Seattle gets their first win, Michigan their first loss, while Washington, Philadelphia, and Memphis keep rolling. Week 5 also gave us a battle for the Pacific Division in Las Vegas, and both Charlotte and Portland getting win #2 as USFL franchises. Two teams emerged from the weekend feeling they had to change things up at quarterback, while the LA Express decide to try a bit of an outside option to shore up their QB position, and the midseason trades have begun. A full week and a full report for Week 5 of the USFL.
OAKLAND INVADERS 22 LAS VEGAS THUNDER 16 OVERTIME
ESPN’s Saturday Night Special becomes our game of the week as we get a duel of potential contenders in the Pacific Division with Oakland visiting Las Vegas to face the Thunder. Both came into the game at 3-1, both looking to take over sole possession of first place in what could be a very tight race for a division title. And while Las Vegas makes its name on a smothering defense, it is actually Oakland who is higher ranked, with the 3rd best scoring defense in the league, a defense that would prove very effective, limiting the Thunder’s main weapon, 2nd year halfback Marshawn Lynch, to only 1.9 yards per carry and 56 yards total. It would be up to QB Steve McNair to generate offense for the Thunder if they would hold court at home.
McNair did his part early, leading the Thunder to a score on their first drive, a 10-play herky jerky drive, aided by 2 Invader penalties, that ended with McNair finding Jason Dunn in the endzone for 6. The Thunder would add a field goal early in the 2nd to take a 10-0 lead, but just as they started to feel good about their position, Oakland would start to find offensive success themselves.
The success came in the form of a 31-yard toss from Harrington to Alex Bannister, first thought to be a scoring play, but ruled on review as a long gain to the 1-yard line. After a false start moved Oakland back to the 6, and a Williams run gained only a yard, Harrington found Plaxico Burress on a fade route and the Invaders were on the board. They too would later add a field goal, and at the half the game was knotted up at 10. It would stay that way through a scoreless third quarter before scoring resumed in the 4th.
The fourth quarter must have been a frustrating one for fans on the East Coast, for whom the game was dragging later and later into the night. Oakland kicked a 33-yard field goal, followed by Las Vegas hitting on a 29-yarder (product of a penalty on what looked like a 3rd down scoring play, but pushed Las Vegas back). Then, at the 5-minute mark, Oakland again settled for a field goal, this time 54-yards from Mike Hollis. But 5 minutes is an eternity in the USFL, and Las Vegas managed to disappoint fans hoping to switch over to Saturday Night Live, by equalizing the score at 16 with just 18 seconds to play. It was overtime football in this one.
Las Vegas won the toss and took possession first, intent on putting this game to bed. Matthew Hatchette, who had been burning the Invaders all night to the tune of 128 yards on 10 receptions, got his last 2 on the opening drive, but when an end zone toss to Kahlil Hill was bobbled, it forced Las Vegas to either go for it on 4th and 3 or try for a 52-yard field goal. Knowing that a field goal would not end the game, Coach Glanville opted to go for the first down. He faked the ball to Lynch, hoping that the Invaders would overcommit. They did not. McNair was forced out of the pocket and his throw to Dunn was off target. Oakland would get the ball on downs, with their shot to end the game with a score. The Invaders took their time, mixing runs by Ricky Williams and Jerious Norwood with short passes to Rickey Dudley, DeShaun Jackson, and Burress, they too thought they had a TD on the board, but a Jackson catch and run was deemed out of bounds on the 1 yard line. They could have set up for the PAT-like field goal for the win, but opted instead to run the ball in. Norwood took the run at the 1 and plunged in for the game winner.
Oakland would escape Las Vegas with the win and the division lead. The Thunder would drop to 3-2 and, by weekend’s conclusion, a tie for 2nd with the Express.
ORLANDO 15 CHICAGO 23
With Brady Quinn still nursing an injury it was up to Chicago’s defense and backup Kyle Orton to try to keep pace with the Panthers. Orton did his part, going 14 of 23 and avoiding turnovers, while the defense did its as well, holding Orlando to 235 total yards and only 7 points through 58 minutes of action. Chicago got TDs from Michael Turner and Reno Mahe to take a 23-7 lead into the 2-minute warning, and even a late drive by Drew Brees proved pointless as the Machine take this one to move to 4-1.
