And then there were none. Texas falls in Tempe, so we now have no clubs that are either undefeated or winless. We also saw a big upset in Oakland, where the Invaders came back to shock the St. Louis Knights, and the LA Express blew through the Houston Gambler defense that has been so tough all year. It was a week of shocking results, from Seattle’s big win over Michigan to Pittsburgh’s mauling of New Jersey. It would seem that once again our sense of who is actually a contender and who is a pretender may need to be reset. With LA, Memphis, and Seattle solidly above .500 while Washington, Arizona, and Philadelphia struggle, this looks like a year that will make the preseason prognosticators and early Las Vegas line setters very nervous.
How do we tell this story? Did the St. Louis Knights get complacent and let one slip out of their fingers? Or, alternatively, did the Oakland Invaders dig deep and follow their 2nd year QB to a historic comeback? Either way you see it, this was a game for the ages. St. Louis came in at 4-1 and looking very much a dominant force in the league. Oakland had started the year a very disappointing 1-4, and concerns were already being whispered that Ryan Leaf was not all people expected of him after a quick start in his rookie year. We are not sure either narrative is wrong, but the final quarter of this game set that narrative aside as the Invaders found a will to win and shocked St. Louis with a huge comeback victory.
Early on, no, honestly for the first 3 quarters, this looked like a game that the Knights would cruise through. Sure, they relied a bit too much on the defense, kicking field goals when the offense struggled to convert third downs (1 for 11 on the day), but after 3 quarters they had a pretty comfortable 16-6 lead. Ryan Longwell had connected from 18, 27, and 39 yards out, with a Todd Collins to Amani Toomer TD toss being the only endzone visit of the game through the first three quarters. The St. Louis D was doing their part, sacking Ryan Leaf 4 times, picking him once, and getting a fumble recovery to boot, but the offense struggled to turn these stands into points, failing on a 3rd and goal from the 1 (Longwell’s 18-yard field goal followed.)
Oakland had been forced to go without Siran Stacy due to a mid-week injury, so it was the unheralded combo of Troy Davis and Karim Adbul-Jabbar in the backfield. Through three quarters the Invaders had garnered only a modest 141 yards on offense and only 2 Joe Nedney field goals on the day. But something happened in the final period. It seemed to be sparked by Leaf getting into a shouting match with OC Jack Burns, a visible sign of frustration that seems to have riled up both parties as well as the other offensive players. Whether it was this or the fact that St. Louis let up a bit on the defensive pressure, assured that 10 points was more than necessary against the Invader offense, but something gave way. On their first possession of the final period, Oakland seemed a different squad. They had switched to short passes to move the ball, something St. Louis seemed comfortable allowing. It took them 11 plays, but on a 2nd and goal, Leaf hit TE Carlester Crumpler for a score and the Invaders were now down only 3, with plenty of time left to play. St. Louis tried to counter on their next drive, but once again a timely defensive play forced them to go for a field goal, something Oakland had done all day, bend but not break. Longwell hooked the ball to the left and it sailed wide. The Invaders, down three, would have a chance to flip the scoreboard with one more drive.
Again, the Invaders turned to the short passing game, and again they found some space to move doing so. Rookie Marty Booker turned a 3-yard crosser into a 12-yard gain, Ed McCaffrey went for 14 on a short out, then the Invaders caught St. Louis overcommitting to the outside receivers and surprised them with a Karim Abdul-Jabbar draw for 33 yards, the longest play of the game. They were in St. Louis territory, close enough to tie the game with a field goal, but not settling for the three. Leaf scrambled for 4 yards, then Troy Davis went offtackle for 8 more, another pass to Crumpler, and Oakland was on the St. Louis 7-yard line. On first and goal, Leaf faked to Abdul-Jabbar and floated a fade route to Ed McCaffrey, who outstretched the corner and pulled in the ball with only inches to spare on the back line of the endzone.
