In a game that was all the USFL could have hoped for and more, the Tampa Bay Bandits outdueled the Denver Gold in front of a crowd of over 61,000 in Mile High Stadium to take the league’s first championship title. In what was an unexpectedly close game, the heavily favored Bandits had to fight back from a 12 point deficit in the 4th quarter to win a title most believed they were destined to take. The Denver Gold, the 9-7 Champion of the beleaguered and disrespected Pacific Division entered the game as 12 point underdogs to the 14-2 Bandits, but Denver, as the host city for the title tilt, had enormous fan support to buoy them through the game. Denver started strong from the opening whistle, scoring three times in the first half as Tampa seemed uncharacteristically gunshy. A Ken Johnson toss to league receptions leader Vic James and a 1 yard Harry Sydney plunge gave Denver a 17-7 halftime lead. Tampa only managed one decent drive in the first half, a 60 yard, 10 play drive that led to a Gary Anderson 16 yard run for the Bandits’ lone score of the half. Tampa would get the ball first in the second half, an in only 4 plays they pulled within 3. League MVP John Reaves escaped a Francis Murphy sack attempt and found Eric Truvillion for a 35 yard scoring toss just 1:20 into the second half. Denver, unphased, used their next drive to expand the lead back up to 6 with a short Speelman field goal. It was then that Tampa struck with its usual gunslinger mentality. With the ball on their own 18 yard line, John Reaves handed the ball off to Gary Anderson on 1st and 10, only to have Anderson reach the line, and toss the ball back to Reaves on a flea flicker. Reaves found wideout Willie Gillespie streaking down the sideline and hit him perfectly in stride for what would be an 82 yard TD strike to take their first lead of the day at 21-20. Denver again showed their moxy, taking the ensuing kickoff to the 30 and then driving to the outer limits of kicker Brian Speelman’s range. Speelman hit what had to be an altitude-aided 53 yard field goal to once again put Denver on top, 23-21 after 3 quarters. And this is where things started to get fast and furious. After a touchback on the kickoff, Reaves had his first pass bounce out of the hands of TE Kenneth Arroyo and right into the awaiting arms of Denver free safety Delmar Rush. Rush brought the ball back to the Tampa 11 before getting shoved out of bounds. 3 plays later, and after an untimely defensive holding call, Denver was on the one yard line, and big bruiser Harry Sydney plunged over to expand the Gold’s lead to 30-21. After a short Tampa drive, Denver would get the ball back and Speelman would add yet another field goal, this time a 45 yarder, much to the delight of the frenzied Denver crowd. But it was not to last. Tampa’s offense had been a big game, big play offense all year, and in the second half of the 4th quarter, that explosiveness did in Denver’s hopes of a league title. It was RB Gary Anderson who seemed to find another level in the games final minutes, scoring twice on passes from Reaves. Anderson caught his first, a 20 yarder, with 7:01 left in the game, to pull the score back to 33-28. After Denver missed on a 3rd and 7 throw, Tampa got the ball back, and in less than a minute Gary Anderson caught his second scoring throw, this time from 18 yards out. The missed 2-pt conversion left the game at Tampa 34-Denver 33. Denver would get the ball back with 3:30 left in the game, and when they failed to convert on a 3rd and 6 pass attempt from their own 31, they had no choice but to go for it on 4th down. Tampa was ready and when LB Paul Plurowski batted down a pass intended for Denver wideout Vic James, Tampa took over deep in Denver territory. They would kick a field goal with only seconds left to reach the final 37-33 score. It was a game that kept the 60,000 plus fans on the edge of their seats, and those who watched the game on ABC (which received NFL playoff level ratings for the game) also saw a championship game that was much closer, more exciting, and more entertaining than most of the recent NFL Super Bowls. Gary Anderson won the MVP trophy for his combination of rushing and receiving. In addition to 93 yards and a score on the ground, Anderson caught 4 tosses for over 110 yards, and the two late scores. John Reaves proved he was a major star in the making for the young league, and the Denver fans got strong performances from QB Ken Johnson and wideout James. It was a game that promised much, and delivered. Tampa may be the champion, but the USFL as a whole came out as a big winner this Sunday in Denver.