PHILADELPHIA 26 NEW JERSEY 14
A comfortable win for the Stars, but at least New Jersey got on the board this time, something they have failed to do in 2 divisional games this year. Marcus Robinson (84) and Steve Slaton (78) combined for 162 yards on the day as Philadelphia remained unblemished at 5-0.
SEATTLE 26 BIRMINGHAM 3
A bad day for the winless Stallions as the 0-4 Dragons easily take their first win of the season. Corey Dillon rushed for a season-best 153m David Boston caught 4 for 146, including a 77-yarder, and Byron Leftwich connected with both Jeramey Stevens and Boston for scores as Seattle dominated this game. Felix Jones got the start at HB for Birmingham, but only averaged 2.3 yards per carry.
JACKSONVILLE 6 NEW ORLEANS 22
The Bulls drop their third in a row as New Orleans shows some defensive fortitude. With Antowain Smith dinged up, Travis Minor and Lorenzo Booker struggled to fill his shoes. Meanwhile Matt Forte rushed for 62 yards and Eli Manning connected with rookie Donnie Avery for a key score as the Breakers move to 3-2 on the season.
HOUSTON 27 ARIZONA 14
The Gamblers stake a claim on first place in the Southwest after holding off the Wranglers in Glendale. A solid 82 yards from Shaun Alexander, paired with TDs from Kevin Faulk, Roy Williams, and Ike Hilliard were enough to give Houston a comfortable 13-point victory against their division foe.
PORTLAND 27 MICHIGAN 17
Another big upset for the Stags and a trap game that sprung on Michigan as the Panthers looked unprepared for a fight on Saturday. Portland got a combined 120 yards from James Stewart and Chris Perry, and, up only 20-17 in the final seconds, got a pick six from DB Terrance Kiel to lock up the win, knocking the Panthers from the unbeatens list.
ATLANTA 6 CHARLOTTE 12
The Monarchs also pick up their second win of the season as they hold off the Fire, shutting down David Garrard and the Fire offense despite a combined 105 from McFadden and Smart for Atlanta. D. J. Hackett joined the league leaders in receiving yards thanks to his 151-yard day against the Fire defense. DE Fred Perry also recorded the first safety in franchise history as Charlotte moves to 2-3 and 2nd place in the Southeast.
DENVER 14 WASHINGTON 24
The Feds stay unbeaten and on pace with Philadelphia by knocking off the Gold at RFK. An ineffective Matt Leinart was pulled in the 4th for Derreck Anderson, but it was too little too late as Kordell Stewart put up 3 scores and Deuce McCallister helped run down the clock with his 116 yards on 24 carries. Two Denver fumbles certainly did not help their cause, and neither did the 24:05-35:55 time of possession difference.
ST. LOUIS 0 TAMPA BAY 13
The Bandits win one with defense as they shut out the Skyhawks at Raymond James. This game could have been a lot worse, but 3 picks by Daunte Culpepper kept the Hawks in the game. St. Louis simply could not get into range, with the only scoring chance being a 48-yard attempt by Rob Bironas, which hooked to the left. Tampa’s big weapon was McGahee, who rushed for 104.
PITTSBURGH 16 OHIO 38
The Glory seemed to find the offensive formula at home against Pittsburgh, with Kerry Collins throwing for 2 scores and Eddie George rushing for 85 yards and 2 scores against the Mauler D. Three Cody Pickett picks certainly helped the Ohio cause, as they pulled away despite the early success of HB DeShaun Foster, who would end the day with 138 yards in defeat.
TEXAS 24 LOS ANGELES 27
The Outlaws played LA tough all game long, but fell at the end when HB Ladell Betts got the winning score with just under 2 minutes left to play. Betts only had 6 carries on the day, while Maurice Jones-Drew did most of the work with 30 carries for 115 yards. QB Jeff Lewis was not asked to do much, but did throw for 2 score, one each to Lloyd and Johnson. For Texas, Joe Flacco went 26 of 36 for 277 and 3 scores, but he could not get the Outlaws into position to tie or win the game in the final minutes.
