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It was a week that really needed multiple Games of the Week. We saw a crazy blizzard game in Chicago, an overtime thriller in Washington, another overtime game with the most bizarre ending ever in Houston, a last second game winning score in New Jersey, a Boston uprising, and a shoot out of epic proportions in Columbus. It was a week that had a little of everything, and a lot of good football all around. But, we had to pick just one game, and no game was more thrilling than the battle a rookie QB gave the Ohio Glory. SEATTLE DRAGONS 41 OHIO GLORY 45 Call it a coming out party for QB Byron Leftwich, a major scare for the defending champs, or just a good old fashioned shootout, but whatever you call it, recognize this as a game that will be seen as one of the year’s best. Over 1,000 yards of combined offense, 10 touchdown passes, and a photo finish that took everything Ohio had to earn their 20th win in a row. In a game that many saw as a potential cakewalk for Ohio, the Seattle Dragons either showed us a major concern for Ohio or a major upside for their future as they stayed with the Glory all day, countering every punch Ohio threw. Let’s start with the stats. Kerry Collins, on only 15 completions (15 of 22) threw for 356 yards, including a 44-yarder to Galloway, a 50-yarder to TE Stephen Alexander, and a 66-yarder to Chad Johnson, who caught only 3 passes all game, but all 3 were touchdowns. If he does that all season, he can call himself “Ochocinco” all he wants. Collins would throw 6 touchdowns of his 15 completions, and average nearly 17 yards per completion, a stunning number. And it was not all air show, as Eddie George would rush for 122 on 15 carries, an 8.1 YPC average. For Seattle the ground game was a lot tougher as Corey Dillon and Brian Mitchell would combine for only 53 yards rushing. But, that was more than made up for by Byron Leftwich and the passing game. Leftwich would go 26 of 45 for 504 yards and 4 TDs in a game that may have just made the young man a star. J.J. Stokes had 6 for 118 and 2 scores. David Boston 5 for 125, and TE Ken DIlger caught 4 for 102 and 2 scores as well. Seattle showed that Ohio’s defense could be gashed through the air, a strategy other teams may well try to employ. And yet, despite an epic outing from their first year signal caller, in the end the Glory found a way to win. Seattle came out strong in the first quarter, scoring on their first two drives (Mitchell a 14-yard run and Stokes a 23-yard TD catch). Ohio countered with a 50-yard strike from Collins to Alexander. In the second quarter the Glory would pull ahead, scoring on 3 straight drives, including TDs to Johnson and Galloway. Ohio got a late field goal to pull within 24-17 at the half. They would even the score on the first drive of the 2nd half as Leftwich found tokes for his 2nd TD of the day. Ohio would keep the pressure on, with Collins finding “Ochocinco” for his second score of the day to again take the lead. But Seattle was not going anywhere and the 3rd quarter ended with a Jay Feely FG to put the Dragons up by 3. In the 4th they extended that lead as a Collins interception led to a Leftwich to Dilger TD toss to increase the lead to 34-30. Cue Chad Johnson’s third TD and with 8:35 to play Ohio was back up by 3. Four minutes later it was Seattle again taking the lead as Leftwich connected with Dilger for the big TE’s 2nd TD of the day. But, leaving Ohio nearly 5 minutes to come back was too much, and with 1:35 left in the game, Collins got his 6th TD and the game winner, a 20 yard score on a shovel pass to George that fooled the Dragon linebackers and gave Ohio the 44-41 final score. It was a game no defensive coordinator could love, but for the rest of us it was an instant classic. Ohio moves to 3-0 with their 20th consecutive win (including playoffs), while Seattle falls to 0-3 but with a lot of hope in the future of their offense. OAK 3 CHI 7 A very different game in Chicago where wind and snow produced nearly impossible conditions for both teams. Neither team cracked 200 yards of offense and only a turnover deep in Oakland’s side of the field enabled the Machine to get a TD on a Duce Staley 5-yard run. That score would hold all game, as Oakland was limited to a field goal on their only red zone drive. Ugly and miserable to be sure as weather in early April threw the Machine and Invaders a curveball. NSH 22 WSH 25 OT What many predicted to be a defensive slugfest in DC was largely that, but with enough offense, and enough drama to make it a really good game. The game saw 11 field goals between the two teams as the defenses simply did not allow for drives to finish with 7 points. It was actually 19-19 at the end of regulation, but in overtime Nashville was able to hold the Federals to a field goal on the opening drive of extra time. That allowed the Knights to get the ball as well, and they too kicked a field goal to even the score. With time running out in the final period, Washington got into range to let Doug Pelfrey try a 53-yarder and the veteran kicker came through with the game winner. DEN 23 BOS 30 Tiki Barber found his stride with 185 yards on 24 carries and the Boston Cannons won their first game in their new stadium, upsetting the 2-0 Denver Gold in the process. Barber’s 2 touchdowns were pivotal and the success of the ground game helped keep pressure off of Drew Bledsoe all game. Denver also found its ground game as Robert Holcombe and Rod Smart combined for 146 yards rushing. Boston moves to 2-1 with the win and the fans at Alumni Stadium went home happy on a blustery Boston afternoon. BIR 21 NJ 24 Tom Brady returned to action for the Generals as New Jersey got their first win thanks to a solid defensive performance and just enough from their signal caller to get the job done. Shaun Alexander rushed for 100 yards as swirling winds made the passing game a bit of a challenge. Brady connected on two short scoring throws and Curtis Enis added another as the Generals needed every minute to get the win, pulling ahead for good with only 26 seconds left when Neil Rackers beat the wind to hook in a 31-yarder for the W. HOU 26 TBY 24 OT Overtime was the order of the day in Tampa Bay, where an early injury to Trent Green forced Kent Graham into action. Graham would be the hero of regulation, scoring with a TD toss to Chris Doering with 1:22 left in the game to even the score and send the game to overtime. But, in the extra period, he would quickly turn to goat as he botched a shotgun snap, then failed to cover the ball, which rolled into the endzone before Travis Prentice fell on it. Problem is, that created a safety, and as it was the first possession of overtime, that score ended the game. A tough loss for an 0-3 Tampa Bay Bandits squad that now is looking at a long stretch without their QB. MEM 9 BAL 13 A combination of rain, gusting wind, and the Blitz pas srush made for a very long day for Heath Shuler. The Memphis offense, which had been going full throttle in weeks 1-2, came to a screeching halt on a blustery day in Baltimore. Sacked 5 times by the Blitz, and bothered all day by passes that simply did not end up where he aimed them, Shuler struggled to move the Showboats. Baltimore relied more heavily on Ron Dayne and the run game, as they rushed for 135 yards and got a late TD from Jeff Garcia to Bill Schroeder to pull the upset and move to a surprising 2-1 on the year. NOR 29 PHI 20 Troy Davis had a decent day subbing for the suspended Ricky Williams, and a 21 of 29 passing day for Trent Dilfer, despite the windy weather in Philly, was enough for the Breakers to get the W. The Breaker D had a lot to say about the final result as they held Brian Griese to only 47.2% completions on a 17 of 36 day. New Orleans held the ball for nearly 35 minutes as well as they wore down the Stars’ run defense. ARZ 41 JAX 17 Jake Plummer returned to form, rushing for 75 yards and a TD and passing for 286 and two more as Arizona simply blew past the Bulls. Plummer connected with 10 different receivers on the day, and added several scripted runs to the gameplan as Jacksonville seemed ill-suited to stop him. The Wrangler D also got into the game early, limiting the run game, and eventually, with a big lead in hand, pressuring Jake Delhomme into several bad throws. TEX 33 ORL 17 Orlando drops to 0-3 as the Outlaws limited them to only 8 first downs. Joey Harrington was picked off twice, including a 40-yard pick six from Defensive POTW Quentin Jammer. That score put Texas up for good, building a 23-10 lead they would never relinquish. Jeff Lewis looked solid, completing 24 of 31 passes as Ryan Leaf sulked on the sideline, having been chastised by both his coach and the league (to the tune of $20,000) for his outburst in postgame last week. LA 30 MGN 10 Coach Mike Martz is on the hotseat as Michigan again seems completely unable to mount a viable offense. T.J. Duckett rushed for only 32 yards and Drew Brees spent a good part of the game scrambling for his life against the Express. Meanwhile, Cade McNown threw for 3 scores, including two to his new favorite rookie, TE L..J. Smith. POR 24 PIT 10 The Thunder move to 2-1 thanks to a pick six, and a strong relief appearance from QB Rick Mirer. With Akili Smith knocked out early with an apparent knee injury (on an ill-advised QB run), Mirer came in, went 22 of 32 and helped Portland upend the previously unbeaten Maulers. The Thunder were able to corrall Terrell Davis, limiting him to only 80 yards, and the wind helped keep Charlie Batch from exploiting Portland’s secondary as the Thunder earned their second win for Coach Marvin Lewis. Leftwich Winless But Winning Fans Over The Dragons may be 0-3 in the first three games of QB Byron Leftwich’s pro career, but no one is looking at the young QB as the issue. Leftwich has been growing into his role with each week. After a strong debut with 293 yards passing in week one, Leftwich went for 372 last week and a stunning 504 yards this week. Yes, his week 2 game was very flawed, with 5 picks, but this week he was on target and looking very dangerous, connecting on 4 TD passes with no picks against the defending league champions. There are plenty of problems in Seattle, including one of the league’s worst defenses, but they seem to have found a gem in the former Marshall Thundering Herd QB. Seattle may need to outscore opponents to get wins, but finding a quality starter at QB, especially after all the controversy that trading Brian Griese brought to the team, is a very good step forward for the club. Salaam Reinstated and Offers Are There The league made it official this week, Rashaan Salaam is reinstated and cleared to return to action after serving a one year suspension. Salaam has completed drug rehabilitation in a facility in northern California and, in a statement from his agent, states that he is focused on returning to the league and to repairing the damage his past issues with drugs have caused. Expect at least 2-3 teams to take a look at Salaam, though we do not see Denver, who was burnt pretty badly by his post Summer Bowl hijinks, to be one of them. The obvious landing spots include Oakland, Michigan, and Arizona, all teams with dubious run games so far this year. Top 5 Trades that Need to Happen Thinking about where HB Rashaan Salaam could end up got us thinking about teams with obvious holes on their roster and who might be a good trade candidate to fill them. Halfback is one of the easiest deficiencies to spot, and Salaam can only be the answer (if he is the answer) for one club, so where could others find a back that could help them? And what other team needs might force a club to look for a midseason trade? We pick our top 5 best options for trades that really need to happen this year. 5) Donald Driver to Arizona: Arizona needs to help Jake Plummer out. Other than Santana Moss, we just don’t see anyone in their WR group that scares defenses. So, the goal for the Wranglers should be to get a quality possession receiver who can run the underneath routes and help Moss get one-man coverage deep. Who is the best option in that role, and a player another team might be willing to let loose for the right price? We think the Wranglers should give Orlando a call about Donald Driver. With a WR group that includes Keenan McCardell, Brandon Stokely, Doug Gabriel, Jabar Gaffney, and Reidel Anthony, Orlando is simply not utilizing Driver the way Arizona could. They have talent to fill in if they trade him, and the Wranglers could help out the Renegades in several possible positions. It seems a clear option for both clubs, so let’s make it happen. 4) Michael Sinclair to Orlando: Orlando is desperate for a pass rusher. With the retirement of Chris Doleman Orlando knew they would struggle to replace his 20+ sacks each year. But they failed to land a big name player in free agency (not that there are many Chris Doleman’s on the open market), and they did not find what they were looking for in the draft either. So, now is the time to spend a little, perhaps give up some significant draft picks, and nab a top DE before the season gets totally away from them. Our pick for who they should target is Michael Sinclair of Houston. Yes, he is a major player in Houston, but, with Kavika Pittman clearly the main guy for the Gamblers, a lucrative trade may give Sinclair the chance to be the big dog in a new setting, and may provide Houston with draft capital it needs to enhance the offensive side of the ball. 3) Shaun Alexander to Michigan: Michigan had high hopes for T.J. Duckett, but so far in his career, we have just not seen it working for them. In his rookie year he averaged under 4 yards a carry and, while he did score 8 times, his longest run of the year was 11 yards. The Panthers need a back with more moves and more speed than Duckett can provide because their spread-formation offense is just not a good option for a big back like Duckett. So, we propose a one-for-one swap with another club looking to improve their run game. Duckett heads to Birmingham, where he can be the type of short-yardage, pounder that balances out the Birmingham passing offense, while Shaun Alexander, who has been grumbling about his lack of carries and opportunities with the Stallions, comes to Michigan, where he can get 20-25 carries a game in a system that is a better fit for him. Both backs are happy, both teams get a running back more suited to their style of play, and no one needs to spend big to get quality. 2) Jeff Blake to Tampa Bay: With the injury to QB Trent Green likely to cost him the season (see below), the Bandits have to decide if they are comfortable with Kent Graham at QB. Our answer is no, they should not feel comfortable. But, where can they get a QB capable of coming in and taking command on short notice? We look around the league and the best option we see is a bit of a longshot. Pittsburgh signed NFL starter Jeff Blake this year to challenge Charlie Batch, but Batch won the job in camp, so Blake is sitting in 2nd position, just ahead of local favorite Alex Van Pelt. Tampa would be wise to inquire about Blake, and could potentially make a deal with the Maulers as Pittsburgh could definitely use some help at linebacker, a position Tampa can afford to trade with depth at the position. Keith McCants, Derek Moore, or Monty Beisel might be tempting enough, packaged with a mid-round draft pick, to pull Blake away from the Maulers. 1) Rod Smart to Oakland: Back to HB. If Oakland cannot land Salaam, they have to do something to strengthen that group. Rookie Justin Fargas is simply not ready to be a bell cow back in Oakland, and Mack Strong is not a 20-carry guy. The Invaders need to find a back who can get the tough yards and take some pressure off of Marques Tuiasosopo. We know Dennis Green loves the passing game, so it had better be a back with good hands too. So, who is the best possible target? We think Oakland should take a shot at swapping for Denver’s Rod Smart. Stuck in rotation with Robert Holcombe, Smart could find new life in Oakland, and Denver could certainly use some draft capital, or perhaps a quality DB like Oakland SS Torrian Gray. Is Smart a future All-USFL back? No. But is he a back who can do what the Invaders need to balance out the offense? We think so. The headline injury this week has been that of Tampa Bay QB Trent Green, whose torn bicep was confirmed on Monday and will likely cost him the entire season. Tampa Bay now has to decide if they feel comfortable with Kent Graham as their starter for the year, or if they will pursue another option. Green could potentially return in time for a playoff run, but with an 0-3 start, that may not be something Tampa should count on. Portland also lost their starter as Akili Smith hyper extended his knee on a scramble this week. Smith is expected to miss 1-2 weeks and will be day to day following that period. Expect him to potentially wear a brace on the knee at least for a few weeks following the injury, a reality that would likely reduce his potential threat as a runner. Others with significant lost playing time due to injuries this week include Jacksonville LT John Runyan (2-4 weeks with a back injury), Washington DE Bobby Hamilton (1-2 weeks, leg), Ohio C Todd McClure (1-2, groin), Pittsburgh CB Bobby Taylor (1-2 collarbone), Oakland’s rookie DE Robert Mathis (1-2, hamstring), and Baltimore TE Daniel Graham (1-2, wrist). HOF Class of 2003 Semi-Finalists Named The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the USFL league office in New York have announced this week the 12 semifinalists for 5 potential new entrants in the USFL wing of the Hall of Fame in Canton. After a year that saw two of the league’s most renown halfbacks as well as the first offensive lineman to be inducted, this year’s semifinalist list is a bit more low key, though certainly there are some important players on the list of potential candidates. As we have seen the past few years, the pool is divided between first time candidate and those returning for a 2nd or 3rd year of eligibility. Over the next two months the voters will review the case for each and we should get our five finalists by season’s end. Here for your consideration are the 12 semifinalists, in alphabetical order. Bruce Armstrong, Offensive Tackle, Portland 1987-1997, 2nd year of eligibility. Many felt that Armstrong, and not Howard Ballard, should have been the first O-lineman to make the Hall, but Ballard got in last year in a tight vote, largely because his clubs in Houston simply had more team success than Armstrong’s Portland Thunder teams. Armstrong certainly has the credentials to merit entry, having been named an All-USFL player on 4 occasions while locking down the left side of the line for the Thunder. Mike Baab, Center, Tampa Bay 1984, Philadelphia 1985, New Jersey 1986-1996, 3rd year of eligibility. Is the third time the charm for the former General pivotman? Baab is generally considered the best center to ever spend the bulk of his career in the spring league, and he did earn two rings, first with Philadelphia in 1985 and then with New Jersey 4 years later. He was also named All-USFL three times. Henry Ellard, Wide Receiver, Oakland 1984-1998, 1st year of eligibility A fifteen-season veteran with the Invaders, Ellard was one of the premier receivers in the league during the late 80’s through the mid-90’s. He retired with 1,349 career receptions, 122 career touchdowns, and over 16,000 yards. He was a member of the 1991 Oakland league title team and was named to 4 All-USFL teams. His best season is hard to pin down. He had a career-high 112 receptions way back in 1985, but his yardage record was in 1998, his final season in the league. He hit his TD production high in 1994 with 18 scores that season. And maybe that is the key. This is a player who put up big numbers for well over a decade, including nine 1,000 yard seasons over his 15-year career. Vaughan Johnson, Linebacker, Jacksonville 1984-1998, 1st year of eligibility The main man in the middle, that was Vaughan Johnson’s role in Jacksonville for 15 USFL seasons. He retired with 910 career tackles, including 154 for a loss, an additional 60 sacks and 8 picks. Johnson was a consummate run-stuffer and big hitter, but he could also cover backs out of the backfield. Despite a consistent career, Johnson was voted to only two All-USFL clubs and was not on a championship team with Jacksonville. Louis Lipps, Wide Receiver, Arizona 1984-1991, Pittsburgh 1992-1997, 2nd year of eligibility Lipps appears for the second year on the semifinalist list. A two-time All-USFL selection, once with each team he played for, and a key piece of Pittsburgh’s 1995 league title team, Lipps retired with 1,065 receptions for 14,332 yards, and 94 career touchdowns. His numbers are all clearly below those of Ellard, so we are not sure this is the year for Lipps, at least not on straight up comparison with the other receiver in the pool. Ted Marchibroda, Head Coach, Pittsburgh 1988-1996, 3rd year of eligibility. The Head coach off the Pittsburgh Maulers for 8 seasons, including a magical playoff run that led to the 1995 league tile, Marchibroda is in his third and final year of standard eligibility. If not named to the hall this year he would only be able to be nominated by the Veterans’ Committee, which will begin examining pre-2000 nominees beginning in 2010. Marchibroda remains the only Maulers’ coach with a lifetime winning record, but a head coach with only 1 title is not an easy sell to the committee. Garland Rivers, Cornerback, Michigan 1987-1998, 1st year of eligibility. Another 2-time All-USFL selection, Rivers came to Michigan at the end of their run of greatness and played 11 seasons with teams that ranged from underwhelming to very good but not great. He retired with 188 games played (all 188 as a starter), 1,093 tackles and 41 career interceptions. He currently stands 12th all time in picks, which may be a challenge for him. That, combined with playing on some pretty bad Panther defenses could be a major hurdle for a very talented corner. Shannon Sharpe, Tight End, Birmingham 1990-1998, 1st year of eligibility Undoubtedly one of the most athletic tight ends the league has ever seen, Sharpe made a career splitting the safeties and creating plays for Brett Fave and the Stallions. He retired with 554 receptions, 6,972 yards, and 58 touchdowns in 9 seasons with Birmingham. Sharpe was named All-USFL 5 times and won a title with the 1993 Stallion club. His main dowfall may be that he has only a 1 year window before both Keith Jackson and Ben Coates join him as HOF eligible. Will he get in this year or have to battle it out with those two additional extraordinary players at the same position? Cliff Stoudt, Quarterback, Birmingham 1984-1994, Atlanta 1995-1997, 2nd year of eligibility While certainly a big name in the early years of the league, it is a bit of a surprise to see Stoudt beat out several other returning nominees on this list. With zero All-USFL nods to his record, Stoudt seems a perfectly good local hero, but his stats and accomplishments make him a tough sell to many HOF voters. Jack Trudeau, Quarterback, Michigan 1986-1993, Portland 1994-1998, 1st year of eligibility Named to 5 All-USFL teams and a member of the 1986 Panther title winner (though admittedly a rookie sitting behind Bobby Hebert), Jack Trudeau had a very mixed career. Statistically he is very solid, with a lifetime QB Rating of 91.9, more than 42,000 yards passing, and 295 career touchdowns, but the reputation as a choker still haunts the QB. Trudeau never won a title as a starter, and moving from Michigan to Portland, where the team struggled to play consistent ball, did not help. While certainly more accomplished statistically than a QB like Cliff Stoudt, that lack of a title will be an issue for Trudeau. Frank Winters, Center, Chicago 1987-1998 1st year of eligibility We can hear the voters now, looking at both Winters and Baab and debating which is more worthy of a place in the Hall. Winters played 11 seasons with the Chicago Machine, and in that time he was certainly one of the best at his position, but was only nominated to the All-USFL one time, and was not a member of a title-winning team. Those are two pretty noticeable areas where Winters does not compare well with Baab. If only one center can get in this year, it may be the 3rd year candidate with a ring on his finger. Gary Zimmerman, Guard, LA/St.Louis 1984-1997 2nd year of eligibility Zimmerman lost out to House Ballard to be the first lineman into the hall, but he can still be the first guard named to the HOF, and we think he should be. A stalwart for the Express and Knights over his long career, Zimmerman gave up only 10 sacks in 14 years. Think about that for a second and ask yourself what higher praise a guard could receive. He was named All-USFL only twice, but that seems to have more to do with the issues surrounding his team than with his own play. Week Four brings us back to the East in division and the West in inter-divisional battles. A lot of good games that will help us sort out the contenders from the pretenders. We start on Friday Night when the Baltimore Blitz, a surprise at 2-1, head to New Jersey to take on the Generals. With Tom Brady back in action, New Jersey is hoping to get back to .500 with a win in front of a big crowd at the Meadowlands. On Saturday we have big games across the country, starting with Boston, another surprise 2-1 starter, at Jacksonville and Chicago @ Michigan. Then the 3:30 slot has Nashville @ Texas. The day caps off with the FOX Saturday Night Showdown as Memphis is in Portland. On Sunday we kick the day off with Ohio @ Pittsburgh, Philly at unbeaten Washington, and New Orleans at Houston. The late slot sees LA visiting Denver in what should be a good battle. Oakland is also in Arizona and Birmingham makes the long flight out to Seattle. Finally, our Sunday Night ESPN showcase game is a Floriday Derby with the Renegades traveling down the road to take on the Tampa Bay Bandits.

