play and an autopsy is planned.

(NFL) January 3, 2010 - The final regular season game is played at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. The New York Jets defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 37-0 and qualified for the final AFC playoff spot. The Jets and the New York Giants will be moving into a new stadium next season.

(NFL) January 3, 2010 - Running back Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans becomes the sixth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. In a 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Johnson ran 36 times for 134 yards and ended the season with 2,006 yards rushing. (See related World of Football page. Click here)