SCORES BIR 41 MEM 0 Joe Cribbs destroys the Memphis D for 263 yards and 3 TDs in blowout. DEN 24 BLT 31 Evans finds Flowers 3 times for scores as Baltimore edges Denver. ARZ 20 NJ 26 Walker TD run in overtime gives Generals a quality win at home. OAK 34 PHI 27 Rising Invaders nip the Stars on the strength of Sipe’s 3TD game. LA 14 WSH 41 LA falls flat as Collier and James lead Federals to a big win at RFK. BYES: Houston, Michigan, New Orleans, Pittsburgh GAME OF THE WEEK Tampa Bay Bandits 41 Jacksonville Bulls 34 It was a game that neither team deserved to lose. Two dynamic offenses going head-to-head for 60 minutes, producing a rollercoaster of emotion for the fans at the Gator Bowl, but with the Bandits pulling out the win and drawing within 1 game of the Bulls. The game began with two straight Bandit scores, as Reaves found Truvillion on a play action fly pattern for 42, and HB Greg Boone capped off a 7-play drive on Tampa’s 2nd possession to go up 13-0 (missed PAT). But that was just the beginning as a Williams to Kemp 35 yarder brought the Bulls within 7. Williams would find Kemp again in the 2nd quarter, and George Adams would dive over the pile to score, giving Jacksonville a slim 21-16 lead at the half. In the second half, Tampa got back on top when Reaves hit Gillespie for a score. A two-point conversion gave Tampa a 24-21 lead. The Bulls would equalize on a Vince Abbot 28 yarder, only to watch Reaves again find Truvillion screaming down the sideline, connecting on a 78-yard catch and run for the lead. The Bandits added a field goal to go up 34-24 before Jacksonville responded. To begin the 4th, the Bulls kicked another field goal to narrow the gap to 34-27. Reaves then hit the decisive score, again scorching the Bulls secondary as he found TE Mike Tice open on a seam route to go up 41-27. Williams would find Gary Clark for a score with just under 2 minutes left, but when the onside kick attempt failed, Tampa Bay was able to kill the clock and walk out of the Gator Bowl with a 7-point win and a potential tie breaker down the line. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Joe Cribbs fell off the Top 5 Rushers list after a lackluster Week 7 performance. Apparently, he was not happy with that as he just went off on a Memphis Showboats defense that simply was not prepared to contain him. Cribbs averaged an astounding 13.8 yards, scored on runs of 63 yards, 41 yards and 18 yards, and racked up a whopping 262 yards on only 18 carries. Clearly Memphis had trouble as even backup rushers Rodney Carter (7 for 50 yards) and Earl Gant (22 yards on 3 carries) contributed to the route, but what Cribbs did was simply eye-popping. In a stadium where just about half of the fans were clearly Stallions supporters who made the short trip to the Liberty Bowl to watch their team take on the winless Showboats, the cheers for Cribbs were constant and loud. The former Auburn product had his best day as a pro, a pro career that has been spectacular since signing with the Stallions, and both local and visiting fans gave him a standing ovation when coach Rollie Dotsch pulled him out of the game for Carter in the 4th quarter. And a well-deserved ovation it was. NEWS & NOTES Call it post-game frustration, or perhaps a slip in decorum, but in locker room interviews after the game, Bulls QB Doug Williams went off, criticizing his team’s defense, the coaching staff and the front office. Williams has clearly been frustrated with Bulls ownership trying to lowball him on a new contract, and with the inability of the Bulls to win the big game in his tenure with the squad. It was an expression of frustration and pent-up feelings of disrespect. In a league where the African American quarterback has gotten more chances than we have seen in the NFL, and where Williams leads a group that includes star players such as Vince Evans, Reggie Collier and Walter Lewis, the tension between Williams and Bulls owner Fred Bullard is palpable, and very likely could lead to Williams either returning to the NFL or seeking a trade within the USFL at the end of the season. With 4 expansion teams recently approved by the league, this may be an opportunity for Williams to find a new home, but certainly the Bulls will do what they can to acquire some value for Williams and very likely the league will be putting pressure on Fred Bullard to ensure that Williams remains a USFL star, and not a triumphant returnee to the NFL. INJURIES The slow grind of a USFL season is beginning to manifest in teams expanding their injury report with a lot of players listed as probable or questionable. Fortunately, there were no major multiple-game injuries this week, though a flurry of concussions will impact teams this week. Of the injuries noted, the Generals will likely miss Johnnie “Lam” Jones for at least a week. Denver may be without rookie wideout Bill Brooks for 1-2 weeks, and, Tampa’s Gary Anderson, with a nagging quad injury, may miss next week’s game. Craig James could also miss action with a hamstring injury, though team trainers still listed him as probable. With the Atlantic having their bye in Week 9, both Jones and Craig James should have time to recover and return to their teams for week 10. LOOKING AHEAD Week 9 has the Central returning to action as Pittsburgh will try to get their first win of the year in Houston and Michigan will face the Breakers in New Orleans. The Atlantic has the week off, so the remaining games have the 4 Southern squads heading out west to play the Pacific Division. Birmingham faces Denver’s tough D at Mile High, while Jacksonville has to deal with the Invaders in Oakland, and Tampa Bay heads to Arizona to face the Wranglers. Memphis, another winless team, coming off a 41-0 shellacking at home, will travel to LA, where the Express have lost three in a row themselves.