Week two and the early season storylines are beginning to form. Heath Shuler and the Memphis offense are proving the doubters wrong even in defeat. Ohio has now won 19 in a row. Pittsburgh, LA, and Denver are looking like early surprise contenders. Early concern in Orlando and Arizona, where back to back losses are not the start either club wanted, and New Jersey struggles without Tom Brady. All this plus some weird stories of what we are calling “Diva” behavior around the league. Let’s kick it off with our Game of the Week, which sees Houston’s defense hold off the Texas Outlaws and an “interesting” post-game comment. TEXAS OUTLAWS 17 HOUSTON GAMBLERS 20 A good game in NRG Stadium as the Outlaws get the win to move to 2-0 while the Outlaws drop to 0-2 and may have an issue in the locker room. While the game itself was a fun one, with both clubs showing some defensive prowess, the post-game was where the real fun began when “backup” QB Ryan Leaf went off on Coach Chan Gailey for selecting Jeff Lewis for his 2nd straight start. “I am the starter for this team. I would have won this game. That is just the truth. I know coach (Gailey) is feeling heat not to play me, but he needs to do what is best for the guys on this club, and I think it is pretty obvious I should be starting", said an irate Ryan Leaf in the locker room post game. He was immediately confronted by two teammates, who he attempted to brush off, but the damage was done. We may be looking at a split locker room in Texas, as the Outlaws are still clearly reeling from their late season collapse last year and may now be mired in a QB controversy in which one of the two potential team leaders is pretty vocal about his displeasure. Jeff Lewis would not comment on Ryan Leaf’s outburst, but it is well-known that the two barely speak with each other, and reports out of Texas seem to indicate a split loyalty among the offensive players. Not a good scene for the 0-2 Outlaws, but how did they get there? The blame really cannot be placed on Lewis, who had a decent game, completing 20 of 37 for 202 yards and a score with no picks. Texas also got 107 yards from HB Brian Westbrook, who was the biggest part of the Outlaw arsenal this week. Texas was able to move the ball on several drives but a 4 of 14 conversion rate on 3rd down and 7 team penalties did not help in a close game. For their part Houston also played well, with Matt Hasselbeck throwing for 2 scores and the HB duo of Faulk and Anderson accounting for 131 yards on the ground. Houston led throughout, starting the scoring with a Kevin Faulk run in the first. Texas equalized with Brian Westbrook’s sizzling 28-yard TD run in the 2nd. Houston would regain the lead on a 16-yard Antonio Freeman TD catch (the PAT was missed) and after a Lindell FG for Texas, the Gamblers and Outlaws went into the break with a 13-10 Gambler advantage. Houston got the only score of the 3rd quarter when Dan Campbell got free on a seam route and Matt Hasselbeck found him for a 28-yard scoring toss. Houston would then rely on their defense as the Outlaws were stymied on 3 straight drives before finally getting back on the board with 5:23 left in the game, Carl Pickens catching Jeff Lewis’s lone TD toss of the day. Texas kicked the ball back to Houston and the Gamblers were able to make a couple of key first downs, not punting the ball back to their in-state rivals until there were only 28 seconds left in the game. Houston looks very much like the club that used a high-pressure defense and a conservative, but low-risk offense to march to the Western Conference Title Game last year. Texas looks very much like a club still deeply wounded by yet another late season swoon that dropped them from a division title all the way to being outside of the playoffs looking in. And now, if the division we seen in the locker room and the disruptive outbursts of Ryan Leaf are any indication, the Outlaws may be in for a long contentious season. BAL 13 OHI 31 While the result on the field was much better for Ohio than Texas, the locker room strangeness was equally weird as WR Chad Johnson (2 catches for 31 yards and a score) also got into a heated moment with a reporter in the post-game, insisting that the reporter call him “Chad Ochocinco” (a play on the Spanish for his number 8-5) on multiple occasions. A bit of weirdness to be sure, but not a distraction from a comfortable win that saw Joey Galloway haul in 6 passes for 160 and 2 scores and the defense rattle Baltimore’s Jeff Garcia (2 picks, 3 sacks, and a costly late game fumble) to secure the win. MEM 24 BIR 30 An early season shootout in Birmingham as Brett Favre and Heath Shuler made both clubs’ defenses look woefully unprepared. The two combined for nearly 800 yards passing and 6 touchdowns as Birmingham built up a 30-17 lead and then held on as a furious Memphis comeback fell just short on the final play of the game, a Hail Mary that nearly ended up in Tydus Wynan’s hands before falling to the turf. Joe Horn and Lawrence Dawsey combined for 211 yards and 2 scores for Birmingham, while Justin McCaerins solidified his role as Heath Shuler’s new #1 WR with 6 receptions. Adrian Cooper also had another standout game, catching 2 of Shuler’s 3 TD passes, while rookie Kelley Washington added 88 yards and the 3rd TD for Memphis. NJ 6 PIT 39 Someone get Bill Grammatica a beer. The Pittsburgh kicker contributed 6 field goals and leads all kickers after 2 weeks as Pittsburgh took care of business against a punchless Todd Boumann-led Generals squad. Terrell Davis added 127 yards on the ground to power the Mauler offense, and the Defense sacked Boumann 4 times on the way to a convincing win. PHI 27 ORL 14 Orlando protected Joey Harrington and started Mark Bulger, which did not go well, with Bulger sacked 5 times as Philly built up a 27-0 lead after 3 quarters. Stephen Davis rushed for 110 and scored twice as Brian Griese got his first W as a member of the Stars. Griese completed 18 of 25 throws for a modest 185 yards, but also avoided the Orlando pass rush and protected the ball. DT Seth Payne was the defensive star for Philadelphia, earning POTG honors for his defensive run-stuffing, and a sack-fumble in the 4th that helped seal the win. OAK 14 LA 35 The Express continued their strong start with a convincing home win against in-state rival Oakland. LA’s defense sacked Marques Tuiasosopo 4 times, including a safety on the game’s opening drive, and the offense got 135 rushing yards from the combo of DeShaun Foster (80) and Antowain Smith (55) to power the win. Rookie Justin Fargas continued to struggle as the Oakland starter, gaining only 38 yards on 11 carries and was replaced for most of the second half by Mack Strong. DEN 25 ARZ 17 Denver toughed out a key divisional road win in Tempe thanks to the right foot of Jeff Wilkens, who kicked 6 field goals to go along with one lone Robert Holcombe TD run as Denver used their defense to upend the Wranglers. Marcellus Wiley did his best Leslie O’Neill impersonation, adding 2 more sacks, two of 6 the Gold got against Jake Plummer as they held him to -6 yards rushing and garnered 6 sacks on the day. SEA 14 POR 20 The Thunder win the Cascade Clash thanks in part to a Mark Simoneau pick-six of Seattle’s rookie QB Byron Leftwich. The defensive gem was the highlight of a pretty sloppy game in the rain of the Pacific Northwest. It was also a game marred by protests as fans held signs calling for the league to protect their team from relocation and no fewer than 3 fans rushed the field. Portland gets the win, but news this week did make them feel any better about retaining their team. NOR 44 NSH 22 A huge game for HB Ricky Williams is overshadowed by news on Monday as the halfback was found in violation of the league’s drug policy and suspended for 4 games. Williams rushed for 122 and also caught 4 balls, with 2 total TDs to power a rare offensive explosion for the Breakers, but on Monday the league announced that Williams had failed a random drug test and would be suspended for the next 4 games. This was the second time Williams failed a drug test as in the 2001-2002 offseason he also tested positive for marijuana and was issued a warning (typical for offseason testing). MGN 17 JAX 29 Jacksonville completely shut down the Michigan run game (12 yards for T.J. Duckett) and the offense did just enough to get a home win for the Bulls. Anquon Boldin again led all receivers as the Panthers held Terrell Owens without a catch for the first time since his rookie year. Kenny Bynum and unheralded rookie HB Fred Jackson combined for 101 yards rushing for the Bulls. CHI 27 BOS 9 Chicago bounced back from their opening loss to Ohio by ruining the home debut of the Boston Cannons. Boston was held to only 3 field goals as the Chicago defense dominated on a cold but snow-free day in Bean Town. Duce Staley rushed for 91 yards and 2 scores to lead the Machine offense. Boston could not get Tiki Barber on track (after a big Week 1), as the star of the Cannon offense rushed 22 times for only 35 yards, a paltry 1.6 YPC average. WSH 34 TBY 3 Washington’s defense is looking very scary and answering questions about how they would fare in the post-Jerome Brown era. They have yet to give up a TD this season as they hold Tampa Bay to only 3 points and utterly dominate the line of scrimmage. Deion Branch was Washington’s offensive star, catching both of Kordell Stewart’s TD passes. We even got to see some Scott Zolak action as the veteran backup finished up the game for the dominant Federals. DISCIPLINE A CONCERN? While there were plenty of on-field highlights this week, the big story seems to be the erratic, unwanted, or self-indulgent behavior of several players this week. In some cases, like that of Texas’s Ryan Leaf, the behavior is nothing new, but also quite detrimental to the team. In others, like the drug suspension of Ricky Williams, the bad choices of the player now impact the entire team. And in other cases, like Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson, the diva-like behavior is more comical than anything else. But what appears to be the common thread is that the league that was born with a goal of being more fun than the No Fun League (NFL) is dealing with some egos run amok. It is no surprise to anyone that former #1 pick Ryan Leaf is among the players being called selfish or self-absorbed. Leaf has had these issues before, in fact, they are one of the main reasons that Oakland decided to move on. In his first year with the Outlaws we saw glimpses of this, but Leaf was given the primary starting job and that seemed to calm the ego issues down. This year, with Chan Gailey naming Jeff Lewis to start the first two games of the season Leaf’s me-first attitude seems to have resurfaced and he is now an active concern for the club. Several years back, when then-Breaker HC Mike Ditka leveraged an entire draft to sign Ricky Williams, there were rumors of marijuana use. Those rumors persisted, and we did see Williams get a league warning a year ago when he tested positive for marijuana in off-season random testing. But now, with a second positive test, and this time during the season, the sanctions are much more severe. The Breakers are now looking at 4 games with Troy Davis as their main back. That is not what Coach Nolan wants for his team. And, to make matters worse, a 3rd positive would cost Williams an entire season, something the Breakers absolutely want to avoid at all costs. Finally, there is the weirdness that is Chad Johnson. Fresh off an unbeaten league title season, the success that Johnson has seen with Ohio seems to have given him some weird ideas of how to celebrate. Perhaps he is just trying to get a bit more attention in a crowded sky of stars for Ohio. Johnson has always been something of a prima donna, even at Oregon State (not an easy place to acquire press attention). Now, with Joey Galloway seen as the golden boy in Columbus, Johnson seems to be trying to gain a bit more limelight. The name change, along with some inventive TD celebrations, seem to be getting Johnson the attention he craves, but is it detrimental to the team? And, no roundup of weird player behavior would be complete without mentioning suspended HB Rashaan Salaam. After an absolutely bizarre incident 2 years ago in Denver, Salaam is a free agent, due to have his suspension expire as he is prepared to meet with league officials this week. Will a team take a shot on a very talented player, but one who has had issues with both drugs and criminal assault. Salaam got off without any jail time after the incident in 2000, but the fear is there that he is one bad decision away from major legal action as well as a potential lifetime ban from the league. We know the Gold have already stated that they are not interested in resigning the former Colorado Buffalo and club rushing leader. So who might be? Well, just look at the teams struggling to get a run game going. Oakland seems a potential target as rookie Justin Fargas has struggled. Tampa Bay is having trouble getting their rookie, Willis McGahee, rolling as well, and then there is Michigan, which has only 85 rushing yards after 2 weeks, with 2nd year HB T.J. Duckett being criticized for a lack of vision. Could one of these three clubs be willing to take a chance on Salaam? We may know within 1-2 weeks if the league does as expected and lifts the suspension, freeing up the HB to sign with any USFL (or NFL) club. Department of Defense We entered the season convinced that Washington’s defense would take a step back after the retirement of Jerome Brown, but the Feds have given up all of 6 points in their first 2 games as the defense has been utterly dominant. Now, we have to confess that they played most of their Week 1 game against the Generals with Tom Brady in the locker room, and this week’s foe, Tampa Bay, has not exactly been lighting it up either, but let’s give credit where it is due. The secondary in DC has been a no-fly zone, with CB’s Charles Woodson and Michael Booker making life miserable for opposing QB’s. Add to this a LB corps that has blitzed far more this year than we saw in the past 2-3 seasons. Michael Barrow, Dwane Rudd, and Al Wilson are all over the field, mixing up coverage and blitzes and keeping offensive lines guessing. And what about the DT position? Well, while a rotation of Jim Flanigan, Roderick Coleman, Reggie Rogers, and Kris Jenkins is certainly less intimidating than having Jerome Brown over the center, the 4-3 that Washington is employing is working, and the middle of the line is holding their own, allowin Greg Spires and Tony Brackens to get some one-on-one blocks. Combined with the timely blitzes being called up by Coach Hackett and his DC, Romeo Crenell, the line is doing just fine. Just look at the rushing totals as evidence. In Week 1 the Feds held Curtis Enis to only 45 yards on 13 carries, and this week against Tampa Bay, McGahee gained only 45 despite Tampa consistently feeding him the ball (26 carries, a 1.7 YPC average). So, for all you Feds fans who were worried that the club’s dominant D was a thing of the past, this has been a resounding “not so fast” in the first two weeks of action. Week two was a bad one around the league as we saw several starters who suffered significant injuries. Philadelphia may have gotten the W, but it was at a cost as starting center Steve McKinney could be lost for the season with a broken leg. In Chicago it is RT Marcus Spears who could be done for the year after what appears to be a complete tear of the hamstring on his right leg. Michigan has reported that FS Mike Prior could miss as much as 3 months after suffering a neck injury that required that he leave the field on a back board. Both Chicago and Philly are looking at multiple absences, as the Stars are also going to be without LB Sam Rogers for at least 4-6 weeks with a broken jaw after a nasty collision. Chicago’s veteran SS Anthony Prior could also miss 4-6 weeks due to a back injury that thankfully does not appear to be one capable of permanent damage. Others expected to be out at least 1-2 weeks include Ohio center Todd McClure, Texas guard Jorge Diaz, Jacksonille LB Keith Newman, Birmingham CB Torey James, and NJ TE Anthony Becht. New Coaches Seek To Change Dynamics We briefly looked at the 4 new head coaches in last week’s report. The news this week is that two of the four new team leaders got their first wins. The most impressive was that of Birmingham’s Dennis Franchione, as the Stallions’ offense began to gel and Birmingham won in a shootout against the red hot Memphis Showboats. Franchione has altered the Birmingham offense significantly, opening up the passing game by leaning heavily on 3 and 4 receiver sets. This is great news for the receiving corps, led by Lawrence Dawsey and new acquisition Joe Horn, but not as great for the TE group or for fullback Mike Alstott, who is just not seeing the field as often. While not the famous Run & Shoot of Jack Pardee and Mouse Davis, the new Birmingham offense is clearly a pass-first concept, trying to make use of the Stallions’ deep receiver group. What this means for Shaun Alexander and the run game remains to be seen. So far, after 2 games, Alexander has 39 carries, so his touches are not significantly down, but he is averaging only 2.7 yards per carry as he finds himself often without a FB or a TE on the field to help take on linebackers and give him a gap to run through. That seems counterintuitive, but if the goal is to focus on the pass, that may be the reality for Alexander. In Portland, Coach Vitt got his first win of the year against rivals Seattle. We had a sense of what his offense and defense would look like after last year’s interim games. His is a more traditional power-pro style offense, but what is weird is that he too is not running the ball as much as we might expect, especially in the bad weather of the Pacific Northwest this time of year. Looking at the stats, it is Akili Smith, running out of the QB position, who is leading all ballcarriers for the Thunder. Smith has 25 rushing attempts to only 8 for new acquisition Reuben Droughns. Now, part of that is scrambles on pass plays, and the offense has certainly leaned on the passing game as well, but we wonder why bring in a back like Droughns if you are not going to give him the ball? In Seattle, the struggles of a rookie QB are just going to be part of the story this year. Looking at what Marvin Lewis has brought in as far as schemes, we see first off a shift to a 3-4 hybrid system, placing a lot of emphasis on the athleticism of DE’s John Abraham and DT Gilbert Brown. The defense allows a lot of freedom to the LB corps and that does seem to be benefitting Takeo Spikes and Godfrey Miles, who are both starting off the season looking very strong. On offense, Lewis is playing things a bit conservatively, which is understandable with rookie Byron Leftwich at the helm. Feed the ball to Corey Dillon and use play action. So far that has not produced a W, and Leftwich has 6 picks in his first 2 games, but a big part of that is just the speed of the pro game. Finally, in Oakland, Dennis Green is also struggling to develop his passing game. Marques Tuiasosopo has not looked sharp, but the bigger issue is that the run game has been simply non-existent. Green went with rookie Justin Fargas over veteran Mack Strong, but so far neither is looking like the answer, with both backs averaging fewer than 3 yards per carry. On defense, Green’s strategy is a 3-3-5 look, with a focus on the passing game and zone coverage. Having only 6 lineman and backers on the field has led to some issues stopping the run, but has led to Roosevelt Colvin being among league leaders in sacks as he often deals with the HB as well as the TE in coverage. Green is known for his offenses, and that seems to be where the main issues lie right now. Can he get more from Tuiasosopo, and if not, will Jon Kitna get a shot to reclaim the starting position? 2004 Reebok Roster Announced Reebok, as they often do at the beginning of each season, announced this week the 3 clubs who are on the docket for a new look in 2004, and this year there is a bit of a surprise. Texas and New Orleans are two of the three, and both clubs have gone several years without an update, but the third club is Houston, which only switched to their current look a couple of years ago. That said, sales of the new look Houston jerseys have not been great, and many complain that the look is simply not one that fans like, heavy on side panels and shoulder yoke color blocks. Just what Reebok will do to update a look that is not very old will be interesting to see. Texas has hinted that their look may include a new primary logo, replacing the “Outlaw Jim” logo that has been on the helmet since the team began play in 1988. The Outlaws logo has been criticized because the blue star that sits behind the outlaw’s head does bear a striking resemblance to a certain “America’s Team” logo from up the road in Dallas. As for New Orleans, who have had the same iconic helmet design since their inception in Boston in 1983, albeit with a color shift away from bright blue towards teal after the move to the Big Easy, the question is whether a new look will be a tweak or a total reimagining of the cresting wave motif that has been a signature part of the Breaker look for 20 years. Honestly, the simplistic wave pattern of the helmet, while very innovative in 1983, does feel a bit dated in 2003. Could a new wave be on the way? Inter-conference play is on the docket for Week 3 of the USFL season as it is a battle of the cardinal directions with the Southeast hosting the Southwest, the Central hosting the Pacific, and the Northeast hosting the South. Among the most intriguing matchups we have a defensive showdown as Washington hosts the visiting Nashville Knights. Boston gets a 2nd chance at a first impression at Alumni Stadium as they host the 2-0 Denver Gold. Texas and Orlando face off at the Citrus Bowl in a battle of 0-2 teams that do not want to be 0-3. The Portland Thunder are in Pittsburgh to face the 2-0 Maulers. Chicago hosts Oakland and Michigan hosts LA as both Cali clubs may get a taste of foul weather. Ohio will go for 20 in a row as they host the 0-2 Seattle Dragons. Houston is in Tampa Bay, hoping to get to 3-0 as well. The Breakers begin their 4-game run without Ricky Williams in Philadelphia. Baltimore hosts Memphis and that powerful offense. New Jersey could see Tom Brady back under center as they host the Birmingham Stallions, and Jacksonville will look to move to 3-0 as they face off against an 0-2 Arizona club that cannot afford to start the year 0-3.

The new season begins much as last season ended, with Ohio looking dominant, Memphis also looking strong, and a lot of chaos everywhere else. It was a happy start to the new season for the newest club in the league, the Boston Cannons, as they earn a road win over a 2002 playoff team to kick things off. Not so great for New Jersey and QB Tom Brady, who took a finger to the eye and could miss up to 2-3 weeks right off the bat. We start our coverage with the game of the week, a nailbiter in N’awlins. PORTLAND 17 NEW ORLEANS 22 It was a festive mood for the season opener in the Big Easy as it seems that last month’s Mardi Gras was still in effect in the Super Dome. The Breakers welcomed the “new look” Portland Thunder to town. Portland is feeling optimistic after they ended last season with a late run to a division title and a playoff win. The Thunder have a lot of new faces on the roster, following a pre-draft trade that brought HB Reuben Droughns over from DC, and a bright and shiny new #1 receiver in former Panther Muhsin Muhammad. The Breakers largely stood pat, but “pat” was good enough to get them into the playoffs last year, so they are hoping that with just few breaks they can go all the way. Unlike some of the other games this first week of the year, the Super Dome assured that weather would not be a factor, but it could not do anything about injuries. On their 5th play of the game the Breakers saw their starting QB go down as Trent Dilfer got rolled up on his ankle. The good news is that it appears to only be a sprain, but Dilfer was done for the day. That made room for former Atlanta Fire QB Aaron Brooks to get some playing time. Brooks was rusty at first, completing only 3 of his first 9 passes, but he did get New Orleans an early field goal for the first points of the season. The Breaker defense was also a little rusty, as they blew containment on a bootleg by Akili Smith and the agile dual threat QB made them pay, bursting down the sideline on Portland’s second drive for 65-yards and a TD. Smith would be the Thunder’s leading rusher as New Orleans was able to contain both Correll Buckhalter and Reuben Droughns. Smith, on the other hand, found success running the ball, and his legs would account for both Portland TDs on the day. Down 7-3, New Orleans mounted a second field goal drive to pull within one, and Portland would add a 40 yard Carlos Huerta kick to make it a 10-6 halftime lead for the visiting Thunder. The second half saw a change of strategy as Coach Nolan adjusted his scheme to better utilize Brooks’ talents. Just 2 plays into the opening drive, he had Brooks fake to Williams, roll to his right and connect deep with Josh Reed. Reed slipped the tackle and the Breakers had their biggest play of the day, an 83-yard TD. Portland would respond, mounting a long 12-play drive that ended when Akili Smith found the corner on an option run to put the Thunder back up 17-13. But this would be the last time Portland would find paydirt. The remaining 22 minutes of action saw the Breaker defense tighten up on Smith’s receivers and contain him in the pocket. At the same time, Aaron Brooks would find his groove, hitting on 7 of 9 passes and leading New Orleans no two 4th quarter scoring drives to earn the W. After a short FG by new kicker David Green, New Orleans forced a 3-and-out by Portland and got the ball back with 2:34 left to play. The Breakers were feeling a comeback on the way and though it took them 9 plays to make it reality, the Thunder were unable to keep them out of the endzone. Brooks hit Josh Reed for his second TD of the game and New Orleans had a 22-17 lead. They went for 2 and the ball simply clunked off the hands of TE Bubba Franks, a rare flub on a day when the new Breaker TE caught 5 of 7 passes. Portland got the ball back with 1:22 left to play, but simply could not muster first downs needed to move down the field. The Breakers got the ball on downs after a failed 4th and 7 toss, and Aaron Brooks celebrated with the victory formation. A lot to like about the game from the Breaker standpoint and a few highlights Portland can take away as well. It was a typical opening week in the USFL in that several games were impacted by weather. In the Northeast it was a freezing rain with wind gusts as high as 30mph that impacted play in both Philadelphia and Washington. In the Bay Area it was a damp fog that made visibility tricky for the Invaders and Gamblers alike. The rest of the games were played in pretty decent weather for late March and scores were higher as a result. BAL 13 PHI 3 It was not a great day for a new QB to make a first impression. Brian Griese had played in some pretty wet games in Seattle, but this was a freezing rain and sleet mix with wind gusts as well. Both Griese and Jeff Garcia of Baltimore struggled to throw anything deeper than 10 yards, and it shows as both threw for no TDs and 2 picks apiece. We ended up with a sloppy field, a wet ball, and a low scoring affair that was won largely on Ron Dayne’s ability to slog through on a wet field. Dayne ran for 102 in the mire, and set up a 1-yard TD run by Travis Minor, a score that gave Baltimore a 10-3 lead they would not relinquish. NJ 3 WSH 16 Freezing rain and cold winds also impacted the Generals-Federals game, but not nearly as much as the hit that put Tom Brady out of commission. Brady had been having a rough day (7 of 12 with 2 picks) when he caught a finger in the eye, but that was all she wrote for the former Wolverine. Brady was taken to the locker room, and fortunately there is no damage to the eye itself, but there was a fracture to the eye socket, and that will cost Brady at least 2-3 weeks. For Washington the plan was to run Deuce McCallister, and they did, to the tune of 21 carries for 85 yards. McCallister would also score the only TD of the game, a 4-yard reception on a flat pass that helped Washington start the year 1-0. HOU 16 OAK 13 OVERTIME In a game that reminded many of the Fog Bowl in the NFL back in the 80’s, Oakland and Houston struggled to see far enough downfield to play any kind of vertical game at all. The broadcasters also struggled to make sense of a game they could barely see. At least in this game both clubs managed to find the endzone at least once, Oakland on a 2-yard TD catch by Johnny McWilliams, and Houston on a 2-yard Kevin Faulk run. Oakland’s Joe Nedney somehow found the uprights with 17 seconds left to send the game