Sporting News, April 30, 1985 While the USFL might be celebrating its recent NFL lawsuite winfall, not all USFL owners are happy with the state of affairs. Donald Trump, owner of the 2-6 New Jersey Generals, is fuming and his frustration has led to some radical changes and perhaps more to come. Within hours of the Generals’ Week 8 loss to Arizona, Trump announced the firing of his head coach, Walt Michaels. Michaels had been considered to be on the hot seat after the Generals began the season poorly, and now, with the Generals’ bye week scheduled for this week, it will be defensive coordinator Joe Mazur who will take over as interim head coach. Trump also announced the firing of the team’s General Manager and Director of Football Operations, both of whom have been with the team since its inception in 1983. Trump has also apparently reached out to several USFL teams about potential trades for star players such as Herschel Walker, Doug Fluite, Jim LeClair, or the injured Gary Barbaro. The sudden implosion of the New York metro franchise seems to stem from a series of setbacks related to league matters, but now the franchise itself is becoming a concern to league owners. Donald Trump was tabbed by David Dixon and others to head up the New York franchise when the league was first forming back in 1982. He had even placed an initial deposit with the league, but pulled it back when there was a chance that he would be able to purchase the Baltimore Colts of the NFL. When the NFL spurned him, he began negotiations with the Generals’ erstwhile owner J. Walter Duncan to purchase the team after the 1983 season. The deal was settled in August of 1983, and Trump took over the franchise. Within a month of his approval by the council of league owners, Trump let first year head coach Chuck Fairbanks go, and signed former Jets Head Coach Michaels to replace him. He then engaged in the most aggressive NFL player poaching of any USFL franchise, signing Jim LeClair at linebacker, All-Pro safety Gary Barbaro of the Kansas City Chiefs, and former NFL MVP QB Brian Sipe from the Cleveland Browns. Trump’s hope was to add NFL quality talent to a 1983 squad which had only former U. of Georgia Heisman Winner Herschel Walker on its roster as fan-attractive talent. On one level the plan worked, as the Generals were one of the top attendance leaders in 1984, despite having a losing record for most of the year. In the 1984 offseason, Trump began working with several other owners, primarily in non-NFL cities, to sway the ownership council to move the league’s season from spring to fall in hopes of at first competing with, and eventually merger with the NFL. Trump made the case that the league would slowly hemmorage money in the spring and would never be considered a major league by playing in what most considered baseball season. He argued that a relocation to the fall, paired with an anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL would lead to the NFL being forced to accept several USFL franchises into the fold, as many as 8 was his contention. Of course, his New Jersey franchise would be a core part of this merger strategy, despite the NFL already having 2 New York franchises already playing in Giants Stadium, where the Generals also play. Trump anticipated being the lead proponent for the Fall and believed he had brought enough owners on board to sway the vote in his favor, but the timing of the league’s regular owner’s meeting ended up causing him to miss the key arguments. Trump was in a different court that day, defending himself against claims of racial bias and descrimination related to several apartment buildings he owns in New York. By the time he was cleared to return to the owner’s meeting the vote was lost and the USFL would remain in spring. Not only that, but he was found responsible for racial discrimination in the NY City court case and suffered a significant financial penalty from that case. The Generals would remain in the Spring along with the rest of the USFL, and Trump would not be able to use the fall strategy to push for NFL ownership for his franchise. In his mind it was a catastrophe, and there was one man to blame, his new Head Coach, whom he had set up as his stand-in during the league owners meetings. Walt Michaels may be a solid football coach, but he was out of his depths in the meeting with league owners, sharing none of Trump’s charisma or persuasive ability, not to mention approaching the matter from a football standpoint instead of as a businessman. Trump, perhaps correctly, viewed the lack of persuasive ability from Michaels as a major factor in several owners shifting their vote towards the position of Tampa Bay owner John Bassett, with the eventual vote being 12-4 for spring. To make matters worse, Michaels was not proving he could handle talent on the team. The Generals, despite the presence of Sipe and others, were mediocre at best. They drew well at the box office, mostly due to the star power of their roster, but they finished third in the Atlantic Division. So, for 1985 Trump blew up the roster again, trading Sipe to the Oakland Invaders in a 3-way deal that would allow the Generals to sign America’s QB, Heisman winner Doug Flutie of Boston College. Flutie did not come cheap, using the potential of an NFL signing to negotiate a lucrative deal with the Generals. But, with Flutie in the fold, once again hopes were high that the Generals would live up to their potential as a flagship for the league. They have not. The Generals are at the midpoint of their season and find themselves with only 2 wins, far behind division-leading Philadelphia, and likely playing out the string for the remainder of 1985. With the firing of Michaels, the team is almost certain to limp through the second half of the season, and with rumors that Trump is now proposing trades for his top stars, the team has moved from underachievers to a full-on train wreck. League owners who were willing to speak off the record for this article have expressed significant concern about the franchise and its owner. The league can hardly afford to have a laughingstock of a team in its largest market, not when both Chicago and Los Angeles have been underachieving financially for the first 2 seasons (despite improvements this year). It also cannot have an owner who sells off his top talent, though I expect there are several teams that would welcome the chance to acquire Herschel Walker. While no one would say so for the record, it appears that there may be a movement afoot to either constrain the options that Mr. Trump would have with the Generals, or to convince him to sell the team. This may be the best option as it is clear that Mr. Trump has no desire to continue to lose money, even minimal amounts of money, on an endeavor which he no longer sees as having a significant upside. He is an investor above all, and without the passion for football that some owners have, or the chance to bring big-time sports to a beloved city or region that lacks it, as others seems to express, the motivation for him to remain with the USFL seems minimal. Will New Jersey find trading partners for some of its top talent? How might that impact the balance of power in the league? What will owners do with a team that seems to be self-destructing? And when that franchise is in the largest media market in the world, how does that impact the league as a whole? It seems that even the potential winfall for the USFL from the recent victory in court against the NFL is not enough to settle the chaos with the New Jersey Generals, and so, the league may need to address a major crisis at a time when they should be in a celebratory mood, not crisis mode.