Sporting News, April 30, 1986 Football fans in Chicago, Miami, San Antonio and San Diego may be spending their last long spring waiting for their sports obsession to return. Today in New York City the USFL announced that these four cities would begin play in the spring league in March of 1987. The expansion committee three weeks ago provided the league ownership with eight proposals in seven cities, and this week the owners met to debate and discuss the merits of all eight. It was known going in that one of the two Chicago bids would be accepted, a result of a negotiation with television partners ABC and ESPN to replace the relocated Baltimore Blitz. The other six bids represented six markets the USFL coveted. In competition with bids in Portland, Seattle and Atlanta, it appears that Miami, San Antonio and San Diego came out on top. This appears to be an acknowledgement that southern cities have proven to be fertile markets for the league, and having more fair weather sites, particularly for early season games in March and April, is certainly a plus. Many were expecting one of the northwestern cities to earn a bid as a means of opening up a new region to the league, but owners seemed to favor the fair weather, and deep pockets bids from cities in California, Texas and Florida. And so the process will now begin in all four cities to build a front office, design a team identity, hire coaches and scout prospects. The league is expected to hold an expansion draft in October, in which teams can select players from the existing 16 franchises, and their usual territorial and open collegiate drafts in December. Camps will open in January and in mid-March these four cities will experience USFL football, Chicago for the 2nd time, the others for the first. So, just who are the winning ownership groups and what can we expect from each team? Here is what we know now about the four winning proposals: CHICAGO The Windy City had two bidders, both connected to the local sports scene, as Eddie Einhorn, minority owner of the Chicago White Sox of MLB, and Bill Wirtz, owner of the Chicago Blackhawks NHL Club, competed for the rights to the Chicago market. Wirtz won out, in large part due to ongoing concerns that Major League Baseball was balking at the prospect of dual ownership between the White Sox and a USFL franchise, as well as a shared stadium situation with Mr. Einhorn pitching Comiskey Park as the home to his USFL franchise. Mr. Wirtz and his financers had already acquired a commitment from Soldier Field, a more suitable football only stadium, for his proposed franchise. The lack of conflicts with the NHL as well as a more stable stadium and financing plan apparently tipped the decision in favor of the Blackhawks owner. Next up for the new franchise is hiring front office personnel and a name the team contest with the Chicago Sun-Times. Early frontrunners appear to be the Chicago Hogs, Chicago Fire, Chicago Machine, and Chicago Skyhawks, each appealing to a different aspect of the city’s history and identity. MIAMI The ownership group led by Sherwood “Woody” Weisner, a Miami real estate developer, had to walk a tightrope in their presentation, as one of their strongest assets was the track record of the two other Florida USFL teams, with both Tampa Bay and Jacksonville being league leaders in attendance, while also recognizing that there were concerns about further dividing the Florida fan base. Weisner made a strong case about the independence and distance of the Miami fanbase from their two northern neighbors. The group is also well-funded, has some celebrity backing (including Don Johnson of Miami Vice fame and former Dolphins QB Bob Griese), and considerable backing from most league owners outside of Florida. The proposing ownership group, while not having a contract in hand for the Orange Bowl, was confident in their ability to obtain a lease for the current stadium used by the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami Hurricanes. SAN ANTONIO The bid put together by lead financier Clint Manges was predicated on the passion for football in Texas, the rapid growth of the San Antonio market, the lack of competing MLB or NFL franchises, and a lease already in place for Alamo Stadium, with the prospect of a new domed stadium already in the works in the Alamo City. While some owners expressed concern that Mr. Manges’ financial reports were not as revelatory as some other bidders, these did not prevent the owners from choosing San Antonio by a 13-3 vote. Mr. Manges has already expressed an interest in signing a head coach from within the pantheon of Texas legends, which leads many to believe that he will target former Longhorns head man Darrel Royal for the position. As to a team identity, Mr. Manges has said that while the name has not yet been selected, he expects it to be one which reflects the unique history of Texas and San Antonio while also speaking to today’s fun-seeking football fans. SAN DIEGO William Tatham, a Fresno-based real estate developer, brushed aside concerns expressed by Los Angeles Express ownership, that his chosen franchise location, San Diego, would cannibalize the already tentative Express fanbase. Tatham, along with former Charger legend Lance Alworth, present to add some star power to the bid, made the case that San Diego was a distinct market, with its own fanbase, and that LA, with nearly 10 million inhabitants in and around the city, had more than enough population to survive the presence of a rival just down Highway 1. With financing solidly in hand, the only question for the San Diego bid was the availability of Jack Murphy stadium for the spring league. This question was glossed over by the ownership group as they focused more on the financial wherewithal and perfect climate to make San Diego a potential attendance leader and a strong contender for future championship game placement. Now that they have been approved, the Tatham group will need to work with Jack Murphy Stadium to agree upon a suitable lease while also looking to build a staff for the as-yet unnamed franchise. For Portland, Atlanta and Seattle, it is back to the drawing board. The case may not be over for these cities. As we saw this past year with the relocation of both the Chicago Blitz (Baltimore) and the Boston Breakers (New Orleans), there is always the possibility of luring one of the weaker USFL franchises to greener pastures. While no current league owner is expressing a desire to sell, with the possible exception of New Jersey’s Donald Trump, and relocation is a prospect the league is unlikely to consider except in extreme cases, there remains hope that within the next few years either relocation or yet further expansion could be on the horizon. For now, it is time for fans in the four chosen cities to get excited about the prospect for spring football, to get involved in team identity building, and to get ready for the USFL to arrive in March.