to overtime tied at 13, but in the extra period Oakland could not get points on the board, and on their first possession Houston set up Josh Brown for a 42-yarder and their new kicker earned his signing bonus, putting the ball through for a Houston win. BOS 20 ORL 13 Weather was not an issue in Florida, but the play of 2nd year QB Joey Harrington was, as the sophomore was pulled in the third after earning Orlando only 3 first downs in his first 5 drives. Marc Bulger came in and did quite a bit better, but at that point, down 20-0, it was too little too late. Boston fed the ball to Tiki Barber, and the veteran back responded, rushing 27 times for 156 yards, a 5.8 YPC average. Drew Bledsoe connected with new receiver Robert Ferguson for a score and TE James Whalen for a second as the Cannons start their new life with a win. JAX 21 TBY 10 The battle of Florida was solidly won by the Bulls as Jacksonville got 4 second half field goals from Kris Brown to turn a 10-9 deficit into a 21-10 win. Both teams struggled in the air as both Green and Delhomme each threw 2 picks, Zeke Moreno returning one of Delhomme’s poor throws for Tampa Bay’s only touchdown on the day. Rookie Anquon Boldin made a huge first impression for Jacksonville, leading all receivers with 8 catches for 102 yards and adding a TD to help the Bulls get the divisional win. CHI 21 OHI 31 The battles between the Machine and the Glory continue, and Ohio continues to get the upper hand as the Glory outgain Chicago 367-294, thanks in large part to a combined 109 yards rushing from Eddie George (looking fully back from his 2002 playoff injury) and rookie Musa Smith. Joey Galloway and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson both scored as well as Ohio makes an early statement. MGN 19 PIT 29 Patrick Surtain ran back a pick 33 yards for a score to help Pittsburgh build up a 23-7 lead and they would turn the ball over to Terrell Davis to close out the game. Davis would finish with 32 carries, a huge opening day tally. T.J. Duckett looked good for Michigan, but once they fell behind they had to pass the ball and abandon the run, and that simply did not work out for them despite Hines Ward’s 113 yard effort. DEN 27 BIR 14 Concerns about Denver’s defense may have been overblown as the Gold looked very solid against the spread offense that Coach Dennis Franchione installed in the past month. Franchione was a late hire by the Stallions who went through most of the offseason without a head coach in play. He had 4 weeks to develop a playbook and train up the Stallions into a very different offense than they had played in recent years. The lack of familiarity hurt them as Brett Favre was not able to maximize the talents of his new WR, Joe Horn. Denver also ran the ball well, with Robert Holcombe scoring twice and sharing carries with Rod Smart. ARZ 28 MEM 45 Memphis fans were very concerned about their roster after a flurry of big name departures this offseason, but if this game was any indication, they will be just fine. Heath Shuler had a monster game, throwing for 5 scores and 405 yards against the Wranglers. Adrian Cooper caught 6 for 186 and 3 scores for the Showboats and receiver Justin McCaerins stepped up as well, catching 6 for 125. Rooke Kelley Washington also made a great first impression, catching 4 for 50 and 2 TDs as the Showboats racked up points and yards in front of 54,000 at the Liberty Bowl. TEX 19 LA 21 A fun game in Farmers Insurance Field as the Express duked it out with the Outlaws. Texas went with Jeff Lewis as their season-opening QB and Lewis found connections with both Carl Pickens (5 receptions for 106 yards and a score) and TE Matt Schobel, but in the end the Express just had a bit more. Tory Holt and rookie TE L. J. Smith both caught TD passes from Cade McNown, and the DeShaun Foster scored the go-ahead touchdown as the Express open the year 1-0. SEA 23 NSH 33 USFL newcomers Marvin Lewis and Byron Leftwich had mixed results on opening week as the Dragons were competitive all game but eventually fell to the Nashville Knights. Leftwich would go 20 for 31 for 293 yards, 2 scores and a pick, not a bad day against the Nashville D. The Knights limited Corey Dillon to only 47 yards rushing and the Knights just kept plugging along as they scored 13 in the 4th quarter to take the win. ROOKIES ON THE FIELD AND ON THE SIDELINE GET THEIR FIRST ACTION We saw four new head coaches and a full slate of rookie players take the field this week. Who made a strong first impression and who has some growing to do? Here is our list of the stories that came out of new players and coaches in Week 1 of USFL Action New Head Coaches go 0-4 on Opening Day A rough opening for the league’s four new head coaches as all four fall to defeat this weekend. Joe Vitt got the full time job thanks to a strong performance as interim last year in Portland, but the Breakers had just a touch more to offer this week. Seattle’s Marvin Lewis is working with a rookie QB and a lot of new players on his roster, so time will be needed. For Oakland’s Dennis Green, the most experienced of the new coaching class, it was a rough game to gauge because the fog made any game plan immediately ineffective. And in Birmingham, Coach Dennis Franchione, who just 3 months ago was stepping down at Alabama, and only 29 days ago entered the Stallion coach’s room for the first time, it is clear that time will be needed to get his team on the same page. Boldin Bursts Out of the Gate Jacksonville’s rookie wideout Anquon Boldin wasted no time making a big impact. Not only did he break the 100-yard mark and score his first USFL touchdown, but he outgained Bulls’ veteran Terrell Owens to boot. Boldin looked polished, with crisp routes and good hands in his first game. That has to make Coach Cunningham feel good about the work of his GM this offseason. Other Good First Games Among the rookies who also had strong first games we count Seattle QB Byron Leftwich, who could not get the W, but had a solid first game with 293 yards passing (3rd in the league after 1 week). HB Musa Smith had only 8 carries for the Glory, but made the most of them, rushing for 31 yards and a score in his first pro action. Michigan TE Bennie Joppru rounds out our top offensive rookies for the week, catching 6 balls for 39 yards in the Panthers’ loss. On defense the rookies who impressed included Seattle CB Marcus Truffant (7 tackles), Houston LB Nick Barnett (6 Tackles), and Boston DE Ty Warren (4 Tck, 1 Sack). Not So Fast The game was a bit tougher for several other rookie players, with underwhelming first games. Among the bigger letdowns were Willis McGahee (13 carries for only 8 yards), Oakland HB Justin Fargas (12 carries for 17 yards), Michigan wideout Charles Rogers (1 catch for 3 yards) and Chicago wideout Brandon Lloyd (2 catches for 14 yards). It is way too early to gauge anything from this, but as first impressions go, they could have been a lot better. TEAM CAPTAINS NAMED It is a right of passage, each season in the days leading up to opening weekend, after the final cuts and practice squads are set for the week, the players gather and select their team captains. These are the players who will be expected to lead by example, to rally the troops when things are going wrong, and to keep everyone focused on the prize when they are going well. It is an honor that players take very seriously and one that indicates just who is viewed by each team as a leader and a guy to respect. Here are your USFL Team Captains for 2003, Offense, Defense, and Special Teams: ARZ: QB Jake Plummer, LB Broderick Thomas, CB Fred Smoot BAL: WR Rob Moore, DT John Randall, K Martin Grammatica BIR: QB Brett Favre, CB Deion Sanders, SS Kwammie Lassiter BOS: HB Tiki Barber, LB London Fletcher, CB Tyrone Poole CHI: QB Jeff George, LB Brian Urlacher, FS George Teague DEN: QB Mark Brunell, SS Sean Lumpkin, P Todd Sauerbrun HOU: WR Antonio Freeman, CB Ronde Barber, SS Chris Carter JAX: T Antone Davis, LB Mike Vrabel, P Chris Mohr LA: T Jonathan Ogden, LB Mo Lewis, LB John Holecek MEM: QB Heath Shuler, FS Tebucky Jones, K Jeff Hall MGN: QB Drew Brees, LB Ted Johnson, CB Deltha O’Neal NSH: HB Ahman Green, SS Rodney Harrison, K Ryan Longwell NJ: QB Tom Brady, DE Phil Hansen, FS Brian Dawkins NOR: QB Trent Dilfer, LB Lamar Lathon, HB Troy Davis OAK: C Jeff Saturday, LB Kailee Wong, SS Torrian Gray OHI: QB Kerry Collins, DT La’Roi Glover, CB Corey Raymond ORL: WR Donald Driver, DT Pat Williams, CB Fernando Bryant PHI: G Ruben Brown, DE Regan Upshaw, SS Je’Rod Cherry PIT: HB Terrell Davis, LB DeMetrius DuBose, P Tom Rouen POR: TE Lonnie Johnson, DE Hugh Douglas, CB Will Allen SEA: T Lomas Brown, SS John Lynch, HB Brian Mitchell TBY: G Steve Hutchinson, LB Kevin Mitchell, K Mike Vanderjagt TEX: G Leonard Davis, LB Tedi Bruschi, CB Jimmy Hitchcock WSH: QB Kordell Stewart, CB Charles Woodson, K Doug Pelfrey Protect the QB Week one saw three different QB’s taken out of games, and while Tom Brady appears to be the only one of the three who will miss next week’s game, it is a reminder how important it is to protect the franchise QB if you have one. Brady could miss 3 weeks with a fracture to his maxillary orbital bone in his right eye. In New Orleans there was a scary moment when it appeared Trent Dilfer had suffered a significant ankle injury, only to find out later that it was not a tear, only a strain, leaving Dilfer as “questionable” for Week 2. Joey Harrington also had to leave the game for Orlando with a hip pointer, but it could have been worse. The message to the league, yes, there are rules to protect the QB, but you better also prioritize your offensive line and develop a playbook that keeps QB safety in mind as well. You want a promising season to go south quickly, lose your starting QB and see what happens. We have talked a bit about the Tom Brady injury, but have not discussed New Jersey’s plan. Right now the plan appears to be to start Todd Boumann, who came into the Washington game as Brady’s backup. Boumann has been in the league since 1997, but next week will be his first start as a pro. The 2nd QB will be 8-year backup John Walsh. Outside of the QB position there were some injuries that deserve mention. Oakland lost a big piece of their offensive line as guard Brendan Stai could miss up to 3 months with a torn ACL. In Chicago there is concern for SS Anthony Prior, who suffered a back injury in the game at Ohio. Early indications is that there is not a fracture and that Prior could return within 4-6 weeks. Birmingham lost two starters at least for Week 2 as TE Walter Reeves (groin) and CB Torey James (wrist) are confirmed to be out this week. Seattle’s rookie LB Mike Maslowski left the game with a jammed toe, and is doubtful to play this week. Others listed as doubtful or questionable include Tampa OT Andre Johnson, Seattle captain and SS John Lynch, Maulers OT Korey Stringer, and Orlando’s Joey Harrington (as noted above). BEST STADIUM EXPERIENCES UP FOR DEBATE Every summer fans from across the country make pilgrimages to see USFL football. Whether it is reconnecting with your favorite team, hitting the road to experience a new stadium, or just being in the right spot in the summer to catch a game, there are always a lot of out-of-town fans who find their way to USFL games each spring and summer. So which stadiums are the ones to visit if you can? Which teams have as much excitement in the stands as on the field? We have put together our favorite USFL off-field experiences and stadium features, so that as you plan your vacation you might consider checking out not just a game but an experience in one of the USFL’s 24 stadia. Here are the top 10 USFL Stadium experiences as voted by our writers. Let’ the debates begin. Singing “Hang on, Sloopy” in Ohio Stadium. It is not a new tradition, but one borrowed from Ohio State games, but that does not make it any less fun. Join the Gambler faithful as they sing Kenny Roger’s classic song at the end of the 3rd quarter. You all know the words, and nothing says Gamblers like a rousing rendition of the classic country tune. Come for the game, stay for the car show. Michigan Panther games at the SilverDome became an event for car enthusiasts as well, as every home game had as part of its pregame tailgate a classic car rally in the E-lots. That tradition has been carried over to Ford Field, so show up early and check out the style of classic muscle cars and hot rods outside the stadium. If cocktails and BBQ are more your thing, then you absolutely want to catch a game at Legion Field, where the adult beverages are flowing, the music is rockin’, and the smokers are producing some of the best pregame fare in the league. Rocky Mountain High in Denver. No, we are not talking about any controlled substances, we are talking about another classic singalong, this time during pregame and at the half, when the whole stadium joins together with John Denver’s classic love song to the state of Colorado “Rocky Mountain High”. The Wave. Yes, there are folks in Seattle who say they invented it for their NFL club, but if you want to experience a truly powerful wave, get yourself to New Orleans for a Breakers game. Not only are the fans well-lubricated, and fully voiced, but they can legitimately claim that their team name gives them special enthusiasm for the wave as a gesture of their fandom. Eat well, cheer well. Food is such a huge part of the experience of a football game and no venue does it better than the Alamo Dome. What do you want? Classic Texas brisket? The best stadium burritos in the country? Maybe even some Vietnamese Bahn Mi? The AlamoDome has got you covered. Early season snowball fights. While not officially sanctioned by any team in the league, we have seen plenty of really festive snowball fights in March in places like Denver, Philly, Columbus, Chicago, or Pittsburgh. More often than not they are lighthearted and a ton of fun during pregame, but do be carefull in Philly where a bad Stars team and a late March blizzard can lead to some less-than-lighthearted shenanigans. The Oakland Invader pre-game flyover. This is something you absolutely want to see as the Invaders go well beyond the 1-3 plane formations, we see at many sporting events in the USA. Whether it is stealth bombers, a fighter squadron, WW2 racing planes, or a formation of Apache Helicopters getting so close you wonder if they will blow the beer out of your hand. Oakland knows how to up the wow factor with their gametime flyovers. The National Anthem in RFK. We know, we know, it’s just the anthem. Every team does it. But no one does it quite like the Federals. Full military band, fireworks, honor guard, troops in formation, and a huge U.S. Flag. And this is not just a post-9/11 thing started last year, the Feds have been doing this since the late 1980’s. It is like the best 4th of July tradition, but it is 7 or 8 times a year at every Federals home game. One week down, 13 to go, and we go into Week 2 with a flip of the script from our opening week. The Eats will be in interdivisional play and the West will kick off their divisional rivalry games. We have two in-state battles and a few classic rivalry games to look forward to. It’s Texas at Houston in the first of two Lonestar Wars this season. In California, its NoCal visiting SoCal as the Invaders head down to LA to kick off division play. We also get a Cascade Clash in Week 2 as Seattle and Portland, both with new head coaches, battle it out at Civic Stadium. Denver is in Arizona in what has become a pretty heated rivalry between two teams with very different personalities. In the South we have Nashville hosting New Orleans, with only 1 team able to start off 2-0. And in Birmingham the Stallions host their nemesis, the Showboats. Expect a huge crowd at Legion Field for that one. In the Eastern Conference we don’t have the drama of divisional play, but we have some intriguing matchups nonetheless. New Jersey is at Pittsburgh, hoping Todd Boumann can surprise the Maulers. Washington is in Tampa Bay where the Bandits need to find their offense. Chicago will be the first foe for the Cannons in their new Alumni Stadium home. The game has been sold out for months, so it should be a loud one. Philly will visit Orlando and Michigan visits Jacksonville as both northern clubs get some Florida sun early in the season. Baltimore, not so much sunny, as they have to head to Columbus to face the Glory, who have now won 18 straight. Week two, people. Get ready for it!

If you thought all the big stories came out of the Eastern Conference this offseason, you were wrong. For every wild trade, draft surprise, and free agent scramble we saw in the East, there was just as much craziness out West. Not to mention the fact that we have 2 Western Conference clubs in the middle of major ownership and stadium chaos. It is just as wild if not wilder in our second season preview. We start, as we did with Part 1, with team by team analysis of the offseason. SOUTHERN DIVISION MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 2002: 11-3, First in South, Lost in Summer Bowl 2002 Retirements: G M. Hutson, SS A. Walton, FB L. Centers, WR T. Dixon, CB R. Young Free Agent Departures: DT J. Von Der Boeck (NFL), HB G. Hearst (NFL), WR J. Horn (BIR), TE J. Mitchell (TEX), HB B. Gay, SS B. Myers, C B. Kronenburg, WR C. Wilson New Veteran Arrivals: CB Jason Simmons (NFL), LB Hannibal Navies (NFL), FB D. Shelton (OHI), HB D. Levins (ARZ), C Corey Raymer (MGN) Rookies to Watch For: G Taylor Whitley (TAMU), WR Kelley Washington (Tenn), WR Sam Aiken (UNC), TE Aaron Walker (Florida), WR Taco Wallace (K-State) The Biggest Offseason Story: If we don’t talk about St. Louis, then the big story is the mass of retirements and free agent losses the Showboats suffered. They lost their All-USFL receiver, Joe Horn, their top rusher, Garrison Hearst, and their All-USFL fullback, Larry Centers. That is a lot, and that is only the starters. Memphis was hit hard. Did they recover? Well, signing the running combo of HB Dorsey Levins and FB Damion Shelton is a great start. Receiver is a concern, which is why Memphis drafted three of them, including Volunteer standout Kelley Washington. Team Outlook: Is it rebuilding or reloading? Feels a bit like the former. We are just not sure how deep the offseason departures will hurt the conference champions, we just know that this much change likely will lead to a slow start for the Showboats. Predicted Finish: We are going to pick Memphis to drop quite a bit this year, down to 7-7 and borderline for a Wild Card. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 2002: 8-6, 2nd in South, Lost in Divisional Round Retirements: QB B. Hoying, WR R. Brown, DT J. Wahler Free Agent Departures: FB D. Greene (NFL), TE S. Johnson (NFL), G B. Olson, TE S. Gailbreath, WR I. Byrd (BOS), G. K. Blackmon, K. L. Elliott New Veteran Arrivals: TE Bubba Franks (Trade-WSH) Rookies to Watch For: G Ben Sobieski (Iowa), WR Kevin Curtis (Utah St), DT Kenny Peterson (Ohio St), lB Bradie James (LSU) The Biggest Offseason Story: If Memphis is the team with the most turnover, New Orleans is one of the clubs that saw the fewest departures. Yes, losing Bobby Hoying as a backup QB is unfortunate, but the bigger loss is WR Raynard Brown, Trent Dilfer’s favorite target. New Orleans tried and failed to land Joe Horn, so they settle on their current receivers and a promising rookie in Utah State’s Kevin Curtis. Team Outlook: The Breakers are largely intact from last year, and have a chance to step up and overtake Memphis in the division. We just don’t think they drafted well. Not a lot of huge impact players for the Breakers, and their roster just does not look better than last year. Predicted Finish: We are picking them to stay in 2nd place at 8-6 NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 2002: 8-6, Third in South, Lost in Wild Card Round Retirements: LB D. Smith Free Agent Departures: DE A. Edwards (SEA), DT J. Manley (MGN), CB D. Townsend (TEX), HB B. Olivo, WR K. Lockett (WSH), DT S. Evans New Veteran Arrivals: HB Leon Johnson (NFL) Rookies to Watch For: DE Osi Umenyiora (Troy), DT Anthony Adams (PSU), G Reggie Wells (Clarion), LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (Vandy) The Biggest Offseason Story: The biggest story in Nashville has to be the lack of effort put into free agency. Leon Johnson from the NFL is the only addition. With a club that lost some solid contributors in DT John Manley, DE Anthony Edwards, and WR Kevin Lockett, we are just not sure why Nashville was not more aggressive. Team Outlook: For as much as we critique Nashville’s free agent strategy, their draft was pretty solid. We love what we see from umenyiora in camp and LB Hunter Hillenmeyer may move from special teams to the starting lineup pretty quickly if his preseason work is any indication of what we should expect. Predicted Finish: We are picking Nashville to resume the position they held in St. Louis for so long, top of the division. 10-4 this year as a big riser. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 2002: 7-7, 4th in South Retirements: HB P. Chaffey, G J. Richard Free Agent Departures: WR D. Jackson (NFL), DT J. Salave’a (OAK), G L. Friedman (TBY), LB H. Crockett (PHI). K O. Mare, FB N. Goings New Veteran Arrivals: K Mike Hollis (NFL), LB Wali Rainier (NFL), G Doug Brzezinski (NFL), WR Joe Horn (MEM), SS Lawyer Milloy (MGN), TE Troy Drayton (LA) Rookies to Watch For: DT Johnathan Sullivan (UGA), G Steve Sciullo (Marshall), HB Ahmad Galloway (Bama), WR Kassim Osgood (SDSU) The Biggest Offseason Story: Stealing Joe Horn to be their possession guy opposite Lawrence Dawsey was amazing, stealing him from arch rival Memphis was even better. But it did not stop there. Birmingham was aggressive this offseason. The addition of Lawyer Milloy is a huge upgrade at safety. Adding Troy Drayton can only help Brett Favre, and snagging NFL kicker Mike Hollis is just the cherry on top. Team Outlook: We like what Birmingham has done this year. Seems they recognize that Brett Favre cannot do it all himself (he is no spring chicken anymore), so bring in a quality receiver and a TE, then draft a slot receiver in Kassim Osgood and suddenly the Stallions look like an offense that could cause problems. Predicted Finish: We are bullish on Birmingham, but we are still thinking .500 is the goal, we see them at 6-8 or 7-7 despite the upgrades. SOUTHWEST DIVISION HOUSTON GAMBLERS 2002: 8-5-1, 1st in SW, Lost in Conference Championship Retirements: LB P. Swilling, G T. Kalis Free Agent Departures: CB W. Williams (PHI), WR C. Tillman, K C. Boniol New Veteran Arrivals: FS L. Evans (BAL), K D. Silvestri (OHI) Rookies to Watch For: LB Nick Barnett (Oregon St), CB Sammy Davis (TAMU), WR Bethel Johnson (TAMU), G Kris Dielman (Indiana), K Josh Brown (Nebraska), HB Erik Bickerstaff (Wisc) The Biggest Offseason Story: The retirement of Pat Swilling is likely the biggest hit for the Gamblers this offseason. Swilling was an emotional leader for the Houston defense, and while the Gamblers will certainly find someone (perhaps rookie Nick Barnett) to fill his roster spot, the ability to replace that kind of leadership is hard to gauge. Team Outlook: Houston looks like an early favorite, particularly if Memphis slips back a bit. The Gamblers had a very good playoff run last season and they still have most of their squad intact, which is more than many others can say. They did not do much in free agency, but their draft could provide some assistance, with potential contributors by midseason at several positions. Predicted Finish: Sometimes standing still is enough to not fall back. We see 9-5 and a division repeat for the Gamblers. ARIZONA WRANGLERS 2002: 8-6, 2nd in SW, Lost in Wild Card Round Retirements: None Free Agent Departures: QB A.J. Feely (NFL), G P. Ostrowski (NFL), FB R. Anderson (BOS), HB D. Levins (MEM), G T. Claridge (DEN) New Veteran Arrivals: QB Tony Banks (NFL), HB Stanley Pritchett (NFL), G C. Johnson (OHI) Rookies to Watch For: G Montrae Holland (FSU), FB B.J. Askew (Michigan), CB Asante Samuel (UCF), T Marques Ogden (Howard), LB Lance Briggs (Ariz), WR Bobby Wade (Ariz), HB Earnest Graham (Florida) The Biggest Offseason Story: It has to be the snubbing Arizona received from ASU Defensive End Terrell Suggs. Viewed as a “must sign” prospect from right in their backyard, Arizona rolled out the red carpet, and Suggs still opted to join the NFL Ravens instead. That has got to hurt, particularly with DE being a clear need for the Wranglers. Team Outlook: Arizona has good talent on both sides of the ball, but they tend to be inconsistent. We like the look of rookie CB Asante Samuel, and they may have found a solid contributor in LB Lance Briggs, but there are still many in the Valley who are upset that they lost out on Terrell Suggs. Once again, for what seems like the umpteenth time, Arizona is looking to rework their run game. Gone are Dorsey Levins and FB Richie Anderson and in their place we have rookie B. J. Askew, NFL halfback Stanley Pritchett, and another rookie, Florida’s Earnest Graham. Coach Still says that the run game is a priority, but we have heard this song before and each year it seems that it is QB Jake Plummer who leads the club in rushing. Predicted Finish: We are going to bet on Arizona to once again hang near .500 all year. 7-7 and 3rd in the SW. TEXAS OUTLAWS 2002: 7-6-1, Third in SW Retirements: DE J. Bosa Free Agent Departures: WR L. Dawson (NFL), HB E. Pegram (NFL), FB R. Booker, DT K. Von Oelhoffen, TE F. Wainright, QB T. Graziani New Veteran Arrivals: C Joe Zelenka (NFL), WR Ike Hilliard (NFL), CB DeShea Townsend (NSH), TE Johnny Mitchell (MEM), WR Kevin Lockett (NSH) Rookies to Watch For: DT Cory Redding (Texas), QB Chris Simms (Texas), G Derrick Dockery (Texas), DE Andrew Williams (Miami) The Biggest Offseason Story: The collapse at the end of last season tainted the entire offseason for Texas. Fans are just fed up with a strong March and April and a midsummer swoon each June. The good news is that Texas had a solid draft and landed one of the bigger names in the NFL transfer window. Ike Hilliard should fit in nicely opposite Carl Perkins as a starting wideout for the Outlaws. Among the rookies, DT Cory Redding and G Derrick Dockery look like they will be given a chance to start the year in regular rotation on the field. Team Outlook: Texas has the talent to be better than .500, possibly to even win the division, but they have got to figure out who they are. That starts with getting a full year of play out of QB Ryan Leaf. Leaf played relatively well last year before injuries forced him out at the end of the year. I know it seems we say this every year, but if Leaf can regain his rookie year form, the Outlaws have a real shot. Predicted Finish: We like Texas for 2nd place at 8-6. DENVER GOLD 2002: 6-8, 4th in SW Retirements: DE L. O’Neill, CB B. Pickens, T W. Wheat Free Agent Departures: DE R. Porcher (NFL), DT P. Grasmanis (BAL), SS L. Lee New Veteran Arrivals: S Dexter Jackson (NFL), WR Brandon Stokley (NFL), G Tony Claridge (ARZ) Rookies to Watch For: DE Chris Kelsay (Nebr), LB Kawika Mitchell (USF), T Dustin Rykert (BYU), CB Terrence McGee (NW State), CB Blue Adams (Cinci) The Biggest Offseason Story: The Gold lost three superstars on defense all in one offseason. Between the retirement of Leslie O’Neill and Bruce Pickens, and then the loss of Robert Porcher to the NFL, the Gold are reeling. That defense is not going to be the same force we have come to expect. While we like new additions like rookies Kawika Mitchell and Chris Kelsay, we are not sure Denver did enough to keep themselves out of the basement in a tough and balanced SW division. Team Outlook: The defense will have to retool. The offense is still trying to recover from the whole Rashaan Salaam debacle. and you know that will only get more problematic when Salaam's suspension ends in April. He is no longer protected on Denver's roster, but that won't stop fans from making the case that Denver needs him back, while others want nothing to do with him, so more chaos for a team that does not deal with chaos well. Predicted Finish: We think another 4th place finish seems likely. Perhaps as low as 5-9 or 4-10 this year. PACIFIC DIVISION PORTLAND THUNDER 2002: 7-7, First in Pacific, Lost in Divisional Round Retirements: HB N. Kaufmann Free Agent Departures: DT K. Pritchett (NFL), CB C. Sawyer, DE J. Frank, TE R. Brady New Veteran Arrivals: WR Muhsin Muhammad (MGN), HB Reuben Droughns (Trade-WSH), DE Mike Jones (Trade-BAL) Rookies to Watch For: DE Michael Haynes (PSU), HB Onterrio Smith (Oregon), DT Nick Eason (Clemson), CB Chris Johnson (Lville), DT Langston Moore (So Car) The Biggest Offseason Story: Coach Joe Vitt got the “interim” removed from his title and then went to work this offseason. The Reuben Droughns trade created a lot of enthusiasm in Portland, despite the ownership crisis. Adding Muhsin Muhammad means even more for the offense to work with. The defense still needs a bit more beef, but adding DE Michael Haynes from Penn State is a good step. The real worry now is that this team will start to show signs of life just as the ownership collapses and it may be Las Vegas and not Portland that benefits. Team Outlook: If you ask Thunder fans the position that causes them the most grief it is nearly unanimous, quarterback. They just don’t trust that Akili Smith can string together strong games. He has flashes and then falls into some pretty low lows. The other pieces are coming together, so now it is up to Coach Vitt to get the most out of his young quarterback. Predicted Finish: We think Portland is in the running, but this is a division that can turn on a dime, so we are not confident that a repeat title is at all certain. 