SCORES BIR 26 MEM 27 Birmingham loses a heartbreaker on last-second Herrera fieldgoal. DEN 20 BOS 14 Boston loses 5th in a row as Eason is pulled for Robinson. ARZ 34 NJ 13 Wranglers corral the Generals as Landry throws for 377 and 3 TD. OAK 16 PHI 24 Philly takes 21-3 lead at half and holds on for 8 point win. LA 16 WSH 19 Resurgent Federals edge LA in overtime for 3rd win in 4 games. BYES: CHI, HOU, MGN, PIT GAME OF THE WEEK Tampa Bay Bandits 24 Jacksonville Bulls 28 In a stunning turn of events. Doug Williams leads the Bulls back from a 24-7 deficit with 3 scores in the 4th quarter to stun the Bandits. For 3 quarters it looked like Tampa would defeat their in-state rival and move a game up in the unusually weak Southern Division, but with their backs to the wall, the Bulls rallied late to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Tampa Bay had built a 17 point lead in 3 quarters, with John Reaves hitting his TE’s for 2 scores and Greg Boone scoring a third. Jacksonville had focused, with some success, on limiting Reaves’s access to his top targets, wideouts Eric Truvillion and Cris Collinsworth as well as HB Gary Anderson, but Tampa Bay was still the better team foremost of the game. That all changed when Bulls CB Terry Kinard jumped in front of a pass intended for Truvillion and set the Bulls up deep in Tampa territory at the end of the 3rd quarter. It would take Jacksonville only 3 plays to score from there, a Thomas Lear TD catch from Williams. Jacksonville would add another on their next drive, a 1 yard George Adams run that capped a 9 play drive. Tampa was feeling the heat, and with their top receivers blanketed by the Bulls defensive scheme, Reaves again forced a ball, this time trying to hit Willie Gillespie. Kevin Harris, the Bulls nickel corner, was right there and took the ball away, giving the Bulls a shot with 3.45 left in the game. Doug Williams led the Bulls down the field, aided by an untimely defensive holding call on 3rd and 4. Killing clock as they marched downfield, the Bulls punched the ball in with only 40 seconds left. Tampa tried, but failed to mount a final drive, needing a TD to win, and the Bulls faithful, all 51,202 in attendance for the rivalry game, went home happy. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK While the Bulls CB’s came up big in our game of the week, we cannot bypass a great performance by the “Old Man Wrangler”, Greg Landry. Landry had gracefully accepted his role as backup to the young gunslinger Rick Neuheisel when the season began, and once again injury hit Neuheisel, putting Landry back behind center. After a couple of lackluster games, one in which Landry too was sidelined by injury, the old man came out guns blazing this week. Landry would rip apart the suspect New Jersey secondary for 377 yards on a 31 for 38 day. His 3 TD passes were more than enough to defeat the spiraling Generals, but what was even more amazing was that in the few times he was pressured by NJ defenders, Landry actually scrambled for good yardage. He ended the game with his highest USFL rushing total ever, 10 carries for 30 yards and 3 first downs. Those are not Joe Cribbs or Herschel Walker numbers, but for the knobby kneed veteran, those were impressive. With Neuheisel possibly making his return to the lineup after a wrist injury next week, this might be Landry’s swansong. If so, it sure was a beaut. NEWS AND NOTES Some big changes announced this week around some of the more desperate teams. As anticipated, Generals owner Donald Trump announced just one day after the team’s latest defeat that Walt Michaels would no longer be coaching the Generals. Trump also announced that the team’s GM and Head of Football Operations would also be let go. Team DC Joe Mazur will lead the team on an interim basis. In Boston, 2nd year QB Tony Eason was pulled from the game with Denver after another rough half of football. After the game coach Dick Coury stated that the Breakers would use the bye week to determine their QB future. While backup Matt Robinson also did not have much success against the Gold, there is a sense that he could be the starter once Boston resumes play in Week 10. And in Birmingham, with the Stallions having collapsed from USFL Championship contender to 1-6 disaster in short order, coach Rollie Dotsch is also making a change. Backup and 1983 starter Bob Lane has split snaps with Cliff Stoudt over the 2 week hiatus of their bye week, and while Stoudt was given the start in Week 8, leading to a 6th loss, we expect to see the cagey Lane under center when the Stallions face off against Denver next week. INJURIES While there were no major losses this week, attrition is certainly hitting some teams harder than others. Looking at the injury report for the week we see that some, like Birmingham (3 listed), Chicago (2 listed) and LA (2 listed) are relatively healthy, while other clubs, like Boston (6 listed), Memphis (7 listed) and New Jersey (9 listed, including “probable” status for both Flutie and Walker) are having to go deep into their bench to suit up 45 each week. Philadelphia, despite their gaudy 7-1 record, must be looking forward to the bye this week as they list 9 players on their injury list, but most in the Doubtful-Questionable-Probable range, meaning that there is a good chance all of these injuries will come off the report by their Week 10 matchup. LOOKING AHEAD As mentioned, Week 9 is the bye week for the four Atlantic Division teams, giving New Jersey and Boston time to reassess and restructure, while Washington and Philly, both red hot, are hoping to maintain momentum over the pause. In Week 9 action, we have the Central playing within their division with an intriguing Pittsburgh-Houston matchup, but an utterly huge game as the 7-0 Panthers travel to the 6-1 Blitz. In other games, Denver will host the flailing Stallions, LA will try to move to 6-3 (their best record ever) as they host the Showboats, Jacksonville will travel to Oakland, and the Tampa Bay Bandits will try to get back to playoff form but have a tough matchup as they travel to Tempe to face the surprisingly 6-2 Wranglers.