SCORES OAK 26 LA 14 Oakland D contains Young and Whittington gains 116 in victory. BLT 34 PIT 20 Evans throws for 4 scores as Baltimore dispatches the Maulers. NJ 27 NOR 33 Big game for Eason and Dupree as Breakers win at home in the dome. PHI 21 HOU 10 Salisbury struggles against Philly D as Stars get the road win. WSH 28 MGN 42 Feds scare Panthers early, but 21 unanswered seals Michigan win. BYES: Birmingham, Jacksonville, Memphis, Tampa Bay GAME OF THE WEEK Arizona Wranglers 10 Denver Gold 16 While the Generals-Breakers game was certainly entertaining, sometimes it is good to highlight a good ol’ defensive slugfest, and when the two teams are fighting atop their division, even better. Arizona headed to Denver with sage vet Greg Landry pressed into service by the injury to Rick Neuheisel. Denver, still trying to maximize the production from their new offense, new they would need to play solid D, and man, did they ever. Both teams came out hitting, and both held their opponent’s offenses down, with Arizona gaining a total of 249 yards and Denver gaining only 256 for the game. The stars today were on the defensive side of the ball. The difference in the game was the ability of Denver to mount some form of rush attack. Harry Sydney was held to only 40 yards on 22 carries, but backup Scott Stamper helped out, providing relief and gaining 47 yards on only 8 carries. Meanwhile, Arizona’s Owen Gill could do nothing against the Denver line, rushing 17 times for a paltry 9 yards. The undisputed stars of the game were the two linebacking corps. Jim Fahnhorst for Arizona racked up 10 tackles, 3 for a loss for the Wranglers. Not to be outdone, Denver’s Putt Choate, this weeks Defensive Player of the Week, recorded 11 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 forced fumbles (two of which were recovered by the Gold). It was a bonecrushing performance by Choate, along with Gerkin and the rookie Gouveia in the LB corps. In a game that saw only 2 touchdowns, the battle for field position was key and Denver’s ability to run, along with a 3-2 turnover margin, gave them just enough to kick 2 more field goals than Arizona and take the win to move to a 1st place tie with Arizona at 5-2. The Wranglers stuck with Landry for the entire game, despite a lackluster performance, but with Neuheisel expected to miss at least 6 weeks, don’t be surprised if BYU rookie Robbie Bosco does not get a shot at the starting job soon. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK While his numbers were not the gaudiest of the week, a battle between the usual suspects Vince Evans and Bobby Hebert, we wanted to acknowledge the growth of QB Tony Eason of the Breakers. Against a stalwart New Jersey defense, Eason had a strong day, going 18 for 32 for 322 yards, 3 scores and no interceptions. This, paired with Marcus Dupree’s third 100-yard game since coming over from Memphis, and the Breakers were able to hold off a resurgent Generals team. Eason looked poised in the pocket, hit on several tight window throws, and guided the Breakers to scores on their first four possessions, building a 24-0 lead that Doug Flutie and the Generals could never fully erase. Eason’s third and final scoring toss, was a beautiful 17 yard out pattern to Charlie Smith that gave the Breakers the win. Eason has been erratic in his first year and a half, but it seems that he is beginning to develop the instincts necessary to be effective in the USFL. That is sure to please the fans in the Big Easy, who have embraced Eason and the Breakers in their first season in New Orleans. NEWS & NOTES The league has announced a press conference tomorrow and all indications are that the owners have made their selections for 1987 expansion. After 3 days of league meetings this week, including a late conference call after Sunday’s games, it is expected that they will announce the new Chicago ownership group as well as 3 more 1987 expansion franchises. How much more we will learn is still in doubt, and in a year when there is expected to be significant NFL raiding of USFL rosters, fans around the league are worried that the combination of inter-league poaching and an expansion draft could radically alter the rosters of their favorite teams. In other news, after yet another poor performance from QB Todd Blackledge, Mauler Coach Joe Pendry announced on Monday that newly acquired Alan Risher would get the start in Week 8, well ahead of the schedule most had for him. No word yet from Arizona as to whether Greg Landry would get the start at New Jersey or if we will see Robbie Bosco. And Memphis has confirmed that Damon Allen would be starting for the Showboats as they take on Birmingham at the Liberty Bowl. INJURIES No major injuries this week, a relief after the league saw two starting QB’s taken out last week for at least a month or more. Denver wideout Bill Brooks suffered an eye injury in the game against the Wranglers but is expected to be back in action next week. Jim Kelly, after missing a 2nd consecutive week, is expected back under center for Houston, and New Orleans LB Marcus Marek is also expected back after his hip injury kept him out against the Generals. LOOKING AHEAD Week 8 is the Central Division’s chance to rest and recover with their byes. The 4 Southern Division teams return from the bye to face each other in key divisional matchups, while the Pacific Teams head east to face the Atlantic. Tampa is in Jacksonville for the big Southern matchup this week, while Birmingham hopes to snag a 3rd win at the winless Showboats. Oakland travels to Philadelphia, hot off their win in LA, and the Express hope to right the ship after 3 straight losses when they face the Federals at RFK. Arizona has a tough matchup in the Meadowlands against an improved Generals squad, and Denver’s defense will face a tough test in Baltimore.

