Injuries at the QB position highlight a wild week. Hebert's exit in Michigan costs the Panthers an undefeated season, while Kelly goes down in Arizona. Even after the week's action, news of a practice field injury to Bob Gagliano in Denver adds even more pain to a rough week for USFL field marshals. SCORES NJ 14 BOS 17 Boston overcomes 4 turnovers to win at home against New Jersey. WSH 21 PHI 27 The Stars take over the Atlantic lead behind 160 yards from Kelvin Bryant. BIR 21 MEM 16 Cribbs’ big day (163 yards) powers Birmingham to a win. JAX 23 TBY 44 A 4 TD day from Reaves overwhelms the Bulls in Florida rivalry game. MGN 17 CHI 20 Without Hebert the Panthers struggle and lose their first in Chicago. PIT 6 DEN 27 Syndey & Stamper combine for 220 yards and run over the Maulers. LA 24 OAK 16 Late Young to Townsell connection sends Invaders to 6th straight defeat. BYES: None GAME OF THE WEEK: Houston Gamblers 20 Arizona Wranglers 21 It was a tale of two backups in Tempe, as the Wranglers knocked Jim Kelly out of the game and found just enough behind third stringer Tim Koegel to knock off the reeling Gamblers. The game started out much as many expected, with Kelly leading an opening drive that ended with a TD. On their second possession, the Gamblers again marched down the field, this time settling for a Toni Fritsch FG. Tim Koegel rebounded for the Wranglers, hitting Trumaine Johnson on a 18 TD pass to bring the game back to within 3. Houston would go up 13-7 before Kelly was knocked out, but after a sack by Arizona’s Kit Lathrop, Kelly hobbled over to the sideline with an apparent ankle injury. That changed the game. On their next possession, Arizona again found space in the Houston secondary and Koegel hit rookie sensation Louis LIpps for a 9 yard score to take the lead 14-13. Houston backup Danny Hale was unable to play due to a hip injury during practice, so it was the third QB, Sam Garcia, an undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss, who would have to lead the Gamblers. Jack Pardee and Mouse Davis ran a simiplified offense for the rest of the game, and Garcia did find Gerald McNeil for a score to put Houston up 20-14 late in the second quarter, but for most of the game the Run & Shoot was grounded and Houston had difficulty moving the ball. Arizona too found it difficult to gain much traction as Tim Koegel was only able to complete 54% of his passes, and RB Tim Spencer only averaged 2.1 yards against the Gamblers defense. The gamebreaking score came off of a fluke play, as Sam Garcia, trying to hit Ricky Sanders on a slant route, threw the ball behind Sanders. The young wideout reached for the ball, but was only able to tip it skywards, where it was snagged by Wrangler’s CB Frank Minnifield. Minnifield weaved his way past an initial rush of Gamblers players and then sped into the endzone to tie the game. Frank Corral’s PAT put the Wranglers up for good as neither team would move into the opposition’s redzone for the rest of the game. The win moves Arizona to 5-6 and now in contention with LA and Denver for the Pacific Division title. Houston, now also at 5-6 is part of the logjam of 5-win teams trying to secure a possible wild card spot in the Western Conference. Fortunately for the Gamblers, X-rays reveal that Kelly’s injury is not a fracture, and he may miss a week at most. For Arizona, hopes rest on the potential return of veteran QB Greg Landry next week. NEWS & NOTES: Can we talk about the resurgence of the Denver Gold for a minute? They were written off as dead when they hit 0-4, but their defense has gelled, their young signal caller Bob Gagliano has started to catch fire, and the return of Harry Sydney from injury has awakened the Gold’s offense. The team has won 6 of 8 and is right back in the thick of the Pacific Division title chase as well as the conference Wild Card pool. Gagliano cracked the Top 5 in QBR this week and his 3,174 passing yards, on a team without big name receivers, is proving that Denver made the right choice to replace Ken Johnson. They have three very winnable games against Chicago, Pittsburgh and Oakland before their very late Week 16 bye. This is a team that could easily finish at 9-7 or 10-6 and take the division despite having the lowest salary budget in the league. **LATE NEWS**-- Bob Gagliano sustained an injury in practice and may miss several weeks. See below for details. INJURIES: A lot of dings and sprains on the injury list this week. In addition to Bobby Hebert’s neck strain and Jim Kelly’s ankle tweak, others who will likely miss a week or two include Oakland WR Gordon Banks and LA’s Anthony Allen, Houston safety Donald Dykes, and Michigan DE Ronnie Paggett. In late week news, Denver may be in trouble as QB Bob Gagliano appears to have dislocated his knee during 7 on 7 drills and may miss up to a month. That is huge. It was a non-contact injury as Gagliano executed a called rollout his knee simply seemed to give way when his left foot caught in the practice field turf. More details to come next week. LOOKING AHEAD: Craig Penrose will have to lead the Gold into their game vs. a resurgent Chicago Blitz squad at Soldier Field this week. Houston and New Jersey will also likely suit up backups at QB as they face each other this week. Arizona hosts Oakland and hopes Greg Landry will return. Meanwhile, the Stars must head to Birmingham to face the Stallions, and there is a key matchup in the Atlantic as Boston will play at RFK against the Federals. Jacksonville and Michigan have a bye this week, with the Panthers hoping that Bobby Hebert can return to action in two weeks to lead the Panthers down the home stretch.

