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Sorry everyone, but once again I got ahead of myself and simulated Week 7 before I had made up the stats page for Week 6. So, no stats this week, but in Week 7, because of the lapse, I will give you double the leaders, going 10 deep in each category instead of just the top 5.

In preparing to announce the 2001 USFL semifinalists for Hall of Fame induction, I suddenly realized that the announcement of the Class of 2000 Hall of Fame inductions was never published. So, what can USFL Lives do to recognize this very special HOF Class? Seems the best option is to reprint the October 2000 edition of Sports Illustrated which did such an excellent job of covering the induction, followed by our announcement of the Class of 2001 Semifinalists and our picks for 1st ballot and returning candidates. HERSCHEL IN THE HALL It may be too much to say that one player changed the course of pro sports history, and yet, that seems very much appropriate to say about Herschel Walker’s arrival to the USFL in the winter of 1983. At the time, the spring league was a ragtag group of dreamers, entrepreneurs, and sports enthusiasts who were trying something different but who had received little to no notice from the nation. Yes, the USFL had been announced back in the summer of 1982, and there were some names that people were familiar with, though honestly, at the time, the biggest name was likely Tampa Bay Bandits minority owner Burt Reynolds. By Winter of 1982 a few older or disgruntled NFL veterans had signed on to the league, and a few highly regarded coaches like New Jersey’s Chuck Fairbanks, Rollie Dotsch, John Ralston, and, most notably, the Chicago Blitz’s George Allen, but the new league simply had not captured the attention of most folks. The 1983 player draft and early signings had some good signs that this league was willing to go after top college talent. Highly regarded players such as Southern Miss QB Reggie Collier, UCLA’s Tom Ramsey, and Arkansas HB Gary Anderson had signed on to the new league, but most of the top NFL draft candidates were wary of the league. The LA Express were trying to sign Dan Marino, but even despite issues that would eventually cause his NFL Draft stock to plummet, the Pitt QB was not looking seriously at the spring league. That all changed with one huge announcement. Herschel Walker, the unquestionable best player in college ball, perhaps the best player in a generation, and the winner of a Heisman Trophy as a freshman, was signing with the league, and not only with the league, with its largest market club, the New Jersey Generals. Walker’s signing was an instant game-changer for the USFL. Not only did it bring front page news, as both a powerful statement of the league’s intention to sign the best college players available, but it was a direct challenge to the NFL’s policy of not drafting underclassmen. If this new league would sign Walker a year before he could be eligible for the NFL Draft, then they would be able to do the same year in and year out with a wide range of top college talent that simply wanted to get paid to play. It was a shot across the bow of the NFL and the relationship that league had with the NCAA. It led almost immediately to other players opting to join the upstart spring league. Craig James of SMU’s Pony Express signed on with the Federals, Ohio State’s Tim Spencer with Chicago, the top tackle in the draft, Irv Eatman of UCLA with the Philadelphia Stars, and Grambling’s speedy wideout Trumaine Johnson with the Blitz in Chicago. It was a wave that would continue throughout the early years of the USFL, with the league signing the next 2 Heisman winners (HB Mike Rozier of Nebraska and QB Doug Flutie of BC), as well as top NFL prospects such as QBs Jim Kelly, Rick Neuheisel, and Steve Young. It was the moment the USFL became a legitimate rival to the fall league, and not just another wannabe like the World Football League. Within 3 years we saw NFL players jumping ship for huge contracts, the entire concept of Free Agency in football was born as the two leagues battled for players, and the 1985 lawsuit filed by the USFL against the NFL form monopolistic anti-trust violations led to a huge settlement that essentially funded all the crazy spending the younger league had engaged in over its first 3 seasons. The USFL had forever changed the way pro football operated. It proved that the USA had such a degree of passion for pro football that it could support 2 full-fledged top tier leagues and year round football seasons. Is all of that on the shoulders of one running back from Georgia? No, there is a lot of credit to go around, from the early TV savvy of the league as a whole, to the wisdom of former Bandits owner John Bassett, who opposed a movement to shift the league to the fall and direct conflict with the NFL, but what the signing of Herschel Walker meant was that this league was going to be a high talent, highly competitive, true rival of the NFL. That realization, and the success of the league’s first few seasons in signing top talent, put the league on the map, and created the year round football passion we now see in the USA. The man at the center of all of this, Herschel Walker, was inducted this weekend into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was not the only inductee, in a class that included NFL-USFL crossover coaches Dick Vermeil and Sam Rutigliano, as well as Tampa Bay’s speedy wideout Eric Truvillion and the Wrangler’s defensive captain Sam Norris, but it was clear that the ceremony in Canton would be a celebration of Walker and what he brought to the league, on the field, but also in the public imagination. Walker played 13 seasons in the spring league, all of them with the Generals. He would set the league rushing record in his very first season, gaining1,767 yards in a year when a derth of quality QB’s meant the league was far more run-oriented than its current reputation as a passing league would have you think. He would win a title 6 years later with the Generals, be named to the All-USFL team 9 times, and reach 1,000 yards an astounding 11 times in his storied career, and yet his on field accomplishments seem almost secondary to the impact that his simple signing had on the landscape of football in America. Walker retired as the league’s all time leading rusher with 15,569 yards, a mark that would eventually be bested by the 1983 Heisman Winner and Pittsburgh Mauler Mike Rozier, a player who very likely would never have signed with the USFL without Walker’s example. Walker’s 93 rushing TDs is now third behind Rozier and Bryant, and while his 396 rushing attempts and 1,767 rushing yards remain league records, nearly 20 years after that magical first season, Walker is still viewed more as an icon of the league than as a player who was simply dynamic to watch. Whether it was bursting through tackles or racing downfield leaving even the speediest DB’s in his wake, Walker was electric. His wide smile and pure love of the game became a hallmark of the league, which liked to contrast its celebratory, youthful attitude against the prim and proper stoicism of the No Fun League, just as the AFL had done in the 1960’s. Walker’s impact on the league and the game of football itself cannot be overstated. While others like Kelvin Bryant, Mike Rozier, Joe Cribbs, Jim Kelly, and Bobby Hebert helped the league become a truly legitimate rival of the NFL, it was Walker that opened the door and put the league and the entire concept of a 2nd major football league into the public consciousness. For that alone, without even looking at his amazing on-field performances and statistical high marks, Walker is perhaps the most obvious and most deserving first-ballot inductee in Hall of Fame history. HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2000 We mentioned them briefly in our story about Herschel Walker, but each of the Class of 2000 deserves recognition for their contributions to the game of football and to the growth of the USFL. Here is our tribute to all the members of the Class of 2000. ERIC TRUViLLION (WR, Tampa Bay Bandits 1983-1996): Emerging from HBCU Florida A&M, Truvillion did not have the immediate accolades of a Walker, Craig James or Trumaine Johnson, but it did not take him long to establish that he was a star in the making. His first season in 1983, Truvillion gained 1,703 yards on only 59 receptions, averaging a ridiculous 28.9 yards per catch. He added 18 touchdowns as he partnered with QB John Reaves to lead the Tampa Bay Bandits to the league’s first championship title. He would go on to star with the Bandits for 13 seasons, amassing a whopping 1,090 receptions for an even more amazing 20,181 yards. Add in 174 career touchdowns and it is easy to see why Truvilion was a first ballot HOF entry. Despite never having a Top 10 season in total receptions, the ultimate deep ball threat still holds the top 3 places on the all time receiving yardage recordboard, garnering 1st place with 1,959 yards in 1986, 2nd place with 1,944 yards in 1985, and third place with 1,932 yards in 1992. No other player has ever reached 1,900 yards in a season. He lands 5th on the all time list in career receptions with 1,090, and first all time in yardage at 20,181, with Arizona’s Trumaine Johnson a solid 4,000 yards behind him in second place. His gap at the top of the Receiving TDs category is even more impressive. Truvillion’s 174 career TDs is 52 touchdowns ahead of Henry Ellard (122), Ernest Givens (121), and Derek Holloway (119). Of active players, only Lawrence Dawsey at 110 is even in the ballpark and he would need another 7 seasons of 10 TDs to even come close to Truvillion’s numbers. A true GOAT in the game, and still, 5 years after his retirement, one of the best selling jerseys for the Bandits. DICK VERMEIL (Head Coach, Oakland Invaders, 1985-1995): Coach Vermeil came to the Oakland Invaders with a reputation as a passionate, emotional leader who built teams up through force of will. Having taken the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl in 1980, Vermeil had stepped down only 2 years later, dealing with stress and the ravages it can produce. He would return to coaching 3 years later as the second head coach of the Oakland Invaders. In his 11-year stint with the Invaders he would take them to their only league title, a 1991 Summer Bowl victory over Orlando, the only Pacific Division league title until 2000’s Denver Gold. He would amass a USFL career record of 97-70 (.595 Winning Percentage) and take the Invaders to the playoffs eight times. His teams were known for the passion they played with, a reflection of Coach Vermeil’s own dynamic personality, and for a combination of complex defensive schemes and innovative offensive attacks. Coach Vermeil would return to the NFL after leaving the Invaders in 1995 and would lead the Rams to a title in Super Bowl XXXIV. A dual league superstar among coaches, Dick Vermeil will almost certainly be recognized by the NFL as he has been by the USFL. SAM RUTIGLIANO (Head Coach, Washington Federals, 1987-1995). Coach Rutigliano, in a 9-year USFL career, helped the Washington Federals move from also-rans to league champions and perennial contenders. After a career in the NFL that started as a WR Coach for the Broncos and concluded with a 6-year term as the head man in Cleveland, Coach Rutigliano came to the USFL in 1987. He had always been an offensive-minded coach, known for his Cardiac Kids in Cleveland, but also known as a coach who simply could not win the big game, losing in the AFC Championship game twice to the Denver Broncos in fantastic (or horrific) fashion. In the USFL, his teams quickly became known as defensive powerhouses, often leading the league in sacks and interceptions thanks to a high-pressure front four manned by DE Dexter Manley and LB Brandon Zavala. Washington under Rutigliano made the playoffs 6 times in 9 years, including a title in 1990 and division titles in 1991 and 1993. Rutigliano retired after a playoff season in 1995 with a USFL career record of 84-60. SAM NORRIS (LB, Arizona Wranglers/Chicago-Baltimore Blitz, 1983-1994): Entering the hall in his 3rd year of eligibility, Norris was an Ironman for the Blitz and a team captain for the better part of his career. A member of the infamous 1984 roster switch between the Wranglers and Blitz, Norris began his USFL career with 14 game started for the Arizona Wranglers before moving with the entire team to the Blitz Roster. By 1985 he was a defensive captain for the Blitz, a position he would hold in both Chicago and Baltimore until his retirement in 1994. Norris, who began his career at San Francisco Community College before transferring to Eastern Carolina, came to the USFL as an unheralded prospect found during leaguewide pre-draft camps in 1982. Undrafted in either the territorial or open draft, Norris signed as a free agent with the Wranglers. Over the course of his 12 season career in the USFL Norris would amass 1,174 tackles, 29 sacks and 4 picks, but statistics are not the story of Norris’s career. He was known as a coach on the field, a motivator, and a mentor for younger players, both within the LB corps that has always been a strength for the Blitz, and on the roster as a whole. Norris would not earn a ring with the Blitz, though he did appear in the 1985 USFL Championship with the Blitz, then still in Chicago. THE CLASS OF 2001 SEMI-FINALISTS As promised, here is the list of the Class of 2001 Hall of Fame Semi-finalists. We have 6 nominees who retired in 1996 and in their first year of eligibility with another 4 decided upon by the writers as returning candidates. Only 5 can enter the Hall this year, so some tough decisions ahead to be sure. Kelvin Bryant (HB, Philadelphia Stars, 1983-1994): Bryant, though he essentially retired from the league in 1994, is a first year nominee this year because he retained his eligibility through 1996 hoping that a comeback season would be possible after a knee surgery. The come back never materialized but the delay placed him in the Class of 2001 instead of 1999. Bryant is a shoe-in as a first ballot candidate. One of the most dominant players in the league in its early years, Bryant amassed 15,378 yards and 113 touchdowns in his brilliant USFL career. His constant battles with Herschel Walker, Joe Cribbs, and Mike Rozier for the league rushing title was one of the highlights of those early league seasons. Bryant won three titles with the Stars, taking home the trophy in 1985, 1987 and 1994. He was named the MVP of the 1985 season thanks to 1,524 yards rushing and 14 rushing touchdowns. Named to an incredible 10 All-USFL teams in 12 seasons, Bryant was and always will be a Star in Philadelphia. Joey Walters (WR, Washington Federals, 1983-1996): Walters was already a veteran of 5 seasons of pro ball when he came to the Federals in 1983. He broke in with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and played 4 seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before the formation of the USFL allowed him to move a lot closer to his South Carolina home with the Federals. In Washington, Walters quickly made a name for himself as a consummate slot receiver, fearlessly going over the middle, eluding tackles and turning a slant into a sprint to the endzone. He retired in 1996 with 1,066 receptions, 15,402 yards and 91 touchdowns. Walters was one of the offensive stars of the Federals during the good run under Sam Rutigliano and with QB Don Majkowski. He won a league title with the Federals in 1990 and was voted to 6 All-USFL Teams in his career. It is a tough WR pool with several strong candidates out there, but we put Walters at the top of the class. Ted Marchibroda (Head Coach, Pittsburgh Maulers, 1988-1996): An offensive innovator both in the USFL and the NFL, Coach Marchibroda led Pittsburgh from obscurity into the limelight as a 7-time playoff club, 2 time title contender, and the victors in the 1995 Summer Bowl. Marchibroda relied heavily on a stout defense and the running prowess of Mike Rozier during his 9 year stint in the USFL (sandwiched by NFL gigs on either side). His clubs were known for an old-school approach to clock management (keep the ball away from the opposition) paired with some innovative passing schemes, often highlighting the talents of the tight end position or using the backs as primary receivers. Coach Marchibroda’s career may not be as lengthy as some other HOF coaches from the spring league, but his record of 83-61 (.576) is one of the league’s best and certainly the best in Mauler history. Is it enough for a first ballot entry? Not likely, but we see Coach Ted getting in before too long. QB Alan Risher (QB, Arizona Wranglers, 1983-1985, Pittsburgh Maulers 1986-1996). A scrawny scrambler from LSU, Risher was not initially seen as a viable pro QB, but over 14 seasons, mostly with the Maulers, he proved how wiley and how effective he could be. Risher began his career in Arizona, the 170th draft pick in the open pool. In Arizona he quickly got his chance to shine, starting the final 14 games of the year after an injury to Week 1 starter Dan Manucci got the rookie his shot. Retained by Arizona after the roster swap with Chicago, Risher was largely unused in 1984 and 1985 as Coach George Allen preferred the more traditional style of play of veteran Greg Landry. Risher was traded to the Pittsburgh Maulers for the 1986 season and that provided him with a new lease on life. Risher would see action in 10 games in 1986 before becoming the full-time starter for the 1987 season. A year later he had his best season as a pro, throwing for 3,926 yards and 33 touchdowns. He would finish his career in Pittsburgh, with a total of 34,523 yards and 239 passing touchdowns. In 1995, his last full season as a starter in Pittsburgh, Risher would help Pittsburgh attain its only league title, a 44-37 shootout win over the heavily-favored Houston Gamblers and Jim Kelly. Risher would suffer a significant injury in 1996, which would force him to miss the final 12 games of the year and announce his retirement in the offseason. Risher has to be considered a longshot, especially in his first year of eligibility. Only a 2 time All-USFL nominee, and having spent most of his career working with Mike Rozier, there may not be a lot of groundswell of support for Risher as a HOF finalist. Greg Boone (HB, Tampa Bay 1983-1987, Memphis 1988-1996): The former Duke Blue Devil entered the league as a rookie in 1983 with the Bandits. In Tampa Bay he spent most of his career backing up Gary Anderson and only getting occasional moments to shine. When given the ball, he was successful, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and scoring 23 touchdowns in his time in Tampa Bay. Boone was traded to Memphis in 1987 and there he blossomed. He became the main back for the Showboats, gaining his first 1,000 yard season in 1988 and his TD high mark the next year with 14 scores in 1989. He obtained his lone All-USFL accolade in 1992, a season in which he rushed for 1,383 yards for the Showboats. He finished his career with 9,563 yards rushing, 81 touchdowns and 131 receptions, 1,023 yards receiving, and another 10 scores. Boone is considered a longshot for induction despite having played in 2 league title games, winning a ring with the 1983 Bandits and falling just short in his first year in Memphis as the Showboats fell to the Houston Gamblers. David Trout (K, Philadelphia Stars, 1983-1996): Yes, a kicker. David Trout was one of the best the USFL had to offer at the position, and if Tim Mazzetti could get into the hall in his first year, then Trout also needs to be considered. After all, this is the league record holder for the longest field goal in league history, 60 yards against Tampa Bay in 1994, already his 12th season in the league. While Trout currently ranks 4th in total field goals made with 373 (Trailing Kevin Shea, Luis Zendejas and John Carney) he is also among the Top 5 career stats in basically every kicking category. Trout was a member of the 1985, 1987, and 1994 Philadelphia Star teams that won league titles, making him the kicker with the most rings in the league. Is the HOF next for him? RETURNING CANDIDATE SEMIFINALISTS We mentioned that this was a tricky year for Wide Receivers, well that is certainly the case. Of the 10 semi-finalists, 5 are in that position, and there is no way more than 2, three at the outside, can get in this year. Then, add to this the fact that in 2002 the first year HOF class will also add Bill Brooks and Louis Lipps to the mix. So, this year may be the year for any of the three receivers in this group, and likely only 1 will make it, if any. Wamon Buggs (WR, Arizona 1983, Chicago 1984-1986, Orlando 1987-1995). Bugs is in his second year of eligibility and was close last year, so he may be the frontrunner here. He retired with 952 receptions for 13,769 yards and 109 touchdowns, easily HOF number if we compare him with others from the USFL or NFL. Buggs was a 3-time All-USFL receiver, but never got a ring as he was often on poor to mediocre teams, and that alone could hurt his odds. He reached 1,000 yards eight times in his 12-year career, a pretty solid number, and had 3 seasons with 10+ touchdown receptions. His case will be one where we look at the balance between statistical success and the win-loss column of his team. Jo-Jo Townsell (WR, Los Angeles 1983-1990, Memphis 1991-1995). Townsell also enters his second year of eligibility. His numbers are very comparable to those of Wamon Buggs, with a handful more receptions (1,029) but fewer yards (13,678) and 93 TDs over 12 seasons. It would be hard to argue with one getting in while the other did not, at least not based on numbers. Townsell was a 2-time All-USFL player and he too never won a title, but somehow fans seem to have greater respect for Townsell. In part this is due to his straight line speed and deep ball tendencies. The deep ball receivers are inherently seen as more dangerous than the short route, slant, hook, and crosser receivers like Buggs. Just seems that fans remember the big arcing bombs far more than the 7-yard catch on 3rd and 5. Lam Jones (WR, New Jersey 1985-1995) Jones is the third of the 1995 wideout retirees who could potentially earn a spot here. His numbers do not compare well with Buggs or Jefferson, with 792 receptions, 13,088 yards and 86 touchdowns, he is slightly less than the other two wideouts, but when we consider that he played for only 10 seasons, not 12, it is impressive that they are so close to those of Buggs and Townsell. Townsell did earn a ring as part of the magical 1989 season that Doug Flutie put together with the Generals, and that season was the 2nd of 3 All-USFL accolades for the lanky receiver from the U. of Texas. We see Jones as the longshot in this group. In an era when the USFL fully developed into a passing league, his numbers are just not dominant compared to many who played at the same time. He did average over 1,000 yards a season throughout his career, but only eclipsed 1,300 yards once Kiki DeAyala (LB, Houston Gamblers 1984-1995). An 11-year starter for the Gamblers, Kiki-D was one of the first Gamblers, signing before Jim Kelly in 1983 when the club was first forming. The Another UT Longhorn, Ayala was scooped up in the territorial draft by the Gamblers and quickly became a mainstay on a defense that helped Houston win titles in 1988 and 1992. DeAyala was named All-USFL at the outside linebacker position 3 times. He retired with 1,136 tackles, 19 sacks, 12 interceptions, and 99 career tackles for loss. In a year when the 2nd year receivers could split their votes DeAyala may be the easiest non-newcomer to get the requisite 75% of votes. Having 2 rings certainly does not hurt that calculus either.