USA Today, July 6, 1983 Today the USFL announced four expansion franchises for the 1984 season. With their first Championship Game scheduled for this upcoming Sunday in Denver, the USFL is not resting on its laurels. The first year spring football league has exceeded expectations and even before their regular season was at its half-way point, was inviting bids for potential expansion franchises for the following year. The initial wave of applications was rumored to have represented over 20 bids, and last month the USFL announced 10 finalist bids. From a podium at New York's Downtown Athletic Club, the USFL announced that from their 10 finalists the USFL has opted to accept four new franchises into the league for the 1984 season. The four franchises to join the league when play starts in March of 1984 are: Houston Gamblers: The Gamblers will play in the Astrodome and are owned by a finance group featuring Alvin Lubetkin, Bernard Lerner and Dr. Jerry Argovitz. One of the minority owners, famous singer Kenny Rogers, is the inspiration for the “Gamblers” moniker. From the start of the expansion process, it was clear that the USFL was looking to add a Texas franchise and Houston was able to beat out San Antonio as the home to the state’s first USFL franchise. The Gamblers will wear predominantly black uniforms with red and silver secondary colors. Their logo includes the state of Texas inside a stylized red “G”. Jacksonville Bulls: The Bulls were something of a surprise pick as Miami was also a finalist and Tampa Bay already represents Florida in the league, however, a strong ownership group, led by real estate developer Fred Bullard, and a solid stadium contract with the Gator Bowl helped Jacksonville land a USFL franchise. The Bulls hope to draw the same type of excitement and local attention as their cross-state rivals, the Bandits, who will play in the first USFL championship this Sunday. Jacksonville will wear burgundy, orange and grey uniforms and have a charging bull as their logo. Memphis Showboats: Memphis was one of the highlight locations in the failed World Football League, but fans in the region demonstrated that pro football would sell in the mid-South, so the city becomes the third of four USFL expansion locations. The Showboats, named for the riverboats which ply the waters of the Mississippi river, along with the flashy, “more fun” football the USFL thrives on, will play their home games at the Liberty Bowl. They are owned by Forbes 500 owner William Dunavant and famous Alabama booster and food manufacturer Logan Young. The Showboats have already announced their head coach, former UCLA and Ga Tech head man, the always dynamic Pepper Rodgers. The Showboats will wear red and silver as their colors, hoping to avoid clashes with local NCAA schools such as Alabama (Crimson), Tennessee (Orange), and Memphis State (Blue). Their logo is the familiar paddlewheel shield seen on steamboats. Pittsburgh Maulers: Pittsburgh was considered a darkhorse candidate when the 10 finalist bids were announced, but the NFL experience of owner Edward DeBartolo Sr, former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, certainly helped bring the bid home. DeBartolo is known to Pittsburghers, having bought the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1977 and also owns the MISL soccer club in Pittsburgh, the Spirit. The Maulers, toting a hammer-wielding steelworker as a logo, will play in Three Rivers Stadium, and will be the first major sports franchise not to wear black and gold as their uniform colors. The Maulers have chosen a somewhat unique combination of purple, orange and steel grey for their design. Each of these teams will be stocked with players through various routes. It is assumed that they will be able to bid on the NFL 1983 Draft picks which have been signed to USFL contracts, including QB’s Todd Blackledge, Jim Kelly and Tony Eason. There will also be an expansion draft in which these new franchises will be able to select from a pool of unprotected players from the USFL’s initial 12 teams. In December there will also be a Collegiate Draft in two parts, with each USFL having 6 protected Territorial Schools from which to choose up to 10 players, and then an open draft of remaining college talent. Of course, there is also the option of trading for players, as the early draft positions of these expansion teams are likely to be attractive trade bait for many teams. We anticipate further expansion news as coaching staffs are filled out, rosters begin to form, and tickets go for sale in each market. As for the structure of the USFL, the league announced that it will be splitting the current Central Division (the strongest in 1983) into two divisions, a more-northern focused Central Division with Chicago, Michigan, Pittsburgh and Houston, and a Southern Division in which Jacksonville and Memphis will join 1983 squads Tampa Bay and Birmingham.