Sports Illustrated, May 15, 1984 It has been the top issue for the USFL all season, whether to continue to push to make football a year-round sport by maintaining a spring schedule or make the move to the fall and compete head to head with the NFL. Both sides of the debate have their advocates and their skeptics, so just what are the arguments in favor and opposed to a fall schedule? We will try to lay them out, and then give you, and the USFL, our recommendation. IN FAVOR OF A FALL SCHEDULE Football is a fall sport. The ethos of the sport aligns with the fall and fans expect football in the fall. This argument seeks to make cultural argument that spring is the home to other sports and that the USFL would garner greater fan attention if it aligned with NCAA and NFL football seasons. There is a great deal of competition in the spring for viewer and attendee attention, including, but not limited to the start of Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL playoffs, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and one-off events such as the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500. Add to this the spring fever and start of summer and it is hard, particularly in warmer climates to entice fans to either attend games or stay home and view them on television. The first two seasons of the USFL have shown very uneven attendance, particularly in the initial weeks of the season when snow, cold, or rain have impacted many games. Playing in the fall, the inclement weather arrives during the playoff run and postseason, when fans are most invested in their teams. Having inclement weather during the first few weeks of the season depress attendance for the entire season as fans do not build a connection to the teams in the early season. Potential merger with the NFL. None of the owners will reference this on the record, but off the record there does seem to be an undercurrent of belief that a fall schedule will push the NFL to consider a merger, as it did with the American Football League back in the 1960’s. IN FAVOR OF RETAINING A SPRING SCHEDULE The success of franchises in markets as diverse as New Jersey, Detroit, Denver, Tampa and Birmingham, along with strong attendance in expansion markets Houston, Jacksonville, Memphis and even Pittsburgh proves that a spring calendar can attract fans. Pair this with strong television ratings even when competing with other spring sports, shows that there is an appetite for football even in a part of the year traditionally viewed as belonging to baseball. The financial issues seen in the league appear to have more to do with some teams overspending and other teams having attendance issues, rather than a lack of sponsorship or potential for television revenue. With sponsorship deals already in the works, and more on the horizon, a move to direct competition with the NFL would likely create significant disruption with sponsors and partners. Stadium availability in the fall will be a larger issue than in the spring. NFL owned stadiums are not going to be open to a second team using the facilities even if games are scheduled around the NFL. Likewise, college stadiums will also be largely unavailable. Currently the USFL has been able to arrange to use a combination of NFL and NCAA stadiums because they are largely vacant during the spring. The early timeframe for the season has also meant an earlier draft process for the USFL, an advantage which the USFL has been able to use to sign significant talent before the NFL holds its draft. Were the USFL to move to fall, the prospect of signing talent such as Steve Young, Mike Rozier or Gary Clark become more daunting. While there are certainly both logistical and financial concerns within the USFL, these are unlikely to be improved with a fall schedule. In fact, several franchises, including strong performers such as Michigan, Tampa Bay, Houston, and Philadelphia, would likely seek relocation in order to avoid direct competition with NFL franchises in those cities. If these franchises believe it will be difficult to compete, how will weaker franchises in Chicago, Boston, Washington or LA fare? Were we to see a mass exodus from these larger markets to smaller ones, what would be the impact on sponsorship or television revenue? Looking at the big picture, while a move to the fall may benefit a few markets, and create potential for NFL merger for those markets, the larger vision of the USFL as an independent top tier league would almost certainly be damaged. The potential for mass relocation away from large markets would be a financial death knell for a league which already seems to overspend its revenue. And with sponsors and ABC/ESPN already in negotiations with the league, there seems ample opportunity for renewed financial resources if the league opts to retain a spring schedule, resources which may dry up if the league opts to go head to head for fans, viewers, and partners in the fall. We see the USFL future as one where the spring provides greater stability, greater opportunity and greater potential for success. The fall looks more like an attempt by some owners to garner NFL attention at the expense of the remaining members of the league. The question is whether enough owners see this reality, or if many have visions of NFL gold at the end of the rainbow.

