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Only Week 2 and we are already getting a sense that things may be different this year. Chicago, Seattle and New Orleans are all surprises at 2-0, while Texas and Pittsburgh are equally surprising at 0-2. Scott Zolak came up big for the Federals, while Oakland’s defense again struggled. Some of our new NFL transfers are also looking like rock solid investments as Napoleon Kaufmann has a huge day for Portland, and Bruce Smith leads the league with 4 sacks in 2 games for Atlanta. Seems like this season may prove to be one of the more unpredictable ones, or are we jumping the gun only 2 weeks into a 16 game season? This one was not supposed to be very close, with St. Louis an 8 point favorite in Las Vegas. But, what no one saw coming was that the Thunder would find a weakness in the Knights’ run defense and Napoleon Kaufmann would nearly win the game single-handedly. It took a late rally by the Knights to put this one away for the home team as the Thunder gave the defending Central Division Champs all they could handle. St. Louis started strong, with Todd Collins connecting with his favorite target, Bert Emmanuel on a 10-yard TD toss to open the scoring in the first. Portland countered, and following a 23-yard run by Kaufmann, one of 5 different 20+ yard scampers on the day, the Thunder got on the board with a bootleg throw from Akili Smith to the ageless Webster Slaughter. St. Louis would add 2 field goals in the second quarter, but after 2, they had only a 13-7 lead and it felt like the Thunder were setting the tone with short passes and long runs. This continued on the opening drive of the second half, when a combination of runs from Kaufmann and backup Darius Turner moved the ball down the field for the Thunder, in a drive that was capped off by a Kaufmann 1-yard run to put the visiting side up 14-13. St. Louis would get their next scoring opportunity at the beginning of the 4th quarter, whan an inopportune defensive holding call on a 3rd and 11 gave St. Louis a new set of downs. They responded with a score as free agent signing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rumbled into the endzone from 6 yards out. The Knights went for 2, but the off-guard run by Ahman Green was stuffed, so it was St. Louis ahead 19-14. Portland would have two solid drives, one including a 45-yard scamper from Kaufmann, but on both occasions they could not punch the ball in and had to settle for 2 John Kasay field goals. Even with these issues, with the 2nd kick at 1:05 left to play, John Kasay put the Thunder up 20-19. But 1:05 can be plenty of time for a club with all 3 time outs left, needing only a field goal. Portland would play prevent defense, and as it so often does, it appears this strategy would prevent them from winning. St. Louis dinked and dunked the ball along the sidelines, catching Kez McCorvey once over the middle and using a time out. They positioned the ball for Ryan Longwell, and the reliable kicker, taking advantage of a weather-free atmosphere inside the dome, connected from 44 yards out as the clock wound down, giving St. Louis a “skin of your teeth” victory, but a victory nonetheless. Kaufmann would finish the game with an impressive 175 yards rushing, while the star for St. Louis was LB Kevin Hardy, whose 10 tackles, including 1 sack, kept them from falling too far behind the Thunder, forcing Portland to kick instead of score touchdowns when they had the upper hand. No receiver went over 100 yards in this game fought mostly in the trenches. With the loss the Thunder fall to 0-2, but they showed some signs of life in this game, something to build on. St. Louis moves to 1-1 after an opening week loss. PIT 10 WSH 21 The Federals defense knew it had to play big to help their club, with Scott Zolak filling in for the injured Kordell Stewart the offense could not be counted on to win the game. The green-shirted Federal defense stepped up, holding Terrell Davis to only 78 yards rushing, sacking Charlie Batch 4 times, and picking off two errant throws on their way to an 11-point win. Herman Moore also came up huge with 9 receptions, 122 yards and a score as he helped transition Zolak into what may be the starting role the rest of the way for Washington. BAL 28 NJ 21 Baltimore got on the board first and both clubs traded scores for 60 minutes, though the Generals would never lead in this one. The Blitz played most of the game with Jeff Garcia at QB after Trent Green went down with an injury which may sideline him for up to 3 weeks. Garcia played well, throwing 3 TDs and completing 23 of 28 passes on the day. With New Jersey concentrating on clogging the running lanes for rookie Ron Dayne (16 carries for only 27 yards) the passing game was the key for the Blitz. Two TD tosses from Jeff Lewis and 93 yards from Curtis Enis kept the Generals close, but they could not get on top in this one. PHI 20 OHI 45 Eddie George had a career game, racking up 219 yards on 22 carries as the Stars’ defense was misaligned, missing tackles, and manhandled up front all game long. Bobby Hebert’s 3 interception day also did not help as the Glory got a convincing home win in this one. Add in 140 yards from Joey Galloway and 2 picks from the Ohio linebacking corps, and you have an easy win for the home team as Ohio moves to 2-0. TBY 24 ORL 27 A great game in the Citrus Bowl on Saturday Night as Orlando got a 4th quarter TD from Danta Whittaker to upend the visiting Bandits. Troy Aikman found Randy Moss 7 times on the night but could not find the endzone. Meanwhile, Donald Driver caught 8 for 104 and Whittaker, an unheralded TE for the ‘Gades scored twice for Scott Mitchell and the offense. BIR 21 ATL 24 The Fire get a huge win at home in front of nearly 43,000 (many having come from Alabama to root for the Stallions) as Tiki Barber rushes for a 4th quarter TD to put the Fire up 24-13, and they hold off Brett Favre in the final minutes to preserve the win. Aaron Brooks played well, scrambling 9 times to avoid Mike Rucker and the Stallion front 4, but also completed 16 of 26 passes for 241 and a score as Atlanta gets their first win of the season. MEM 14 JAX 24 The Showboats came out flat and the Bulls took advantage in this one. By the half it was 24-0 Jacksonville and while Memphis finally got something going in the 2nd half, it was too little too late as the Bulls played keep-away with the ball, handing off to Sedrick Irvin, Kenny Bynum, and Edgar Bennett 17 times in the second half to kill the clock and preserve a good home win over the defending league champions. ARZ 17 CHI 20 Chicago gets the home win to move to 2-0 as they bend but don’t break on defense. Jake Plummer threw for 353, but could only muster 10 points until the final minute of play, when a late score pulled them within 3. LB Keith Brooking for Chicago landed 2 sacks of Jake Plummer, acting as a spy the entire game to keep the fleet footed QB in the pocket and out of the running lanes. DEN 27 HOU 10 The Gold get their first win of the year as they go into Houston and stupefy Matt Hasselbeck. The combo of run blitzes and ferocious outside pass rush was effective against the Gamblers, landing 5 sacks of Hasselbeck and limiting the Faulk-Levins combo to only 65 yards rushing. On offense, Mark Brunell returned to action and hit both Dedrick Smith and newly arrived slot receiver Tamarick Vanover with scores on the way to a 17-point victory. LA 35 MGN 27 The Panthers scored a rarity, 2 safeties in the same game, but could not overcome a very solid and sharp LA Express attack. Cade McNown threw 4 TD passes, including 2 to Mike Pritchard, as LA picked apart the Panther defense. For Michigan both Jeff Campbell and TE Butch Rolle went over 100 yards receiving, bu tit was not enough as the Express outpaced the Panthers. A Martin Bayless pick 6 of 85 yards against Flutie proved to be decisive in the 8-point win. OAK 3 NOR 38 The Breakers surprise again, this time by totally shutting down Ryan Leaf and the Invaders. Ricky Williams rushed for 112 and 2 scores, while backup Eric Pegram gained another 94 on the ground as Coach Nolan used the ground game to eat clock, shorten the game, and keep the ball out of Leaf’s hands. The plan worked as New Orleans controlled the clock for nearly 40 minutes in the game and Oakland never saw the endzone. SEA 20 TEX 13 The Dragons move to 2-0 and the Outlaws fall to 0-2 after a lackluster performance from Reggie Cobb (29 yards on 10 carries) is overshadowed by a dynamic game from Seattle’s Corey Dillon (19 carries for 156 yards). Texas led 10-6 after 3 quarters, but late scores from David Boston and Ken Dilger helped flip the script and send Seattle home on a very happy plane, sitting pretty at 2-0. WEEK 1 ROSTER MOVES WSH: Placed QB Kordell Stewart on IR, signed QB Perry Klien DEN: Placed QB Erik Wilhelm on IR, signed QB Scott Covington LA: Placed WR Rob Carpenter on IR, signed WR Stepfret Williams OHIO OUTPUT When we looked at Ohio in the preseason we said that their defense was a major concern and that the offense might have to carry them. If these first two weeks are any indication, it seems that Coach Luginbill may have been listening. Ohio has opened the season with two back-to-back strong offensive performances, and while the defense has played adequately it has been the play of QB Kerry Collins and HB Eddie George that has the Glory sitting at 2-0. George leads the league in rushing after 2 weeks, and, of course, a personal best and very rare 200-yard game this week helps that a great deal, but the shifty former Ohio State back is looking at this year as a possible break out season. He has toyed with 1,000 yards before, but has yet to reach that target in his 4 years in the league, peaking at 976 in 1998. With over 330 yards after only 2 games, this could well be the year for George to reach the 1,000 mark. For Collins, who has 5 TD passes in 2 games, there is hope that the former Penn State product is finally ready to be all that the Glory hoped when they snatched him away from the NFL. Not that Collins has struggled in the league, passing for over 4,000 yards in each of the last 2 seasons, but his QBR of 112.8 is well above the 81.3 or 86.2 of his first two seasons, and the fact that he has yet to throw a pick is certainly a good sign. We could mention Joey Galloway as well, though in his case it Is hard to imagine him improving much on his last 4 seasons, seasons in which he has averaged over 100 catches and 1500 yards per year. His numbers are actually down a bit this season compared to the last 2 years at this time, which may be a byproduct of George’s success, or could be an indication that the Glory finally have a more diversified offense. Galloway is still seeing plenty of targets, but so are TE Stephen Alexander, WR Qadry Ismail and George as well. While perhaps not great for Galloway’s personal accolades, this diversified passing attack certainly helps the Glory in the long run. BREAKER BLITZ If Ohio’s offense has been a revelation this year, New Orleans’s early defensive success has been a complete shock. The Breakers, expected to be one of the weaker teams in the league, have come out of the gate at 2-0, and it is in large part thanks to their defense. In two games, New Orleans has allowed only 17 total points (14 to Washington and 3 to Oakland), and currently is in the Top 5 in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, and rushing yards allowed. They are plus 4 in turnovers after only 2 games, and it appears to be a team effort, as no one player is dominating statistically. Lamar Lathon leads an unheralded LB Corps, but one that is getting the job done against the run, a huge help when it comes to dictating offensive options. The Breakers are also among the league leaders with 10 sacks on the season, split among 7 players. The Blitz is a huge piece of the puzzle for the Breakers, as Coach Nolan is sending at least 1 LB on almost every passing down. Robert Hinley, Gerald Dixon and Lamar Lathon account for 5 of the 10 team sacks, with DE Jerry Reese also landing 2 so far. Add in 4 forced fumbles (3 occuring during sacks) and we can see how New Orleans is doing it. The Breakers have a big test this week, traveling to Michigan to face the Panthers, so let’s see if the D can once again determine the fate of the game, allowing Trent Dilfer and Ricky Williams to play a conservative field position game. STATS DON’T LIE, DO THEY? Well, if you are the Philadelphia Stars they might. The Stars, suffering at 0-2, find themselves in a weird statistical place. They are currently 3rd in the league in yards gained, including 5th in rushing thanks to Stephen Davis’s strong start to the year, and 7th in passing. Those are all good signs of a potent offense, but the Stars are also tied for dead last in scoring. That is “no bueno”. While holding onto the ball and gaining yardage is certainly a good thing, and helps keep an iffy defense off the field for more of the game, the goal is to score points and that is just not happening for the Stars. Philadelphia earned only 13 points in their opener at home against Chicago, a game marred by bad weather and a frozen field. They then scored only 20 at Ohio, a club not known for stalwart defense. What is causing the disconnect between yards and points, your first guess is probably a good one, turnovers. The Stars currently lead the league in a bad way with a -5 turnover differential, due both to a lack of defensive ballhawking (only 1 takeaway in 2 games) but also due to 6 turnovers by the offense. Bobby Hebert has 5 picks to only 2 TDs in the early stages of the season. That is a real issue, especially for a club that has weapons on offense, but needs to avoid self-inflicted wounds so as to protect their defensive shortcomings. Three of Collins’s picks have come in the opposition redzone, meaning not only a loss of possession but a loss of points as well. The Stars have proven they can run the ball with Davis and Chaffey. Their receiving corps, while talented, needs time to gel, with newcomer Bobby Engram currently leading the squad in receptions, but it is diversified, with Engram, Brown, Eric Green, and Kevin Dyson all seeing significant action and attention from Hebert, but the Stars need to focus on avoiding the big turnover if they want to turn the corner and return to the better play of past years. A much better week around the league, with two exceptions. Michigan looks like they will be in the market for a kicker after Brett Conway tore his quad trying to tackle on a kick return. Baltimore QB Trent Green hurt his foot on an awkward drop back when his right guard stepped on him, but is only expected to miss 2-3 weeks, leaving Jeff Garcia at the helm. Other injuries of note fall into the Doubtful or Questionable range, meaning a possible return to action in Week 4. These include LB Joey Porter (POR), DE Roosevelt Nicks (BIR), CB Thomas Pittman (MGN), CB Deon Figures (ORL), T Leon Searcy (NJ), and SS John Lynch (SEA). At this past fall’s League Meetings, one of the hot topics was expansion. The league voted pretty one-sidedly to postpone any discussion of expansion to no earlier than 2005, and while that decision makes sense on the one hand, with several cities itching to be added to the USFL roster, it has left a lot of ownership bidding groups looking for alternatives. The truth is that there is a market, a hunger, for USFL football across the country in cities not represented by the league’s 24 teams. There are well-financed