BALTIMORE 20 MEMPHIS 22
A very good late afternoon game in Memphis as Baltimore gave the ‘Boats all they could handle. A pick six by Ken Lucas and a Big Ben to Tory Holt TD had Baltimore up 20-13 at one point, but the Showboats fought back, scoring 3 field goals in the final period to slowly catch and then overtake Baltimore for their 5th win in 5 games.
BOSTON 24 NASHVILLE 30
Another great game to end the week on Sunday Night as the Knights score the final 13 points in the game to come back from a 24-17 deficit and take the win. Jay Cutler looked like he found the zone, throwing for 3 touchdowns and 246 yards, while the defense held Drew Bledsoe to only 148 through the air.
Stewart Revives Washington TD Machine
The past two seasons there has been a lot of discontent with the offensive production of the Washington Federals. In 2006 the Federals set a league record, and not the kind you want to set, by scoring only 11 touchdowns in 14 games, the fewest in a season ever by a team. In 2007, with Stewart injured and out of action most of the season, they did not fare much better, increasing their total to 16 total scores. This year, 5 games in, they already have 14 touchdowns on the board. They are averaging 25 points per game, good enough for 4th in the league, and a big reason for that is the rebound season that Kordell Stewart is having.
After returning from an injury that many thought could trigger a retirement decision. Stewart is putting up his best numbers in years. In particular his past two games have been outstanding, with a 4-touchdown day in Week 4, and a 3-TD outing this week. He currently sits with a QB Rating of 104, the first time he has been over 100 since 1998 (101.3 after 16 weeks). He has 10 TDs already to only 2 picks, and is on pace for well over 3,000 yards this season, a total he has not reached since 2003. Compared to 2006, when he completed only 53.5% of his throws, his current 67.6% clip is a vast improvement.
While a lot of the kudos have to go to Stewart for his work ethic and recovery focus, we should also look at Coach Sean Payton, who has implemented a quick drop, quick read, system that has Stewart running less, and getting rid of the ball quicker. We also have to acknowledge that acquiring former Blitz wideout Eddie Kennison to line up opposite Deion Branch has been a boost for the Federals’ passing game, as has been the dual TE formation that makes use of Heath Miller and Kellen Davis on the inside. Finally, the dominance of Deuce McCallister, the league’s leading rusher, has meant that Stewart is seeing fewer blitzes, and more open receivers as teams load the box. All of these point to success for Stewart and a 5-0 start for the Feds.
Manning in Make or Break Season
We knew it going into the 2008 season, patience was growing thin for QB Eli Manning. Unlike his older brother in the NFL, the younger Manning had spent most of his USFL career struggling. He had shown promise in his sophomore campaign, finishing the year with 3,239 yards and a 17-11 TD-INT ratio, but had backslid since then, with his QB Rating dropping from 91.1 to 87.6 in 2006 and 74.3 last season. This year, a contract year for the young QB, would be essential if he hoped to salvage his career and hold onto his position as the Breakers’ starter.
Manning has responded well, improving in almost every category as he has led New Orleans to a 3-2 start. His completion percentage has jumped from 56.7% to 68.7%. His TD-INT ratio is a strong 8-3 after 5 games, and he is on pace for 3,500 yards. More importantly, his teammates are rallying behind him, supporting him in front of fans and the media. Never a fiery leader, Manning’s demeaner is often one of the most critiqued aspects of his game, but this season his fellow Breakers are going out of their way to talk about his leadership. And it is leadership that is much needed as both the starting halfback (Matt Forte) and all three starting receivers (Bowe, Doucet, and Avery) are either rookies or in their 2nd year. There is just not a lot of veteran presence on the offense, and so Manning has had to step up and take control of the offense. Perhaps that is what he needed all along. Whatever the reason, the Breakers are looking solid (7th in the league in scoring) and Manning is playing well, when he needed to.