SCORES MEM 20 PHI 19 Lewis hits Gault for a 4th Q game-winning 69 yard TD to stun the Stars NJ 27 JAX 13 24 unanswered 3rd Q points overwhelmes the Bulls. BOS 22 TBY 38 Tampa builds a 28-13 halftime lead and holds on for win #8. HOU 20 PIT 35 Ball control and 3 Rozier TD’s douse the Run & Shoot. DEN 27 LA 7 Denver sweeps the series as Gagliano continues to impress. ARZ 37 OAK 26 Neuheisel hurt again, Koegel steps up big for the Wranglers. MGN 34 WSH 12 The Panthers roll on as Hebert looks to lock up MVP honors. BYES: None GAME OF THE WEEK: Birmingham Stallions 16 Chicago Blitz 17 The Stallions came into this game a clear favorite against the 3-win Blitz, but no one apparently told Chicago. Birmingham seemed to have the upper hand most of the game, outgaining the Blitz 314-285 by the conclusion, but they could not punch it in, and that came back to haunt them. Chicago played a bend-but-do-not-break defense most of the day, allowing underneath passes to Cliff Stoudt, and playing the edges to keep league leading rusher Joe Cribbs inside. The strategy paid off as Cribbs was held to only 72 yards rushing and Birmingham only found the endzone once. On offense, Blair Kiel played conservatively, working on high percentage routes, and handing off to the combination of Steve Howell (6 for 20) and Calvin Murphy (18 for 45). It was not exciting ball to watch, but for those who love good ol’ slobberknockers, it was a callback to old time football. Chicago LB’s Sam Norris and Ben Apuna combined for 18 tackles, including 4 tackles for loss, and in the end it was unheralded Chicago kicker Stephen Paulson who gave Chicago a much-needed win, hitting from 49 yards out to put them on top for good. The loss knocks Birmingham a game behind Tampa Bay, and moves Chicago within range of the cluster of 5 and 4 win teams vying for a wildcard. NEWS & NOTES: The grind of the year is beginning to impact teams. Practically every team is missing important players from their starting lineups, while others have all but lost their core. We all know about Arizona’s QB woes or Jacksonville’s rotating RB spot (now finally getting healthy), but when you look at teams like Memphis (6 players out this week), Michigan (7 out, including all 3 TE’s), but the hardest hit has been New Jersey, who have been without Brian Sipe for 2 weeks now, have lost Gary Barbaro and Jim LeClair for the year, and have a total of 11 players on this week’s injury report. And, yes, we here to folks in Oakland moaning over the loss of Arthur Whittington and Gary Plummer, which certainly has hurt the team, but with only 1 additional player on the injury list after their bye week, they should perhaps point the finger elsewhere for their woeful record. INJURIES: The big injury this week was that of Arizona rookie QB Rick Neuheisel, now expected to miss 4-6 weeks. With Greg Landry expected to be another 1-2 weeks away from being cleared with his broken ribs, the Wranglers will need to rely on Tim Koegel. Koegel performed well this week against Oakland, but the Invaders are hardly the best the league has to offer. Michigan also suffered a blow as they are now looking at all 3 of their season-starting TE’s being out for at least a week, maybe longer. The most severe of the 3 is Roosevelt Dixon, who is out for the year. The other two, Cobb and Marchand, could be back as soon as this week if all goes well, but the Panthers will need to sign at least one TE as insurance. LOOKING AHEAD: Week 12 is chock full of divisional games with significant playoff impact. First we have the Atlantic division facing off, with New Jersey at Boston and the Federals headed to Philadelphia in a battle for first place. The Southern Division also faces off as Jacksonville heads down I-95 (and the 4) to Tampa while the Stallions visit Memphis in need of a win. The undefeated Panthers are in Chicago to take on the Blitz, while 2nd place Houston is out West to face the Wranglers. Pittsburgh takes the flight out to Denver, and in the final divisional match of the week Oakland will try to find answers this week as they host the LA Express.

Two big upsets spotlight the week and create some drama in the Pacific Division, as the return of rookie QB Rick Neuheisel inspires Arizona to upset the Houston Gamblers while Denver remains hot, knocking off LA in the first of 2 weeks of games between the two. Elsewhere, Philly wins the Battle of PA, while the undefeated Michigan Panthers get all they can handle from the Tampa Bay Bandits. SCORES: BIR 30 NJ 20 Backup QB Jeff Knapple could not keep pace for NJ against the Stallions. MEM 20 JAX 38 Bulls bottle up Marcus DuPree to take an important division win. ARZ 27 HOU 26 Rick Neuheisel throws for 322 and three scores to knock off Houston. LA 22 DEN 24 Denver stays hot as a late field goal upends the Express. CHI 6 BOS 16 Two INTs of Blair Kiel doom the Blitz in Boston. PHI 28 PIT 17 Philly comes alive in 4th quarter to knock off the Maulers. BYES: Washington & Oakland GAME OF THE WEEK: Tampa Bay Bandits 32 Michigan Panthers 35 A battle of heavyweights and a possible Championship preview as the defending champions come up just short against the undefeated Michigan Panthers. In a game that highlighted offensive fireworks, it was the defenses that dictated the game. Michigan came into the game with a goal of limiting Tampa RB Gary Anderson and turning Tampa into a one-dimensional offense. They succeeded, holding Anderson to 50 total yards (40 rushing, 10 receiving) but the strategy allowed John Reaves to throw for 412 yards and 3 scores. Meanwhile, Tampa hoped to limit Bobby Hebert’s aerial assault, and again they were somewhat successful, limiting Hebert to 239 yards and a 44% completion rate, but Michigan countered with 100 yards from John Williams. In the end, the battle came down to mistakes. Tampa committed 8 penalties for 70 yards, and was only able to complete 2 of 13 first downs, and those two issues led to the small margin that allowed Michigan to win the game. NEWS & NOTES: Week 10 saw a lot of close games, always good for TV ratings. The biggest surprise was Arizona’s win at Houston, but equally important was Denver’s home win against the division leading Express. With only 6 weeks left, the USFL is happy to see some parity, as 3 teams in the Atlantic are level with 5 wins, while in the Pacific, Denver has made it a race with LA, and possibly Arizona coming on. Tampa and Birmingham are also deadlocked at 7-2 in the Southern. Only Michigan’s impressive 10-0 start has led to a lack of tension in the division race. When we consider that there are 8 of 16 teams at either 5 or 4 wins, the USFL looks like it will have some serious playoff fights ahead in many markets, which is sure to help both attendance and viewership moving into the summer. INJURIES: After a rough week in Week 9, the injuries in Week 10 are far less severe for their respective teams. The biggest hit was absorbed by New Jersey. One week after losing veteran Jim LeClair from the linebacking corps, they lost team captain Gary Barbaro from the defensive backfield. Barbaro suffered a broken wrist which likely ends his season. In lesser injuries, Washington’s defensive captain Bradley Swearingen is likely out at least a week with a concussion, Michigan TE Mike Cobb will also miss 1-2 weeks, and Philadelphia’s ALL-USFL Safety Scott Woerner is listed as doubtful after a shoulder injury this week. LOOKING AHEAD: Back to all 16 clubs playing in Week 11, and the playoff race truly begins as we get down to the final 6 weeks. Memphis will try to rebound, but has a tough assignment in Philadelphia. Boston gets a tough game in Tampa, while Denver and LA will finish out their back-to-back battle, this time in Anaheim. Arizona will face a rested Oakland squad and Washington takes their shot at the undefeated Panthers in RFK. It should be a good week as teams try to get a leg up in their divisions or stay relevant to the wild card chase.