Los Angeles and St. Louis play an epic battle in the dome, Houston explodes on offense, Portland gets their 2nd W in a row, and Denver finds a way as Week 5 proved hard to predict. Add to this a defensive slugfest between Baltimore and Washington, a really entertaining Keystone Clash between the Stars and Maulers, and a surprise hero helps New Jersey reach 4-1. It’s USFL football, which means you always need to hold on to your hat, you never know what is coming. Nothing quite like a good game between two teams playing well to get your football juices flowing. That is exactly what we got inside the Trans World Dome in St. Louis this week when the 4-0 LA Express came calling on the 3-1 Knights. The Knights had a rowdy 41,200 in the dome, and they would use that boisterous support to their advantage, jumping out to an early lead, but while they would never trail in the game, they also would never pull far enough out of range for the Express as to feel comfortable in the win. In fact, until the final whistle was blown this game could have gone either way. The star of the game was undoubtedly Knights wideout Bert Emmanuel, and he did not waste any time making a statement. At the 14:53 mark of the first quarter, the first play from scrimmage, he faked out CB Ray Crockett of LA with a double move, getting behind the coverage, where Todd Collins found him for what would be a 65-yard touchdown that electrified the already loud St. Louis crowd. On their next drive, St. Louis would add a fieldgoal, and then on their third drive, Emmanuel did it again, this time from much closer, nabbing a quick slant for a 2nd TD from the 2 yard line. 3 Drives, 17 points, and after 1 quarter it looked like the Knights were rolling, but Head Coach Jim Johnson knew it would not be that easy. LA would put up the next 12 points, adjusting to St. Louis on defense and building offense slowly through a solid mix of run and pass. Cade McNown would struggle with the Knights pass rush, going down to a sack 6 times, but he would persevere and lead the Express to two field goal drives to end the first back in range. The Express would then open the 3rd quarter with the ball and they took advantage of the half to put in some plays that proved quite effective. It was a drive that ended with a swing pass to Michael Pittman out of the backfield, a 28-yard play that had Pittman drag a safety over the end line for 6. St. Louis proved stout on the 2-point PAT, but at 17-12, the Express were back within 1 score of victory. Most of the 2nd half was a war of attrition as both clubs fought to get the upper hand. Ryan Longwell helped extend the Knights’ lead with a 48-yarder to close out the third, but the Express were still within 8 points. After a couple of failed drives, LA would put the scare into St. Louis, responding to a late Todd Collins pick that was actually more the fault of his receiver, who bobbled the ball, got hit and had it pop into the air for safety Tavares Tillman to snag. McNown led the Express down the field, hitting rookie TE Brandon Manumaleuna with a beautifully-designed seam route to pull within 2. Again the Express would go for 2, needing the 2-point conversion to tie the score at 20. McNown would look for Manumaleuna again, but this time the Knights were ready and safety Rodney Harrison stepped in front of the big Samoan TE to swat the ball down to the turf. Down 2 with 3:20 to go, LA opted to kick the ball deep. They would need a stop and a quick drive to get into fieldgoal range. They had opted for 2 points twice after scores, and would now be tied had they trusted Doug Brien to build them back, but now they would have to call on the veteran. LA got the stop they needed, but it did cost them 2 of their 3 time outs. St. Louis punted and downed the ball on the LA 17 yard line. McNown would get to work quickly, finding Tory Holt twice, Mike Pritchard once, and HB Micheal Pittman once on a drive that got the ball to the St. Louis 31 with the clock ticking down. The Express used their last time out and trotted out Brien for a 48-yard attempt. Fans in St. Louis were on the edges of their seats, some arms raised in petition to a higher power, others hands to mouth or covering their eyes as the kick went up. Well, some prayers were answered for the St. Louis faithful as the ball, which looked true at first, started to hook left, and just grazed the outside of the upright, no good. St. Louis would take the win, LA would fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, and USFL fans in St. Louis and watching the national broadcast, would get a game worthy of their time. BAL 13 WSH 17 In RFK Stadium Federals fans also had to hang on all day to get the W they sought. Trailing 13-10 until the final minutes, Washington pulled out the win in the tough defensive battle thanks to a Stewart to TE Travis McNeal TD pass with only 1:09 left on the clock. In a game that saw 10 total sacks between the two top defenses, and both clubs top 100 yards rushing (with Ron Dayne leading all rushers with 129 whiel Droughns and McCallister split carries for 102), it would be Stewart who would provide the big play on the final drive. PHI 34 PIT 28 Another really good rivalry game in the Atlantic as Philly jumped all over Pittsburgh to the tune of a 31-7 lead at the half only to watch momentum totally swing in the 2nd half. Call it a letdown, or an overabundance of swagger, but the Maulers put a true scare into their rivals from the eastern part of the state. Holding Stephen Davis to only 10 yards rushing (thanks in part to a gimpy ankle), Pittsburgh got a huge game from Andre Rison (139 yards and 2 scores) but also never gave up on the run as Terrell Davis rushed for 111 on 23 carries, adding 2 scores of his own. But, in the end, catching Philly was just too much to ask as the Stars held on for the win, but one that will give Coach Mora plenty to criticize in Tuesday’s team meetings. NJ 28 OHI 13 Tom Brady took his lumps in this one, but got a huge assist from an unexpected source as backup HB Olandis Gary rushed for 149 on only 14 carries (Enis had 19), rushing for 142, including a monster 44-yard romp that set the tone for the Generals’ win. Terry Glenn also came up big, catching 5 for 123 and 2 scores for New Jersey as the undermanned Glory struggled to move the ball without Galloway or George on the field. Lamont Warren ended up as both the leading rusher (19 for 52) and receiver (4 for 101) for Ohio. JAX 0 ORL 34 While LA fell from the unbeatens, Orlando moved to 5-0 with an exclamation point, blanking their in-state rivals in a totally dominant performance. Orlando’s D-line manhandled the Bulls offense all game, limiting Sedrick Irvin to only 30 yards rushing and terrorizing the less-than-nimble Chris Chandler every time he dropped back to pass. With the game in hand, Orlando turned to Terry Kirby to kill the clock and the veteran back would oblige, rushing for 110, 87 of it in the 2nd half as Orlando salted away an impressive win. ATL 7 MEM 40 It was a week of statement games in the Southern Division as Memphis too stomped the life out of their opponent. The Showboats would score the first 40 points in the game, with WR Justin McCaerins getting his first major action and ending the game with 4 catches for 132 yards and 2 scores, a great haul for the rookie. IT was a game that immediately put the security of Atlanta Head Coach Bobby Petrino in danger, as we will outline later, an ultimatum has been laid before Petrino, one that may be hard for him to meet. BIR 45 TBY 14 Birmingham made it 3-for-3 on the blowout front, utterly dismantling the defensive plans of the Bandits on their way to a huge road victory. Brett Favre would throw for 385 and connect on 5 TD passes in the game, with both Lawrence Dawsey and NFL import James Thrash catching 2 each. Add in 98 yards from criminally underused HB Stephen Alexander and you have a devastating victory over a Bandits team that has certainly fallen far from their 1999 title run. DEN 27 NOR 14 In a matchups of teams missing key offensive weapons, Denver put together the formula to beat the Breakers inside the Super Dome. The Denver pass rush harassed backup QB Bobby Hoying, leading to 3 picks and 3 sacks, while the Denver offense kept running the ball with Rod Smart (27 carries) even though he would average only 2.8 yards per carry. This emphasis on the run gave Mark Brunell the option to use the play action pass, and that worked out for Denver, with Peerless Price catching 6 for101 and backup receiver Danny Farmer (in for the injured Dedric Smith) catching 7 for 88 as the Gold rolled to a win. ARZ 49 MGN 11 Any thoughts of Drew Brees being a silver bullet that would cure the Michigan Panthers of all their woes were quickly erased as Arizona quickly dismantled the Panthers. Michigan could only muster 25 total yards rushing and Brees simply could not find open receivers. Meanwhile Jake Plummer would connect on 12 of 17 passes and toss 2 TDs, while the run game, split between Plummer, rookie Dominic Rhodes and fullback Richie Anderson would accumulate 103 yards rushing as the Wranglers took the road win easily. OAK 19 TEX 29 Oakland would start out well, but fall completely apart by the game’s end in Texas. Ryan Leaf was already over 300 yards passing when a missed block led to a rough hit. He would spend the next few minutes berating not only his own O-line, but his OC as well. His hysteria would not sit well with Head Coach Dom Capers, who got in Leaf’s face and sat him down on the bench, putting in Jon Kitna to finish the game. This too sat badly with Leaf and he let the reporters know it after the game. That tantrum would lead to action on Monday, with the Invaders voluntarily suspending Leaf for the next game. In the meantime, Texas mounted a comeback thanks to TDs from Frank Wainright and Shawn Collins and would take the W. POR 20 CHI 17 The Thunder have strung together back to back wins, and this time they got what looked like a more than competent game from Akili Smith, who went 28 of 34 for 329 against a pretty solid Chicago defense. Add in 93 combined yards from Correll Buckhalter and Napoleon McCallum and you have the makings of a win for the Thunder. Chicago struggled all day with the Thunder defense, usually known for its difficulty stopping the run. Deuce Staley would average only 2.7 yards per carry and finish with only 48 yards as Portland came out looking solid on the road. SEA 6 HOU 33 A complete shocker in Houston as both the Gambler offense and defense outperformed expectations. The Gamblers got 3 picks of Brian Griese and limited Corey Dillon to only 49 yards, but it was the offense that truly stunned. Matt Hasselbeck tossed 4 TD passes, including 3 in the 1st quarter to force Seattle out of their usual slow-paced shell. Antonio Freeman would catch 2 of the 4, while rookie Koren Robinson also looked good, catching 5 balls for 80 yards and a score as Houston got a huge home win to move within 1 game of .500. SURPRISE SUCCESSES Every season we see it, players for whom the game begins to slow down, who put the pieces together and make a huge leap in their play. Sometimes it is about finding the right team with the right coach and the right schemes. Other times it is simply about maturation and growth as a player. This season may only be 5 weeks old, but we are seeing some signs that certain clubs, and particularly certain players are taking a big step up. Let’s start in Houston, where the Gamblers may have just found their QB-WR connection for the future. Fans were concerned that the Gamblers did not sign a top flight QB in the offseason, as if they grow on trees, but Coach Philips saw something in Matt Hasselbeck, and his faith in the young QB seems to be paying off. Just compare the numbers from 2000 to 2001 and you will see what Coach Philips is seeing: 2000 Hasselbeck: 50.5% Completions 180 YPG 1.7 TD per Int 71.1 QBR 2001 Hasselbeck 62.5% Competions 243 YPG 6 TD per Int 100.9 QBR Hasselbeck, admittedly with some new talent around him, namely rookie WR Koren Robinson and free agents David Patten and Tamarick Vanover, is more accurate, throwing deeper balls, completing more, and avoiding picks. All of those are great signs for the Gamblers, and also a great opportunity for wideout Antonio Freeman. Freeman too is seeing a big leap in his numbers. After 5 games he ranks 11th in the league with 29 receptions, but 1st in yardage with 552, a solid 19 yards per catch. Add in 4 TDs and he is on pace for a career year in nearly every category. Compare his numbers with 2000 and we see the growth here as well. In 2001 his yards per catch has risen from 12.5 to 19.0. He is on pace for 110-130 catches, well over the 75 from last season, and his 4 TD receptions in on pace to eclipse 12-13 for the year, almost twice as many as in 2000. Houston has found something in the Hasselbeck-Freeman combo, something the whole fanbase can be excited about. The Gamblers are not the only team that has seen their QB play improve this year. Portland, having won 2 in a row, may finally be seeing payoff for their investment of a 1999 first round pick in Akili Smith. Again, it is early, but again, the numbers show a QB who may finally be putting it all together. Smith too is seeing a rise in completion percentage from 2000 (58.5 up to 63.4), in yards per game (171 to 264) and in rating (70.7 up to 81.4). He still has an issue with forcing the ball, throwing 8 picks already, but he is challenging teams downfield with more regularity, and using his legs to extend plays. We are not ready to announce Portland as a playoff contender just yet, nor anoint Smith as an All-USFL QB, but at least Portland can have some hope that their young QB is finally making strides after 2 tough seasons. One final player who is growing into his role resides in Chicago. Curtis Conway, the one-time Chicago Bear, who traded teams, traded leagues, but stayed put in the Windy City, is making the adjustment to the Spring after a rough first season. This is not new. We often see former NFL players struggle in their first season in the Spring, and most attribute this to the physical and mental wear and tear of playing an entire NFL season and then maybe getting 4-6 weeks off before doing it all again in the USFL. We often see dramatic improvement after these players have taken an entire fall and winter off to recover, and that is what we see with Conway with the Machine. Last season the former Bear had 58 receptions for 863 yards and 2 TDs in the entire season. We are only 5 games into this season and Conway already has 33 receptions, 483 yards and 2 scores. His catches per game are up from 4.8 to 6.6 and his yards per game are nipping 100 at 96.6 after averaging 71.9 in 2000. He is on pace for over 100 receptions and over 1,200 yards, both numbers that would make the often jaded and dismissive Chicago fanbase begin to believe in him. A lot will depend on QB Jeff George and his growth with the Machine offense, but the signing of Conway looks more and more like a shrewd move. LEAF GETS A TIME OUT While we are seeing growth among several QBs across the league, including Hasselbeck and Smith, we continue to see what appears to be a downward spiral for the “Golden Boy” of the 1998 draft, Ryan Leaf. This week’s sideline tantrum, which led to a benching by Coach Dom Capers, and his post-game rants to the press, which extended the benching into a 1-game suspension, I guess we have to say that the QB has been put in a time out. Oakland will go with veteran Jon Kitna next week, and potentially we could see rookie Marques Tuiasosopo if Leaf’s attitude and demeaner do not show dramatic improvement. It is not like Leaf has been playing All-league ball the past couple of years and can afford to be a diva. After a rookie season which saw him throw for over 5,000 yards and toss 42 touchdowns, his numbers have gotten progressively worse. An injury-plagued 1999 mean he threw only 11 touchdowns (with 11 picks) and his completion percentage went from 55.6% down to only 47.9%. He got in a full season in 2000, but his numbers were nowhere close to 1998, throwing for only 3,220 yards and a paltry 16 touchdowns in 16 games. These are not the numbers of a high-cost #1 draft pick, much less the numbers of someone who can afford to spout off at coaches on the sideline or to the press in the locker room. Leaf seems to be headed the wrong way in his career, and If he continues, it would be easy to see the Invaders opt out of his contract even before his 4th year is complete (2002). The question is whether Leaf understands the stakes or if he is simply being petulant because he cannot help himself. ATLANTA ULTIMATUM Leaf is not the only one under pressure to shape up or ship out. In a rare move, William Shivers Morris, lead owner and CEO of the Fire has made a very public ultimatum. The Fire face the 2-3 Glory and the 1-4 Bulls in their next two games and Shivers Morris has all but guaranteed that unless the Fire win one of those two games, Coach Petrino will be out by the midseason break. It is rare to hear an owner call out a head coach in any pro league, much less to set a win requirement. It is often implied, but we so often hear owners give a dreaded “vote of confidence” in a losing coach rather than call them out. We knew Petrino would need to show improvement by season’s end, and that a 3-4 win season would not be tolerated, but with the club losing their first 5 games, and failing to score more than 14 points in 4 of those games, it seems the deadline is even sooner and the stakes even higher for Coach Petrino as he prepares for the Fire to face fellow 1995 expansion club Ohio this week. DREW BREES INTO THE FIRE The Michigan Panthers are not a very good team, and while Coach Martz may be hoping a change of QB is enough to change the club’s fortunes, it seems clear that Drew Brees will not be able to do it all on his own. Brees struggled this week, going 28 of 50 and throwing 2 picks, but it is not all on him. The rookie QB, who is not known as a dual threat QB, actually led the Panthers in rushing with a measley 10 yards. TEN YARDS!!! Siran Stacy managed only 9 yards against the Wranglers and he is the starting halfback. The leading receiver for Brees was TE Butch Rolle, who more often than not was making 5-yard grabs when the club needed 10. Brees did connect with Muhsin Muhammad a couple of times, including a nice 40-yarder on play action, but there just was not working right all day for the Panther offense. Unfortunately Brees got to know Arizona LB