Denver edges Michigan and Tampa comes back against Philadelphia as the USFL Championship is set. Denver Thrills Home Crowd with 20-17 Victory in USFL Playoffs Fans of the USFL in Denver have been supporting the new league all season, and this week, in the league’s first playoff week, the Denver Gold paid them back with an exciting 3 point win. Over 51,000 eager football fans packed Mile High Stadium to watch the 9-7 Pacific Division Denver Gold take on the 12-4 Wild Card Michigan Panthers. With the news that Michigan Panther QB Bobby Hebert would be playing, despite a recent jaw fracture that kept him out of the final week of the regular season, Las Vegas made the Panthers an 8 point favorite over the homestanding Gold. Apparently no one told Denver. The Gold opened the game with a long, methodical drive that killed off 8 minutes of the opening period and ended when Harry Sydney plowed through the Panther LB’s and into the endzone to give Denver a 7-0 lead. The drive showed the balance and patience which Denver would display for the entire game, as the Gold mixed 7 runs with 6 passes to work their way down the field. Michigan would answer with a drive of their own, this one taking little over 3 mintues. Bobby Hebert missed on a couple of passes, but found Anthony Carter on a beautiful crossing pattern that gained 32 and brought the Panthers to the gate, on the 3 yard line. It took two plays to score after that, with John Williams running the ball in from the 1 to equalize the score. The turning point of the game came soon after. Denver went 3 and out on their next possession, failing to convert a 3rd and 7 from their own 26. Michigan took over on their 40, but when Denver’s Francis Murphy, clipped Bobby Hebert just as he threw, the ball fluttered in the air and was picked off by David Martin, who ran it all the way in for a score, giving Denver a 14-7 lead and significant momentum. The second quarter was a back and forth of short, unsuccessful drives by both teams. The only score in the quarter was a 43 yard field goal by Denver’s Brian Speelman to build the lead to 17-7 at the half. Michigan would come back strong in the 3rd quarter as Hebert consistently found Carter and Derek Holloway on medium and short routes. It was clear that Denver’s strategy was to avoid the big play that had defined much of Michigan’s offense for the year. Michigan followed a 46 yard Kevin Shea field goal with a second long drive, moving the ball 73 yards down the field before Derek Holloway slipped past his coverage on a 3nd and goal from the 3 yard line and Hebert found him along the backline of the endzone for the tying score. After allowing the Panthers to claw their way back into the game in the 3rd quarter, the Gold defense stiffened in the 4th. The first Panther drive was stopped short when Murphy sacked Bobby Hebert on a 3rd and 6 at their own 47. On another drive, a deep ball for Carter was just inches too long and Michigan again failed on 3rd down. But, the biggest play, the one which led to the winning score, was a costly fumble by the Panthers. Having moved the ball from their own 22 to the Denver 44, a basic dive right play on 1st and 10 for the Panthers went horribly wrong when Bobby Hebert and Ken Lacy could not complete the handoff, leading to the ball hitting the turf, only to be recovered by everpresent defensive ace Putt Choate for Denver. The Gold took advantage of the timely takeaway, and while their offensive engine was not fully revving the entire second half, they rode the legs of Harry Sydney and Larry Canada close enough for Speelman to hit on a 49 yard field goal to take the 20-17 lead. Michigan would have two more shots at equalizing the score, but Denver’s defense shut down both drives before the Panthers could reach comfortable field goal range. On the game’s final play Michigan kicker Novo Bojovic attempted a 57 yarder. The ball fell well short and the fans in Denver celebrated a hard-fought win, knowing that they would again have a chance to root for the Gold a week later in the Denver-hosted USFL Championship game. Tampa Bay Bandits Outpace Philadelphia to Reach the USFL Championship In a game that saw a little of everything, the Tampa Bay Bandits, led by Head Coach Steve Spurrier and USFL MVP QB John Reaves outpaced the Philadelphia Stars to advance to the USFL Championship. Both teams demonstrated the talent that won them their divisions, but in the end the 14-2 Bandits and their high-flying Bandit Ball Offense were just too much for the more cautious Stars. All season long, QB John Reaves has sacrificed pass efficiency for long ball excitement, and that formula paid off again for the Bandits. Reaves hit Eric Truvillion for 3 scores, including a 54 yarder in the 4th quarter to take the lead in the game. A late Gary Anderson TD run salted away the victory and sent Tampa off to Denver to face the Gold in the first USFL Championship. Philly was certainly game, as the combination of RB Kevlin Bryant’s 18 carries for 71 yards and QB Chuck Fusina’s 65% completion rate helped Philly build a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter. The Stars doubled up, scoring on the last drive of the first half, a Kevlin Bryant plunge from the 2, and then on the first drive of the 2nd half, with Fusina hitting Willie Collier for the score. But, after that, it was all Tampa as the Bandits scored 17 unanswered points and held Philly without a trip into the Tampa Red Zone for the rest of the game. Reaves finished the day with 318 yards in the air, with 148 going to Truvillion. RB Gary Anderson also had a strong day with 81 yards rushing and another 22 on 2 catches, including a key 3rd and 13 grab on the drive that would lead to the third Truvillion touchdown and the lead. The Bandits have looked like the best team in the league all season, and this game was no different. They head off to the USFL Championship game next week, where they are likely to face not only the Pacific Champion Denver Gold, but also as many as 60,000 crazed Denver fans in Mile High Stadium.