Oakland had scored on two consecutive drives; a feat no other team had managed against St. Louis since the Summer Bowl. The Knights, so confident only minutes earlier, were flustered. This is a club not accustomed to having to come back to win in the final minutes, and really not built for it either. They had relied all day on the steady runs of Ahman Green (95 yards on 20 carries) and the occasional single coverage toss to Bert Emmanuel (6 for 103) but now they were facing a passing situation and Oakland was bracketing their best receiver. Collins tried to hit Amani Toomer on the first play of the 2-minute drill for St. Louis but failed to connect. His second toss would be the game-ender, a floater out towards slot receiver Patrick Rowe on an out pattern, but, pressured by Oakland’s Kailee Wong, Collins threw the ball with a little too much air under it. CB Aeneas Williams was able to undercut Rowe and snatch the ball out from his waiting arms. St. Louis’s drive ended, and the Invaders milked the remaining 68 seconds to take the win at home.
Hard to tell if this game, or this final quarter, was a turning point in the Invader season, but it certainly made for dramatic football. St. Louis drops their second game of the year, the second in a row after a 4-0 start, but, thanks to other results this week, remains only 1 game back and tied for 2nd in the Central.
TEX 16 ARZ 24
The reason St. Louis stays only 1 game back is because Texas dropped their first game of the year to a pugnacious homestanding Wrangler squad. Texas got to 5-0 with a stifling defense and few offensive mistakes, but three turnovers in this game, combined with some defensive errors, helped the Arizona Wranglers improve their record to 2-4. The big play of the game was an unforced error, Kelly Stouffer simply not seeing Broderick Thomas in coverage and throwing up an easy pick, and one that proved returnable, all the way for 6.
HOU 6 LA 38
Houston also dropped their second game in a row as their top-rated defense simply showed up late, far too late, allowing LA 21 points in the first quarter. Cade McNown hit tory Holt and Curtis Mayfield with first quarter scoring tosses and Antowain Smith rumbled for an 18-yard score to give LA what would prove an insurmountable lead. Houston had to abandon their run game early, and that led to a rough day for Chuck Hartlieb. Meanwhile McNown survived the Houston pass rush and had his best game yet, a 282-yard, 18 of 29 performance that included 3 scoring tosses. Even backup Brent Pease saw some action in mop-up duty as the Express surge to 4-2.
NJ 10 PIT 38
Speaking of surging, the Pittsburgh Maulers have rattled off 3 straight wins to even their record. The latest was a pure dismantling of the New Jersey Generals at Three Rivers. Terrell Davis had 3 first half TD runs and Charlie Batch dinked and dunked his way to an 84% completion rate before being forced out of the game. Rookie Shaun King came in and repeated the formula, going 8 of 14 and throwing a 3rd quarter TD to Thabiti Davis that made the score a whopping 38-0. It was a full team victory as Pittsburgh won in every way possible.
OHI 24 PHI 38
Across the state, in Philadelphia, the Stars were showing that their season was not yet over as they upended the Ohio Glory by 14. Charlie Garner had a Player of the Week kind of day, rushing for 115, with 28 more in the air, and putting 3 scores on the board for the Stars. Add in 114 yards from TE Eric Green, 99 yards from Cris Carter, and a TD each, and you have a very solid home win for the 1998 division champions.
BAL 33 WSH 23
In a week rough on visiting teams, Baltimore proved that home field was not an overwhelming advantage, moving to 5-1 on the year with a convincing win over their rivals from DC. Kordell Stewart was knocked out early and rookie Brock Huard was simply not ready to take over, leading to Baltimore pulling away as the game progressed. No huge performances for Baltimore, just solid play in all three phases to cue the win.
JAX 19 MEM 42
Heath Shuler and Moe Williams both had big days as the Showboats cruised past Jacksonville at the Liberty Bowl this Saturday. Williams scored twice on the ground and Shuler added 3 TD passes as the Showboats rushed out to a 21-9 halftime lead and never looked back. Jacksonville gave rookie Sedrick Irvin the start in hopes of inspiring Natrone Means, but neither back had much luck, combining for only 59 yards total as Memphis won this one easily.
BIR 31 ORL 16
Birmingham continues to impress with a solid win at Orlando, thanks in large part to a reworked defense. Orlando QB Craig Erickson struggled against the Birmingham pass rush, led by Cornelius Bennett and rookie Mike Rucker, each scoring 2 sacks on the day. Meanwhile, the Stallions’ offense was impressive, with Brett Favre throwing for 4 TDs and 364 yards while the combination of FB Mike Alstott and HB Stephen Davis combining for 83 yards rushing. Orlando was down 24-6 at one point and never really challenged the visiting Stallions.
