| Authored by Andrew Perna - 17th October, 2008 - 9:54 pm
 When starting something from square one you need a recognizable face that not only belongs in your industry, but also has plenty of experience within it.
That’s what the UNGL got when they named former Pro Bowl running back Joe Cribbs their commissioner earlier this year.
"The UNGL needed someone with enthusiasm, knowledge, connections and passion for professional football to help guide this league," said UNGL CEO and Founder Marvin Tomlin back in May. "As someone with many years of experience in various levels of professional football, it's clear that a conduit is needed between college and professional football."
Cribbs, a former 1,000-yard rusher, will provide exactly that to the growing league. He was the 1980 AFC Rookie of the Year with the Bills and sits third on the team’s all-time rushing list behind Thurman Thomas and O.J. Simpson.
I was able to spend a few minutes chatting on the phone with Joe earlier this week about why he decided to sign on with the UNGL, their upcoming schedule and what some of his NFL buddies are saying about the upstart league.
Andrew Perna: What attracted you to the UNGL?
Joe Cribbs: Initially, I had reservations after a brief stint with the AAFL, and the way things were run I was very disappointed in how things were organized. After my first talk with Marvin [Tomlin, UNGL CEO] I flat out said ‘No’, but he continued to contact me and feed me information about the league. The more I looked at it, the more I realized that this was an approach that could be successful.
AP: You mentioned that the UNGL remained interested in you even after you first turned them down, what qualities do you think you bring that they found so valuable?
JC: I think obviously I have experience as a player in the NFL, and with that I can help bring in the player’s perspective. I have a very extensive background with the NFL and the brief time I spent with the AAFL taught me some things about things should and should not be handled.
AP: Have you heard from any NFL contacts about how they feel about the league?
JC: The feedback I have received has been very positive. All the discussions that I have had with NFL people have been supportive and they all seem very excited about what this league might represent to them, and to professional football, down the line. We feel that the support has been very good, of course a lot people are waiting to see what we do once we come out of the gate.
AP: Have you spoken to any of those supporters about coming out with a public endorsement for the league?
JC: We have, although I haven’t spoken to anyone directly about publicly endorsing what we are trying to do. That wouldn’t be something I’d want to do until we are in position to make some announcements ourselves. You know, a lot of information has not been released. There are a lot of things within the UNGL that have not gone public just yet. But, I think once those things happen, you’ll begin to see a lot of positive comments and statements from former NFL players and current executives.
AP: Am I correct in saying that training camps will be starting up pretty soon?
JC: We do plan to have a combine, technically a training camp, in January. We do have two combines that will be held, one in November that we are putting together and another that will hopefully take place in early December.
AP: I know you guys wanted to start with eight teams with room for many more, but how many are currently solidified heading into these camps?
JC: We are in the process, and will probably be able to announce our eight locations by the end of this month. We are excited about where we are with the league and I can’t disclose exactly where the teams are right now, but I can tell you some of the states we’re involved with though. Obviously, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and Ohio.
AP: That seems like a heavy concentration in the Southeastern part of the country, does that have anything to do with the popularity of college football in that region?
JC: Well, I think that has a lot to do with it, but certainly what we have done has been thought out and we also want to be situated so that we don’t interfere with the NFL and the other professional leagues. We do feel that playing, or having a majority of our games, in the Southeast area will help certain weather concerns as well.
AP: The league itself was formed in Connecticut, so will the league offices remain there or be moved to a more central location closer to a majority of the franchises?
JC: I think, as of right now, we’ll probably remain where we are in Connecticut, but I’d certainly imagine that some of our offices could be moved in the future.
AP: Where do you see the league, ideally, five years down the road?
JC: I think that five years down the road we would like to be positioned as a developmental league that can deliver experience to players and other members of the football community, and also within our territories as a thriving minor league system somewhat similar to what you see in baseball.
AP: Do you think guys like Tony Romo, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner will help the popularity of the UNGL having been taken late in the NFL Draft or not at all?
JC: A lot of guys are getting to the same place these days by taking different routes. I think that we will be able to provide yet another avenue for players that may not be able to take the conventional path to where they want to be.
AP: Are there any common misconceptions you’ve heard about the UNGL that you’d like to clear up?
JC: One of the biggest misconceptions is that we are basically a competitor of the NFL, but I think you have to look at us as somewhat similar to what the NFL Europe was in terms of delivering players. Our league is going to be about young talent. It’s not going to be about recycling some six-year veteran that has had several opportunities to make it in the NFL. We’re going to be about fresh talent. We are not a competitor by any means, we hope to be a help to players looking to make it into the NFL for the first time or any number of other paths as well.
Do you have any questions about this piece, or the UNGL as a whole? Just send Andrew an e-mail (Andrew.Perna@RealGM) or visit www.ungleague.com for more information on what could be the next biggest thing in the world of football. |