Sporting News, June 30, 1983 With the first season of the USFL's unique spring schedule coming to a close, and the playoffs about to begin, it seems a good time to look back at an unlikely success story and assess where the league stands. By all accounts the overall story of the fledgling USFL’s first season is one of success. The league had excellent TV ratings on ABC and ESPN, average attendance (despite some problematic markets) was well over the 20,000 they had hoped for, and the quality of play on the field was outstanding, despite the fact that the biggest names in the league were college standouts rather than NFL veterans. As the league wrapped up its regular season this past week, and now prepares for the playoffs, there are some lessons to be learned, and some kudos to go around. The first lesson seems to be that 4 playoff teams for a 12 team league may not be enough. While Denver was able to eke into the playoffs at 9-7, both Boston and Birmingham, which had better records than the Denver Gold, were locked out due to the lack of wildcard slots for the playoffs. As the league looks to expand in 1984, we hope they will also look at expanding their playoff field as well. Having 6 of the 12 teams in the league qualify would have been appropriate this year, though we must admit that the drama of teams clinching and falling away over the league's final few weeks did add an air of excitement in several markets. Attendance is another area where the league has mixed results and is already taking steps to improve their standing. While the league average was above expectations, bolstered by very strong attendance in New Jersey, Denver, Birmingham and Tampa, the league struggled to draw fans to some of their weaker teams, particularly in LA and Chicago, two large markets. Both LA and Chicago, along with Arizona and Washington, had weak teams with few stars, so it is not entirely unexpected, and the league’s unique revenue sharing plan means that none of these cities is in dire financial crisis, but expanding the local fan base will have to be a mission for the USFL moving forward. The USFL has already started moving to address attendance concerns, announcing recently that Boston would be relocating (within the city) to the larger Harvard Stadium from tiny Nickerson Field, while LA would be leaving the often-empty LA Coliseum for cozier confines at Angel Stadium in Anaheim for their second season. As the league looks to the future, marketing, and building some star power, on these and other franchises will be key. The league has already signed several players from the NFL's 1983 draft class, so some strategic placement of big name players in markets that have struggled with attendance may be appropriate. Finally, there is the question of financial stability overall. Clearly the expansion coming next year will bring funds in the form of expansion fees, and the league can start to renegotiate their sponsorship and television contracts after a successful first year, but the biggest item on the agenda will be shoring up those franchises which saw significant losses, as well as ensuring that the league’s innovative salary cap structure remains active despite the desire of some owners to compete with the NFL for top talent. The league implemented a hard salary cap for 1984, one which applies to 50 of the 53 players on USFL rosters, allowing each team to have a Hershel Walker, Jim Kelly or Kelvin Bryant without risking a solid 53 man roster. While all of this lies ahead for the league, what is immediately on their plate are the playoffs. The 14-2 Tampa Bay Bandits will host the 12-4 Philadelphia Stars in one semifinal, while the 9-7 Denver Gold play host to the 12-4 Michigan Panthers. Denver, if they can win, would then get the chance to play the championship game in their home stadium, with Mile High having been announced as the site of the USFL’s title game several weeks ago. Denver, with a modest team budget and modest success on the field, has been the star of the league with attendance solidly over 40,000 per game, and their hosting a playoff game is sure to help bolster the league as well. Were they to beat the Panthers and play at home for the USFL championship, we might anticipate a near sell-out at Mile High, which would certainly look good on TV for those tuning in for the championship as their first exposure to the spring league. That said, Tampa-Philly is the headline game of the two, with both teams filled with top notch talent. Philadelphia has outstanding rookie rusher Kelvin Bryant and the steady combo of Chuck Fusina and Scott Fitzkee in the passing game. Their defense is led by one of the league’s big revelations, MLB Sam Mills. Tampa, on the other hand, is all about “Bandit Ball”, a wide open offensive style designed to keep defenses off their game. Led by likely league MVP QB John Reaves, the Bandits boast a lot of offensive talent, from RB Gary Anderson to the wideout combo of Eric Truvillion and Willie Gillespie. So it will be a rabbit vs. tortoise matchup on Sunday in Tampa. Can Tampa put the game away early or will Philadelphia grind them down over the course of 60 minutes. At Mile High stadium we have an interesting situation in that neither team is seen as very explosive, despite the amazing pass catching duo of Anthony Carter and Derek Holloway for the Panthers. With Panthers star QB Bobby Hebert hobbled and quite possibly unable to play, the Panthers will rely on defense. For Denver, slow and steady has been their motto all year, so this game may very well be a slow, methodical battle of attrition, dominated by defense and a field-position game. It’s playoff time for the USFL, and with a bright future ahead, the league, and one of these four teams, hopes to be looking good as summer heats up.