ATL 10 TBY 26
Eric Zeier got the start as Coach Lewis felt the pressure to make a change. Atlanta actually hung tough through the first half, a 10-10 tie at the break, but in the second half, the Bandits added three field goals from Mike Vanderjagt and Troy Aikman hit rookie Tai Streets for a score, more than enough to hold off the Fire, who gained a total of 82 yards in the entire second half. Atlanta was not helped at all by a killer 13 penalties, several of which stymied the offense.
NOR 7 DEN 28
New Orleans simply could not handle the crowd at Mile High as the Breakers committed 7 false start penalties, and 13 total penalties for a crushing 133 yards in the wrong direction. Add to this 2 Martin picks and only 32 yards rushing for Ricky Williams and this game had everything Denver could have wanted. Rashaan Salaam was held to only 64 yards on 22 carries, but he did score twice as the Gold dominated the game from kickoff to final whistle.
CHI 15 POR 25
After a win last week, the calls for Jeff Garcia to be benched were quieted, but his 25 of 45 passing day, in which he only gained 168 yards in the air, are sure to bring those calls back. Duce Staley got the start over Ricky Watters and did well, gaining 80 yards on only 12 carries (6.7 YPC average), but it was not enough as Portland got scores from Matthew Hatchette, Webster Slaughter, and Robert Drummond to pull away over the second half.
MGN 20 SEA 38
A big home win for the Dragons, who now sit at 4-2. TE Ken Dilger was named POTG with 127 yards and a TD on the day. Corey Dillon had 3 scores for the Dragons, but still only gained 50 yards on 17 carries as Michigan loaded the box all day. The Panthers were hurt by 3 Doug Flutie picks, including one by SS Corey Chavous that was initially ruled a TD until replay showed he stepped out at the 1. Michigan has now lost 3 in a row after a fast 3-0 start to the season.
PANTHER BLUES
Let’s start with the rapid turn of fortune for the Panthers, who started the year 3-0 only to drop their next 3 games. Now, admittedly, it may not be time to panic just yet, but we have to recognize that the Panthers earned 2 of their 3 wins against Pittsburgh and Oakland, while the last 3 weeks they have faced St. Louis, Memphis, and Seattle, who are a combined 13-5. They face Texas and then Houston the next 2 weeks, so we should get a good sense of their status over that span. Looking at the stats what we see is a team that is 3rd in total yards, including the 3rd best passing game, but which is having issues stopping the run, which now has them 22nd in that category. They also sit at -4 in turnover differential, with too many costly picks coming from Doug Flutie. If Michigan is going to turn it around, they need to protect the ball better and find a way to improve against the run. With Reggie Cobb coming to town this week, it might need to be fixed sooner rather than later.
UP & COMING
If Michigan is mystified by their 3-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Maulers are overjoyed that they have turned a corner and won three straight after a rough 0-3 start to the season. The Maulers started this streak by beating the then-unbeaten Memphis Rebels in Memphis. Since then, they have added home wins against Oakland and division rival New Jersey. If you want to see how, all you need to do is look at the scoring of their 6 opponents this year. The 3 losses came with opponent scores of 24, 23, and 21, respectable, but more than the Maulers could mount on offense. In the last three wins they have held opponents under 20 points, with scores of 17 (MEM), 7 (OAK), and 10 (NJ). They now rate 1st in the league in rush defense and second in points per game allowed. That combo will win you a lot of games and will give new QB Charlie Batch some confidence that the weight of the team is not on him. They have a few tough games coming in the next month, including road games at Baltimore and Birmingham, so we are not by any means ready to punch a playoff ticket for them just yet. That said, 3-3 is more than the once 0-3 Maulers could have hoped for and now they have to determine if they have it in them to keep up the hot streak.