Winfred Tubbs, DE Chiki Okeafor, and DT Jason Peters quite well this week with each frequenting the Michigan backfield. The defense also did Brees no favors, giving up 407 yards of offense, and largely on quick drives, meaning that Michigan lost badly while still winning the time of possession battle, an oddity in most games. It will be a long season in Pontiac, and it may be one that is really a trial by fire for the Purdue grad who has been asked to step into the QB role. We can only hope that Michigan will surround Brees with talent, will build that O-line, and will find a way to maximize his talents. He is a good QB, but he is not in a good situation. A bad week for tight ends this week as three are likely moving to the IR. Houston’s Terry Hardy is certainly headed that way after tearing his hamstring. Oakland’s Christian Fauria could find himself there with a hyper-extended knee, though there is still hope that he could be back in a few weeks if all works out and additional imaging does not reveal a tear. New Jersey’s Anthony Becht has been on and off the injury list all season, and now, with a spinal cord contusion, it is a question of how things develop over the next couple of weeks. He could be back in just 3-4 weeks, or he could need a lengthy recovery period. Outside of the TE position, the biggest injury list questions are among two starting halfbacks. Dorsey Levins (Arizona), Deuce McCallister (Washington), and Ricky Williams (New Orleans) were all listed as questionable for this week’s games. Questionable can mean a lot of things, and unfortunately it is nearly impossible to get a gauge on whether or not any of these three will be playing when the games kickoff. Week to week and day to day seems to be all the update we can get from team officials with all three franchises. Finally, with Williams potentially out, we look at New Orleans on offense and wonder if Trent Dilfer can return. He remains listed as doubtful on the injury report, but did engage in some practices this week. With Williams potentially out, the return of Dilfer could give the Breakers a much better chance against the Chicago Machine this week. With the announcement last week of Portland’s impending sale as well as the potential for James Orthwein to be forced to sell off the St. Louis Knights either by the courts or the league, the question of league ownership has been on a lot of people’s minds the past month. The USFL had quite a bit of turmoil with owners during its first 4-5 years, but we have a seen a steady stabilization as the league has matured. Gone are the auto-dealership owners who had to fudge their finances (though the Orthwein trial seems to point that there is fraud even among billiionaires), and in its place are, in many cases, shared ownership, corporate presence, or potential partial public ownership through IPO and trading of shares. We thought it would make sense at this pivotal point in discussions about USFL ownership to take a look at where things stand, so, here we are. SINGLE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP This is the format seen in most franchises, where a single wealthy owner or family controls 60+ % of a franchise and acts as a private company with little power split with minority owners. This is the model that has always been most common in professional sports, though the last 20 years have seen more examples of ownership groups where power is shared, this old-school model remains very prevalent. Among teams we would classify as this format we have: ATLANTA: William Shivers Morris has a small group of owners, but his share of both the team an the power within it is solidly in the 70-75% range. CHICAGO: Bill Wirtz, owner of both the Machine and the Chicago Blackhawks, is known as a hockey guy, but invested in bringing the Machine to Chicago after the Blitz left for Baltimore. He remains the majority owner, but delegates most authority to his team’s CEO and President. DENVER: After team founder Ron Blanding sold the team to the brother team of Charles and Richard Monfort in the mid-80’s the team has stayed under the steady control of the two, with Richard serving as the primary figure in the Gold. When the two applied and received approval to also bring Major League Baseball to Denver, an agreement with the USFL was made which allowed the brothers to retain ownership so long as neither brother would serve as CEO/President of both clubs. Richard has remained with the Gold while Charles has been the lead owner for the Colorado Rockies. JACKSONVILLE: Fred “Bubba” Bullard, the man who put Jacksonville on the sports map, retains full control of the Bulls. Bullard, a land developer in the Sunshine State, has been slow to add secondary investors, and has been grooming his son Fred Jr. in various club leadership positions. MEMPHIS: Cotton & Investing maven William Dunavant, a native Memphian brought the Showboats to his city in 1984 and has pretty much had sole ownership ever since, buying out his co-investors within 5 years of the franchise’s birth. With Birmingham pushing for the option to lead an IPO and build community ownership, many in Memphis are pushing for the same, but so far Dunavant does not seem interested. MICHIGAN: Real estate investor Al Taubman helped bring the USFL to Michigan and while there have been some minority investors who came in after the league won its suit with the NFL in 1985, he has remained the primary investor. His son, Robert, has served as President of the club since 1998. NEW ORLEANS: Co-owned by league founder David Dixon and real estate developer Joe Canizaro, the Breakers have been very stable since being sold and relocated from Boston. Dixon handles most of the football organization while Canizaro works primarily on the business side of the Breakers. OAKLAND: Ted Taube, the original owner of the Invaders, sold off a minority share to William Millard, co-founder of Computerland, after only 3 seasons. Millard has continued to acquire greater shares of the company, but has never had a major role in running the club. Millard, who lives in semi-seclusion overseas, has relied on a leadership board to manage the club. While there have been occasional rumors that the club could come up for sale, that has not yet come to any serious movement. OHIO: Ohio real estate magnate Daniel Galbreath and, surprisingly enough, Ann Arbor based Domino's Pizza President Thomas Monaghan, bought into the USFL with the Columbus-based Ohio Glory in 1995. While Galbreath leads the club as CEO, it is rumored that Monaghan actually has a larger share in the franchise. PHILADELPHIA: Tax attorney and shopping mall developer Myles Tanenbaum has certainly done well with his 1983 investment. The Stars are now estimated to be worth anywhere between 30-35 times more than Tanenbaum invested to bring the team to Philly. He has been somewhat resistant to adding other owners to the private management company in charge of the stars, but rumors that rocker John Bon Jovi is interested may be too tempting to pass up. PITTSBURGH: Ed DeBartolo Jr. was a bit of a controversial choice for an expansion club back in 1984, since his connections to the NFL were so obvious. It created friction from the start, and while it was largely worked out when ownership officially shifted to Pittsburgh Associates in 1991. The private/public consortium was meant to be a temporary hold, just as the same group had been with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but it was only in 1998 that the Maulers were again sold, this time to local ownership headed by Ronald Wayne Burkle, who is also an investor in the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey club. TEXAS: When William Tatham proposed to sell off the Outlaws in order to be eligible to bid on a 1995 expansion franchise for his native California (the eventual LA Express rebirth), it did not take him long to find a willing buyer. Former San Antonio Spurs owner Red McCombs was an obvious choice and McCombs was immediately interested in the growing USFL and the very profitable San Antonio-based Texas Outlaws. JOINT OWNERSHIP Ownership groups, LLC's, or management companies really became the trend in the mid-1990's, so while many founding owners remain heavily involved in their clubs, many are also turning to the joint ownership model to reduce their personal investment, expand financial flexibility, bring in additional resources, and share the burden of club management. ARIZONA: It is unusual to have an owner in professional sports who is trying to also maintain a full-time career outside of the law or finance, but that was the case for Dr. Ted Dietrich, a world-famous cardiovascular surgeon. Dietrich began his interest in the USFL with the Chicago Blitz, but wanting a club closer to his Phoenix home, he orchestrated the full "franchise swap" in 1984, becoming the owner of the "New" Arizona Wranglers. Since 1985, with the league and the franchise established and better-funded, Dietrich has continued to find investors and build his club managagement group, Wrangler Properties. Dietrich moved to a secondary "silent partner" position within the organization in 1998, and the new lead investor is Stewart Horejsi of Berkshire Hathoway fame. HOUSTON: Founding owner Jerry Argovitz has always relied on an ownership group to manage the team. His original ownership group even featured singer Kenny Rogers, who helped inspire the team name. The group has expanded and gone “corporate”, now known as Gamblers Football Corporation. While Argovitz retains majority control, other owners have played a part in the franchise. The club even sold a 10% share to former team captain and All-USFL quarterback Jim Kelly in 1999. LOS ANGELES: A bit unstable from the beginning, the second version of the LA Express arrived in 1995 and since then has had something of a rotating ownership and leadership team. William Tatham, who began with the USFL as the owner of the failed San Diego franchise that played one season in Tulsa, got special permission to essentially sell of his club, the Outlaws (relocated to San Antonio) when the 1995 expansion was finalized. Since then he has brought in several additional owners, including adverting executive Arte (Arturo) Moreno, billionaire Ed Roski (who is also an investor in both the LA Lakers and LA Kings), and actor James Caan, who not only played Brian Piccolo in the famous “Brian’s Song” film, but also played college ball at Michigan State. NEW JERSEY: Owned first by J. Walter Duncan, the Generals saw their ownership upheaval early on, with Duncan selling the franchise to real estate developer Donald Trump. Trump spearheaded the efforts to move the league to the Fall. When those efforts failed, he would then sell the club to Malcom Borg, a media mogul from northern New Jersey. Borg remained the primary owner for 4 years before forming the New Jersey Generals Investment Group, which has grown to include 11 principal owners. The ownership elects a CEO for a 5-year term, currently held by Sanjay Kumar, the first Indian-American to lead a U.S. pro sports franchise. Kumar has 2 years left on his term as CEO. ORLANDO: Hospital magnate Donald Dizney was never intended to be the primary owner of a USFL franchise, but when the Miami expansion club had immediate issues in 1987, Dizney stepped up. Since then he has slowly spread ownership to a group of 6-7 investors. At one point the group included NY Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, but after proving to be a disruptive force, Steinbrenner was bought out. The most recent addition to the Renegades ownership group is musician and producer Emilio Estefan (Yes, Gloria’s husband). The club is currently managed by a President chosen by the ownership group. Former U. of Miami Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger currently serves in that position, a rare “football guy” at the head of an entire franchise. SEATTLE: The LLC, Seattle Football Group, headed by Microsoft executive Paul Allen and local real estate investor Barry Ackerly, has been remarkably stable over the first five years of the team’s existence. The team recently concluded talks which would allow the Dragons to share the downtown stadium currently under construction with the NFL Seahawks. This deal almost guarantees expanded revenue for the club and return on investment for the LLC. TAMPA BAY: When John Bassett was diagnosed with cancer, he created a complex business organization to protect both his family’s role in the Bandits as well as its local support. The Bandit Football LLC has been a steady ownership group, at times led by members of the Bassett family, and at times by minority investors appointed in a form of “guardianship” of the franchise. Currently, Mr. Bassett’s daughter, former professional tennis player Carling Bassett serves as the league’s only female CEO. And yes, since you asked, Burt Reynolds does still own a minority share of the team and can often be seen at games. POTENTIAL PUBLIC OPTIONS This is a relatively new idea, but also one as old as the stock market. Go public. Sell off shares in the team to create a form of private/public partnership in which community members are offered a chance to be part owners in the franchise. At the top little changes, but with public ownership there is a greater chance of getting support for state or city funding when it comes time to build a new stadium. Birmingham has been approved for this, and now it appears the ownership in Baltimore is seriously looking at it as well. BALTIMORE: Investment Brokerage Group CEO Louis Thalmeier remains the dominant force behind the Blitz, though some minority owners were brought in during the mid-90’s. The Blitz have recently approached the league with an interest in performing a partial IPO and taking the company public, but this has neither been approved by the league as of yet, and with the NFL Ravens and the Blitz sharing the cost of a new stadium, the types of needs which made USFL owners more open to the concerns raised by Birmingham ownership are simply not present in Baltimore. BIRMINGHAM: Marvin Warner founded the Stallions in 1983, and for more than 15 years remaine the sole owner. Just last year he received permission to sell of a minority share as an IPO. A managed public sale, one which provides distinct advantage to investors within Jefferson County (Birmingham) and the state of Alabama, is expected to open in October. The stated goal is to both raise upwards of $100M in funds through the ownership shares, but also to build a local ownership base which will ensure the franchise remains in the market and potentially has some local clout to push for a new stadium. OWNERSHIP IN TRANSITION We started the article talking about Portland's announcement and St. Louis's concerns, and that is where we end it, with the three clubs that are either on the market or expected to go through a major shift in ownership in the next year. PORTLAND: An investment group from the start, the Thunder came to Portland in 1988 when a group headed by NIKE Athletic founder Phil Knight bought the remnants of the Oklahoma Outlaws, along with elements of the San Antonio Gunslingers franchise after a tumultuous 1987 season that saw a complex ownership and location swap between the two franchises. Knight and his group brought the club to Portland, but over time Knight slowly sold off elements of his franchise, until his participation became purely symbolic. Thunder Management LLC is now the official owner, but they have announced that the franchise is for sale, throwing the future of the Thunder in Portland into question. ST. LOUIS: James Oltwhein was the driving force in bringing the LA Express to St. Louis in 1992. Since that time he has retained the overwhelming majority interest in the club, but issues of potential tax and insurance fraud now cloud that picture, with many anticipating that if the courts do not require that Mr. Orthwein divest his interest in the Knights, that the league may just do so. WASHINGTON: We place the Federals here because there is an ongoing transition in majority ownership for the Federals, but unlike the situations in both Portland and St. Louis, the Federals are not likely at all to be placed on the open market for sale. What is transpiring is that the founding owner, Berl Bernhard has been slowly selling off pieces of the ownership pie to other ownership investors. What is anticipated is that the majority share will soon officially transfer from Bernhard to Daniel D’Aniello, co-founder of the Carlyle Group investment brokerage. We could be wrong, but this seems to be an amiable transfer, with Bernhard looking to divest his duties and retire on the significant value of the sale. The season is cruising right along, and as we enter Week 6 we are down to only 1 undefeated team and 2 winless clubs. Will those streaks continue this week? Well, Orlando has a tough game ahead, up the coast in Baltimore against a Blitz team that needs a win to keep pace in the Atlantic. Atlanta, at 0-5, is also on the road, against an Ohio Glory club that should be getting HB Eddie George back from the injury list, while Michigan is in divisional play, hosting the St. Louis Knights. The other Central intra-divisional battles include Texas at Houston, with the winner moving to a respectable 3-3 for the year. New Orleans and Chicago, both a game behind the Knights at 3-2, clash in Soldier Field, the loser dropping to .500 and the winner hoping St. Louis stumbles in Pontiac. The Pacific is also in divisional clashes this week, with a really intriguing game in Tempe as the 3-2 Wranglers host the 4-1 Express a week after their first loss of the year. In Denver both the Gold and, surprisingly, the Portland Thunder, are 1 game under .500, so a win by either brings them back up to even for the year. Seattle, another 2-3 team, is in Oakland, where the Invaders will start Jon Kitna over Ryan Leaf to try to shake things up. Among the other non-division games, the best matchup has to be the battle of 4-1 clubs when Memphis heads up to DC to face the Washington Federals. Another good game will be had in Philly, where the homestanding Stars (4-1 as well) host the Birmingham Stallions (3-2). New Jersey is the final 4-1 club in the Atlantic and they are at home against a Tampa Bay Bandits team still trying to find its way at 1-4. Finally, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, both very disappointed to be sitting at 1-4, face off in Three Rivers, both hoping that they can quickly turn things around.