Playoff teams tune up for next week and also-rans end up the season looking to the future as the initial regular season of the USFL comes to an end. Next up, the playoffs. PHI 28 WSH 12—Philadelphia left no doubt that they were the Atlantic Division champs as they dismantled the undermanned Federals to close out the season. A Kelvin Bryant TD run and a Steve Folsom scoring catch in the first quarter were more than enough to have beaten the Feds. Bryant would finish the day with 88 yards rushing and anther 27 through the air. For Fusina it was a highly efficient day, as he was 23 of 26 for 272 yards and 2 scores. The Stars used the week to fine tune on both sides of the ball as they prepare to face the Tampa Bay Bandits in the playoffs next week. NJ 18 BOS 15—In a game that had no meaning for either team, the Generals edged past a clearly dispirited Breakers squad, coming off a brutal loss to Philly and elimination from the playoffs last week. Boston’s usually potent offense just had no energy as Johnnie Walton only completed 45% of his passes and Richard Crump carried the ball 12 times for only 16 yards. The Boston D continued to fight, limiting Hershel Walker to only 88 yards rushing and knocking Generals QB Bobby Scott out of the game in the 3rd quarter. But, New Jersey had enoughand with Boston only scoring off the foot of Tim Mazzetti, the Generals took the win and finish the year at 7-9, while Boston limps home at 10-6. TBY 35 BIR 32—It was in doubt all week whether Steve Spurrier would use this final division game to prep for the playoffs or to rest his starters. Spurrier opted to view this week as a tune up game, and his Bandits played a spirited game against a Birmingham Stallion team with nothing to lose. What emerged was an offensive show, with both John Reaves and Bobby Lane throwing for 4 scores each. Tampa had 3 receivers go over 100 yards each, as the patented Bandit Ball longball strategy proved very effective. Tampa finishes the year at an impressive 14-2, while Birmingham concludes at a respectable 10-6. MGN 17 CHI 6—Defense was the name of the game as Michigan played without their all-league QB Bobby Hebert. Without Hebert, the Panther offense limped through most of the game, depending heavily on the rushing of Williams and Lacy, and using play action to offset the run. But, by holding Chicago to only two field goals, in a game where Greg Landry was relieved early by backup Tim Koegel, the Panthers notched a 12th win for the year. Chicago finished well below expectations at 5-11. OAK 25 LA 27—In a game between two teams going nowhere this year, LA edged Oakland to finish the year at 4-12. Oakland, with the loss, fell to 5-11 for the year. The standout player for the game was Invader QB Fred Besana, who has played well all year, but not well enough to deliver more victories. Besana thew for 275 yards and 3 scores in a losing effort, something we are getting accustomed to saying. As the season ends for these two clubs, questions abound for both. Prime for Oakland is how they will put more weapons around Besana, while for LA, the big question is one of local support, as they once again failed to draw 10,000 fans to their game. ARZ 6 DEN 27—Denver wins a game they did not need, while Arizona continues the streakiest season this reporter can remember. The Wranglers began the year 0-6, then won 5 straight, only to end the year with an 0-5 streak. They have some talent, particularly in gunslinging QB Alan Risher, but their defense is atrocious. Denver, on the other hand, is the very definition of a blue collar team. They have no star power, but week in and week out they plod along, mustering enough to win 9 of their 16 games and win the division. Will this style be enough next week when they face the Panthers? Well, if Bobby Hebert cannot go for Michigan, it may just be.