SCORES LA 20 NJ 33 Generals win a statement game as Walker combines for 181 yards. DEN 27 PHI 17 Denver D again proves decisive as they shock Philly in Philly. ARZ 30 WSH 10 A costly win for Arizona as Neuheisel goes down to injury. HOU 30 BRM 24 Stallions lose 3rd straight as Salisbury guides Gamblers to a win. MGN 19 MEM 13 Memphis again proves game but loses Lewis to a major injury. PIT 6 JAX 17 Tough defensive game, but Pittsburgh cannot find the endzone. NOR 21 TBY 26 Bandits edge Breakers with 10-point 4th quarter to win. GAME OF THE WEEK Oakland Invaders 21 Baltimore Blitz 24 The Invaders watch as Baltimore claws their way back from a 21-0 hole to win 24-21 at home. It was all working for the Invaders in the first half. Sipe hit Duper for a TD to start the scoring, then Whittington dove in for a 14-0 lead, and Sipe hit Ellard to put the Invaders up by 21 in what was beginning to look like a route. But these Blitz are a resilient bunch, and when a Whittington fumble led to an Evans to Flowers TD with just over 2 minutes left in the first half, the momentum swung in Baltimore’s favor. In the second half, the Baltimore D adjusted and the Invaders wilted. Baltimore would narrow the gap to 21-14 on a 2-yard Vince Evans bootleg in the 3rd, and when Tim Spencer made a rare play in the pass game, catching a swing route and carrying an Invader safety over the goal line, the game was tied with 2:28 left. The game was headed to overtime, the crowd of almost 49,000 was in full voice, and everyone could tell that this was now fully Baltimore’s game. The Invaders never saw the ball again as Baltimore won the toss, chose to receive, and efficiently moved the ball well inside Luis Zendejas’ range, and knocked in the winning field goal. Evans once again proved invaluable to the Blitz, as his 285 passing yards and 2 scores, were paired with another 5 yards rushing and the 2-yard scoring run. Jackie Flowers also had a banner day, snagging 7 for 157 yards and a score. On defense, it was Eddie Ray Walker, the diminutive CB who proved decisive, keeping the clamps on Mark Duper the entire game, and coming up in support of the run defense. What began as a potential crushing defeat may have ended up as a season defining win for the Blitz. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK There were several outstanding performances this week, all worthy of note. Vince Evans’ game, described above, was a huge part of the Blitz comeback. Hebert continued to shine with 346 yards against the Showboats, Herschel Walker was a force in the Generals win over LA, and Jackie Flowers had a season high game, but we are going to give recognition this week to an often-overlooked player who is consistently helping his team win, Arizona wideout Louis Lipps. In his third season with the Wranglers, Lipps does not often get the recognition he deserves, due in part to the numbers regularly put up by his teammate Trumaine Johnson. Even TE Terry Orr has received higher praise, but the speedster deserves some credit. His ability to break coverages and stretch the field make it possible for Orr, Buggs and Johnson to find openings underneath. This week Lipps had only 4 catches, but 3 of those were for scores, including a beautiful one-handed catch along the sidelines on a key 3rd and 13, and a gorgeous leaping catch for a 44 yard TD against double coverage. He may not outduel Trumaine Johnson for touches or team records, but Lipps is a gamebreaker for the Wranglers. NEWS & NOTES In all the euphoria over the NFL antitrust lawsuit, and the drama being played out around league expansion, it has largely slipped by that the upcoming 1986 offseason is likely to be the biggest yet for NFL raiding of USFL rosters. There was a good amount of “poaching” in both directions last year, but when you look at the names on USFL rosters whose contracts are due to expire, it is enough to send GM’s and owners across the USFL into nervous fits. Just look at the list of names who USFL teams will have to try to resign or risk losing to the NFL and you understand why front offices across the league are frantically trying to get names on contracts as soon as possible. This is a list that could decimate the USFL if they are not able to sign most to new contracts in a year when the NFL is almost certainly going to offer large numbers to USFL stars. ARIZONA: LB Stan White, G Kevin Carter, CB Frank Minnifield BALTIMORE: DE Junior Ah You, WR Jackie Flowers, TE Mark Keel, LB Ben Apuna BIRMINGHAM: WR Jim Smith, C Peter Stewart DENVER: LB Putt Choate, LB Greg Gerkin, DT Laval Short HOUSTON: DE Coy Bacon, WR Ricky Sanders, WR Clarence Verdin JACKSONVILLE: QB Doug Williams, WR Perry Kemp LOS ANGELES: HB Tony Boddie, HB Kevin Mack, WR Anthony Allen MEMPHIS: CB Jeff George, LB Eddie Simmons, WR Willie Gault MICHIGAN: QB Bobby Hebert, LB John Corker, DE Ronnie Paggett, WR Derek Holloway NEW JERSEY: HB Herschel Walker, SS Gary Barbaro, LB Jim LeClaire NEW ORLEANS: LB Marcus Marek, TE Dan Ross, FS Bobby Melendez, HB Richard Crump OAKLAND: TE Raymond Chester, DE Cedrick Hardman, SS Marcus Quinn PHILADELPHIA: LB Sam Mills, QB Chuck Fusina, SS Scott Woerner, TE Steve Folsom PITTSBURGH: HB Mike Rozier, SS Dave Duerson, WR Danny Buggs, TE Mike Shaw TAMPA BAY: WR Eric Truvillion, C Dwayne Goodrich, LB Paul Plurowski WASHINGTON: HB Craig James, DT Bennie Smith Of the top name players, perhaps the toughest situation is in Jacksonville, where Doug Williams has already been making it known that he wants Steve Young type money. The former NFL Buccaneer has been open about his view that the USFL has been a steppingstone for him to re-enter the NFL, and that the Bulls will need to sweeten the pot quite a bit if they do not want him to look for greener pastures in the fall league. But with some of the players who have come to define the USFL in the minds of fans also on the block –Walker, Hebert, Truvillion, Mills, Ah You, James, Rozier, etc—the pressure is on the entire league to make the big offer and retain their marquee players. Can you imagine the Generals without Walker, the Panthers without Hebert, or the Federals without Craig James? But, while the USFL has had an influx of revenue due to the anti-trust finding, the NFL, if they are willing, has the resources to outbid the USFL on all these players. We could see a mass exodus, and with only 4 cap-exempt slots per team it seems