A strong week for the Atlantic Division as Boston, Philly and Washington all pick up games. Chicago returns to Soldier Field for only the 2nd time all year, and Michigan proves that they are the team to beat with an emphatic win over the LA Express. SCORES JAX 16 BOS 34 Johnnie Walton has his best game of the year with 4 scoring throws. PHI 31 NJ 28 Kelvin Bryant breaks out with 167 yards to lead the Stars. WSH 37 MEM 34 Duane Gunn scores twice on 131 receiving yards to eke past Memphis. OAK 12 CHI 24 Chicago gets their third win against a flailing Oakland squad. PIT 19 HOU 31 Jim Kelly and the Gamblers make a claim on playoff consideration. DEN 29 ARZ 10 Denver is digging out of their early season hole with a 3rd win. MGN 28 LA 17 The Panthers prove too much for the LA defense, win 9th game. BYES: None GAME OF THE WEEK: Birmingham Stallions 32 Tampa Bay Bandits 35 In a duel of 6-1 squads with the Southern Division in the balance, Tampa once again edged Birmingham to take over the lead for the division title. Once again it was John Reaves and the passing game that led the way. Reaves hit a rare height, completing over 60% of his passes, and throwing for 378 yards and 4 scores. With Birmingham focused on shutting down Eric Truvillion and Willie Gillespie, it was TE Lewis Gilbert who benefited, with 155 yards on the day and 3 of Reaves’s 4 scoring plays. Birmingham tried to counter, but with 8 man fronts, Joe Cribbs was slowed enough (just under 100 yards at 98) and the combination of Smith and Anderson at wideout were simply not enough for Birmingham to keep pace. Two late scores by the Stallions made the score closer than the game felt, as Tampa at one point had a healthy 35-17 lead and seemed to ease up in the 4th quarter, but with the Stallions’ final score at just over 1 minute left, and Tampa capturing the onside kick, the game was over with John Reaves running out the clock in the victory formation. The victory gives Tampa the tiebreaker at present over Birmingham and reminds many fans of the eventual rise to the top for the Bandits last year, as Birmingham faded down the stretch. Will 1984 be a repeat in the division? So far signs are good that it just may. NEWS & NOTES: Let’s have a very early look at the playoff picture. Unlike last year, when there were only 4 playoff spots for 12 teams, this year’s expanded 8 team playoff means that fully ½ of the league will make the postseason, with 4 spots in each conference. In the Eastern Conference Tampa leads the Southern Division and surprising Washington the Atlantic. Birmingham would have a clear advantage for a wildcard slot as they are clear of the 4-win cluster of Philadelphia, Memphis, and Boston. With the Atlantic division so close, it is far too early to tell just who will come out on top, but they must also worry that both Birmingham and Memphis could outpace them for the 2 wildcard spots. In the Western Conference, Michigan is running away with the Central Division at 9-0, 4 games up on Houston. In the Pacific Division, LA is currently the only team with a winning record at 5-4, but Denver has won 3 of 4 and may get hot and make a run. For the two wildcard slots, Houston is in the driver’s seat, even if a division title is beyond their grasp, and then it just gets muddled, with Chicago, Pittsburgh and Denver all sitting at 3 wins. Plenty of games yet to play, so we shall see if any team can catch fire and put themselves above the fray. INJURIES: Good fortune does not always come without a cost, and we are seeing that the injury bug is starting to hit some of the league’s leading teams. Michigan will be without a starting CB as Clarence Chapman is now on IR with a ruptured Achilles. Tampa also loses a defensive starter in NT Fred Nordgren, a serious knee ligament tear that will end his season. In New Jersey, LB Jim LeClair will miss at least 8 weeks with a broken wrist, while starting RT Marvin Elam is out for a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. The Generals are also hoping that QB Brian Sipe won’t miss a second game due to his injury. He is listed as questionable for week 10. On the upside, Arizona believes that Rick Neuheisel will be able to play this week while the season’s starter, Greg Landry may only be a week away from returning to the lineup. LOOKING AHEAD: Week 10 features some vital inter-divisional play, with Birmingham traveling to New Jersey, Memphis facing fellow expansion squad Jacksonville, Chicago off to Boston, and a intra-state rivalry game as Philadelphia travels to Pittsburgh. But, I think we are all focused on perhaps the best matchup of the year as 7-1 defending champion Tampa Bay visit the Silver Dome to face the undefeated Michigan Panthers (9-0). It’s a battle royale between the two best teams in the league, and perhaps a preview of the 1984 USFL Championship, which will be held at Tampa Stadium this July. It is definitely a game not to be missed.

