Eleven weeks into the 2010 season and we are still trying to figure out if the entire concept of home field advantage means anything in the USFL. Once again we had a good run of road victories, six in 14 games, to put that concept into question. Of course, that also means we had 8 home teams get wins, but in nearly every case, the home team was a clear favorite. The one possible exception was Michigan’s win over Ohio, where despair over the Panther offense clearly led to a weird line on a game that the Panthers absolutely dominated. Houston made a statement this week, with a big win over the Generals, while Philadelphia and Oakland just kept chugging along as they stay in 1st place in each conference. The Outlaws got a much-needed reversal of course on the road, and New Orleans took advantage of a Nashville loss to stake a claim on the Southern Division. We will break it all down and take a special look at which franchises could be targets of a Dallas hijacking bid. Could we truly be seeing a USFL team uproot itself for the big money available from the Destination Dallas investment group? We look at which fans should be worried.
PITTSBURGH MAULERS 14 CHICAGO MACHINE 23
A good one atop the Central Division, good enough that we made it our Game of the Week despite it not being a 1-score margin, as most of our GOTW tend to be. Why then? Well, because with Michigan fading without Griese available, Chicago and Pittsburgh are battling to be the frontrunners in the division, and to possibly land a bye in the playoffs by taking the division. We also chose it because this game highlights a bit of a transformation this season in Chicago, from a team known for shut down defense and a pretty by-the-books, no frills offense, to the leading offense in the league. Finally, we chose this game because it featured some good back and forth momentum shifts.
The game began with Chicago clearly getting the better of early play. Pittsburgh had only 1 first down in the first 25 minutes of game time, while Chicago mounted two long drives that resulted in a Michael Estrada TD plunge and a Tim Seder field goal. But that momentum quickly turned when, following Seder’s kick, Pittsburgh got a huge boost as return man Will Poole found a seam, blew past the kicker and raced 101 yards with the ensuing kickoff to put the Maulers on the board, down only 10-7. On their next possession, the Mauler offense found the right calls to move the ball during the 2-minute drill and take the lead with Cody Pickett swinging the ball out to FB John Kuhn, who took it the final 3 yards for a score and a Mauler 14-10 lead on the road at the half.
The half did not come at a good time for Pittsburgh. It cooled their momentum and gave Chicago a chance to regroup and retake control. The 3rd quarter proved to be a momentum killer for Pittsburgh, as they once again struggled to muster offense. The Maulers went 0-3 on third downs and even failed on a 4th and 2 the one time they had crossed midfield. Chicago was not a lot better at 1 of 4 on third downs, and the punters got a lot of action in the quarter, but Chicago did get another Seder kick to bring the game down to a single point.
Chicago would take the lead early in the 4th when Tim Seder connected from 54 yards out after a holding call had seemingly moved the Machine out of range. Now up 16-14, the defense again proved that while Chicago might be seen as an offensive club this year, solid defense was still a feature of the franchise. The Machine got a key sack from Anthony Weaver (who else?) on a 3rd and 5 play that got them the ball back with 3:37 left to play, leading the game by 1 point. Rather than sit on the ball and hope to run out the clock with plunges into the line, the Machine allowed Brady Quinn to make some plays, and in just 57 seconds he had the Machine back into the red zone and threatening to score. A bad PI call got the Machine inside the 10, and despite Michael Turner’s strong game (139 yards on 28 carries), Coach Mornhinweg kept calling plays to give Quinn a shot at more points. Quinn delivered with an 8-yard TD strike to Anquon Boldin, much to the delight of the Machine faithful at Soldier Field. With a 9-point lead, Chicago was in a position to be a bit more aggressive on defense and wrap the game up without a Mauler comeback.
Chicago did just that, holding the Maulers inside their own half before forcing a 4th and 13 atttempt that was doomed from the outset. A couple of kneel downs later and the Machine were atop the Central Division, leading Pittsburgh on a tiebreaker with both clubs at 8-4. The Machine have what should be a win next week at home to Ohio, but then have two straight games against division leaders, both on the road, as they travel to Denver and then Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh, tied with Chicago but needing to get a game up to take the division, has a big showdown in Michigan next week, then back-to-back games against the division’s basement, with Ohio and St. Louis. Their big test, after the Panthers, will be a Week 16 matchup at Houston.