groups hoping that they too will have the chance to bring a club to their city, and cities hoping to expand revenue from their very expensive locally-funded stadiums. In many cases we have NFL cities hoping to add a second tenant to their big arenas, while we also see a few non-NFL cities hoping to earn something of a big league status by bringing spring football to town. And so, what should we expect over the next few years? Well, if the league will not even consider discussion of expansion until 2005, that means the earliest possible expansion may not be until 2007 or 2008, and some of these bidding groups may decide that it is too long to wait. The risk is there that these groups will start to make offers to current USFL clubs that are not in ideal situations financially. Relocation is a real prospect. With major markets like Boston, Dallas, Miami, the Twin Cities, and (arguably) San Francisco, not represented in the USFL, and with emerging markets like Nashville, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas hoping to build some clout by expanding pro sports in their areas, there is certainly no shortage of potential destinations. But just which USFL clubs might be in a position to seek greener pastures? Here is our Top 5 potential targets for relocation temptation. WASHINGTON: Yes, DC is a huge market, and the Federals draw pretty well at RFK Stadium, but the ownership of the NFL Redskins, first with Jack Kent Cooke, and now with Daniel Snyder, has been outright antagonistic towards the USFL presence in the city. While there was initial hope that the sale of the Redskins would reboot the relationship between the USFL and NFL franchises in the nation’s capital, it seems that Snyder shares Kent Cooke’s vision of the USFL as unwanted competition and not as a potential local partner. With their own state of the art stadium in Maryland, the Redskins are in no mood to consider a potential new stadium in the District. In fact, they are very likely to fight any effort for even modest renovations to RFK as a potential threat to revenue for their club. This leaves the Federals in a tough position, as clearly the 2nd most popular franchise in the area, despite their success in the USFL, and with a hostile rival currying far more favor with local and national authorities. OAKLAND: We all know what the issue is with the Invaders, it’s that stadium. Oakland-Alameda Stadium is a bit of a pit. Designed far better for baseball than football and well past its prime, it is not a great venue. But, with the Raiders happily sharing Farmers Insurance Field in LA with the Express, and the A’s playing baseball on a modest budget, how do the Invaders get themselves a new facility? They have considered playing at Cal-Berkely down the road, but playing on campus means abandoning beer sales, and that is a huge deterrent for any pro team. The Invaders simply don’t have much leverage in Oakland, but they may find an answer if they look further afield. The money in the area is not in Oakland, or even really in San Francisco (itself trying to find a way to satisfy the growth needs of the NFL 49ers), but in San Jose. With their first pro team, the NHL Sharks, having significant success, and a possible co-tenant in mid-major NCAA program San Jose State, there might be an option for the Invaders to remain in the Bay Area and still get the kind of facility that Oakland seems unwilling to provide. And yet, can a club based out of Oakland’s gritty, yet funky, community really retain its identity if it moves to nerd-centric Silicon Valley? ST. LOUIS: A good team in a city that has a reputation as a baseball town. The Knights were welcomed with open arms when they relocated from LA back in 1992, but when the city also added the NFL Rams, the new dome started to get a bit crowded. Unlike many other cities on our list, who suffer from a lack of negotiating power because they do not have an NFL team in town, the Knights have a different issue. The Rams are now the golden child in the eye of local football fans. The Knights, despite on-field success, are still dealing with the fact that their season runs alongside the MLB Cardinals, a team that has as devoted a local following as any club in baseball. Attendance has been adequate, averaging in the mid 30,000s, but that is not enough to truly make the Knights a revenue leader. Add to this the preferential terms the Rams received with the dome as enticements to relocate from Anaheim, and you can see why the Knights might be ripe for the picking from a well-funded ownership group in Boston, Dallas or Miami. MEMPHIS: Yes, the defending champions, who often are at or near the top of the league attendance numbers, have stadium issues. As with so many other clubs in non-NFL cities, the Showboats are finding it difficult to persuade local authorities to upgrade an aging facility. The Liberty Bowl is a bit of a relic, with few luxury suites and amenities far more appropriate for a mid-major college program like the U. of Memphis than for a pro football franchise. Revenue is adequate, and Memphis certainly has been a welcoming community, but it is not a wealthy city, with a wealthy consumer and corporate base. That is one reason why the NFL expanded to Nashville instead of Memphis back in 1995. Nashville could be a very viable option if the Showboats wanted to expand their revenue stream. The up and coming city is already on the hook for a new stadium to support their NFL Copperheads franchise, and would love a 2nd team to bring in revenue. Can the City of Memphis find the funds to support the improvements the Showboats need? That may be the biggest question for longstanding USFL presence in the city. PORTLAND: The Thunder, like many of the squads on this list, have a decent ownership group, though the loss of Nike founder Phil Knight at the lead of the club was a blow, but they too suffer from the single-tenant concern when it comes to stadium expansion and renovation. With no NFL club in town, and not even a top tier college program to potentially partner with, it is a tough sell to get the city to expend significant resources to either expand Civic Stadium or build a new state-of-the-art facility in the Rose City. The Thunder were able early on to get the former minor league baseball stadium expanded from around 20,000 seats up to its current 34,000 seats, but it still remains the smallest stadium in the league, and is in no position to be expanded again. The odds are just not good that the Thunder will be able to coax the voters of Portland to spend half a billion dollars or more to provide their club with a 50,000+ seat stadium in the near future. That means revenue is stunted for the franchise, something which very well could entice them to look for an option elsewhere. Week 3 flips the script, with the 12 Western Conference teams all in divisional play while the Atlantic Division hosts the Southern in the Eastern Conference. We have some rivalry games out west to start with, including the Cascade Clash as 2-0 Seattle visits 0-2 Portland, the California Derby as Oakland visits LA, and the Mountain Zone Mellee as Denver is in Arizona. In the Central Division we also have 3 good matchups, beginning with a Saturday Night tilt in St. Louis, when the surprisingly 0-2 Texas Outlaws come to town to face the Knights. New Orleans and their 2-0 record will be tested when they visit the Michigan Panthers in Pontiac, and on Sunday afternoon we have Houston heading to Chicago with hopes of knocking the Machine from the ranks of the early season unbeatens. A huge match for the Pittsburgh Maulers, who find themselves 0-2 and facing the 2-0 Orlando Renegades at Three Rivers this Saturday. Ohio is also 2-0 and at home again against a dangerous Jacksonville Bulls squad. Philadelphia will need all the home cooking they can muster as the league champion Showboats are in town. New Jersey hosts Birmingham, with both clubs sitting at 1-1, and Atlanta is in Baltimore, where Bruce Smith will be hunting down backup QB Jeff Garcia of the Blitz. Finally, Tampa Bay will be in Washington as one of these clubs will rise to 2-1.

A new millennium, a new season, a new hope for 24 franchises and 24 fan bases, each filled with optimism and nerves as the USFL kicks off its 18th season of spring football. Lots of excitement around the league as the season begins with a bang. From rookies trying to prove themselves to veterans on new teams, and some NFL imports expected to have a big impact on day 1, there is always a lot to celebrate on opening weekend in the USFL, despite often cold and rainy weather. We kick it all off with our Game of the Week, a shootout in rainy Jacksonville. It had rained most of the day before, and it threatened to do so again on Sunday, but while the field was certainly saturated, the game was largely rain-free, with a couple of momentary showers here and there. The fear of lightning delays turned out to be unneeded and the game, despite some muddy conditions at the Gator Bowl, went off without delay. And what a game it was. Jake Plummer put the Arizona Wranglers on his back, leading the club in both passing and rushing yards and earning Offensive POTW honors for his dual threat role. Chris Chandler kept Jacksonville engaged and had them with a late lead in a game played in front of nearly 51,000 fans, a lot of them buying up Arrington jerseys, available for the first time at the game. The Bulls opened the scoring when Chris Chandler hit the new clear #1 receiver Terrell Owens with a 21-yard corner pattern midway through the first. Owens would relish his new role, catching 8 balls for 107 yards and all three Chandler TD passes on the day. Patrick Rowe and Dez White would account for 7 receptions combined as Chandler hit 9 different receivers on the day. After Arizona got on the board with a field goal, new Bulls starting HB Sedrick Irvin added to the Bulls’ lead with a 12-yard TD run that saw him absolutely lay out a CB with a straightarm. Arizona’s first TD would come, fittingly enough, on a 26-yard Plummer scramble. With the Bulls playing tight man, once Plummer sprinted from the pocket, he had wide open space to make his dash to the endzone. He would do this repeatedly on the day, rushing for 60 yards 5 scrambles and scoring twice on the ground. That he was the leading rusher still has to be a concern for Arizona. Tim Lester had only 3 carries, while newly acquired HB Leeland MacElroy, the former NJ General, had 4 for only 13 yards. Chandler responded to the Plummer TD by tossing another scoring throw to Owens, giving Jacksonville a 21-10 halftime lead, but one which at no point felt secure. They would expand the lead to 24-10 on a Kris Brown field goal to open the 2nd half, but then Arizona would start to battle back. Plummer again scrambled for a score, this time 25 yards, on yet another 4-wide passing play that turned into a running play. This play would cause Jacksonville to have to keep a LB in as spy for the rest of the game, a move that limited Plummer but created better options for the passing game. Arizona followed up their TD with a field goal on the next drive, and then the one mistake Chandler made came up huge for the Wranglers. Trying to hit Dez White on a slant, Chandler’s pass was behind the receiver, landing not in his hands but in those of Wrangler CB Kevin Minnifield. Minnifield caught the ball at full speed and used that speed to race 31 yards to paydirt. What had been a 24-10 Jacksonville lead had turned on its head and was now a 27-24 deficit. Chandler responded as a veteran of his caliber should, leading the Bulls down the field and scoring, yet again to Owens, with 2:35 left in the game. But 2:35 is an eternity in USFL football, and Coach Cunningham would regret sticking with the passing game and not burning up more time in the redzone as Plummer and the Wranglers marched down the field and put a winning score on the board with Plummer’s only passing TD of the day, a 12-yard rub route for Carl Pickens. Plummer, who had spent the entire day throwing as Arizona abandoned the run altogether in a Stallion-like strategy against the Bulls, would finish with 431 yards passing, a career high for the former Sun Devil. Pickens would finish with 103 yards and the key score, while Rocket Ismail would haul in 6 passes for 145 on the day. Arizona’s two new tight ends, O.J. Santiago and Mark Bruener, would combine for 11 receptions and 119 yards as well. For Jacksonville it was a bitter loss, as they had a 14-point lead and could not hold it. Despite the negative outcome, they had to be happy with several aspects of their game, including Owens stepping up as the #1, Sedrick Irvin’s solid day, and the play of LaVar Arrington in his first pro game, with 7 tackles and a sack on the day. But the day ended with a W for the Wranglers and an L for the Bulls, something sure to damper the early season exuberance of the large Gator Bowl crowd more than the rain did. LA 20 TBY 35 Rain also impacted the game in Tampa Bay, but not as much as the Bandits offense impacted Coach Hall’s return to Florida with the LA Express. It was the Errict Rhett show early as the elusive back scored the game’s first 3 touchdowns, giving Tampa a 21-0 lead that they would never relinquish. Rhett would finish the day with 98 combined yards from scrimmage and the 3 scores, with Troy Aikman adding another 375 yards passing and a TD toss to TE Troy Drayton. For LA, Mike Pritchard was the star with 178 yards as the Express threw on almost every play in their attempt to come back. It was not enough, and the Bandits start off the 2000 campaign with a quality win over a 1999 division winner. SEA 27 ATL 23 It was a battle of QB’s trying to prove their coaches right for choosing them when Brian Griese led the Seattle Dragons into Atlanta to face Aaron Brooks and the Fire. In what turned out to be one of the more entertaining games of the weekend, both 1995 expansion clubs showed some good play, though also sloppy with 16 penalties between them. Griese would come out on top, on the scoreboard and the stat box as his 33 of 43, 343-yard day was a far better result than Brooks’s 14 of 38, 157-yard afternoon. Tiki Barber helped keep Atlanta in the game with 120 yards on the day, while Eric Metcalf was the favorite target of Griese, catching 11 balls for 106. POR 27 MEM 33 OT The defending Southern Division champions were tested by the Thunder but prevailed in large part due to another huge game from Heath Shuler (26 of 39 for 365 yards and 5 TD tosses). Adrian Cooper led all receivers with 6 catches, while Joe Horn hauled in 2 scores and 121 yards on the day. For Portland, Napoleon Kaufmann looked solid, but was only able to gain 46 yards on 13 carries, though a nice 29-yard juke and sprint run surely gave Thunder fans optimism about his future with the club. The game would go to overtime, thanks to 3 TD passes from Akili Smith in his best game to date, but in the extra period, a dump off pass from Shuler to FB Larry Centers turned into a clinic on how to avoid tackles as Centers wove his way to the game-winning score. OAK 31 ORL 37 OT The “New Look” Oakland Invaders gave Orlando all they could handle in another overtime thriller. Ryan Leaf threw for 3 scores and Troy Davis gained 119 yards on only 13 carries as the Invader’s new emphasis on zone blocking and slashing runs helped them stay with the Renegades all game. Terry Kirby was the weapon most feared by Oakland Coach Dom Capers, and rightly so. Kirby would rush for 100 yards and catch 