DYNAMIC DUO
Let’s go back to the Central Division and take a look at a huge story coming out of Houston. The Gamblers, despite some recent poor games, sit 2nd in the league in sacks behind only Birmingham. The reason for this is the combo of Michael Sinclair and Kavika Pittman at DE. Sinclair leads the league with 11 sacks, while Pittman is tied for 2nd with the two most recent sack title holders, Phil Hansen and Chris Doleman. That is 21 of Houston’s 29 sacks coming from just two players. This intense pressure from the front 4, and particularly these two edge rushers, has allowed the Gamblers to commit more players into coverage, sending Allen Aldridge, Quentin Coryatt, and Pat Swilling into coverage duty instead of requiring blitzes to get to the QB. That, in turn, means that the defensive backfield has more support and can take a few risks, risks that can lead to big plays. That means more bracketing of receivers, a big help for CBs Ashley Ambrose and Allen Rossum, who split 5 picks between them, with another 3 (all in one game) from Swilling. As proven this week against the Stallions, Houston still has some work to do on, on offense particularly, where Chuck Hartlieb’s QBR of 61.6 is third worst in the league, but also when facing quick strike offenses, but we are not going to put that on the D-Line and the Gamblers’ two dynamic edge rushers.
ROSTER CHANGES
Let’s finish up by highlighting a few of the roster moves made this week. First off, we saw that Coach Tobin has opted to stick with Akili Smith at QB in Portland. Bill Musgrave was removed from the injury list by Friday, but it was still Smith who got the start (and the win) this week against Chicago. On the other end of the nation, we see that Coach Sherm Lewis has felt the pressure and opted to go with Eric Zeier this week after a rough start to the year for Jeff George. Did that work? Well, after 1 game, an admittedly small sample, Eric Zeier is now the lowest rated QB in the league at 52.6. He completed only 24 of 46 passes for 178 yards and a pick. By comparison, Jeff George is not looking like a much better option. His 59.2 QBR is fourth worst in the league, and he has only 3 TDs in 5 games. Zeier is expected to get the start this week as the Fire head to Philadelphia to face the Stars.
We also saw this week a bit of shuffling in the HB room for several clubs, though that tends to be less dramatic than at QB due to the tendency to split carries in so many offenses. Baltimore gave Derrick Fenner the start over rookie Mike Cloud, but the two essentially evenly split carries. In Chicago Duce Staley was given a shot to either prove his worth or inspire Ricky Watters to greater heights. Watters may be worried after Staley gained 80 yards on 12 carries, though it was not enough to get Chicago a W. In Houston, Dorsey Levins got the first carry of the game for the Gamblers, but ended up splitting carries with rookie Kevin Faulk, neither one gaining much on the ground, though Faulk’s YPC average was about 2 yards higher than Levins’s. Finally, we got our first look at rookie Olandis Gary in Arizona’s win over Texas. The rookie was activated for the first time and got 5 carries. He managed only 11 yards (a 2.2 YPC average) but may still see his carries increase as a sub for Tim Lester.
This was a rough week across the league, with several more players now likely to miss the rest of the year. Among the hardest hit were defensive backs. Philly SS Larry Wigham suffered a broken ankle in this week’s game and is done for the year. Likewise, Tampa CB Samari Rolle, a key player in their secondary, is going to be out after a nasty landing led to a broken wrist. St. Louis will be without a top CB as Steve Israel is out at least 8 weeks with a torn quad. While in Seattle, Al Harris, another CB, is out with a fracture in his lower left leg. Memphis’s James Fuller rounds out the bad news for DB’s though he may return if Memphis makes the playoffs.
The other position taking a hit is the offensive line, where we are likely to see the following players out at least 2 weeks: PIT G Rod Milstead, NOR G John Hunter, TEX T Ryan Tucker, JAX T Jon Runyan, STL C John Jackson, POR T Herb Webster, and WSH G Roosevelt Patterson.
Other impactful injuries include HB Siran Stacy, expected to be out another 2 weeks, BAL HB Derrick Fenner, also expected to miss 2 weeks with turf toe, ATL HB Tiki Barber, listed as Doubtful with a hamstring injury, and PIT LB Erik Kumerow, questionable with a hyperextended knee. Finally, it appears that Portland’s rookie QB Akili Smith may miss up to 2 weeks with bursitis in his throwing shoulder. This means Bill Musgrave returns to the starting position at least on the short term.