Divisional action across the league led to a lot of chippy, tension-filled games, and a few results that could impact things down the road. It also produced some memorable performances, including a 106-yard kickoff return that sparked a win for the Breakers and a breakout performance by two backup backs, Travis Prentice in Tampa Bay and rookie Dominic Rhodes in Arizona. Perhaps not the highest profile game of the week, but the matchup of Central Division foes in San Antonio was a fun one. Texas did their best to upend the visiting Breakers, but in the end New Orleans did just enough to eke out a win on the road against a desperate Outlaws squad. The Breakers played sloppily, committing 13 penalties, but also played aggressively, forcing 4 Texas turnovers. Without those, they likely would not have pulled this one out. Texas started off strong, scoring the game’s first 10 points. The opening drive for Texas was a good one, a 9-play 77-yard drive that concluded with Jeff Lewis hitting Eugene Baker for 6. They would hold that lead into the 2nd quarter and then expand it when kicker Tim Seder connected from 28 yards out. New Orleans struggled without Trent Dilfer at the helm. Bobby Hoying would only complete 44% of his throws, but he got the Breakers on the board late in the half, positioning the team for a 39 yard Lin Elliott field goal. On the opening drive of the second half, Elliott would get a second chance and would again connect, pulling the Breakers to within 4 at 10-6. Texas would score on their first drive of the half, a slow, methodical campaign that ended with a Reggie Cobb 2-yard plunge to expand the lead to 17-6, but then the wheels started falling of the Outlaw bus. They Outlaws kicked the ball deep into the endzone, but New Orleans’s Walt Harris saw something in the Outlaw kick coverage. He took the ball out from deep in the endzone, found a seam, and was off to the races. One hundred and 6 yards later he hit paydirt and the Breakers were right back in the game, down 17-14 after a successful 2-point play. Texas would get the ball back and almost immediately cough it up. Jeff Lewis was hit as he attempted to throw to TE Frank Wainright and the ball would be snapped out of the air by Breaker CB Ahmad Plummer. That pick led to almost immediate points for New Orleans as Hoying found TE Steve Johnson on a scoring strike 2 plays later. Texas was now down 21-17. The Outlaws again coughed it up on the next drive when HB Autrey Denson got the ball punched out of his hand, giving New Orleans the ball in Texas territory. The Breaker drive stalled, but it still allowed Lin Elliott to expand the lead with a 45-yard field goal. Down 24-17, Texas needed a drive, and they got one as the 4th quarter began. Jeff Lewis connected on 4 consecutive pass plays against a soft Breaker zone, andon 1st and 10 from the 6 he then found WR Brian Alford for the score. Texas had evened up the score. And they would hold New Orleans on the next drive, stifling a 3rd and 3 run by Ricky Williams for a loss of 1 on the play. The Breakers would punt, but again, all did not go Texas’s way. Following 2 short runs from Reggie Cobb, who would end the day limited to only 48 yards rushing, Jeff Lewis tried to fit a ball into the arms of Shawn Collins, but the Breakers had tight coverage and CB Latin Berry snatched the ball away before Collins could make the catch. Another turnover and another short field for the Breakers. To their credit, the Outlaw defense held, but again Lin Elliott was in range and his 44-yard attempt sailed true, giving the Breakers the 3-point lead. There was time left for Texas to get into field goal range, if not to score 6 for the win. They moved the ball into Breaker territory, but on 3rd and 11 from the Breaker 40, they were still too far for Tim Seder, so they tried to gain the first down with a deeper throw. Once again, Lewis took a risk on double coverage and this time it was Ahmad Plummer for his second pick of the day. New Orleans would not relinquish the ball this time, milking the clock until it read double-zeroes. HOU 17 STL 23 Houston came into St. Louis and put a bit of a scare into the Knights thanks to a rare 100-yard day for HB Kevin Faulk. The Knights’ defense has been gashed a few times this season, a concern for Coach Johnson, but in the end the steady offense of Ahman Green (140 yards rushing) and Todd Collins (22 of 33 passing) helped St. Louis pull this one out with three 4th quarter field goals from Ryan Longwell. CHI 33 MGN 6 In a game that cost Doug Flutie his starting job, Michigan got thoroughly trounced by the Chicago Machine. Flutie was simply unable to find open receivers, and the Panthers struggled to put any kind of consistent offense on the field. With Chicago’s Deuce Staley outgaining the entire Michigan run game 138-75, the game quickly fell into Chicago’s hands. By Monday the die was cast and Coach Martz announced that Drew Brees, the Purdue rookie, would start in Week 5. ARZ 28 SEA 21 A good matchup in the Pacific as Jake Plummer used his arm rather than his legs to upend the homestanding Dragons. Plummer went 20 of 25 for 298 yards, though he did run in a score on a short 2-yard TD. He got an assist from rookie Dominic Rhodes, filling in after Dorsey Levins had to be helped to the sidelines as the unheralded rookie rushed for 54 yards but also also caught 3 passes for 87 yards and a second TD on a nice debut for the rookie out of tiny Midwestern State University. DEN 17 LA 45 The Gold looked absolutely flummoxed by the idea of running an offense without Rashaan Salaam as they were limited to only 68 yards rushing. LA dominated as the Gold simply could not flip the field or hold the ball. It was actually 17-17 at the half, but LA exploded in the second half with 4 straight TD drives, including 2 Antowain Smith scores and a 40-yard pick six from Ray Crockett. OAK 15 POR 5 On a sloppy field in Portland two sloppy teams played an utterly sloppy game of football. Neither team could pass the ball effectively in the rain, and while a fluke play to Plaxico Burress provided the only offensive TD on the day, helping Oakland score their first win of the year, neither team can be very happy with the way the game played out. ORL 26 ATL 13 Atlanta cannot seem to pick a QB. Going back to Mark Bulger after starting Aaron Brooks last week, the Fire offense continued to struggle, gaining only 234 total yards. Orlando pressured Bulger all game and used run blitzes to limit Tiki Barber as well. Meanwhile, Scott Mitchell went 26 of 32 for 306 yardsand 3 TDs as the Renegades won their fourth in a row. MEM 38 BIR 24 Lawrence Dawsey had 2 scores and 105 yards, but it was not enough as Memphis outpaced the Stallions and took home the win in the South’s biggest pro football rivalry. Heath Shuler outshone Brett Favre with 5 TD passes and 303 yards through the air. Joe Horn was his big target, snagging 7 balls for 125 and a score. TBY 45 JAX 20 Unheralded backup HB Travis Prentice had a monster game as the Bandits surprised the Bulls with a run-first attack. Prentice would have only 9 carries but averaged 13.1 yards per carry on his way to a 118-yard performance. Errict Rhett added 52 more yards as Tampa Bay tried to keep the pressure off Trent Green. The strategy worked and, with help from a Kevin Mitchell pick-six, the Bandits pulled away late in this Florida Derby. PIT 17 BAL 28 The Blitz struggled to find a rhythm early, but once found was able to pull away from the Maulers to the delight of a big crowd in Baltimore. Jeff Garcia would throw for 242 and 4 scores on the day as the Maulers focused on limiting Ron Dayne’s effectiveness on the ground. Baltimore had more success locking up Pittsburgh’s Terrell Davis, limiting the big back to only 34 yards on 15 carries. PHI 20 NJ 7 Well, you knew the party for Tom Brady would have to end sometime, and it is no surprise that it was arch rival Philadelphia who would squelch the enthusiasm of a big Meadowlands crowd. Brady was picked off twice, and Curtis Enis was limited to only 45 yards on the ground as the no-name Philly defense came up big. The Stars also kept pressure off of Bobby Hebert by effectively utilizing both Stephen Davis and Pat Chaffey in the run game, to the tune of 125 yards rushing. Rookie receiver Steve Smith also came up big, with the play of the game, a 72 yard TD in the 3rd that made any chance of a General comeback a lot harder. WSH 31 OHI 14 Ohio limped into this game without Eddie George or Joey Galloway, and while rookie phenom Chad Johnson had his third consecutive 100-yard game, it was not enough as HB Lamont Warren could only muster 37 yards rushing and Kerry Collins was sacked a painful 9 times by a nasty Feds pass rush. DT Jerome Brown had a field day, scoring his first ever 3-sack performance as Washington rolled in this one. LA BACK IN FORM So, it appears to be safe to say after 4 weeks that the LA Express are back in form after a rough 2000 campaign. The 4-0 Express are currently ranked in the Top 5 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Their run game is #1 in the league with Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman combining for 573 yards, nearly 200 yards more than even the league leader Ahman Green. Coach Hall has the defense flying high as well, with LB’s Barry Minter and Donta Jones looking 5 years younger as they go sideline to sideline. Rookie DE Justin Smith has also started the year off well, with 4 sacks in his first 4 games. Add to this a total of 7 picks already from the ballhawking secondary of Ray Crockett, Aeneas Williams, Wendell Davis and free safety Tavares Tillman and the LA defense is getting the job done, to the tune of only 14.2 points a game allowed. That will take you far, especially when the offense is averaging 31.5 ppg. DENVER DESPERATE Things are not looking so good in Denver, where the defending champs seem to be suffering from a post-title hangover. The offense, even in the games before the Salaam suspension, was not exactly humming. The Gold are currently 20th in the league in scoring despite doing much better in yards per game (6th with 366.8 per game). Even worse, the defense, often the centerpiece of Denver’s success, is ranked 23rd in points allowed and in passing yards allowed. That combo is not the best path to a title defense. So who is to blame? Hard to say. Denver did not have a huge roster turnover as many title teams do. Leslie O’Neill is his usual scary self on the D-line, but the defense simply is not getting the stops it so often relies on. While losing Salaam has made things worse, it all cannot be his fault. True, Denver was able to better manipulate the clock with him in full form, giving up only 26 points to Birmingham in Week 1 and 21 to Houston in Week 2, while the past two weeks they gave up 49 and 45 to Arizona and LA respectively. Needless to say, Coach Jauron had better figure out a plan B, and quickly, as Denver is already 3 games out of first place and sitting in the basement of the division. JEROME BROWN STILL DOMINANT Can we just pause for a moment and admire the amazing career of Jerome Brown. The man is in his 15th season at one of the toughest, most body-destroying positions in football, and he just put together a 3-sack game against a division rival. He has not missed a start since 1995 and only 1 game since 1990. That is simply incredible for a DT. He is currently 1 sack short of 99 in his career, again, as a DEFENSIVE TACKLE, not an edge rusher. Only John Randle, with 83 sacks, is even close to that number. In what can be a thankless position, Brown has found a way to turn his blood & guts play into a marquee position. He is revered in DC, and for good reason. He has been and continues to be the best at his position in either pro league. And he seems to only be getting better, which is mind-blowing. So, congratulations to Jerome Brown for showing us what excellence in this game looks like. QB CHANGE IN MICHIGAN Excellence is not the word being thrown around in Michigan these days. An 0-4 start has fans openly booing the Panthers. We even saw a few paper bags on heads this week. Doug Flutie, once the most celebrated signing of the USFL, and a bit of a folk hero for anyone under 6’ tall, has not been playing well at all, and actually ranks as the 2nd worst starter in the league. His 66.9 QB Rating would be the worst if not for Ryan Leaf and his 7 picks sitting at 50.4. So, it is no surprise that this week first-year head coach Mike Martz felt he had to make a change. Flutie will sit and first round rookie pick Drew Brees will get the start. But is QB really the issue? Sure, Flutie has not looked good this year, and he has been forced to try to make a lot of plays with his legs, which are not as nimble as they once were. But part of the reason for that is the play of a pretty average (or sub-average) Panther offensive line. This is a line that did not do Tyrone Wheatley any favors last year, perhaps the reason he opted to take the contract option, hit the free market, and eventually sign in the NFL. Siran Stacy has not had much better luck with the Panther line either, rushing for only 124 yards in 4 games. Flutie is actually the leading rusher for Michigan with 185 yards, and most of that is him running for his life. Will Drew Brees find much better success? Hard to picture. The Panthers line is a problem, and, other than Muhsin Muhammad, there is not a lot of talent in the receiving pool. Panther fans love to point to Jeff Campbell’s reception totals, but he is not a deep threat at all, and not particularly hard to limit to short completions with little YAC impact. Laverneus Coles currently leads Michigan with 20 receptions, but he too is not finding ways to turn short receptions into big chunks of yardage. We know that Martz wants to run a wide open, three or four receiver formation, offense, but does he have the dogs he needs to pull that sled? No run game to speak of, a porous line, and receivers who cannot turn short range passes into long range plays. Sounds like a tall order, so best of luck to Mr. Brees. The downside to being a very early round draft pick is that you often end up on a pretty bad team, and that certainly seems to be the case for the most highly touted QB from this year’s USFL draft. A relatively clean week for the USFL, not without a few bumps & bruises, but without major crises or season-ending injuries. Perhaps the most significant injury of the week was Tampa guard Craig Novitsky, who could miss up to 2 months with a hip injury. Ohio also got a hit as DT La’Roi Glover could miss 2-4 weeks with a broken wrist. In Oakland, TE Christian Fauria is expected to be out 2-4 weeks with a torn MCL, while in Memphis DT Barron Tanner could need 2-4 weeks as well to deal with a ruptured disc. Memphis will also be without their All-USFL tight end, Adrian Cooper, who suffered a hairline fracture in his right arm. LA will be without Aeneas Williams due to back issues, and Arizona is likely to miss HB Dorsey Levins thanks to a case of turf toe. Dedric Smith could miss a game or two for Denver, another offensive weapon gone, while in Washington, DE Bobby Hamilton could be out this week (questionable) with a sprained ankle suffered in practice. THUNDERSTRUCK Funny how big stories can kind of sneak up on you. We have been paying so much attention to the ownership issues in St. Louis, that we all but overlooked the fact that the Portland Thunder were having their own internal issues. With NIKE CEO Phil Knight stepping away from the lead ownership position several years ago, Portland has been going through regular squabbles within its ownership group about leadership. Well, several bad seasons and a bad start to this one seem to have come to a head within the owners’ box, where the cabal of team investors simply has been unable to agree on anything, from stadium renovation to player acquisition. Having gone through 4 Presidents of Football Operation in 3 years, the club was known to be in some degree of disarray, but we did not expect what was announced this week. Portland’s lead ownership group, which controls 64% of the club, is looking to sell to a single owner. We have seen our share of franchise ownership shifts over the past 19 seasons, but unlike most, which involve one owner stepping up from the group to buy out others, there seem to be enough issues and enough animosity that none of the current ownership leaders are likely to make this kind of play. This leaves Portland ripe for a potentially deep-pocketed outside group or individual to swoop in and buy up the Thunder lock, stock and barrel. And while there are certainly enough deep-pocketed mulitimillionaires in the Pacific Northwest who could make it happen, one of the biggest issues for Portland has always been the stadium itself, the smallest in the league, and one not likely to be replaced any time soon by a city that simply is not prioritizing big league sports. That means Portland could be the first city on the target list of out-of-town interests. We have all been concerned about St. Louis as a prime target for investors from Boston, Miami, Dallas, or Nashville, but perhaps Portland is the domino that kicks off a battle of cities, each trying to either obtain or retain a USFL franchise. The league, looking at a realignment next year that would put Portland in a purely coastal division with rival Seattle and the two California clubs (Oakland