4 balls for 28 more to help power Orlando to the overtime win. Ironically it was not Kirby who drove the dagger into the hearts of Invader fans, but newly acquired backup Moe Williams, the former Showboat, who dove in from the 1 to give Orlando the win in overtime. DEN 30 BIR 42 In the Sunday Night game, wrapping up the Pacific v. South showdowns, Birmingham proved they were a solid preseason favorite, dispatching the defending Western Conference Champions thanks to a monster 6 TD performance from Brett Favre. Favre would throw scoring tosses to Dawsey (2), Givens, Reeves, Robinson, and their new starting HB, Rodney Thomas to power the Stallions to a commanding win. Denver looked good early, but when Mark Brunell had to leave the game with an injury, their production could not keep pace with the Stallions. New backup QB Bill Musgrave played well (25 of 33 for 237) but it was simply not enough to stay on pace with Favre’s blistering performance. CHI 19 PHI 13 A cold 33-degree day, with wind and still some residue of snow on the field welcomed the Machine to Philadelphia on Saturday. It made life tough for both clubs as passing was no easy feat. Chicago, with a solid 2-headed running game, made the best of it, with the combo of Watters (64) and Staley (48) giving the Machine over 100 yards on the day. That, along with a nice game from Chicago safety Anthony Prior (8 tackles, 1 pick) helped Chicago hold off the Hebert-led Stars and claim a road win in tough conditions. HOU 26 PIT 23 Pittsburgh was also no picnic weather-wise, but the wind was not quite as impactful, allowing Houston’s new starting QB, Matt Hasselbeck to claim his first victory for the Gamblers. The former BC signalcaller got the call over free agent Jim Miller and returning QB Chuck Hartlieb, and proved quite effective, going 26 of 49 for 354 yards, 2 TDs to 1 pick. Brett Perriman was his favorite receiver with 13 targets, hauling in 124 yards, including a back-breaking 51-TD strike on a 3rd and 13. Pittsburgh moved the ball well, but struggled in the redzone, forced to go for 3 on three occasions where they had been inside the 15. MGN 28 BAL23 The Panthers showed their early season form, going into a tough road game at Baltimore and coming away with a 5-point victory. Natrone Means, in his first start for the Panthers after a late offseason deal with the Bulls, rushed the ball 20 times for 68 yards, and helped Doug Flutie set up play action, including a brilliant fake on a 2nd and 2 that produced the game winning toss to TE Roland Williams. For Baltimore, rookie Ron Dayne looked solid, carrying the ball 11 times for 74 yards, a 6.7 YPC average. NOR 21 WSH 14 Maybe we were too fast to dump on NFL transfer QB Trent Dilfer, after he led the 10-point underdog New Orleans Breakers back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat the Federals. Dilfer certainly was not perfect, but his two TD passes, one each to Ricky Proehl and Az-Zahir Hakeem, as well as a key 27-yard toss to Raynard Brown on their final scoring drive (Ricky Williams 1-yard run) brought the Breakers an unexpected road win to open the season. But the biggest story out of this game will almost certainly be the season ending injury which took Washington QB Kordell Stewart out of action (more on that to come). STL 17 OHI 24 Another huge opening day upset, though this one was at least a home game for the Ohio Glory. Kerry Collins helped Ohio build up a 17-0 lead and they never looked back as Todd Collins struggled through 3 picks for a Knights offense that was just not ready for prime time. Jason Webster, the unheralded 2nd CB of the Glory had a huge game, picking off 2 passes intended for Bert Emmanuel as Ohio switched up their coverage of Emmanuel and Toomer. TEX 23 NJ 31 One final surprise win in the clash of Central and Atlantic squads as New Jersey built up a 31-9 lead and then withstood a furious comeback attempt by Kelly Stouffer to preserve a week one win. Curtis Enis and Lamont Warren combined for 128 yards rushing, and new starter Jeff Lewis went 23 of 35 for 247 and 3 TDs to help New Jersey shock the Outlaws. LATE MOVES So many stories each time a season starts, where do we begin. Let’s start by briefly recapping some of the last-minute transactions as clubs set their Week 1 rosters. Most won’t have a big immediate impact as they involve shuffling the bench a bit, but you never know. Philadelphia made one last move to upgrade their defense, cutting Omar Brown, who had struggled at SS in camp, and signing one of the best remaining free agents, safety Corey Chavous. Expect to see Chavous starting within 1-2 weeks as Philly brings him up to speed on the new Jim Mora Jr. defensive schemes. St. Louis added depth behind Ahman Green by signing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the roster. KAJ had his best year in 1997 when he rushed for 369 yards per game. He spent last season in Ohio, where he only got 28 carries all season. He is a decent receiver, which is something St. Louis needs from all its backs. New Orleans swapped out fullbacks, bringing in Danny Greene who failed to make the roster in Orlando. Michigan added tackle Jeffery Garcia for depth. Portland did much the same with their D-line, signing George Little, the 35-year-old veteran of 14 seasons with Philly and Birmingham. Little was played 1 year in Canada in 1999 but is now back in the USFL. Ohio and Birmingham added some late free agent quality to their secondaries with CB Mike Riley headed to Columbus and free safety Robert Sparkman now in Birmingham. We had 2 meaningful trades as camps closed as well. In the first, New Jersey improved their DT position by getting Renaldo Wynn from Arizona while the Wranglers hoped to get an offensive spark from New Jersey in the form of HB Leeland McElroy. Two other bench players, including Olandis Gary also changed hands, with Gary taking up the 3rd HB slot for the Generals. Houston sent veteran wideout Hart Lee Dykes to Atlanta, helping the Fire add some outside speed, while Atlanta parted with just about the only CB on their roster not named Tyrone, sending Ronde Barber to the Gamblers. Expect Barber to be a starter from week 1 as he helps Houston improve their secondary. Finally three QB changes were made official with Week 1 starts. Seattle made their choice, starting Brian Griese over 1999’s starter, Jon Kitna. Kitna is not at all happy, and rumors have him asking to be traded rather than sit behind Griese and face a challenge from rookie Giovanni Carmazzi. Griese had a solid first outing, throwing for 343 yards and helping the Dragons get a road win in Atlanta. New Jersey Coach Marty Schottenheimer said it would be an open battle in camp between returning starter Spence Fischer and free agent acquisition, former Panther and Gold QB Jeff Lewis. Marty opted for the more athletic Fischer to open the season and he got immediate results, an opening day victory over Texas and an efficient 23 of 35, 247 yard, 3 TD day from Lewis. Finally, the three-way competition in Houston between returning starter Chuck Hartlieb, free agent acquisition Jim Miller, and rising backup Matt Hasselbeck was tight all the way through camp, but in a Friday walkthrough decision, Coach Willsey chose the least heralded of the three, former BC quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to be his starter. Again, this proved wise as Hasselbeck had a great first outing, throwing for 354 yards and 2 TDs to help Houston get a road win in Pittsburgh. ROOKIE DEBUTS Week 1 is also a time when top rookie signings get their first look at pro ball. While we had no rookie starters at QB this year, we did have quite a few who were given a starting role in their first game. Let’s take a look at how some of the bigger names in the 2000 Draft fared. HB Ron Dayne took the mantle of the run game for the Baltimore Blitz and acquitted himself well, rushing for 75 yards on 11 carries, including a couple of train-hits-deer moments against cornerbacks that thrilled the home crowd at Aetna Stadium. LB Brian Urlacher played his first game at MLB for the Machine and helped Chicago get the road win at Philly, securing 7 tackles, 1 for loss, and 1 pass defended. In Jacksonville, the arrival of LaVar Arrington was much heralded, and the former Penn State star fared pretty well in his first game, 7 tackles, 1 for loss, and a sack was the final line for the rangy backer. Oakland had a surprisingly strong offense on display against Orlando and while he did not have a starring role, Plaxico Burress did display his talent with 3 receptions for 54 yards. Michigan’s rookie strong safety, Mike Brown, came out of the gate strong, winning the Rookie of the Week award with a 10 tackle, 1 sack performance as the Panthers upended the Blitz in Baltimore. Laverneous Coles had a quieter week, catching 1 pass in his pro debut. Birmingham opted to go with Free Agent Rodney Thomas at HB for their game against Denver, limiting Sean Alexander to 1 carry in his pro debut. Seattle rookie DE John Abraham had one tackle in the Dragons’ win, but it was his first pro sack, while St. Louis’s Na’il Diggs debuted with 7 tackles. Finally, Washington had two rookies with solid debuts in their opening day loss. TE Bubba Franks was the second leading receiver for the Feds with 4 receptions for 41 yards, while HB Reuben Droughns played on third down and picked up 4 carries for 39 yards, with most of that coming on one exciting 19-yard rush. BIG NAME FREE AGENTS In addition to the rookies, some big-name NFL transfers also played their first spring game, though most were limited in action after the full NFL fall season. Birmingham started Deion Sanders right out of the gate and the Gold opted to test him against the run. Sanders ended the game as the leading tackler for Birmingham, with 12 stops, despite having the ball tossed in his direction only 3 times all game. In Atlanta, Bruce Smith was limited to playing only on 3rd and 5 or longer, but was solid in limited action, scoring 4 tackles and 2 sacks to share the lead after 1 week. We mentioned that Rodney Thomas was made the starter in Birmingham, but he was not the only new HB to take that position, with Stephen Davis starting for the Stars and the recently signed Natrone Means getting the lion share of the carries for the Panthers. Of the three, Thomas had the best day, rushing for 75 yards in his debut. Means and Davis were not far behind, with Means rushing for 68 yards on 20 carries and Davis earning 68 as well, but on 15 carries. Both Means and Davis scored their first TDs for their new clubs as well. Denver got hit early and often as both Mark Brunell and Eric Wilhelm were knocked out of their opening game. Brunell should be back next week, but Wilhelm is likely done for the year with a fully torn & rolled hamstring. Likewise, Kordell Stewart may be finished for the year as well for the Federals after he both broke his arm and dislocated the shoulder in a gruesome crash against the benches along the sideline on a scramble. It was his non-throwing arm, but it still means both traction and considerable time to heal and rehab might leave the Federals looking at Scott Zolak for the rest of the season. Other considerable injuries on a rough opening week include LA wideout Rob Carpenter (8-10 weeks for a neck injury), Denver guard Tracy Boyd (2-4, PCL), Arizona SS Clifton Black (1-2, Hamstring), MGN CB Thomas Pittman (1-2, turf toe), Memphis FS Tebucky Jones (Doubtful, hip), Orlando RT Paul Gruber (Questionable, wrist), and Texas SS Mike Minter (Questionable, deep thigh bruise). Birmingham WR Tyree Davis was also listed as Questionable though he is essentially going home to deal with a family crisis, details unknown, rather than a physical injury. Snow, rain, mud and wind welcomed the league’s opening weekend, as it almost always seems to do in one shape or another. For the owners who are pushing for a reconsideration of a 14-week season, the game-altering and attendance-dampening March starts are one of the issues they point to as a reason to delay the season start. The other, of course, is the overlap of both USFL playoffs and training camp with the NFL-USFL transfer window. Those in opposition continue to site that the NFL is not having these same types of discussions, so why should the USFL sacrifice 2 games (and the revenue generated) when the NFL is not willing to do the same to create greater gaps between the two leagues. The NFL has not even seemed open to doing away with the 2-week runup to the Super Bowl or its 4-game preseason as options to expand the gaps between the two league’s regular seasons. Of course, even with NFL concessions the issue of early season weather would persist. Unlike the NFL which can use playoff drama to boost attendance in the latter part of the season, when the weather is at its worst, the USFL deals with early season issues around rain, snow, and wind in March and then must figure out how to get fans out to the ballpark on scorching July days late in the year. They have fared well with the latter weather issue, with domes in some of the hotter locations (Houston, San Antonio, St. Louis) and night games helping to deal with heat in places like Atlanta, Arizona, and Florida, but scheduling often does not allow for good options in mid-March, as this week’s rainy weather in Florida and cold, windy conditions in the Northeast proved. With domed stadiums falling out of favor among new stadium projects (Houston being the exception), the best option to maximize early season attendance may well be to delay the season start until April, something the USFL simply cannot do with a 16-game schedule, lest it risk shutting down any chance at a postseason transfer window. And so, the debate continues. What we know this time around is that, unlike the last time this came to a head, there is no way the USFL will move ahead without a clear agreement in place with the players’ union. No more work stoppage or threats of CBA cancellation. The most likely scenario, were a proposal to be made, would be a cut of 2 regular season weeks, the addition of 1 pre-season game, and all players retaining their full salaries from the 16-week schedule to a 14-week schedule. But we are getting the cart before the horse. The Special Committee of the owners has yet to even reveal its report, and any change will likely also require negotiations with the NFL to try to get some concessions from the senior league, as well as with the TV providers, so we are a ways off even if the USFL owners want to make the change, and that is by no means guaranteed. Week Two offers us our first slate of divisional games in the Eastern Conference, with the Pacific clubs visiting the Central squads out West. Washington will host Pittsburgh without Kordell Stewart at the helm, while Baltimore hopes to rebound as they visit New Jersey and Ohio goes for two in a row as they host Philadelphia. In the South, the best early season game may be the Tampa-Orlando match this week, while Memphis is at Jacksonville and Birmingham heads to their budding rivalry with Atlanta on Saturday. Someone will come out at 2-0 when Arizona faces Chicago at Soldier Field. Mark Brunell is expected back under center when Denver travels to Houston on Sunday. LA has a tough second game at Michigan, while Oakland visits the surprisingly tough New Orleans Breakers. Portland and St. Louis will each be seeking their first win of the year when they clash in the Gateway City, while Seattle heads to San Antonio to face the Texas Outlaws.