CHARLOTTE 15 TAMPA BAY 16
The Monarchs settle for field goals and in the end that is their undoing as Tampa Bay roars back late in the game to steal a 1-point win. With Daunte Culpepper injured, Rhett Bomar goes 16 of 23 and connects with Jeremy Shockey for the game winner in the 4th as the Bandits avoid a home upset and establish themselves as the top team in the Southeast, with a huge rematch against Atlanta looming.
WASHINGTON 27 JACKSONVILLE 14
The Federals contain Tim Tebow to -2 yards rushing and 193 passing as David Garrard has one of his best days in green & white. Garrard throws for 3 scores and 278 yards as Washington is forced to throw against stacked 8-9 man fronts. Deuce McCallister was held to just 9 yards rushing but the run emphasis of the Bulls defense allowed Garrard to go wild with 2 scoring tosses to Deion Branch and another to McCallister in the air.
HOUSTON 45 NEW JERSEY 27
The Generals’ offense looked good with Maurice Jones-Drew getting 16 carries, but the defense was atrocious. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 5 TDs and Shaun Alexander rushed for 130, with an 8.1 YPC average as Houston just kept scoring. At one point the Gamblers rattled off 5 consecutive scoring drives, with four of them touchdowns. Both Vernon Davis and Paris Warren ended the game with two scores each as Houston just outpaced New Jersey on a day when the Generals’ D was just overwhelmed.
BOSTON 20 PHILADELPHIA 27
The Cannons made a game of it, but Philadelphia got the win in the end as MVP candidate Kurt Warner went 23 of 29 for 232 and 2 scores. Steve Slaton also had a huge day, rushing for 149 and a TD. Adrian McPherson survived 5 sacks and a pick, but had Boston in range late until a 4th and 4 play failed, ending the comeback attempt. Chad Johnson was big for Boston with 107 yards and both McPherson TDs, but it was not enough as the Stars improved their league-best record to 9-2.
NASHVILLE 24 OAKLAND 33
The Knights drop another one, putting them under .500 after 11 weeks as Ricky Williams rushes for 121 and 2 scores and LB Brendan Ayanbedejo scores on a fumble return to power Oakland to another big win. The Invaders only got 132 yards in the air from Bob Volek, but the run game and the defense came up big against Nashville. Jay Cutler threw 4 picks in the game and the Knights had a total of 6 turnovers in a game dominated by the ball hawking Invader defense.
DENVER 26 LAS VEGAS 12
The Las Vegas offense struggled without Marshawn Lynch as Denver put the pressure on Jake Plummer with 5 sacks and 2 takeaways. Denver’s offense struggled to get in the endzone, but 4 Graham Gano field goals, a pick six, and a Dez White TD were enough for Denver to get the win and move to 8-3 on the year.
BALTIMORE 14 ATLANTA 20
The Fire move to 6-5 and drop Baltimore to the same record with a strong comeback after falling behind 14-3 early in the 3rd quarter. A TD to rookie Demaryius Thomas with a 2-point conversion and 4 Josh Scobee field goals were enough to complete the comeback and excite the fans in the Georgia Dome with a possible playoff run. Atlanta now turns their attention to the Bandits and hopes of a division title. The loss was doubly painful for the Blitz, who could lose their QB for the rest of the regular season as Big Ben goes down with an ankle injury that will need time.
ORLANDO 41 ST. LOUIS 23
Calais Campbell sets another mark with a sack, scoop, and score play that even the Skyhawk fans had to appreciate. Combined with a strong offensive performance from Drew Brees and Knowshon Moreno, Campbell’s play was enough to make Antowain Smith’s 139-yard day an afterthought for Orlando. The St. Louis offense actually outgained Orlando 393-349, but they just could not overcome both a Campbell fumble return and a Cortland Finnegan pick six.
BIRMINGHAM 20 NEW ORLEANS 24
The Stallions gave the Breaker faithful a scare, but two long Eli Manning TD passes in the 4th quarter helped the Breakers escape with the win. Downl 20-10, Manning hit Chris Cooley on a play that would go for 68 yards, then turned around, got the onside kick, and found Early Doucet for the game winner with only 39 seconds left in a game that competed for GOTW due to its fantastic finish.