certain that some players are simply going to take the money and run. The 1987 USFL is very likely going to look very different if this plays out the way most expect. INJURIES Most weeks we see just a few injuries that will cost a team a key player for the season, but every once in a while, you can look at an injury list and know that it will define a season for a given team. That is the case for two teams this week. Memphis, already suffering through an 0-6 start to the year and desperate for good news got quite the opposite this week. Not only did their veteran receiver Mel Gray have a devastating leg injury which will put him on IR and out for the year, but star QB Walter Lewis is also likely done for the year as well. If the Showboats had any hope of turning the season around, these two losses will likely dampen that hope. A similar dark cloud has fallen over the Arizona Wranglers as their star QB is once again injured, this time likely for at least 2 months with a major groin injury, a likely tear that could reduce his mobility permanently. Rick Neuheisel was in visible agony on the field when the injury occurred, and now the Wrangler’s hopes for a playoff run will rest on the combination of 38-year-old Greg Landry and rookie Robbie Bosco. Others likely to lose multiple weeks are New Orleans LB Marcus Marek (hip), Philadelphia FB Eddie Colson (also hip), and LA guard John Connor (concussion and bone fracture in eye socket). LOOKING AHEAD IF there is any silver lining for the devastated Memphis Rebels, it is that the Southern Division has their bye week this week, giving backup Damon Allen 2 weeks to get up to speed. Of the 6 games being played this week perhaps the most intriguing is Arizona at Denver, with Coach Kush needing to decide if he will go with the sage veteran Landry or the more athletic Bosco at QB for the Wranglers. The Oakland-LA matchup is another good game, as both teams have been showing a lot of offensive firepower. The Atlantic Teams all travel to the Central squads, as Baltimore heads to Pittsburgh in a game they should dominate, New Jersey is in the Big Easy to take on the Breakers, Philly heads to Houston and the Panthers host the Federals.

SCORES PHI 14 BLT 19 Vince Evans and the Blitz hold off the Stars on a rainy gameday. NJ 19 WSH 17 James outgains Walker, but the Generals prevail in the rain. NOR 32 PIT 20 Dupree goes over 100 yards again and Eason looks solid in win. HOU 13 MGN 19 No one expected a defensive battle in this one, but they got one. MEM 7 ARZ 19 Memphis D looks good, but offense fizzles as they drop to 0-5. JAX 17 DEN 30 Gold overwhelm Bulls as Williams tosses 4 interceptions in loss. TBY 32 LA 37 Offensive fireworks from both clubs, but Young gets the win. GAME OF THE WEEK Birmingham Stallions 28 Oakland Invaders 31 The New Look Invaders gave their fans all they could handle with a true miracle comeback in the final minute of the game. It was a game that should not have been so close, but a 4th quarter explosion made this a nail biter. The game was 17-7 Oakland after three quarters, with the Invaders fueled by Arthur Whittington’s strong rushing day (84 yards) and the growing Sipe to Duper combo. When Oakland scored again on a Sipe to Henderson 9 yard toss and built the lead up to 24-7 with just over 14 minutes left, many fans felt the game was in hand. But, over the next 11 minutes, Birmingham roared back, thanks in part to 2 Oakland turnovers, as Cliff Stoudt hit rookie wideout Ernest Givens for 2 scores and shovel-passed a third to Lonnie Parker to take a shocking 28-24 lead with only 2:22 left to play. It was all set up for Brian Sipe, former head of the Cardiac Kids in Cleveland, to mount a dramatic game-winning drive. And that is exactly what Sipe did. Starting on his own 25, Sipe hit Chester for 9, Venable for 8, and Venable again. A 6-yard pass to Duper followed, and on top of that a Roughing the Passer call added 15 yards onto the play. Sipe again hit Venable, this time for 9 yards to bring the ball to the Birmingham 13. After spiking the ball, Sipe called a fade route to the wide side of the field, to the rookie Givens. Birmingham blitzed to pressure Sipe, but that left Givens with 1-on-1 coverage, and Sipe found him with a perfect looping ball to the back corner of the endzone. Givens kept his feet in bounds, and with only 19 seconds left in the game, the Invaders had taken the lead for good. It was a crowd-pleasing performance from a team that imagines itself a playoff contender. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We could give the game ball to Sipe, this week’s AP Offensive Player of the week, but since we highlighted his heroics above, let’s give some praise to another big performer this week, Pittsburgh’s Mike Rozier. Yes, the Maulers lost again, their 5th straight to start the season, and yes, the offense again failed to score more than 20 points, the fifth such result this year, but amid all the chaos, the quarterback controversy, the defeats and the frustration, one thing provides hope in the Steel City, Mike Rozier. His performance this week, 185 yards on only 21 carries, with both Pittsburgh touchdowns, is a testament to his talent and his dedication. He is leading the USFL in rushing despite playing on a team with no passing game to speak of. Often facing 8 or 9-man fronts, Rozier still manages to find holes, avoid tackles and make tough yards. Were he on an LA, Philadelphia, or Tampa squad, where the passing game is a dangerous concern for defenses, he might have a shot at 2,000 yards. On Pittsburgh’s sad sack squad he will continue to struggle for recognition and for yards, and we wanted to appreciate him today after once again showing us his heart and his skill as a player. NEWS & NOTES Let’s keep the topic on Pittsburgh. With both the Maulers and the Showboats languishing at 0-5 it might be easy for both clubs to throw in the towel on another season. Neither has. Memphis has a new coach so some time will be needed to right the ship, and the trade of Dupree for Jordan and Gann, while not popular, is showing signs of effort for the Showboats. Fans in Pittsburgh were wondering if management would do the same to help coach Joe Pendry, or if this would be a lost season. It looks like the DeBartolo’s and the front office heard the plight of Mauler fans and are trying to improve the team in time to help them