Sporting News, April 25, 1984 We have reached the midpoint of the USFL’s second season. Time to look at the surpises, the strengths and the struggles for the league and its 16 franchises. With an influx of NFL talent and bright young stars, the USFL has thrown the gauntlet down and is making a claim that they are here to compete directly with their senior rivals in the NFL. The USFL brand of football seems more wide open, more star-driven, and yet attendance is uneven, and some teams don’t seem to be fully engaged in building the USFL brand. Let’s look at the league as a whole first, and then look at each team’s strengths and weaknesses. USFL Strengths: Solid gameplay: This season has seen its share of blowouts, but overall the quality of games, the parity of competition, and the excitement factor has been there. There is a lot of talent in this league, especially at the offensive skill positions, and that leads to some fun-to-watch football. Television ratings: Despite competition from the NBA and NHL playoffs, March Madness and the start of MLB baseball, the USFL has done well on both ABC and ESPN as negotiations for a new contract are in full effect. Successful expansion: Adding 4 teams after only one year was a risk, but with all 4 squads playing solid football and competing, it seems that the impact has been largely positive. Crowds in all 4 cities have been good, with Jacksonville surprising many as the league leader in attendance with an average just over 55,000 after 5 home games. Name recognition: When you have players like Hershel Walker, Jim Kelly, Steve Young, and Reggie White, it is not hard to get people’s attention. The young stars, plucked out from under the NFL’s nose due to the USFL’s early draft and aggressive posturing, have paid off for the upstart league. USFL Weaknesses Inequity and Imbalance at the franchise level: While on field play has shown great parity, the disparities between high cost/high expenditure teams like New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Birmingham and low budget teams like Oakland, Denver, and Chicago (formerly Arizona) is beginning to put a strain on the league, whose revenue sharing model depends on all teams spending, bringing in gate receipts, and building the league brand. Division on the issue of calendar: The push by NJ owner Donald Trump (among others) to consider a fall schedule not only divides league owners, but creates a lot of insecurity. That insecurity will undoubtedly lead to issues as the league tries to negotiate both their TV contracts and future sponsorship deals. Few corporations are eager to anger the NFL by reaching out to the USFL Fewer still want to see the USFL and NFL go head to head in the Fall. Attendance: While TV ratings have been excellent, and there are certainly strong attendance markets in the USFL, it is not a universal trend. Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and New Jersey are the only teams to average over 40,000 a game, while 6 teams are averaging below the league’s designated goal of 25,000 a game. The league average is a reasonably healthy 35,000 per game, but with two of the league’s largest markets (Chicago and LA) lagging behind, it is not certain that good attendance in smaller markets like Jacksonville, Memphis or Denver will be enough to impress sponsors. Uneven rosters: Each USFL has 3 players who do not count against the leaguewide salary cap. That has allowed for star players to emerge, but has also meant that play in lower-profile positions such as the Offensive and defensive lines, or the defensive secondary, has been spotty. Perhaps this is part of the strategy, with weaker defenses allowing USFL star QB’s and RB’s to put on a show, but football purists are left to ponder if the USFL will ever be able to prioritize (and pay) quality defensive and line play as much as they seem to prioritize big-play offense. Now let’s take a look at the different USFL squads as they prepare for the second half of a season where a lot is left to be determined. PACIFIC DIVISION LA EXPRESS (5-3): One of the reinvented squads for 1984, the Express are the class of the West right now. Strengths: Despite not having a big name rusher, the combo of Boddie, Harrington, and rookie, Kevin Mack have helped LA balance their attack. They are third in the league in rushing, aided in part by Steve Young’s tendency to scramble, but also by the 3-headed combo they use to move the ball. Weaknesses: Attendance. Despite exciting play from Young, wideout Jo Jo Townsell, and their backs, LA has still had difficulty attracting a crowd. Their 21,091 average is second only to Chicago, and they don’t have early spring snow and cold to blame for it. Playing in Angel Stadium makes the smaller crowds look more reasonable compared to the LA Coliseum, but if they cannot bring their average at least up to the 25,000 league revenue sharing platform, they will start to face penalties from the league office. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (2-5): In second only because their bye week helps their win %, the Wranglers need to find an identity. Strengths: Statistically the Wranglers are in the middle of the pack in most categories. Their passing game started hot but has faded, but the one thing we see from Arizona each week is a lack of panic. That is likely due to the veteran leaders who came over from Chicago when the franchises swapped. What they need are some more gamebreaking talents. Trumaine Johnson remains the only big weapon, as Tim Spencer has simply not provided what other young runners have across the league. Weaknesses: Killer Instinct. This is a team that could easily have 3-4 wins if they could just finish games strong. They have let several games slip from their grasp. They are not spectacular at anything but they are also not horrible in any phase of the game. They should at least be toying with .500 instead of a 2 win season at present. DENVER