2005-2006 USFL Offseason Report: October, 2005

A busy offseason in the USFL is overshadowed by tragedy on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina has devastated the city of New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama. The crisis impacts all aspects of life in the region, and, while it may seem trivial in comparison to the loss of life and livelihood in the region, it also clearly impacts the USFL’s spring 2006 season as well. We will start with that story, before turning to the more mundane offseason transactions which normally occupy our attention during these months.

Katrina Impacts USFL Family

There is no way to overstate the impact that Hurricane Katrina has had for the USFL, its players, fans, and extended family, and, in particular the New Orleans Breakers. In the aftermath of the flooding and chaos of the hurricane, and in light of the devastation to the lives and livelihoods of so many along the Gulf Coast, the USFL has already started organizing relief and support efforts, working in tandem with the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, the city of New Orleans, and the rival NFL and New Orleans Saints franchises.

Breakers co-owner Joe Canizaro, who was on the cusp of selling his majority share of the Breakers, has taken the lead in the league’s efforts to support the people of the Gulf Coast. Canizaro heads up the team of USFL employees working with the city of New Orleans, FEMA, and the Red Cross, while Breakers players like QB Eli Manning, HB Troy Davis, and LB Donnie Edwards, and DE Ty Warren have been working with local communities doing everything from serving hot meals to offering camps that allow families to drop their kids off for a day to work on more pressing concerns.

Of course, the players are also very much displaced by the storm and its aftermath. Many of the Breaker players, and several players from across the league who hail from the Gulf Coast have been forced to find alternative housing duing the first weeks of recovery. While most will be able to return to their homes in the next few weeks, several are living with friends from across the league in places like Birmingham, Memphis, San Antonio, Houston and Nashville.

The Breakers organization, which has its headquarters just outside of the French Quarter, is working remotely, with most employees relocated to Birmingham, where they now share offices with the Stallions. After several weeks in which the organization was essentially put on hold, engaged only in support for its employees, players, staff, and the city itself, the Breakers are basing their current operations out of the Stallions facilities as they try to develop a strategy for the 2006 season.

The Super Dome sustained physical damage and is now a site of trauma for many.

While it hardly seems a priority right now, only weeks after the tragedy which unfolded in the Crescent City, the reality is that the 2006 USFL season will go on, and a plan has to be put in place for the Breakers. Details are very sketchy right now, but as Joe Canizaro works with the league on community support, minority owner David Dixon is working with league officials to try to devise the best possible option for the Breakers in 2006. After the devastation to the city, and to the Super Dome in particular, both the NFL Saints and USFL Breakers are expected to be unable to utilize the facility until mid-Fall 2006 at the earliest. The Saints have already relocated their games during the current NFL season, playing in New Jersey, Baton Rouge, and San Antonio. The Breakers are expected to have a plan to relocate the franchise to other USFL venues as well, but the scheduling of events in regional cities like Memphis, Birmingham, and San Antonio can be complicated. Dixon has cited a desire to find a single home for the season, unlike the Saints, who are mixing games in Baton Rouge with others in Texas. Finding a single home stadium could be difficult for the Breakers, as many of the stadia used by USFL franchises are shared with other tenants and scheduled with events ranging from concerts to monster truck rallies.

Finally, the other huge impact for New Orleans is a financial one. Not only are the Breakers impacted, much as most businesses along the Gulf Coast are, but the timing of Katrina, just weeks before the Fall League meeting where the question of the sale from Canizaro to David Dixon and the brothers Thomas and James Duff. With the entire Gulf Coast impacted by Katrina, the Duffs are, as you might imagine, dealing with significant financial impacts for their primary business interests, chief among them the chain of Southern Tire Mart centers. At this point, the sale of the Breakers seems not only potentially delayed, but very realistically could be called off simply due to the impact of Katrina on the finances of the Duffs. Add to this the expected devaluation of the franchise during the recovery period, the added costs of relocation of team activities, the added expenses of relocating games, and the funds needed to support personnel displaced by the disaster and the finances of the Breakers come into immediate question. While both Dixon and Canizaro are committed to the Breakers and to helping to rebuild New Orleans, it is almost certain that some support from the league as a whole for the Breakers franchise will be needed.