and LA), would be in no mood to have to scuttle everything and deal with a potential cross-country relocation to the East or Gulf Coast. The approval of a sale of Portland to any investor who would take the team out of the Pacific Northwest would have to find a way to smooth over those concerns. That means having a lock-solid stadium deal in hand, a hefty relocation fee ready to be paid, and a plan to provide the league with a geographically sound 6-division format. The easiest option would be the Dallas group, since the Thunder could join Houston and Texas with Denver in the Southwestern Division, while Arizona would get bumped to the Pacific. A move to Boston, Nashville, or Miami would be a lot harder for the league to deal with, at least if their plan for geographically aligned divisions is a high priority. More to come for sure, but the announcement that the franchise is up for sale, and that this is a sale on an accelerated timeframe, is one that is sending immediate ripples through the league. SHOWBOATS: SHOWPLACE OR NO PLACE? Once again the Showboats have worked with city leaders to place a stadium initiative on the ballots this fall. The Showboats have a very loyal and quite large fanbase, but the Liberty Bowl Stadium is not in great shape, offers few modern amenities, and could certainly use a facelift. The problem is that the region served by the stadium and the fanbase of the Showboats is among the lowest income regions in the nation, comprised of western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas. Yes, there is corporate money in Memphis, mainly through Fed Ex’s presence in the city, but is there popular will for a tax hike, bond issuance, or other publicly funded scheme to raise the capital needed to bring the Liberty Bowl into the 21st Century? This could be a hard sell for the community, and if they vote this down (a 3rd major defeat for the Showboats at the ballot box), then ownership may be forced to look at alternatives. Yet another domino perhaps poised to fall. SNUBBED STALLION Don’t ask Bob Barber about the Hall of Fame. It will just make him angry, and you don’t want to get a former DE known for his power moves and the occasional cheap shot angry. Barber has once again failed to make the list of USFL Hall of Fame semi-finalists, and he is not shy about telling you it is a farce. The 10-year vet, who retired from the Stallions after the 1992 season feels he is being overshadowed as more and more players from more recent seasons are passing him by. Barber retired with 104 career sacks, which, at the time, had him in the Top 4 in the league, but since then several players have leapt over that number, dropping Barber from the Top 10 and decreasing each year his odds of being nominated. Whatever you do, don’t bring up the fact that he recorded only 336 tackles in 10 years, a number far below most other 10-year vets who are even close to consideration for Hall of Fame nomination. And certainly don’t point out that his highest single season total, 15, while certainly a strong year, is nowhere near the regular 20-sack seasons we see from players like Chris Doleman, Phil Hansen, Michael Sinclair, Dexter Manley, or even 1985’s Junior Ah You, who set the bar at 22. Nope, for Barber the snub is personal and there is no convincing him otherwise. The “pencil-necked cowards” he cites in USFL media simply don’t understand his impact on the game. Never mind that nearly 40% of HOF voters for the USFL are former players. And, of course, with each public protestation of his status, more and more voters and more of the populace grow tired of Barber and his griping. One reporter, a national broadcaster who wished to remain nameless, noted that “If the USFL formed a Hall of Pretty Darn Good” he would vote for Barber in a heartbeat, but the Hall of Fame seems an unlikely spot for the former Stallion DE. A bit harsh, but not entirely off the mark if you ask this pencil-necked coward. USFL, Riddell, & BU to Study Brain Injuries While the league may say that the planning to engage with academic partners to study brain injuries and concussions began long before the Troy Aikman situation this Spring, the timing could not be more poignant. New Jersey placed Aikman on IR this week, ending all possibility of a return to action this year, and potentially triggering a decision for retirement from the long-time Tampa Bay Bandit. The same week this happened, the USFL announced that it would be co-sponsoring a 3-year investigation into football-related brain injuries. The league along with helmet developer Riddell will fund the grant to the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (BU ADRC) to investigate the impact of concussions on players as well as methods to mitigate head injuries in the sport. The BU ADRC, while primarily focused on Alzheimer’s, has become over the past 5 years one of the premier concussion and brain trauma research centers in the USA. That both the league and their primary helmet developer are investing in this study shows just how much both are worried about issues surrounding recurrent head impacts and post-retirement issues found in both NFL and USFL players. Short term what we may see from this is a move towards efforts to decrease head-to-head contact in the sport, while the longer term effect may be both innovations in football helmet design, which have remained almost stagnant since the late 1970’s, and the pro football rulebook, which, while reducing more violent actions, has still allowed significant head-to-head contact initiated by both ballcarriers and defenders. A huge week in the Eastern Conference, where rivalry games are also key matchups atop the divisions. In the Atlantic we have a battle of 3-1 clubs as Baltimore heads just an hour down the road to Washington to face the Feds. Philly stays in state as they travel to Pittsburgh for a keystone clash with the Maulers, and the New Jersey Generals take their 3-1 start to Ohio, losers of 2 straight as injuries have been a tough mountain to climb in Columbus. In the South the matchups are a bit more uneven, with 4-0 Orlando headed upstate to face 1-3 Jacksonville. Can the Bulls pull off the upset here and get back in the hunt in the division? Meanwhile, Memphis, sitting at 3-1, plays host to a pretty lackluster 0-4 Atlanta Fire club. Birmingham cannot afford to fall further behind. Sitting at 2-2 they are in Tampa Bay and hoping the Bandits have not found their rhythm after a solid Week 4 performance. Out West we have the Pacific Clubs headed to the heartland as they face off against Central Division squads. The biggest game here, and it is big, has LA at 4-0 flying into St. Louis to take on the 3-1 Knights. Denver, a surprising 1-3 and still without suspended HB Rashaan Salaam, limps into New Orleans to face the 3-1 Breakers. Michigan is at home and hoping they can get their first win, and a career-starting win for QB Drew Brees, as they host the 2-2 Arizona Wranglers. Seattle has dropped to 2-2 and now hit the road with a big game in Houston. Chicago hopes to move to 4-1 if they can hold their home field advantage against the Portland Thunder. And, finally, a battle of clubs at 1-3 as the Oakland Invaders head to San Antonio to take on the Texas Outlaws.

A major upset and a few close calls highlight just how much parity exists in the USFL. It was a rough week for Las Vegas bookmakers, with Portland pulling off an upset as a 12-point underdog and teams like Oakland, Chicago, Arizona, Michigan, Texas and New Jersey either defying the odds to win unexpectedly, or coming close enough to defy the point spreads that were predicted. What is a bad week for Vegas is often a very good week for football fans, and this week proved to be a very entertaining one. “This is why they play the games” goes the old saying. As much as we think we know how games look on paper, there is nothing like the ebb and flow of action on the field to overturn our preconceived notions. By every metric in the books Seattle should have won this game, at home, against a Portland squad that has been moribund for nearly 2 years, and yet, on that field this Saturday the Thunder proved that they too are professional football players and that on any given Sunday any team can put it all together and win against any opponent. The fact that it was their rivals from up the I-5 just put icing on the cake. So, how did the Thunder do it? Particularly when they lost the turnover battle 0-2? The basic answer is that it took all three phases of the game. The run game was varied, with Napoleon Kaufmann sharing carries with rookie Correll Buckhalter. The line protected QB Akili Smith, and he, in turn, had one of his best games of his spotty 3-year career, throwing for 313 yards and 4 scores. The defense held Corey Dillon to only 2.6 yards per carry, leading to a season low of 44 yards on the ground, and the special teams contributed with 5 solid returns from Troy Walters and a 50+ yard field goal from John Kasay. Even with all this it took a ferocious 4th quarter for the Thunder to pull off the upset. Down, 27-16 after three quarters, the Thunder came alive in the 4th. The defense shut down Seattle in the quarter, with Brian Griese only completing 2 of 5 pass attempts, while the Dragons suffered two three-and-outs, and a drive cut short by a sack from Portland’s best defender, DE Hugh Douglas. The offense did what it needed to do to mount the comeback. Only 2 minutes into the quarter, a well-played misdirection had Smith hold onto the ball while the entire Dragon defense followed Napoleon Kaufmann. The bootlegging Smith found Matthew Hatchette behind the D and 56 yards later Hatchette was in the endzone. The 2-point play failed, but the score cut the difference to only 5 points. Portland would get the ball back 10 minutes later (after a series of punts from both teams) and with time winding down, would mount a desperation drive. Smith used screens to Kaufmann, short tosses to TE Lonnie Johnson and WR Patrick Rowe, and finally a sprint right shovel toss to FB Arnulfo Cowley to get in the endzone. Cowley, an unlikely receiving hero had only 5 receptions to date in the season, and in 4 years had only accumulated 30 total. But, with defenders keying in on Akili Smith as a potential runner, Cowley was left open and the unexpected toss from Smith caught the Dragon defenders flat-footed. With only 21 seconds left, Portland went up by one. Again they tried the 2-point conversion, and again it failed, but with a 1-point lead and only seconds left on the clock the win was theirs. Seattle’s Brian Griese does not have a cannon, so his desperation Hail Mary fell well short of the endzone and landed harmlessly at the 10. A huge win for the Thunder over a rival and a sign that this club may not be the same as the 1-15 debacle from last season. For Seattle, a tough loss at home to a division opponent, and one that proves the point that no game is won before the field is taken. LA 16 OAK 14 In another game that proved how close the difference is between victory and defeat in the USFL, the LA Express needed a late Doug Brien field goal to nip the Oakland Invaders, despite an abysmal 5-interception game from Ryan Leaf. It was Oakland’s defense that proved their worth, limiting LA to only 10 points off those turnovers, and yet, they could not hold forever. With Oakland’s offense struggling to complete drives, the Express eventually got the points they needed to upend the plucky Invader squad. ARZ 49 DEN 20 The Wranglers finally committed to the run, and not from Jake Plummer, and it paid immediate dividends. Dorsey Levins rushed for 127 yards, including an epic 42-yard scoring play, and that balance allowed Jake Plummer to play pocket passer, which resulted in a 15/20, 215 yard, 4-TD day. Even during a spell in the 3rd when Plummer was temporarily out of the game, backup Craig Whelihan benefited from the balanced attack, going 6 of 9 for 123 and 2 scores in two drives that helped put the game out of reach for a lackluster Denver offense. Denver would at one point trail 49-6 before garbage time brought them to a respectable 20 points. A bad loss for sure for the Gold, but a much-needed statement game from Arizona. CHI 23 HOU 20 This battle between two clubs hoping to gain some respect went all the way to overtime as the Machine got a late John Carney field goal to tie the game in regulation and then turned to the veteran kicker again in OT to seal the win. In a game where both offenses struggled at times, it was TE Jim Kleinsasser and backup HB Adrian Murrell who helped but Chicago over the top thanks to their late game and overtime performances. Houston got 101 yards on 6 catches from Antonio Freeman but QB Matt Hasselbeck missed on a potential TD toss to him in overtime that would have won the game for the home team. MGN 21 NOR 24 Michigan finally showed signs of life on offense, but it was not enough as New Orleans built up a 24-13 lead and did not leave the Panthers enough time for the comeback. Doug Flutie threw the ball53 times, completing 34, while also scrambling for 82 to become the club’s leading rusher for the game, but the Panthers simply ran out of time. Breakers’ QB Trent Dilfer was injured in the game, forcing Bobby Hoying into action, but the backup went 13 of 18 and threw a decisive 3rd quarter TD to TE Steve Johnson to help the Breakers get the W. STL 19 TEX 37 Another shocker, this time in the AlamoDome, where the Knights offense, playing without dinged up Todd Collins, simply looked unprepared for an aggressive Texas D. Backup Rob Johnson completed only 17 of 31 tosses and threw two picks in the game, while Texas got back to their roots, rushing the ball 23 times with Reggie Cobb for 113 yards and 2 scores. The issues around St. Louis’s defense came to the fore as Texas exploited holes in the front 7 and mismatches in the passing game to rack up 37 points. PHI 10 MEM 7 A slug fest in the slop as a rain-soaked field made this game at the Liberty Bowl tough to watch. Memphis scored on an Adrian Cooper TD in the first quarter, and then it was nothing but football follies on the hydroplane ready turf in Memphis. The Stars mounted their comeback in the 4th, first with a 40-yarder from Jeff Jaeger and then a short drive (following a rare Heath Shuler interception), that gave the Stars the win on an Hebert to Mondriel Fulcher TD pass. PIT 19 ORL 31 Pittsburgh hung tough for 3 quarters before Orlando pulled away to win their 3rd in a row. Terrell Davis was a menace to the Renegades all game, rushing 22 times for 178 yards and a score, while the Renegades got a good game from wideout Keenan McCardell, who caught 5 balls for 101 yards and a score. The Memphis D got to Charlie Batch 7 times, with 3 coming in the final 8 minutes of the game, as the home team stayed unbeaten. WSH 31 TBY 17 Washington compounded the concerns about the Tampa Bay Bandits, exploiting the defense for 160 yards rushing, including the first 100-yard game for rookie Deuce McCallister. Tampa also ran the ball well, with Errict Rhett adding 111 yards, but two key turnovers, both fumbles by receivers, doomed the Bandits to their third loss of the season. OHI 47 JAX 21 The Glory never trailed in this one as rookie wideout Chad Johnson made Kerry Collins look like an MVP. Johnson caught 7 balls for 177 and 3 scores, with Mike Bellamy catching another 6 for 110 and 2 scores as Kerry Collins had a field day against the Jacksonville secondary. Never sacked in the game, Collins had all the time he needed to throw deep balls to his receivers. Meanwhile, Chris Chandler tossed 3 picks as he struggled with the Ohio zones. NJ 31 BIR 14 Don’t tell Bill Parcells he has a QB crisis. He is as happy as a clam after Tom Brady went 15 of 22 for 232 and 2 scores on Sunday. The Generals got help from a solid run game that added 132 yards, and a defensive gem from Phil Hansen, who found Brett Favre 3 times on the day, 3 of 5 sacks accumulated by the Generals. Favre would complete only 13 of 30 passes on a day that saw him constantly harassed by a much improved General defense. BAL 24 ATL 14 Baltimore opened up a 10-point lead in the 1st quarter and never looked back as they took the W from Atlanta in Bobby Dowd Stadium. Jeff Garcia would complete 28 of 34 pass attempts and Ron Dayne would carry the ball 27 times as the Blitz played keepaway for most of the game. NEW JERSEY STANDS PAT It seems that at least for the time being New Jersey is opting to stand pat on their QB situation. They did sign John Walsh, the 5 year veteran backup, to fill the emergency QB role, but with 2nd year QB Tom Brady having won his first two appearances, it appears that Bill Parcells is in no hurry to rush out and replace him. Should the Generals continue to find success with Brady, the pressure likely will be reduced to bring in a big name QB, though some fans in the Tri-State area have started a petition to bring back Spence Fisher, the one time Generals’ starter who has been languishing as a backup in Atlanta for the past year. Fisher was a popular underdog story, but we just don’t see New Jersey making a major move to bring him back to the Meadowlands. SALAAM SUSPENDED Well, we saw this one coming. The USFL, after a brief investigation and an interview by league officials with the Denver Gold HB, have suspended Salaam for the next 4 games. It appears that there is enough concern around allegations of drug use, and paired