Nebraska Cornhuskers withdrawal – go to FXFL Omaha Mammoths football game opener!

Jun 19, 2014; Omaha, NE, USA; The stadium at sunset during game ten of the 2014 College World Series between the against the Mississippi Rebels and the against the TCU Horned Frogs at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mississippi defeated TCU 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Lost without Nebraska Cornhuskers to watch this week?  Football is back in Omaha Wednesday night! The Omaha Mammoths will open their season and hit the field against the Boston Brawlers at 7:00 pm, at TD Ameritrade Park stadium. This is the new FXFL league. The Miami Blacktips and Brooklyn Bolts round out the league. www.fxfl.com Commissioner, Brian Woods will be in town as the Fall Experimental Football League opens their inaugural season. He is hoping to get 4,000 -5,000 fans in seats for the opener.  Donnie Woods, his brother, is the Mammoths’ Vice-President and General Manager. The focus, according to the Commissioner, is in developing players, showing their talent in this league and having a good structure.  He also stated that the business model considers selling 6,000 tickets per game as a first season objective.

Sandy Buda is the head coach for the Omaha Mammoths. He was head coach at UNO from 1978-1989, and also had a hand in starting up the Omaha Beef indoor team in 2000.  Buda coached with that organization from 2000-2002, and 2005. Head coaches have an 8 week contract in the FXFL league.

Overall, Buda is pleased with the level of talent with his team. Half of the players are from the Big 12, SEC and Big Ten. Most of the players had a shot at making the NFL roster but were cut at the end. A big advantage for the players is they have just come out of the camps and been working with coaches so the schemes should still be fresh in their minds.

What makes this team different from the Omaha Nighthawks?  This FXFL model is cost-containment rather than the entertainment extravaganza that ultimately drove the Nighthawks and the UFL into the red. However, the Omaha Nighthawks were filling seats while the other UFL teams couldn’t get people to attend games.  The main goal is getting players into the NFL. Most of the rosters contain players who were cut from an NFL roster. This league is also hoping to have an official relationship with the NFL as a farm system, if you will.

Strangely, unlike the Nighthawks, there is no former Husker contingent to help boost sales.  Ahman Green was the premier feature of the first season for the startup football league back in 2010. The overall feeling is that Omaha is supportive of their efforts but the true test will be this Wednesday night and the other three home games.

Omaha Mammoth lineup includes Jordan Jefferson, listed at 6’ 4”, 223 lbs. from LSU as the Mammoths’ starting quarterback. Other notable SEC players include, Running Back Ladarius Perkins from Mississippi State, Wide Receiver Derel Walker from Texas A&M, and Offensive Lineman John Sullen from Auburn. (FYI: Offensive line ranges from 6’4” – 6’ 6” and are weighing in at 300 lbs to 317 lbs.)

Some other guys who played in the nearby area are Wide Receiver Tramain Thompson and Defensive Back Tyson Hartman, both from Kansas State, and Tight End Earnst Brun and Defensive Lineman Jake McDonough, both from Iowa State.  Other notables include Javon Harris, a defensive back who played for University of Oklahoma and Linebacker Mister Alexander from Florida State.

Walk-ups are welcome Wednesday night or go to ticketmaster for tickets.