This is not an unprecedented situation, as we saw the league rally to support the New Jersey and Washington franchises after 9/11, and, under more mundane circumstances, to temporarily bolster the finances of the Portland Thunder and St. Louis Knights when both underwent crises of ownership. However, what astute observers have already noted, the financial instability of both Portland’s and St. Louis’s franchises led to an almost immediate relocation of those clubs. That is a scenario that Dixon, Canizaro, and the USFL absolutely do not want to see repeated in New Orleans. The Breakers pre-Katrina have been a model franchise with a deep connection to the community, outstanding attendance, and strong local rivalries with clubs like the Stallions, Showboats, and Gamblers. It seems clear that the league, despite the challenges, will do what it needs to do to support the Breakers as New Orleans’s team, and New Orleans as the Breakers’ home. The short term may seem choppy for the Breakers and for the city, but the league is committed to ensuring a bright future for both.

OFFSEASON TEAM NEWS

It seems somewhat trite to shift from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to the offseason player news in the USFL, but this is a sports publication, and while efforts are underway to recover from Katrina, the business of the USFL must continue, and a big part of that business is the offseason movement of players and preparation for the league’s expansion to 26 clubs. We start with the latest coaching hire, then post-championship retirement announcements, then we will share our perspective on a somewhat muted early free agency period, and then take a look at next month’s Expansion Draft.

Pittsburgh Makes it Official.

It took longer than expected, but just before Columbus Day the Pittsburgh Maulers finally came to terms with Chicago DC Ron Rivera to be their new head coach. Rivera and Pittsburgh negotiated for nearly 3 months but a 4-year contract was signed and the guru of the Machine defense now will get his shot as the big man in Steeltown. What should we expect from Rivera? Well, as we will discuss later, his strategy for the Expansion Draft seems to indicate that he will focus on exactly what he is known for, defense. Rivera may be considering a QB change as well, as he left Charlie Batch unprotected in the Expansion Draft. With Terrell Davis getting a little long in the tooth, Rivera will have to figure out the future of the Mauler run game, but his first order of business has to be building a defense that can rival Chicago and keep division foes Michigan and Ohio from running up the score.

If Chicago’s model tells us anything, it is that Rivera will seek out athletic and hard hitting linebackers and a true #1 pass rusher. Pittsburgh has lacked that for several years now, and we know fans in the city that brought us the Iron Curtain and Blitzburgh would love to have a big name pass rusher to call their own with the Maulers. Looking at the Mauler roster right now, we feel confident that Sean Taylor and Patrick Surtain are solid in their positions, but everywhere else on the defense there is room for improvement. On offense, Davis is still the main man, but could use a protégé to help reduce his load. They have young but talented receivers in Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, and Nate Burleson, and we love Alge Crumpler as a safety valve, so perhaps the Maulers will start to open up the offense a bit, but is Charlie Batch the man to do that?

When we last checked in on the USFL’s retirement announcements, we had seen big name stars like Lawrence Dawsey, Adrian Cooper, Russell Maryland, DeMetrius DuBose, and Mo Lewis opt out of the 2006 season and step away from the game. Others like CB Aeneas Williams, HB Kenny Bynum, DT Sam Adams, and QB Mark Brunell of Denver soon joined them as ex-USFLers. In the weeks following Seattle’s summer bowl upset of Chicago several other players also joined their ranks.

Two Chicago Machine veterans took the bitter pill of the Summer Bowl defeat pretty hard, and both felt that their ability to come back for one more year was simply not there. Cornerback R.W. McQuarters and Free Safety George Teague both announced their plan to file for retirement only days after the big game. This clearly makes the secondary an area of focus for the Machine if they wish to maintain the stalwart defense that got them all the way to the title game.

Seattle saw one departure through retirement as journeyman safety Chris Hayes announced he would not return for 2006. Others who also made their announcements over the initial weeks of the offseason include Texas DT Darius Holland, Philadelphia HB Ki-Jana Carter, Birmingham HB Terry Battle, Boston DE Ta’ase Faumui, and Houston LB O.J. Brigance.