with his recent drug test failure, it was enough for the league to act. Salaam’s absence will put pressure on Denver backups Rickey Whittle and Rod Smart. Denver also moved backup FB Robert Flanigan up to the active roster to fill Salaam’s spot, meaning that we may see some of starter Heath Evans also playing a HB role in a new look Denver run game. Had the suspension been longer we might have seen Denver try to sign a veteran free agent HB, but with only 4 weeks, the path forward seems to be to fill in by committee. ROOKIE STANDOUTS Three weeks into the season and the rookies are certainly making a name for themselves. With Joey Galloway out, Ohio’s Chad Johnson has exploded onto the scene. He currently leads the league with 363 yards receiving and a whopping 7 TDs in only 3 games of action. That is simply astounding. In Arizona, Santana Moss is also turning heads, with 258 yards on 12 catches and 3 TDs so far this season, while Philadelphia’s Steve Smith has also worked his way into the starting lineup and has accounted for 12 catches and 226 in his first three games. On defense, the standout so far has been New Orleans free safety Idris Basheer who has 2 picks already this year, tied for the league lead. Michigan’s rookie DE Aaron Schobel has also started off fast with 3 sacks in his first 3 games, while Pittsburgh’s Kyle Vanden Bosch has racked up 2 QB sacks in the same timeframe. Not as exciting on the halfback front, with only Washington’s Deuce McCallister getting regular action. The former Ole Miss star has accounted for 197 yards and 3 TDs in his first three weeks as a member of the Federals, with 107 of that total coming this week in his first career 100 yard game. The next highest rookie on the list is Correll Buckhalter in Portland with 88 yards, though Buckhalter has clearly become the goal line favorite for the Thunder, rushing for 3 TDs already this year. And while fans may be clamoring for Drew Brees in Michigan, the former Purdue star has yet to take a snap, although he is not alone in this. No rookie QB’s have yet to see any regular season playing time. I guess this is not a surprise for developmental projects like A. J. Feely in Portland, Jesse Palmer in New Orleans, or Quincy Carter in LA, but three weeks into the year and no sign of either Drew Brees (MGN) or Marques Tuiasosopo (OAK). Which will see action first? Well, both clubs are 0-3, and both current starters, Doug Flutie for the Panthers and Ryan Leaf in Oakland, are feeling the heat to be sure. COACHES FEELING THE PRESSURE Yes, we are only 3 weeks in but we are already talking about coaches feeling pressure. While several of the clubs at the bottom of the standings have new coaches who are just starting to try to turn things around, there are a few teams that have come out of the gate slowly despite having a veteran coach and a familiar roster. Tampa Bay cannot be happy about starting out 0-3, but what do you do about what appears to be a precipitous decline when your head coach is responsible for winning you a league title only 2 years ago? Could George Seifert actually be in trouble in Tampa? It seems that a lot of people are crediting his predecessor, Jerry Glanville, with putting together the team that won the title in 1999. Meanwhile, in Oakland, Dom Capers needs to show that his plan for the club is moving them in the right direction. An 0-3 start in his second season is not helping him make that case. The same could be said in Atlanta, where Bobby Petrino’s list of moral victories needs to turn into a list of actual victories pretty quickly for the 0-3 Fire. Finally, the ice seems to be getting mighty thin under the feet of Mauler head coach Emmitt Thomas. Since taking over the Maulers in 1997, Thomas’s teams have had one solid season, a 10-6 Wild Card campaign in 1999 that seemed to have them on the pinnacle of a solid run, but they dropped to 3-13 last year, and now sit at 1-2, in a very tough division. Another losing season could be real trouble for Thomas in Pittsburgh. Another week tarnished by some pretty significant injuries as several key players are likely gone for the season. A week after Michael Sinclair went down, in Memphis another, perhaps less well-known edge rusher, Dameaion Jeffries, suffered a full tear of his hamstring, an injury that is both painful and lengthy in its recovery. Expect him to be out for the year and placed on IR. Oakland placed CB Clayton Holmes on IR this week after a torn PCL ligament ended his season. Texas FB Robert Booker could miss up to 8 weeks after suffering a hip injury, and both Baltimore and Jacksonville are likely without a starting guard apiece for the next 2 months as both Joe Cocozzo (Bulls) and Hayward Haynes (Blitz) suffered injuries to their knees. Other multiple week concerns include FS Marcus Wimberly for Birmingham (ACL), Denver WR Dedric Smith (stress fracture), Ohio free safety Pat Terrell (ankle), and New Orleans QB Trent Dilfer, who left this week’s game with a stress fracture in his foot. He was initially listed as Doubtful, but now has been shifted to “Out” for Week 4. Ohio could be without HB Eddie George, who is listed as Questionable with a stiff neck, while Chicago’s dynamic kick returner Dante Hall is also questionable with a sprained knee. Atlanta may be without Terrance Mathis (shoulder) and Pittsburgh’s veteran DE Bob Kuberski could miss this week as well with swelling on his knee. While New Orleans tries to figure out how to substitute for Dilfer, it is good news in St. Louis, where Todd Collins is expected to return to action after missing this past week. The Knights looked completely hapless with Rob Johnson at the helm, so the return of their starter is certainly welcome news for Knights’ fans. No huge breaking news on the league level this week, but a few stories to keep track of. ORTHWEIN TRIAL BEGINS The saga of the St. Louis Knights’ owner starts a new period today as the fraud trial commences in federal court. There is a growing expectation that either through court order or league action the embattled member of the Anheiser Busch family will be forced to sell off his majority share in the league. We have already seen engagement from at least 2 ownership groups representing other cities (Boston and Nashville) make gestures towards the league about the potential sale, and we expect others will also line up. Meanwhile, in St. Louis there are few potential bidders, but one potential ownership group is being headed by Scottrade CEO Rodger Riney. The online financial & investiment firm founder has begun to put together a potential ownership group with some potential, but is still seeking investors. STADIUM UPDATES While progress continues on the construction of new stadia in several USFL cities, with Houston and Detroit slated to get new venues in 2002 (shared with NFL franchises in both cases), the Seattle Dragons continue to negotiate to possibly relocate from Husky Stadium to the new downtown stadium primarily financed by the NFL Seattle Seahawks. The presence of Husky Stadium as a venue has reduced the urgency of the efforts and the Dragons are unlikely to move if the stadium revenue options are not amenable. Meanwhile the city of Chicago has approved significant renovations to Soldier Field, in part thanks to the shared contribution of the USFL Machine and NFL Bears ownership. The newest agreement for stadium construction is in Arizona, where the NFL Cardinals, USFL Wranglers, the state, and the city of Glendale have come to an agreement for funding of what could be the league’s most expensive stadium, a retractable roof facility to be located in the Phoenix suburb. Meanwhile, discussions continue in New Jersey as the Jets, Giants and Generals all seem prepared to assist the state of New Jersey with plans to build a new stadium in the same general vicinity as the current Giants Stadium, converting parking spaces to a new open air stadium, which would then lead to the demolition of the current stadium. Finally, rumors of the Atlanta Fire finally reaching a deal to play in the air conditioned Georgia Dome seem to have fallen through. The Fire appear to be out of favor in Atlanta, a bad sign overall, and now must try to see what kind of deal they can develop with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga Tech) to continue to use Bobby Dowd Stadium, so Fire fans (the few that will call themselves that) will continue to endure midsummer heat and humidity at the outdoor facility. REEBOK ANNOUNCES 2002 UPDATES It is that time of year again when Reebok and the USFL announce which teams have requested to have branding, logo, and uniform revisions for the following season, and once again 3 clubs have signed on for a refreshed look. Baltimore, the last of the original 12 franchises to retain their original logo and colors, has indicated that a new logo may be on the way. Though the club is expected to maintain their royal, red, and silver color scheme, the wordmark “Blitz” logo has started to age and the club may be looking for a new, more iconic and easily marketable logo. Jacksonville is the second franchise to request an update, but it is not certain whether the full-helmet wraparound charging bull logo will be modified or not. It too seems somewhat dated in its design, but it is wildly popular among Bulls fans. More likely is a new stand alone logo and new uniform designs. Finally, the Seattle Dragons are looking to revamp their look as part of a new outlook. The club, which made its first appearance in the postseason last year, is expected to go for a modernized uniform, and many expect that the Dragon’s head logo will also undergo a transformation as the Dragons seek a more “Xtreme” or modern style. Week 4 is a full-on divisional rivalry week across the entire league. It starts on Saturday with a very intriguing Turnpike Tussle between Philadelphia and New Jersey. The two face off in the Meadowlands with first place very much up for grabs. Pittsburgh will try to even its record as they head to Baltimore to face the Blitz, while Washington may have an easier task than originally expected when they travel to Columbus to face a Glory squad likely to be without both Eddie George and Joey Galloway. The big game in the South is a battle of 2-1 clubs and bitter rivals as Birmingham faces the Memphis Showboats in Legion Field. Expect well over 50,000 on hand for this classic grudge match. In Florida the Renegades will travel to Jacksonville to face their in-state rivals, while the 3-0 Orlando Renegades hope to avoid a trap game in Atlanta against the winless Fire. In the Central Division we have no unbeaten teams, but what we have is desperation in Michigan, where the 0-3 Panthers need a win, and they face their rivals from Chicago to try to get it. The Machine are looking solid this year, off to a 2-1 start, but Michigan is a cornered animal, and that makes them dangerous. The 3-time division winning Knights are at home, facing off against a Houston club that is hard to pin down, though with Michael Sinclair injured, the Knight offensive line has one less nightmare to worry about. Finally New Orleans travels to Texas, where the Outlaws hope that their Week 3 success against a backup QB can be duplicated as the Breakers will likely start Brian Hoying in place of the injured Trent Dilfer. Denver, the defending league champions, is surprisingly at 1-2, and now without the suspended Rashaan Salaam, they will have a tough assignment facing the 3-0 LA Express, who seem to have found some of their 1999 magic. Arizona, fresh off their big win in Denver, travel again, facing the 2-1 Dragons in Seattle. Seattle likely will come into this game angry after an embarrassing loss to Portland at Husky Stadium this past week. And our final game to highlight has Oakland at 0-3 hoping the Thunder got winning out of their system this week and won’t block the Invaders from getting their first win of the season.

While there were 12 games played this week in the USFL, the Monday morning water cooler talk was only about one, the New Jersey-Baltimore game, and all about the situation surrounding Troy Aikman. It was a disturbing scene to watch, and news since Sunday has not looked good either. We will break it down, what we know about Aikman’s prognosis, and what it means for the Generals, and perhaps the league, but first we have games to report on, with the Generals’ defeat of the Blitz clearly this week’s game of the week, even beyond the injury report. It is the game everyone is talking about. Only 3 plays into the game, linebacker Tracy Scroggins of Baltimore came in on a blitz, blew past the block of HB Olandis Gary and caught Troy Aikman just as he was winding back to throw. The linebacker drove Aikman to the ground, and then immediately began calling for the trainers. Aikman would lay on the turf unconscious for a solid 5 minutes before the cart was brought out. Surrounded by team doctors and training staff, they placed Aikman on a back board and carted him directly to the locker room and then a local hospital. Fans, both in the stadium and watching on TV feared the worst, a neck injury. And while that, fortunately was not the situation, the eventual diagnosis of a severe concussion could be equally as devastating. Loss of consciousness with a concussion is never good, and for Aikman it was the 2nd significant concussion in 2 weeks, the QB having been cleared to play this week after suffering a milder head injury in last week’s game. This week’s significant injury marks the 7th concussion for Aikman in the past 3 years. That is truly problematic, as many doctors in the field of neuroscience believe that brain trauma has a cumulative effect. While team officials have not made any definitive statement about Aikman’s future as the QB of the Generals, a lot of talk this week around the league, and among the USFL weekly shows on ESPN and FOX has been about the potential for this latest injury to force Aikman into retirement, a blow not only for him, of course, but for the Generals, a club being rebuilt around Aikman as the face of the franchise. With Aikman taken to the sideline, the game paused for over 15 minutes before the two teams took the field again. Young and untested former Michigan Wolverine QB Tom Brady took the helm for the Generals, and availed himself quite well, completing 21 of 30 passes for 288 yards and a TD toss to Terry Glenn. The Generals’ D also came up big, limiting Jeff Garcia to only 196 in the air and holding the entire Blitz ground game to only 57 yards on the day. Ron Dayne averaged only 2 yards per carry as New Jersey’s rebuilt linebacker corps of Gene Atkins, Bobby Howard, Dwayne Rudd, and Bobby Houston used well-designed run blitzes to limit his ability to make a first cut and often got a hit in behind the line of scrimmage. Baltimore came in an 8-point favorite, but the shock of the Aikman injury, and the rallying effect it clearly had on the Generals, meant it would be a tough day for the Blitz. Coach Parcells, speaking to reporters after the game, applauded his team for rallying around Brady and around their fallen comrade to get the win on the road. The Generals are now 2-0 and stand alone atop the Atlantic Division, but they are now also at the center of a major question about the safety of the game, the impact of brain injuries on pro football, and a very real potential career-ending scenario for their star QB. We will have more on the QB situation for New Jersey later, but for now we just want to take a moment to acknowledge just how dangerous this game is, and to wish the best to Troy and his family as there will certainly be difficult days and tough decisions ahead. WSH 20 PIT 30 A bit of a shocker as the Maulers solve the puzzle of Washington’s defense and put up 30 to get the home win. Terrell Davis started hot, scoring 2 TDs in the 1st quarter to set the tone. He would finish with 109 on the day, and the Maulers would get 101 through the air from Andre Rison to mix things up. The Mauler D also stepped up, limiting the Fed’s run game to 101 total yards on 33 carries (Split between Droughns and McCallister) in a game that was not really as close as the final score. OHI 42 PHI 32 A huge road divisional win for the Glory, who were without star wideout Joey Galloway (expected to miss up to a month). Rookie Chad Johnson came up huge, catching 5 balls for 123 and 2 touchdowns, but it was Philly’s inability to slow down Eddie George that really doomed them. George rushe for 190 yards and put up 2 scores of his own as the Glory were simply unstoppable on offense, racking up 580 total yards and keeping the Stars at arm’s length all game long. ATL 21 BIR 35 Birmingham started the day with a pick-6 and never looked back, though Atlanta did at least see some production on offense as QB Mark Bulger rebounded from the early error to throw for 251 and Tiki Barber was able to rush for 149 and a score. The surprise star for Birmingham was HB Charlie Rogers who rushed for 163 on only 14 carries. Lawrence Dawsey added 97 and 2 scores for the Stallions as they win by 14. JAX 10 MEM 38 The Bulls looked out of synch all day, thanks largely to Memphis’s blitz schemes, as Chris Chandler threw for only 187. Heath Shuler had a much better day, completing 19 of 24 for 323 and 4 scores as the Showboats rolled at home. Joe Horn caught 6 for 97 and 2 scores and Garrison Hearst added 90 yards on 16 carries for the Showboats. ORL 