Trades & Signings start as teams reassess.
Five weeks in and teams are starting to get antsy about their issues, many of which have become evident over the season’s first month. And that anxiety quickly turns to roster moves as teams try to address obvious concerns. We saw this with three notable trades this week, but also with a bit of a surprise free agent signing. We start with the trades.
To say that New Jersey’s defense has lacked fortitude would be an understatement. The 1-4 Generals rank 24th in yards allowed, and one of the major issues has been the interior of the D-line, which has not been containing opposing rushers or taking on double teams to free up the DE’s. New Jersey addressed that issue this week by sending two draft picks to the Orlando Renegades to acquire DT Ian Scott. Scott had been in rotation with Kenny Smith alongside Pat Williams, and was apparently seen as expendable by a Renegades team that is feeling good about their defensive front. Orlando receives a pair of 3rd round picks for the 5-year veteran, one in each of the next two drafts. Scott is expected to take on the startin role in New Jersey’s 3-4, moving Martin Chase and John Thornton to backup roles instead of rotation roles. Will this be enough to see a difference in the Generals’ defense? That could be a stretch, but we do know that Scott is a blocking magnet, so it may help free up Shaun Ellis and Tamba Hali outside to do more on passing downs to pressure opposing QB’s.
Seattle, stunned to be sitting at 1-4, decided to make a move to try to find a better solution at the #2 receiver position. They reached out to the Michigan Panthers, who have one of the deepest WR rooms in the league, and made a deal to bring veteran Nate Burleson to the Pacific Northwest. Burleson, who had been stuck deep in the depth chart behind Hines Ward, Laverneus Coles, Antwan Randle-El, and even rookie Mario Manningham, had only 2 catches this season. In Seattle, he will likely rotate with Darnerian McCants, but could work his way into the steady #2 slot. For their receiver, the Panthers receive a 2nd round pick next year.
In a somewhat rare 1-for-1 player swap, Texas acquired some LB help in the form of Chris Draft, while the Birmingham Stallions hope they too found themselves a receiver, one to help out while Joe Horn recovers from an injury. Draft was sent from Birmingham to Texas in exchange for wideout Dedrick Ward, who saw immediate action with the Stallions this week, catching 3 balls for 27 yards only 2 days after arriving in town.
Finally, in a move likely prompted by concerns about Jeff Lewis’s health and season-long viability, the LA Express added a 4th QB to their roster. With Seneca Wallace sidelined at least another 5-8 weeks, but not on IR, and only former Alabama QB Brodie Croyle, and undrafted rookie Robert Long on the roster behind Lewis, the Express reached out to a former starter for the club, Jeff Garcia, to come back and lend a hand.
Garcia, who last played in the USFL for the Seattle Dragons (3 games in 2004) after several years in Baltimore, has been kicking around the NFL, with short stints in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, but has been out of either league since the end of the 2006 season, making him a true free agent. Garcia arrived in town just in time to stand on the sideline (in sweats) as Jeff Lewis helped LA defeat the Texas Outlaws at Farmers Insurance Field. Lewis is 2-2 since jumping in for the injured Wallace, but now LA may have a QB controversy on their hands. If Garcia does well in adapting to Hue Jackson’s offense, and if Lewis struggles for consistency, there is a chance that Jackson will swap his starter, something that was not expected with the inexperienced backups already in place. The immediate impact of the move was to send Robert Long to the practice squad, which seems a good option at this time. Once Garcia is up to speed with the offense, it is possible that Croyle will also be demoted to the practice squad, where the 22-year-old could serve as the 3rd “emergency” QB, able to play in games if both Lewis and Garcia are pulled. There is still hope that by Week 10 or 11 Seneca Wallace could be ready to play, but it is equally possible that if his recovery is slowed, and if either Lewis or Garcia look solid, Wallace could be added to IR and allowed to rest and recover without a timeline for 2008.