As expected, the upcoming expansion draft put quite a damper on the early weeks of USFL free agency. Teams recognized that any player signed ahead of the Expansion Draft would either have to be protected or that the new signing could be a risk of reallocation to one of the two expansion clubs. What we saw in August and September was a very cautious strategy from pretty much all of the 24 existing clubs, and a more aggressive strategy from the two expansion clubs, as both Atlanta and St. Louis announced their first signings. Here is a quick recap of the signings from within the USFL, followed by our report on the NFL-USFL transfer window, which, as usual for August, leaned towards the NFL.

ATLANTA: The Fire announced their first signing on the very first day of open free agency, introducing WR/KR Dante Hall of the Machine as the first official Fire player. The prolific kick and punt returner signed a 3-year deal to become the spark for Atlanta’s special teams. Hall was followed by several more signings over the ensuing week, including a prolific “one cut” back in Rod Smart (Denver), a quality SS from Boston in Terreal Bierria, another Machine standout in cornerback Eric Warfield, and a roadgrater of a guard in Gerry DiNapoli. Atlanta’s most eye-raising signing would come a week later as they introduced Jim Pyne as their starting center. Pyne, considered one of the best centers in the game, had spent only one year in Ohio when his contract ran out. The new deal with the Fire makes him the highest paid player in the league for his position.

ST. LOUIS: Not to be outdone by their expansion rival, the St. Louis Skyhawks also made several early signings during free agency. Officially the first Skyhawk is guard Tre Johnson from the Wranglers, but the signing the next day of two offensive skill players overshadowed the signing of Johnson. St. Louis started building an offense and brought in two players with very different backgrounds to do so. On the third day of free agency the Skyhawks introduced WR Tim Dwight, the speedster from Iowa, and HB Larry Johnson, formerly with the Stars and Wranglers.

Dwight has been in the league for 8 seasons, starting with Baltimore before playing 4 seasons in Arizona and 2005 with Philadelphia. Dwight put together a 1,000 yard season in his last year in Baltimore (2000) and then again with Jake Plummer in 2003, but managed only 19 catches and 123 yards in Philadelphia last year. Known for his straight line speed, Dwight is considered more of a role player than a starting wideout. As for Johnson, the Penn State star has been considered a dud in the USFL in his 3 seasons. He started only 3 games for Philly as a rookie, but was given the chance to be the full time starter as a sophomore. In his 2nd season with the Stars he rushed for only 545 yards and a 3.0 YPC average. He was traded to Arizona in the offseason, and there he sat for most of the year behind Duce Staley and Stanley Pritchett. St. Louis coach Art Shell must see some potential in him to sign him, but whether or not Johnson will start for the Skyhawks will certainly depend on their other offseason moves.

In addition to Dwight and the 2 Johnsons, St. Louis also signed DE Eddie Freeman (MGN), and FS Tyrone Drakeford (ARZ).

OTHER SIGNINGS: As we stated, most other teams were very hesitant to sign free agents ahead of the Expansion Draft, but we did have several practice squad signings as well as a few noteworthy players from active rosters. The names worth noting include Baltimore signing a backup to Ben Roethlisberger in former Mauler Alex Van Pelt, Chicago resigning kicker Tim Seder, Nashville signing center Todd McClure, Philadelphia hoping for some TE help with former Bull Roland Williams, and Seattle adding former Breaker Paris Lenon to replace the retired Chris Hayes.

You can see the pattern here. Van Pelt would not be a top priority for expansion clubs, and the positions of interior linemen, tight end, and safety are also not likely to be highly prized positions during the expansion draft. So, it looks like some of the bigger name free agents, players like veteran LB Michael Barrow, WR Keenan McCardell, DE Andre Wadsworth, or SS Lawyer Milloy may have to wait until December, after the Expansion Draft, to see who is interested.