SCORES ARZ 31 DEN 13 Landry & Koegel split time as Arizona rolls over punchless Denver. OAK 16 LA 27 Young throws for 2 TD and runs for another in battle of California. NJ 24 CHI 31 Generals are game, but cannot contain dual threat Vince Evans. PHI 23 HOU 10 Besana besieged by Philly D as Bryant again tops 100 yards. WSH 10 MGN 38 Holloway catches 5 for 200 yards and 2 scores in Panther romp. BYES: BIR, JAX, MEM, TBY GAME OF THE WEEK Boston Breakers 10 Pittsburgh Maulers 15 Not the most dynamic game of the week, but a beauty of a defensive battle as both teams play old school field position football in this one. On a blustery day at Three Rivers, neither team could count on their passing game for much. Both QB’s completed below 45% of their passes, and both defenses keyed in on the feature backs, with Boston limiting Rozier and Funderburk to 102 total yards and Pittsburgh holding Crump and Jordan to 103. In a game that was won in the trenches, and on the foot of their kickers, Pittsburgh managed just enough to outduel the Breakers. Boston started the game strong, driving in the 1st quarter for an eventual Crump dive over the pile for a 7-0 lead. Pittsburgh answered in the 2nd quarter with a Rozier TD, and both teams swapped field goals, with each team making use of the right to left wind and kicking long scores when they had the wind to their backs. In the second half it was more war of attrition. Boston was never able to cross the 50, and Pittsburgh was limited to 2 more Vitello field goals. The final score of the day seemed a fitting one, as a longsnap on a Boston punt sailed over the punter’s head and through the endzone for a safety. 15-10 was the final in a game that reminded many of old school 1950’s football. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK If the Boston-Pittsburgh game was old school football, the New Jersey-Chicago game may have given us a glmpse of the future of football, the mobile quarterback. Following in the footsteps of Walter Lewis’s amazing performance earlier this year, veteran Vince Evans destroyed the Generals in the air and with his feet. In addition to completing 69% of his passes for 265 yards and scoring strike to Jackie Flowers, Evans used effective scrambling and a few well-timed QB draws and bootlegs to run for an additional 97 yards and 2 scores, including a 52 yard scamper that wowed the Soldier Field faithful and gave Chicago its first score of the day. Evans was both efficient in the pocket and dangerous outside of it, giving New Jersey fits all day. While the cagey vet does not have the speed of Lewis, or the dynamism of Flutie, he showed this week that he is plenty spry and plenty dangerous with the ball in his hands. NEWS AND NOTES Less than a week after the stunning $675M verdict out of New York, the USFL is flush with optimism about the future. This even seemed to translate to more enthusiasm in the stands, as the league had its best week of attendance all season, even without the 4 southern teams in the mix. Chicago fans came out in droves to watch the Blitz win their 6th of the year, with over 45,000 in attendance. In Michigan attendance topped 40,000 for only the 2nd time this year despite a lackluster matchup against the Federals. Denver drew 41,000 despite poor play by the Gold this year, and even the LA Express topped 35,000 fo the first time in 2 years. Overall, attendance for the week averaged a very healthy 37,920, well above the 30,000 desired. With the Southern Division (and top attendance teams Memphis and Jacksonville) playing next week, the news could improve again for the league. INJURIES For those teams that have not had their bye yet, the grind of the season is clearly leading to some issues. We saw several quarterbacks just break down this week. Hebert, Fusina, Landry, and even Flutie came out of the game at one point or another, though none seemed to have sustained injuries. We also saw the running backs suffer. Mike Rozier missed part of the game with a hyper-extended knee. Walker came out for a quarter with a stiff neck, and Harry Sydney suffered a deep thigh bruise. There were few significant injuries, most notably a possible season ender for Pittsburgh SS Dave Duerson (Hip), but a lot of dings, cramps, exhaustion and muscle injuries all around the league. It looks like the bye weeks are coming at just the right time for most USFL teams. LOOKING AHEAD The Central Division gets their bye this week, and the Southern Division returns with interdivisional play as Birmingham and Memphis each try to get only their 2nd win of the year while Tampa, amazingly stuck at 3-3, tries to avoid a letdown at Jacksonville. The Pacific also flies east to play the 4 Atlantic teams, with Denver @ Boston, Arizona in New Jersey, Oakland v. Philly, and LA in the nation’s capital to take on the Federals. Best game of the week may be Oakland at the Stars as Brian Sipe has looked sharp and the Oakland defense has been leaps and bounds ahead of the 1984 version.