23 TBY 16 Despite giving up 103 yards and a score to league leader Randy Moss, the Renegades managed to contain the Bandits, limiting them to only the 1 TD. Orlando’s offense struggled throughout the game, with Mitchell throwing for only 198 and dealing with 6 sacks from an aggressive Tampa pass rush, but a late TD on a screen from Mitchell to Zeroue was enough to hold off the Bandits and take the road win. CHI 23 ARZ 21 Arizona once again failed to mount any sort of coordinated rushing attack aside from one long Jake Plummer bootleg, and Chicago did a good job of containing the 2000 MVP on their way to a road win in Tempe. Jeff George had one of his best games in the league, completing 29 of 38 for 342 and a key TD to Michael Ricks to help the Machine get the W. HOU 21 DEN 24 Houston put a scare into Denver, with Matt Hasselbeck throwing 3 TDs on the day, but 171 yards and 2 scores from Denver’s big back, Rashaan Salaam, was enough to secure the win for the defending league champions. Denver held the ball for nearly 35 minutes thanks to the ground game, but Houston found ways to keep it close thanks to good games from Antonio Freeman and TE Terry Hardy. MGN 5 LA 41 Things are looking bad for the Panthers, who have scored a combined 11 points in their first 2 games. This one got ugly quickly as a 7-5 deficit ballooned with LA scoring 21 in the 2nd quarter and going on to score the final 34 points of the game. Fans in Michigan are very likely to be calling for rookie Drew Brees after Doug Flutie threw for only 85 yards in this debacle. LA got 122 on the ground from Michael Pittman and wideout Tory Holt again led all receives with 97 yards and 2 TDs for the Express. NOR 24 OAK 22 The Invaders came to play at home and New Orleans seems to have serious issues with their run defense as Rodney Thomas rushed for 185 in the game. The Breakers answered with 159 from Ricky Williams, but it took a late Lin Elliott field goal to secure the win as New Orleans struggled all day to maintain drives. STL 41 POR 38 Something is wrong with St. Louis’s highly-regarded defense. For the second week in a row the Knights ended up in a shootout with a club that is not known for offensive fireworks. Portland put up 419 yards of offense against the St. Louis D, including 102 yards rushing for Napoleon Kaufmann and big games from both Matthew Hatchette and TE Lonnie Johnson. But, in the end, St. Louis found a way to pull the game out, thanks in part to a late TD from Darnay Scott and 2 TDs from backup HB George Layne. TEX 20 SEA 27 Seattle moves to 2-0 thanks to Corey Dillon’s 179 yard day as the revival of the run game in the USFL continues. Brian Griese threw for only 142 in the victory, though he did connect with big TE Ken Dilger twice for scores. Texas actually held a 20-10 lad at the half, but was unable to make good adjustments at the half and Seattle would score the game’s final 17 points. We are not going to rehash all the potential impacts of the Aikman injury, though it should be stated that the team initially listed Aikman as out for Week 3, with the expectation that a longer absence from the roster, including a potential retirement, are very much on the table. And while Aikman is not the first player to deal with significant concussion-related concerns, his injury, and the unsettling visual images it produced, are likely to have widesweeping impacts across the league. And yet, Troy was not the only player to suffer a significant injury in this most violent of team sports. We saw several players with season-impacting injuries again this week. Houston and Pittsburgh both saw big blows to their defenses this week, as DE Michael Sinclair and LB Godfrey Miles are both likely out for the rest of the year with significant injuries. For Sinclair it is an ankle injury, an ugly one for those who saw the play happen (fortunately the network was quick to halt any replays). Sinclair will need surgery on the ankle and while there is an outside chance he could return in as little as 10 weeks, the more likely scenario is that Houston will place him on the IR. For Miles in Pittsburgh, the IR seems inevitable as he suffered a hip injury that in all likelihood will require lengthy time away from any significant movement, followed by a lengthy recovery time with physical therapy. The injury did not look like much on the field, but Miles was unable to get up after the play and had to be carted off. X-rays showed a compound fracture, which in a hip is a tough injury to isolate. Others who may miss several weeks include Denver guard Evan Pilgrim (back), Texas FB Robert Booker (hip), Birmingham FS Marcus Wimberly (ACL), Houston TE Dan Campbell (MCL), St. Louis DE Vonnie Holiday (Wrist) and Pittsburgh DE Bob Kuberski (knee). Doubtful for this week but expected back within 2 weeks are Portland LB Mark Simoneau (knee), Atlanta wideout Terrance Mathis (pinched nerve), Atlanta LB Mo Lewis (hamstring), Oakland kicker Joe Nedney (toe), New Orleans LB Trev Alberts, and St. Louis QB Todd Collins (finger). The Aftermath As much as the focus this week has been on Troy Aikman’s well being, and quite possibly on the decision he will have to make about his future in the game of football, the reality is that Coach Parcells and the Generals have to move forward. We know that it will likely be several weeks before Aikman would be cleared to play. The team, the league, and his own personal physicians are going to want to verify just what the impact of the back-to-back concussions, paired with prior brain injuries, could mean for Troy’s future. In the meantime, New Jersey has to have a solution at QB. They did not go into the season with a deep QB room, having traded both starter Jeff Lewis and veteran backup Eric Zeier away in the preseason. They had 2nd year player Tom Brady, the late round pick from Michigan, set up as the 2nd QB behind Aikman, perhaps anticipating that the former Bandit would have a lot of wisdom to pass on to the young QB. Behind Brady they have only Todd Boumann, another late round pick from the 1997 draft from the football powerhouse that is St. Cloud State. So what should the Generals do? What options are really out there for them, for this year, but also potentially for the future should Aikman step away from the game. We looked at all the available free agents, potential signings, and trade options, and we came up with our 5 best case scenarios should Aikman be out for several more weeks and/or should he be lost for good. Short Term Stasis: Stick it out with Brady & Boumann. Financially this is the easiest path. The Generals will, of course, need to sign an emergency 3rd QB, a John Walsh or Dave Brown, just to hold a clipboard. This plan makes sense only if Aikman’s people and the physicians lean into the idea of a 3-5 week absence and a return to the Generals ready to go. Brady played well in relief this week, getting the road win at Baltimore, but he is hardly a known quantity or a highly-regarded arm talent. Anything beyond a few weeks and the Generals ought to consider another option. The Veteran Free Agent: This may be the next best option, spend a bit more and bring in a veteran from a very limited free agent pool. There are three names that come to mind and when we consider the kind of players Coach Parcells likes, it may really only be one. Currently unsigned by both USFL and NFL clubs (including the mandatory 6-month free agency span for an NFL player to be free to sign outside of the Transfer Window) we have former Bandit and Thunder starter Kerwin Bell, perennial “bridge” QB Timm Rosenbach, and former New Orleans starter and NFL cap victim Jamie Martin. Of the three, Martin seems the QB most likely to fit the mold of a Parcells offense, but having been released by his NFL club back in September of last year, and unsigned even as a midseason replacement by any NFL teams, we have to wonder if Martin’s head is in the game. Rosenbach last played in Portland as an emergency backup in Portland, but his last significant action was way back in 1998, when he started 3 games for the Atlanta Fire. Kerwin Bell last saw game action in 1998, as a backup to Aikman. If Martin is in the right head space, he seems the best option here, but none of these players seems ready to come in and lead New Jersey where they hope to go this season. Look to the North: It is not possible for the Generals to sign any current NFL free agents since the transfer window is shut, but they could reach into the CFL to find a QB on short notice. The cash-strapped CFL could provide not only a free agent option, but we could see a club willing to part with a top tier CFL starter if the price from the Generals were sufficient. Looking at the CFL rosters, the best option for the Generals might be to take a shot at snatching Henry Burris, the athletic starter from the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Burris is in his 3rd year in Canada, is healthy, and has a lot of talent, but does he really fit the mold of a Parcells offense? Not really, he is in many ways like Jeff Lewis, the player Parcells shipped to Texas in favor of a true pocket passer. Among pocket passers in the CFL the top candidate would be Danny McManus, a 10-year veteran currently with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The jump from the CFL to the USFL is a big one, and we have not seen many make the transition successfully, but these may be desperate times in East Rutherford and in a CFL signal caller they would get a player fit and ready to play. Trade for a Potential Long Term Solution: If there is a sense that Aikman may step away, which is very plausible, the Generals may look to make a deal to bring in a young QB with potential. There are not a lot of teams willing to part ways with a high-ceiling young QB, but there are always a couple who could be persuaded. Among those with potential, the Generals could reach out to Memphis, to inquire about former Gold QB Bill Musgrave. Memphis is solidly with Heath Shuler, so the right price could pry Musgrave away. A similar situation exists with St. Louis, where former General Rob Johnson could be obtained perhaps without a huge ransom. But if New Jersey is seriously seeking a long-term solution, there is one situation that might be tailor made for them. Ryan Leaf is a wild card. He is very talented, has the capacity to be a franchise QB, but has made a lot of enemies in Oakland. His play has slipped since a stellar 1st year with the Invaders, and along the decline he has been outspoken in his critiques of teammates, the coaches, and even the front office. Would Oakland be willing to part with the hotheaded 1st round pick? If the Generals were serious to offer some quality draft capital, including but not limited to a 1st rounder next year, that might help Oakland divest themselves of a talented, but controversial player, and would bring New Jersey a talented new QB. Bill Parcells is the type of coach who could be effective in managing Leaf’s outspoken nature, and his more controlled offense could be just what Leaf needs to rebound from a rough season in 2000. Trade for a Bridge QB and Draft for the Future: We actually see this as the most likely path. New Jersey could trade for an older veteran and then look at the 2002 draft for a long-term solution at the position. The 2002 Draft has several strong candidates, including Fresno State’s David Carr, Oregon’s Joey Harrington, and Tulane’s Patrick Ramsey. Of the three, Carr seems the best-suited to run a Parcells offense. But who do you sing in the interim? We have one clear frontrunner, a New Jersey fan favorite who has fallen out of favor with his current team. You know him, you love him, the diminutive dynamite…Doug Flutie. Flutie is currently starting for the Michigan Panthers, but their future is clearly in the hands of rookie QB Drew Brees. If New Jersey could make a deal for Flutie, it would give Michigan the perfect reason to promote Brees over the legendary QB, and give New Jersey instant credibility with their fans, who never stopped loving Flutie even after he was let go. Sure, Flutie’s style is not exactly what Parcells prefers, and he is clearly a step or two slower than he was the last time he slipped on the red Generals jersey, but he is a proven commodity, and a perfect bridge as the Generals try to cope with the potential loss of Aikman for this season if not permanently. Now, we need to say that all of these ideas are pure conjecture, and that a lot will depend on just what the doctors and Troy Aikman himself decides, but if the Generals do need a long-term solution we are sold on the potential for a Flutie return and a 2002 rookie who may get a year or two with Flutie as a mentor. Make it happen, Generals. Trouble a Mile Up? Another story which has not been touched on much this week due to all the attention paid to New Jersey, but there is potential concerns that Denver Gold HB Rashaan Salaam may find himself suspended by the league. Salaam failed a random drug test this week, and this is not the first time. Pair this with stories coming out of the Denver Post about late night escapades and, possibly, some legal entanglements emerging from his post-championship celebrations, and Salaam could be a concern for the Gold. Salaam has been the unquestioned centerpieces of the Gold’s offense these past 5 years, averaging nearly 1,200 yards per season since his sophomore season. Were he to run afowl of the USFL’s somewhat lenient drug policies (certainly more lenient than the NFL’s), it could mean a substantial penalty. If there are legal issues as well, that would only make things worse. We expect news on the failed drug test within the week, and if an appeal attempt fails, Salaam could see sanctions imposed as soon as Week 4. If that happens, and if suspension is a possibility, Denver will have to develop a 2-back system, something they have not typically preferred. Their two other active backs, Ricky Whittle and Rod Smart, are near polar opposites of each other, with Whittle being the between-the-tackles grinder, while Smart is more of a jitterbug, good outside, good in the passing game, but not exactly a pounder up the middle. We will continue to monitor this situation and will certainly report should the league or the team come down on Salaam in the next few days. Another Rookie Wideout To Watch Last week it was Santana Moss taking the league by storm in his first game. This week that mantle was picked up by Ohio wideout Chad Johnson. With Joey Galloway expected to miss a month or more due to injury, the expectation was that Ohio would lean heavily on the run game with Eddie George, and they certainly got a great game from George this week (190 yards and 2 scores on the ground), but they also asked the rookie wideout from Oregon State to step into the starting lineup, and Johnson did more than that, he stepped into the spotlight. Johnson caught 5 balls for 123 yards and 2 scores in Sunday’s huge road win at Philadelphia. It was a performance that won him the Rookie Performer of the Week, but he may have done even more with his personality than with his performance. While the celebration after his first career TD was pretty stoic, basic high-fives and hugs with teammates, his second TD celebration was the kind of show that makes the highlight reels, a spontaneous (we think) dance routine that got everyone’s attention, including a Stars defender who tried to break it up only to get embarrassed in the effort. Johnson’s exhuberance rallied the Glory bench and his play on the field backed it up. Look out Columbus, it looks like you might have found a good one, and a player not afraid of the limelight either. Week three flips the script from Week 2, with the Western Conference now jumping into divisional play while the 12 Eastern clubs play interdivisional games (Atlantic visiting the Southern clubs). Looking at the key divisional battles, the one we don’t want to miss is Chicago at Houston. Both clubs, big disappointments in 2000, are trying to prove to themselves and to their fans that they are on the right track. Both come into the game at 1-1, but only 1 can leave with a winning record. In the Pacific, it may be desperation time already for the Arizona Wranglers, losers of their first two games, both at home. They now head to Denver to face the Gold, who rebounded from a Week 1 loss with a good home win this week. We have the California Derby with LA traveling to Oakland and hoping to reach 3-0, and we have the Cascade Clash once again, with Seattle hosting the Portland Thunder. The other games in the Central feature 2-0 St. Louis traveling to winless Texas and the Michigan Panthers, still waiting to score their first TD of the season, facing off against a New Orleans defense that has been a shadow of their 2000 form. In the Eastern Conference, we are intrigued by the game between New Jersey and Birmingham. Both clubs are 2-0, but the story will be how Tom Brady, in his first pro start, and the entire Generals team will perform after a very tough, very unsettling week. Memphis also has a good matchup as they host the Philadelphia Stars in what should be a very engaging game. Other games on the docket include Jacksonville hosting Ohio, Washington traveling to Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, fresh off their big win against Washington, headed to Orlando to face the 2-0 Renegades, and Baltimore facing the Fire in Atlanta.