8-6 and 2nd in the division is our pick. OAKLAND INVADERS 2002: 6-8, 2nd in Pacific Retirements: DT T. Johnson Free Agent Departures: WR F. Solomon (NFL), DT C. Veasey (NFL), HB R. Thomas (NFL), G F. Middleton, WR G. Barnette New Veteran Arrivals: DT John Thornton (NFL), G Cameron Spikes (NFL), G C. Johnson (OHI) Rookies to Watch For: LB Tully Banta-Cain (Cal), T Kwame Harris (Stanford), TE Teyo Johnson (Stanford), DE Israel Idonije (Manitoba), DE Robert Mathis (Alab AM), HB Justin Fargas (USC), WR Taylor Jacobs (Florida) The Biggest Offseason Story: Another story of a missed opportunity. Just as we saw with Arizona and Terrell Suggs, Oakland had their own big swing and a miss with USC’s Carson Palmer. Palmer opted to join the NFL Bengals, who supposedly offered nearly $5M more per year than Oakland was willing to provide. That is a huge gap, and what it means is that Oakland, for all their roster movements this year, may still not be feeling too good about their QB tandem of Kitna and Tuiasosopo. Team Outlook: Outside of the QB position, Oakland went pretty low key. Their losses to free agency were modest, as were their acquisitions. Their draft was pragmatic but not splashy other than the failed efforts to get Carson Palmer to town. Justin Fargas should see some carries for the Invaders, and the coaches have been praising small college standout Robert Mathis on the edge. Predicted Finish: We could easily see Oakland sneak past Portland into 1st place, but we could also see them mired in mediocrity again. Our pick is 3rd place at 7-7. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 2002: 5-9, 3rd in Pacific Retirements: SS C. Lake, DT C. McGlockton Free Agent Departures: WR M. Pritchard (NFL), C M. Tucker (NFL), QB G. Foley (NFL), T B. Brockmeier (BAL), CB I. Smith, DT C. Hunt, TE T. Drayton (BIR) New Veteran Arrivals: DT Daryl Gardener (NFL), P Toby Gowin (NFL), QB Shane Matthews (NFL), DE Israel Ifeanyi (ORL), DT Travis Kirschke (WSH), WR Dez White (JAX) Rookies to Watch For: TE L.J. Smith (Rutgers), SS Troy Polamalu (USC), T Brett Williams (FSU), CB Ricky Manning (UCLA), WR Arnaz Battle (NDame) The Biggest Offseason Story: Two stories seemed to resonate in LA, first that they lost a lot of talent in the offseason between retirement and free agency, but second tha they had a draft that got the fans pretty excited about the future. Losing Carnell Lake, Chester McGlockton, Mike Pritchard and Blake Brockmeier all feel like significant losses to a team that disappointed last season. But, what has fans excited is a draft class that includes USC safety Troy Polamalu, who will step into Lake’s role; Brett Williams, who could see some action at LT, Ricky Manning, and Arnaz Battle. L.J. Smith may also get quite a bit of action for the Express as well. Add to this a pretty solid free agent haul of their own and LA has reason to be optimistic. Team Outlook: Coach Hall has seen this before, up and down seasons, where one year the club can win the division and the next year they bottom out. It is not a trend most fans want to see, but after a bad year it does provide some optimism that the club can quickly bounce back. We still see too much talent on this roster for LA to stay down. Expect a bounceback year. Predicted Finish: We are going to join in on the optimism and say 9-5 and 1st place for the Express. SEATTLE DRAGONS 2002: 4-10, 4th in Pacific Retirements: LB E. Robinson Free Agent Departures: LB L. Kirkland (NFL), DT D. Sasa, HB J. Henley, QB G. Carmazzi, WR C. Carpenter New Veteran Arrivals: DT Brandon Noble (NFL), LB Mike Maslowski (NFL), DE Anthony Edwards (NSH), WR J.J. Stokes (WSH) Rookies to Watch For: QB Byron Leftwich (Marshall), CB Marcus Trufant (Wash St), LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (Hawaii), S Terrance Holt (NC State), C Wayne Lucier (Colorado), TE Visanthe Shiancoe (Morgan St), G Vince Manuwai (Hawaii) The Biggest Offseason Story: The trade, no doubt. The Dragons cut bait on Brian Griese, who was something of an underappreciated commodity in Seattle, and in so doing end up with two draft picks in the top 3. What did they do with those picks? They landed the player they see as their QB of the future in Marshall’s Byron Leftwich, and perhaps the best safety in the draft not named Polamolu in Terrance Holt from NC State. Add to that two quality defenders from the T-Draft in WSU’s Marcus Trufant and Hawai’i’s Pisa Tinoisamoa and you have a really exciting draft class. Team Outlook: You cannot expect the rookie class to jump right in and immediately turn around the Dragons’ fortunes. Seattle made some good moves but essentially leveraged this year against the future. We expect it to be rough at first, but we like the building blocks they have put in place for the future. Predicted Finish: Our prediction is a rough 4 or 5 win season, but with significant growth. 4-10, 4th in West. OUR PICKS FOR THE WESTERN CONFERENCE Once again we turned to some of the stars from one conference to give us their top picks for some surprise contenders for the West. What did these Eastern Conference stars have to say about the best players and teams from out West? Eddie George, HB, Ohio: “You know I am going to say that you have to run the ball to be successful in this or any league, and when I look at LA with Antowain Smith and DeShaun Foster, I see a team that can move the rock. Yes, they have issues, but when you can run, and you have a QB like Cade (McNown), there is a lot you can get done.” Kordell Stewart, QB, Washington: “When I look out West, I see a lot of offenses that can scare you, but the only defense that really makes me worry is that Houston D. Those guys will just straight up punch you in the mouth. They came close last year, and I think they only got better.” Phil Hansen, DE, New Jersey: “I know they have had some down years, and they are not a trendy pick, but I would keep my eye on the Birmingham Stallions. Brett Favre is still the man, and that team, if they can get their scheme right, can rack up 35 points on anyone. That is dangerous.” Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago: “For me the scariest guy to face in the entire league is Jake Plummer. The man just throws his body into danger to get the job done. You have to respect that. Does Arizona have enough outside of “The Snake” to get there this year? I don’t know, but I do know from experience that dealing with Plummer can make a defense crazy.” Randy Moss, WR, Tampa Bay: “I have to go with my man, Byron Leftwich, a Marshall man. You have him out there in Seattle with Corey Dillon, David Boston and now they get J.J. (Stoke) too. That could be something to watch. Yes, he is a rookie, but you watch this kid. He is going to light it up out there.” Our All-USFL commentators were about as diverse of opinion for the West as they were for the East, which may be a sign that things could be wide open this year, or may just mean that everyone is still looking up at Ohio and wondering how to knock them off the mountaintop. We do think Memphis is rebuilding after a very rough offseason, and so our favorite to take the West is last year’s #2 seed, the Houston Gamblers. They have one of the toughest defenses in football, and their offense is good enough to keep the pressure off and play some complementary ball. It may be close out west, with a lot of teams staying active in the playoff hunt down to the wire, but we see Houston coming out on top. As for the Western Conference Award winners, it is a pretty diverse bunch as well, with a lot of disagreement in our bullpen about just who comes out on top. MVP: While the MVP is almost always a QB, we look at the West and we are not sure who could take on that role. Jake Plummer in Arizona is a candidate. Favre always has the numbers but this would require the Stallions as a team to rise up in a way they have not in recent years. Heath Shuler seems like he could struggle without Joe Horn or Garrison Hearst alongside him. So, we are going to double down on our pick for a resurgence within the LA Express, and that gives the award to Cade McNown. Are we confident here? No, not at all, but it is no worse than any other option. Offensive POTY: This award really should go to a player who basically carries his team, and there is no better example of that than Corey Dillon in Seattle. Especially now, with a rookie QB at the helm, we expect Dillon to be a true workhorse, and he has shown that he can carry a big load. Expect Dillon to be right there in the hunt with the big dogs like Ahman Green, Terrell Davis and Tiki Barber, but in his case, he could be far more important to any success his squad has. Defensive POTY: We picked Houston to win the conference title, so that means the D was up to snuff, and that D runs through the D-line and its dual threat edge rushers. So, take your pick between Kavika Pittmann and Michael Sinclair. Pittman tends to get the edge on sacks, so we lean towards him as the stronger candidate, but you likely won’t see much distance between the two. Can we split the award? Rookie of the Year: While the temptation is to say Byron Leftwich simply because we know he is the starter from Day One, Seattle could struggle, so perhaps the better option is to look for a high impact player on a team that could win 9 or 10 games. If that is the criteria, we are going to keep our eyes on Troy Polamalu out in LA. He too should start from Day One, and if LA are as resurgent as we expect, he could have a big year as a rookie. Coach of the Year: We picked LA to rebound and once again claim the Pacific title, and if that happens, we could easily see Galen Hall once again being a Coach of the Year. I guess that’s a perk of tending to have teams that rise and fall quickly.

We begin our two-part preview of the USFL Season by looking at the Eastern Conference, home to the past two league champions. The whole league is wondering if they will again be chasing the Ohio Glory, last year’s unbeaten champion. We are all aware that no team has ever repeated as champion of the USFL, and we have had 10 different champions in the past 10 years, so the odds against Ohio are daunting. So just who is prepared to take them on? Will the challenge come from within their own division, perhaps the defensive fortitude of Chicago? Or could we see a young QB like Tom Brady of New Jersey step up to challenge the Glory? Can Orlando regain their glory with Joey Harrington at the helm, or is Jacksonville ready to rise up? Can a change of scenery change the destiny of the Atlanta Fire, now the Boston Cannons, ready to kick off a new identity? And what team will surprise everyone and emerge from last year’s also-rans to challenge the playoff clubs from 2002? A lot of questions, and we will do our best to present the best case for each club, along with the changes that impact their roster and provide both promise and peril. We start division by division, looking at the news for each club and our best estimate of what lies ahead for the 12 teams of the Eastern Conference. NORTHEAST DIVISION NEW JERSEY GENERALS 2002: 8-6, 1st in NE, Lost in Conf. Championship Retirements: None Free Agent Departures: DT L. Webster (NFL), LB B. Houston (NFL), CB K. Gales, WR J. Tucker, HB A. Zeroue, WR W. Harris New Veteran Arrivals: LB Jeff Posey (NFL), LB J. Armstead (JAX), LB Tarek Salah (TRADE-TEX) Rookies to Watch For: CB Andre Woolfork (OU), WR David Tyree (Syr), DE Jimmy Wilkerson (OU), CB Kevin Garrett (SMU), OT David Diehl (Ill), S Gerome Sapp (NDame), HB Brock Forsey (Boise) The Biggest Offseason Story: After a very solid season that took the Generals all the way to the Conference Title Game, Coach Parcells largely stood pat. He lost a few bench contributors in free agency, and losing LB Bobby Houston to the NFL will hurt, but New Jersey landed 3 LB replacements through trade, free agency, and the draft. So far in camp the most impressive new face has been rookie CB Andre Woolfork, who could be a week 1 starter for the Generals. Team Outlook: New Jersey found themselves last year. This is a team that uses the run to set up the pass, has a solid QB in Brady who makes smart decisions with the ball, and the potential to have a Top 5 defense. Phil Hansen continues to rack up sack numbers that challenge the all-time leaders, and he now has more talent around him. We see the Generals as a true contender in the East. Predicted Finish: 9-5, 1st in NE WASHINGTON FEDERALS 2002: 7-7, 2nd in NE, Lost in Wild Card Round Retirements: DT J. Brown, WR L. Tillman, SS L. Oliver Free Agent Departures: WR J.J. Stokes (SEA), DT T. Kirschke (LA) New Veteran Arrivals: WR K. Lockett (NSH), DE Steve Bates (TRADE-NOR) Rookies to Watch For: G Scott Tercero (CAL), DE Dewayne White (Lville), S Curry Burns (Lville), C Mike Mabry (UCF) The Biggest Offseason Story: Jerome Brown’s retirement was a big blow to the Federals, but missing out on rookie DT Dewayne Robertson to the NFL is a bigger blow. They truly had no solid backup plan if Robertson did not sign. What was the strength of their team now looks like a gaping hole in their plans. They still have a lot of good talent on this squad, but this offseason seems to have made them weaker, not stronger. Team Outlook: We see Washington taking a step back. If Baltimore or Philly can show improvement, they might leapfrog the Feds as Washington has some retooling to do. Predicted Finish: 6-8, 3rd in NE BALTIMORE BLITZ 2002: 6-8, 3rd in NE Retirements: WR L. Thomas, DT M. D. Perry, G C. Thatcher Free Agent Departures: LB D. Bickett (NFL), G H. Haynes (NFL), FS L. Evans (HOU), T K. Stringer (PIT) New Veteran Arrivals: DE Chuckie Nwokorie (NFL), DT Jeff Zgonina (NFL), WR MarTay Jenkins (NFL), T Blake Brockmeier (LA), DT Paul Grasmanis (DEN), T Matt Hill (TRADE-POR) Rookies to Watch For: G Eric Steinbach (UGA), S Chris Crocker (Marshall), LB E.J. Henderson (Maryland), QB Seneca Wallace (Iowa St), TE Antonio Gates (Kent), S Derek Pagel (Iowa) The Biggest Offseason Story: Baltimore was one of the most aggressive teams in free agency, snagging talent from the NFL in the form of DT Jeff Zgonina and DE Chuckie Nwokorie, then landing some big names within the USFL like tackle Black Brockmeier and DT Paul Grasmanis. They needed the defensive help last year, and they went out and got some this year. Add in a very good rookie in LB E.J. Henderson and the defense should be a lot better. Team Outlook: The defense looks improved, and on offense signing a quality tackle like Brockmeier is sure to help QB Jeff Garcia. If he falters, they may turn to rookie Seneca Wallace, who had a very strong final season in Ames. Predicted Finish: We are optimistic, 8-6 and a Wild Card. PHILADELPHIA STARS 2002: 3-11, 4th in NE Retirements: QB C. Hartlieb, DT C. Zorich Free Agent Departures: T P. Gruber (NFL), CB D. Figures (NFL), T M. Van Der Poel (OHI), SS L. Wigham, CB R. Williams New Veteran Arrivals: CB Todd McBride (NFL), DE Carl Powell (NFL), T Flozell Adams (NFL), CB W. Williams (HOU), LB Henri Crockett (BIR), QB Brian Griese (TRADE-SEA) Rookies to Watch For: DT Jimmy Kennedy (PSU), HB Larry Johnson (PSU), TE Dallas Clark (Iowa), S Yeremiah Bell (EKU) The Biggest Offseason Story: The trade with Seattle was huge for the Stars. They now feel that they have their QB of the present in Brian Griese, a smart player who should do well in Coach Jim Mora Jr’s offense. They also added a solid grinder in HB Larry Johnson from Penn State and a good target for Griese in Iowa TE Dallas Clark. Team Outlook: This team is going in the right direction, but they need time to gel and perhaps one more draft to bring it all together. Losing Paul Gruber at tackle is a concern, but Flozell Adams coming over from the NFL is a good option for them now. Predicted Finish: The going could be rough as the team finds itself, but they could play spoilers down the stretch. 5-9, 4th in NE. SOUTHEASTERN DIVISION JACKSONVILLE BULLS 2002: 9-5, 1st in SE, Lost in Divisional Round Retirements: None Free Agent Departures: SS I. Ohalete (NFL), LB J. Armstead (NJ), WR D. White (LA), HB L. McElroy, DE T. Faumui New Veteran Arrivals: LB Keith Newman (NFL), S Omar Stoutmire (NFL), WR Bobby Shaw (TBY) Rookies to Watch For: LB Alonzo Jackson (FSU), WR Anquan Boldin (FSU), WR B. McMullen (UVa), DE Bryant McNeal (Clem), HB Fred Jackson (Coe) The Biggest Offseason Story: Not a lot of big stories or splashy signings for the Bulls. We like the addition of Newman and Stoutmire from the NFL, and rookie WR Anquan Boldin has impressed many in camp, but is it enough? Losing Jesse Armstead could hurt this club, and we see Orlando gaining on them. Team Outlook: If Jake Delhomme could cut his picks in half, this team could be dangerous. He has weapons to work with, but is it enough? That may depend on how good the defense can be. IF they can keep opponents under 20 points a game, they could win a lot of games this year. Predicted Finish: We think Jacksonville is in a dogfight with Orlando all season, but perhaps come out on top in the end. 9-5, 1st in SE. ORLANDO RENEGADES 2002: 7-7, 2nd in SE, Lost in Wild Card Round Retirements: DE C. Doleman, QB G. Frerotte Free Agent Departures: DE I. Ifeanyi (LA), HB M. Cloud (BOS), QB M. Pawlowski, CB M. Kerner, G. S. Zahursky New Veteran Arrivals: QB Jason Garrett (NFL), G. B. Williams (CHI), QB M. Bulger (BOS), DE Sedrick Clark (TRADE-MEM) Rookies to Watch For: WR Doug Gabriel (UCF), DT Ian Scott (Florida), C Dan Koppen (BC), OT Scott Kooistra (NC State) The Biggest Offseason Story: The retirement of Chris Doleman, the heart and soul of Orlando’s defense. That was a big blow. Sedrick Clark seems a major step down at the position, but he is all the Renegades were able to bring in. They did get some help on the O-line, mostly through the draft, and now have two new backup QB’s behind Joey Harrington. Team Outlook: Despite the big loss of Doleman, and some concerns about speed on offense, we still like what Coach O’Leary has in this Renegade squad. Could take the division if everything trends as they hope. Predicted Finish: We think they stumble just enough for Jacksonville to outlast them. 8-6, Wild Card TAMPA BAY BANDITS 2002: 6-8, 3rd in SE Retirements: None Free Agent Departures: HB E. Rhett (NFL), WR B. Shaw (JAX), FS G.Jeffries, QB T. Sacca New Veteran Arrivals: G L. Friedman (BIR) Rookies to Watch For: HB Willis McGahee (Miami), S Bryan Scott (PSU), TE George Wrightster (Oregon), WR David Kircus (GVSU), QB Ken Dorsey (Miami), P Mike Scifres (WIU) The Biggest Offseason Story: Fans initially panicked about the loss of Errict Rhett, but they quickly got excited when Tampa Bay announced the signing of Miami Hurricane Willis McGahee. He is a dynamic player who fits right in with Tampa’s tradition of good pass-catching backs. Team Outlook: We are still baffled at Tampa Bay’s nonchalant search for WR help, passing on rookie Andre Johnson and failing to sign any free agentst the position. That is going to hurt them as teams load up on Randy Moss. Predicted Finish: We see slight improvement. 7-7 and 3rd in the SE. BOSTON CANNONS 2002: 3-11, 4th in SE (as Atlanta Fire) Retirements: DE B. Smith Free Agent Departures: CB T. Hughes (NFL), WR W. Chrebet (NFL), QB M. Bulger (ORL), WR S. Beach, LB S. Foley, DE C. Combs New Veteran Arrivals: LB Chris Claiborne (NFL), FB Richie Anderson (ARZ), HB Mike Cloud (ORL), WR Isaiah Byrd (NOR), WR Robert Ferguson (TRADE-OHIO), QB Jim Miller (TRADE-PIT) Rookies to Watch For: DE Ty Warren (TAMU), OT Jon Stinchcomb (UGA), C Austin King (NW), CB Leigh Bodden (Duq), QB Brian St. Pierre (BC), CB B.J. Tucker (Wisc) The Biggest Offseason Story: A new city, a new fanbase, a new outlook. That is the hope for this terminally moribund club. Drew Bledsoe returns to New England and the Cannons spent pretty freely in free agency to get him some talent. WR Robert Ferguson is going to get a chance to shine with Boston, and adding veteran NFL LB Chris Claiborne should help the defense as well. We also love the signing of FB Richie Anderson, who could help Tiki Barber win a rushing title in Beantown. Team Outlook: Boston added beef on the O-line with two good rookies (Stinchcomband King) and they upgraded their receiver group as well. Is it enough? Well, the defense still worries us quite a bit. Predicted Finish: A better team, but their record may not show much for it. 4-10 and 4th in the SE. CENTRAL DIVISION OHIO GLORY 2002: 14-0, 1st in Central, League Champion Retirements: FS P. Terrell Free Agent Departures: HB L. Warren (NFL), T R. Hicks (NFL), G C. Johnson (ARZ), FB D. Shelton (MEM), DE T. Hill (TEX), WR A. Coleman, HB M. Riley, LB R. Farmer, K D. Silvestri New Veteran Arrivals: DE Corey Sears (NFL), G Jamar Nesbit (NFL), K John Carney (NFL), HB Detron Smith (NFL), T Mark Van Der Poel (PHI) Rookies to Watch For: LB Antwan Peek (Cinci), WR Justin Gage (Mizzou), S Mike Doss (Ohio St), HB Musa Smith (UGA) The Biggest Offseason Story: The post-title hemorrhage of talent is expected but Ohio got picked clean. Losing Shelton at FB, Coleman at WR, and Warren at HB leaves them a bit thin in some key areas. They spent what they could in free agency, but their ability to repeat may come down to how well their rookies learn the pro game. Team Outlook: The Glory still have the core of a champion. We expect they will not be able to run the table again, but they can still be the top seed in the conference as long as they stay healthy. Depth is their only real concern at this point. Predicted Finish: We think 10 wins is certainly possible, in fact, we are going to say 11. 11-3 and 1st in the Central. CHICAGO MACHINE 2002: 8-6, 2nd in Central, Lost in Divisional Round Retirements: DT G. Little, HB A. Murrell Free Agent Departures: TE M. Ricks (NFL), G B. Williams (ORL), WR M. Bellamy New Veteran Arrivals: HB Cecil Martin (NFL), TE Fred Baxter (NFL) Rookies to Watch For: WR Brandon Lloyd (Ill), S Terrence Kiel (TAMU), CB Ike Taylor (Lou-Laf), OT Wade Smith (Memphis), G Sean Mahan (NDame) The Biggest Offseason Story: We look at the moves Chicago made this offseason and we are satisfied without being blown away. Martin and Baxter are not exactly Herschel Walker and Adrian Cooper, but they will help. WR Brandon Lloyd and CB Ike Taylor could be in the starting lineup right away after good camps. Team Outlook: Chicago came oh-so-close to beating Ohio all three times they played them. If they can even split the series with the Glory they could be in great shape. No flash, just a solid team. Predicted Finish: 9-5, 2nd in Central PITTSBURGH MAULERS 2002: 6-8, 3rd in Central Retirements: None Free Agent Departures: C B. Stoltenberg, DT R. Coleman New Veteran Arrivals: QB Jeff Blake (NFL), T Korey Stringer (BAL), G Paul Zakauskas (TRADE-BOS) Rookies to Watch For: DE Jerome McDougle (Miami), WR Nate Burleson (Nevada), TE Jason Witten (Tenn), OT Lance Nimmo (WVU), LBJoe Odom (Purdue) The Biggest Offseason Story: The late Jeff Blake signing threw everything we thought we knew about Coach Bicknell’s strategy for Pittsburgh out the window. Did he make the team better by giving Charlie Batch a challenge, or is he creating a 2-headed monster that will devour a team that could otherwise be pretty solid? Team Outlook: As dubious as the Blake signing is, we love the draft this team had. McDougle could be a force on the outside, WR Nate Burleson and TE Jason Whitten could also be immediate contributors. If nothing else, Coach Bicknell knows college talent when he sees it. Predicted Finish: If the QB gambit works, Pittsburgh could be in contention, but if it blows up, they could be miserable. Let’s see how much we all trust Coach Bicknell on this one. 7-7, 3rd in Central. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 2002: 5-9, 4th in Central Retirements: None Free Agent Departures: WR O. Gadsden (NFL), HB J. Bostic (NFL), WR M. Muhammad (POR), SS L. Milloy (BIR), C C. Raymer (MEM), DT J. Flanigan, G J. Hartings New Veteran Arrivals: S Sammy Knight (NFL), DT J. Manley (NSH) Rookies to Watch For: C Jeff Faine (NDame), TE Bennie Joppru (Mich), DE Jarret Johnson (Bama), WR Charles Rogers (Mich St) The Biggest Offseason Story: The Panthers needed to provide QB Drew Brees with more weapons, so what do they do, they draft two of the top 3 receivers in the draft. They were unable to land Andre Johnson, who signed with the NFL, but in former Spartan Charles Rogers they have a receiver who could make Brees look very good this year. Team Outlook: Michigan has a lot of new parts, but they needed upgrades in several areas. We think they are better, particularly on defense, and possibly their receiving corps will step up. Hard to see them escaping the basement, but it may be a basement that goes 7-7 this year in a very tough division. Predicted Finish: 6-8 and 4th in the Central. OUR PICKS FROM THE EAST You have seen how we rank the teams, so looking at 6 playoff spots, we go with Ohio as the top seed, followed by New Jersey, then Jacksonville as division champions. In the Wild Card slots we have Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Orlando. So, that is 5 of 6 clubs repeating in the playoffs. That almost immediately makes us nervous, because that just does not feel like the USFL to us. So, we went outside our offices and asked 5 players from the Western Conference who they think could surprise us all and make a playoff run this year. QB Jake Plummer (Arizona): “I know it seems a longshot, but I am going to say Michigan. Drew Brees is a much better player than we have seen the past 2 years. I think the Panthers figure out how to maximize his talent and they make a run.” DE John Abraham (Seattle): “You know I love defense, so I am going to say Chicago. They are mean. They love to hit, and they can make any team look bad when they are on their game. We all saw how tough they played Ohio last year, so why not the Machine this season?” HB Deshaun Foster (LA): “Man, I don’t know. This is only my 2nd year, so I haven’t even seen all the teams yet. If you press me, I am going to say Tampa Bay just because Randy Moss is a scary receiver who can make you look really bad, and I love me some Willis McGahee too.” LB Lamar Lathon (NOR): “I am going way out on a limb, but I like Pittsburgh quite a bit. They had a good draft, and they added some real beef up front, which means that Terrell Davis could have himself a monster year.” QB Heath Shuler (MEM): “You know I am going to go with the QB who impresses me the most, and that, other than Kerry (Collins of Ohio) has to be Tom Brady in New Jersey. The guy just does not make bad plays. He reads the defense really well, is not afraid to check down if needed, and just seems to have a way of leading his guys in crunch time. Gonna say New Jersey because of Brady.” So, after getting expert opinions we are no closer to understanding who will rise and who will fall this year. So, in an absence of clear alternatives, we are going to pick Ohio to once again represent the Eastern Conference in the Summer Bowl. Heck, they went 17-0 last year, so it’s not like they have a lot to explain. They are just the class of the league right now. And what about award winners? Ok, here goes, and we promise not to pick anyone to repeat from last season (sorry Ohio Glory). MVP: With Collins out of the running, we are going to go for our next QB option. A strong year from New Jersey means that Brady has impressed, so we will go with the young QB to put up strong numbers this year. Offensive POTY: We are going to stick with HB, but we move to Pittsburgh where we think a revamped O-line will allow Terrell Davis to return to top form. Defensive POTY: You would think we would go for the easy pick and say Phil Hansen, but that feels too easy. We are going to go out on a limb and pick the defender who scares us the most, Chicago MLB Brian Urlacher. Rookie of the Year: In the east we have some good ones. Charles Rogers in Michigan, McGahee in Tampa Bay, or maybe even a defender like Jerome McDougle. But this is a tough award for a defender to win, so we are going to go with Willis McGahee simply because we know the starting job is his in Tampa Bay from day 1. Coach of the Year: This award almost always goes to the most improved team or the coach who does the most with the least. We are going to go with the coach with the biggest job to do, John Fox with Boston. If he can get this team out of the basement for the first time ever then he deserves the award, even if they finish with a sub-500 record.

