Welcome to another session of Dr. Football’s class called “Viewing Pro Football 421″, a 4th year undergraduate class. Today’s topic: Will the UFL be successful in todays market?

Sure it’s been done before. Another Pro Football League, you laugh. No one can touch the NFL, you say. But what if The UFL isn’t trying to “compete” with the NFL, but rather enhance the ability of people to watch live the greatest game ever played?

So you think I’m nuts too don’t you? You must think I’m inhaling too much field chalk. But look at it this way: when was the last time you went to an NFL game? Do you remember how much you paid to get in? To buy your kid a pennant (or if you were lucky, a game program!) or a T-shirt? Don’t even think about a jersey! Or NFL licensed Baby Booties! Forget it!! (before i obtained a press credential i was paying $70 per ticket, 5 dollars for a game program and 5 dollars for a 32oz. bottle of water. I hear it’s $80-$85 now for the cheapest seat in the Meadowlands).

The UFL changes all of that. Tickets for 20 Bucks a game, in quality venues! Affordable prices (for today at least) at the concessions. No Kid, you’re not dreaming, this is the real UFL and if you Live in NY it’s coming to your house soon.

OK, so it’s in the middle of the week, but didn’t you say you were football starved? You just can’t watch another season of the local college teams. You don’t think you can put up with the team in Green and White that can’t seam to make up their minds about who the QB is. The team in Blue with the shortage of starters even though they had a great draft and did well in free agency already missing too many players in training camp. Not that I’m saying “don’t follow your favorite team anymore,”  hardly that. I’m just saying open yourself up to the possibility of another pro football league being able to entertain you this fall.

Let’s step away from NY for a moment. Did you ever think Las Vegas would get an NFL franchise? For years the NFL wanted no part of the Sodom and Gomorrah that is the gambling culture of Vegas, yet now they allow teams to back state run sports themed lottery tickets(that is for discussion in another article). Give the UFL head honchos credit for jumping all over the Vegas market, as well as Orlando. The Vegas team will attract fans from parts of California, Arizona, and Utah as well. As for Florida, a former co-blogging partner of mine who spent a good deal of time growing up there once told me “you can never have too much football in Florida.”

Although Orlando is only 105 minutes from the greater Tampa area, there is a huge void to be filled there and in other parts of the country with the loss of the Arena Football League as we knew it.

Let’s sum it up for today shall we: More pro football is good, not bad, as some would suggest. It doesn’t “water down” or “short change” the great game, as a few suggest. It gives the fan(and Player and Coach!) more options on more days of the week to watch the game, as well as for you young folks to learn about the game. Why would anyone argue with me about that? Class dismissed, now go watch some football!

A holdover Monday finally gave the Long Island crowd something to cheer about and also something to groan.

First you had Lucas Glover, who fought through and won his first major. A 29 year-old South Carolinian, who grew up a Yankee fan showed more heart than his favorite team has in the past month.

“It just played hard, bottom line,” said Glover, who shot a 73 on the final 18 to take the Open with a minus-4 for the tournament.

But as good of a story Glover is, Phil Mickelson made the final day.

Through the first 12 holes, the Lefty – who was playing for his wife, diagnosed with breast cancer – was dropping darts on the course. And then on the 13th, Mickelson looked like he had the momentum to take the elusive tournament with eagle on a par-5 to tie Glover.

“It put me right in position,” Mickelson said. “I thought I needed to play most likely under par to have won outright. As it turned out, that’s what I needed to do.”

But then Mickelson went down hill. Bogeys on the 15th and 17th was too much to overcome for the fan favorite, who was treated like a rock star by the Bethpage crowd, finishing at par for the final 18 and 2-under for the tournament.

“Certainly, I’m disappointed, but now that it’s over, I’ve got more important things going on,” he said.
“Oh, well.”

No one will blame Mickelson for not caring, his family comes first, yet his whale of a last day saved this tournament from being a total washout. The USGA tried to screw the fans after Thursday’s washout, but then gave gave those ticket holders Monday and, ultimately their money’s worth, as the long course at Bethpage did not disappoint once again.

“I don’t know if I have enough energy to do anything crazy,” Glover said. “It was a long and crazy week with the delays and the weather and the back-and-forth to the course and all that. And that’s the first time I’ve contended in a major. Mentally, I was done.”

And thus closes another chapter at Bethpage Black.