GOLD (2-6): The 1983 Division Champs have fallen on hard times after losing their unheralded but consistent leader to the NFL in the offseason. Strengths: Hard to point out a strength in a 2-win team. Denver is middle of the pack in almost every category. The one shining star has been CB David Martin, whose 5 INT’s lead the league, but he is out on an island on a defense that has simply not pulled its weight. On offense, the combo of Bob Gagliano and Craig Penrose have simply not been able to do what Ken Johnson did last year, steer a low-talent, grind-it-out offense to success. Weaknesses: The Gold are dead last in points allowed and yards allowed. The steady defensive mindset they had under Red Miller last year is just not there this year under Craig Morton. At times the defensive scheme just seems mismatched against the offenses they face, while at other times it just seems like they don’t have the talent to stop the better offenses in the league. Denver’s ownership may need to open the purse strings a bit in the offseason to sign some defensive stalwarts. OAKLAND INVADERS (2-6): Losing both their offensive and defensive leaders has left the Invaders flailing. Strengths: There is little to celebrate about the 1984 Invaders. If there has been one name that has stood out it has been that of rookie wideout Henry Ellard. Despite the offensive woes of the Invaders, Ellard has caught 45 balls for 486 yards. He has more big play potential than last year’s leader Gordon Banks, and has shown an ability to lose defenders through solid route running. Weaknesses: A team that is 15th in points scored and in points allowed is not going to win many games. Without RB Arthur Whittington or LB Gary Plummer, neither side of the ball seems to know what they want to be. Fred Besana can win games as a complementary QB, but not when the entire game is on his shoulders. The same is true of the defense, where the fire and drive needed to win those tough 3rd and short battles has just not been there. CENTRAL DIVISION MICHIGAN PANTHERS (8-0): The Panthers came on strong at the end of 1983, and, with Bobby Hebert at the helm, have been simply unstoppable in 1984. Strengths: Offensive firepower. In 1983 we all praised the Michigan defense. While the defense is still top 5, this year has belonged to Hebert, Carter, Holloway, Williams and the Michigan offense. They lead the league in scoring, yards, and passing yards. They can beat you in the air or on the ground. This is a team with a chance to go 16-0 if they can avoid injuries. Weaknesses: We saw what the weakness was last June, when Bobby Hebert went down to injury as the season concluded and the Michigan offense sputtered, allowing the Denver Gold to beat Michigan in the playoffs. Injuries seem to be the most likely cause to any decline in Michigan play, and to date they have done well to avoid significant harm. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (4-3): The Run & Shoot seems to have found its stride in recent weeks, pushing Houston to 3 straight wins. Can the defense play a part in helping Houston to the playoffs in their first year? Strengths: It may seem obvious that it would be the passing game, but it certainly is. The run & shoot offense relies on quick, small receivers able to lose defenders and the combo known as the 3 Mouseketeers has proven able to do that. Between them, Ricky Sanders, Clarence Verdin, and Gerald McNeil have 104 catches and 1267 yards receiving already. It is very likely that all three could end up with over 80 catches as Jim Kelly has proven himself a true gunslinger in this offense. Weaknesses: Run defense. The Houston defense, perhaps due to their practice against their own offense, has proven to be quite solid against the pass, but mediocre at best against the run. In a league featuring some dynamic runners, and offenses which think to run first, having run defense be a weakness is likely to be a problem down the line. While the Western Conference does not have Walker, Cribbs, James or Rozier, the potential damage that Michigan’s John Williams, Denver’s Harry Sidney, or the LA combo of Boddie-Harrington-Mack could do in the playoffs is a concern. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (3-4): The Maulers were not expected to do much their first year, but when you can run the ball, you can often win the close games. Strengths: Rozier. He was expected to be the star, and he has been. While Pittsburgh has tried not to overload him with carries, he was the offense for the first 7 weeks as QB Glen Carano struggled. Now that the Maulers have given the ball to rookie QB Todd Blackledge, there might be a passing game to speak of, which will open things up for Rozier, who has managed to be a top 5 rusher despite 8 and 9 man fronts lined up against him. Weaknesses: The receiving corps for the Maulers is a no-name assortment of castoffs and never-weres. This has not made life easy for Carano, and will likely be tough for Blackledge as well, who had better options at Penn State than in Pittsburgh. Until the Maulers can sign some talent at the wideout spot, they will likely have to trust in Rozier and hope for the best. CHICAGO BLITZ (2-5): No one is surprised by this. The team Chicago got in the swap with the Wranglers was far inferior to even the 5-11 squad they had last year. This, paired, with only 1 home game (and 1 bye) in the league’s first 8 weeks is not bound to create a good start. Strengths: Well, I guess we could say that the second half schedule will be a strength. Due to some poor scheduling, Chicago has only played host once in the first 8 weeks, meaning that they will have 7 home games out of 9 left to play. That may help on the field, and it may help with attendance as the weather gets better in Chicago, but only if the team can scrap together some wins. Weaknesses: This is a team struggling to build an offense around weak talent. Vince Evans had some moments before injury