So much has happened since our last USFL offseason review it is almost impossible to decide where to start. We have big news on the Portland and Memphis fronts, a wave of free agent signings, a second flurry of action as the NFL-USFL portal has reopened, and with the USFL College Draft in the books, now the mad scramble to sign players who just learned their USFL and NFL positions is in full swing. Add to this the crazy trades that moved teams up and down the draft order this year and there is just a lot to talk about. We are going to start with the draft, because the posturing, picks, and pressure to sign those selections is what everyone is buzzing about this week. If the 2003 USFL Draft is going to be known for anything, it will be known for the trades that saw several teams parlay multiple picks into high round picks or take the deal and accumulate selections. We saw teams trade into the Territorial Draft of other clubs, but what captured our attention most were the situations where draft day trades helped clubs parlay picks into big moves up the board. Quickly, here are the moves we felt were the biggest on Draft Day. DRAFT DAY TRADES 5) Seattle parlayed their two 3rd rounders (50 & 51) to the Chicago Machine to jump back up into the 2nd round to get the man they wanted. Who was that? TE Visanthe Shiancoe of Morgan State. Would he have been there at 50? Hard to say, there were some clubs interested, but Seattle wanted to make sure they got a shot at him and were willing to bail on the 3rd round to do it. What did Chicago do with the 2 picks they got? Went heavy on the O-line, drafting OT Wade Smith (Memphis) and OG Sean Mahan (Notre Dame), a player they passed over in the T-Draft but swung back around for. 4) Arizona was a surprise trade partner in the T-Draft as they entertained picks not for their first pick (already well-known to be DE Terrell Suggs) but were open to trading away their second pick. They found a taker in Baltimore, who traded a mid-round Open Draft pick and next year’s 2nd round T-Draft pick to Arizona to get their protected pick, and with that pick they opted for OT Jordan Gross of Utah, a need for sure in Baltimore, but a position where others were expected to be available in the open draft. The strategy allowed the Blitz a clean shot at Gross, and then they used their first Open Draft pick not on a tackle, but on his potential future linemate, Georgia guard Eric Steinbach. Looks like B’more is going for the beef this year. 3) Arizona’s second move was to take a deal that dropped them 8 spots but got them back-to-back picks. They traded their 2nd rounder (#40) to Ohio for Ohio’s pick 48 and 49, the last pick of Round 2 and first of Round 3. Who did Ohio think was out of reach at #48? WR Justin Gage from Mizzou, another weapon for Kerry Collins. And for the drop of 8 spots Arizona got 2 picks, which they used to draft CB Asante Samuel from UCF and FB B.J. Askew of Michigan, two positions of need for the Wranglers. 2) The Oakland Invaders took their shot, passing up protected QB Kyle Boller of Cal and trading away their top T-Draft pick to LA for the Express’s top T-Draft selection to take a shot at USC’s Carson Palmer. LA got a 3rd rounder as well from Oakland, who were the day’s biggest wheeler and dealer for new coach Dennis Green. Oakland chose Palmer and the negotiations are in full swing, but he has an offer from Cincinnati of the NFL as well, so this is not a done deal. As for LA, they also bypassed Boller in favor of Cal CB Nnamdi Asomugha with their pick. 1) Washington took the biggest shot in the draft, moving into the Top 10 by trading away pick 13 and 14 to the very same Oakland Invaders to get in early enough to make a pick that we all knew they needed, a DT to try to deal with Jerome Brown’s retirement. They jumped ahead of several teams thinking similar thoughts to snag the man they wanted, Dewayne Robertson of Kentucky the highest rated of a good DT class. Robinson has since been drafted as well by the New York Jets, so let the bidding war begin. Oakland, opted to use both of their picks on offensive playmakers, selecting USC halfback Justin Fargas and Florida WR Taylor Jacobs. PROTECTED PLAYERS PASSED OVER In addition to these 5 big draft day trades, the other surprises were the deals not made, particularly the T-Draft picks not made by clubs that had the shot. While not entirely surprising that some big name prospects went unselected in the T-Draft, since we do tend to see teams scout for viability (willingness to sign) as much as for quality, but still some of these names were a surprise to fall into the open draft. Here are our Top 5 Players we thought would not make it out to the Open Draft, but did just that: 5) Kyle Boller, QB, CAL—With Oakland chasing Carson Palmer, this became something of a known situation, but it was surprising that no one traded in with Oakland to get him. Boller fell to the Open Draft, where he was the 2nd selection of the Nashville Knights. 4) Rex Grossman, QB, Florida—Again, we did not expect Orlando to pick him, since they are already working with a young QB in Joey Harrington, but that no one jumped at the chance to sneak into Orlando’s T-Draft to go for Grossman is a bit of a surprise. Knowing Orlando would not go QB, it would have been possible to trade for the 2nd or even 3rd pick and snag the Florida QB. 3) Eric Steinbach, G, Iowa—Considering their need at the position, it is a bit shocking that Philly did not use a T-Draft pick on the clear #1 guard in the draft. They let him fall to the Open Draft, where Arizona snatched him up quickly. 2) Ty Warren, DE, Texas A&M—Again, a position we knew was not a high priority for the team with Warren’s rights, the Gamblers. They are fine at DE, but the fact that no one traded in was odd. Apparently Boston flirted with it, but their offer was not good enough for Houston to lose out on a different player from their pool. That ended up something of a wash as Boston decided to jump on Warren with the top pick in the Open Draft anyway, so in the end they got him, but they certainly, with a better deal, could have obtained the pick for Warren through Houston’s T-Draft pick and still had their #1 overall pick to add a second Top 5 choice. 1) WR Andre Johnson, Miami—We just cannot figure this one. Tampa Bay clearly needs a 2nd receiver to line up opposite Randy Moss. Johnson was a prime candidate, the top wideout in the draft pool, and he was there for the taking, and yet, the Bandits opted not to use one of their 4 selections on him, opting instead to draft Willis McGahee (expected), Ken Dorsey (expected), and two DEs (Shurron Pierson of USF and Jamaal Green of Miami). That left Johnson available in the 1st round of the Open Draft, and he did not last long, selected by Michigan with the #4 pick. The big wideout has since also been drafted by the Houston Oilers of the NFL, so Michigan needs to up their game to sign him, but the fact that Johnson was there for the Bandits and they passed is still a head scratcher. They would not draft a wideout until the 4th round of the Open Draft, when they went with a small school option, David Kircus of Grand Valley State. POST-DRAFT SIGNINGS It has been 3 weeks since the USFL Draft, and only 1 week since the NFL’s version, so the battle for bids between the two leagues is well underway. This usually lasts into training camp, with players weighing their options and agents licking their chops and counting their money. We have seen a few signings over the past couple of weeks, but once again this will come down to the wire. Most of those signed tend to be in the later rounds, where we see greater divergence between USFL and NFL picks, and often players get one offer rather than 2 competing bids. But we have seen a handful of signings already. Here is our list of the 4 biggest signings to date and the 4 outstanding that the USFL needs to lock down if they can in the next couple of weeks: SIGNED: Birmingham came to a deal with their 1st round pick, DT Jonathan Sullivan of Georgia. The big man signed a 4-year deal and is expected to be a week 1 starter for the defensively-challenged Stallions. NEED TO SIGN: Arizona’s entire draft could sign, but if T-Draft superstar Terrell Suggs opts for the NFL instead, many fans will be unsatisfied. He was taken by the Baltimore Ravens and the Ravens are pulling out the stops, so Arizona had better open that checkbook. SIGNED: Houston jumped on two of their T-Draft selections right away, signing two top Texas A&M products, wideout Bethel Johnson and CB Sammy Davis. Now they have to focus on their top Open Draft pick, LB Nick Barnett of Oregon State. NEED TO SIGN: Michigan may downplay how much they need Andre Johnson, but the reality is that he would be an instant starter and a huge weapon for QB Drew Brees. The Oilers also have a big need at wideout, so this one could be a dragged-out battle that will make Johnson and his agent very wealthy in the end. SIGNED: Los Angeles did very well with their top picks in both the T-Draft and Open Draft, signing USC safety Troy Polomalu to a 4-year deal the day after the NFL Draft (where he was taken by Pittsburgh), and then adding their top Open Draft pick, TE L.J. Smith of Rutgers as well. NEED TO SIGN: Seattle is taking a huge chance at QB. They traded away Brian Griese, leaving them with Craig Erickson and Brock Huard at QB, and we knew that meant they were targeting a QB in the draft. Everyone assumed it was Carson Palmer, but Seattle zigged when we thought they would zag and used their 1st round pick on Marshall signal-caller Byron Leftwich. Now they have to sign the athletic QB with the big arm, as losing out on Leftwich would be disaster for the Dragons. SIGNED: Nashville added a major disruptor at DE when they made quick work of the signing process and landed Troy State’s Osi Umenyiora with a 5-year deal. Umenyiora did not even wait for the NFL Draft, signing prior to the big day and disrupting some NFL team’s plans for sure. Nashville is hoping to add even more weight to their defense having also selected DT Anthony Adams of Penn State, LB Hunter Hillenmeyer of Vandy, and LB Matt Wilhelm of Ohio State. NEED TO SIGN: Do we have to say it? Carson Palmer. Oakland pulled bypassed Kyle Boller to jump on the chance to sign Palmer, made the trade with LA, and have been in talks ever since. You would think it would be a no-brainer for Palmer to stay in California, albeit with a team that has had issues, rather than travel to another dysfunctional franchise in Cincinnati. And while Coach Green may feel OK about having Jon Kitna and Marques Tuiasosopo on the roster, you don’t make a move like this if you don’t think you need a major upgrade at the QB position. It has not been a quiet few months on the free agency front, that is sure. A lot of talent has changed hands since our October report as clubs try to fill gaps, improve depth, and add difference-makers across their rosters. We will review all the moves in our Preseason Reviews, but for now, let’s run through the 10 biggest signings from within the USFL before moving on to look at how the NFL-USFL portal has reopened and to what impact. 10) Washington found themselves a pretty solid slot receiver in former Knight Kevin Lockett. 9) Orlando landed a backup for Joey Harrington in former Atlanta starter Mark Bulger. 8) LA beefed up their D-line considerably with two signings, DE Israel Ifeanyi and DT Travis Kirschke. 7) Baltimore got the deal done with LT Blake Brockmeier, bringing the big man over from LA. 6) Memphis, after signing FB Damien Shelton, worked on the run game some more, signing former Wrangler lead back Dorsey Levins to carry the rock for the Showboats. 5) Oakland landed the best DT in the pool, former Stallion Joe Salave’a to a 3-year deal. 4) Boston brought in 2 weapons for Drew Bledsoe, a good blocking fullback in Richie Anderson (ARZ) and a slot receiver in Isaiah Byrd (NOR). 3) Denver finally made a move, signing guard Tony Claridge after several key losses this offseason. 2) The two top tight ends in the free agency pool were snapped up as Birmingham grabbed former Express TE Troy Drayton and Texas jumped at former Showboat Johnny Mitchell. 1) Seattle keeps building on defense, landing DE Anthony Edwards to line up opposite John Abraham. NFL Transfer Window now open The NFL-USFL transfer window is back open for the next 3 weeks, and while we are only about 5 days into the new cycle, we have already seen significant movement as the USFL tries to take advantage of the wave of NFL players who have become free agents upon the completion of the NFL season with this past week’s Super Bowl victory of the Buccaneers over the Tennessee Copperheads. Two solid quarterbacks were signed to USFL deals this week, one something of a surprise. While the signing of Tony Banks by Arizona is clearly a depth move, with Banks now to sit behind Jake Plummer on the Wrangler depth chart, the surprise was Pittsburgh’s signing of former Jet, Bengal and Saint Jeff Blake could well challenge Charlie Batch for the starting job for the Maulers. At the very least coach Bicknell seems interested in having a QB battle to motivate and engage Batch in active improvement. In 4 years as the Mauler starter, Batch has had moments, and his 91.5 rating is not at all a poor one. He has had two solid years with 33 TDs to 13 interceptions in 2001 and a 21-10 ratio last year, so the question is whether Batch is truly the issue for the Maulers’ offense. With the Blake signing, Bicknell seems to be saying, at the very least, that Batch needs to be challenged. Arizona added Banks, but also dipped into the HB pool to add a 4th back to their roster and possibly to the rotation. We have seen over the past few years that the Wranglers have struggled to obtain a legitimate run game outside of QB Jake Plummer. They are apparently going to try to do so with a committee this year as they have added Stanley Pritchett, recently of the Bears (after stints in Miami and Philadelphia) to a halfback group that already includes returning players Dominique Rhodes and Chester Taylor along with rookie signee Earnest Graham. Crowded, but can any actually break out and provide Arizona with a legitimate threat in the run game? Texas hopes they have solved their issue at wideout. The Outlaws have a long history of quality receivers, from Carlos Carson to Eric Metcalf. They were able to acquire Carl Pickens in a trade last year, and he goes into the season as the clear #1, but this week they added a very solid 2nd receiver to their group, signing former NY Giant Ike Hilliard to line up opposite Perkins. Hilliard suffered through an injury-plagued 2002 campaign, but in the 4 years prior had averaged nearly 800 yards per season. Those are numbers the Outlaws would love to see from Hilliard as they hope to diversify their passing attack. The best defender signed by the USFL this past week has to be in Memphis, where the Showboats landed LB Hannibal Navies from the Carolina Panthers. Navies is a very solid run-stuffing LB who can cover a large swath of the field. Navies will likely line up on the weak side, with Jim Schwantz in the middle and Marvin Pope and Rahim Abdullah splitting time at strongside LB. Ohio brought in a veteran kicker after losing Don Silvestri in free agency, signing former Chicago Machine kicker John Carney, who spent 1 season with the New Orleans Saints before returning to spring football. Other recent signings include TE Fred Baxter in Chicago, LB Keith Newman by the Bulls, CB Todd McBride by the Stars, and G Jamar Nesbit by the Glory. For the NFL, the tide has shifted, with few USFL players unsigned this late into the offseason. The only really notable signings so far in this window are former Michigan WR Oronde Gadsden by Miami, DT Larry Webster by the NY Giants, DT Craig Veasey of Oakland with the 49ers, and guard Henry Haynes of Baltimore by the Minnesota Vikings. PORTLAND THUNDER IN LIMBO AS SEASON NEARS With the 2003 USFL Season only weeks away the Portland Thunder find themselves in a precarious state and the future does not look promising. With Bernard Ebbers’ assets frozen and his status as team president suspended, leadership has turned over to Phil Ruffin, who for all purposes is something of an absentee owner, invested in the club for economic gain but with no real expertise in running a sports franchise and no real interest in operating the club day to day. The league, sensing the need to create some stability, has agreed to prop up the Thunder for the near future, not only financially but operationally, with league funds diverted to the operating expenses of the club while also providing significant operational support out of the New York offices. The role of the league in everything from day to day operations of the franchise to the search for expanded ownership to keep the club in Portland is tenuous at best. Several league owners seemed poised to push to dismantle the franchise and contract to 23 teams, but were held in check by others who emphasized the disruptive impact of such a move, particularly when the league schedule had already been determined. The alternative was to prop up the franchise, create a temporary stasis in which the club could continue to meet its financial needs as a search continued for additional investors, and consider options for 2004. This is the route the USFL has taken, diverting nearly $20 million from leaguewide resources to the Thunder simply to ensure that contracts could be met, the stadium lights would be on come March, and everyone from vendors to players could get paid as planned. Of course, with all the chaos around the future of the team, it is expected that club revenue will drop. We have already seen a significant dip in season ticket sales, down from 25,400 to 19,200 for the 2003 season. That does not help the club as it tries to stabilize its finances following the Worldcom scandal which has absorbed the team and led to several indictments against the franchise’s president and lead owner. So, what happens next? Well, the league is certainly not going to accept long term control over the franchise, so that really only leaves three options; either through league efforts new ownership is identified which allows the club to remain in Portland, the league accepts investment from colleagues of current team president Phil Ruffin, a move which could very well lead to relocation of the franchise, or the voices calling for contraction win out and the Thunder are forced to fold. We all know what fans in Portland prefer, and we are quite certain that this is also what league officials and the preponderance of owners prefer as well, but to date no strong candidates for a local ownership expansion in Portland have been identified, leaving the league with two unsavory options, relocation or contraction, unless someone steps forward in the next few months. As for Portland fans, there is considerable anger and frustration, having gone through an ownership crisis barely over a year ago, and believing that an ideal situation, one which not only kept the team in Portland but promised a new stadium to boot, to now have an even worse ownership gap develop and to face the very real proposition of losing both is devastating and enfuriating for diehard Thunder fans. At this point, however, it is hard to imagine a scenario where the situation with the Thunder will lead to a positive result for Portland and the fanbase of the club. MEMPHIS AT CROSSROADS A slightly more promising outlook for fans of the Memphis Showboats. While the club has been in ongoing talks with the city of St. Louis, talks which could potentially lead to a 2004 relocation upriver to the Gateway City, the threat of losing their 20-year old franchise has seemed to motivate not only the fans, but the city of Memphis as well. Both the city and the state of Tennessee have expressed concern for the potential loss of the Showboats (and the considerable revenue they bring to the region) and it appears that the city and county are prepared to join in on a bond referendum that could support the much-needed renovations to the Liberty Bowl Stadium which have been at the center of the Showboats’ demands. Yes, it feels a bit like extortion for the club to hold relocation over the city as a means of extracting the stadium updates they have long demanded, but after several failed attempts to get the city and its voters to agree to stadium replacement or renovation, the threat of St. Louis has appeared to put a fire under officials. Just this past week the mayor of Memphis stood outside the Liberty Bowl and made bold claims that they would do whatever was needed to ensure that the Showboats remained Memphis’s team. Citing the success of the Showboats as not only a financial boon to the city but a key factor in contributing to the recent relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies NBA franchise to the city, the mayor spoke to the economic and community benefits of the franchise to Memphians. Fan support for the Showboats has been incredibly robust over the past 2 decades, and has not waned as the club made another deep playoff run this past season, despite the controversy and some level of disgust with ownership as they dangle St. Louis as an option. For the city, the Showboats represent a major economic positive, with tens of millions of dollars pouring into the city coffers due to the presence of big time pro sports in the market. It appears that now that there is a very real risk of the club taking that economic impact elsewhere, the importance of the franchise to the city has been highlighted and interests both public and private have begun to realize that the time is now to do what is needed to protect this vital economic engine for the city. That said, Memphis is not inherently a wealthy community, and in the past the city has only been willing to fund improvements to the stadium through proposed bond sales, each of which has failed in public referendum. The city is again proposing a public referendum to initiate a bond sale to raise the funds necessary to cover 80% of the anticipated stadium renovation costs, with the club expected to produce the other 20%, but this too could be a tough sell to a community that is economically depressed and has few corporate resources to draw on. Is the love for football and the Showboats in particular strong enough to encourage a positive result in the vote or will economic hardship remain a major impediment to the club’s and the city leadership’s attempts to improve Liberty Bowl Stadium and its capacity to remain a pro football venue? The special referendum being proposed would occur this May, so we will not know for several months if Memphians will step up to offer resistance to the relocation argument being made by the club, or if St. Louis can counter these with an even sweeter deal to bring the Showboats to town. The next few months will show us how serious the Showboat ownership is about their claims that they do not wish to abandon the city, or if the lure of a sweetheart deal in St. Louis may outmuscle even positive steps being taken in Memphis to meet the demands of the club for renovation and long-deferred facility development. You can vote on the fate of the Memphis Showboats. Click on the Showboat Poll link at the top of the page to cast your vote. Poll will remain open until Week 5 of the 2003 USFL Season.

