Locomotives start UFL title defense Saturday

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, Sept. 17, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

If there’s such thing as a rivalry in the United Football League, it’s between the Las Vegas Locomotives and the Florida Tuskers.

Las Vegas, the inaugural champions of the UFL, kick off the league’s second season at 8 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium against the Tuskers.

It will be the fourth time the two teams have met in two seasons. No other two franchises in the UFL have played against each other more than twice.

The two teams' extra meeting comes from last year’s championship, when the Locomotives beat the Tuskers 20-17 in overtime. Many of the same faces from that game will return for the UFL’s second season.

Although Las Vegas lost last year’s quarterback, J.P. Losman, to the NFL, Florida is still led by last year’s MVP Brooks Bollinger as its signal caller.

Former San Francisco 49ers starter Tim Rattay, who was a backup on last year’s team, will take over for Losman. Rattay will be surrounded by many of the same skill players, including running back Marcel Shipp and wide receiver Andrae Thurman.

Making his Las Vegas debut is long-time NFL linebacker Ed Hartwell, a Cheyenne High grad who jumped at the chance to come back and play in his hometown.

The players aren’t the only ones putting a show on Saturday at Sam Boyd. The UFL announced earlier this week that Sugar Ray, a multi-platinum selling alternative rock band from Los Angeles, would perform at the game’s halftime show.