| Dave GoldbergWashington, U.S. (AP) - Dallas | | | | no comment and said Hambrecht was traveling |
| Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is part of a group | | | | and unavailable to talk about the idea. NFL |
| considering formation of a football league that | | | | spokesman Greg Aiello said he was aware of the |
| would compete with the NFL for players drafted | | | | proposed league, but had no further comment. |
| lower than the second round.The league, still very | | | | There have been numerous leagues that have |
| much in the preliminary stage, would play its | | | | tried to compete with the NFL and a few that |
| games on Friday nights. The NFL does not play | | | | actually played games, starting with the AFL, |
| then because of the potential conflict with high | | | | which began in 1960 and fully merged with the |
| school football. "It's a pretty simple concept," | | | | NFL a decade later. It included such current |
| Cuban said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. | | | | franchises as New England, Oakland, Kansas City, |
| "We think there is more demand for pro football | | | | San Diego, Buffalo, the New York Jets and |
| than supply." The proposal was first disclosed by | | | | Denver. More recently came the World Football |
| The New York Times on its Web site, which said | | | | League in the early 1970s, which raided the NFL |
| it was the idea of Bill Hambrecht, a Wall Street | | | | for such stars as Larry Csonka. Then came the |
| investor who was a minority partner in the | | | | USFL, which played in the spring before folding |
| Oakland Invaders of the USFL, which played in the | | | | after receiving only $3 in an antitrust "victory" |
| spring from 1983-85. Sharon Smith, a | | | | over the NFL. |
| spokeswoman for Hambrecht and Company, had | | | | |