For part two of our preview for the 2000 USFL season we are looking at the Western Conference. Once dominated by the Houston Gamblers, the conference has now seen 3 different clubs take on the mantle of Western Champions in the past 3 years, Portland, St. Louis, and Denver. None have found success in the Summer Bowl, and aside from one lone Gambler win, the West has lost 6 of the last 7 title games. Without a clear frontrunner, and with many folks still dubious about the Express, once again it looks like this year’s field is wide open in the West. So many questions remain about LA’s rapid rise atop the Pacific. How will Denver rebound from a tough Summer Bowl loss? Can St. Louis get a full year from Todd Collins? Is Texas finally going to finish a season strong? And what do we make of clubs like Arizona, Michigan, and Houston, who can look so good one week and so bad the next? We will look at each team, but before we do, we want to look at the draft from each, finish our 3 Top 2 Bottom rankings by looking at defensive position groups, then look at each USFL Western Conference club and finish with our predictions (always dicey) for 2000 clubs, award winners, and the Summer Bowl in Tampa, Florida. ARIZONA WRANGLERS High Impact Rookie(s): OT Chad Clifton (Tennessee) may not be a day 1 starter, but we think that over time he will become a good one. Punter Shane Lechler has already won the job and safety Clifton Black (SW Texas State) has been a pleasant surprise. Others on the Roster: Guard Travis Claridge should make the final roster, while DT Jerry Johnson from FSU could end up on the practice squad as Arizona is deep at the position. The One that Got Away: The Wranglers try year after year to bring in a dynamic halfback and it seems that year after year they end up with Tim Lester as the starter. This year they used a 2nd round pick on U. of Arizona’s Trung Canidate, thinking the local connection would help, but he is off to the Rams of the NFL instead. So, once again they turn back to Lester to be their bell cow. It is an issue, to be sure. CHICAGO MACHINE High Impact Rookie(s): We love, love, love the signing of Brian Urlacher to be the next great Chicago linebacker. This New Mexico product is not exactly Butkis or Singletary, but the converted safety could be one of the fastest MLBs in the game. We expect the Bears are upset he chose the Machine over them, but ownership for the Machine was willing to lay out extra cash to make it happen after both Chicago clubs drafted the same player. Others on the Roster: In addition to Urlacher, expect to see guard Bobbie Williams on the field, and small, but speedy WR Dante Hall should immediately plug in on special teams and in the slot for a Chicago club that needs playmakers. The One that Got Away: Really not anyone they cannot do without. They would have liked to sign LB Isaiah Kacyvenski from Harvard (6th round) or K Paul Eddinger (9th round) but neither of those were essential. DENVER GOLD High Impact Rookie(s): DT Cornelious Griffin from Alabama will almost certainly be a big part of the Gold’s nickel packages as he is the fastest of their DTs from day 1. SS Matt Bowen and WR Danny Farmer will also get a shot to see the field, and look out for HB Rod Smart, not picked out of Western Kentucky until the 10th round. He has a chip on his shoulder. When asked about why other clubs did not draft him, he had only one thing to say, “He hate me. Man, he just hate me.” Others on the Roster: DEs Junior Ioane (ASU) and David Nugent (Purdue) are bubble players on the roster but might end up on the practice squad. The One that Got Away: This one likely hurts quite a bit. The Gold had visions of DE Erik Flowers lining up opposite Leslie O’Neal to create a 1-2 attack like the one we saw in Houston last year with Sinclair and Pittman. No such luck as Flowers opted to play in Buffalo, though the pick cost the Bills more than their #19 pick should have. HOUSTON GAMBLERS High Impact Rookie(s): No skill players most of you will see racing across the field, but Houston got good value from center Brad Meester of Northern Iowa and DT Alfonso Boone from tiny Mount San Antonio. Both look like solid contributors despite playing at small schools. Others on the Roster: We like DE Alvin McKinley, though he is unlikely to get much time behind Sinclair and Pittman. CB Hank Poteat could factor into nickel and dime packages. The One that Got Away: Houston wanted to add some depth to the run game but were not willing to use a top pick on it, so the one that got away is midround (5th) pick Paul Smith, a very productive back at UTEP. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS High Impact Rookie(s): The Express did not wow anyone with their draft, but they added depth to a few key positions. We like FS Tavares Tillman as a good passing down option and guard Mamula Savea should be part of their rotation. Not sure if 2nd round pick R. Jay Soward can crack a starting position. That seems optimistic at this point. Others on the Roster: LA also signed TE Aaron Shea from Michigan, DE John Millem from Lenoir-Rhyme, and LB Kelvin Moses of Wake Forest. The One that Got Away: First round receivers can often be among the hardest to sign, something about the position just creates inflated egos. Well, that seems to be what happened with Sylvester Morris of Jackson State. Coming out of a smaller school we did not expect it, or maybe LA is just not his style. He signed with the KC Chiefs, a very different club with a very different philosophy of offense. MICHIGAN PANTHERS High Impact Rookie(s): Ever since the retirement of Anthony Carter the Panthers have been looking for a gamebreaking receiver. They have Jeff Campbell catching all the short balls and earning first downs, but they just don’t take the roof off. They are hoping that Florida State’s Laverneus Coles is the man to do it. Michigan also snagged a very good strong safety in Nebraska’s Mike Brown. Others on the Roster: Add OT John St. Clair, QB Spergon Wynn, and LB Orantes Grant to the list of Panther signings almost certain to make the opening day 45-man roster. The One that Got Away: Not a huge deal, since Doug Flutie seems solidly entrenched at the #1 position, but Michigan had hopes of making the Wolverine faithful happy by signing QB Tom Brady. New Jersey slipped in ahead of them to pick the skinny QB just 4 picks before Michigan might have taken him, but it still feels like a missed opportunity. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS High Impact Rookie(s): New Orleans, still reeling from Mike Ditka’s draft swap to get Ricky Williams, had only 5 picks this year, but they hope they got good value with the signing of #1 pick, CB Ahmed Plummer from Ohio State. They may have also gotten lucky when Wisconsin tackle Mark Tauscher dropped into their laps in the 6th round. Others on the Roster: HB Troy Hambrick from Savannah State may make the squad just due to his hustle on special teams this camp. Other than that, we don’t see more rookies sticking. The One that Got Away: New Orleans had 5 picks, and signed them all, but it still does not produce much. OAKLAND INVADERS High Impact Rookie(s): Oakland wanted to give Ryan Leaf a big weapon, and as predicted they did. Plaxico Burress could be a beast in the red zone for the Invaders. He is tall, can leap, has great hands, and a lot of swagger. Oakland also got a pretty good slot receiver and return man in Troy Walters from Stanford. A good draft for Ryan Leaf’s options. Others on the Roster: Expect CB Dwayne Goodrich to see time in the nickel and dime packages. Another CB, Lloyd Harrison of NC State has struggled a bit more and may end up on the practice squad. Guard Jason Thomas is a good depth signing at the position. The One that Got Away: They got their #1 and # 2 picks in Burress and Goodrich, but #3 got away. LB Marcus Bell of Arizona signed with the Seahawks. PORTLAND THUNDER High Impact Rookie(s): Mark SImoneau, the rangy LB from Kansas State, is a perfect fit for a club that is hoping to be faster on defense and more aggressive against the run. WR JuJuan Dawson may be a future replacement for Portland’s older receivers and should be a return man as well. Others on the Roster: We like the look of DE Jabari Issa, but his on-field time will be limited this year. The One that Got Away: Simoneau is a solid pick, and with Portland having traded their first round pick away to New Jersey, they did well to land him, but they could have gone after Lavar Arrington had they retained that #1. Choices have impacts, and the Thunder hope that Simoneau proves they chose wisely. ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS High Impact Rookie(s): The Knights keep doubling down on defense. This draft they landed two linebackers who we expect to see on the field quite a bit. Tennessee’s Raynoch Thompson is a banger, and Na’il Diggs from Ohio State is a steal in the 3rd round. These two will have an impact. The Knights also landed a starter in the 5th with fullback Sammy Morris, a solid blocker and good receiver out of the backfield. Others on the Roster: WR Charles Lee, DT Ernest Grant, and TE Dustin Lyman should make the 45-man roster as rookies. The One that Got Away: When Alabama LT Chris Samuels fell into the 2nd round for St. Louis, they must have known something was up. Samuels bided his time, was picked by the NFL Redskins and signed within 24 hours. We all know his agent had a good idea that Washington would make him the pick at #3 in the NFL draft and that is certainly a better deal than being a 2nd rounder in the USFL. SEATTLE DRAGONS High Impact Rookie(s): We love the pick of South Carolina DE John Abraham. He should be a menace for the Dragons from day 1. Great pick. The pick that confuses us was 2nd round selection of QB Giovanni Carmazzi. Yes, he was rated the 2nd best QB in the draft, but with Jon Kitna and Brian Griese already expected to compete for the #1 spot, what role does Giovanni have? Unless the folks up in Seattle know something about the future of the position that we don’t know, this signing is a weird one. Others on the Roster: Sixth round pick Adalius Thomas, the LB out of Southern Miss, looks great in camp, and could be a rotational player right away. Other than that, we don’t see a lot of first year production out of this rookie class. The One that Got Away: Seattle’s pick of Carmazzi in the 2nd round means they passed on other players like CB Rashard Anderson, S Mark Roman, or LB Ian Gold, any of whom would have had a bigger impact. But, if we limit ourselves to players selected but not signed, the biggest miss would likely be the signing of Auburn LB Marcus Washington by the Colts of the NFL. TEXAS OUTLAWS High Impact Rookie(s): 2nd round pick Chris Hovan, the powerful DT from Boston College is a great signing. We also like the late round signing of Michigan LB Dhani Jones. Two good defensive additions for a club trying to rebuild a championship caliber defense. Others on the Roster: Guard Cosey Coleman and Punter John Baker will make the final 45. We are not so sure about DE Gillis Wilson. The One that Got Away: Got to be 1st round pick Chad Pennington of Marshall. Kelly Stouffer’s injury last year showed just how fragile that position is, and Stouffer is clearly only 1-2 seasons away from retirement. There are questions about Pennington’s arm, but he is a smart, accurate QB who will now be doomed to mediocrity by signing with the NY Jets (You know that is true.) 3 TOP 2 BOTTOM Defense wins titles, that is what they say. So who is well positioned to win a title based on their defensive fortitude and who may be playing catchup all season long. We look at 4 defensive positions as we explore the best position groups in the league and the worst, starting off on the D-Line. DEFENSIVE END #1 HOUSTON: Michael Sinclair & Kavika Pittman. Was their any doubt. These two monsters both finished 1999 among the top 5 in the league and either one could end up as the Sack Champion in 2000. Depth is adequate behind them, but these two rarely come off the field and have to be considered the best 1-2 punch in the league. #2 NEW JERSEY: We are putting a lot of faith in rookie Sean Ellis to elevate his game as he finds himself on the same line as Phil Hansen. If he plays like he did in college, this could be an offense-crushing combo. If he struggles, Albert Fontenot is more than capable of playing well in relief. #3 DENVER: Leslie O’Neil paired up with a punter would still be a top 5 defensive line. Now that Denver has brought in Marcellus Wiley, we think this combo could be special. Robert Porcher is also going to work into the rotation, so it is really a 3-fer on this one, and that hardly seems fair. #23 OAKLAND: The combo of J.J. Wierenga and Eric Curry has just never produced the way the Invaders had hoped they would. Neither is likely to eclipse 10-12 sacks per year, and against the run they are just not holding the edge. Bad news for the Invaders. #24 PITTSBURGH: Yup, despite being a very solid defense overall, the Maulers have this gaping weakness. Bob Kuberski’s best years are well behind him, and Jeff Howard has never had a strong pass rush, though he is above average on edge runs. Honestly, if the Maulers want to win a title, they might call up Denver and ask about Porcher as an option. DEFENSIVE TACKLE #1 LOS ANGELES: A 4-3 has to be #1 on our list, and the best 4-3 interior line has to belong to the combo of Chester McGlockton and David Rocker in LA. And even if one of them needs a rest, when you can bring in Cletidius Hunt off the bench, you are not losing much. This group makes guards and tackles nervous on every play. #2 WASHINGTON: Sure, a 3-4 means you really only need 1 DT, and in that formation Jerome Brown is hands-down the best in the business. His backup Reggie Rogers is more than capable, so we are calling Washington the best-suited for a 3-4 defense in the league. #3 BALTIMORE: Another killer 4-3 lineup with John Randle and Michael Dean Perry lined up next to each other. We doubt this pairing lasts more than a season or two, with Perry clearly headed towards the golf course pretty soon, but who is gonna run against these two? Add in Randle’s pass rush ability and this is just a nasty combo. #23 TEXAS: The Outlaws drafted Chris Hovan, and good thing they did. Without him their DL group might finish 25th in a 24-team league. Hovan is the start of something new, but he is untested and not helped out much by having Marc Campbell and Kimo Von Oelhoffen as part of his rotation. No Bueno. #24 NEW ORLEANS: Not a lot of teams avoid the inside run against a combo of Jim Wahler and Leon Bender. They brought in Chris Maumalanga, but we are still going to call this the least intimidating DT group in the league (just not to their faces.) LINEBACKER #1 ATLANTA: I know it seems weird to say that such a bad defense has such a good LB corps, but in the case of Atlanta it is all on them. Mo Lewis was the league’s leading tackler last year because he had to be. But he plays alongside London Fletcher, Johnny Holland and Randall Godfrey this year and we think that could make a huge difference. Now, if Bruce Smith helps the D-line maybe Atlanta starts to play up to the potential of their LB corps. #2 JACKSONVILLE: We might be jumping the gun on this, but we love the idea of LaVar Arrington lined up alongside Mike Vrabel, Jesse Armstead and John Solomon. Jacksonville will switch between 3 and 4 linebackers as they often play with a 5-DB look against the pass happy Southern Division foes. In a 3-LB formation there is nothing wrong with Vrabel-Armstead-Arrington as a sideline to sideline hunting party. #3 MICHIGAN: Depth is the reason we put Michigan this high. They don’t have one huge impact player, but they can rotate in 6 guys with ease. Katzenmoyer is a rising star, Cowart is solid, then you have Hardy Nickerson coming back to his old haunts and Ted Johnson. Sub in Frank Stams for veteran presence or Anthony Peterson for some speed and you can play hard all day. #23 PORTLAND: When a rookie is your best LB, you have issues. Marc Simoneau may turn out to be a solid draft pick, but Portland has to add so much more to this group. Bryce Paup is well past his prime and we just don’t see much coming from John Holocek or Joey Porter. #24 PHILADELPHIA: Once known for their LB play, the Stars have left the cupboard bare as the years progressed. You now have George Koonce and Robert Gooch inside. Sam Rogers and Mike Crawford outside. Swell guys all, but no one is gameplanning around them. SECONDARY #1 DENVER: The Gold brought in FS Joe King from Baltimore to be the last piece in this mosaic of mayhem. Not the biggest names in the league, but when you can line up Bruce Pickens and Deral Boykin outside, bring in Todd McMillon in the nickel and back that up with Sean Lumpkin and now Joe King at safety, you have a really nice group that will pose all kinds of issues for offensive coordinators. Pair that with a good pass rush and Denver’s defense should lead the league in interceptions. #2 BIRMINGHAM: Last year the Stallions would not have even sniffed the Top 10, but when you add Deion Sanders, the league takes notice. Deion will clearly match up against each club’s #1, leaving Torey James and Ken Irvin to deal with the next two. We also really like Darryl Williams at strong safety, and we are not put off by the relative inexperience at free safety. Deion changes everything for this group. #3 ATLANTA: How bad is the Atlanta D-line, well, they have a top 3 secondary and the best LBs in the league and they still rank as one of the league’s worst defenses. The 3 Tyrones, as they are called, Tyrone Legette, Tyrone Poole, and “Tyronde” Barber are the best 3-deep corner lineup in the league. SS Robert Blackmon is also top notch, while FS Tim Hauck still needs to prove himself, but this group could be really dangerous if the Fire could just pressure the passer. #23 MEMPHIS: The Showboats had some holes on defense last year, none more noticeable than in the secondary, and yet they did very little to address it in the offseason. Tebucky Jones is a solid FS, but he does not get much help. CBs James Fuller and Fred Weary far too often are out of position or fall too hard for double moves. In a division with Favre and Aikman, having a secondary this problematic, and now without Reggie White to rattle QB's, could be a disaster. #24 OAKLAND: The Invaders are showing up on the wrong side of this list far too often. A weak secondary can make the D-line look slow, and a weak passrush can make the secondary look bad, but what do you do if both are truly bad? You lose a lot of games, that is exactly what you do. TEAM PREVIEWS CENTRAL DIVISION Texas led the Central for most of the 1999 season, but as they do, they melted in the summer heat and the Knights snuck off with back to back division titles. Can they make it 3 in a row? Texas would seem to be the main contender, but Michigan and Houston both had moments last year and are hoping for more consistency in 2000. Chicago looks to have improved, while we are just not sure if Coach Ditka left anything in the cupboard for Mike Nolan to work with. ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS (10-6, 1st in 1999) COACH: Jim Johnson (6th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: A very good team had a very good offseason. That seems to be the feeling in the Gateway City. St. Louis had what appears to be an outstanding draft, signing potential starters in LB Na’il Diggs and Raynoch Thompson, a good receiving FB in Sammy Morris, and a wideout who could be dangerous right away in Charles Lee. Add to this an already stellar defense, and an up and coming halfback in Ahman Green and the Knights could be looking for another title shot. Now, if they could just get a better stadium deal, all would be golden in St. Louis. WHY CONCERN: Stadium deal issues aside, the main concern for the Knights is at QB. Todd Collins missed a huge chunk of last season, but the Knights persisted with Jim Miller at the helm. But, Miller is now gone and backup duties now belong to Rob Johnson. Yup, we would be nervous too with Johnson and untested Kris Kershaw as the backups to Collins. If he goes down again, the Knights may not be so lucky as we saw last year. OUR ASSESSMENT: Assuming Collins stays upright, we see good things for the Knights. Texas will pose a challenge, but we like the Knights to win their third division title in a row and make a run at Summer Bowl 2000 in Tampa Bay. 11-5 and a division crown is our pick. TEXAS OUTLAWS (10-6, 2nd in 1999) COACH: Jack Pardee (6th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: The Texas defense is the reason for optimism in San Antonio. They are strong at all 3 levels, made stronger by the additions of LB Tedi Bruschi, rookie DT Chris Hovan, and rookie LB Dhani Jones. The defense will carry the day for the Outlaws, while Reggie Cobb carries the ball. That is the plan, and it could be a good one. WHY CONCERN: And yet, we have our worries. Despite Shawn Collins’s breakout season last year, the receiving corps for Kelly Stouffer is one of the league’s weakest. Outside of Collins you have Jeff Query and free agent Darnay Scott wide, and the underwhelming combo of Kerry Cash and Frank Wainright inside. That is not exactly the Stallions’ receiving corps. Add to this some holes on the line and a less-than-elusive Kelly Stouffer and things could get dicey quickly for the Outlaws offense. OUR ASSESSMENT: Texas will live or die with defense, and in the Central that can work. It is what St. Louis does as well. We doubt they will finish below .500 or below 3rd in the division, but is that what Outlaw fans really want? We are going to say 9-7 and eking their way into the postseason. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (9-7, 3rd in 1999) COACH: Skip Holtz (7th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: The Panthers were a pleasant surprise last year, but are retooling a bit this year. We are not sure replacing Wheatley with Natrone Means is a net positive for them. We do like the addition of WR Laverneus Coles in the draft, and we love the return of fan favorite Hardy Nickerson to the LB Corps. Visions of Nickerson blitzing are likely keeping divisional QBs awake at night. WHY CONCERN: The corners remain a major concern for the Panthers, while rookie Mike Brown is now going to be asked to do a lot at the safety position. Add to this a 35-year old TE in Butch Rolle, and the usual worries about Doug Flutie’s erratic style, and you have a real mixed bag in Pontiac. OUR ASSESSMENT: We think the Panthers are repairing an airplane already in flight. While another 9-7 season is possible, we think 7-9 may be more realistic. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (8-8, 4th in 1999) COACH: Ray Willsey (11th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Houston started 1999 strong before slumping their way to 8-8 and a quick 1-and-done in the playoffs. As an optimist I would point to the immediate impact of HB Kevin Faulk, the depth at receiver with Perriman, Freeman and Dykes, and perhaps the scariest duo on defense in the league in defensive ends Michael Sinclair and Kavika Pittman. QB’s absolutely hate facing the Houston D-line, because aside from these two edge rushers they now have to face both Antonio London and Leonard Renfro inside. WHY CONCERN: The Houston LB corps is just not as good as their front 4, so teams can beat Houston by using play action to freeze the line and take advantage of weaker positions behind them. That is a pretty standard issue, but the bigger one may be that it seems that Coach Willsey is taking a gamble at QB. Chuck Hartlieb has been adequate, but not very daring at QB over his tenure, and it seems Coach Willsey wants to try for a bit more flare. He has announced that untested Matt Hasselbeck will be the starter on Week 1. Hasselbeck came into the league with Denver 2 seasons ago and has yet to throw a single regular season pass. That is a huge risk, despite how he has looked in camp. OUR ASSESSMENT: Even if Hasselbeck is the next coming of Jim Kelly, he will need time to get up to speed, so expect a slow start for the Gamblers. It will be up to the defense to make things happen, and we never like when a defense has that much pressure on them. We are going to say that Houston takes a step back. 6-10 and looking to add some offensive talent in the offseason is our vision for this year. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (7-9, 5th in 1999) COACH: Mike Nolan (1st Season) WHY OPTIMISM: I guess if you believe that Mike Nolan is a true offensive genius then you can be optimistic about the situation in the Big Easy. Or maybe you think Ricky Williams is ready to run for 2,000 yards? They do have talent on the D-line with Reese, Ahanotu, Wahler, and Bender. We love Lamar Lathon, and the safety combo of Devin Bush and Darren Woodson is very solid. But… WHY CONCERN: Trent Dilfer? Really? We get that Coach Nolan was not a fan of Jamie Martin. A lot of dink and dunk from the former Breaker QB, but is the solution really to bring in Dilfer? Seems a huge risk for a player who most feel is a game manager at best. The Breakers are still paying for Ditka’s huge trade of almost 2 entire draft classes for Williams, so Nolan will be given time to turn things around, but we are not loving his first steps. OUR ASSESSMENT: Despite some talent on defense, the Breakers have a legit shot at being the worst club in the league this year. We are going to pick them to do just that, 4-12 and a shot at Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick in the 2001 draft. CHICAGO MACHINE (6-10, 6th in 1999) COACH: Marty Mornhinweg (2nd Season) WHY OPTIMISM: The Machine had a horrid first half of 1999, but started to come together for Coach Mornhinweg in the second half, pulling off several big upsets and playing tough on both sides of the ball. They have a good HB duo in Watters and Staley, really upgraded at receiver by signing Curtis Conway from the Bears, trading for Johnnie Morton, and drafting Dante Hall. They still have some good talent on defense, a defense that kept getting better throughout the 1999 season. We like Eric Allen and Alan Grant at corner. We love Simeon Rice at DE, and Sean Gilbert can eat up space at DT. If potential rookie phenom Brian Urlacher can live up to the hype he is getting in the Windy City, the defense could move from solid to elite really quickly. WHY CONCERN: Jeff George. There, we said it. If Coach Mornhinweg can make George a play action QB, the defense and run game could take this club far, but if he insists on being a gunslinger, they will again struggle with turnovers and 3-and-outs. That is it. The story in a nutshell. OUR ASSESSMENT: We like Chicago to keep playing hard, to win some close games, but also to blow a few that they should win. We think 8-8 under these circumstances makes a lot of sense. PACIFIC DIVISION No one saw LA coming last year. No one saw Denver going to a Summer Bowl. No one saw Oakland completely falling apart. What won’t we see coming this year? The Pacific has always felt like the weak sister of USFL divisions, and when we look at only 1 title in 18 seasons going to the Pacific, that sounds about right. But, there is optimism here, especially in LA, Denver, and Arizona, that there are some clubs who have turned a corner. Things look a bit bleaker in Portland, Seattle, and Oakland, but we expect to be surprised again, because if LA can go from basement to penthouse one year, who is to say someone else cannot make a move this season? LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (11-5, 1st in 1999) COACH: Galen Hall (2nd Season) WHY OPTIMISM: After the Cinderella season the Express put together this year, the problem is not a lack of optimism in SoCal, it is the risk of overconfidence. Cade McNown had a fantastic first year, but was it a fluke? Tory Holt and Mike Pritchard were dynamic. Antowain Smith had his best year as a pro. There were a lot of firsts, and a lot of stars seemed to align. But, if we want to remain optimistic, it is the defense that seems to be ready for the long haul, another thing no one saw coming before last year. Vince Buck joins the secondary to add some leadership. David Rocker and Chester McGlockton are as solid an interior D-line as you will see, and Donta Jones is ready to break out this year at LB. WHY CONCERN: What if it was all a fluke? I mean, look at the quick playoff exit. What was that? And while there is talent on the defense, the pass rush is mediocre, the safety slot is questionable with a rookie likely starting at FS (Tavares Tillman), and the rookie class has been underwhelming in camp and preseason. Is the clock about to strike 12 for Cinderella? OUR ASSESSMENT: LA in any other division might be picked to finish 3rd, but this is the Pacific, so we are going to say they repeat as champions. They have holes, but so does everyone out West. So, even though they are not scary on paper, we see 10 wins as a reasonable result. DENVER GOLD (10-6, 2nd in 1999) COACH: Dick Jauron (3rd Season) WHY OPTIMISM: So close, and yet, so far. That has been the story for the Gold since their inception in 1983. They are the perennial bridesmaids. Always good enough to win 9-11 games, never good enough to bring home a trophy. 0-3 in Summer Bowls so far, and yet, the fans remain optimistic. This is a club with a dynamic QB, an explosive HB, and a defense that can play lights out football when it wants to. We could easily pick them to win the Pacific and no one would think twice. But are we ready to call them a frontrunner for a title? WHY CONCERN: Denver has two big issues to face, one is self-confidence, but the other is perhaps the weakest receiving corps in the west. At both WR and TE they have issues getting open. They just lost their one big downfield threat in Odessa Turner, and they have not done a lot to add speed. Unless they feel that their secondary is impenetrable, and that pairing Leslie O’Neal with Marcellus Wiley will produce 40 sacks, the Gold should be concerned. OUR ASSESSMENT: Denver will miss Turner to be sure. They just don’t have much ability to score quickly, which in this league is a real issue. We think 9-10 wins is again possible, but then what? SEATTLE DRAGONS (8-8, 3rd in 1999) COACH: Joe Tiller (3rd Season) WHY OPTIMISM: If you ask most fans how many wins the Dragons got last year, they would likely say 5 or 6. It is hard to picture them as an 8-win team because there is just not much hype about anyone on their roster. And that is really not fair to them. Levon Kirkland is a beast. Lomas Brown may be the best LT in the game. Corey Dillon is severely underappreciated. Oh, and the Dragons just traded to get perhaps the hardest hitting safety in the game, John Lynch. Add to this the speed of David Boston, the savvy of Takeo Spikes, and the raw power of DT Don Sasa, and there is reason for optimism. WHY CONCERN: We have no idea who the starting QB is in Seattle. Is that reason enough to worry? We think so. Jon Kitna has not gotten the job done. Brian Griese appeared to be positioned to take over, but then why did the Dragons draft Giovanni Carmazzi (oh, and Tee Martin just for good measure too). You remember the old saying about a team with 2 QB’s not really having 1? What is the saying about a team with 3 QBs? OUR ASSESSMENT: Look, if they can pick a QB, and if that QB can finish somewhere in the Top 10 in QBR, then the Dragons look smart and maybe get over the hump. But that is a BIG if. We think 8-8 was a really good season for them, and would be again. We think 7-9 is a fair assessment until we know who their QB is. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (7-9, 4th in 1999) COACH: Art Shell (4th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: After a great run in 1998, everyone was jumping on the Wrangler bandwagon, including us. And that made last season really disappointing. But, there is so much to be excited about. The trio of Pickens, Ismael, and Hines Ward is very very good, and should be even better with two new TEs in the game in free agents O.J. Santiago and Mark Bruener. The LB Corps is terrifying, led by Broderick Thomas, but with Winfred Tubbs and Barney Bussey also playing great ball. They snagged Aeneas Williams to be their #1 CB, a great move, and they helped protect Jake Plummer with a new OT in the draft in Tennessee’s Chad Clifton. All good. WHY CONCERN: Well, after yet another attempt to get a star HB, we are looking at Tim Lester again as the starter. Lester’s best year was 1994 and it was only 695 yards. His BEST year!!! But does anyone think that either Kantroy Barber or Olandis Gary are going to overtake him? Honestly, if Arizona could just trade to get a true 1,000 yard threat, they would be a scary team. But it has not happened, and that is still a HUGE issue in Tempe. OUR ASSESSMENT: We make a big deal about the HB situation in Arizona, but they are a solid club. They could even win the division if they just throw on every down like Birmingham, but we don’t see Art Shell going for that. Without a change at HB, we think 9-7 and a Wild Card is the ceiling here. PORTLAND THUNDER (6-10, 5th in 1999) COACH: Ray Rhodes (1st Season) WHY OPTIMISM: With the retirement of Vince Tobin, Coach Ray Rhodes inherits a team clearly in transition. Robert Drummond is gone, a retirement in his prime. They have a 2nd year QB who has yet to truly shine in Akili Smith, a receiving corps that has trouble getting open, and a LB corps that has been totally revamped, with 3 new starters, one being a rookie. Oh, wait, this is the optimism section. OK, We like Napoleon Kaufmann to play a role in the passing game, something Drummond didn’t really do. We also like the signing of Clyde Simmons for the D-line. And while we are not sure why they did it, bringing in Rick Mirer could help push Akili Smith or provide an alternative if he struggles again. WHY CONCERN: You probably see the hints of why we worry in our optimism section. A lot is new, a lot is untested, a lot is shaky. It’s not a roster that inspires dreams of a dynasty. It is one that might offer some hope, or might need 1-2 years to find itself. OUR ASSESSMENT: We think Coach Rhodes will work these guys hard, and demand a lot from them, but we are firmly in the camp that the roster needs improvements for Portland to make a playoff run. We think 5-6 wins is where they will end up this year. OAKLAND INVADERS (4-12, 6th in 1999) COACH: Dom Capers (1st Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Like Atlanta, fans in Oakland see only one direction to go, up. Unlike fans in Atlanta, they feel they have a star to latch onto. Plaxico Burress has become a media darling in the Bay Area since signing with the Invaders. He could help Ryan Leaf turn around his image as a falling star, or he could flame out as well. We think the former is more likely. Dom Capers is already trying to change things up, trading away perhaps Oakland’s best defender, SS John Lynch, in order to beef up the D-line, Oakland still has a lot of defensive issues. They may have to go against Coach Capers’s reputation for defense and try to become a high-flying offense with Burress, Marty Booker, and Ed McCaffrey making up for defensive issues. It works in Birmingham, right? WHY CONCERN: Oakland is not Birmingham and Ryan Leaf is not Brett Favre. The Invaders need more from their running game, more from the TE position, more from Leaf himself, and they need a defense that can keep teams from scoring 30+ every game. It is early and Coach Capers will get 3-4 years to show progress. OUR ASSESSMENT: Progress may take 3-4 years. Oakland looks like a club that will need half a season just to learn new systems and how to play for Capers. Expect a long year but one that could lead somewhere better over time. 4-12 is our pick here. SEASON PREDICTIONS From our team projections you can certainly get a gist of what we think the season will bring. But let’s make it official. We begin with our projected division records and playoff teams, then we will stick our necks out and pick both a 2000 Summer Bowl winner and award winners for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and both Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year. Getting it started, here is our look at the divisions as we see them. This result for the regular season produces a very similar playoff pool as 1999, which means we are almost certainly wrong. Looking at the playoff matchups we expect to see Pittsburgh and Birmingham advance through to the Conference Title Game. There we are going to go with the underdog, expecting that Pittsburgh’s D is good enough to keep Birmingham from racing out to a big lead, and that means Terrell Davis can be a factor. We have Pittsburgh representing the East. In the West, we expect a more topsy-turvy playoff and we are picking Arizona and LA to be the final two, with the Wranglers using their passing game to bypass the Express defense and make it to the title game in Tampa Bay. For Summer Bowl 2000 we are going to revert back to the “defense wins championships” mindset, and we are going to pick the Pittsburgh Maulers to take the title over Arizona. Looking at the award winners, we think there will be some close competition, but in the end we see these as the favorites: MVP: Brett Favre (QB-BIR), followed closely by Heath Shuler and Jake Plummer. OPOTY: Let’s go outside the QB position and say Terrell Davis of Pittsburgh. It still may be a QB, but we want to give Davis props for his role in the Mauler offense. DPOTY: Sack masters tend to be the favorites, so we are going to go with Orlando’s Chris Doleman, with competition from Phil Hansen (always) and Birmingham’s Mike Rucker. Rookie Of The Year: The easy call would be to say Ron Dayne in Baltimore, sure to be a big part of their offense, but we are going to go for a more esoteric pick and go with a riskier pick, LB Na’il Diggs in St. Louis. Coach of the Year: Not a lot of big risers, teams moving from bad to good in one year, in our picks, which means that the COTY competition will be a tough one. We have Orlando’s George O’Leary getting some props as the Renegades continue to improve, but Art Shell in Arizona or Emmett Thomas in Pittsburgh could also be strong contenders.