ARIZONA 17 LOS ANGELES 3
The Express just do not seem to have an offensive strategy as the run game struggles with only 19 total yards. Arizona is getting hot, with David Carr throwing for 2 scores and the defense playing very well. Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant each nabbed a TD toss and Kimo Von Oelhoffen ended the day with 9 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble as the Wranglers move to 5-6.
TEXAS 18 PORTLAND 9
A nice rebound win for Texas on the road in Portland as a Flacco to Colston TD a strong defense help the Outlaws rise to 6-5. The defense allowed 326 yards but only 3 field goals as A. J. Feeley threw 3 picks into the Texas defensive secondary. Portland drops to 4-7 and their playoff hopes are quickly fading as Texas’s are reawakened.
MEMPHIS 16 SEATTLE 33
The 4-7 Dragons are not done playing spoiler as they throw a wrench in any playoff hopes Memphis had. Byron Leftwich had his best game of the year as he tossed 4 touchdowns and threw for 367 against a Memphis defense that has been fading down the stretch. TD passes to Boston, Wiggins, Chambers, and HB Ladell Betts gave Seattle a comfortable home victory.
OHIO 3 MICHIGAN 22
With Ohio a shadow of its former greatness, the rivalry with Michigan is taking a definite slant towards the Panthers. Shaun Hill had a rough day for the Panthers, but was bailed out by a Panther defense that just did not give up an inch to the Glory. Eddie George struggled to 2.6 yards per carry and Dereck Anderson completed only 11 of 35 passing as the Michigan defense throttled the Glory all game long. Matt Prater was the busiest Pather, delivering on 5 field goal attempts with 5 successful kicks.
Baltimore Loses Big Ben for Regular Season
The Blitz-Fire game was not just big for Atlanta, it was possibly season-changing for the Blitz as their star QB, Ben Roethlisberger went down on his very first pass attempt. Roethlisberger was driven to the ground by Atlanta LB Na’il Diggs on a third down blitz. The result was an ankle that could not bear weight. X-rays proved negative, but an MRI revealed significant ligament damage. A 4-6 week recovery time could mean that Big Ben could miss the rest of the regular season. That means that it will be up to Mike McMahon to salvage any playoff hopes the Blitz have. With the loss, Baltimore drops to 3rd in the NE Division, but both New Jersey and Boston are right behind them at 5-6. Without Roethlisberger in the lineup, league rushing leader Ron Dayne will be asked to take on even more of the offensive load, while the Baltimore defense, which has not exactly been stellar, will have to improve if the Blitz are to have any hope of a Big Ben return for a playoff game.
Culpepper to Miss 2-4 Weeks after Illegal Hit
Tampa Bay will also be without their starting QB for at least 2-4 weeks after a late hit by rookie LB Rolando McClain sends him to the bench with a shoulder separation. McClain was penalized for the hit, where he caught Culpepper under his throwing arm as the QB rotated the arm after his throw. That is of little consolation to the Bandits, who have a huge game with Atlanta this week and will send Rhett Bomar out at QB. The good news is that Bomar has proven himself in the past, and this week he led the late rally, connecting with TE Jeremy Shockey for a 4th quarter game winner. Tampa hopes that Culpepper could return for Week 14, in time for the 3 final games of the year but missing the Atlanta game will be an issue for the Bandits, who hold only a 1 game lead over the Fire for first place in the Southeast.
Is ROTY Down to Bradford v. Tebow?
As the season progresses, early rookie success has led to the usual late-season slump as tired players, fresh off a full college season, begin to wear down as they enter the 3rd month of USFL play. That late-season swoon tends to affect the Rookie of the Year award, and that is certainly true this year as we have seen everyone from LB NaVorro Bowman and HB C. J. Spiller to WR Demaryius Thomas see their numbers decline as they work through the long season. The two most rested rookies, quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow, seem to be benefitting from both the late season swoon of other contenders and the fact that they each spent the first month of the season on the sideline behind the starters at QB.