With questions of ticket sales and financial concerns being raised around the league, we wanted to take a look at one other aspect of finances for the USFL that seems vital and yet only gets talked about when things are in crisis, stadium deals. They are messy, often complex, and murky with details, and they shift often as cities, counties, teams, and private interests shift their focus, or push their case for a bigger piece of the pie. So, let’s look at each club’s stadium situation and see what we see.
LOOKING GOLDEN
These clubs have solid stadium deals in stadia that are either recently built or remodeled and are up to date on technology, services, and amenities. Basically, they are sitting pretty.
New Jersey: Giants Stadium may not be the newest in the league, but it is a fine facility and with three clubs calling it home there is plenty of revenue to be shared. The good news for the Generals is that they have it all to themselves most of the season, aside from the occasional monster truck show.
Los Angeles: Farmer’s Insurance Field, the home of the Express and the NFL Raiders, is a sweet stadium, with a lot of great perks, and still has room for growth, with the Express still under pressure to reach 100% capacity (even 80% would be nice). The Raiders have a larger stake in it, so they are the primary tenants, but the deal is still a good one for the USFL’s Express.
Baltimore: Newly renamed Aetna Stadium in Baltimore was completed 2 years ago and with the Blitz as the first tenants they are the primary for the Maryland Stadium Authority, which means even the arrival of the NFL Ravens did not displace them. A solid deal for a very nice new stadium in a football-crazy town.
Tampa Bay: While not the primary tenant in Raymond James Stadium, the 1998 addition to the USFL stadium list, the Bandits still have a pretty solid deal after working out a very good deal with the city and the NFL Buccaneers. It helps that the Bandits often outdraw the Bucs, and a title last year doesn’t hurt either. Tampa is solidly entrenched in the community and have a nice new stadium to tout as well.
Texas: It took longer to complete than expected, but the Alamodome has been a very good venue for the Outlaws since their relocation from San Marcos. The Outlaws remain the only major tenant for the dome, so eventually they will need to talk with the city about renovations, but the stadium is only 6 years old, so they have plenty of time to make deals for the future.
Jacksonville: The Gator Bowl is seeking corporate naming rights, so it may get a new name, and maybe a facelift, in the next few years, but it is still a solid, if somewhat outdated, venue. The Bulls benefit from having the support of the U. of Florida for use of the stadium for occasional games. It also helps that they are the biggest thing to hit Jacksonville in decades, which means they can ask for renovations and expect the city and county will chip in.
Chicago: Soldier Field has seen better days, but it is a solid venue, and the city is open to discussion of renovation with both the Machine and the Bears. Expect any deal to retain the NFL Bears as the primary occupant, but with offset schedules, that has rarely been an issue for the USFL. The only real debate is whether there will be room to add some Machine logos on a more permanent basis.
Atlanta: A lot of fans still wish the Fire had gotten on board with the Falcons to play games at the Georgia Dome, because heat and humidity can be a major issue outdoors during the latter part of the USFL season, but Bobby Dowd Stadium is both a good size for the USFL and a nice venue in its own right. Expect the Fire to keep working with Georgia Tech to keep the stadium up to date and in step with both big time ACC football and the needs of the USFL
New Orleans: As frustrated as Breaker fans are with their club, they love the Breakers in New Orleans. Both they and the Saints are forming a real love-hate partnership, and both are on good terms with the SuperDome, so we expect this club to be solidly set up in that facility for the future. They are even making a push for the Dome to host one of the upcoming Summer Bowls once again.
Orlando: While not the fanciest or most beguiling stadium in the league, the Citrus Bowl is a fine facility and a good partner for the Renegades. Orlando shares the stadium with the U. of Central Florida, a school on the rise in their football program, but the Renegades rarely have any issues with scheduling around the needs of the UCF Golden Knights. This is a stable, if not glamorous situation.
FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT
These clubs either have deals in place for a new stadium or are viewed as having good partnerships with local authorities and NFL clubs to get a deal done soon.