Benching QB’s a Last Option, But One Taken
It is never a good sign when a team feels it has to try something new at QB, but this week two clubs did just that, with New Jersey announcing that Kris Kershaw would get the start in Week 6 against Baltimore, while the Stallions and coach Kent Austin, made a move that fans in Alabama have been calling for over several years, benching Jason Campbell and giving newly-arrived CFL QB Dave Dickenson a chance to prove he can play the 4-down, 100-yard version of the game. The moves are big indicators that both Kevin Kolb and Jason Campbell have simply not done what was expected of them. Both were highly valued draft picks, but both have struggled.
Kolb spent most of 2007 on the bench, but when he was given the opportunity to start the final 3 games, he looked very promising, throwing for nearly 500 yards and producing 3 touchdowns, but, after 5 games this season he has only 2 scoring tosses and 4 picks, and the Generals have been shut out twice. Kolb may get another opportunity to start, but for now it looks like Kris Kershaw will get his chance to impress. Kershaw spent 3 years in Nashville and then another 6 in Houston, always as a backup. Over those 9 seasons he has appeared in a grand total of 22 games, starting 9. He has completed 52% of his throws for 2,179 yards, 9 TDs and 9 picks.
In Birmingham there have been vocal calls for Jason Campbell to be replaced for the past 3 seasons. After a promising rookie season, Campbell has struggled to show growth. His numbers in Dennis Franchione’s final season were not horrible (2,249 yards, 16-9 TD-INT ratio) but by that point he had lost the faith of the fans, and this year, with a new head coach in town, and a new QB coach along with him, Campbell is once again struggling. Birmingham is 0-5 and a change was needed.
Birmingham’s Kent Austin came to the Stallions from the CFL, and with him came Dave Dickenson, the former starter for the BC Lions, where he threw for 3,032 yards and 22 TDs in 2006 before an injury shortened his 2007 season. Dickenson will get the chance to show he can play the U.S. game, something he has not done since joining the CFL in 2003 after short stints as a 3rd team QB in the NFL with Detroit, Miami, and Seattle.
Of course both New Jersey and Birmingham have issues well beyond the QB position, but flailing teams often go for the easiest and most obvious change of direction, and that is a QB change. Will this change in personnel produce a change in fortunes? Only time will tell.
Texas just cannot catch a break. Not only did they get bad news on the stadium front (see below), but they have now added a 2nd player to the IR, when most teams have yet to suffer one serious injury. In addition to DE Chris Harrington (added last week), they lost CB Aaron Ross this week to a broken foot. Ross was the only player moved to IR this week as the USFL’s string of good luck continues. That said, he was not the only injury.
Oakland will be without guard Logan Mankins 4-6 weeks after he strained his knee in the win at Las Vegas. Seattle will be without DE Travis Laboy for the same length of time after he went down with a torn bicep. Birmingham got confirmation that Joe Horn will miss at least another 2 weeks, while Washington OT Mike Williams could be back as soon as Week 7.
Denver WR Anquon Boldin suffered a sprained wrist this week, an injury that could take 1-2 weeks of rehab before he is back on the field. Arizona will be without CB Asante Samuel for 1-2 weeks as well with his dislocated shoulder. Philadelphia FS Anthony Dorsett will also miss a game or two with a fractured jaw. In LA the big concern was for the foot of Keyshawn Johnson, but while x-rays showed a stress fracture, it is small and is expected to keep Keyshawn out of action only for a week or 2. Another top wideout, Robert Ferguson of Memphis, is doubtful this week after getting a case of turf toe. Early Doucet remains doubtful for New Orleans, while Atlanta will miss Jim Pyne, who is taking this week to deal with a death in the family.
Expected back in action this week are Antowain Smith (knee), Joey Galloway (eye), TE Ben Hartsook (knee), OT Marvel Smith (neck), Seattle DT Brandon Noble (hamstring), and Wrangler HB Sedrick Irvin (hamstring).