While USFL clubs were hesitant to sign many free agents due to the impending expansion process, the same was not true of the NFL, who took advantage of the USFL-NFL transfer window to add a few missing pieces to their teams just as NFL preseason began in August. Several significant signings add even more concern for USFL teams already impacted by free agency, retirements, and the possible loss of up to 5 players from their rosters during the expansion draft.

Among the major signings by the NFL we see Oakland DE Eric Curry signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Nashville strong safety Rodney Harrison leaving Music City for Bean Town as a new member of the Patriots. Las Vegas loses their leading rusher from 2005, Reuben Droughns, who signs a 2-year deal with the Denver Broncos after negotiations with the Thunder fell through. Chicago, who are taking a big hit this offseason, saw 3rd down and special teams star Brian Westbrook sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving Michael Turner as the clear lead back for the Machine. Las Vegas also allowed QB Aaron Brooks go, and he was snatched up by the New Orleans Saints. Two other QB’s were also signed away, though both were backups for their USFL teams. Bill Musgrave, who started several games for an injured Heath Shuler, leaves Memphis for the San Francicso 49ers, and Brian St. Pierre, a BC grad signed by Boston in the T-Draft a few years back will now likely hold a clipboard behind Patrick Ramsey on the NY Giants sideline. Other NFL signings include Breaker HB Olandis Gary (TEN), Oakland WR Bobby Shaw (PHI), Boston LB Chris Cowart (BUF), and Jacksonville DT Renaldo Wynn (TBY). Perhaps the biggest surprise was the signing by the Green Bay Packers of Seattle DT Gilbert Brown. The big man was expected to retire from the Dragons, having hinted at this during the contract negotiation period, but instead signs a 2-year deal to play in frigid Green Bay.

In a one-sided first transfer window, there were only a handful of significant USFL signings of NFL players and again St. Louis and Atlanta led the way. Atlanta signed 2 NFL backups to their roster, QB Sage Rosenfels, and Atlanta DB Keion Carpenter. St. Louis also added 2 NFL players, landing DE Bryce Fisher from their neighbors the Rams, then adding LB Marlon Greenwood from the Dolphins. Outside of the two expansion clubs, the only signings of any considerable importance during the first transfer window were the signing of LB Antonio Pierce by the Federals, of HB Correll Buckhalter, a former member of the Thunder, signed away from the Eagles by the Blitz, and, in another return to the USFL after a brief NFL stint, former Generals’ kicker Neil Rackers returns to spring ball, now with the Orlando Renegades.

USFL Clubs Reveal Their Expansion Protected Lists

USFL officials this week revealed the full list of all 24 teams and each of their 12 protected players. As expected, Atlanta and St. Louis will not have very many opportunities to land team leaders, All-USFL talent, or rising stars from the 24 other clubs. That said, with nearly 40 players per team left unguarded, there are certainly plenty of names out there who could attract attention from the two expansion clubs. Now, before all you Fire and Skyhawk fans get too excited, we should note that both clubs will still have to abide by the league’s salary cap limitations, and, if past expansions are any indication, you should expect that the two expansion teams will select a mix of higher cost, mid cost, and low cost players as they build their rosters. They each will get to choose 30 players, but the cap simply won’t allow them to sign 30 top quality players. Each club will have to monitor their budget as well as their depth chart as they look for talent, but, that said, we should expect that with both clubs able to pick players from all 24 teams, there will be some well-known names on the Fire and Skyhawk rosters come November.

Looking over the protected list, there were a few surprising exceptions, and several younger players who could be ripe for the picking. Here is our position by position look at the best options available for the Fire and Skyhawks, understanding that every time a player is selected, their original team then gets to remove one more player from the expansion pool. The max any team can lose is 5 players before their entire roster is frozen.