Arizona: With the arrival of the NFL Cardinals so too came the desire for a new stadium in the Valley of the Sun. They are still in the early stages of planning, but it looks like Glendale may be the new home for both the NFL and USFL within the next decade. Until then Arizona State has been more than happy to share their stadium and rake in all that pro football revenue from clubs playing in both the spring and the fall.
Denver: Fans love Mile High, but the city wants to do more, and that helps both the Broncos and the Gold, as they are well on their way to a new stadium. The new, as of yet nameless, stadium just across the parking lot from Mile High, is expected to have all the high-tech amenities, plenty of great seats, luxury boxes, and, once Mile High is demolished, ample parking. It will be awkward for a while as both stadiums still stand, but with a Fall 2001 grand opening, things should be in good shape for the Gold when they move in for the Spring 2002 season.
Houston: Another story of healthy partnership between the city, the USFL and the NFL. Houston is expected to open their new retractable roof stadium in 2002. Until then, the Astrodome is an imperfect but much beloved venue for the Gamblers and Oilers alike.
Philadelphia: Sharing Veterans Stadium not only with the Eagles but the MLB Phillies has not been easy. The recently announced news of a new football stadium to be built as part of a multi-sport complex is huge for the Stars. The USFL club in the city has been both a box office and sports culture hit for a city which had not had much to cheer for from their other major clubs, so the Stars are likely to get a very nice piece of the stadium pie once the facility is completed.
Pittsburgh: It took some doing, but the Maulers were able to wiggle their way into the Steelers’ negotiations with the city of Pittsburgh for the construction of a new stadium. The facility, which is slated to open in 2001, will be home to both pro clubs as well as the Pitt Panthers. The Maulers will be secondary to the Steelers in the stadium deal, but that should not produce issues for spring-summer scheduling, just expect that the share of revenue from the stadium will be greater for the NFL club.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE
Birmingham: In B’ham the issue is not a lack of love for the Stallions. They remain the only pro team in the area. The problem is that the area is smaller and has a smaller corporate presence than most USFL clubs enjoy. That means there is less money in the coffers of the city and the state to fund renovations to Legion Field or even a new stadium. What this means is that while Birmingham has a solid relationship with the city and is at no risk of being ousted from Legion Field, they will likely trail most other clubs in revenue, and the 1994 Summer Bowl held in Birmingham may be the city’s last for quite a while.
Memphis: Much as we see in Birmingham, the trouble with being the lone football franchise in a city and being located in a city with a smaller financial footprint, means stadium improvements and replacements are harder to come by. Memphis is likely in a pinch when it comes to negotiating either upgrade options. That has been a problem already for the Showboats and looks to be a situation worth keeping an eye on. If Boston, Miami, or Dallas keep pressing, Memphis could be a franchise that will eventually look to sell, and sale could easily mean relocation.
Michigan: The Silverdome is not the cutting-edge venue it once was, but it is adequate for now. Panthers officials are in conversation with the Detroit Lions, who already have plans for a new downtown Detroit stadium. The relationship between the Panthers and the Lions has not exactly been rosey to date, so there is no guarantee that any new stadium for the Lions would also become the home for the Panthers. If talks with the Lions go nowhere, funding to renovate the SilverDome would be tough to come by. Detroit and the surrounding area are unlikely to support 2 construction projects for 2 different teams. That leaves the Panthers looking at alternatives if the Silverdome is not a long-term solution. Michigan Stadium is far too large a facility, but the Panthers could look at the stadia for Eastern Michigan or even abandon greater Detroit and play further west at WMU. We suspect they would rather not do either, which is why coming to an agreement with the Lions might be paramount in their minds right now.
Oakland: Sharing Oakland-Alameda Stadium is not easy, especially when their co-tenant is a MLB club. Scheduling is a mess, playing with a baseball field interrupting the turf is unappealing, and, let’s be honest, the sightlines and setup of the stadium for football is not ideal. It is not a great setup right now and will not keep up with future stadia unless the A’s and Invaders can agree to team up and push for East Bay improvements. Oakland could relocate to Cal’s Memorial Stadium, but that means giving up on alcohol sales, so that is not happening. We are not sure at all that there is a long-term solution in Oakland. Could San Francisco or Sacramento be calling eventually?