It’s the week when playoff dreams are made, or crushed. In a game of playoff musical chairs, Michigan, Boston, and Philadelphia fight for 2 slots. Who’s in? Who’s out? Who can turn away from this type of drama? CHI 30 OAK 42—In a game with no drama behind it these two teams showed that they still play for pride. QB Fred Besana of Oakland had one of his best games of the year, throwing for 348 yards and a stunning 6 touchdowns to 6 different receivers. Greg Landry responded with 3 scoring throws of his own, but Chicago’s inability to establish Tim Spencer’s run game, a problem all year long, doomed the Blitz to another loss as both teams finish the week 5-11. WSH 34 NJ 24—Once a playoff favorite, the New Jersey Generals are clearly not taking their current status well. They largely failed to show up today against a 2-win Washington Federals team. Despite 139 yards and 2 TD’s from possible league MVP Hershel Walker, the Generals just did not show a lot of energy, allowing Washington’s Joe Gilliam to complete 65% of his passes and to hit both Joey Walters and Matt Holmes for scores. Paired with a 107 yard kickoff return and a Kevil Teel pick 6, the Federals’ offense was just strong enough to keep New Jersey down and give the beleaguered Feds their 3rd win of the year. TBY 23 DEN 15—In a game where both teams had already clinched their divisions and neither wanted to give too much away in case they met in the playoffs, Tampa let the Gold take a 13-0 lead before John Reaves hit Willie Gillespie for two scores as the Bandits came back to win by 8. If there is one concern for Tampa coming out of the game it is that Denver, without significant blitzing, was able to get John Reaves for 6 sacks. That may be an issue as the playoffs approach. The win is Tampa’s 13th on the year, while Denver at 8-7 is still hoping to win one more to end the year above .500. ARZ 34 BIR 55—The Birmingham Stallions, eliminated last week from playoff contention, took out their frustration on a staggering Arizona Wrangler squad. Quarterback Bob Lane carved up the Wrangler D like an Easter ham, throwing for 6 scores and a 78% completion rate. Arizona tried to keep pace, but despite good games from Alan Risher, wideout Jackie Flowers and HB Steve Howell, the Wranglers just could not replicate the scoring of Birmingham. The game saw the two teams combine for over 900 yards of offense, but Arizona’s 4 turnovers doomed them in a week where the Stallions just needed to vent a season’s worth of disappointment. LA 17 MGN 19—Best of times, worst of times. That is the feeling after this game for the Michigan Panthers. Yes, they won a tough fight against the LA Express and clinched the USFL’s lone Wild Card berth, but in the process they may have lost their leader, QB Bobby Hebert. Hebert went out of the game in the first quarter after a blow to the head. Originally thought to be a concussion, X-rays revealed a fracture to the young QB’s jaw. It is not known how long the injury will keep Hebert out, but we can expect he will not make an appearance in a meaningless Week 16 game. The question is if he will be back and effective when the Panthers face Denver in the playoffs. In this game, once Hebert was out, it was a struggle for the Panthers to move the ball, and they relied on the foot of Novo Bojovic for all the remaining scoring, 4 field goals, to hold off the 3-win Express. BOS 31 PHI 34—For casual football fans who tuned in on Sunday, this may be the game that entices them to follow the USFL. In a back and forth battle that saw the lead change repeatedly, which had both offensive and defensive big plays, and which meant everything to these two teams, the Stars took an early lead, relinquished it to Boston, and then dominated the 4th quarter to come back and win. And if you love TE play, this was a game for the ages as both Boston’s Mariano Alarcon and Philly’s Steve Folsom both scored twice and were regular contributors. Folsom ended the day with 9 receptions for 120 yards to lead the Stars. Both quarterbacks played well, with both throwing for more than 70% completion rates as both defenses loaded the box to slow down the potent run games of Richard Crump and Kelvin Bryant. In the end it was Philadelphia, gaining support from a record Stars crowd of 51,100 to drive them to victory with two scores in the 4th quarter. The win gives Philly the Atlantic Division crown, and the loss, paired with a Panthers win earlier in the day, shuts Boston out of the playoffs. Playoff Scenarios: With the tiebreakers all going to the current leaders, the 4 playoff spots are all locked in with 1 week left in the regular season. Tampa Bay will host Philadelphia and Denver will host Michigan in two weeks. So, expect some starters to rest next week as these 4 teams prepare for the playoffs and keep their stars healthy.