New York Times, April 15, 1985 The United States Football League have pulled off what has to be considered a resounding victory in United States District Court in Manhattan yesterday when a jury found that the National Football League had violated antitrust law and awarded the USFL with $225 million in damages. Attorneys for the U.S.F.L., which had sought as much as $1.69 billion in damages, succeeded in proving that the N.F.L. had a monopoly power ''to control prices or exclude competition'' in the ''relevant market'' of professional football in the United States. It was for that violation that the jury of five women and one man unanimously awarded $225 million, which is trebled in antitrust cases, to provide the upstart spring football league with a total winfall of $675,000,000. While there seemed to apparently be some confusion among the jurors over the instructions given them by Judge Peter K. Leisure, who told them they could award $1 in damages if they could not distinguish the amount of the U.S.F.L.'s losses attributed to its own poor management and the amount caused by the N.F.L.'s monopolistic practices, the jury came back with a very different interpretation of events, finding that the NFL had used illicit tactics to minimize the potential financial success of the spring league. One of the jurors, Miriam F. Sanchez, said in an interview after the trial that the jury was split over the question of whether to award damages, but then agreed to award the hefty amount of $225 million in the belief that the NFL had clearly tried to act as a monopoly by limiting access to stadiums, sponsors and TV revenue. The verdict answered serious questions as to how long the four-year-old U.S.F.L. can continue as the influx of cash to the league is sure to provide more than enough to help the USFL continue at least for the next 5 years. Throughout the case, Harry L. Usher, the league's associate commissioner, said the league’s retention of a spring schedule hinged upon their ability to have access to suitable stadiums, and to attract both sponsorships and television revenue. Mr. Usher said outside the courtroom that the future of the league ''in a practical and legal'' sense would be discussed at a meeting of the owners next Wednesday in New York. ''We will evaluate the ruling at that meeting,'' he said, adding that among the matters to be discussed would be ownership support in some of the weaker markets and potential expansion in 1987. For the N.F.L., the verdict means it will not be business as usual, with its 67th season scheduled to begin in September. The league will have to restructure its financial model to not only provide the award to the USFL but also to reduce potential further allegations of monopolistic tendencies. This likely will impact ongoing NFL discussions with major television networks. The jury found that the N.F.L. violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by having and ''willfully acquiring or maintaining a monopoly,'' in that it could control prices or exclude competition, the U.S.F.L. was able to prove five other charges of violating the act, including those that dealt with the major television networks, ABC, NBC and CBS -the crux of the U.S.F.L.'s case against 27 of the 28 N.F.L. teams and Commissioner Pete Rozelle. The jury did not find Mr. Rozelle personally liable. The Los Angeles Raiders were not a defendant in the case. “I am deeply troubled by the overall result,'' Mr. Rozelle said. ''I am in shock.'' The verdict, which was reached at 3:55 P.M., came after more than 6 weeks of testimony and more than 31 hours of deliberations over five days. Upon hearing the jury's decision, the attorneys for the USFL quietly congratulated one another. One said to reporters, ''My reaction is that the jury was very, very astute in that it saw through the case, a tough case with a lot of financial data''. Mr. Myerson, who had called the case his ''toughest'' in 25 years of litigation, said he was ''tremendously pleased”, with the outcome, ''more satisfied because the jury believed our case, that the N.F.L. definitely violated the law.'' ''But it was of equal importance,'' he added, ''that they insure that their behavior not continue by awarding substantial damages.'' Mr. Myerson had said during deliberations that a damage award of $100 million, before trebling, would have been sufficient, but the jury felt that the NFL had been deliberate in its actions and awarded more than double this amount. The U.S.F.L. had also sought injunctive relief from the court, which would prevent the N.F.L. from having its games televised on all three major networks. Judge Leisure, however, did not rule on the request and asked the attorneys for each side to appear before him today with any post-trial motions. The jury's decision on the television issue upheld the U.S.F.L.'s major contention in the case, that by virtue of having its games - including the Super Bowl, which is rotated - on all three networks, the N.F.L. was able to control the networks. Specifically, the U.S.F.L. had tried to prove that the N.F.L. had ''pressured'' the networks not to