cost him the season. Now, with rookie Blair Kiel at the helm, the Blitz lack both experience and explosiveness. Kiel is a game manager, but you have to have some spark to manage and Chicago just does not have enough on offense to help out their stalwart, but overwhelmed defense. SOUTHERN DIVISION Birmingham Stallions (6-1): Defense and a running game can win championships. Will it do so for Birmingham? Strengths: The signing of Joe Cribbs was both a box office and playing field success. The former Buffalo Bill and Auburn star is challenging Walker for the rushing title, and bringing along the Birmingham offense for the ride. Cribbs has been exciting to watch, often breaking off long runs and stunning moves, but more importantly he has created a buzz around Birmingham, with both Roll Tide and War Eagle fans getting on board. Weaknesses: Cliff Stoudt has been solid, but when push comes to shove, can he carry the team if and when someone figures out how to bottle up Joe Cribbs? He has a solid, if not gamebreaking, set of receivers, and the defense is solid, but can Stoudt put the team on his shoulders in a tough playoff game and get the win? We are not yet sold that he can. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (6-1): The defending champs seem poised to make another deep run in the playoffs. They have shortened their passing game a bit but it is still very dangerous. Strengths: Balance. Last year it was Reaves hurling deep balls all day that led the way for the Bandits. This year they have given RB Gary Anderson a bigger role and he has run with it. While not racking up huge totals week in and week out like Cribbs or Walker, Anderson has shown that he can dominate a game, and that allows Reaves and Co. to play for higher percentage passes and a more time-killing offense. Weaknesses: Top 5 in both scoring and scoring defense means that there are not a lot of weaknesses on either side of the ball. There is concern about the turnover margin, currently at 0. That is not bad, but coach Spurrier wants Tampa to be more aggressive on defense and more protective of the ball on offense. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (4-3): Reggie White is becoming a star in Memphis, and the arrival of Marcus DuPree may be just enough for the Showboats to make a serious playoff run in their first year. Strengths: If Houston’s contribution to the USFL is the Run & Shoot, Memphis’s contribution is the QB sack. Rookie Reggie White leads a dynamic front 4 that is just terrifying OL coaches across the league. White has 9 sacks already, but don’t underestimate others on the line to contribute. The pressure has also allowed Memphis to create turnovers, including 10 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles, and 2 defensive scores so far. Weaknesses: We did not expect the Memphis offense to provide much excitement, and they haven’t. That may all change if Marcus DuPree is all that we saw at his one year at Oklahoma, but overall this is an offense designed to win close games dominated by Memphis’s D. How will this fare against the dynamic styles of Tampa or Houston, or the explosiveness of New Jersey, Michigan or Birmingham? JACKSONVILLE BULLS (3-5): Started strong, but then seemed to lose track. Can they get the magic back? Strengths: Doug Williams has been like a man among boys at times this season, but is it enough? Jacksonville’s offense has been largely one-dimensional, relying on Williams to hit Perry Kemp deep or Gary Clark over the middle. The early season injury to RB Sydney Thornton has not helped, but this may also be a scheme issue with Lindy Infante’s offense. Williams looks great, but can he right the ship without help? Weaknesses: Balance is the issue, on offense and on defense. Jacksonville cannot run effectively, and they cannot stop the run consistently. Of the two, the latter seems particularly problematic when one looks at some of the backs they face in their division and conference. The Bulls wanted to sign some big names in their first seasons, so they focused on the offensive side of the ball. That is hurting them as they have trouble keeping a lead or closing out games against the run. ATLANTIC DIVISION WASHINGTON FEDERALS (4-4): While a .500 record may not seem like much to celebrate, it is already 1 more win than last year and so far it has been good enough for the resurgent Feds to lead the division. Strengths: A balanced offense. One of the surprises of the year has been the early success of new QB Reggie Collier. After a year languishing on the bench in Birmingham, Collier has stepped into the Federals lineup and proven himself a true double threat. He is Top 5 in passer rating, and that has helped open up lanes for the combo of Craig James and Curtis Bledsoe. This balance has proven tough to gameplan against, and has helped Washington silence a lot of critics. Weaknesses: Overcoming perception has been the biggest issue. Washington was so bad last year that many fans in the DC area are slow to return to the team this year. Attendance has not been great, averaging just over 25k despite the team’s improved play. Other teams also seem to be unable to take the Feds seriously, which may play to their favor, but likely will fade as the season progresses, if they continue to win against top level competition. PHILADELPHIA STARS (3-4): This is a very talented team, and last year they also got off to a slow start, but roared into the playoffs on a hot streak. Can they repeat that formula in 1984? Strengths: This is a team with a lot of depth, and very few areas where they are not at least solid, if not top of the league. That they have a losing record is a bit surprising, though we saw them do this last year, getting hot in the second half of the season. They do not have the explosive talent at wideout that we see in Michigan or Tampa, but they also don’t rely on big plays to win games. They have the ability to grind out wins, to