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So Many Methods

Andrew: Before Sierra published the first Front Page Sports Football game, there were NO career sport simulations on the market. NONE. For any sport. Which is probably why it did so well when it was launched, and why all current football simulations on the market offer career/franchise modes. After playing around with the game, I realized that it still lacked a major component to the sport. That being salaries and free agency.

So when Jim and I began the USAFL, our first plan was to design a free agency system where it could be difficult to hold on to high-quality players. In our first setup, all 6yr players were released to waivers prior to Draft Night. Then beginning with the 4th round, you could select one of the 6yr players for a standard price or grab a cheap rookie. We used this system for nearly 20 seasons. It made for much longer Draft Nights as everyone had plenty of roster spots to fill each season. We did allow for teams to keep their 6yr player from being dumped into the pool, if you doubled his current salary request. We called that "double-down". Kind of a prehistoric version of the Franchise Player rule we use today.

The whole reason for creating such a system, was to offer GMs several methods for building their franchise. Guys like Jim, he would annually grab aging veterans from the waiver wire and make a run for the playoffs. Similar to what the NFL Oakland Raiders do. My method? I am a draft freak. I will do all I can to assemble lots of draft picks. I love to watch the players blossom from unknown potential to great starting players. Even if they do one day leave for free agency. I take great pride in knowing that I was the one that selected them as a rookie in the College Draft.

In the USAFL, you will find that no two people use the same method for building a team. Some build solely through the draft. Some trade away all their picks and acquire veterans in the trade or through free agency. Some guys never draft defensive linemen, preferring to pay for them in the free agency market. A lot of guys just don't like seeing under-developed players on their roster. Most teams have some kind of balance between players the acquired through trades, through free agency, and through the College Draft.

What has been interesting, is that no single method is the correct way. Through our 50 seasons, teams have won the championship by building their franchise in all sorts of ways.


What kinds of methods have these GMs used in their careers in the USAFL?
editor's note: I have included a couple of old screenshots from the early years of the USAFL. I used to publish one screenshot per playoff game each season. I still have all the pics, it's about 7.5MB in size, zipped! If anyone wants to offer me some web space to display them all at one time, give me a holler! Until then, I will show a couple of them each day during this celebration.

Bill: I took over the Seahawks towards the end of USAFL-3, but I only lasted a season before the league shut down, so I'll start with the Chiefs in the current incarnation. I had a pretty good roster to begin with, so I thought it would be best to try to win early. I won a lot the first five years, but I never quite got to the Super Bowl. After that, I went into a perpetual rebuilding mode.

Todd: Build a dynasty via stockpiling of draft picks. It definitely has worked in the current era, and it would have worked twice before had we not been sitting with a boat-load of 1st round picks in coming seasons both times the league shut-down! :) Trading solid veterans for future 1st round picks as a strategy only seems to pay-off if you actually get to make those picks! lol!

Fred: My plan was to win. And it worked right away. Took a 5-9 team to the Super Bowl the next year, and I won the year after. So far, in all the leagues I've been, I've always adhered to one philosophy, which is to trade picks. I guess I can say I stuck to the plan because so far in USAFL, in only had all my picks once, and that was in the first season :) And I think i drafted in the 1st round only 3 times. Oh, I had 3 1st rounders in 2012, but i traded them to Todd for a bunch of star players who never did anything for me.

Ben: I wanted to go for the SUPERBOWL, I had the foundation I needed, just a few key trades and FA signings to put my team there--I stuck to it and finally got those key trades and FA signings in 2004/2005

Tom: When I finally became a GM, I was given the wonderful Detroit franchise of the original USAFL. Detroit went winless the season before and was, along with Miami (oddly enough), the worst team in the league. My main goal was to keep the youth basis I had (which was pretty good) and try to pluck a few decent starters via FA, and build slow enough. We never really got the chance, as the USAFL shut down that season, or the season after that (I forget which). When the USAFL came back, I dragged the Lions kicking and screaming to Miami, and we managed to make the playoffs in two seasons time, knocking off the previously undefeated Atlanta juggernaut on the final game of the season. It was a pretty exciting sim, which was done over IRC at the time. Granted, Atlanta steamrolled us the next week in the playoffs, but it was just cool to do.

Joe: Well, when I first got my job, it was with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were real good to start, so I really couldn't do much building. However, there were a lot of veterans, and things started to go downhill when they retired. I did a little bit of going through free agency and building through the draft at the same time.

Garritt: my plan was/is to use a combination of veterans and picks. the veterans are gap-fillers until my draftees developed. did i stick to it? yes i did, with varying degrees of success :)

Jean: I used the slow route of using own picks to build (SD roster was pathetic when i got them !) I really sticked with this plan. In every draft i chose the best player available. When i had a good core, i filled holes with FAs and trades.

Flip: Well we were so bad that I figured any move would be a good one and in Mike Breeden 101 you fix your defense first. So I collected LBs Peter Houston (DEN) for $10mil in FA and Tim Tilsbury (NYJ) through a trade. I also picked up DLs Lomas Anderson (DEN) in a trade and Bill Jones (DET) for $13mil in FA. We also moved the lowly Saints to Big D and put on the Star of pride which lead us to the Super Bowl (to Everyone's surprise) in my season as GM. Yes we lost to a very good Denver team but I think I earned a lot of respect that season.

Mike: Plan.. We don't need no stinkin' plan! I actually don't recall a plan at first. I do however recall a certain trading incident that pretty much ended my trading days........long ago. I try to make good picks and get one or two good free agents. that is my plan. I wouldn't use that plan though, I have been using it and I have many appearances in the playoffs but, not one Cup victory.

For even more historical data, visit the USAFL History Page to view tons of stats from earlier versions of the USAFL. This page can always be accessed through the USAFL FAQ.