give the U.S.F.L. a contract for a fourth season after it had played three seasons in the spring. On another charge, the jury found that the N.F.L. existed as a monopoly power and maintained it, and that the league, and specifically Mr. Rozelle, took any overt action to maintain it. Among the jury's other findings were these: The N.F.L. participated in a ''contract, combination or conspiracy to exclude competition,'' and that the contract, combination or conspiracy constitute an unreasonable restraint of trade. The N.F.L.'s five-year contracts with each of the networks that run from 1982 through this year did constitute an unreasonable restraint of trade. While a national television contract with one of the networks is essential to the ability of a major professional football league to compete and that the benefits of such a contract cannot be duplicated, the N.F.L. demonstrated ''ability to deny actual or potential competitors'' from access to a contract with one of the networks. The N.F.L. had knowledge of the U.S.F.L.'s contracts with ABC and ESPN for the spring seasons of 1983, 1984 and 1985, the N.F.L. and improperly and intentionally induced both networks to breach the contract. In the stunning defeat, the N.F.L. attorneys were just not able to convince the jury that the U.S.F.L.'s financial difficulties developed as a result of mismanagement and, in part, a ''merger strategy,'' designed to take U.S.F.L. teams out of major market cities and into smaller areas that the N.F.L. might find attractive for merger possibilities. The league’s decision to remain in the Spring and remain in markets such as Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Houston and Pittsburgh, seemed to influence the jury that the USFL was not seeking to merge with the NFL, one of the NFL claims. They were also unable to argue successfully that Leon Hess, the owner of the Jets, did not mislead New York city and state officials into thinking the Jets would return to the city in 1989 in a proposed domed stadium, as a way of keeping the U.S.F.L. Generals, who are owned by Donald J. Trump, out of the city. The Jets have played in Giants Stadium in New Jersey since 1984; the Generals have played their three seasons there but have not yet committed for the 1986 season. The case, after several weeks, ended when Patrick Bowes, the court clerk, announced in courtroom 318 that the jury had a verdict. During the next 30 minutes or so, the room was abuzz with anticipation, as the attorneys for each side collected and sat impatiently at their respective tables, awaiting the appearance of Judge Leisure and the jurors. By the time Patricia McCabe, the foreman, stood to read the results off the 30-page verdict sheet, which included the answers to 61 questions that formulated the findings, the room was packed with spectators. So, what is next for these two leagues. Certainly the damage to the NFL is great, as is the boon to the USFL. While some NFL owners, most notably Los Angeles Raiders’ owner Al Davis, have shown some willingness to work with the new league, there is certain to remain a lot of animosity between the two rivals. And with the USFL now flush with NFL cash, just how they plan to benefit from their sudden and surprising good fortune remains to be determined.

Philly falls from the unbeatens, Washington wins its 2nd in a row, and all 4 Central teams sweep the 4 Southern Division teams, including a very unexpected mauling in Tampa. SCORES LA 41 BOS 20 Boston held to 13 offensive points as LA give Breakers 3rd straight loss. OAK 14 NJ 23 Generals are not dead yet, shocking Oakland with ball control plan. ARZ 24 PHI 17 The Wranglers knock Philadelphia from the ranks of the unbeaten. DEN 23 WSH 32 Two in a row for Feds as Collier tosses for 3 scores. MGN 42 BIR 20 Michigan shows no mercy against Stallions as Hebert hits on 5 TD passes. HOU 32 MEM 31 Fred Besana subs for Kelly and leads furious comeback for the win. CHI 27 JAX 24 Tim Spencer with a rare 100 yard game as Chicago outlasts the Bulls. GAME OF THE WEEK Pittsburgh Maulers 41 Tampa Bay Bandits 37 A wild one that no one saw coming as the usually conservative Maulers let loose, built up a huge lead and then held on to beat Tampa Bay in Tampa. The first half was owned by the surprisingly potent Maulers, who went up 34-14 on two Blackledge TD tosses, a 64 yard interception return by Ron Osborne, a Rozier TD run, and 2 Vitello field goals. Tampa fought back in the second half, as John Reaves threw for 3 scores (a total of 4 in the game). Reaves hit his TE Lewis Gilbert first, then little used TE Kenneth Arroyo, and finally the always dangerous Eric Truvillion. The Bandits D also contributed to the comeback with a safety as they tackled Mike Rozier in the endzone. With 4 minutes left in the game, the Bandits led by 3, but the dormant Pittsburgh offense had one more drive in them, and when Blackledge hit Robert Jones with to score with 54 seconds left in the game, the Maulers retook the lead at 41-37. Needing a TD to win, Tampa moved down field but when Eric Truvillion could not get out of bounds on a 2nd and 8 catch, the clock ran out and the Maulers found themselves the victors. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK It surprises no one to see Bobby Hebert win a performance of the week title. He has been tearing up the USFL for 3 years and may be playing his best ball right now. Against the shockingly bad Birmingham Stallions, Hebert played the role of gunslinger to a tee. He was not particularly efficient, completing only 54% of his throws, but he found deep balls repeatedly, and his 5 TD’s prove it. His TD tosses were for 15, 21, 62, 50 and 39 yards. Trailing 17-7 at the half, Hebert lit into the Stallions in the second half, throwing for 4 scores and leading the Panthers on a 35-7 run to blow past Birmingham and score an easy win. It was not easy for Hebert, who was sacked 6 times and harassed throughout by the Stallion D-Line, but he came through again and again for Michigan, who now, for the second year in a row, are the last undefeated team standing. NEWS & NOTES With the case against the NFL in the hands of the jury, all eyes are on New York, but with nothing to report, we thought we would talk about another pressing issue for the league, television coverage. While we anticipate that the NFL case will impact options for television coverage for the league, it is distressing that so far only ESPN has begun to negotiate in earnest. The slow roll of ABC has to be a troubling sign for the league, as viewership has been solid all three seasons. With the NFL already on all three major networks, and deals being cut by MLB and the NBA it might be difficult for the USFL to get the type of revenue generating contract that they seek. More on this to come, particularly after the NFL verdict comes in. INJURIES Some significant injuries hit the league this week. Oakland’s best CB, Derrick Martin, is likely lost for the season with a neck injury. Philly will be down two starting o-linemen as both G Rory Culver and T Raymond Soto are out at least 6 weeks. Arizona will be without LB Jim Fahnhorst for at least a month, and Arizona QB Rick Neuheisel continues to have injury issues, expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a sprain to his throwing wrist. Houston will miss returner and WR Clarence Verdin with a concussion, as they hope Jim Kelly can return to action after a pinched nerve kept him out this week. LOOKING AHEAD Week 7 is the first of 4 straight weeks when one entire division will be on their bye. The plan was designed to limit byes to the center of the schedule and to a minimal number of weeks. Week 7 sees all four Southern Division teams on the bye as the Pacific plays in division and the Atlantic takes on the Central. Among the highlight games this week is LA @ Oakland, Arizona @ Denver, New Jersey @ Chicago, and Philadelphia facing off against Michigan.

Philadelphia and Michigan remain undefeated, while a scorching day from Craig James gives the Feds their first win. SCORES WSH 42 NJ 13 Washington blows out the Generals for their first win of the season. CHI 26 PIT 16 Vince Evans throws for 338 as the Blitz move to 4-1. HOU 20 MGN 23 Houston puts a scare into Michigan but come up just short. MEM 21 ARZ 38 Neuheisel continues to impress with 366 yard day against Memphis. BIR 10 OAK 27 Two teams who seem to have swapped fortunes as Invaders roll. JAX 25 DEN 27 Williams’ 2 interceptions help Denver squeak out a win at home. TBY 20 LA 24 LA proves they are legit as they outpace the Bandits for a home win. GAME OF THE WEEK Philadelphia Stars 16 Boston Breakers 13 In the ABC Game of the Week, a game Boston had to have, the Breakers cannot hold as Philly scores in the final 2 minutes to steal a win. In a game dominated by both defenses, with neither team gaining more than 250 total yards, it was a 4th quarter breakdown that cost Boston a much-needed win and gave Philadelphia a commanding 2 game lead in the division. Defense dominated as both Boston and Philadelphia limited the opposition’s run game, and took the ball away to stunt drives. Boston’s pass rush was fierce, sacking Chuck Fusina 5 times and forcing an atypical errant throw for an interception. Philly was equally dominant on defense, holding Buford Jordan to 34 yards on the day and intercepting the unsteady Tony Eason 3 times. At the half the score was only 10-6 Boston. Boston had gotten the only TD of the half, a 32 yard Eason to Franz TD on a rare busted coverage. The two teams traded field goals in the 2nd half, and Boston fans had to feel good about their 13-9 edge as the Stars had not been able to generate much at all on offense. But, with only minutes left, the Boston D tired and the Stars took advantage. Getting the ball back on their own 18 with 5:23 left in the game, the Stars, with a lot of help from a tired and careless Boston D, marched down the field, scoring the game winner with 1:50 left on the clock. The drive was assisted by 5 Boston penalties, including a series of 4 straight plays in which Boston was called for unnecessary roughness twice, roughing the passer, and unsportsmanlike conduct. It was a complete meltdown of discipline and focus, as these 4 penalties moved