October 22, 2002 It has been a wild three months since the Ohio Glory held aloft the John Bassett Trophy as the league champion and the owners of the only undefeated season in USFL history. Both Ohio and their Summer Bowl opponent Memphis have seen the after-effects of a championship run, namely the picking apart of their rosters in the offseason as both NFL and fellow USFL franchises have nipped at the edges of both clubs, and in some cases taken some pretty big bites out of both. We also have two new head coaches to welcome to the league in Seattle and Oakland, and we have a ton of news on the hot stove as we had a busy NFL-USFL transfer window, a few intriguing trades, and major movement on free agency. But we start with a bit of a darker story as the future of the Portland Thunder finds itself in disarray after Worldcom CEO and principal owner of the Thunder Bernard Ebbers is indicted on multiple charges of fraud and forced to relinquish his share of the Thunder franchise by the USFL. PORTLAND IN DISARRAY To say that things have gotten dark in Portland is an understatement. While the club’s personnel team has been very active so far in the offseason, the front office has been in chaos. With federal charges being brought against Worldcom and its CEO Bernard Ebbers, the USFL was forced to act. Ebbers’s finances are frozen and his role as the principal owner of the Portland Thunder came under immediate scrutiny, with league officials quickly implementing a sell requirement on the franchise. Ebbers will be required to vacate his leadership role as President of the Thunder, a position he cedes to secondary owner Phil Ruffin, as he is being required to also divest his share of the team. The problem is that Ruffin is neither willing nor able to invest the funds needed to acquire the majority share of the club, meaning that additional ownership will be required if the team is to meet its financial commitments to the league, the city, and their contracts for everything from stadium rental to equipment purchase. Ruffin, a Las Vegas casino owner with a varied investment portfolio, has insinuated that he could bring in considerable resources were he able to expand the ownership group through his network of Las Vegas contacts, but that there is considerable interest in shifting the franchise to Sin City were this to happen. The league certainly wants to avoid yet another potential relocation and is seeking to determine where potential ownership with Oregon ties or at least a commitment to keep the franchise in Portland could be found. The idea has been floated that the league itself would take over the share of the Thunder held by Bernard Ebbers, but this would require a major investment by the other 23 ownership groups, one that would likely face significant resistance. The other option is to beat the bushes in hopes of turning up new ownership committed to Portland. We have received reports that league officials have already reached out to Phil Knight, the original lead owner when Portland was granted a franchise in 1988, but that Knight has rebuffed the offer to reacquire the club. It seems certain that the Knight effort is not the only one in process, but if no local ownership can be found, the league may face no other option but to allow Ruffin to bring in associates from his network of real estate and casino development in Las Vegas, a move that could very easily lead to a relocation from Portland. So, once again, the Thunder faithful in the Rose City find themselves at great risk for losing their club to the whims of the uber-wealthy as well as to the financial malfeasance of their own ownership. Efforts to build a community buy-out of the Thunder failed 2 years ago, and seem unlike this time around, so what are the fans to do? It is a bad situation for all involved, and questions about the USFL’s background research into Ebbers and the sale of the club to his group seem to be making tensions even higher as the city, the league, and the ownership seem perfectly content to point fingers but no one is developing viable plans to resolve the immediate crisis. MEMPHIS THREATENS MOVE Just one month after their appearance in the Summer Bowl, the Memphis Showboats have made major ripples both in the local community and across the USFL, stoking fears that the recent franchise instability that we have seen with the St. Louis, now Nashville, Knights, Atlanta Fire, and Portland Thunder, may not be over. Memphis ownership made a public statement on September 20th that they are actively negotiating with the city of St. Louis and the stadium authority in that city, looking at possible relocation as soon as the 2004 season. After years of failed ballot initiatives, government lobbying, and PR campaigns seeking significant renovations of the Liberty Bowl Stadium or even a new stadium facility, the Showboats are threatening a departure, perhaps as a power play to force the city of Memphis to make a deal, but there is a real threat of relocation here as St. Louis has been strategizing on how to reestablish a USFL presence ever since the Knights were sold to a Nashville-based group. At this point it is just a threat. Memphis ownership is free to discuss relocation with any city, but they are also in a lease with the Liberty Bowl that extends through the 2006 season, so any deal would have to include significant costs to break that lease. That said, there are certainly monied interests in St. Louis who could step up to help defray those costs, including possible entry into the Showboat ownership group. Add to this a sizeable grassroots effort in St. Louis to pressure the city to return USFL football and you could have a perfect storm to force the city of Memphis to either make a deal with the Showboats for major stadium renovation or to lose their franchise, a franchise that has one of the largest and most animated fan bases in the entire league. So, what does the league office say to all of this? Well, not much as of yet. No official statement has been made, though there is significant scuttlebutt around the NY offices that the league is taking a wait and see approach. If this strategy succeeds in forcing Memphis to cave to the team’s demands for stadium improvements, that is a definite win for the USFL, but if they risk losing one of their flagship cities, a city that has fully embraced the league, and which sent their team to the title game this year, the upper brass of the USFL and the other team owners could have major issues on their hands. After losing the St. Louis and Atlanta markets in the past 12 months, and now with major concerns about Portland, the last thing the USFL wants to see is a continued instability with otherwise strong franchises. For this reason alone, we expect the league offices to push the city of Memphis to make a deal. Keeping the Showboats in Memphis seems a top priority for the league, while finding a way to potentially address the demand for USFL football in cities like St. Louis could push the concept of expansion back on the agenda for future league meetings. It seems that as long as there are viable markets pushing for league attention, the risk of relocation and instability remains high, something the league as a whole cannot see as a positive. INVADERS AND DRAGONS FIND THEIR LEADERS September saw two coaching positions filled in the league, leaving only Birmingham currently without a head coach. The Seattle Dragons were the first to announce that they had completed their search, presenting Marvin Lewis, the former Pittsburgh Steeler and Denver Gold defensive coordinator as their new head coach. Lewis made a name for himself as a motivator as well as a defensive strategist. He comes to Seattle after having helped both the NFL Steelers and USFL Gold create top ranked defenses. While many wonder what his offensive skills will be, and hoping Seattle can bring in a solid OC to assist Lewis, others are hoping the arrival ushers in an era of more fundamentally sound defense in the Emerald City. Lewis has some talent in Seattle to work with on that side of the ball, and a recent trade offers him a chance to get more (more on this below). While the Dragons lost 2 starting linebackers in free agency (1 to the NFL), they still have some players to build around, most notably SS John Lynch, DE John Abraham, DT Gilbert Brown, and remaining LBs Takeo Spikes and 2002 acquisition Godrey Miles. The offense will be another story, as the club has more questions than ever surrounding All-USFL HB Corey Dillon. The Oakland Invaders followed Seattle with their announcement a week later, reaching into the NFL to get a coach with an impressive resume but no USFL experience. Oakland named Dennis Green, the former Northwestern and Stanford head coach who has spent the last 8 years roaming the sidelines of the Minnesota Vikings. Green compiled a solid 97-62 record with the Vikings but was never able to get them to the Super Bowl. After three straight playoff seasons, Green was let go by Minnesota after a collapse from 11-5 in 2000 to 5-11 in 2001. He comes to Oakland with a chance to revive what has become something of a moribund franchise. Oakland has not had a winning record since 1998, and that was the only year since 1994 when they have been over .500. As with Coach Lewis in Seattle, Dennis Green will have some talent to build around, although he too will face a question at QB right away. Does he stick with Marques Tuiasosopo as the starter, promote veteran Jon Kitna, or try to land a quality starter this offseason. With Cal’s Kyle Boller a protected player in the territorial draft, there may be some temptation for Green to look the kid over as a potential draft day signature signing. With the signings of Green and Lewis, there remains only one position left unfilled in the USFL, that of the Birmingham Stallion head coach. The expectation at this point is that Birmingham will head into the winter with their player personnel team running the show, waiting for the conclusion of both the NCAA and NFL seasons before seeking to steal away their preferred candidate. Early rumors of Jerry Glanville coming to Birmingham seem to have been erroneous, and while there are certainly a few big names out there right now, looking for a position, it seems the Stallions are content to play the long game and wait through the winter to find the man they covet. RETIREMENTS IMPACT USFL CLUBS During the playoffs 3 months ago we began reporting on the retirements that would impact various USFL clubs, big name players stepping away from the game and forcing clubs to reimagine their draft and free agent strategies. We have already seen some clubs start moving to find alternative plans for lost superstars, and now, 3 months after the conclusion of the USFL season, we can identity those clubs that are facing the biggest challenges. Here is our list of the 10 clubs most deeply affected by retirements and how they might move forward. PORTLAND: Only one retirement, but it is a key cog of their team, HB Napoleon Kaufmann. How have the Thunder, who have bigger issues at hand, responded. Well, we already saw that Correll Buckhalter, before his injury, had become the primary ballcarrier, but we already saw that Coach Vitt was willing to make a big trade to ensure that the Thunder could retain their HB rotation, bringing over Reuben Droughns from the Federals in exchange for one of their two first round draft picks. Droughns and Buckhalter will likely rotate duties just as Droughns and McCallister had done in DC. ORLANDO: Chris Doleman’s retirement is not a surprise, but that does not make his departure any easier. The Renegades have made a trade with Memphis to try to stabilize the position, obtaining veteran edge rusher Sedrick Clark in exchange for a 4th rounder this year and next, but Clark is hardly a gamechanger. Is Orlando going to do more, or are they going to depend on young players like Derrick Alexander, or perhaps take a shot at one of the top DE prospects like Penn State’s Michael Haynes, Texas A&M’s Ty Warren, or even seek a deal with Arizona for territorial rights to the top prospect, Arizona State’s Terrell Suggs. HOUSTON: Pat Swilling is a big loss, but so is guard Todd Kalis. So far we have seen no action from Houston on either front, which makes us think they are looking to the draft or perhaps a late FA signing for help. Houston has some talent in the linebacking group, with Allen Aldridge and O.J. Brigance, but neither of these linebackers are going to be able to fully cover for Swilling’s departure. NEW ORLEANS: As expected, Bobby Hoying, after suffering a nasty injury that led to an infection that could have cost him his leg, has, as he continues to recover, opted to step away from the game. He is joined by longstanding receiving leader Raynard Brown as two big departures for the Breakers. With the acquisition of Aaron Brooks from Atlanta after the Hoying injury, New Orleans is likely set at QB, with Dilfer the starter and Brooks joining 3rd year player Jesse Palmer as backups. As for wideout, we think this is likely a draft priority for New Orleans as this year’s pool is quite deep. BALTIMORE: The Blitz lose a lot of leadership with the retirements of DT Michael Dean Perry, WR Lamar Thomas, and guard Chris Thatcher, but that said, these three players were largely platooning rather than full-time starters, so their replacement as impact on-field players is not the most serious of the USFL squads we look at today. The NFL-USFL transfer window seems to have solved 2 of the 3 positions of need as Baltimore reached out and snagged some late unsigned Free Agents away from the fall league. Jeff Zgonina will join the rotation at DT for the Blitz, coming over from the Dolphins, while return man and slot receiver MarTay Jenkins joins the Blitz from the Atlanta Falcons. LOS ANGELES: A pretty big double-whammy as LA loses the services of both safety Carnell Lake and DT Chester McGlockton this offseason. They jumped into the transfer window right away to try to make up for the McGlockton departure, signing Daryl Gardener away from the Denver Broncos on the 2nd day of the window, while at safety LA seems to have their eyes set on one of the best available In the draft, a USC product protected in their T-Draft, Troy Polamalu. MEMPHIS: No team saw more retirements than the Memphis Showboats. Five different players have opted to end their careers with the bitter taste of a Summer Bowl defeat in their mouths. Chief among the departures is FB Larry Centers, but don’t underestimate the impact of losing players like safety Al Walton, guard Mark Hutson, WR Titus Dixon, and CB Rodney Young. The Showboats have started to address these needs, signing one of the best fullbacks available, Damien Shelton, away from Ohio, and adding NFL corner Jason Simmons just before the transfer window closed. They still need to look for some WR help, but the draft will certainly offer lots of options there, including a strong Volunteer option in Kelley Washington. DENVER: Losing both CB Bruce Pickens and DE Leslie O’Neill is a double whammy. Add to this the loss of DE Joey Porter to the NFL and Denver is in a world of hurt. Both DE and CB have to be major areas of concern for the Gold. We have seen no action from Denver with these two positions yet, but they absolutely have to be priorities. Denver’s only NFL signing in the first window was at wideout (nabbing former Colt Brandon Stokely) but more moves seem absolutely necessary moving forward. PHILADELPHIA: The Stars were likely to cut Chuck Hartlieb but were saved that when the veteran QB opted to retire. Losing DT Chris Zorich is likely a bigger concern for the club. We knew QB would be a position of emphasis, and Philly found their answer through trade (as we will outline below) but at DT it looks like the Stars are scouting heavily in the draft, particularly scouting out big Penn State DT Jimmy Kennedy, who would be a protected pick for them. WASHINGTON: Three contributors are no longer with the club as SS Louis Oliver, WR Lawyer Tillman, and All-Everything DT Jerome Brown have stepped away from the game this offseason. No question Brown’s departure is the biggest concern. Washington started to deal with these losses by signing a solid slot receiver in former Knight Kevin Lockett as free agency opened. We have not seen any moves yet to bring in a DT or SS, and Washington had depth at both positions, but we absolutely expect something to happen over the course of the next few months. Could Washington try to snag Polamolu from LA, a costly move, or will they use the 1st round pick they got from Portland in the Reuben Droughns trade to move up in the draft and snag another big name rookie? The Feds have the #13 and 14 picks in the first round thanks to the trade, and could easily package those to get a Top 10 pick, which could put them in perfect position to go after a DT like Kentucky’s Dewayne Robertson or Oklahoma State’s Kevin Williams. TRADING BLOCK HEATS UP We already hinted at a big trade as the solution to Philly’s QB situation, and boy, was it a big one, but there have been several trades we need to point out as key moves of the early offseason. We saw several early trades, including the Reuben Droughns trade, prior even to Summer Bowl 2002, but since then, these trades have had an impact on several clubs as well as January’s draft: MAJOR QB SHAKEUP: Philadelphia and Coach Jim Mora Jr were not at all happy with their QB situation this year, and although 2002 rookie David Garrard got some late playing time, they clearly wanted to address the position in the offseason. They certainly did that in a big way. Working behind the scenes with Seattle’s GM and getting final approval from new head coach Marvin Lewis for a trade only 1 week into Lewis’s tenure, Philadelphia obtained the rights to Seattle’s starting QB Brian Griese, who will step right into the starting job for the Stars. Philly sent Seattle their 1st and 3rd round picks this year, both 2nd in each round, which seems cheap for a starting QB, but we suspect that Coach Lewis has other plans for the position and having two very early picks in the first round of the draft certainly gives him a lot to work with right off the bat. Seattle now has both the 2nd and 3rd pick in the draft (as well as the 50th and 51st in the 3rd) which could be very beneficial, and the Stars have a solid starting QB who can work in the type of balanced pro-style offense Mora prefers. BOSTON GOES AFTER GLORY WR: Ohio, as most champions see, had several players depart early in free agency, but they clearly were not afraid to make deals as well. The Glory sent one of the stars of their Summer Bowl win, wideout Robert Ferguson, and sent the receiver to the new Boston Cannons for a pair of picks in this year’s draft. Ferguson could be a top 2 receiver for the Cannons, and Ohio gets 2 picks to try to replace some departed players with young athletes. NEW JERSEY SEEKS LINEBACKERS: After losing Bobby Houston to the NFL, New Jersey made two moves to add depth to their backer group. One was to sign Jesse Armstead away from the Jacksonville Bulls, but that was not enough so the Generals also made a deal with Texas to get rangy LB Tarek Salah from the Outlaws, sending a 3rd and 4th round pick to Texas to help round out the LB group. ORLANDO GETS DE HELP: We mentioned this move already, but it should be noted that the Renegades gave up two draft picks (one this year and one next year) to land Sedrick Clark from the Memphis Showboats. This one still puzzles us as Clark was not even Memphis’s top pass rusher. Orlando must see something we don’t in the move because Clark’s career has not pointed to him emerging as a top pass rusher of the type they have lost in Chris Doleman. NFL HAS A FIELD DAY DURING TRANSFER WINDOW Once again I think we have to say that the NFL got the better of the deal in its player swaps with the USFL. While USFL clubs filled a few positions in the August transfer window, most NFL talent was already signed and with USFL free agency just opening, the market was full. This, of course, is reversed in February, when the USFL often catches up with its fall rival and the roles are reversed, but at least this year the balance seems quite problematic for the spring league. Here are some of the higher profile signings the NFL was able to pull off during the short transfer window, followed by the few NFL signings made by USFL Clubs Halfback seemed to be a position of emphasis for the NFL as they snagged 4 of the league’s best available free agents at the position, starting in Tampa Bay. The Bandits were stunned by the loss of Errict Rhett, who now heads to Cleveland. Memphis’s hopes to return to a Summer Bowl take a huge hit when HB Garrison Hearst snaps at the money offered by the San Francisco 49ers. Oakland loses their starting HB as well, with Rodney Thomas moving on to Minnesota. Erric Pegram had a strong season for the Texas Outlaws, and he parlayed that into a lucrative contract with the Atlanta Falcons. If there is one bright spot for these teams it is that each of the backs lost will be 30 or older by the start of the 2003 seasons, so for those who subscribe to the rapid decline theory about 30-year old running backs, the USFL clubs might be better off signing rookies or other young talent instead of hanging on to the veteranbacks. Beyond the HB position, there were plenty of other losses along the way, some which will clearly hurt teams that cannot afford to take more roster hits. Philly takes two more big hits, losing OT Paul Gruber to the Buccaneers and CB Deon Figures to the Saints. Gruber is the tougher player to replace, as Figures is another player who had fallen from full-time starter to platoon player. Seattle LB Levon Kirkland will be joining the Steelers this year. Kirkland was one of Seattle’s best run stuffers, but with several early round picks, we expect the Dragons to go after a young athletic replacement. New Orleans’ offense will miss TE Steve Johnson, who is the newest Houston Oiler at age 36. Johnson caught 67 passes for 906 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. The Breakers are hoping that 2nd year player John Owens can step up, but may also be looing to sign a more veteran option. New Jersey loses a leader in LB Barry Houston, headed to the Jets, but as we discussed earlier, brought in both Tarek Salah and Jesse Armstead to compete for a starting job. Arizona QB A.J. Feely signs with the Eagles, leaving only Damon Huard behind Plummer for the Wranglers. LB Duane Bickett leaves Baltimore for the Indianapolis Colts. With a lot of their cap room tied up, expect Baltimore to seek a replacement through the draft. CB Tyrone Hughes will stay in Atlanta with the NFL instead of becoming a Boston Cannon. With Tyrone Poole and Tyrone Legette still with the club, their Tyrone strength remains high. Boston loses another veteran as WR Wayne Chrebet joins the NY Jets. Chrebet did not have a big impact with Atlanta after coming over from the Generals, catching only 30 balls for 305 yards this past season. Denver is out a 2nd big DE as Robert Porcher heads to the Detroit Lions, as we mentioned earlier. This leaves Denver with only Marcellus Wiley and 2nd year player Ryan Denney as returning edge rushers. LA’s wily veteran wideout Mike Pritchard signs a 1 year deal with Tennessee. Pritchard, who had been the first breakout star for the Express when they returned to the league in 1995, had slipped to the 3rd or 4th WR slot as more of the looks went to Tory Holt and Amani Toomer this season. Finally, LA also loses a solid backup QB as Glenn Foley heads to Dallas. With Quincy Carter likely the backup to Cade McNown, LA will likely try to bring in a veteran as a calming presence and emergency 3rd QB. Looking at USFL signings of the few NFL unsigned players, the balance is clearly not there yet, though we do expect some big names to come available in February, as so often happens. Baltimore added DT Jeff Zgonina and WR MarTay Jenkins, as already reported. Birmingham found a kicker in former Jaguar Mike Hollis Boston landed a solid LB in Chris Claiborne of the Vikings. Chicago hopes they have found a goal line back in big Cecil Martin of the Raiders. Denver, as cited earlier, signed slot receiver Brandon Stokely Jacksonville hopes they found a good one in safety Omar Stoutmire. LA signed DT Daryl Gardener to a 3 year deal. Michigan looked for a safety after Carnell Lake’s retirement and settled on Sammy Knight from Miami. Nashville hopes they too have a battering ram in HB Leon Johnson of the Rams. Oakland added two NFL vets, guard Cameron Spikes and DT John Thornton Orlando found a backup for Joey Harrington in former Cowboy Jason Garrett Philly hopes Flozell Adams, one of the biggest men left unsigned, is the answer at tackle. Seattle added LB Mike Maslowski after losing Levon Kirkland to the NFL. FREE AGENT FRENZY As crazy as the NFL-USFL transfer window was, the first 3 months of USFL free agency was just as wild. As seems to be the trend these days, players seem quick to seek greener pastures either for a lucrative payout or for more opportunity to start, especially if they were demoted on their original club, an easy ticket to free agency for many. With each player that leaves a club, the pressure mounts for that club to find a quick replacement, and while some teams are more content to build through the draft, there were still plenty of takers in the free agent feeding frenzy that began this past August. We won’t talk about every signing, but here are the 10 players who we think have improved their standing by making a switch over the past 3 months. Guard Chuck Johnson won a title with the Glory, and then took the money, serious money, to become the new protector along the right side for Jake Plummer in Arizona. Another Ohio Glory starter cashed in on the post-championship feeding frenzy as Memphis, having lost Larry Centers to retirement, outbid 3 other clubs to sign FB Damien Shelton. Shelton is nowhere near the receiver that Centers was, but is one of the best lead blockers in the game, just ask Eddie George. Memphis may have gained a back, but they lost their clear #1 receiver as negotiations remained miles apart between the club and wideout Joe Horn. Horn, who wanted to be paid in the ballpark of Randy Moss in Tampa Bay or Terrell Owens in Jacksonville, got pretty close, signing a lucrative 3-year deal to become Brett Favre’s new favorite target. Going from Memphis to arch-rival Birmingham is going to sting the Showboat faithful to be sure. Birmingham also made a big move to improve their defense, signing former Michigan SS Lawyer Milloy to a 3-year deal. Expect Milloy to quickly lock up the starting job and very likely a captainship in Birmingham, where he is hoping to bring an aggressive style to the Stallions’ secondary. Another big wideout signing happened on the first day of free agency when Michigan’s Muhsin Muhammad found a new home in Portland (we told you the Thunder front office was active this offseason). Muhammad moves from one young QB in Drew Brees to another with Akili Smith. One of the best tackles available, Baltimore’s Korey Stringer, rebuffed an offer from the NFL Giants and signed instead with the Pittsburgh