California Redwoods news and notes

UFL has six finalist for Sacramento team name

The United Football League is holding a name the team contest for its relocated Sacramento franchise. Now they have narrowed the list down to six finalists. Here are my rankings of the six team names:

California Redwoods no more

After finishing the inaugural UFL season 2-4, and playing two home games at AT&T Park in San Francisco and one home game at San Jose State, the California Redwoods will move to their permanent home in Sacramento, California. The team will be renamed leaving the Redwoods moniker behind them. Dennis Green will return as Head Coach and assume General Manager duties. He and owner Paul Pelosi were welcomed to Sacramento on Wednesday by Mayor Kevin Johnson.

California Redwoods to relocate, and be renamed

After failing to make a big splash in the San Francisco market, and failing to draw big crowds in the California bay area it looks like the UFL’s California Redwoods will move to Sacramento and rename their franchise with a nickname that is more native to the Sacramento area.  It also looks like the club will take on two local Sacramento minority owners and work towards establishing itself as a sports team worth caring about. Since the club failed miserably to draw fans in the San Francisco area it makes a lot of sense to move the club and try again, however renaming teams is never a really good idea.

What can we say about the second worst team in a brand new football league?  Through the final weeks of the UFL season they were the most improved UFL team, and although they could only beat the hapless New York Sentinels in back to back weeks they gave the Florida Tuskers and the Las Vegas Locos all they could handle. It seems heir biggest problem was closing games out; this is a team that could play well for a half but never deliver the knock out blow to their opponents.