the ball from the 50 to the Boston 11 yard line. Fans may have been yelling for the ref’s head, but it was clear that the Boston defense was simply out of control and overwrought. Getting the ball back with nearly 2 minutes to go, needing only a field goal to tie, the Breaker fans, a strong crowd of 29,300, pushed for a final drive, but QB Tony Eason, who had been harassed by the Stars all day, was not up to the task. After being sacked on 3rd and 8 on his own 26, Eason missed Charlie Smith on 4th down and the ball went back to the Stars for a series of victory formations to end the game. With the win, Philly moves to an impressive 5-0 start, while Boston, now having lost 2 straight, falls 2 games back with a tough matchup against a hot LA Express team on the West Coast next week. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK There were a lot of strong contenders this week, including defensive gems turned in by Oakland FS William Liles (2 Int, 1 a Pick-6), Arizona’s DE Calvin Clark (Safety and forced fumble) and a 4 tackle, 2 sack day from Chicago standout Junior Ah You, but in helping the Washington Federals finally get in the W column, halfback Craig James has to be the star of the week. He had his best game in 3 years on Sunday, scoring 3 times and combining for 245 scrimmage yards (163 on the ground, 82 more in the air). Washington rode the former SMU Pony Express star all day, and utterly dominated the New Jersey Generals for their first win, and a division win at that. NEWS & NOTES We are only 5 weeks into the season, but the heat is beginning to get turned on several coaches. Washington’s Lee Corso may have saved his job for now with an impressive win against the Generals, but the Feds’ 0-4 start was not what anyone expected. If they cannot string together some strong performances, Corso may be in trouble. Houston’s Jack Pardee, or at the very least OC Mouse Davis may be in trouble as well. The Gamblers did well last year to make 7-9, but a 1-4 start this year, combined with the regular beatings that QB Jim Kelly has taken in the no-TE offense often used by Houston, has fans antsy about their star. The fact that Oakland reject Fred Besana has had to come in to the game in 4 of Houston’s 5 games is not a good sign for Kelly’s long term health. Memphis and Birmingham are also 1-4, and while we expect that Rollie Dotsch is not going anywhere, Pepper Johnson may need to improve on last year’s 5-win season if he hopes to retain his position. All this said, the coach who may be in the most danger for a mid-year removal is clearly New Jersey’s Walt Michaels. Not only is owner Donald Trump dissatisfied with the Generals’ 1-4 start, he is reportedly furious with the league vote to retain a spring season, and seems to blame Michaels for not forcefully pushing the issue while Trump was tied up in court. Doug Flutie, other than one breakout game, has looked uncomfortable in Michaels’s offense, and to make matters worse, even Herschel Walker has not looked as dominant as in past years. The Generals have failed to score more than 20 points in 4 of 5 games and are currently last in scoring in the league. Pair this with a defense that has given up nearly 30 points a game and things are looking mighty tough for Michaels. The Generals have their bye in Week Nine, but have 3 matchups against teams with winning records (OAK, CHI, ARZ) before that and we are not sure Michaels can last that long unless he can find a way to make Flutie reprise his performance against Memphis or adjust the offense to better use Walker. The seat is getting awfully hot in New Jersey. INJURIES That Philly-Boston game was not just a defensive battle, it was a battle of attrition, as both teams lost top defenders for at least a few weeks. Philly’s DE William Fuller broke a collarbone in the 3rd quarter, and Boston’s tackles leader, LB Ben Needham appears to have broken his wrist in the game. In Washington, league interception leader Mark Kelso suffered a mild concussion and may be kept out for a week to rest. While in Houston, post-game reports that Jim Kelly suffered a pinched nerve might impact his ability to play next week. Kelly has been running for his life in the spread style offense of the Gamblers, and this time his injuries may actually cost him a start. LOOKING AHEAD It’s East v. West in Week 6 as the Pacific and Atlantic teams face off while the Southern and Central teams also battle. LA heads to Boston where they hope the Breakers fall for a 3rd straight week, while Oakland gets to torture Walt Michaels and the floundering Generals. The best East-West matchup may be Arizona at Philadelphia, where the vaunted Stars defense has to contend with a red hot Rick Neuheisel. In the Central-South clashes, the best game would normally appear to be Michigan at Birmingham, but the Stallions have been a shell of themselves this year. We might have to tune in to see if Doug Williams and the Bulls can upend the surprising Chicago Blitz. In other games, Denver is at Washington, Pittsburgh has a tough game at Tampa Bay, and two 1-4 teams try to get on track as Houston travels to Memphis.