Maulers, which certainly will make Terrell Davis happy. The other high caliber tackle, LA’s Blake Brockmeier is still fielding offers, though most now think Baltimore will make a major play for him now that Stringer has departed. Wideout J.J. Stokes, who had a very strong 63-reception season in Washington this past season, will have to break in a new QB in Seattle, as he heads off to the Dragons and their very murky QB situation. We mentioned New Jersey’s signing of former Bull LB Jesse Armstead above, but the other big LB signing was also in the Northeast Division, where Philadelphia added former Stallion Henri Crockett to their LB group. Texas nabbed a very good corner in former Nashville Knight DeShea Townsend. Townsend, 27, signed a 5 year deal that will is rumored to have some pretty substantial incentive clauses if he can keep up his reputation as a ballhawk for the Outlaws. Finally, the Boston Cannons added another BC player to help rile up an already enthusiastic local fanbase. HB Mike Cloud had struggled to get on the field with Orlando, but may replace Tiki Barber in some short yardage and goal line situations as a member of the Cannons. Still a lot of time until the closure of Free Agency and the start of camps in late January. A lot of talent still out there to be signed, and a lot of holes on a lot of clubs. So don’t expect that the feeding frenzy is over, just wait. More is certainly to come. We finish off our look at the first three months of the offseason by looking at the upcoming draft this January and take some very early shots at who we think each club should target. With the return of the Territorial Draft in 2002, the strategy of drafting USFL talent shifted just a bit, and we wonder if the trends we saw last year will continue. Will clubs be as willing as they were last year to trade Open Draft picks for T-Draft opportunities? It is always a risk when any player can simply wait out the process and see how they fare in the NFL draft before signing with the USFL. The strategy bit several teams last year, who made a deal, picked a player through the T-Draft and then failed to land them. Of course, the same can happen in the open draft, but when you trade away the big pool to target a specific player from another team’s territory, you had better have a very good expectation that the guy will sign, otherwise it is draft capital wasted. OK, with that in mind, here is our rundown of all 24 USFL clubs and the one player we think they need to target, whether in the T-Draft, the Open Draft, or even making a deal to take a shot at a player in someone else’s protected pool. We usually do this in draft order, but for drama, let’s reverse that and start with the league champions, working our way down to Atlanta. OHIO The Glory have suffered death by a thousand nibbles since their title win. Hard to say which position they need to address first, but we are going to go with safety for two reasons. Reason 1: The retirement of FS Pat Terrell leaves them with a hole in a key position. Reason 2: They have the answer staring them in the face in the Territorial Draft with Ohio State’s Mike Doss the perfect candidate to join Galloway and George as former Buckeyes who stayed in Columbus to play pro ball. MEMPHIS The league runner up also saw massive defections across the roster, including their top receiver, starting HB, and All-USFL fullback. They have their new FB, but what to do about HB and WR? We expect Tennessee wideout Kelley Washington to get wooed hard by the Showboats. We also think they might try to make a play on a back like Chris Brown of Colorado or Justin Fargas of USC, because there is no way Tampa Bay won’t draft Willis McGahee from Miami after losing Errict Rhett. HOUSTON The Gamblers had the D last year, but need more on offense. While many think that their Open Draft will continue to be defensively focused, we think Wade Phillips will use the T-Draft to try to snag some offensive talent. Best place to start might be Texas A&M receiver Bethel Johnson, who would be a nice fit in the slot. NEW JERSEY We love what the Generals have already done to shore up the LB corps, now they need to address a big hole at corner, and again, a good territorial pick just falls into their lap. Get the checkbook out and make sure you can sign Oklahoma’s Andre Woolfork if you are the Generals. JACKSONVILLE The Bulls lost a quality LB in Armstead, but they also need help at HB and WR. Some of that is depth, which sounds mid-round pick to us, but if you have a shot to upgrade a key offensive position through your protected picks, why wouldn’t you go for it? With FSU as a territorial school, there is always talent at the skill positions, and this year that talent is named Anquon Boldin, the Seminole wideout. NEW ORLEANS Finding a young receiver seems important after the retirement of Raynard Brown, but guard is another vital position for a club that loves the power run game. With neither position strong in the Breakers’ protected schools (LSU, Tulane, and Ole Miss), the best bet may be the open draft. New Orleans can hope that Philly does not use their T-Draft on Iowa’s Eric Steinbach at guard, or they can look receiver, where a player like Tyrone Calico (Middle Tennessee) is outside the protected pool. CHICAGO If the Machine do not throw money at Illinois receiver Brandon Lloyd, they are not doing this right. Lloyd is exactly what the Machine need opposite Curtis Conway. And with a pretty shallow talent pool from their protected schools, they should have the cash to do it. PORTLAND The Thunder have been active so far in free agency and through trades. Expect Coach Vitt to also push for some talent in the draft, starting with Oregon HB Onterrio Smith. But while Smith would be a good pickup, the bigger needs are at DT and WR. Neither of those are likely to be solved with the T-Draft unless Portland makes a move up in the Open Draft. If they can get in position to land either of the top “unprotected” DTs (Robertson of Kentucky or Williams of OK State) they would be wise to make that move. ARIZONA Say it with me… Terrell Suggs. The Sun Devil DE is a clear difference maker, and Arizona gets first crack at him. The only potential issue is that there is no way Suggs’ agent is not going to have him hold out to see what NFL team selects him. Arizona may have to play the waiting game, but they have to play that game, right? NASHVILLE The Knights made their name on defense, but they have gotten a bit long in the tooth and could use an infusion of youth at both DE and DT. But, with their mishmash protected list of Vandy, Mizzou, and La Tech, that help is not coming from the T-Draft. They are right in the middle of the first round, but if he is still there, they could do a lot worse than selecting and signing either Miami DE Jerome McDougle or Penn State’s Michael Haynes (again we assume that the Bandits and Stars do not prioritize these two, which may be wishful thinking.) WASHINGTON Thanks to the Reuben Droughns trade, the Federals now hold both the #13 and #14 picks in the first round. Do they keep both and sign two midround talents or do they move up and get one guy that they fall in love with? If they stand pat, they could try to address the big hole at DT that Jerome Brown’s retirement produced, but if they move up, they could go for a big name, big impact player like a wideout. Andre Johnson perhaps? ORLANDO The Renegades have some good options out of the T-Draft this year, with some solid talent out of Florida, but also a really intriguing receiver from UCF, Doug Gabriel. But with DE still a top priority, and with several possible 1st round options, they should definitely focus attention and resources to that search. TEXAS The Outlaws have a lot of questions across the board, but they also have a pretty deep territorial pool with Texas, TCU, and SMU as feeder schools. From those three, we think the focus for the Outlaws should be split between DT Corey Redding (a definite need pick) and guard Derrick Dockery, though it would shock us not at all to see the Outlaws also select QB Chris Simms, son of former NFL QB Phil Simms, as a developmental project behind Leaf and Lewis. BIRMINGHAM It is a rare year when neither Alabama or Auburn have a player that is a plum target for the Stallions, but that seems like the case this year. We actually think Birmingham is likely to fare better in the open draft this year, where their #11 pick could help them fill needs at guard, DT, or HB. DT is the position with the best talent unclaimed by the T-Draft, so maybe it is Birmingham that snags that big burly space occupier. We like OK State’s Williams headed to Legion Field as a good option. BALTIMORE Coach Infante always seems like he is hanging onto his job by a thread. Another collapse like this year and that thread is likely to unravel, so this draft is key. Another team with a weak T-draft pool, Baltimore needs to use their Top 10 pick wisely. With the holes they have on the roster, thatlikely means addressing their league worst defense. How about a really good LB on an unprotected NCAA club, Wake Forest’s Calvin Pace? DENVER The Gold are hurting. Only 2 years removed from a title and they look like a team that needs a major assist. DE is the clear issue this year, with both Porcher and O’Neill gone. The good news is that there are some quality DE picks just from their three protected schools. They can take a shot at Nebraska’s Chris Kelsay, a solid 3-down end, or go for the pass rush skills of CU Buffalo Tyler Brayton. Heck, go for both, you need more than 1 DE anyway. TAMPA BAY I think everyone in the country knows what we are going to say. After losing Errict Rhett to the NFL, the eyes of Florida fall on Miami Hurricane HB Willis McGahee. If Tampa Bay can sign him to a deal, they are right back to having the type of dual-threat back that they made famous all the way back when Gary Anderson was catching screens from John Reaves. PITTSBURGH The Maulers are an interesting case. They could upgrade the passing game with a speedy wideout or a solid TE, or they could go defense. They have several options and at #7 they just need to hit on that first pick to do some good. The talent in their T-Draft (Purdue, Pitt, WVU) is likely mid-round level, so its about that first open draft pick. If they go for a receiver, how about Charles Rogers from Michigan State, a player the Panthers may skip in the T-Draft if they like defense more. OAKLAND Coach Green’s first draft could be a big one. Does he go for Kyle Boller from Cal in the T-Draft or stick with his 2 returning signal callers? Does he go after a big time defender by trying to get Arizona to give up Suggs? Seems unlikely, right? How about this? Trade down. You have a couple of teams with multiple picks. Does it make sense for Oakland to snag 2 early picks by giving up a Top 6 pick? That could be a tough sell to the fanbase, but it could also be the best option for a club that needs more talent in a lot of positions. LOS ANGELES Stop writing us with weird trade theories that have LA giving up on Cade McNown and drafting Carson Palmer. It is not happening. With Philly having traded for Griese, and Seattle now the most likely trade partner, there is no way LA sends McNown to a division rival. They have a good QB, so they let Palmer slide to the open draft and focus on areas of need. The best player in their pool may not even be Palmer, it may be Troy Polamolu, and that is absolutely who they should be targeting for a big contract. MICHIGAN We mentioned Charles Rogers as a possible target for the Maulers, but that all depends on if Michigan uses their protected picks to select the big receiver from the Spartans. Well, realistically, why would they? Yes, they lost Muhsin Muhammad in free agency, but they have a pretty solid group with Hines Ward, Laverneus Coles, and Dedrick Ward ready to go. I think they do pass on Rogers and focus on other need areas like TE, Guard, Center, you know, guys who can keep Drew Brees vertical. SEATTLE Following the Griese trade Seattle has the 2nd and 3rd picks in the draft, but they also have a glaring need at QB. No way to do they go into the season with Craig Erickson and Tee Martin as their options. So, who will it be? Carson Palmer of USC? Kyle Boller of Cal? Maybe Byron Leftwich of Marshall? All three could be available because LA, Oakland, and Washington simply may not prioritize QB, and all it takes is one of them to fall to Seattle for their plan to work. Well, that assumes they pick the one who actually pans out. PHILADELPHIA Having traded their top Open Draft pick to the Dragons for Griese, the Stars now have to look at later rounds and their T-Draft for support. We know they have their eyes set on their Penn State pipeline, and for good reason. Whether it is DE, DT, HB, LB or WR, there is a lot of talent coming out of Happy Valley this year. You only get 4 selections, so Philly must choose wisely. We would recommend they look at DE Michael Haynes, HB Larry Johnson, and DT Jimmy Kennedy. BOSTON The top pick in the draft. That is a lot of pressure. As the Atlanta Fire, this club has been here before, and not always made a good choice. What do they do this year? We love the T-Draft talent out of the U. of Georgia, but that is only part of the story. The bigger story is that first Open Draft selection. We would urge Boston not to waste it on a skills player, that is not their biggest need. This club needs a defense, and that means either LB or DE. In this draft there will be a really good DE available at #1, so it is just a matter of picking him and signing him. USFL RELEASES 2003 SCHEDULE We close our offseason review with the always anticipated release of the USFL schedule. This year’s schedule had a bit of mystery as league owners had to decide what to do about divisional alignment with the relocation of their Atlanta franchise to Boston. The decision? Do nothing, at least for now. The Boston Cannons will be a bit oddly placed as the only non-Floridian team in the Southeast Division, but with both Baltimore and Washington profoundly protesting a split of their rivalry with one moving to the South from the North, it seemed the easiest short-term solution. The league could easily double back to the decision in future years, especially if we see more teams relocate, but for now Boston will be very much like the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, who are oddly placed in the NFC East or Miami Dolphins, who sit with three NE teams in the AFC East. As for the schedule itself, very much the same format as last year, with one interesting twist. Each team will play their 3 division foes in a home and home to occupy 6 games. They will then play 2 teams from each of the other divisions in their conference for the next 4 games, and then finally 4 games against teams from the opposite conference, for a total of 14 games during the year. Once again we will have several weeks that showcase exclusively inter-conference games, several weeks where one conference is in division while the other is in inter-divisional play, and several weeks where all 24 clubs are in divisional play. As has always been the case, expect a lot of divisional play in the final 4 weeks of the season, to build drama as playoff battles come down to the wire. The big shift this year, and for the first time in recent memory, we will see the season begin with half the league in divisional play in Week 1. Unlike past years where Week 1 was often reserved for interconference play, this year the USFL is jumping right into some rivalry games in the East, with the West getting their shot the following week. Among the highlights of weeks one and two, we have these games to look forward to: WEEK ONE The League Champion Ohio Glory will face their new rival, Chicago, in Columbus on Saturday Night in what may be a very celebratory Ohio Stadium. New Jersey and Washington, two favorites for the NE Division will battle at RFK Stadium to kick things off on Sunday. A really intriguing inter-divisional game out West is the season opener as Memphis hosts the Arizona Wranglers in the first game of the season. Jacksonville & Tampa kick off the year with a Florida Derby game at Raymond James Stadium. And the newest stadium in the league, Lincoln Financial Field, will see its first action in the USFL as the Stars host the Blitz to open their season. WEEK TWO The West enters divisional play with some good rivalry games, headed by Memphis @ Birmingham on Saturday Night. Arizona and Denver will clash at New Mile High to kick off their usual SW Division battles. New Orleans and Nashville were both playoff teams, and they will resume their battles at Adelphia on Sunday. The California Derby gets an early season edition as LA travels to Oakland to face the Invaders and new head coach Dennis Green. That means that the Cascade Clash is also in effect, with the Thunder (facing a lot of uncertainty) facing Coach Marvin Lewis and the Dragons at Civic Stadium. And yes, it’s a battle of Texas in Houston as the Gamblers host the Outlaws on Sunday. The most interesting inter-divisional game is the home opener in Boston for the new Cannons franchise, as Alumni Stadium should be rocking for their clash against the visiting Chicago Machine. Some great games to kick off the new season, which makes it just that much harder to wait until March and the return of USFL action.

Perfection. There is no other word for it. The Ohio Glory have done what no team has done since the 1973 Miami Dolphins of the NFL, they have run through an entire pro football season, the first ever in the 20 years of the USFL, without a loss. Fourteen straight wins in the regular season, two playoff games, and now a run-away victory in the Summer Bowl to cap their season and go down as one of the greatest teams in pro football history. It was not always easy. Games were close all season long, at least some of them, and this title game was close as well for about a quarter and a half, but then something clicked. It was the kind of thing that all champions have within them, a new gear, a higher level of commitment, a dedication to victory and to each other to make it happen. Coach Luginbill said it best as he stood to receive the John Bassett Trophy: “More than anyone, this is for those guys, those guys with blood on their jerseys and football in their hearts. These guys found what they needed to win. They came together. They fought every play and gave all they had. And they deserve this!” The MVP of the game went to none other than the league MVP, QB Kerry Collins, who capped of an amazing season with an amazing game, completing 25 of 35 passes for 410 yards and 5 touchdowns. He had help, that is for sure. Help from the usual suspects like Joey Galloway (7 receptions for 168 yards and a score), Chad Johnson (only 2 catches, but both touchdowns), and from unexpected sources like 3rd wideout Robert Ferguson (also 2 TD catches), and backup HB Lamont Warren, who took on the role of injured Eddie George and did his best impersonation of the league’s Offensive Player of the year, rushing for 68 yards, but also catching 7 balls for 107, something Memphis simply was not prepared for. Coach Luginbill started the game somewhat conservatively, showing Memphis what we all thought they expected to see, an offensive game plan designed to get the ball to Galloway and Johnson, but he flipped a switch after sorting out the Memphis defense, started calling plays that looked at Warren and Ferguson, as well as TE’s Stephen Alexander and Derek Brown (6 combined catches). He kept pounding the ball with Warren too, forcing Memphis to respect the run, and allowing single coverage on at least one of his speedy receivers. Collins took advantage of this style, and found some big plays through play action. But he also threw some curveballs, including a flea flicker that netted 46 yards from Collins to Warren, back to Collins and then deep to Galloway. Memphis came in with a plan, and at first it looked like it might work. They would force Ohio to dink and dunk, avoid the deep stuff, and require that they just kept drives going. The problem was Ohio was able to do just that, and started putting together drives that simply wore out he Memphis defender. Meanwhile, Ohio’s linebackers harrassed Memphis QB Heath Shuler, and while they only recorded 1 sack, Shuler was simply not able to play his best game. He finished with only 13 completions on 28 attempts, and Memphis as a whole only held the ball for 21:16 compared to Ohio’s 38:44. Those long drives ended up being worse for Memphis than the big plays. The game started well for the Showboats. They gave up a first down on the first drive, but on a 3rd and 3 they stuffed Lamont Warren behind the line and forced a punt. They followed this with a 7-minute drive that ended with Larry Centers taking a plunge off the right guard for the score. It would be the only score of the first quarter, but just by a technicality. Ohio on their 2nd possession was forced to dink and dunk, as Memphis had hoped, but the mistakes, the penalties, the missed passes did not happen, and just as the 2nd period was opening, Collins found Chad Johnson on a fade route from the 4 yard line and the big receiver went up over the corner and brought the ball in. Game evened up. Memphis responded quickly, themselves trying to find the big plays that they had hoped to stop Ohio form hitting. They found two on one drive. First a long ball to Tydus Wynans that forced corner Corey Raymond into an awkward position, drawing a 37-yard defensive pass interference call. Four plays later Shuler hit on his best pass of the day, a 24 yarder on a double move the faked the corner out and let Joe Horn find space behind him. Memphis was up 14-7 and it looked like we would have a game. Ohio responded, but this time they too got some penalties, a defensive holding and an offside, and they moved a little bit faster, still working their original WR-centric plan. Collins missed on a high throw to Galloway for a deep TD, but 5 plays later was again able to find Johnson, this time on a slant move in the red zone, and Ohio was even again with the Showboats. What happened next seemed ordinary at the time, a short Memphis drive spoiled by a tipped pass on 3rd down led to a Showboats punt. But Ohio came out in their next drive doing something different. A screen to Warren, a short pass to Alexander, an out pass to Ferguson from the slot. They were skipping the contested balls to their two top receivers and taking advantage of better matchups against Ferguson, the tight ends and the backs. Soon they were closing in on the red zone and in one quick play they showed that Memphis had more receivers to deal with than they were ready for. Ferguson, who had not really been a major contributor all season for Ohio, was seeing more snaps. And on 1st and 10 from the 22 yard line, he was locked up in single coverage with the Memphis nickel, Rodney Young. Ferguson was quicker and more explosive than Young and it showed as he took Young inside, before turning it upfield on a corner route. Collins hit him in stride and Ohio had themselves their first lead of the day, 21-14 just at the 2-minute warning. Memphis tried to even the score with a 2-minute drill, but on a 3rd and 7 from midfield, Shuler trying to avoid a blitzing Glenn Cadrez, lost grip on the ball. His guard covered the ball up, but Memphis was forced to punt and one kneel down later we were at the half. While the fans were enjoying the music of Lenny Kravitz, with special guests Outkast (a performance that included Kravitz reprising a sample from Jimi Hendrix’s famous rendition of the national anthem), inside the locker rooms Al Luginbill was in a much better place than Jim Mora. Mora was trying to rally the troops, get them to commit to their original plan, while Luginbill was selling the new formula, the short game, spreading the ball around, and on defense continuing to put pressure through the blitz to force Heath Shuler to play on the move and cut out half the field as he rolled. Luginbill’s strategies on both sides of the ball would prove incredibly effective. Memphis would not score again, while Ohio would add another 17 points in the second half to coast to a 24 point victory. In the second half, Galloway would get his touchdown, another short toss on another slant route. Ferguson would land his second on what was essentially a shuffle pass from the shotgun, and the Ohio defense would simply not allow Memphis to get in range, even for kicker Scott Blanton, not that the showboats would go for the kick. Two drives ended with Memphis going for 4th down and failing to convert. Two would end with turnovers, as Heath Shuler was picked by Cadrez (the Defensive POTG) and Erron Kinney, the 2nd TE for Memphis, would get the ball punched out by Cedric Harden. Memphis’s superstar TE, would have a brutal day, targeted only 4 times and ending the game with one catch for 7 yards. As the game wore down it was all Luginbill could do to keep his players on the sideline and to not celebrate too early, but after Ferguson’s 2nd TD reception made the score 35-14, the party was on. Ohio would wrapped the game up with a kneel down and the entire squad would rush the field as confetti cannons shot out blue and white paper from both endzones (we assume they had red and white available for Memphis if needed.) The Ohio Glory had done the unthinkable. They had run the table on the entire league, stringing together 17 consecutive wins to go through the year untouched, unphased, and undefeated. Jubilation in the streets of Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and every other hardscrabble town along the Mahoning Valley as the state of Ohio nabbed their first pro football title since the Cleveland Browns of the 1950’s. Not only was it a title, it was a historic, incredible, unbelievable unbeaten season for the Glory. A truly Glorious event if I can be a bit punny about it. For Memphis, some consolation that they faced a team of destiny, a team no one had fully figured out. It was not Jim Mora’s first defeat on this biggest of stages, and he was magnanimous in defeat, saying “We lost to a better team today. No shame in that. Of course we wish it had gone differently, but Ohio is a great team, with a lot of great players and one heck of a coach. I am sad we lost, but we will move on. “. For Al Luginbill, whose first years in Ohio were anything but easy, it was vindication for a 4 year journey that has seen nothing but improvement for the Glory. Before Luginbill, the 1995 expansion team had never had a winning season. In his first year they scrapped their way to 8-8, the first non-losing season in team history. Then 10-6 in 2000, winning their Wild Card game only to lose the next week to these very same Showboats. In 2001, they won 1 more game, finishing 11-5 and earning a bye as Division Champions of the Atlantic, but in their first playoff game they were upset 42-40 by Philadelphia. This season had a lot of high expectations, and with the club’s move to the new Central Division, new challenges, but they started hot, stayed hot, dealt with close calls and adversity, and now they stand atop the mountaintop as USFL Champions and the ultimate Team of Destiny.