QUARTERBACK: Very few teams left their starting QB’s unprotected, but one surprise in particular was in Pittsburgh, where newly hired Coach Ron Rivera and the front office decided not to protect Charlie Batch in the pool. With Alex Van Pelt already signed out of free agency by Baltimore, this could cause the Maulers to be down to their 3rd string QB if Batch is taken. The only team to protect 2 QBs was Oakland, who kept Trent Green and Joey Harrington under wraps. So, what QB’s are out there for the two expansion clubs? Former Texas starter Jeff Lewis seems a top option, as do former starters, now backups like Michigan’s Brian Griese, Birmingham’s Eric Zeier, or Washington’s Jon Kitna. If younger QB’s are a priority, there are plenty to choose from, including Nashville’s Luke McCown, Seattle’s Cody Pickett, Jacksonville’s Josh McCown, and Chicago’s Kyle Orton.

HALFBACK: Again, few members of the top 30 HB rankings were left unprotected, but halfback is a deep position, so there is talent to be had. Among our favorites at the position are Baltimore’s Kevin Faulk, Arizona’s Stanley Pritchett, Oakland’s Justin Fargas, New Orleans’s Troy Davis, Orlando’s R.J. Redmond, and two Tampa Bay backs, Travis Prentice and Autry Detson. If you are looking for a bigger back, there are several available who may lack breakaway speed, but can get you 2-3 yards when needed. In that group you find Mike Anderson (HOU), Ladell Betts (MGN), and Mike Cloud (BOS). And for 3rd down receiving backs, how about Mewelde Moore (LA), Maurice Smith (MEM), Darren Sproles (SEA), or Marcel Shipp (TEX).

WIDE RECEIVERS: No Randy Moss, Keyshawn, or Joey Galloway here, but still a lot of good talent is available, though mostly looking at current #2 or #3 receivers. Atlanta and St. Louis will have to decide if they are gunning for shorter, quicker receivers or bigger, 50/50 ball receivers. Among the best of the crop we find Josh Reed (NOR), veteran Bert Emmanuel (NSH), journeyman J.J. Stokes (DEN), reliable Matthew Hatchette (LV), and up and comer Taylor Jacobs (OAK). If you are looking for a good slot option, you could do worse than Tampa’s Chris Doering, LA’s Dez White, or Baltimore’s Eddie Kennison. A lot of speed too, as players like Lee Evans (MEM), Javon Walker (JAX), and Drew Bennett (HOU) are available.

TIGHT END: Not considered a high-value position, we only saw 12 teams protect a tight end, so that means that there are 12 starters and all the backups out there to be chosen. Expect TE to be a position of interest for both Atlanta and St. Louis, as they can get good value here. Among the best of those available we find 35-year old Lonnie Johnson (DEN), Chicago’s Jim Kliensasser, LA’s L.J. Smith, Memphis’s #2 Ben Hartsook, Nashville’s Juistin Peele, Orlando’s Fred Baxter, and Seattle’s Jeramy Stevans, who caught the title game winner for the Dragons just 2 months ago.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Left tackles may be hard to find, but if Atlanta and St. Louis are looking for interior linemen, they should have plenty to choose from. Our picks here include centers Gene McGuire (ARZ), Bubba Miller (BOS), Mike Flynn (SEA), Olin Kreutz (HOU) and Roberto Garza (LV). Also of interest will be run-blocking guards like Texas’s Jeffrey Fisher, Arizona’s Chuck Johnson, LA’s Manuia Saveea, Tampa’s Lennie Friedman, or Oakland’s Brenden Stai. At tackle the Fire and Skyhawks may have to look either to youth or to a RT who can transition over to the left. Among the best available are Jason Fabini (NSH), Maurice Williams (BOS), Willie Anderson (SEA), Jason Odom (DEN) and Tra Thomas (HOU).

DEFENSIVE END: A priority position for all teams, so again, few top candidates go unprotected, but a few did, typically guys at the end of contracts or nearing the ends of their careers. The obvious top choice is Tampa Bay’s Santana Dotson, but at 34, he is a short term proposition. Others to consider even if only for a couple of seasons, include Pittsburgh’s Cedric Harden, Baltimore’s Chuckie Nwokorie, Las Vegas’s Mike Jones, or Arizona’s Gary Walker. If you want more longevity, you will need to go for more prospect than known entity, but two name stand out, Houston’s Osi Umenyiura and Philadelphia’s Robert Mathis are both available and have a lot of potential.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: We expect several DT’s to be picked in the draft, but this could be a position where the teams wait and select guys with B grades instead of using an early pick to get a top 20 guy. Among those available in the mid range we have Kendrick Clancy (PHI), Wendell Bryant (BOS), Brentson Buckner (CHI), Kenny Smith (ORL), Nick Eason (LV), and Paul Grasmanis (BAL). If either club wanted a surefire option at DT, the best bet is to go with Oakland’s Joe Salave’a, whose contract is quite big, but so too is his skillset.