Outlaws To Hit the Road in 2009
The Texas Outlaws got a bit of a good news, bad news scenario this week when the City of San Antonio approved plans for a major renovation of the Alamo Dome in 2009. The good news is that the city approved several of the changes and additions requested by the Outlaws, one of the facility’s main tenants. The improvements will include enlarged locker room areas, team meeting rooms, improved lighting, and a new end zone scoreboard. The renovation will also drop total capacity from 64,000 to just over 59,000, but in the process will increase the number of luxury suites, allowing tenants like the Outlaws to increase revenue even when they are not able to sell out the facility (A quick note: Texas has not had a sellout in the Alamo yet, but they have topped 50,000 on several occasions.)
The bad new is that the current calendar of events for the Alamodome requires that the renovation begin in January of 2009, and that it will last well into the summer of 2009, meaning that the Outlaws will almost certainly need to find an alternative home for the 2009 season. That is not exactly a surprise to the franchise, but they had hoped for an earlier start date so that the impact might be limited to only the short USFL preseason and perhaps just a couple of home dates in the early weeks of the 2009 season. That is now off the table and the Outlaws will need to find an alternative home for the season, much as the Breakers did in 2006, though without the trauma of a major disaster as the cause.
The options for Texas are multiple. They could return to the Alamo Bowl, their original home in the city, but there are two major concerns there. The first is capacity as the Bowl can really only hold somewhere in the realm of 31,000 at maximum capacity, well below the USFL average and the expectation for full participation in the shared revenue plan of the league. The second is that almost no noteworthy repairs or renovations have been undertaken since the team left the stadium in the early 90’s. It was not in great shape even back then, so one can only imagine that it would be in worse shape now.
The next closest option is in San Marcos, where Bobcat Stadium, on the campus of Texas State U., could put the Outlaws within a reasonable drive from San Antonio. Bobcat Stadium is again a smaller venue, so there would still be significant financial impact were the club to move there. If they go a bit further afield, they could look at Memorial Stadium in Austin. Size there is certainly not going to be a problem, as the Longhorn facility can hold over 100,000 fans. That, in itself, may be its own problem, as, just with the Coliseum in LA, a mostly empty stadium produces very undesirable optics for the club and the league.
The final option is to simply select another city within Texas, one of the beauties of using a state vs. city name for the club. Houston would certainly be out of the question, as it is home to the rival Gamblers, but Texas has no shortage of cities or football stadiums. We could imagine Austin as one option, Dallas or Fort Worth as another, perhaps even a location like Lubbock or Waco (home to Texas Tech and Baylor, respectively), or a smaller venue, more USFL-ready like that of North Texas in Denton, or perhaps A&M in College Station. We don’t expect the Outlaws to resort to barnstorming or to using a stadium outside of Texas as the Breakers did, so don’t get your hopes up Virginia Beach or Salt Lake City. The Outlaws will almost certainly remain in the Lone Star State, but just where remains to be seen at this point.
USFL & USFLPA Talks Stall
Just as the USFL and NFL begin talks to determine if and in what form their agreement on player and personnel transfer will continue, the USFL broke off talks for a new collective bargaining agreement with the players. Impacted by the current financial crisis and concern for the potential impact on revenue, the league is seeking a hiatus in talks until July, hoping to have a better sense of both the financial status of the league, but also the state of the NFL negotiations. The USFLPA had hoped to get a CBA in place before the USFL playoffs, as many players will become free agents at the end of June when their teams complete the regular season. Delaying talks on a CBA means that there is no free agency process in place, and no understanding of how the salary cap might be impacted by the agreement. The situation could turn ugly if the two sides are far apart on the cap’s link to a percentage of overall revenue. Ownership, of course, wants to tie cap increases, as well as minimum salary ranges, to profitability, while the union is focused on overall revenue.
The delay will certainly complicate at least the early stages of the offseason, particularly free agency, and with the NFL-USFL Transfer Window also an unsettled matter team GM’s may have to scramble to adjust plans as they plan for the 2008-2009 offseason. In speaking with several GM’s around the league, they still feel that this offseason will be less chaotic than in 2007-2008 simply because there will not be an expansion process to navigate, but several did mention that having a CBA as well as a revised deal with the NFL sooner would certainly be preferred.