SCORES BOS 7 MGN 31 Michigan dominates in all 3 phases against overmatched Breakers. NJ 14 HOU 33 Gamblers go on 24-0 scoring run in 2nd half to blow past NJ. PHI 24 CHI 12 Fusina, Bryant and Fitzkee shine as Stars knock Blitz from unbeatens. WSH 21 PIT 39 John Jefferson catches 6 for 130 as Maulers keep Feds winless. JAX 24 ARZ 35 Three turnovers in 2nd half cost Bulls the game in Tempe. TBY 32 DEN 10 Reaves hits Collinsworth for 2 scores as Bandits roll over Gold. MEM 21 OAK 16 Memphis D picks off Brian Sipe twice to lock up first win. GAME OF THE WEEK Birmingham Stallions 24 LA Express 31 Steve Young and TE Ricky Ellis come up big for LA in late surge to beat the Stallions. The Express held off a feisty Stallions team and never trailed in this week 4 clash in which Steve Young threw for 3 scores and HB Kevin Mack scored the winning TD to send Birmingham to an uncharacteristic 1-3 record. In a game played in front of LA's largest crowd in 2 years (29,850), the Express impressed. LA began the scoring on their opening drive as Young hit Eric Martin on a 38 yard scoring pass. They added to their lead on their next drive as Tony Zendejas hit on a 45 yard field goal. But, not to be outdone, Cliff Stoudt led Birmingham down the field, eventually finding Jim Smith on a fade to put up 7 of their own. In the 2nd quarter, LA expanded their 10-7 lead up to 24-7 with scores from Jo-Jo Townsell and Mark Boyer before Birmingham notched a field goal with time running out in the half. 24-10 LA at the half. In the second half it looked like the Birmingham comeback was assured. The Stallions used their formidable run game to grind down the clock while scoring runs from Joe Cribbs and FB Ken Talton tied up the game. But, as the 3rd quarter wound down, LA answered with a 11 play drive, ending with a Kevin Mack dive from the 1 to take the 31-24 score. The final quarter would be a battle of two weary opponents, each trying to put enough together to take home the win. Both QB’s threw 4th quarter interceptions to end drives, but neither team was able to reach the red zone of their opponent, and the 31-24 score held. The win moves LA into a 3-way tie atop the Pacific Division at 2-2, while Birmingham now finds itself at 1-3, already 2 games behind Tampa Bay. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK While there were several players providing offensive fireworks, we have to give this week’s award to a defensive performance for the ages. LB Paul Plurowski has labored in relative obscurity within the Tampa Bay defense for 2 seasons plus, but this week he reminded everyone that the Bandits are more than an explosive offense, they have defensive playmakers as well. The Tampa D harassed Denver’s Bob Gagliano for 4 quarters, sacking him twice, picking him off twice, and keeping him to under 50% completion rate for the game. Plurowski was a huge force for the Tampa D as he recorded both Tampa Bay sacks, one for a safety in the 3rd quarter. He also snagged one of the 2 Gagliano interceptions, added 2 tackles for loss against Denver backs, and recorded 8 total tackles. He was a force on nearly every play. So here is one for the unheralded blue-collar defenders who are essential to any winning team. Plurowski does not sell as many jerseys as Reaves, Truvillion or Gary Anderson, but he should. NEWS & NOTES As we wait for news out of the courts in New York in the USFL-NFL suit, and as we prepare for the midseason USFL Owners meeting. Let’s take a moment to talk about expansion. The USFL has already pointed to 1987 as the earliest proposed expansion date. With ownership in question in Chicago and Boston, and with attendance issues in several other cities, there is no guarantee that expansion in ’87 is a done deal, but that is not stopping potential ownership groups from preparing. There are strong rumors that the USFL might again expand in the south (as they did when they added Jacksonville, Houston, and Memphis). There are groups already pitching for potential expansion in Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans and San Antonio. Meanwhile the recent overnight exodus of the NFL’s Baltimore Colts creates a vacuum that the USFL might try to fill. Other ownership groups are forming to try to bring USFL football to cities across the country, including San Diego, Portland, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Whether any of these potential franchises will even have a chance to add to a growing USFL may depend heavily on whether or not the USFL can shore up their weaker current franchises, and, perhaps even more, what happens in their lawsuit against the NFL. A loss and they could be financially strapped, while a win could bring significant damages to the league, funds which could bolster their 16 franchises and make room to expand to 18 or even 20 teams in 1987. INJURIES For the second year in a row, New Jersey SS Gary Barbaro faces a serious injury. This time around a quad muscle injury may keep him out for a month or more. Wideouts also had a rough week as both Oakland’s Gordon Banks and Philly’s Tom Donovan could miss multiple weeks. Tampa will be without LB James Harrell with turf toe for 1-2 weeks, and Chicago LB Ben Apuna suffered a concussion which may cause him to miss a week for the Blitz. The Bandits are 2-0 with Jimmie Jordan at QB, but there are rumors that John Reaves is looking to come back next week, though his ankle is still not looking 100%. Jim Kelly is probable to return next week after once again being banged around in Houston’s win over New Jersey. LOOKING AHEAD Week 5 is a mixed week with the Atlantic and Central playing divisional games while the Pacific and Southern Divisions face off. Boston will try to bounce back after their first loss at home against the Stars, who hope to take a 2 game lead with a win. New Jersey and Washington battle for relevance as neither wants to fall further behind in the Atlantic. In the Central, Chicago will travel to Pittsburgh to face the Maulers, while Houston has to try to win their 2nd in a visit to Michigan. In one of the better matchups of the week, Tampa will fly out west to face the Express in Angel Stadium, while Birmingham will try to right the ship at Oakland. Memphis also visits the Wranglers and Denver hosts the up and down Jacksonville Bulls.