February 27, 2000 While most of the country remains in the throes of winter, things are heating up in the USFL as the season is only 3 weeks away. It has been an eventful offseason and prospects for your favorite club may have shifted significantly. We have 5 new head coaches across the league, countless player movements, signings, trades, and rookies to evaluate, and, as always, a spirit of excitement and optimism has taken over USFL fans from coast to coast. We begin our report on the offseason and our season preview with a look at the Eastern Conference, home to the past 3 league champions (Washington, Tampa Bay, and the defending champion Memphis Showboats). Is this going to be a rebound year for the Bandits? A repeat for the Showboats? A resurgence for the Birmingham Stallions? And who will come out of the Atlantic? Can Baltimore repeat despite some big losses in the offseason? Is Pittsburgh ready to step up? Can Philly return to glory with a new Jim Mora at the helm? Lots of big questions, but before we look at each team, lets take a look at the offseason moves that have had the biggest impact across the conference over the past 6 weeks since our last report. While we know everyone is excited to talk about the 2000 rookie class or to hype up their favorite club, we should start with some basic housekeeping, a quick review of late roster moves that could impact the league this year. We had a couple of unusual events this January, including a spate of retirements after camp had begun and a flurry of last second signings during late free agency. We also saw a couple more trades that will certainly impact the season. We begin with the post-draft trades. Michigan sends DT Sam Adams to Jacksonville to acquire HB Natrone Means. We saw the writing on the wall on this one. Means wanted out of Jacksonville and the Bulls were not going to get much for him, but in Adams they get veteran leadership and a pretty big body in the middle of the D-line. Not a bad bargain for them to unload a player who clearly wanted another chance to prove he is a legit starter in the league, something he will certainly get in Michigan. In Memphis, the defending champions seem willing to trade defense for offensive line help, sending LB Al Wilson to Washington for guard Mike Hutson. We tend to think the Federals, who are trying to rebuild a killer D, came out a bit on top in this one. Denver sends FS Myron Guyton to Orlando for WR Tamarick Vanover, a solid slot receiver option. So, Orlando in addition to adding O-line depth, now tries to improve their secondary while Denver may be shifting to more of a short passing game after the departure of Odessa Turner. Finally, because we know you love O-line news, Seattle sent C Matt Birk to St. Louis in order to get DT Mike Lodish as the Dragons try to address an area of their club that definitely needed work. Birk will compete for the starting job in St. Louis and can also play swing at guard or right tackle if needed. We mentioned some in-camp retirements, something we rarely see, but also some Free Agent signings, which is typical, particularly after rookie draftees opt for the fall league instead of the USFL. Beginning with the retirements, we see two that have not really been dealt with by their clubs as of yet. Oakland lost out on Jon Carter, who retired only 1 month after signing with the club. In Baltimore, wideout Odessa Turner, who has had some injury concerns in recent years, also decided to call it a career after two-a-days had begun. As of yet, no free agents have been signed to replace them. Emory Yates, the long-term Stallion tackle had signed with Ohio, but recent medical findings helped make the decision to retire for him, as his ongoing hip injury is now believed to be chronic and possibly degenerative, forcing his hand. Ohio is still in the market for a new tackle. When LB Paul McGown told the Generals he would be retiring, they at least had some options, with several solid LBs left in free agency. They signed former Bandit Bobby Houston within 48 hours of the news. The Gamblers went one step better, cutting QB Chuck Clements 3 days into camp once they had signed former St. Louis Knight QB Jim Miller. Miller is expected to compete immediately with Chuck Hartlieb and untested Matt Hasselbeck, though it is Hasselbeck who was named the Week 1 starter. Other late free agent signings include veteran wideout Ricky Proehl in New Orleans, TE Mark Bruener by Arizona, LB Ricky Hamilton by Houston, tackle Mike Hayes by the Stallions, and QB Wally Richardson by Memphis. We might see a couple more go before the end of camp, as teams are still trying to find their ideal 45-man rosters, and as some younger players are placed in the practice squad. As always, the drafting of a rookie by any USFL club is only half the battle. Within 2 weeks of the USFL draft we have the NFL Draft, and once a player has been selected by both leagues the real battle begins. The USFL has tried to emphasize the draft over raiding NFL rosters for talent, but even so, the average is about 55% or higher of players opting for the NFL over the spring league, despite overall salary equivalency often achieved between the two leagues. So, for every big signing, there is also very often a coveted player who got away. Let’s look at the 12 Eastern clubs and see who could make an impact in 2000 and the big fish that got away. ATLANTA FIRE High Impact Rookie(s): Atlanta had a lot of picks this year, and signed 9 players from their 12 selections, a very good rate of return. They now have both J.R. Redmond of Arizona State and Mike Anderson of Utah ready to back up Tiki Barber at the HB spot, and DT Darwin Walker will likely join the D-line rotation as well. Others on the Roster: While OT Stockar McDougle may see some playing time, expect TE James Whelan and DE Chris Combs to alternate between active, inactive, and practice squad status. QB Mark Bulger from West Virginia has been retained as the #3 QB. The One that Got Away: Atlanta did as expected and swung for the fences with their first pick, DE Courtney Brown of Penn State, but Brown opted to go with Cleveland of the NFL, initially leaving some concern in Atlanta about the pass rush, a concern that was profoundly altered by the signing of former Buffalo Bill superstar Bruce Smith. Smith may not be a spring chicken anymore, but he can still put up those sack numbers and put the fear of Bruce into opposing QBs. BALTIMORE BLITZ High Impact Rookie(s): With the retirement of Derrick Fenner, it was essential that Baltimore find a back to run its power rush style, and in Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne they believe they have. Dayne should be the Week 1 starter at the position. Expect Baltimore to use more 3-wide formations and leave Dayne as a pounder on the inside. Others on the Roster: In addition to Dayne, Baltimore added depth to both lines with guard Kaulana Noa of Hawaii, tackle Blaine Saipaia of Colorado State, DT Brian Young of UTEP and DE Quinton Reese of Auburn. The One that Got Away: The Blitz got the back they needed, but missed on their 2nd round pick, wideout Todd Pinkston of Southern Miss. This hurt even more when recently signed WR Odessa Turner opted to retire after 2 weeks of Blitz training camp, one of several veterans to bow out in camp across the league this year. That leaves the Blitz a little shaky at receiver with Rob Moore and Tim Dwight the presumptive starters. Rumors have a trade in the works, but as of today, the Blitz have one of the weaker receiving corps in the league. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS High Impact Rookie(s): Another club looking for a back after Stephen Davis left in free agency. Birmingham got theirs from the second round, another local product, Alabama’s Shaun Alexander. He will be expected to get significant playing time, though we also think FB Mike Alstott and veteran Rodney Thomas, signed from Texas, will be the likely Week 1 starting combo. Others on the Roster: We like the look of LB Barrett Green from WVU, and that is about it. WR Darrell Jackson is most likely a special teams contributor, and OT Brad Bedell is buried deep on the depth chart. The One that Got Away: Wisconsin tackle Chris McIntosh opted to join the NFL Seahawks, so it looks like once again protecting Brett Favre will come down to a Richmond Webb, whose knees have been an issue in recent years. JACKSONVILLE BULLS High Impact Rookie(s): Jacksonville fans believe their club hit the jackpot with Penn State LB Lavar Arrington. Arrington is fast and decisive, and brings the hammer when he hits opposing backs. He will be a day 1 starter. Wideout Dez White, a 2nd round pick, is also looking solid for the Bulls, who needed to add talent after losing Brian Blades to the NFL. Others on the Roster: Expect to see both Troy State’s Michael Moore and Mississippi State’s Wes Shivers get some PT at guard. Safety Paris Lennon of Richmond also made the final 53, while several others are now on the Bulls practice squad. The One that Got Away: The Bulls other attempt at a rookie wideout, FSU’s Peter Warrick, did not materialize. Most around the league had a sense that he was leaning towards the NFL, and so did the Bulls, who did not select him until the 4th round, which all but guaranteed he would follow his first round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS High Impact Rookie(s): Memphis did not have a lot of holes on the starting roster, so we are not surprised that most of their signed rookies will likely be backups. Guards Andrew Kline (SDSU) and Cooper Carlisle (Florida) are likely to see the field from time to time, but most of the rooks will likely see spotty action at best. Others on the Roster: TE Erron Kinney sits 3rd on the depth chart, while CB Lewis Sanders and LB Sekou Sanyika will likely see mostly special teams action. The One that Got Away: No huge losses here. Memphis took a shot at FSU’s Corey Simon in the 1st round, but that did not pan out. They have a solid line so it would have been a luxury pick, a BPA situation to be sure at the end of the first round. NEW JERSEY GENERALS High Impact Rookie(s): Phil Hansen has to be happy that Tennessee’s Shaun Ellis will now be lining up across from him on the NJ defensive line. Ellis’s speed and power combo will absolutely make it harder for offenses to double team one of the league’s most dangerous power rushers. New Jersey also thinks they found a gem with their pick from Portland in the first round, West Virginia TE Anthony Becht. And they may have gotten a steal in the 7th round with Michigan State DT Robaire Smith, who has been very impressive in camp. Others on the Roster: Kicker and 12th round pick Neil Rackers takes over after Adam Vinatieri left for the NFL, while wideout Ahmad Merritt may get some slot work and linemen Richard Mercier (Miami) and Leander Jordan (IUP) could rotate in as well. It looks like former Michigan QB Tom Brady may stick with the team as the 3rd QB behind Spence Fischer and Jeff Lewis. While there is a clear QB battle at the top, Brady should expect to hold a clipboard this season. The One that Got Away: Really the only Generals pick that feels like a lost opportunity is 4th round selection T.J. Slaughter, the linebacker out of Southern Miss, but landing Lorenzo Styles from the Stallions as a free agent feels like it fills the gap just fine. OHIO GLORY High Impact Rookie(s): Ohio needed a good draft, but whiffed on their top 2 picks, so the best we can say is that they have a good-looking backup QB in Chris Redman of Louisville, and a potential contributor in CB Jason Webster from Texas A&M. Others on the Roster: Guard Darnell Alford and WR Bryan Gilmore are likely to spend most of the season on the practice squad. The One that Got Away: Two actually got away, first round pick Julian Peterson, the linebacker from Michigan State, and 2nd round pick Deon Grant both opted to play in the fall, big hits for a club that desperately needs to upgrade their defense. ORLANDO RENEGADES High Impact Rookie(s): LB Rob Morris may not start at MLB, but he should see some action this year. The more immediate impact may come from safety Tyrone Carter of Minnesota, who has looked solid in camp. Others on the Roster: No big names, but some upside to players like DE John Engleberger, CB Ben Kelly, and LB Danny Clark. The One that Got Away: Easy, 1st round pick Thomas Jones. Chosen as a possible successor to Terry Kirby, who is not getting any younger. The whiff on Jones may be part of the reason why Moe Williams was signed from Memphis in the first place. Having Williams allowed Orlando to take a shot on Jones, and they did. PHILADELPHIA STARS High Impact Rookie(s): The Stars wanted defensive help in the draft and we think they may have as many as 3 starters coming out of this year’s haul. 1st round pick Deltha O’Neal looks ready to start off as a nickel back but could soon be a starter outside as well. DT Kendrick Clancy from Ole Miss will get snaps at DT, and SS Antwan Harris, despite being a 9th round pick, has looked really good in camp. Others on the Roster: Tackle Todd Wade (another Ole Miss Rebel) and TE Joe Dean Davenport will make the squad but are not expected to see the field much this year except on special teams. The One that Got Away: Philly did pretty well. Yes, they would like to have had 2nd round pick Jerry Porter, the speedy wideout from West Virginia, on the roster, but after adding Bobby Engram from the NFL Bears, they feel they have a decent WR room to start the year, even without All-USFL receiver Cris Carter suiting up anymore. PITTSBURGH MAULERS High Impact Rookie(s): A very strong draft for the Maulers. They got themselves a kicker (Rian Lindell from WSU), a corner (Kareem Larrimore), a speedy wideout (Dennis Northcutt) and a solid DE in Darren Howard. Others on the Roster: LB Nate Webster could also pan out after a solid career at Miami. The One that Got Away: Signing Jake Reed away from the NFL helps Pittsburgh also deal with the sting of missing out on their top pick, wideout Travis Taylor from Florida. Doubling back to WR in the 2nd round for Northcutt also seems smart in retrospect. TAMPA BAY BANDITS High Impact Rookie(s): OT Marvel Smith, chosen in the first round, should be a great addition to a Bandits line that was getting a little long in the tooth. Expect him to start out at RT. The big surprise is the performance of 5th round pick Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila at DE. He has a legitimate shot to start the year as a starter, which few saw coming. Others on the Roster: We like