Different Directions

First, it's the end of an era:

Punter Sean Landeta, the last remaining NFL player who put on a USFL uniform, officially retired Thursday.

And he did it on the 25th anniversary of the first USFL game.

Landeta actually played at Towson State and for the Baltimore Stars in the USFL, giving this story some local flavor.

And now, in a somewhat related story, it's (possibly) the end of an error:

The new All American Football League will have to postpone its 2008 season unless it finds additional financial backing.

The announcement Thursday came less than a week before camps were to open for the six-team league.

The league, which held its inaugural draft in January, has rosters and staffs in place for six teams: Detroit; Little Rock, Ark; Gainesville, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Knoxville, Tenn., and Houston.

Training camps were scheduled to open Wednesday, followed by the first games in April.

Of course, it was kind of silly to have two potential new football leagues vying for competition with the NFL when you consider that the United Football League had financing in place from guys like Mark Cuban.