Week 14 saw two teams earn a ticket to the playoffs and two others position themselves for an all-or-nothing deathmatch next week. There are only 2 spots left, and 3 teams that want to get one. Someone is going to be outside looking in. PHI 34 CHI 28—The Chicago Blitz gave the Atlantic-leading Philly Stars all they could handle in a game that went into overtime tied at 28. Chicago’s CB Virgil Livers made a play for Defensive Player of the week with 2 Pick 6 interceptions of Stars QB Chuck Fusina. Fusina, undaunted, continued to throw the ball, completing 32 passes for 342 yards and 4 TD’s. In overtime it was a broken tackle by Stars RB Booker Russell that turned a 3 yard swing pass into the winning score, a 64 yard shocker that left the 21,200 fans in attendance in shock. BIR 6 BOS 20—In a must-win game for both teams, each at 9-4, it was Boston that proved the more capable team, holding the Stallions to 163 yards passing and only 203 in total offense. Cornelius Quarles had his worst outing of the day, rushing for only 24 yards on 18 carries, as Boston loaded the box and dared Bob Lane to beat them. The 14 point win keeps Boston on pace for the Atlantic title, while Birmingham is now in real risk of missing the playoffs. NJ 17 TBY 35—Tampa just kept rolling as John Reaves closed in on an MVP trophy with 282 yards and 3 more TD’s on the season. And while Hershel Walker had yet another 100-yard game (108 total), it was not enough as New Jersey fell to 6-8 for the year. Tampa’s win has clinched the Central Division title and the #1 seed in the playoffs. LA 19 DEN 39—The Denver Gold also punched their playoff ticket with a convincing win over the Express. The Gold held LA to only 252 total yards, while the three-headed RB committee of Harry Sydney, Scott Stamper and FB Larry Canada compiled 133 on the ground to put away the Express. MGN 18 WSH 16—In a game which Vegas had as a 10 point Michigan win, the Panthers struggled against a feisty Washington Federals squad. Using their 3rd QB of the year, longtime Steelers backup Joe Gilliam, the Federals hung tough in the game. Craig James battered the Panthers D-line for 95 yards and Gilliam hit Mike Holmes with a TD, but it was not enough. Despite having a sub-par day, Bobby Hebert was able to rally the troops and hit both Anthony Carter and Derek Holloway with scoring throws to eke out a narrow 2 point win and go a game up on Birmingham in the Central. ARZ 24 OAK 38—The Invaders notched their 4th win of the year, sending streaky Arizona down to their 3rd straight defeat. Despite the return of Alan Risher at QB, the Wranglers could not keep pace with an Invader offense that was clicking on all cylinders, Alfred Whittington racked up 118 yards and 2 scores, while streaky Invader QB Fred Besana completed 68% of his passes with 3 scoring throws and no picks. Both teams are out of playoff contention, but pride still matters in football and these teams continue to fight. PLAYOFF PICTURE Tampa Bay Bandits (12-2): Central Division Champions and #1 playoff seed Denver Gold (8-6): Pacific Division Champions, locked into #3 seed Boston Breakers (10-4): Currently tied with Phila. at the top of the Atlantic Division. Would win tiebreaker if season ended today. Boston plays Philly next week, with the winner almost assured the division title. Philadelphia Stars (10-4): Currently tied with Boston for Atlantic lead. Play Boston next week with winner almost assured of division title. Michigan Panthers (10-4): 2 games behind Tampa in Central, but would lose tiebreaker. Holds Tiebreaker against Birmingham (2-0 vs. the Stallions) and Boston (Defested in week 1). Have not played Philadelphia, but would beat them on better inter-division record. Our Look at the Remaining Two Spots: If Michigan can win two games where they are favored (vs. LA and Chicago), they would win the lone league Wild Card. That would mean only 1 team from the Atlantic would get into the playoffs and next week’s game between Boston and Philadelphia in Veteran’s Stadium holds the key.