not hurt themselves, and to match up well against most foes. Weaknesses: Slow and steady may win the race, but will it win the division? The Stars are not a “catch fire” kind of team. They get solid play from Fusina, Bryant, and their defense, but in a league where big plays and big personalities seem to dominate, can the Stars’ formula really lead them to the promised land? NEW JERSEY GENERALS (3-5): Is there enough here to really compete, or is it Hershell and the 52 dwarves? Strengths: I don’t want to say Walker, but it has to be Walker. The Brian Sipe signing has not led to a dramatically improved passing game. The Barbaro signing has not created a shut down defense. The ’84 Generals look and feel a lot like the ’83 Generals, despite having new talent, a new coach, and a new owner. It’s all about Hershel Walker. And he is amazing, but… Weaknesses: There are several issues, but this is the team that is leading the league in scoring, so we cannot blame the offense. When we look at the defense what we see is that the Generals are dead last against the run, allowing over 1050 yards rushing to the opposition already. We saw this vs. Birmingham, where Walker had a very solid day, but the Generals could not stop Joe Cribbs and the Stallions won out. If they find a way to strengthen this one aspect of their game, they could make a run (sorry for the pun) at a playoff spot. BOSTON BREAKERS (3-5): A lot of pundits picked Boston as their breakout squad for this year, but so far they have been breaking bad. Strengths: Unheralded stars, if such a thing can exist, are the core of the Breakers. Whether it is newly arrived TE Dan Ross, underappreciated RB Buford Jordan, largely unknown wideouts like Frank Lockett and Nolan Franz, or the best kicker in the league in Tim Mazzetti, the Breakers have a good base of talent, but for some reason they just don’t get spoken about as much as they should. Weaknesses: Last year we loved the story of underdog QB Johnnie Walton, who had all but given up on pro football after a rough career in the NFL and failed WFL. This year, Walton is just not pulling off the miracle wins or the spectacular plays like he did last year. Has age and a battered body finally failed him? Dick Coury seems to be giving him every chance, even with rookie Tony Eason on the bench, so can Walton find his old magic and help Boston right the ship?

Tampa, Birmingham, and Michigan continue to impress, while once again the West (with the exception of LA) once again looks like the league's weakest division. 3 of 4 expansion clubs win as do 6 of 8 home teams in a wild midseason week. SCORES TBY 32 BOS 22 A 17-point 4th quarter by Tampa leaves Boston reeling. PHI 17 WSH 27 Washington takes over 1st place with an upset win over the Stars. CHI 16 HOU 23 Ricky Sanders catches 7 for 123 as Gamblers win at home. OAK 3 MGN 31 Panthers rout the lowly Invaders to remain undefeated. ARZ 14 PIT 22 Todd Blackledge gets the “W” in his first start in the USFL. JAX 24 DEN 17 A late 4th quarter TD drive gives Jacksonville a road win. MEM 17 LA 24 Tony Boddie scores twice to lead the Express. BYES: None GAME OF THE WEEK: New Jersey Generals 30 Birmingham Stallions 37 In a game that saw 35 points put on the board in the first quarter alone, it was defense that ended up winning the day as the Stallions held the Generals scoreless in the 4th quarter to take a hard-earned 7 point win in front of over 48,000 at Legion Field. The crowd came to watch Auburn’s Joe Cribbs duel with Georgia’s Hershel Walker, and they were not disappointed. Walker would rush for 117 yards and score twice while Cribbs would outpace him, rushing for 168 yards on 27 carries and adding 2 scores of his own. After one quarter it was Birmingham 21-14 on the strength of 2 Joe Cribbs runs and a 1 yard dive by FB Ken Talton. At the half it was the Stallions by 10, 30-20, but New Jersey fought back in the third to even the score on Walker’s 2nd TD on the day. Birmingham would own the 4th quarter however, picking off Brian Sipe twice and putting together a 7 minute drive that led to an Earl Gant TD run from the 9 to put them on top by the final score of 37-30. It was a hugely entertaining game, and one that both Auburn and UGa fans would be sure to love as their stars were scintillating once again. NEWS & NOTES: A couple of breakout performances as teams retooled their depth charts at the midpoint of the season. Marcus DuPree, in his second game and first as the starter in Memphis, reminded us of his best days at OU, with 102 all purpose yards against the LA Express. Todd Blackledge, who brought out over 35,000 to watch him in Pittsburgh, did not disappoint, leading the Maulers to a win and avoiding the INT bug which had hit prior starter Glen Carano. And although he is not a new starter, special kudos to Washington’s Reggie Collier, who carved up the usually dependable Philly D for 327 yards and 3 scores to help the Fed’s take over the lead in the Atlantic Division at 4-4. INJURIES: No teams were dealt major blows this week, just a range of dings and bruises which will keep some players off the field next week, but not for the long haul. Expected to miss a game or two are NJ QB Brian Sipe (concussion), Tampa wideout Eric Truvillion (neck strain), Feds LB J.D. Fuller (stress fracture in right foot), and Stars C Bart Oates (broken finger). LOOKING AHEAD: Week 9 offers another full slate of games, highlighted by a huge clash between Tampa Bay and Birmingham for the lead in the Southern Division. Michigan faces its toughest test in weeks, heading out to LA to face Steve Young and the reinvented Express. Philly will visit New Jersey in a a key rivalry game, while out west Denver faces Arizona in a “relevancy bowl” as both try to see if they can catch up to the Express. And on Monday night the surprising Washington Federals will clash with that tough Memphis defense in the Liberty Bowl. A good week with some exciting matchups.