LINEBACKER: We expect the LBs to be among the most coveted players in the early rounds. With each team needing a solid group of 5-6 rotational linebackers, there is demand for the position, and despite some teams protecting as many as 3 of 4 starters, there is a deep pool here. We fully expect Nashville’s Na’il Diggs to get picked. At only 27, he has several good years left to build around. Philly’s Mike Crawford and Tampa Bay’s Zeke Moreno are two more strong contenders to get snapped up. What about Boston’s Roman Pfifer, Arizona’s Corey Miller, or Houston’s Randall Godfrey? A lot of talent in this pool, and that could also mean that some mid-range players with big upside get a call. That could include players like Nashville’s Hunter Hilleneyer, Texas’s Tarek Salah, Birmingham’s John Mobley, or Orlando’s Dexter Coakley.

CORNERBACK: Nope, Deion Sanders is not available. Sorry, Atlanta. But there are plenty of solid corners to choose from. How about Tyrone Poole (BOS) or Jimmy Hitchock (TEX)? Looking for someone under 30, what about Baltimore’s Ken Lucas, Philly’s Tod McBride, or Jacksonville’s Dereck Combs? One of the hottest prospects could be New Orleans young upstart Randall Gay, while others might prefer a savvy veteran like Philly’s Corey Fuller or Arizona’s Philippi Sparks.

SAFETY: We are a bit surprised that Jacksonville did not protect FS Jerome Woods. He is only 30 and he has been very good for a long time. Baltimore’s Marquez Pope is also too good to be available, but at 36 maybe the Blitz figure neither team would want him for a short stint. Other quality free safeties include Scott Shields (LA), Leomont Evans (HOU), Corey Hall (BOS), and Bryan Scott (TBY). Among the Strong Safeties, we expect one of the expansion clubs to jump on Houston’s Je’Rod Cherry, who at 34 could still play 2-3 more years. If not, then what about Arizona’s Clifton Black, Jacksonville’s Keith Lyle, or Seattle’s Terrance Holt?

KICKER/PUNTER: Very few protected players here, and we expect that both ATL and STL will use a late draft pick on one or both of these positions. The field is wide open as not a single kicker or punter were protected by their teams. That had to sting.

USFL Releases 2006 Schedule

This week the USFL revealed the 2006 schedule, which retains its 14-week format and now features a variation between divisional, inter-divisional, and inter-conference games, based on whether a team is in a 4-team division or a 5-team division. As was reported earlier, the 4-team divisions play 6 divisional games, 6 inter-divisional games, and only 2 inter-conference games. Teams in the 5-team divisions play 8 divisional games, 3 inter-divisionals, and 3-inter conference games.

So, what are the highlights? Well, rivalry games in divisions are assured, but the schedule has a mix of divisional games every week, with both interconference and interdivisional games thrown in as well, so quite a change from the orderly system used the past few years. Looking over each week, here are our Top 3 Games for each week of 2006:

Week 1: Chicago @ Houston—The final that could have been is the Kickoff Game for 2006.

Arizona @ Atlanta—the return of Fire football in Georgia.

Seattle @ St. Louis—The Gateway City gets the League Champ to kick things off.

Week 2: New Jersey @ Boston—A divisional rivalry that could match Yankees-Sox in energy.

Denver @ Houston—The Southwest’s 2 powers clash in an early season showdown.

Jacksonville @ Orlando—An early test for the ‘Gades in this Florida rivalry game.

Week 3: New Orleans @ Birmingham—Perhaps the closest N’awlins fans can see their club.