USA Today, June 7, 1983 In the world of established major sports leagues you don’t tend to hear much about league or franchise maneuvers until the season has finished, but it appears that the USFL is not playing by those rules. Last night at their NYC offices, the USFL Commissioner, along with several of the upstart league’s owners, held a brief news conference to announce some significant preparations for the 1984 season. The first announcement was in regards to new stadium contracts. The USFL has had strong attendance in many cities, but has suffered in several markets to fill their stadiums. While for the most part the USFL franchises will retain their current homes, Commissioner Chet Simmons revealed that several teams have arranged 1984 contracts at new locations for the Boston Breakers and Los Angeles Express. In Boston, the Breakers , who are in the midst of a playoff hunt, have been a popular ticket, but are hindered by the tiny confines of Nickerson Field (Home to Boston U. football) which maxes out around 22,000 attendees. After working with several parties, including the NFL’s New England Patriots, Boston College, and Harvard University, it was announced that the Breakers will play their 1984 games at Harvard Stadium, which seats just over 30,000 seats. While it was not disclosed why this stadium was chosen over BC’s larger Alumni Stadium or Foxboro Stadium, it seems clear that the USFL, while trying to expand Boston’s seating capacity, was not able to arrange for either of the larger local stadiums. In LA, the problem has been much the opposite. The LA Express, struggling to win games, have been having an equally challenging season trying to fill seats in the enormous LA Coliseum. With no big names on the roster, and now competing for the worst record in the league, the Express have regularly seen attendance below 20,000. That is similar to Boston, but when you have over 90,000 seats to fill, rather than 22,000 it makes for poor optics. Commissioner Simmons announced that the Express will be leaving the Coliseum for the more intimate surroundings of the suburb of Anaheim, where they will be playing at Angel Stadium, also home to the California Angels of MLB and the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. Details were not released on how the stadium will play host to both the Express and the Angels for much of the USFL season, though one must anticipate that the Express will now be playing on a mixed field of grass and dirt as the Angels’ infield will remain intact for Express games. In addition to these two franchises finding new homes within their cities, the USFL announced that it has reviewed more than 20 bids for 1984 franchises and has produced a finalist list of 10 bids from which they will eventually choose their 1984 expansion franchises. It was not disclosed how many of the bids will be expected but the league has stated in the past that they will add an even number of franchises, and rumors have that number at either 4 or 6 franchises. The finalist list includes these 10 cities, most of which are current NFL hosts as well: Atlanta (GA), Houston and San Antonio (TX), Indianapolis (IN), Jacksonville and Miami (FL), Memphis (TN), New Orleans (LA), Pittsburgh (PA) and San Diego (CA). While Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Memphis, and San Antonio would be non-NFL cities, the remaining cities on the list are locations for NFL franchises. While it could not be confirmed by Commissioner Simmons, it appears that there are no current NFL owners among the bidders, as this would be a violation of NFL policies towards ownership of multiple sports franchises. With the current USFL made up of 12 franchises arranged in 3 divisions of 4 teams each, it is expected that any expansion would lead to a division of the league into 2 conferences, with 2 divisions each, although, an expansion by 6 teams could be accomplished within the 3 division format, assuming that each division were to expand by 2 teams. In speaking with several USFL representatives after the press conference, it was determined that the USFL plans to hold an expansion draft with players from the existing 12 teams allocated to any new franchises. This would be held prior to the USFL Collegiate Draft in December. An announcement of the final, approved, expansion franchises is expected in June, with allocation of recently signed 1983 NFL Draft picks such as quarterbacks Jim Kelly, Todd Blackledge, and Tony Eason expected in July. These players signed USFL contracts following the NFL draft and will be able to select from three different USFL team bids for their services, bids which are sure to include several of the expansion teams who will need to stock rosters quickly to compete with the 12 returning 1983 franchises. The final announcement of the day came when Chet Simmons invited Denver Gold owner Ron Blanding up to the podium. Blanding announced that Denver had been selected as the site for the first USFL Championship Game. The city, which has been at or near the top of USFL attendance despite having one of the most frugal rosters in the league, is viewed as a key market for the new league. The Gold are also the favorite to win the Pacific Division and could find themselves playing at home if they are able to win in the league’s semifinal playoff round. While the USFL still has a long way to go to become a stable part of the American sports scene, the announcements today paint a pretty positive picture about the future of the league, one in which franchises are supported in their host cities, and even when attendance is poor, alternatives are available without relocating or folding franchises, something the failed World Football League was unable to do.