UFL: He Got To Be Kidding Me

By Ron Kantowski

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 | 2:20 p.m.

NOW:

Remember "He Hate Me," a k a Rod Smart of the defunct Las Vegas Outlaws of the equally defunct XFL, who became a superstar by putting that cryptic message on the back of his jersey instead of his surname?

I wonder if the UFL is going to sign his brother, He Got To Be Kidding Me.

The UFL is (almost) a new pro football league that supposedly will put a "franchise" in Las Vegas this fall.

It is destined to fail, because that's what all pro football franchises that come here do.

We've had teams in leagues that were much more established than the United Football League. None have survived.

Arena football, Canadian football, whatever kind of football you call the XFL ... gone, gone and gone.

(Actually, the XFL did kind of make it here. It just didn't make it anywhere else.)

Anyway, Jim Fassell, the old Giants (and Utah) coach, supposedly is going to be the coach of the Las Vegas UFL team, if/when it gets some players.

I'd start by looking at any car dealerships owned by the fathers-in-law of former Arena Football League players.

On the mission statement page of its Web site, the UFL says it is targeting markets "under served" by professional football.

That would probably explain why San Francisco is getting a team.

THEN:

Only three more days until the Pro Bowl.

But more importantly, it's only nine more days before injured players, pitchers and catchers report for spring training.