Fred Bullard & Warner Jr. victims of Bank Investigations & Shuttering
The current financial crisis or “Great Recession” as people are beginning to call it has hit home with the USFL. Two current owners, Fred Bullard of Jacksonville and Marvin Warner Jr of Birmingham are both under investigation for their role in real estate speculation and banking irregularities. They are just two of a large number of investment bankers being questioned about the sub-prime lending and mortgage packaging issues which appear to be at the core of the burst bubble which has produced major financial declines both nationally and globally. The investigation is a concern for both franchises and for the league as a whole, as any freezing of the assets of either Bullard or Warner could profoundly impact league operations, not to mention the ability of the Bulls and Stallions to function smoothly. Of course, both owners have separated their personal accounts from the businesses that are the two USFL franchises, but it is also well known that the two entities are often linked in ways which would make operations more complex for one if the other is compromised.
In addition to the obvious concern about league ownership and its ties to both real estate speculation and investment banking (two fields well represented among the 28 different ownership groups), issues surrounding liquidity and access to credit are impacting the league nationwide. While this is not the USFL of 1984, where funds were sparce and teams often delayed payments to vendors or even players, the financial crisis is forcing the league to reevaluate how it directs funds, the timing of shared income payouts to teams, and the overall financial health of the league. With everyone form major sponsors to the TV networks, stadium authorities, as well as the private businesses of many owners under greater pressure and greater scrutiny, not to mention the financial impact on fans, the USFL is concerned that a prolonged recession could very easily produce major issues for both individual franchises and for the league as a structuring organization.
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS
A really interesting result from our poll among the Stallion faithful. One of the biggest surprises so far as fan votes split on their choice for a receiver to make the team’s Mount Rushmore, essentially costing either Ernest Givens and Lawrence Dawsey a spot on the mountain. Both are clearly deserving of recognition, but fans simply could not be swayed one way or another, leaving both with fewer votes than either deserved. Sorry guys, but with neither receiver getting into the Top 4 in vote tallies, we cannot add either very talented receiver to the Stallion Mt. Rushmore. So who did make the cut?
The first name will be a surprise to absolutely no one. Halfback Joe Cribbs came to the Stallions for their 1984 season after a somewhat lengthy court battle over his contract with the NFL Bills. Once on the field, Cribbs was electric. The former Auburn back began his USFL career by racking up over 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first year. He would go on to total over 12,500 yards and 83 career touchdowns before retiring in 1992. One of the first elite NFL players to join the USFL, Cribbs was an immediate superstar in his home state of Alabama. He would rush for over 1,000 yards 7 times in his career, and was an All-USFL player 7 times as well. He never won a title, after appearing in the League Championship in 1984. The year after his retirement, Brett Favre would lead the Stallions to a title.
One of the leaders for the Stallions in that 1993 title year is our second Mt. Rushmore candidate. LB Kevin Greene played with the Stallions from 1985 through 1997, before a short stint in New Jersey. He would retire with 1,261 tackles, 44 sacks and 19 interceptions. Known as a fierce edge blitzer as well as a thumper in the run game, Greene led the Stallions in tackles 7 times and earned All-USFL honors 6 times.
With Brett Favre ineligible to be nominated due to his ongoing USFL career, it is no surprise that the Stallion Nation would add their first big name QB to the mountain. Cliff Stoudt was the starter for the Stallions from 1984 through the 1991 season, and then served as backup to Brett Favre from 1992 until he was signed by Atlanta in the 1995 Expansion Draft. A consummate professional, Stoudt had a career QB Rating of 88.0, with 215 career touchdowns and more than 35,000 yards passing.
Finally, the beneficiary of the two outstanding receivers knocking each other out is LT Richmond Webb. We don’t expect a lot of offensive linemen to make their team’s Top 4 All Time, but Webb is certainly a deserving candidate. Webb came to the Stallions in the 1990 draft and locked down the left tackle position for 15 seasons, retiring after the 2004 campaign. A monster of a man, with incredible hand skills, Webb was just tough to get around, through, or by. Brett Favre suffered a lot of sacks in his Birmingham career, but when you look back at the tape, it was almost never due to a break down on Webb’s assignment.