garner some wins this year. With Todd Blackledge continuing to struggle (2 more interceptions and no TD’s again this week), the Maulers made a move to challenge the former Penn State QB, signing former Arizona Wrangler QB Alan Risher. Risher, who left the USFL for the NFL’s Buccaneers, was let go after 2 unimpressive years sitting on the Tampa bench. The Maulers scooped him up, perhaps as a potential post-bye week starter, or at the very least as a challenger to Blackledge. The Maulers also strove to improve a struggling defense, making a trade with Denver to bring LB Manu Tuiasosopo to town. It cost them a 3rd round pick and backup LB Richard Brown, but Tuiasosopo immediately becomes the most senior, and perhaps the most talented member of the Maulers LB corps on day 1. Is this enough to help Pendry garner some wins? Will he still be looking at possible firing this season? Too soon to tell, but unless Pittsburgh can improve over the next month, the outlook does not look promising. INJURIES Three injuries of note, but fortunately all fall into the 1–3 week variety. Houston QB Jim Kelly continues to have trouble with injuries, which is not surprising considering his often-ineffective offensive line. This time it is a wrist injury, sustained when his hand bounced off a defender’s helmet. He is likely to miss at least 2 weeks. In Arizona, veteran LB Stan White is suffering from a pinched nerve in his right leg, limiting his ability to move laterally, and needing down time to recover. The Stars will be without LB John Bunting for a few weeks as he has a strained left knee. And in New Orleans, league interception leader (tied with 2 others) Bobby Melendez will miss some time with an injury to his right arm and shoulder. All four are expected to be back no later than Week 8 or 9. LOOKING AHEAD Week Six has the Pacific teams headed east to play the Atlantic, and the Central squads headed South. The best matchups of the week are Oakland visiting Baltimore, Denver at Philadelphia, and New Orleans at Tampa Bay. Memphis will try to get its first win, but is hosting 5-0 Michigan, while Pittsburgh is headed off to face 4-1 Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl. In other games, Washington hosts Arizona, LA travels to New Jersey, and Houston visits Birmingham.

Sporting News, April 6,1986 Today in their New York headquarters the USFL has reported on the eight final expansion which were put forward by its expansion committee. These eight finalists will be reviewed by all 16 current franchise representatives, and a vote on the four expansion franchises is expected to take place during the league’s spring meetings in Tampa Bay later this month. As anticipated, with Chicago already pre-approved for one of the 4 expansion clubs, a necessity if the league wishes to retain its current television contracts, there are two competing Chicago bids. The other six bids represent six cities hoping to obtain a USFL franchise for the first time: Atlanta (GA), Miami (FL), Portland (OR), San Antonio (TX), San Diego (CA) and Seattle (WA). While one might expect that cities such as Seattle, Portland, and Atlanta, which represent regions or states without current franchises, should have a leg up in this competition, but inside sources seem to indicate that the expansion committee minimized potential clashes between expansion locations and current franchise locations in their vetting process, favoring instead market demographics, ownership qualifications, stadium suitability, television market, and financial backing. With no inside sense of which factors will win out during discussion among the owners, we have to expect that some owners, such as Tampa Bay’s John Bassett, Houston’s Jerry Argovitz, or LA’s Alan Harmon may try to argue that having a franchise in Miami, San Antonio or San Diego will produce financial hardship for their franchises. How much this will overshadow other interests remains to be seen. While not a lot has been made public about the various bids, basic research on the different locations and ownership groups may help us predict which franchises may be joining the USFL in the spring of 1987. CHICAGO Bidding Group 1: Led by Eddie Einhorn, minority owner of the Chicago White Sox of MLB, the Einhorn bid seems to focus on the ability of the franchise to use the cozier confines of Comiskey Park over the larger, and often with the 3 years of the Chicago Blitz largely empty Soldier Field. There are questions about the financial structure of the proposal, and the liquidity of Mr. Einhorn’s holdings. Additionally, there are concerns that Major League Baseball may balk at the dual ownership aspect of this bid, as well as the potential for poor optics as the White Sox and USFL franchise share the baseball stadium from April through July. Bidding Group 2: This group, which includes a larger pool of investors, is headed by the principal owner of the Chicago Black Hawks NHL franchise, Bill Wirtz. Unlike the Einhorn group, Wirtz’s consortium plans to retain use of Soldier Field. While there remains some concern about dual ownership with this group, the concerns are certainly less formidable than with the White Sox, since the venue will be distinct and there is no conflict of interest regarding use and maintenance of the facility. ATLANTA Ted Turner, another MLB owner, has put in this proposal, and again the same potential concerns arise. Can the Braves and a USFL franchise effectively share Atlanta Fulton County Stadium? Will the USFL franchise be a secondary (or tertiary) franchise in its own stadium? Unlike Chicago, the Atlanta bid has some regional advantages. The South has proven to be an attendance leader in the USFL, and while some may voice concerns that an Atlanta franchise will draw away from the Jacksonville and Birmingham fan bases, there are others who believe that all 3 fan bases would be exclusive and that natural rivalries, split along the lines of already existing SEC fanaticism, will only fuel greater interest in the USFL rivals in the South. MIAMI Sherwood “Woody” Weiser, a Miami-based real estate developer, is the face of this proposal. Again we are looking at another southern team, and there has been concern expressed by Tampa Bay owner John Bassett about cannibalization of the fanbase of the Bandits should Miami be awarded a franchise. The team would seek to play in the Orange Bowl, and