Memphis @ Nashville—The Tennessee Tussle gets an early season start.

Tampa Bay @ Jacksonville—Another Florida Derby for the Bulls. Can they sweep?

Week 4: Pittsburgh @ Chicago—Ron Rivera returns with his new team to face his old team.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta—Can the Fire rise up to renew a rivalry with the Bandits?

Washington @ Baltimore—The War on I-95 renews, and should be a battle.

Week 5: Seattle @ Houston—Rematch of the Western Conference Final from 2005

Chicago @ Ohio—An intense rivalry the past few years. This one could be brutal.

Washington @ Philadelphia—No rest for the Feds as they go on tough road trip.

Week 6: New Jersey @ Philadelphia—The rivalry in the league is on in Week 6 and 10.

Texas @ Arizona—Division rivals who may need to get a W by this point in the year.

Birmingham @ New Orleans: Where will this be played?

Week 7: Los Angeles @ New Jersey—The game that started it all in 1983.

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay—A tough 3-game stretch for the Stars.

Houston @ Texas—Fire up the grill for this BBQ Battle in the heart of Texas.

Week 8: Pittsburgh @ St. Louis—The best hope for the Skyhawks to win in the division?

Washington @ Ohio—Immovable object vs. irresistible force in this great matchup.

Birmingham @ Atlanta—Call it the “SEC Slugfest”. These 2 states love to battle.

Week 9: St. Louis @ Chicago—We can hope for some Cubs-Cards vibes in this new rivalry.

Memphis @ New Orleans—But will this game be in Memphis? Is that fair?

Oakland @ Arizona—An old school rivalry from way back in 1983.

Week 10: Arizona @ Denver—One of the best rivalries saved until the final month.

Seattle @ Oakland—Can the Invaders pay back their playoff loss to the Dragons?

Ohio @ St. Louis—Could the Skyhawks take on this new divisional rival?

Week 11: Michigan @ Chicago—This could be a playoff preview, if Michigan is for real.

New Orleans @ Nashville—Another chance for Breaker fans to get engaged.

Baltimore @ New Jersey—This should be a slugfest in the very tough NE division

Week 12: Baltimore @ Washington—A rematch of the game that killed the Blitz’s ’05 run

Orlando @ Tampa Bay—Always a fun matchup when these two neighbors clash.

Atlanta @ Jacksonville—Two cities closer to each other than most recognize.

Week 13: Los Angeles @ Oakland—We love the Cali Derby, and this could be a good one.

Philadelphia @ Nashville—This may have major playoff implications.

Birmingham @ Memphis—A Southern Showdown in the hot summer sun.

Week 14: Denver @ Oakland—An interdivisional game that could have major playoff impact.

Boston @ New Jersey—The rematch from Week 2 could be a playoff decider.

Las Vegas @ Tampa Bay—Jerry Glanville returns to face the team that did him wrong.

League Postpones Vote on Portland Expansion

We end our report with the news most already know, that with the concern about Katrina and the Breakers, the Fall league meeting had a change of focus as efforts were put into place to support the New Orleans franchise and the community, which means that the final review and vote on expansion to Portland (as the lone Western Conference candidate city) has been moved to a special meeting to take place immediately after the Expansion Draft in November.

Conditions look very good for approval when the owners do convene. The finances of the bid are solid, the new, as-of-yet unnamed stadium, is a great fit for the USFL, which is in part by design, and the market is one that gets a lot of support. Adding a 5th team to the Pacific Division fits well with the plan to balance the two conferences, since all 3 other bids are Southeast teams (Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Norfolk/Tidewater), aligning the divisions with a 5-team Central and a 5-Team Northeast would be ideal for the league. With Dallas-Fort Worth having essentially self-destructed, Portland feels like a slam dunk, and would mean that 3 of the 4 expansion teams between 2006-2008 would be returning teams to legacy cities. So, the writing may be on the wall for this one. Rumors already have Reebok preparing logo designs for a potential “Name the Team” contest, which could begin as soon as the franchise is approved.