UFL teams have lured former and/or prospective NFL players to join the minor league by pitching them on the possibility that a strong showing on the second tier could propel them back to the highest level of the sport.
And so our report from Tuesday regarding Commissioner Michael Huyghue’s decision to enforce the $150,000 “transfer fee” through the end of February has triggered an angry response from UFL players who hope to wrap up the 2010 football season with another shot at playing in the NFL.
We’ve heard that some players threatened to walk off the practice field after becoming aware of the report, and that they stayed only after their teams promised to try to persuade Commissioner Michael Huyghue not to use the provision as a revenue-generation device.
Whether Huyghue eventually sees the light remains to be seen. If he doesn’t, the UFL will feature only players who have no desire or realistic shot at returning to the NFL.