Ohio: Playing at Ohio Stadium seems a natural, but the Glory have been half-filling the huge stadium for a while now and don’t seem to be coming close to getting a full house any time soon. That means they are paying for a facility they cannot afford. But what are their alternatives? A new stadium just for the Glory seems very unlikely, so that means looking for other stadium options. The state of Ohio is certainly not lacking for football stadiums. Could the Glory be successful in Akron? Cleveland? Cincinnati? Toledo? We may eventually get a chance to see. Their lease with Ohio Stadium is due to end in 2003, so until then we don’t see anything changing, but as that date gets close, the Glory have some serious things to consider.
Portland: Civic Stadium was upgraded from 18,000 to 34,000, which is great, but still makes it the smallest venue in the league and one with very little revenue growth. Portland has embraced the Thunder, which is great, but is there enough good will to build a brand-new stadium that has only 1 potential tenant? It is highly unlikely that either Oregon or Oregon State will move more than 1 game a year to a new Portland Stadium, and Portland State is unlikely to make a move to big time football, so it is the Thunder and only the Thunder. That is a big problem.
St. Louis: The LA Express were happy to wait a couple of years, relocating to Busch Stadium and waiting for the new Transworld Dome to be completed. And no sooner do they arrive than the Rams relocate and become the favorite child of the city. So now the Knights, who have been challenging for a title on the field, are feeling mistreated by the city and the stadium authority. They are in negotiations with the city, but things are rough as the Knights are still seen as second tier to the beloved Cardinals baseball club, and now to the Rams as well. If I were an investor in one of the other non-USFL cities out there, I would be trying to get a word with Orthwein and his group to see if the Knights might be on the market.
Seattle: Husky Stadium is a nice venue, not great, but nice. It is certainly a better option than sharing the KingDome with the Mariners, but with the Seahawks pushing for a new outdoor stadium for their club, it makes sense that the Dragons may want to get in on that action. If they can assist the NFL with a push in Seattle, this situation can move from a question to an exclamation point in Seattle pretty quickly.
Washington: If the Federals were on speaking terms with Jack Kent Cooke and the Redskins, the Federals could easily be a nice revenue source at JKC Stadium, but that has been a hard pass from Washington’s ownership ever since the Feds arrived in 1983. The best news for the Federals may be that the Cooke family fails to raise the funds they need to retain ownership and the Redskins are sold. A new owner is a new chance to make the case that having a second tenant in the stadium would make financial sense and having an owner who doesn’t start from a position of obstinate resistance at the head of the Redskins may be the only shot the Feds have of finding a new home.
Week 7 brings us solidly into midseason, and that means that all the divisional games start to take on even more weight. We have 6 this week, with the Pacific and Central Divisions once again going into familiar territory. Among the best matchups we find 5-1 Texas, fresh off their first loss of the year, hosting the 3-3 Michigan Panthers, who could go a long way towards building confidence with a good road performance at Texas. Houston hosts Chicago in what should be a good test for Houston’s ability to score some points, while New Orleans visits St. Louis in another juicy Central matchup.
Among the Pacific games, the LA Express, currently tied for 1st in the division, head into Tempe to face the preseason’s pick for the division, Arizona. Seattle is also a surprising 4-2 but they have a huge test as they travel to Denver to face the Gold. Oakland and Portland meet in the Rose City, but only one can get to 3-4 and back in the fray.
In the Eastern Conference it is Atlantic clubs hosting the Southern clubs, with the big game being 4-2 Tampa Bay visiting 5-1 Baltimore. That should be a fun clash of styles to be sure. Another good one should be 5-1 Memphis at 3-3 New Jersey. Can the Generals’ D slow down Heath Shuler? Birmingham is at Ohio, hoping their pass rush can rattle Kerry Collins, while Orlando, with backup Craig Erickson at the helm, have to face that surging Pittsburgh Mauler defense. Jacksonville is in Washington, with both clubs very disappointing so far this year. Finally, Atlanta is in Philadelphia in a game that should go the Stars’ way as the Fire will be without their top offensive weapon, HB Tiki Barber.
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