with no MLB in the Miami area, the market is clear, however, there have been concerns that the owners of the Miami Dolphins will try to assert pressure on the Orange Bowl with claims that between the Dolphins and U. of Miami Hurricanes, the field is already a concern, and that adding a spring team will not provide the field adequate time to revitalize and strengthen after the fall football season, leading to a gradual breakdown of field quality. Whether that argument will take shape or not is yet to be seen, but in several other aspects of importance to the USFL, Miami looks promising. PORTLAND Considered a definite black horse in this race, Portland, Oregon is looking at some potential negatives, particularly in comparison to its neighbor to the north, Seattle. The Portland Civic Stadium is small by comparison to most other cities under consideration (just over 30,000) and USFL officials may fear another situation akin to what led the Breakers to leave Boston. The market is considerably smaller than several others, including Seattle, and there is some uncertainty about the long term viability of an ownership group led by sneaker producer Phil Knight. While Portland can boast a growing, high income market, and no competition from MLB in the Spring, we have to view the Portland bid as perhaps the weakest at this time. SAN ANTONIO A second team in Texas seems a natural, but there are some concerns about the San Antonio bid. First off, the proposed AlamoDome is several years away from coming to fruition, and if it fails then the franchise would be resigned to a clearly past-its-prime Alamo Stadium for the foreseeable future. The market is a good one and is growing rapidly, the love of football in the region is undeniable, and the closest parallel, Houston, has done well financially despite struggling to put together a winning team. The ownership group, led by local businessman Clint Manges, has been under some scrutiny, and may be one of the proposals with lower capital investment capacity, but can the USFL pass up on creating a natural rival for the Gamblers and getting a stronger foothold in the gridiron-mad state of Texas? SAN DIEGO The bid put together by Fresno-based developer William Tatham has a lot going for it. The funding is there, the potential for another location with good early spring weather, a west coast addition to help balance the expansion across the league’s four divisions, but it also has one big issue: Los Angeles. Not only has the LA Express ownership expressed consistent resistance to the San Diego bid, the struggles of LA to garner considerable attention in Southern California, to attain solid attendance, and to develop a passionate fanbase is well-documented. Tatham will argue that San Diego is not LA, and that the two cities should not be seen as sharing the same fanbase. There will also be the need to obtain a solid lease on Jack Murphy Stadium, home to the NFL’s Chargers. Tatham is in negotiations, but the foundations of a deal are not yet in place, and that may concern USFL owners who are wary of potential NFL-USFL stadium complications. SEATTLE The Seattle bid is an interesting one in that the city boasts several attractive features, but the ownership group creates concern. Seattle is a high income, growth market, with a solid NFL fanbase. It boasts two suitable stadiums, the King Dome (home to the Seahawks) and Husky Stadium (home to the U. of Washington), and while the Mariners are potential competition for both attention and revenue, they have hardly been a major force in the city’s sports culture. The biggest concern is that the proposing ownership group seems to have identified these factors, rather than a local connection, as the reason for selecting Seattle for the proposal. The investment group, headed by Henry John Heinz (yes, of the ketchup Heinz) is based predominantly out of Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, not the Northwest. Other than a couple of 1-2% investors with Seattle ties, there is nothing which links the ownership to the city. Now, that can work, as was seen when the Buffalo Bills were created despite Ralph Wilson’s ties to Detroit, not Buffalo. So the question is whether or not a coveted market with a carpetbagging ownership group is a direction the league wants to go. Our prediction: We readily admit that we simply do not know what the 16 USFL owners will do, but we are going to take a shot in the dark and say that San Antonio, Miami and Seattle will win out as the three expansion franchises. There is still a good shot for San Diego, and the Chicago decision is too close to call.

SCORES WSH 24 BLT 38 Huge crowd for Blitz home opener goes home happy. NJ 17 PHI 40 Philadelphia dominates every phase of game vs. Generals. TBY 28 BIR 23 Bandits claw back to .500 with big win in rivalry game. MEM 21 JAX 27 Bulls eke past winless Showboats to remain undefeated. PIT 14 MGN 38 Williams returns with big game vs. winless Maulers. OAK 31 ARZ 38 Late Neuheisel to Johnson TD pulls Wranglers to 3-1. DEN 26 LA 20 Solid defensive game by Gold knocks off unbeaten Express. GAME OF THE WEEK Houston Gamblers 31 New Orleans Breakers 32 Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes for a player to find their groove. After a year and a half of struggles in Memphis, former OU one year wonder Marcus Dupree, playing before an enthusiastic New Orleans crowd, busted out for his first 100-yard day as a pro. Rather than shuttle DuPree in alongside Dalton Hilliard, as expected, coach Dick Coury gave the new arrival the ball early and often. Dupree responded with 109 yards on 22 carries. That, paired with another solid game from the split-personality QB of the Breakers, Tony Eason, was enough to hold off the Gamblers. Dupree did not find the endzone, but his dynamic runs, particularly off the right side, powered the Breakers offense and kept rookie Dalton Hilliard on the bench, with only 3 carries on the day. Eason would throw 3 touchdowns on the day, including 2 to star wideout Nolan Franz. Kelly would also throw two touchdowns, unfortunately one of them was a pick-six touchdown to the Breakers’ Bobby Melendez. This first quarter mistake loomed large ina back and forth game that saw Houston fall behind 10-0, fight back to tak a 21-20 lead in the 3rd, build it to 28-20 and then 31-26 before the final New Orleans drive of the game put the Breakers back on top to stay. Somehow, with only 1:35 left in the game, Houston opted to play man defense, and Breakers slot receiver Charlie Smith used his one-on-one coverage with a safety to burn the Gambler defense for a 50-yard score. Kelly got the ball back with time to move downfield and kick a winning field goal, but two offensive line penalties pushed the Gamblers out of field goal range with time running out and a Kelly Hail Mary was swatted down to preserve a home opener win in front of close to 50,000 new Breakers fans in the Big Easy. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Normally we would give this award to a player on a winning team, and certainly there were some solid performances on both sides of the ball in this week’s games, but perhaps the best performance of the week was not on the field at all, but in the stands. For the first time since week 10 of the 1984 season, the attendance average for the week was over 40,000. This was due in large part to outstanding crowds in Baltimore (51,404) and New Orleans (48,224) for the home openers for both relocated squads. It is certain to say that at least from an attendance standpoint, relocating the struggling Chicago and Boston franchises looks like it will pay off. But kudos should also go out to the USFL’s marketing team, which has worked with local clubs to expand attendance across the league. Who would have thought just a few months ago that we would be seeing Los Angeles averaging over 30,000 a game after 3 homestands, or that Oakland would be close to 34,000 on average? Michigan opened its season this week with a solid 40,102, and both Southern Division teams with divisional rivalry games were strong, Jacksonville with 42,301 to see the Bulls take on a winless Showboats squad, and Birmingham, where 51,202 Stallions faithful came out to see their team take on the Bandits. Even the often cynical Philadelphia fans showed up big this week, with 39,242 on hand as the Stars beat the Generals handily. So, a game ball to the marketing and ticketing personnel of the USFL and to the league’s market support initiatives, which, after 4 weeks of the 1986 season, seem to be doing all they can to ensure the success of the league and build solid fanbases in its 16 markets. NEWS & NOTES Things are indeed getting tough in Pittsburgh and Memphis, where both the Maulers and Showboats are still looking for their first wins. First year Head Coach of the Showboats, Vince Tobin has not yet been able to get results from the squad, and the trade of fan favorite (though underachieving) HB Marcus Dupree has not been received well by the shrinking ranks of the Showboat faithful. While Tobin’s defensive acumen has apparently improved the Showboat defense, with all 4 opponents held to scores in the 20’s, the offense has not kept pace. And with the Showboats facing 3-1 Arizona and 4-0 Michigan before their Week 7 bye, Tobin could be facing a lot of pressure to make more changes or show some progress soon. Changing team culture is not a quick move, and despite some solid performers on the Showboats (Reggie White, Walter Lewis, Mel Gray) the team needs to find an identity or once again suffer a 10-loss season. In Pittsburgh third year coach Joe Pendry is firmly on the hotseat. In his first two seasons with the Maulers, Pendry has managed only 11 combined wins (6-10 in 1984, 5-11 in 1985) and most expected that the arrival of DC Ernie Stautner and new OC Roman Gabriel would mark a turning point for the team. But, after an 0-4 start, and with tough games against New Orleans, Jacksonville and Baltimore before their bye, the pressure is on for them to get a win soon. Most of the blame seems to be falling on QB Todd Blackledge. Once a hero at Penn State, Blackledge has simply not proven he can lead the team to victory as a pro. His 62.0 QBR is the worst in the league, and a 3:4 TD:INT ratio is also not winning over fans. But, with only former Cowboy castoff Glen Carano and journeyman Dan Manucci as the backups, what options does Pendry have. Talk around the Steel City is that Pendry needs to sign a new QB now, with the expectation that anyone brought in could start after the Maulers’ Week 8 bye. Rumors have been swirling that they are in talks with former Oakland Invader QB Fred Besana and former Federals QB Alan Risher (recently cut by the NFL’s Buccaneers). Others are pointing to a possible trade with the most likely targets being Washington’s Babe Laufenberg and Tampa’s Jimmie Jordan. But a third avenue exists, if Pendry and the DeBartolo’s want to spend a bit more. There are several NFL quarterbacks who are still in contract negotiations this offseason with their clubs and could be ripe for a late “poaching” by the Maulers. Would the usually conservative Maulers take a wild swing and try to land someone like Vikings QB Tommy Kramer, the Cardinals’ Neil Lomax, or the Colts Mike Pagel? A lot is on the line in Pittsburgh, and particularly for Pendry, as another 10-loss season is almost certainly going to lead to a change. INJURIES The bad news keeps coming for the Showboats as QB Walter Lewis is expected to miss at least a week, perhaps two, with an abdominal tear. This means untested 2nd year player Damon Allen will likely get the next start. Arizona will be without SS Vincent Edwards, who suffered a hip injury in this week’s win, as well as CB Frank Minnifield, still dealing with a shoulder issue. The remainder of the injuries we saw this week are to rotational or backup players, which could still impact teams, but should prove manageable for most squads to absorb. LOOKING AHEAD Week 5 features the Atlantic and Central in divisional play while the Southern Division heads out west to face the Pacific. A huge game in the east as Philadelphia (2-2) travels to Baltimore (3-1) for the first time. New Jersey and Washington will try to keep pace with a win in RFK. Facing the 2-2 Breakers at home may be the best chance for a Pittsburgh win before their bye, while Houston has the unenviable task of trying to steal a win in the SilverDome against the Panthers. Out West it will be Memphis @ Arizona, Birmingham @ Oakland, Jacksonville @ Denver, and Tampa Bay in LA. Both the altitude and the Gold’s defense could prove a tough challenge for the undefeated Bulls, while in LA, the matchup between two outstanding offenses should make for a fun game under the sun.