Right now, if we had to wager on the MVP, it looks like Bradford has the slight edge. His Generals are 1 game better than the 4-7 Bulls, and he has had solid numbers since coming on in relief of an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bradford has 1,558 yards, 7 touchdowns and 5 picks, while Tebow is not far behind with 1,259 yards, 7 TDs and 7 picks. We say the edge goes to Bradford, but that is primarily because the Generals have stayed in the thick of a tight division, and a division that many consider the best in the league. Jacksonville, at 4-7, is in a 4th place tie with Charlotte, but two games behind 3rd place Atlanta and Orlando.
There are still 5 weeks left to the season and a second wind could give players like Philly LB Sean Lea or Memhis’s Bowman a shot, but as of right now, we have to say that it will be the QB who most impresses the voters who is likely to walk away with the award.
Warner Looking Like MVP
Don’t look now, but it seems we have a favorite at last in the MVP race. Philadelphia QB Kurt Warner is not only the field general for the team with the league’s best records, but his numbers are also at or near the top of the QB stats across the board. Warner is currently 5th in the league in yards passing (behind Hasselbeck, Manning, McPherson and Orton), but he leads the league in three very important categories, passing TDs (24, 4 ahead of Hasselbeck), Passer Rating or QBR (103.7, just ahead of Drew Brees’s 102.4) and wins. It’s that last category that is likely to sway votes to the former St. Louis Ram as he pushes the Stars to a potential #1 seed.
It is not a one-man show in Philadelphia, something Warner is quick to point out when asked about the MVP trophy. Steve Slaton is having a break out season in his first year as a true lead back, and Steve Smith now rates 5th in the league in receiving yards with 872 after 11 games. The Stars also have a rock solid defense, ranked 4th in the league in points allowed, but as we all know, the QB gets a lot of the blame when a team struggles, and a lot of the praise when they succeed, so it is no shock that a lot of voters are looking at Warner as the frontrunner in this very good season in Philadelphia.
Houston Heating Up
The Stars may be considered the best team in the league right now, but few would argue that the Houston Gamblers are the hottest. Houston has won 5 in a row and now sits at #2 behind only the Stars in our unofficial USFL power rankings (Oakland is 3rd). In their streak, the Gamblers have knocked off in-state rival Texas and division leading Denver to get to 7-4 and are now only 1 game behind the Gold in the SW Division. They have a huge game against Arizona this week, and will face Texas again in Week 14. Their hope, with no more games against the Gold, is that Denver will stumble and give the Gamblers a shot at a division title.
Houston has made the run largely on their offense, which now ranks #1 in the league in yardage and #3 in points behind only Chicago and Philadelphia. Their 45-point explosion against the New Jersey Generals this week is just the latest in a long run of good games for Matt Hasselbeck and the Gambler offense. Shaun Alexander is closing in on a possible 1,000 yard season. Ike Hilliard is looking like a young stud instead of a greying veteran with 792 yards on the year, and TE Vernon Davis has become a TD machine in the past few weeks, giving Houston a multifaceted, multiple threat offense.
Don’t sleep on these Gamblers, especially if you are a fan of the Denver Gold. The SW Division has a long history of a team jumping up and snatching the division on the season’s final week, and Houston is looking primed and ready to make it happen again.
Nashville Cooling Down
If Houston is getting hot at the right time for a division title run, Nashville is definitely cooling down. Just as the Knights revealed a new look for 2011, their chances of being able to wear that look in the playoffs this year took a serious hit. The Knights have lost 4 in a row, including this week’s 9-point loss to Oakland. In that time, their once-feared defense has given up 30, 31, 31, and now 33 points. That does not bode well for the 5-6 Knights, whose primary chance to make the playoffs is to win the division.
A Wild Card seems unlikely unless the Knights can go on a major win streak over the next month. They are 2 games behind not only the current 6th place team, but several other contenders as well. The good news is that they are only 1 game behind the New Orleans Breakers. If they can stay in that position, or even their record up with New Orleans before Week 16, then their final showdown with the Breakers in the Super Dome could be the deciding game for Nashville. But, if they continue to give up big points week after week, starting with their matchup at home for Seattle this weekend, they could quickly fade out of the playoff picture entirely.