Houston and New Jersey came into this weekend hoping to play David to the Goliaths of the 2002 USFL season, Memphis and Ohio, but Goliath was feared for a reason and in the two conference finals the two best teams in the league this season showed why they are who they are. Memphis managed Houston’s defensive front and found the points they needed to pull out a win in the 4th quarter while Ohio did what they always seem to do, putting up a 28-0 run in the middle of the game to upend the Generals and punch their ticket to the Summer Bowl in nearby Pittsburgh. So it will be the matchup of the 14-0 Ohio Glory and the 11-3 Memphis Showboats in a Summer Bowl that could make history. We begin our preparations for the Summer Bowl by looking at how both teams got here, updating news from around the league, and then we will preview the big game. A review of how the Ohio Glory got to the Summer Bowl is a pretty easy one to summarize, they have won every game this year. Some have been blowouts as their prodigious offense simply overwhelmed many teams over the course of the season, but it has not been a season without challenges. All three matchups against division foe Chicago have been close affairs that required Ohio to pull out a win against the Machine’s tough defense. The Glory almost fell to Nashville in Week 4 before pulling out a 2-point win. Similarly they struggled against Houston and Washington, two of the league’s better defenses. In Week 13, only a few weeks ago, they met these same New Jersey Generalas at home and barely snuck by with a late score to avoid the upset. So, when facing the Generals for a second time, a win was not guaranteed despite the impressive resume the Glory have put forward. Add to that the reality that they would go into this game without Eddie George, a huge piece of their offense, and there was plenty of doubt that this time the Glory would find a way to remain perfect on the year and make their way to the league title game. New Jersey came in with a good gameplan, a mix of run and pass to control the clock, a combination of zone defenses to force Kerry Collins to dink and dunk to form long drives, and a focus on the passing game, de-emphasizing the threat of the run. The plan proved effective as the game opened, with New Jersey stumping the Glory offense through a quarter and a half and the Generals’ offense putting up the first 10 points of the game. Tom Brady found Anthony Becht from 23 yards out early in the 2nd and New Jersey appeared to be rolling, but Ohio has proven that they are rarely down for long and what happened over the next 2 ½ quarters proved it. The Ohio run began with a blown coverage exploited by Kerry Collins as Joey Galloway was supposed to be double teamed, but the safety drifted towards TE Stephen Alexander, freeing up the speedy Galloway. Collins spotted the mistake and threw a perfect deep ball to Galloway for a 32 yard score. This first score seemed to crack the ice for Ohio, as New Jersey seemed deflated by the score and the prospect that their defense was not going to be able to hold. On their next possession, Ohio scored again, taking the lead when Lamont Warren dove in from the 4-yard line after a 13-play drive in which Collins proved he could be patient when the defense did not give up the big play. Scoring last in the first half and getting the ball to start the third, Ohio had a chance for a morale-busting back-to-back flip of the scoreboard. They took that chcance, and on their first drive of the half, Collins found rarely-used HB Michael Riley (called in to provide a breather to Lamont Warren). On a route that has worked for Eddie George so frequently, Collins hit Wiley out of the backfield and the back did the rest, following a block from Chad Johnson down the sideline for 6. Now up 21-10, Ohio would not look back. The Glory would add a 4th TD, this time Collins to Chad Johnson, in the 4th, and while they would eventually allow new Jersey a late score to bring the game’s final line to 28-17, it was over earlier than that. Ohio had scored 28 unanswered points and in so doing had broken New Jersey’s belief in themselves. Even without Eddie George to balance the offense, Ohio would rack up 385 total yards and 302 in the air to outpace the Generals. The perfect season would continue and the Ohio Glory would be appearing in their first Summer Bowl with a chance to make history as the USFL’s first and only undefeated league champion. It was a very different story for Memphis in their game against the Houston Gamblers, champions of the Southwest Division. It had been a very different end of the year for Memphis as well. The Showboats began much as Ohio had, winning their first 9 games and looking nigh-invulnerable in doing so. They too had a diverse and high-powered offense, and were looking like a potential undefeated team as well. But in Week 10 the cracks started to show. First a loss at home to the Washington Federals (whose defense also put a scare into Ohio), then 2 weeks later a second loss to division rival New Orleans, and finally, in a game where Memphis protected the health of key starters, another loss in division, this time to Nashville. Memphis had recovered their swagger a bit last week, avenging their loss to the Breakers with a win at home in the Divisional round, but they now faced another sturdy defense, much like the Federal defense that cost them the perfect season. Houston had shut down Portland in their divisional matchup and came into the game hoping to put pressure on Heath Shuler with their formidable front four. Memphis would counter by offering a regular dose of draw plays and screens to Garrison Hearst. Hearst would finish the game with 107 yards on the ground and 37 more in the air, including a key TD. Houston would play the Showboats close however, thanks in part to a solid day from Matt Hasselbeck, who threw for 2 scores. With Memphis focused on Antonio Freeman, Hasselbeck threw to TE David LaFleur (5 for 43 yards and a score) and Cedric Tillman (4 for 149, including a nice 64-yard gainer that led to a Boniol field goal.) After three quarters the two clubs were locked up at 20 points apiece. Houston had sacked Heath Shuler 3 times and forced a pick earlier in the game, but in the 4th quarter, Shuler was able to move the ball on a long 14-play drive, connecting with 4 different receivers before putting the Showboats on top with a TD toss to Tydus Wynans from 7 yards out. Houston would try to respond, but would settle for a field goal on their next drive, leaving Memphis with a 4-point lead and 5 minutes to play. Houston’s defense did what it needed to on the next Memphis possession, forcing a 3rd and 13, and then forcing Shuler to throw the ball away on 3rd down. When the Gamblers got the ball back, they were down 4 with just over 3:30 left to play. But, this time it would be Memphis showing some defensive swagger. After a couple of first downs by Houston got the ball to the 43 yard line, the Memphis defense tightened. On first and 10 from the 43, the Showboats sent a blitzer up the middle, catching the Gamblers unprepared and forcing Hasselbeck to throw the ball away despite an open Tillman in the flat. On 2nd down, a screen to Kevin Faulk gained only 1 yard, forcing a 3rd and 9 from the Houston 44. Again Memphis dialed up pressure, this time sending SS Alvin Walton on a blitz on the left side. The Blitz forced the tackle to decide between Walton and DE Sedrick Clark. Clark got pressure on Hasselbeck, and the QB threw up a ball he should not have, off the back foot and fluttering. It did not find Antonio Freeman, but instead fell to CB Fred Weary for the Showboats. Memphis took over possession and simply ran the clock down. The Showboats would be returning to the Summer Bowl, their 2nd trip in 4 years. They would face an unbeaten Ohio team in the matchup most of the country wanted to see, and would open as a 5-point underdog. LEAGUE AWARDS ANNOUNCED We have our 2002 USFL League Award winners and the All-USFL Team of 2002. This week, as part of their Summer Bowl festivities, the league held its celebration of the best of the 2002 season, and while many of the Showboat and Glory players were unable to attend the celebration in New York, they were certainly a big part of the evening as many of the awards and accolades headed their way. MVP: No shock here as Kerry Collins, QB of the Ohio Glory walked away with this one by a wide margin. Collins finished the season as the only QB to throw for 4,000 yards (4,361 to be exact) and the only QB with over 30 touchdowns (39 to be exact). When you are the leader of the best offense in football, and an undefeated team to boot, this is to be expected. OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: In the tradition of splitting the OPOTY and the MVP, which is usually a QB, the voters again recognized the Ohio Glory but by celebrating HB Eddie George. George rushed for1,155 yards while also being a major contributor in the passing game, where he racked up another 878 yards. Add in his league best 17 total touchdowns (in 14 weeks) and George, who is sidelined for the league title game due to an injury suffered in the divisional playoffs) is a very worthy recipient indeed. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: This vote was a lot closer, as there were a range of players, from the D-line, through the league’s top linebackers, and into the secondary, who deserve attention. While Phil Hansen certainly got his share of votes, and fans in New Orleans lobbied for Lamar Lathon, the league opted to recognize one of the best corners in the league this year by giving the award to Texas Outlaw Jimmy Hitchcock. Hitchcock led the league with 7 interceptions, and was the only player to record 3 defensive touchdowns as he returned three of his picks to the house. He also forced 3 fumbles, recovering two himself, and contributed to the run defense as well, making 80 total tackles on the year. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Orlando QB Joey Harrington came into a tough spot. His club had won the league title the year before under the veteran leadership of Scott Mitchell. When Mitchell surprised everyone by making a late announcement of his retirement, the Renegades had to scramble to develop a plan at the position. They would eventually pull off a major trade with the Portland Thunder to acquire a territorial draft pick and with that pick they selected Harrington, the Oregon Duck field general. Harrington did not start the season under center, but quickly was called upon to lead the Renegade offense, never an easy task for a rookie. The results, while not earth shattering, were strong. Harrington threw for 2,319 yards and 15 touhdowns, but more importanlty, he kept Orlando in the playoff hunt all season and got them to within 1 game of winning their division. A solid first year to build on and enough to win the young QB the ROTY award. COACH OF THE YEAR: Many are upset that Al Luginbill did not win this award, with all the pressure of leading a club to a perfect 14-0 season, but as we all know, this award often goes to the coach who took a team well beyond their expectations. Joe Vitt was not even a head coach when the season began, but when he took over the 0-5 Portland Thunder, after the firing of Ray Rhodes, many felt he would be lucky to win 2 or 3 games and then get a pink slip as his interim status ended. What happened instead is that Vitt won his first game at the helm of the Thunder and then went on to win 7 of 9 games and the Pacific division title to boot. If ever a coach outperformed expectations it was Joe Vitt this season, and the voters rewarded that phenomenal feat with this award. Portland rewarded it with something even more helpful, as we discuss later in this article. ALL-USFL TEAM: The 43 players who make up the All-USFL Team were announced this week and it was a cavalcade of talent. Here is the full roster, and then, just because this is always a talking point around the water cooler, the biggest snubs, as we see them. QB: K. Collins (OHI), J. Plummer (ARZ), H. Shuler (MEM) HB: A. Green (NSH), E. George (OHI), T. Davis (PIT) FB: L. Centers (MEM) TE: A. Cooper (MEM), J. Mills (ORL) WR: J. Galloway (OHI), B. Emmanuel (NSH), T. Glenn (NJ), C. Johnson (OHI), T. Owens (JAX) OT: A. Johnson (TBY), R. Webb (BIR), J. Ogdon (LA) OG: M. Verstegen (JAX), A. Faneca (LA), C. Johnson (OHI) C: C. Raymer (MGN), M. Tucker (LA) DE: P. Hansen (NJ), C. Doleman (ORL), K. Pittman (HOU) DT: J. Randall (BAL), P. Williams (ORL), J. Brown (WSH) LB: D. DuBose (PIT), M. Vrabel (JAX), L. Lathon (NOR), B. Thomas (ARZ), M. Lewis (LA), M. Barrow (WSH) CB: J. Hitchcock (TEX), T. Buckley (JAX), M. Echols (JAX) FS: J. King (MEM), T. Terrell (OHI) SS: L. Milloy (MGN), S. Lumpkin (DEN) K: K. Brown (JAX) P: J. Carlton (PHI) Snubs: Hard to argue with the 43 players listed above, but these others also deserved recognition but just missed the cut: QB Trent Dilfer (NOR), HB Corey Dillon (SEA), TE Steve Johnson (NOR), TE Anthony Becht (NJ), WR Rob Moore (BAL), WR Matthew Hatchette (POR), OT Wayne Gandy (BAL), OG Todd Rucci (NSH), DE Bruce Smith (ATL), DT Sam Adams (JAX), LB Brian Urlacher (CHI), LB Tedi Bruschi (TEX), CB Will Allen (POR), CB Corey Raymond (OHI), FS Ed Reed (WSH), and K Jeff Hall (MEM). TRADING BLOCK OPENS EARLY While free agency cannot officially begin until the Wednesday following the Summer Bowl, there is no limitation on trades, and we have started early with a few teams making moves to try to bolster positions they see as weaker in the draft or free agency pool, while other clubs are adding talent or draft picks ahead of free agency. We had three significant trades just in this past week to kick things off. Baltimore is trying to find more protection for their QB and were willing to lose some depth to bring that in. The Blitz send DE Mike Jones off to Portland to bring in a potential RT in Portland’s Matt Hill. Portland also gave up the 4th round pick they had from the Breakers (from a 2001 trade) to acquire a solid edge rusher on the right side, someone who could line up opposite John Abraham and hopefully provid a bit more support to free Abraham up to rush the passer. Both teams improve positoins of concern with this swap. The same could be said for a trade between Boston and Pittsburgh. With Boston having traded away Aaron Brooks and not resigning Mark Bulger, the QB room was looking a bit bare behind Drew Bledsoe. With this trade Boston acquires a quality backup in Pittsburgh’s Jim Miller. Miller was in a constant battle with native Pittsburgher Alex Van Pelt to back up Charlie Batch. Now Miller is likely to be the clear #2 in Boston. Pittsburgh gets guard Paul Zakauskas in return, a solid run blocker to help Terrell Davis. The question now is what Pittsburgh does about a 3rd QB. They could bring in a developmental player or sign someone who might challenge Batch more than Van Pelt is able to. That is an intriguing option, and one we should monitor as the offseason moves along. The biggest name to be traded in the past week came yesterday, when Washington announced that they had reached an agreement to send HB Reuben Droughns to Portland. We said Portland needed to boost their run game, and bringing in a local former duck will be sure to bring some excitement to the Thunder. Droughns was in committee with Deuce McCallister this season in Washington, with 121 carries to McCallister’s 123. It appears that Washington has decided that splitting carries is not what works for them and has bought into using McCallister as their main back. That freed up Droughns, who now is likely to be the Week 1 starter for Portland, replacing Napoleon Kaufmann in that slot. In return for Droughns, Washington picks up a 1st round pick, one of two that Portland had in this year’s draft. Portland sends the pick they received from Orlando last year to acquire a proven back. This now gives Washington two first round picks, though both are in the 2nd half of the round. FREE AGENT FINDS Looking ahead to Free Agency, which will begin in less than a week, the question of who moves on, who resigns at the last minute, and who takes their shot at the NFL is a big one. Every offseason we see rosters turn over, sometimes building depth with mid-range players, sometimes ending up worse than they began as players seek better opportunities, and occasionally landing that one gamechanger who turns a mediocre team into a potential champion. Looking at the unsigned players and free agents on the market this year, we believe we have found the 10 players most likely to impact the 2003 season by joining a new team, bolting to the NFL, or getting a sweetheart deal to return to their club. Follow these 12 players and you may get some insight into next season. FB Richie Anderson (ARZ): It may seem odd to see a fullback on this list as the position has fallen out of favor with so many teams who prefer the 3-receiver set, but Richie Anderson is a difference maker. He is poorly used in Arizona’s scheme, but for a team that wants to develop a power run game he could turn a 900-yard rusher into a 1,500 yard rusher, and that is nothing to sneeze at. LB Jesse Armstead (JAX): A dynamic playmaker with good range and strong fundamentals, Armstead is never going to log 10 sacks or lead the league in tackles, but he will be around the play and can stick to tight ends in coverage. A solid option for teams looking for a good 4-3 outside LB. LB Levon Kirkland (SEA): A more aggressive player than Armstead, Kirkland is the guy you bring in when your defense needs more energy. He will get the other backers to play with passion and he will lead by example. Expect 2-3 years more out of Kirkland, as he looks to finish out his career with a winning squad. OT Korey Stringer (BAL): A big, hard to move, tackle, perhaps better suited for a club with a pocket passer than a scrambler. Stringer won’t pull and is not ideal on screens, but if you want to deal with a power rusher on the outside there are few who can stonewall them like Stringer. TE Steve Johnson (NOR): Undervalued at the position, Johnson has potential to be an 80-reception, 800 yard receiver in the right system. It is quite surprising that New Orleans would let him go. He is not going to bust a 60-yard play like an Adrian Cooper, but on 3rd and 7 he can be a QB’s best friend. DT Joe Salave’a (Birmingham): The best inside d-lineman available. He can take up space, make runners dance behind the line, and occupy 2 blockers to free up a DE on pass rush. There are several teams in need of this around the league, so expect Salave’a to go quickly. OT Blake Brockmeier (LA): The Express should not have let Brockmeier go on the market. He has been very good both protecting Cade McNown and supporting the LA rushing attack. Look for Brockmeier to go for top dollar since solid left tackles are worth their weight in gold in a passing league. HB Dorsey Levins (ARZ): Another good back that Arizona just never found the right way to use. A shame too, because Levins has skills. For the right team he could easily gain over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, maybe 1,500. DE Robert Porcher (DEN): Overshadowed by Leslie O’Neill, Porcher is a solid edge rusher in his own right. Denver is going to be hurting losing both in the same year, but Porcher never felt the love from the Gold and now he is on the marekt and available to one of the many teams looking to upgrade at the position. WR Muhsin Muhammad (MGN): We like his speed and jumping ability, but wish he was a better route runner on short and intermediate routes. Lined up across from a quality #1 receiver, Muhammad can be a good 2nd option or a deep threat to open things up underneath. HB Errict Rhett (TBY): What was Tampa Bay thinking here? Did they not think there would be a market for a HB who has been over 1,000 yards twice in the past 3 seasons. Sure, he is hitting that dangerous age where backs tend to lose a step, and maybe they feel good about the prospect of signing U. of Miami star Willis McGahee (Miami being a Bandit T-draft school), but to allow Rhett to potentially walk to a rival like Memphis or Orlando seems foolish.) WR Joe Horn (MEM): Another veteran who deserves better. Joe Horn had 1,152 yards and 8 TDs this season, his 5th consecutive 1,000 yard season. Yes, the Showboats have until Wednesday to sign him before he becomes a free agent, but the two parties seem light years apart in their numbers. If Horn has a big game this Sunday he could have a big paycheck by Thursday, with teams across the league battling to sign him for what is likely to be his last USFL contract before retirement. Memphis has a lot of players to sign, but to miss on Horn seems completely foolhardy. And, just to finish off the Free Agency Preview, we probably should take a look at some of the top NFL players who are still not under contract with their current clubs and who would be available when the NFL-USFL transfer window opens. Not a particularly deep pool, as it rarely is in August, but there are a few names worth watching. OFFENSE: Among skill players the most intriguing are at the QB position, where a USFL team could hope for a quick fix. Of the QB’s available we have one former USFL starter in Rodney Peete, who was with Detroit after several years in Canada. Is he ready to return to the league that cast him off years ago? A younger option, but one who could be quite attractive is Jeff Blake, an athletic QB who feels a bit like a potential Kordell Stewart. Tony Banks andJason garrett are two more players who could be interesting signings for a USFL club. The HB pool Is quite a bit more shallow, though we think that there are a few names worth mentioning. Cecil Martin is a strong inside rusher who could help teams with their short yardage needs. Detron Smith and Leon Johnson are also prospects who could find a home in the USFL, and Stanley Pritchett also has some skills that could prove intriguing if the price is right. Among receivers the top unsigned player in the NFL right now is Ike Hilliard of the Giants. He would be the type of big target that many teams covet. If you are looking for a slot receiver, you can do worse thatn Brandon Stokley, who could be available in a week. Others to look for are MarTay Jenkins, and kevin Lockett. Add to this some halfway decent tight ends like Lamont Hall, Fred Baxter, and Hunter Goodwin and there are some guys worth taking a shot at. On the O-line, our pick for the best of the bunch is tackle Flozell Adams. He could be a Day 1 starter at either left or right tackle if a USFL club is willing to pay the big price he will demand. Others to consider are Mike Rosenthal and Wayne Gandy. At guard you have some solid performers like Cameron Spikes, Doug Brzezinski, Jamar Nesbit, and Mo Collins. And at center Joe Zelenka, David Binn, and Todd McClure look like strong options. DEFENSE: For the defense, our top pick would have to be LB Chris Claiborne, a solid cover man with good instincts and range. For a more violent hitter look at Hannibal Navies, another quality LB available. Others in that group include Jeff Posey, Keith Newman, and Orlando Ruff. On the D-line you are not going to find a Jerome Brown or Leslie O’Neill, but you could make good use of DTs like Brandon Noble, Jeff Zgonina, or former USFL’er Daryl Gardener. And at DE how about Chuck Nwokorie, a younger, speed rusher with a lot of upside. If you want more experience, how about Carl Powell? In the secondary you could go for speed with cornerbacks like Todd McBride or Ken Irvin, or you could go for a savvy safety like Dexter Jackson, Earl Little, or Keion Carpenter. Safety is probably the deepest group in the entire pool, as we also like Omar Stoutmire, Sammy Knight and Barrett Brooks as options to switch leagues. Finally, for those clubs that just want someone new at kicker, you are sure to find a few available. Right now it looks like the best of the bunch are either senior specialist John Carney (who seems to flip leagues more than any other player) or take a shot at Mike Hollis. Morten Anderson, the ageless wonder, is also still interested in playing even as he comes close to qualifying for AARP membership. The good news this week is that our two Summer Bowl contenders come into the game relatively healthy. Yes, we are still wondering if this is the game where Eddie George’s absence hurst the Ohio Glory, but they have no new injuries to account for after a clean game vs. the Generals. The only new injury for Memphis was a hip stinger suffered by WR Cedric Wilson, but after 2 days of rehab, Wilson is listed as probable for Sunday’s championship, so we don’t see any issues here as the Glory and Showboats prepare for their clash at Heinz Field. COACHING CAROUSEL We have our first official hire of the offseason and it is a no brainer. Portland has removed the “Interim” title form Joe Vitt, making the former DC and interim head coach their full-time choice. It just makes too much sense for them not to do this. Vitt took over an 0-5 team when Ray Rhodes was let go and he turned them into a playoff team. His 7-2 record and the upset win over Nashville made him a local hero and made his permanent hire practically a foregone conclusion. This week that decision was made official, and both players and fans in Portland seem ready to get on board with Vitt as their new leader. A second position may be announced this week as well, with Seattle looking to sign a coach soon. Rumors have the decision down to two top candidates, former Jacksonville head man Jim Fassel and former Steeler and Gold DC Marvin Lewis. Both bring a lot of experience to the position, though Lewis has never been a head coach before. His defensive mindset is respected and the results undeniable. For Fassel, his tenure in Jacksonville was a bit up and down, but he showed an ability to relate to players and develop rapport with his team. Expect an announcement any day on one of these two candidates. In Oakland and Birmingham things seem to be moving a lot slower. Many suspect that the ownership in Birmingham, led by their GM, former head coach Ron Erhardt, may well take over the offseason processes and then look to sign a coach closer to the start of the season, a late NFL hiring perhaps. In Oakland, the expectation is that a coach will be hired before the draft, but the Invaders have a wide net cast and are planning at least 5 interviews over the next couple of weeks. Unless someone truly wows them, this could take a while. PORTLAND IN PERIL? More news out of Portland and not the good kind. The investigation into the finances and management of Worldcom CEO and lead owner of the Portland Thunder, Bernard Ebbers, has turned up significant potential concerns. There are now allegations of widespread fraud and manipulation of corporate valuation which could realistically lead to charges being brought against Mr. Ebbers. It all feels like shades of what we saw in St. Louis just a year ago. The charges are different, and the issues do not relate directly to the ownership of the Thunder, but any actions taken which could lead to the seizure or the freezing of Mr. Ebbers’ assets would be disastrous for the Thunder. League officials are working loosely with authorities, but the main thrust of the investigations are largely outside of their purview. Where the league needs to focus their attention is on the ownership structure, a structure they approved fewer than 12 months ago, for the Thunder. There is every possibility that minority owner Phil Ruffin may be called upon to take over the club, something he has seemed reluctant to do. Never mind the concerns that a Las Vegas casino owner would be a majority owner of a professional sports franchise, something no league has condoned in the past 60 years, but there appears to be real doubt that Mr. Ruffin has the resources necessary, or is in any mindset to make available the needed financial resources to operate as the principal owner of the Thunder franchise. What does this mean for the Thunder? Well, while the initial impact of the investigation into Worldcom was to halt the negotiations for a new Portland sports facility which would house the Thunder, the issues now spread far beyond stadium construction. Were Mr. Ebbers to be forced, either by the courts or the league, to divest from the Thunder, the immediate impact would be a significant financial shortfall in the ownership itself, one which could force the league to take over primary control of the club until additional owners could be found. This, in turn, puts into question the ability of the Thunder to find ownership that would retain the team in Portland, particularly if stadium construction is delayed or scuttled altogether. The resulting uncertainty, as well as the very real potential for a league buyout means that Portland fans, who felt secure in their salvation from the fate we have seen in Atlanta and St. Louis, may once again be cast into the very risky proposition of seeking additional ownership, ownership that may very well look at the bottom line and decide that Portland is not the best location for the franchise, or that without the new stadium and the financing that Ebbers was expected to provide to the project, that Portland football is not viable. This is, of course, the fear among the Thunder faithful. The very real concern is that the Thunder, whether under league ownership, or private ownership led by Mr. Ruffin, may seek to reassess the commitment to the city, to construction of a new stadium, and to the Thunder remaining Portland’s USFL home. So, here we are, preparing for one of the most hotly debated Summer Bowls in USFL history. Is Ohio a team of destiny, prepared for one more win to enter the status of legends, or is Memphis the right team at the right time to knock them off. The hype around this game is amazing, the ticket sales have far exceeded expectations, with prices now rising as high as $1,500 for the top level seats on the secondary market. Had the game been played at Ohio Stadium it seems clear that they could have sold out the league’s largest venue, but Pittsburgh is abuzz with fans from both clubs as well as USFL fans in general who want to be there for this historic game. But what about the teams? We broke down the various factors of the game, looked at both clubs, took into account the Eddie George injury, and weighted all the factors, and what we see is a far more balanced account than most Glory fans might want to admit. This one very well could come down to big plays or unforseen errors turning the tide. Here is how we see it, with our rationale to follow. PASSING: Both of these clubs can toss the pigskin all over the field. In Kerry Collins and Heath Shuler we have two of the biggest stars in the league, and two of the best field generals going head to head. You have the yardage leader in receiving in “Big Play” Galloway, and you have the best tight end in the league in Adrian Cooper. The difference, as we see it, is in the secondary targets. Joe Horn and Joey Galloway are great targets. Adrian Cooper and Chad Johnson can be devastating as well, but Johnson, for all of Cooper’s skills, is just a more dangerous option. And then, when we go to the third or fourth option, you have Steven Alexander or Robert Ferguson for the Glory and Tydus Wynans or Larry Centers for the Showboats. The edge has to go to Ohio. Add to this Al Luginbill’s offensive innovation and this one is all Ohio. RUSHING: If Eddie George were able to suit up this would be a big upside for the Glory, but with their main man sidelined we have to give the edge to Garrison Hearst and the Showboat offense. Neither team makes a living off the run game, but of the two, with both defenses focusing on the aerial attack, the Showboats have a better shot at using the run as a meaningful part of their offense. Lamont Warren might get some touches, especially if Memphis opt to use the Nickel as their base defense, but we just don’t see Ohio’s run game as more than an occasional curveball. BIG PLAYS: As good as Memphis’s passing game can be, and as talented as Joe Horn and Adrian Cooper are, they just don’t compare to the big play capacity of this Ohio Glory team. Galloway and Johnson are so tough to cover and the offense is designed to find matchups and exploit them with over-the-top throws to receivers in single coverage. Memphis simply cannot match that and will have to focus on minimizing these opportunities for Kerry Collins, while Shuler uses a controlled approach to move the ball more methodically. BALL SECURITY: When we look at turnovers, these two teams are neck and neck. Ohio had one fewer turnover this season than Memphis did, but both were among the best in the league in protecting the ball. We did not want to have any ties in these categories so we give Ohio the slight advantage, but this one is very close. PASS RUSH: Memphis has the advantage here. Neither club has a big name edge rusher, but Memphis’s Dameaion Jeffries, with 13 sacks can be dangerous. Ohio uses the blitz more often than Memphis, and needs to if they want to generate a pass rush. That means more receivers in single coverage. If Memphis can use pressure to get to Collins without blitzing, they get an advantage here. COVERAGE: We are also giving Memphis the advantage here. Ohio tends to give up more passing yards, which may be largely due to teams desperately trying to make up for big deficits early, as the Glory defense is designed to protect a lead, but Memphis’s secondary is solid, and we see them as the stronger unit as a whole. Darrien Gordon will likely be locked up with Joey Galloway all day, while Terrance Shaw and Fred Weary will likely alternate between Chad Johnson and Robert Ferguson. At safety the combo of Tebucky Jones and Alvin Walton will have their hands full, but likely will be spending a lot of time lined up deep to help with whichever Ohio receiver starts sprinting first. For Ohio the pressure will be on FS Pat Terrell to deal with Adrian Cooper in the middle of the field, which may mean that either Mike Riley or Corey Raymond could find himself on an island with Joe Horn. Based on this, and the overall strength of Memphis’s coverage capacity, we have to give the edge to them. RUN COVERAGE: Ohio’s run defense looks strong on paper, but the question is whether or not that is because teams have to pass against them to play catchup. We think that this is a factor, but we also like the way Coach Luginbill uses his front 7, never overcommitting to the pass to the point where the run is an easy tactic for offenses. DT La’Roi Glover is solid in the middle, and LB’s Clint Kriewaldt, Glenn Cadrez and Nick Griesen are all solid tacklers, and that can make the difference betweena 2-yard run and a 6-yard run. For Memphis, we expect a lot of nickel and dime coverage, which means they could be susceptible to the run if Ohio opts to test them on it. In a nickel the two backers who will remain on the field are Jim Schwantz, and Will Overstreet, both good technical players but not very speedy, so an outside run game could hurt them unless SS Alvin Walton can come up to assist. Advantage Ohio. TAKEAWAYS: Another very even statistic with Ohio having a slight edge. Again, is this due to their ability to play with a lead and have teams overemphasize the riskier passing game over the run? That seems to be the consensus, however, in games where the score was closer, and Ohio has had a few of these, the defense has still proven effective at getting turnovers when needed. We like Ohio here, but recognize that if either team can finish +2 or better in the turnover battle, they have a real shot at winning this game. KICKING GAME: Memphis has the advantage here. While Ohio’s Don Silvestri led the league with 56 PAT kicks, he was only 19 of 27 on field goal attempts, while Memphis’s Jeff Hall was among the league leaders in not only scoring, finishing second only to Jacksonville’s Kris Brown (123 to 129) but his 30 field goals included some real bombs from deep. Weather is expected to be perfect for the kicking game, so we expect Memphis to have the advantage, although, against Ohio field goals may not be enough. RETURN GAME: If we were just talking about punting, Memphis would win this hands down. Ohio’s strategy of calling for a fair catch on nearly every punt means that their returner, Travis Fisher had the fewest punt returns of any regular return man in the league. But, when it comes to kick returns, that is where Ohio shines. Malcolm Floyd led the league with 844 return yards, a 29.1 average. And while Memphis’s Titus Dixon was also Top 10 with a 23.2 average, we have to say that in a game that could be high scoring, the edge here goes to Ohio. COACHING: Jim Mora Sr, winner of three Summer Bowls with two different teams vs. Al Luginbill, appearing in his first league championship. You know what we are going to say here. Yes, Coach Luginbill’s offensive schemes are dynamic and innovative, but when it comes to making the right call at the right time, to motivating men to play their best when they most need it, or devising the perfect scheme to take away another team’s best players, Coach Mora has the clear edge. In a game with this much pressure, not only to win a title, but to attempt the perfect season, coaching is essential to calm nerves, settle emotions, and focus attention. We think that for all the on-field strengths of the Showboats, if they are going to win this game it is because of Jim Mora’s experience, savvy, and strength of will. OUR PICK: Do we go for history or do we take a shot at the underdog who have a lot of bite in them. When our team first started looking into this game we were all in on Ohio, but as we looked over the different aspects of the game, and really started focusing on what it must be like to try to prepare for a game with this much pressure, the experience of Memphis, especially that of Coach Mora, started to make us question our initial perceptions. We may be way off base, but we think that the Showboats are the team that can finally get the better of Ohio. We see all the pressure and expectations on an Ohio team that has never been here before, and we see Memphis having nothing to lose, and that makes them dangerous. We think this will be pretty wide open, but in the end, we are going to pick the upset and say that it is Memphis over Ohio 29-27.