Las Vegas Locomotives

United Football League (2009-2012)

Tombstone

Born: 2009 – UFL founding franchise
Folded: October 20, 2012

First Game: October 8, 2009 (W 30-17 vs. California Redwoods)
Final Game: October 17, 2012 (W 38-23 @ Omaha Nighthawks)

UFL Champions: 2009 & 2010

Stadium

Sam Boyd Stadium
Opened: 1971

Branding

Team Colors:

Ownership

Owners: Bill Hambrecht & Rob Ryan

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Background

The Las Vegas Locomotives were the dominant team in the chaotic United Football League, a confused pro football experiment that never quite managed to decide (or effectively communicate) what it intended to be. The UFL had billionaire backers and staged parts of four seasons between 2009 and 2012. But the league struggled to launch in the headwinds of the Great Recession and failed to complete both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The Locomotives – or “Locos” as more typically used in the team’s branding and press accounts – were the only team to take part in all four seasons of UFL action. They appeared in all three UFL title games that the league put on, winning the first two. And the team was undefeated with a 4-0 record when the league’s fourth and final season went up in smoke in October 2012.

Former New York Giants Head Coach Jim Fassel served as the Locos President, General Manager and Head Coach and provided consistency to the club for all four seasons of play.

Rivalry with Florida Tuskers

The Locos arch-rival was the Florida Tuskers. During the UFL’s debut season in 2009, the Tuskers beat the Locos twice in the league’s brief regular season. The two losses to the Tuskers were the Locos’ only defeats as they finished the regular season 4-2. Although Florida finished the season with an unblemished 6-0 record, the Locos were selected to host the UFL’s 2009 championship game at Sam Boyd Stadium on November 27th, 2009. Las Vegas pulled off a 20-17 overtime upset before an announced crowd of 14,801 to claim the first UFL title.

Former Buffalo Bills 1st round draft pick J.P. Losman (#22 overall, 2004) was the Locos starting quarterback in 2009. He had a strong season (9 touchdowns, 2 INTs, 62.6 completing pct. 97.1 QBR) and his performance earned him a new shot at the NFL with the Oakland Raiders. He appeared in one game for Oakland in December 2009, one month after leading the Locos to the 2009 UFL championship.

The Locos and Tuskers re-matched in the 2010 title game, this time played at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium. Fassel’s Locos once again got the best of the Tuskers in a close contest, winning 23-20. Chase Clement, Losman’s replacement under center for the 2010 season, was named championship game MVP. The Tuskers folded following the 2011 season putting an end to the rivalry.

Off The Rails

The UFL’s final two seasons were a shitshow as the league failed to complete either campaign. Heading into Year Three, the league had sustained over $100 million in combined losses according to The Las Vegas Review Journal (8/11/2011).

The 2011 regular season was curtailed after five weeks of play, one of which was a bye week for the Locos. As a result, the team played only a single home game in Las Vegas during the entire 2011 season. The Locos had a 3-1 record at the time the league stopped the regular season, tied for best in the league. This earned them a trip to Virginia Beach to play in a hastily arranged championship game against the league’s other top team, the Virginia Destroyers. It was the Locos third straight title game appearance, but first defeat. They lost to the Destroyers 17-3.

Improbably, the UFL returned in late summer 2012 to attempt a fourth season. The campaign was a disaster and was abandoned after four weeks. This time there would be no impromptu title game. The league shutdown with the Locos atop the standings at 4-0.

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