As expected, no news on the playoff front, with all 28 teams still mathematically alive, but no teams clinched. Right now, Philadelphia is without a doubt in the best position, not only with a 2-tame lead over Washington in the NE Division, but also over Tampa Bay for the #1 seed and home field advantage. If the Stars can hold court for the final 5 weeks, they will be the top seed in the East. In the West, Oakland remains in the #1 position, but it is a lot more tenuous, with Denver also sitting at 8-3, and 5 teams all at 7-4 right behind them. A slip by Oakland and any one of these 6 teams could leap up into that spot.
Back to the East for a moment, where the Breakers, thanks to Nashville’s recent issues, have lept over the Knights and now control their own destiny in the Southern Division. Sitting at 6-5, that lead is iffy, and slipping even a little could lead to Nashville reasserting themselves and New Orleans being on the outside looking in. Right now the biggest cluster in the East is between 6-5 clubs (Breakers, Renegades, Fire, and Blitz) and 5-6 clubs (New jersey, Boston, and Nashville). That is 7 clubs likely fighting over 3 playoff spots.
In the West, one of the 7-4 clubs, currently Houston, will likely be out of the playoffs. More if either Texas or Arizona get truly hot and can leapfrog some folks.
It is a very tight race in most divisions, and we expect that not a lot will change until perhaps week 13 or 14, when some of the playoff spots are likely to get locked up.
The injury to Ben Roethlisberger is a rough one for the Blitz to absorb. They will not put ben and his ankle on IR, because there is hope that he could be back in 4 weeks, which puts him at a Week 15 or 16 return, and that could mean he would be available if, somehow, the Blitz find a way to carry on with Mike McMahon at the helm and qualify for the playoffs. Ben’s ankle was unfortunately rolled onto by one of his own linemen, causing the QB to fall to the ground in obvious pain. There was some ligament damage, but surgery does not appear to be necessary.
Guard continues to be a high-risk profession this season in the USFL, as Washington learned when their starting right guard Aaron Sears was put on IR after suffering what was first thought to be a concussion, but was later diagnosed as a cracked skull. Swelling around the brain was a serious concern, and it was a clear decision (we cannot say no-brainer here, too soon) to end Sears’s season.
Others who will be out at least 1-2 weeks include Atlanta DE Chris Kelsay (wrist), Texas CB Michael Boulware (ribs), Jacksonville TE Jason Whitten (also ribs), and Pittsburgh SS Sean Taylor (hyper extended knee).
Knights New Uniforms Revealed
The third of Adidas’s redesigns has been released and once again the changes are noticeable but not extreme. The Knights very much look like the Knights, even with a bit of a facelift. There is no change to the club’s two logos, either the primary sword logo or the secondary shield with 3 stars based on the Tennessee state flag. The colors are unchanged, but there are some new elements in the uniform design.
The Knights will return to having a stripe on their helmet, something we have not seen since they were in St. Louis, but rather than a traditional stripe, it will be a tapered stripe designed to imitate the twin sides of a sword blade, with white on one half and silver on the other. The sword motif is strong throughout the look as a thicker, more truncated twin stripe is used on the pants, flowing from hip to mid-thigh at an angle. It is also present in the new number font, which has different designs for 1st and 2nd digits in a player’s number, aligned so that the “slash” featured in all the numbers aligns from one number to the next.
The jerseys also feature offset color sleeves and sleeve cuffs, with a shoulder stripe emphasis as well. All three team colors, purple, gold, and silver, appear on the jersey, though the use of gold is more restrained than in past versions of the Knights.
The reveal means that only one team remains undisclosed, and rumors are that the team in question, Baltimore, did ask for a more extreme makeover, though we are not sure if this means new logo designs for the club that began in Chicago 28 years ago, or simply a new direction for the uniform. We expect an announcement soon, as the Blitz would want to don their new looks were they to qualify for a playoff matchup this July.