The first week of the 2001 USFL season is in the books and overall it was a very good week for the road teams. 8 of 12 games saw the road clubs win, including big wins for Jacksonville @ Arizona and Baltimore @ Michigan, and Washington against a tough New Orleans squad. It was not all road warriors this week as LA got a huge come from behind win in the final minute to win their home opener and St. Louis also held court at home, but overall a good opening week for the teams playing in hostile environments. Welcome back to football everyone. Several good games this week, a bit sloppy perhaps, but exciting to watch, but none had the last minute drama of the Bandits visiting the Express at Farmers Insurance Field. For Bandit fans it was a day for discovery. After losing Troy Aikman so unexpectedly in free agency, the Bandit faithful were hoping that Trent Green could provide a spark and help them see positives in an offseason that has been largely negative in Tampa. For the Express faithful, the question is whether their club will rebound back to the lofty heights of the 1999 season or if they were doomed to another year of uneven play. The answer may be a bit of both as LA struggled at times but then found a way to pull the game out in the final minute. As for Tampa Bay, the first game seemed to prove that they chose wisely in trading to acquire Trent Green from the Baltimore Blitz. Green had a very solid game, throwing for 284 yards and 3 scores, including a strong connection built with superstar receiver Randy Moss, who caught 6 balls for 159 yards and hauled in 2 of Green’s 3 TD passes. The Bandits looked very much like a club that was seeking offensive balance, handing the ball to Errict Rhett 15 times for 72 yards. But perhaps the best news for the Bandits is that their defense looked quite a bit better than what we saw last year. New arrivals played a big part in that. Former Bull and Renegade strong safety LeRoy Butler made the Florida Trifecta official with his first start for the Bandits and had a POTG performance, making 10 tackles, nabbing a sack on Cade McNown, forcing a fumble and recovering the ball for the Express. Rookie LB Zeke Moreno also looked good, with 8 tackles on the day, and yet, we have to say that at the end of the game, the defense failed the Express. After battling to a 14-14 tie after 3 quarters, the game was anyone’s to win. LA had relied heavily on their run game, an attack that would earn 191 yards on the ground (Antowain smith with 118 and Michael Pittman with 71), while Cade McNown would only complete 9 of 24 passes against a stingy pass defense for the Bandits. Midway through the quarter the Express would take the lead on a Doug Brien Field Goal, but Tampa would get the ball and would go in for what looked like a potential game winning touchdown with 3:11 left to play. Green hit WR Bobby Shaw with a 26-yard TD toss on a corner route and the Bandits looked to be in good shape. The Express had time left, but they had not proven to be a quick strike offense, needing either good field position or a long 12 play drive in the past to score. So, with 3:11 on the clock, the defense settled in to play the field position game. The only problem was that they proved too soft on defense to stop the Express. Yes, it took 9 plays for LA to score, but nearly every play gained yards. The drive started with a 21-yard completion from McNown to Tory Holt, his favorite target. This was followed by completions to TE Brandon Manumalena and Curtis Mayfield, and LA was in Tampa Territory. Down 4, they would need a TD to win, so field goal position was not a concern. Two more passes (mixed with a couple of incompletions) gave LA the ball on the three yard line. An offsides penalty moved it to the two, and while there were only 22 seconds left to play, LA had preserved a timeout, so they had time to run multiple plays. They would not need to. On 1st and goal from the 2, Cade McNown rolled right and found his TE again, this time for the game winner. The rookie TE, who had only 3 receptions on the day, all in this final drive, went from non-factor to hero of the game. Manumaleuna tightly gripped the ball, his first pro touchdown, as the Express celebrated the win with the diehard LA fans in the South endzone. For Tampa Bay it was shades of last seasons, where no lead seemed safe and the defense failed when most needed. While Trent Green’s successful debut will help Tampa fans see some positives in the game, the defense remains a concern. OHI 38 STL 45 Defense may also be a concern in St. Louis, where the Ohio Glory racked up 38 points and 418 yards against a Knights’ D that was expected to carry the team. The good news is that St. Louis outpaced the Glory on both counts, scoring 45 and totaling 439 yards of offense. Todd Collins, in an unusual burst of scoring, threw 5 TD passes, completing 27 of 38 passes for 312 yards. Ahman Green added another 119 yards on the ground as the Knights built up a 45-31 lead and avoided a late Glory rally to take the W. JAX 21 ARZ 16 Defense was more on display, along with far too many penalties (14 in the game) as the Bulls stole a win in Arizona. The homestanding Wranglers had a slim 16-15 lead until the final minutes of the game, thanks to a huge game from rookie wideout Santana Moss (6 receptions for 133 yards and a score), but Jacksonville got a late score on a Chandler to Terrell Owens TD toss with 1:21 left to play to earn the road win. BAL 12 MGN 6 As much as we want to say that defense was the key to the Blitz win, the reality was that this was a pretty sloppy game all around, and it seemed that self-inflicted wounds were the issue for both clubs. Ron Dayne rushed for 102 yards, while Michigan’s Siran Stacy had no luck at all, gaining only 5 yards on 5 carries before a hamstring concern pulled him from the game. Doug Flutie actually finished the game as the Panther’s top rusher with 53 yards, most of it on a single scramble for 37 that produced the game’s only TD. WSH 31 NOR 28 The Federals built up a 31-7 lead in the 3rd before New Orleans finally woke up and made it a game. Kordell Stewart had one of his best days as a pro against a Breaker defense that did not look ready for the regular season. Stewart completed 22 of 26 passes for 355 yards and 4 scores, with both J.J. Stokes and Herman Moore going over 100 yards receiving. New Orleans pulled within 3 with 3:32 left to play, but never saw the ball again as the combo of Rueben Droughns and rookie Deuce McCallister ground out the win for the Feds. NJ 21 TEX 9 The new look Generals got a big win, but concern for QB Troy Aikman as a hit late in the game led him to be examined for a potential concussion. Aikman would finish the game with 189 yards passing and 2 scores, while Curtis Enis added 61 yards on the ground, but the big story for the Generals was the defense. Former General QB Jeff Lewis, now the starter in Texas, was sacked 5 times and completed only 24 of 46 attempts, while Reggie Cobb was held to only 38 yards rushing for the Outlaws. Phil Hanson and 2nd year lineman Shaun Ellis both finished the game with 2 sacks apiece. PIT 23 HOU 35 The battle of two teams desperate for signs of improvement gave a lot of hope to Houston fans. The moribund Gambler offense from 2000 looks very different, putting up 35 and scoring on 7 drives. Matt Hasselbeck won the QB duel in the preseason and looked good for Houston, completing 23 of 37 for 244 and 3 scores. Rookie Koren Robinson also got off to a great start, catching 7 balls for 79 yards and 2 scores, while Antonio Freeman had 5 for 98 and a score. PHI 27 CHI 10 With the run game not working for either club on a wet field in Chicago, it was up to the QB’s to win this one and Bobby Hebert got the better of Jeff George, though his 2 picks helped Chicago stay close for most of the game. The decisive play for Philly was a pick-six of a bad George throw by CB Reggie Givens. Philly also got pressure on George with 4 sacks of the Chicago QB. BIR 26 DEN 16 In the season’s first game, the new NBC Friday Night showcase, Birmingham found enough holes in the Denver defense to knock off the defending league champions. Despite getting sacked 4 times, including a safety on the 2nd play of the game, Brett Favre would throw 2 TD passes and connect with Marcus Robinson for 120 yards on the way to victory. ORL 41 OAK 7 A true blowout as the Invaders looked utterly inept against the Renegades in every phase of the game. Ryan Leaf spent most of the game running for his life as his line could not handle Chris Doleman and the Oakland defense gave up a 23 of 26 day with 3 TD passes to Scott Mitchell before a late hit on an ill-advised scramble led to Craig Erickson taking over. Erickson would throw only 1 pass but it too was a TD as the Renegades romped over a very shaky Invader squad. MEM 42 POR 17 Another blowout as the Showboats and Thunder appear to have picked up where they left off last year, good for Memphis, bad for Portland. Akili Smith was named the starter for Portland only 2 days before the game and he did not look ready, completing only 23 of 43 passes, whereas Heath Shuler looked like he was in midseason form, completing 14 of 18 for 276 yards and 3 scores as the Showboats rolled in this one. ATL 3 SEA 26 And, finishing the week, it seems that Atlanta still has not found an answer on offense. They were outgained by Seattle 426 to 136 as they amassed only 31 yards rushing and starter Mark Bulger completed only 13 of 32 passes for a paltry 105 yards. For Seattle’s part, Brian Griese threw for 347 yards, with both Eric Metcalf and TE Ken Dilger each going over 100 for the day. We hate to start the year with major injuries, but that is football. Three players, all offensive linemen. are now looking at between 8-12 weeks out of the lineup. New Jersey’s rookie tackle Matt Light injured his back in his first pro game. Jacksonville guard Joe Cocozzo and Baltimore guard Hayward Haynes are also likely out for at least 3 months with a ruptured disc and a torn hamstring respectively. Things are not much better for Houston TE Dan Campbell who could miss 2 months with a shoulder injury. In Ohio the concern is for star wideout Joey Galloway, who could be out a month or longer with a hip injury. The Glory also lost LB Brendon Ayanbedejo, though likely only for 2 weeks due to a meniscus injury in his right knee. Seattle could be without SS John Lynch for 1-2 weeks and Tampa DT Roland Putzier is also expected to miss a week or more with a fracture in his forearm. Others listed as doubtful or questionable this week include Bulls’ CB Terrell Buckley, Texas TE Frank Wainright, Birmingham SS Darryl Williams, Philly LB Sam Rogers, and Houston LB Gerald Dixon. Troy Aikman is listed as probable, but the concussion he suffered is his 4th in the past 18 months, which is a serious concern for New Jersey. ROSTER MOVES You expect that once the season starts the rosters are largely set, but there is always a bit of shuffling at the beginning of the season. What has been surprising this year is the number of pretty solid players who have stuck through camp only to retire either right before the season began or even after a week of play. The most surprising of the sudden announcements was that of former Houston Gambler LB Quentin Coryatt, who was expected to be a rotational player for the Washington Federals, but who saw no action this week, and announced his retirement a day later. Speculation that there is a lingering injury at the heart of the announcement could not be verified. Just before the season’s first week we got other retirement announcements as former Philly TE Eric Green decided that a new season with a new club (Jacksonville) was not what he needed. Jacksonville scrambled to sign TE Lovell Pinkney to fill in, but that is clearly a downgrade from a talent level. Similarly, Texas had to sign James Dexter from the free agent pool when former Machine tackle Jeff Wright announced his retirement, stating that his body was simply telling him the time was right. In Portland, it feels like the club helped HB Darrell Thompson make the decision, placing him 3rd on the HB depth chart behind starter Napoleon McCallum, but also behind rookie Correll Buckhalter. That appears to have been a step too far from seeing the field for the veteran back, who announced his departure on Thursday. Portland signed former Atlanta back Blair Thomas, who saw no action last year, to fill the roster spot, but we expect them to seek another option as well. Thompson retires with 8,282 yards and 61 career touchdowns. He had his best season as a member of the 1997 St. Louis Knights, before spending one season in Philly and another in Ohio as a backup. One final roster move, again produced by depth chart decisions. Fourteen-year veteran safety Bennie Blades demanded a trade after he was demoted behind both and rookie Adam Archuleta on the Blitz depth chart. Blades began his career with 7 years in Memphis and played the past 7 years with Baltimore, where he was a popular figure in the community. Baltimore, seeing value in trading the 8-time All-USFL safety got on the phones and by Wednesday of this week Blades had a new home as an Arizona Wrangler. Arizona sent a 3rd round pick in next year’s draft to Baltimore, and immediately started talking about Blades competing for the starting safety position. With only 3rd year player Anthony Poindexter and 2nd year “starter” Clifton Black to compete with, there is a good chance Blades moves into a starting roll quite soon. ROOKIES IMPRESS It was a very strong week for rookies across the USFL, particularly among rookie recievers. We have already mentioned the 4th quarter surge that LA rookie tight end Brandon Manumaleuna had, making a great impression on his new LA fanbase. It was even a better first week for Arizona rookie receiver Santana Moss, with 133 yards receiving in his first pro game. That is an easy way to make the Wrangler faithful stop lamenting the loss of Rocket Ismail. Another rookie wideout having a good day was Houston’s Korell Robinson, whose 7 receptions and 2 TDs helped spark the Gamblers to an opening day win. Less to report from the rookie rushers, as only Deuce McCallister saw significant carries, toting the rock 12 times, but for only 29 yards. Neither James Jackson (NJ) or Kevin Barlow (TEX) saw the field on offense in the clash of these clubs. Travis Minor got 5 touches for the Blitz, and Correll Buckhalter only 3 touches for 2 yards for the Thunder. On defense, we saw Justin Smith (LA), Kyle Vanden Bosch (PIT), and Aaron Schobel (MGN) all get the start at DE and all record a sack in their first pro action. Kendrell Bell (NJ), Zeke Moreno (TBY), Dan Morgan (OAK), and Tommy Polley (CHI) all started for their respective clubs at LB, with Moreno having the biggest impact thanks to a 10-tackle day. Adam Archuleta for Baltimore recorded his first sack from the safety position as he shared time with Lawyer Milloy at the position, while Tampa Bay rooke CB Jeremy Lincoln recorded the first rookie interception on the year. QB ROUNDUP Let’s finish our Week 1 roundup by looking at the new QB’s starting around the league. Troy Aikman brought his new club, New Jersey, a solid win in his first start wearing the red helmet, while last year’s NJ quarterback, Jeff Lewis, struggled with a Texas offense that simply does not have a lot of playmakers. In Tampa Bay, newly acquired QB Trent Green looked solid, throwing 3 touchdowns, but, of course, the question with Green is always his ability to stay healthy. Despite calls from fans as their offense struggled, Michigan coach Mike Martz did not pull Flutie for rookie Drew Brees, letting the veteran go the entire game. And while there was really no expectation that either rookie Marques Tuiasosopo or veteran Jon Kitna would get into the game for Oakland, the pressure has to be on Coach Capers to consider a plan B as Ryan Leaf continues to struggle and continues to be vocal in the lockerroom. While the nation has turned to the field as the USFL kicks off its 19th season, the realities of daily life continue, and that includes legal proceedings, which brings us to the off-field story that is likely to have a huge ripple effect on the entire league, the James Orthwein fraud cases. Following the Grand Jury findings, the case is proceeding to a full trial, a trial which very likely could lead to significant legal concerns for Mr. Orthwein, owner of the St. Louis Knights. With the case very much tied into his valuation of the Knights franchise a spotlight has been pointed squarely at the league and its reporting of attendance, sales, and club value. While the particulars of the case have been laser focused on Mr. Orthwein and the Knights, there is concern that a broader investigation could identify irregularities across the league. Even if it does not, the negative impact of the case is already being felt and many within the league have spoken out about the path the league should take. Led by Arizona principal owner Dr. Ted Deitrich and Michigan owner Abe Taubman, there has begun to be a call for full divestment of the club by Mr. Orthwein, a call that the league office cannot ignore. While a guilty verdict would almost certainly lead to a sell-off of the Knights, the calls from owners and a possible mandate from the league’s main office, could force the sale even if a definitive result in the court case does not materialize. The problem faced by the Knights in this is that the minority owners of the club are truly minority owners, holding less than 28% of all shares, and none seem to have the financial support to be able to purchase the club should Orthwein wish to sell within the current ownership group. And while a new ownership group from within St. Louis could eventually develop, there is no such group currently prepared to step up. Meanwhile we know of at least 4 different groups from 4 different non-USFL markets that are well-financed, well-organized and ready to step in. What this means is that if the USFL pushes for sale of the club, or if the court case forces a sale, there is a very good chance that for the second time in recent memory the city of St. Louis could be without a football club. Ownership groups from Boston, Dallas, Miami, and Nashville have been actively seeking potential USFL ownership opportunities, with little success to date. Yes, there have been rumors of the Boston group, known as the Boston Colonials Football Group, meeting with Portland Thunder ownership, and the Nashville group has been working very hard to make the case to relocated the Showboats from Memphis, but ownership in both cities has been very hesitant to give up on the USFL as it continues a pretty steady value growth phase. Even in cities with smaller or more problematic stadium agreements, the value added over the past 19 years as the USFL has grown has made the endeavor quite profitable, but the Orthwein situation could prove the perfect avenue for one ownership group to scoop up a USFL franchise and quickly relocate it to a new market. There are certainly positives to such a move, particularly should the alternative be a franchise with a disenfranchised ownership unable to effectively negoatiate contracts with St. Louis’s stadium authority or even with local market sponsors. But, particularly on the cusp of what we expect to be a 20th Season celebration next year, a relocation would be a major negative. St. Louis has been supporting the Knights over the past decade, and even with the relocated NFL Rams cutting into the market and the fanbase, the Knights’ recent success has helped them maintain steady attendance and financial health. While there would certainly be a boost to both in a new market, particularly an enthusiastic market such as Boston, the impact on St. Louis, and the bad press that emerges from a wronged fanbase losing a club that has been supported well, is not what the USFL needs. Add to this the potential disruption to the newly-announced 6-division format should the Knights relocate to either Boston or Miami, would be another significant negative. In the new structure for the league to begin in 2002, the Knights would be in a Southern Division with New Orleans, Memphis and Birmingham, all good regional rivals for the club, within a confined travel area. Were the club to relocate to either Dallas or Nashville, this would not be too significant an impact, though having Dallas in a different division than Houston and Texas (San Antonio) would be a bit of a missed opportunity. But, should the Knights find themselves in either Miami or Boston, the structure of the division would be disrupted and quick adjustments might need to be made. Would Atlanta leave their tight division with the 3 existing Florida teams to make room for a Miami franchise? And which Atlantic Club (New Jersey, Philly, Baltimore or Washington) would make way so that Boston could be added? The Atlantic is a particulary well-defined and rivalry-driven division, so the loss of any of those 4 clubs would be seen as a major negative. We expect the league to address the issue of Mr. Orthwein’s continued ownership of the Knights in the next few weeks, and if the decision involves any form of sanctions or mandates that would require him to divest his holdings in the Knights, then the feeding frenzy will begin. The losers in all of this? The Knights fans in St. Louis who have done nothing wrong and who could very well lose their USFL club due to a combination of greed from its ownership and self-preservation and “saving face” from other league owners. That hardly seems like the way this should work out, but it seems a very likely scenario right now. Week 2 is right around the corner, and with it we get some divisional games to whet our appetite. New Jersey will have a tough test as they head to Baltimore to face the Blitz. Washington is in Pittsburgh, and we have a meaty Saturday Night clash as the Ohio Glory head to Philadelphia for a clash of two division title favorites. In the South, it’s an early Florida Darby as Orlando heads to Tampa Bay, hoping they can put their stamp on a season with a lot of high expectations for the ‘Gades. Memphis hosts Jacksonville in a key clash of 1-0 clubs, while Atlanta will try to get their offense to actually score a TD as they face Birmingham in Legion Field. The Central Division is visiting the Pacific Division in the other half of the league matchups. While none of the top teams in either division face their opposites from the other division, we see some potential for good games across the board. LA hosting Michigan should tell us a lot about both clubs. Houston hopes their newfound offense can help them as they travel to Denver, while the Chicago Machine and Arizona Wranglers are both hoping they can avoid an 0-2 start as they battle in Tempe. New Orleans is in Oakland for what looks like a lopsided game, much like what we see when St. Louis heads to Portland. Finally, Texas is on the road and facing a tough foe as they visit the Seattle Dragons for a Sunday afternoon clash at Husky Stadium.