MICHIGAN PANTHERS
The Panther Posse, as the fans like to call themselves, were unabashedly focused on their early heydays in the 80’s when picking their favorites for the Michigan Mt. Rushmore. While Michigan certainly had some good talent in the 90’s and 2000’s, including names like Jack Trudeau, Doug Flutie, even Joe Montana for a short stint, the fans still look to those early 1980’s years as the glory years for Michigan, and all 4 candidates came from that era. We suspect, based on who was not nominated, that they could build a second mountain with 4 more players just from the 80’s if we let them.
The first name that appears on the Panther fans’ list is not a surprise (as most top vote-getters are not). One of the first “homegrown” heroes of the USFL, QB Bobby Hebert came out of little Northwestern State and took the league by storm almost immediately as an athletic, fearless gunslinger in what would become a staple of USFL style. Hebert would play for the Panthers for only 4 seasons before the siren call of the NFL beckoned. He would later return to the spring with Oakland and Philly, but will always be first and foremost the QB of the Panther teams that won the league title in both 1984 and 1986. And while many of his career records have been topped by quarterbacks with longer careers in Pontiac and Detroit, it should be noted that Hebert still holds the record for TDs in a season with 41.
The second player ranked by the fans for the Panther’s Top 4 is a speedy receiver who left defenders in the dust and became a touchdown-scoring sensation. But wait, before you all jump on the Anthony Carter bandwagon, it is not Carter, who again had a shorter stay in Michigan and left for the NFL. It is Dereck Holloway, who stayed with the club from 1983 until his retirement in 1993. It is Holloway, not Carter who holds most of the Panther career receiving records, including career receiving yards and career receiving touchdowns. As much as fans like to praise former Wolverine Carter, it is Holloway who stayed with the club for the long haul and built up a solid fanbase.
The third Panther from the 80’s to make the roster of four is still a name spoken in Michigan in hushed tones. John Corker was the ultimate enforcer for the Panthers, a player who punished backs and receivers alike, was unafraid to take on big interior linemen, and fast enough to be an effective blitzer. Corker played 8 seasons in Pontiac, recording 100 or more tackles in 5 of those seasons and, of course, lifting the championship trophy twice.
Finally, no fan nostalgia for the 1980’s Panthers would be complete without Ronnie Paggett, the “Human Steamroller”. Paggett played DE for the Panthers from 1983 through 1993 season, 11 years of terrorizing opposing QBs. The former Louisiana Tech star (What is it with the Panthers and players from the Bayou State?) retired with 154 sacks, which remains the Panther career record. He also still holds the record for sacks in a single season for Michigan with 21 (1987) and in a single game (3). No surprise that he joins John Corker as defenders on a very balanced Mt. Rushmore for the Panthers.
Week six and we still have 3 unbeatens, but with Philly facing the Feds at RFK, one of those unbeatens is going to come away from this weekend with a blemish. That game, a Saturday Nighter, highlights a schedule that has divisional intrigue and some pretty good inter-divisional games as well.
FRIDAY @ 8pm Generals (1-4) @ Blitz (3-2) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Bandits (4-1) @ Bulls (2-3) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm Glory (3-2) @ Fire (1-4) FOX
SATURDAY @ 12pm Wranglers (1-4) @ Cannons (2-3) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm Knights (2-3) @ Stallions (0-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm Maulers (2-3) @ Skyhawks (1-4) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm Stars (5-0) @ Federals (5-0) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm Monarchs (2-3) @ Renegades (1-4) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm Invaders (4-1) @ Breakers (3-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 12pm Dragons (1-4) @ Gamblers (3-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm Stags (2-3) @ Gold (3-2) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Panthers (4-1) @ Outlaws (0-5) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm Showboats (5-0) @ Thunder (3-2) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm Machine (4-1) @ Express (3-2) ESPN
The Outlaws playing some games in DFW as a sort of test drive for a franchise in the area could be cool