A Look at Teams Who Could Sell to Dallas Investors
Last week we reported on billionaire investor Mark Cuban joining the Destination Dallas group, an LLC designed to bring USFL football to the Dallas metro area. This week we wanted to answer the burning question we keep hearing. If the USFL does not offer the option for expansion in a reasonable timeframe, what teams or cities could be at risk of their team being sold and relocating to become a new Dallas franchise. The fear is understandable. It is not as if USFL teams never relocated. Relocation has been a part of the league practically since its inception in 1983. By 1987 the Chicago Blitz had found a new home in Baltimore and the Breakers had left tiny Harvard Stadium for the Super Dome in New Orleans. In 1992 the LA Express abandoned the left coast for the newly built Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, only to relocate again to Nashville not long after. The Portland Thunder, also suffering through several seasons with a smaller than necessary stadium, now reside in Las Vegas, where they continue to have stadium issues. The Atlanta Fire moved to Boston, then got an expansion team to revive the club in Atlanta. So, don’t think it cannot happen to your favorite team. But which cities are most likely at risk?
Well, two factors would likely play into a club being ripe for resale and relocation. The first is a crappy stadium situation. This could be a stadium that is simply unable to generate adequate gameday revenue, one that is undersized or poorly located, one that is older and lacks amenities, or one that simply has unfavorable lease conditions for the USFL club compared to their NFL stadium mate. When we look across the league there are several teams who fall into those potential stadium-based concerns. But that is not the only group to worry about. We should also consider clubs that have uncertain ownership, or owners potentially looking to cash out their investments. Several USFL owners are getting on in years and may very well see selling as a better option than passing their teams on to their heirs. So, who do we see as potential targets, purely hypothetically, for a deep-pocketed Dallas investment group to focus on if they see that expansion is not a viable option in the near future? We have identified six franchises which, for one reason or another, could be potential targets of interest for sale and relocation. Don’t panic, this is all very much hypothetical, and there are a lot of bridges to cross before any club would be at risk, but since it is the focal point of so much discussion over the past week, we felt we had to at least explore the possibility.
Las Vegas: We start with the two clubs who have obvious stadium issues. The first of these is the Thunder, formerly of Portland and now in Las Vegas. The Thunder struggled with an undersized stadium in the Rose City and now find themselves in an equally disadvantageous position in Sin City. Sam Boyd Stadium, even with nearly 12,000 temporary bleachers added, is just not a major league stadium. Not only is the seating capacity stifling potential income for the club, but the lack of amenities, particularly a lack of luxury suites, makes no financial sense for a club that could, in the right situation, be bringing in major sponsorships, corporate and tourism presence, and much bigger overall attendance. If I were in the market to buy a team, I would be looking long and hard at the Thunder.
Boston: The other obvious choice when it comes to stadium concerns is the defending champion Boston Cannons franchise. For as strong as Boston’s on field squad has been in recent years, their attendance has not been great. A huge reason for that is Alumni Stadium itself. Owned by Boston College, who simply don’t draw enough fans to merit a major overhaul and expansion to their on-campus stadium, Alumni Stadium is another facility that would have been great in 1983, but just does not match the needs of a major league football organization in the 21st century. Just as we see in Las Vegas, the lack of suite revenue, fan accommodations, even parking, are huge issues for the Cannons. And while there is a very suitable stadium in the market (general area) in the Patriot’s Gillette Stadium, the owner of that facility, Robert Kraft, has been a vehement anti-USFL, anti-collaboration advocate ever since he bought the NFL Patriots. So, unless Boston can convince the city to build a 2nd major football facility, the Cannons remain a potential flight risk.
Oakland: The situation in Oakland is not so much one of a small stadium that cannot support the Invaders, but of an older stadium that just has not held up well. Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, one of a dying breed of dual-purpose football and baseball facilities, is showing its age. The sight lines are not good, the amenities are lacking, and the fact that the Invaders are the 2nd tenant behind the MLB A’s means that they don’t get much say in their own schedule, or in the fact that they remain the only team in the USFL to have to play around and over a baseball diamond for pretty much the entire season. To put it bluntly, Oakland needs a new facility. That could be at Berkely, if Cal would play ball, or it could be elsewhere in the Bay Area, particularly the East or South Bay, but it could also be in Dallas if local officials and public sentiment does not change soon when it comes to funding construction for their sports teams.
Birmingham: The Stallions are a weird case, because they were granted the USFL’s only public IPO of shares a decade ago, meaning that they are partially owned by the community. That would make any sale tough, not impossible, but very tricky. That said, the Stallions continue to fight with local and state officials to try to make the case for a new stadium. Legion Field is a grand old stadium, but old is the key word there. The home to the Iron Bowl does not have a size issue, but it is desperately in need of a facelift. The Stallions have not pushed so much for renovation as for a new facility, and they have a good ally in the U. of Alabama-Birmingham, but if they cannot make headway towards a new facility, they could, in the right circumstances, be a potential target.
St. Louis: No stadium issue for the Skyhawks, but poor product on the field has led to poor financials for the club that started up through expansion only 4 seasons ago. The new-car smell is off the Skyhawks, and what is left is a pretty bad stench of incompetence and irrelevance. Fans have begun to recognize that, and both last year and this year we have seen attendance take a major dive as soon as baseball season started. The Cardinals are still the undisputed #1 team in St. Louis. The Rams come second, and then, perhaps even 4th behind the NHL Blues, we have the Skyhawks. Does that make them a candidate for resale? Well, if the owners want to make some money, a quick way to do that, and a far less demanding path, would be to sell the club to out-of-town investors, take the hit on their local reputation, and let the team start fresh in a new location.
Washington: Finally, we look at the Federals. A pretty successful team on the field, but another squad whose stadium is well past its prime and who get absolutely no cooperation from the NFL club in town. The Federals had hoped that the sale of the beloved Redskins from Jack Kent Cooke to Daniel Snyder might turn the page on the animosity felt between the two franchises, but if anything, Snyder has been even more of a thorn in the USFL club’s side than JKC was. Not only has Snyder rebuffed any efforts to potentially share his shiny new stadium with the USFL, he has clearly been lobbying the District of Columbia as well as the state of Maryland away from supporting the Federals, to the point that he was a major voice in the decision to build a baseball-only stadium in the District for the relocated Expos (now Nationals). The Federals are making do for now with RFK Stadium, but they need to find a way to either build or renovate if they want long term viability, and that kind of conundrum is just what an outside investor with an eye on relocation would want. And you know that for sports fans in the Dallas area, anything they can do to screw over a DC team, even if it is not the Redskins, will be extra motivating.
Week 12 gives us a lot of interesting divisional games, kicking off with a Boston v. NY/NJ rivalry game that could determine if either team has a real shot at a Wild Card. On Saturday upstart Arizona tries to keep its playoff hopes alive as the Wranglers host the Gamblers. Atlanta and Tampa Bay clash again, with a Fire win giving them a share of first place in the SE Division. Sunday is going to be huge, with Pittsburgh at Michigan as the headliner. Rivalry games between Ohio and Chicago, Orlando at Charlotte, and Portland at Las Vegas also could be good. And don’t sleep on the Stars headed to Texas, where the Outlaws hope to get right back in the SW Division hunt, but have a huge task as they take on a hot Philadelphia squad.
FRIDAY @ 8pm ET BOSTON (5-6) @ NEW JERSEY (5-6) NBC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET TAMPA BAY (7-4) @ ATLANTA (6-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET SEATTLE (4-7) @ NASHVILLE (5-6) FOX
SATURDAY @ 12pm ET ST. LOUIS (3-8) @ JACKSONVILLE (4-7) FOX
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET LOS ANGELES (3-8) @ NEW ORLEANS (6-5) ABC
SATURDAY @ 4pm ET HOUSTON (7-4) @ ARIZONA (5-6) FOX
SATURDAY @ 8pm ET WASHINGTON (7-4) @ DENVER (8-3) ESPN
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET BALTIMORE (6-5) @ MEMPHIS (4-7) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET PITTSBURGH (7-4) @ MICHIGAN (7-4) ABC
SUNDAY @ 12pm ET OHIO (2-9) @ CHICAGO (7-4) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET PHILADELPHIA (9-2) @ TEXAS (6-5) ABC
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET PORTLAND (4-7) @ LAS VEGAS (7-4) FOX
SUNDAY @ 4pm ET BIRMINGHAM (2-9) @ OAKLAND (8-3) FOX
SUNDAY @ 8pm ET ORLANDO (6-5) @ CHARLOTTE (4-7) ESPN & EFN