Travis Prentice, the back out of Miami of Ohio, as a relief player for Errict Rhett, a better fit than James Stewart was last year. LB Corey Moore from Va Tech could also see some snaps this season. The One that Got Away: Willee Bartee, the rangy CB from OU could have made an impact in the secondary, but he opted to stay closer to home with the KC Chiefs. WASHINGTON FEDERALS High Impact Rookie(s): We like TE Bubba Franks, the Federals surprise 1st round pick, but he is likely to need a year before he is ready to be a full time starter. HB Reuben Droughns from Oregon will be the change of pace back for Barry Word this year, and WR Drew Haddad is a good late round addition at WR. Others on the Roster: CB Jeff Harris (Georgia), and C Matt Johnson (BYU) may eventually get into the gameday roster but for now they are on the practice squad. The One that Got Away: 2nd round pick Keith Bullock would have been a nice addition to the Federals LB Corps, but he opted to become a Houston Oiler instead. TOP 3 BOTTOM 2 Before our team-by-team analysis, we want to offer an analysis of position groupings in the USFL. So we are going to identify which clubs we feel have the strongest, deepest, and most impactful groupings at different positions, while also providing the 2 clubs who we feel are weakest in each area, in a little section we call Top 3 Bottom 2. We start here with the offense and will conclude with defensive positions in our Western Conference Preview. QUARTERBACK #1 BIRMINGHAM: Brett Favre pretty much places Birmingham here all by himself. He is never hurt, so backup Danny Kannell only gets to see the field at the end of blowouts, but Kanell is a very capable backup, and Jay Barker looks very professional in a visor with a clipboard, so there is that too. #2 TAMPA BAY: It was between the Bandits and Showboats for #2, and we decided to reward Tampa Bay for having a more viable backup. Shuler and Aikman are both great QBs, but if either gets hurt, would you rather bring in Tampa’s Kent Graham or Memphis’s Gino Torretta? Graham, right? #3 PHILADELPHIA: Yes, we might be overvaluing Bobby Hebert at this point in his career, but we are also giving Philly credit for putting two very viable QBs behind him in the form of Will Furrer and Jake Delhomme. Any one of the three is capable of winning games. Hebert, while not his former self, is still capable of winning them against all odds, and that is still a hard skill to find. #23 NEW ORLEANS: To say that we do not trust Trent Dilfer to be a savior in the Crescent City is an understatement. Having Bobby Hoying and Gus Frerotte behind him is also not a big confidence booster. Say the Breakers are down by 17 with a quarter to play, do you think any of these 3 are bringing them back? We didn’t think so. #24 ATLANTA: Maybe Aaron Brooks is the second coming of Fran Tarkenton? Who knows? Pretty sure Atlanta does not know. Having Eric Zeier behind him and a rookie in Mark Bulger in 3rd means that Atlanta has very little available if Brooks flounders. Maybe we are wrong, but we think this combination is about as shaky as it gets in the USFL. RUNNING BACK #1 ORLANDO: Terry Kirby is not the best back in the league, but when you add in Moe Williams and Amos Zeroue at HB and then the devastating blocking of Chris Fuamata-Ma’afala at FB, you have the best RB group in the league. They can power run, outside run, catch the ball, block for the passing game. You won’t likely see Kirby lead the league in rushing, but you very well may see Orlando gain the most yards from scrimmage with these backs. #2 CHICAGO: We really wanted to give an award to a team with 1 huge back, like Denver with Salaam or Pittsburgh with Davis, but it just does not make sense. When a club like Chicago can bring in Ricky Watters, Duce Staley or Mario Bates on any play, and then have Jonathon Linton backside blocking or leading the counter tre, it just has to go to a team with a bevvy of backs, and Chicago has that. #3 LOS ANGELES: Another depth victory in the RB group. Combine Antowain Smith’s and Michael Pittman’s production and you will almost certainly outgain any 1 back in the league. That they can also bring in Maurice Smith to spell either back, and they can count on Shawn Bryson to open holes is just pure luxury for the Express, and a big reason they bolted to #1 in the Pacific last year. #23 PHILADELPHIA: Hard to know what Philly has in Stephen Davis, the new acquisition from Birmingham. He never fully got a chance with the Stallions, but he needs to prove himself with the Stars. Pat Chaffey and Mark Montgomery are not going to steal the job from him, that is for sure. Reinaldo Deal feels like just a warm body at FB, so expect Philly to use a lot of 1-back formations. #24 ARIZONA: We keep saying it, year in and year out Arizona tries to develop a run game and it never works. They always seem to end up with Tim Lester leading all backs with 500 yards. That is sad. Kantroy Barber did OK in Jacksonville and Olandis Gary can gain 2 on a 3rd and 1, but he can also gain 2 on a 3rd and 3, so not that helpful. Richie Anderson is a solid FB, but that is just not enough. WIDE RECEIVER #1 BIRMINGHAM: When Ernest Givens finally does decide to retire, this group may not even lose a beat. They have Lawrence Dawsey who is plan B only in that someone has to be B if Givens is A. Then you add in Marcus Robinson who broke out when Givens was injured last year, and that is not all. Tyree Davis and Darell Jackson can also fly, so the deep ball circus that Birmingham can put on is 3-rings of good. #2 ARIZONA: With a bad run game, they better have good receivers and, yes, Arizona does. Carl Pickens and Rocket Ismail bring the speed, while Hines Ward is a professional route runner and not afraid to block either. Curtis Duncan and Nate Jacquet don’t see the field often, but can provide good depth for this group. #3 HOUSTON: I don’t think we have seen the full potential of this group with Chuck Hartlieb at the helm, and we may not see it now that Houston has named Matt Hasselbeck the starter. You put these receivers on Memphis or even Baltimore and watch them fly. Antonio Freeman, Brett Perriman, Hart Lee Dykes, Derrick Mason and Willie Jackson provide depth and danger. Now if Houston could just get an elite QB. #23 BALTIMORE: The Blitz like to run a lot of 2 TE and heavy formations, and with a receiving corps like theirs, we see why. Rob Moore is a solid pro, but not a gamebreaker. Tim Dwight has straight line speed but not much else. Lamar Thomas and Malcom Floyd are not going to damage a defense. If it were not for solid TE play the Blitz might be in real trouble. #24 ATLANTA: Are you afraid of Lake Dawson, Terrance Mathis and Reggie Barlow? How about if we throw in Sanjay Beach and Chris Calloway? Yeah, we thought not. Dawson is above average but is unlikely to be a #1 on any other club, and he is clearly their best option. Mathis is dynamic on returns, but as a receiver he just is not consistent enough. TIGHT END #1 ARIZONA: The Wranglers have the #2 wide receiver group and we are giving them the #1 TE group based on depth. And we wonder why Jake Plummer throws so many passes. This is a group that has not worked together but the 3 pieces are all high grade. O.J. Santiago could be a breakout star this year. Matt Cushing and Mark Bruener are also both more than capable of making a defense play the whole field. #2 MEMPHIS: We are going to break our rule about depth as a key factor because with the departure of Keith Jackson to the NFL, Memphis’s Adrian Cooper is so far ahead of any other TE that it gives the Showboats an advantage no other team can claim. We feel that putting them at #1 would not be fair, but if you are going to play with only 1 TE on the field, you are going to want to be Memphis. #3 BALTIMORE: We are putting the Blitz here on depth alone. Cam Cleeland, Kyle Brady, and now they have added Keith McKeller. That is a lot of catches among these three. None of them have the dynamism of a Keith Jackson or Shannon Sharpe, but they all can block, all can catch, and all can make you pay in the Red Zone. #23 TAMPA BAY: If Ben Coates were still playing, the Bandits would be Top 5, but he is gone, and what they have now, Troy Drayton, Trumaine Bell, and Casey Crawford, will struggle to even gain half as many yards as Coates did all by himself. #24 DENVER: A sad state of affairs really. Denver went from the Gold Standard with Keith Jackson, to whatever is after bronze. Marco Battaglia is the best of a weak bunch. This is a clear position of need for the Gold, and it will hold them back. OFFENSIVE LINE #1 SEATTLE: The Dragons need better QB play if for no other reason than to showcase just how good this line is. Lomas Brown is a beast at LT, and Greg Skrepanak is no slouch on the right side. Then you get Jesse Sapolo, Paul Jetton, and Troy Sienkowicz and this is a line that should make Corey Dillon’s dreams of a rushing title come true. If only they could get a QB who could keep the defense honest. #2 TEXAS: Just ask Reggie Cobb how good his OL is. They are solid across the board, and while they excel at run blocking, their main task is to ensure that Kelly Stouffer never has to leave the game. Tackles Jermaine Mayberry and Ryan Tucker, guards John Burch and Jeffrey Fisher, and center Mike Arthur are never going to be media stars, but they are huge when it comes to the Outlaw offense. #3 PITTSBURGH: Terrell Davis was good in New Orleans, but once he got behind this line in Pittsburgh he became the league rushing champion. Best known for their run blocking, this group also helped make Charlie Batch’s transition to the starting position much easier. It is no wonder that as the group gelled last year, the Maulers went on a 9-game winning streak. #23 OAKLAND: Fans like to blame Ryan Leaf for the club’s offensive woes, but the man is running for his life. And things are not much better for Siran Stacy. The Oakland line has a penchant for missing incoming blitzers, making life miserable for Leaf and Stacy. Brendan Stai at LG is the best of the bunch, and we like the future for Jeff Saturday, but the two tackles consistently rate among the worst at their positions. #24 MICHIGAN: We like to call Doug Flutie a running QB, but we suspect he would be a lot more immobile if he were not trying to avoid getting crushed on every play. There is not a single starter in this group who rates 80/100 on the annual statistical analysis. LT Ross Verba has had decent games, but too few and too far between to really stay as a starting LT. Things are not any stronger on the right side of the line either. So, what we are saying is don’t count on Natrone Means, the new Panther HB, to become rushing champion this year, and pray a little for tiny Doug Flutie that his legs hold out. TEAM PREVIEWS ATLANTIC DIVISION Baltimore’s surprise rise along with Philadelphia’s sudden collapse turned the division upside down last year. Now we are not sure what to expect. We have a new coach in Jim Mora Jr. trying to resurrect the image of the Stars in Philly, Pittsburgh was very to end the season and may be a favorite this year, and there are rumblings that Marty Schottenheimer is looking to shake things up at QB. An interesting division to be sure, with 3, maybe 4 contenders among the 6 division rivals. BALTIMORE BLITZ (12-4, 1st in 1999) COACH: Lindy Infante (9th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Well, going 12-4 certainly helps with confidence. Adding the Heisman winner to your roster in the offseason also does not hurt. Coach Infante and the Blitz had one of their best seasons in a decade last year, and optimism is sure to run high. The defense was a huge strength and adding Michael Dean Perry alongside John Randle inside may make the Blitz impossible to run against. That will make life easier for the offense, which still relies a lot on a ground & pound philosophy. If Trent Green can stay healthy for 16 games, this team could again win the Atlantic. WHY CONCERN: Trent Green never seems to remain healthy for 16 games, and a receiving corps of Moore, Dwight, and Malcom Floyd is not going to intimidate anyone. Yes, adding TE Keith McKeller means that Baltimore now has two good receivers in a 2 TE formation, so play action should be tough to stop, but get ahead on this team by 10 or more and they may struggle to catch up. So, you live and die by the defense’s ability to keep teams behind. OUR ASSESSMENT: We think Baltimore will be challenged in the division, and 12 wins may be hard to come by without a more explosive offense. They are good, but not a complete team. We see them slipping to a Wild Card. Our best bet is 10-6 and 2nd place. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (10-6, 2ND in 1999) COACH: Emmitt Thomas (4th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Charlie Batch had a decent year as the new starter, and the Maulers went out and got him 2 new weapons in NFL vet Jake Reed and rookie Dennis Northcut. The O-line is solid, the run game has the 1999 USFL Rushing Champ in Terrell Davis. We think Coach Thomas is ready for a title run with this squad. WHY CONCERN: The starting secondary of Bobby Taylor, Quintin Jones, Jerome Woods and Sam Shade is one of the best in the league, and the 3 starters at LB (Dubose, Miles, Kumerow) are a scary bunch, but the front 4 of a near ancient Bob Kuberski, Moe Gardner, Shane Burton, and Jeff Cross is not going to rattle many QB’s or deter many running backs. Without a stronger front 4, Pittsburgh will have to blitz and that exposes the back end. That is the concern, that the Mauler defense is just not strong enough up front to maximize the potential of a strong secondary and LB corps. OUR ASSESSMENT: Despite the D-line concerns, we still see the Maulers as a team that can win in a variety of ways, especially if the new receivers can complement Terrell Davis’s run game. If Batch makes a good progression in his second year as the starter, we see the Maulers going far. We are saying 11-5 and a division title in Pittsburgh. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (8-8, 3rd in 1999) COACH: Paul Hackett (5th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: The pieces are there, strong run game, athletic QB, high-pressure D-line, athletic LBs. The Federals, when they are at their best, can beat anyone. Reuben Droughns should help keep Barry Word fresh. Bubba Franks could be a factor in the passing game. Adding Dan Saleamua makes Jerome Brown’s job so much easier. A lot of positives in DC. WHY CONCERN: The slide to 8-8 last year has to worry fans in the DC area. Washington was erratic on offense, and their D was not as overpowering as in past seasons. Winston Moss and Michael Barrow are asked to do a lot to keep teams under 20 points, but when they cannot, the Feds have trouble playing catch up. They look a lot like the Blitz, honestly, except that they might have better receivers with Moore, Mike Williams, and newly acquired J.J. Stokes. OUR ASSESSMENT: We think the Feds will rebound, and could make a run at a division title, but we are still wary of Kordell Stewart’s accuracy, Word’s aging knees, and the defense’s ability to hold top offenses in check. We think 9-10 wins may be the ceiling, and that may not be high enough. We are going with 9-7 and a possible low seed Wild Card. OHIO GLORY (8-8, 4th in 1999) COACH: Al Luginbill (3rd Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Ohio did well to win 8 games last year. Al Luginbill has to be happy with the progress seen in both Kerry Collins and Eddie George. Galloway is perhaps the best receiver in the league, and adding Qadry Ismail made his game even better. We like Stephen Alexander at TE as well. Ohio looks ready to become a well-rounded offense. WHY CONCERN: While Luginbill is improving the offense, the D is the big issue. The secondary did not get enough attention and the draft did not really help add much. We like John Copeland at LDE, and La’Roi Glover looks solid at DT, but beyond that, they don’t have much to fear. If they can’t get a top 10 or 12 ranking from the D, that improving offense won’t be enough, especially in this division where D is key. OUR ASSESSMENT: We like what Al Luginbill is doing with the offense, but Ohio needed to upgrade across the D and they simply didn’t. We see a step back here until they get that sorted out. Our best guess is 6-10 and another year of disappointment in Columbus. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (6-10, 5th in 1999) COACH: Marty Schottenheimer (3rd Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Are NJ fans ever optimistic? Well, this year may be a hard one to find optimism in. They have a QB controversy with Coach Schottenheimer bringing in Jeff Lewis as a clear sign that he does not have faith in Spence Fischer. We do like the receiving corps of Glenn, Kevin Johnson and Wayne Chrebet, and the arrival of good-looking rookie Anthony Becht may even make that group more dangerous. That makes life easier for Curtis Enis, who can be a huge weapon if teams can’t load the box. Phil Hansen remains a beast and rookie Shaun Ellis may make him even more dangerous. Those are the positives. WHY CONCERN: DT remains a weak point for the Generals, and they have added 2 new starting LBs so that will take time to gel. The secondary is not great, and teams do seem to be willing to risk 2-3 Hansen sacks per game to take advantage of that. And, with uncertainty at QB, we are not sure what we will see out of the offense. That has to worry fans, who are already pretty cynical in NJ. OUR ASSESSMENT: 9-7 is not out of the question, but this roster does not look like one that will suddenly jump to 10 or more wins. We liked what we saw from Jeff Lewis in limited action in Denver, but is he ready to unseat Fischer? We are going to say another 7-9 finish seems likely. PHILADELPHIA STARS (5-11, 6th in 1999) COACH: Jim Mora Jr. (1st Season) WHY OPTIMISM: We have to remember that it has been only 1 bad season since the Stars were atop the division in 1998. And, of course, having a Mora back as the lead man in the coaching room certainly fills the Star fans with hope. Bobby Hebert still has a lot of fire in his belly and in his right arm. Stephen Davis arrives from Birmingham and both he and the Stars think it is a good fit for him to reach 1,000 yards. We like the signing of Bobby Engram from the NFL, and they have solid TEs in Eric Green and Marcus Pollard. WHY CONCERN: The biggest reason for the collapse to 5-11 last year was not Hebert or the run game, it was the D. It simply aged out of being effective. Adding rookies like Deltha O’Neal and Kendrick Clancy is a great long range boost, but they will need time to grow into the pro game. We think Philly is on the right path, but it likely won’t lead to a jump up the standings in year one of Jim Mora Jr’s tenure. OUR ASSESSMENT: We are going to keep the Stars in the basement at 6-10, but we think that in another year, with some shrewd signings, they could retool and be ready to make a move. SOUTHERN DIVISION This division is stacked, mostly with offensive powerhouses. You have the past two USFL Champions in Memphis and Tampa Bay, and you still have Brett Favre in Birmingham. Makes you feel kind of bad for poor Orlando, so close to being so good, and then Jacksonville and Atlanta. Can any of these three make strides like the one the Showboats made last season? MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (12-4, 1st in 1999) COACH: Jim Mora (4th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: The Showboats surprised everyone last year, shooting up the South standings and taking home their first league title. Fans in the Mid-South now think they could become the first USFL club to ever repeat. While we love what Coach Mora (Sr.) has done with the ‘Boats, repeating has not happened in the league’s 18 seasons because it is a very tough task. We love Heath Shuler’s growth last year and expect him to be an MVP candidate again. Joe Horn, Lawyer Tillman, and possibly now Tydus Wynans are all quality receivers and in Adrian Cooper they have a record-setting TE. All good signs for this club. WHY CONCERN: Reggie White has retired. Moe Williams has moved on. It feels like Memphis has lost more than they gained in the offseason. They also traded away Al Wilson (LB) and Montae Reager (DT), and while we like Dameaion Jeffries, he is no Reggie White. Memphis will have to win by outscoring opponents, and with the Stallions and Bandits also all in on offense, that could be tough. OUR ASSESSMENT: While fans think Memphis has a shot to repeat, we think they took their shot last year and are likely to step back this year under intense pressure from 3 other really good Southern teams, all aiming at them. 10-6 and a Wild Card may be more realistic for the Showboats. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (11-5, 2nd in 1999) COACH: Ron Erhardt (9th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: The Stallions were 1 game away from a Summer Bowl, have an elite QB, improved their run game with 2 solid backs (free agent Rodney Thomas and ‘Bama rookie Shaun Alexander, and have all 3 of their top receivers back. So, the offense is golden. WHY CONCERN: You know we are going to say defense, right? Other than Cornelius Bennett at LB and 1999 Defensive ROTY Mike Rucker, who do they have? Oh, that’s right, Deion Sanders. That actually is a significant addition. Of course, Sanders is not great against the run, so Birmingham may still struggle to stop the run, but if he can shut down each opponent’s #1 receiver, that makes life a lot easier. OUR ASSESSMENT: We have to say that we are excited to see Sanders go up against Tampa’s Randy Moss. That should be fun. Birmingham still has issues on defense, but they have an offense designed to get ahead in games and a D that can rush the passer and now, with Sanders, perhaps cut off the best receiver, making comebacks very hard. That is a pretty good combo, and so we are going to say 13-3 and a #1 seed for the Stallions this year. Our early favorite for the title. ORLANDO RENEGADES (9-7, 3rd in 1999) COACH: George O’Leary (7th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: The Renegades made a great run last year and look like a pretty well-rounded roster. Donald Driver had a great rookie year, going over 1,000 yards receiving, and should only improve. Terry Kirby was dynamic in both the run and pass game, and now gets a quality back-mate in Moe Williams. Rookie Tyrone Carter (SS) should help the secondary be more aggressive, and Chris Doleman may well be the best DE in the game right now, surpassing both the retired Reggie White and the older Phil Hansen. WHY CONCERN: We are just not sold on Scott Mitchell. He has thrown double digit picks each of the past 4 seasons and while his numbers are OK, they are not in the same ballpark as Aikman, Favre, and Shuler. Add to that a LB corps that struggles to cover receivers and you are putting all the pressure on Doleman to end drives. That is tricky business. OUR ASSESSMENT: We like Orlando, but we don’t love them. They could easily be 2nd in the division, or just as easily 4th or 5th. That smells like 9-7 again to us. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (7-9, 4th in 1999) COACH: George Seifert (4th Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Last year was a fluke. That is what the apologists are saying. After all this is a team with Aikman, Rhett, Moss, and Brooks on offense. They added Santana Dotson to help pressure the other big Southern Division QBs and may have found a gem in rookie DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. What is not to like? WHY CONCERN: Well, since you asked. They have not found a good replacement for Ben Coates, which really hampers their offensive efficiency. Other than Darien Gordon, their secondary is mediocre, and they have not been able to get Rhett to 1,000 yards rushing since 1995. OUR ASSESSMENT: We think 8-8 is too low for Tampa, but are they still as good as their 1998 title seemed to indicate? We don’t think so. Third place and 9 or 10 wins seems a good ceiling for the Bandits. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (6-10, 5th in 1999) COACH: Gunther Cunningham (2nd Season) WHY OPTIMISM: Coach Cunningham got good results out of a roster in flux last year. The club played hard all through the second half of a lost season, they may have found a runner in Sedrick Irvin, having traded away a disgruntled Natrone Means. They have one of the league’s best young receivers in Terrell Owens, and they added a jitterbug of a slot man in Dez White. Oh, and, yes, cover model LaVar Arrington is ready to become a star in North Florida. We love Arrington’s speed and aggression. Putting him alongside Jessie Armstead and newly acquired Mike Vrabel gives Jacksonville a murderer’s row at LB. WHY CONCERN: There are still some major issues on both sides of the ball. The loss of Brian Blades will be felt. The secondary has issues, especially with 3-4 WR formations, and the Bulls are still waiting for Jevon Kearse to have a breakout season at DE. OUR ASSESSMENT: The Bulls could make a big step up this year. We could see them possibly even competing for 2nd place behind Birmingham. But with Orlando, Memphis, and Tampa Bay ahead of them, they need to be at their best each week, something that has proved difficult, especially for Chris Chandler, in recent years. We are going to say 8-8 is a realistic year for them and a step in the right dimension. ATLANTA FIRE (2-14, 6th in 1999) COACH: Bobby Petrino (1st Season) WHY OPTIMISM: It can’t get any worse? I guess that is optimism. New head coach Bobby Petrino comes to Atlanta from the U. of Louisville, where he is used to going into games against clubs with more talent than his. That is going to be the case almost every week in the USFL as the Fire have simply failed in 5 years to build a strong roster. We think Tiki Barber is really good, but he cannot do it all himself. Atlanta is looking to 2nd year QB Aaron Brooks to add some energy to the QB position, but energy is not the same as skill. The WR corps is still a weakness and TE is even worse. And this is our optimism section. WHY CONCERN: The defense is the star of our concern section. They have been bad since the club was founded, and we think they will be pretty bad once again. They do have talent at CB with Tyrone Poole, Tyrone Legette, and “Tyronde” Barber forming a really solid 3-man depth there. We like Mo Lewis and London Fletcher, but are they fast enough at LB to do what needs to be done. Adding Johnny Holland could help. Up front, adding Bruce Smith looks great on paper, and if it were 1991 we would expect a lot, but Bruce’s best days are behind him. He may be good for 10+ sacks, but will he be a major factor in most games? OUR ASSESSMENT: Coach Petrino knew he was taking on a tough task in Atlanta. It is not just that the Fire have needs in several positions, it is that they are in what is undoubtedly the toughest division not only in the USFL, but in all of pro football. 5-6 wins would be a really strong first year for Petrino in Atlanta.

January 17, 2000 A lot has happened since we last reported on the USFL. We all survived Y2K to see a new millennium (don’t start on the 2000 vs. 2001 debate, we don’t care.) and while everyone was waiting for our computers to explode, across the USFL general managers and coaches were trying to put rosters together for the upcoming season and prepping for this week’s USFL Collegiate Draft. There have been some surprises along the way, and some teams look quite a bit different than they did just as recently as October. So, let’s review the trades, free agency acquisitions, and the moves made in just the last 2 weeks as the NFL-USFL transfer window opened back up. We will then take a look at the top prospects in this year’s draft and which USFL clubs might be good fits. As usual we saw a few trades as teams assessed their roster gaps leading up to the draft, but what was a bit surprising is that very few draft picks were swapped this past month. What we saw were basically player for player swaps as teams tried to fill a key gap in their rosters by means other than placing their faith in a rookie. Of the 10+ trades just in the last 14 days, these three stand out as potentially impactful ones. Memphis, who we all assumed would deal with the retirement of Reggie White by drafting a top edge rusher in the draft, was apparently impatient and opted to make a pretty sizable deal to bring in a USFL DE with a bit more experience but still a lot of upside. They sent two players, backup QB Rob Johnson and DT Montae Reager to the St. Louis Knights to acquire Dameaion Jeffries, the 26-year old 4th year edge rusher. Jeffries has shown potential when he has been able to avoid injuries. He had 14 sacks in 1998 and 11 this past year. Built more along the lines of a Santana Dotson than a Reggie White, Jeffries is a speed rusher that could have issues unless Memphis can find ways to break off the double teams that White faced. The move does allow Memphis to look at other priorities at the top of the draft, though we suspect they will still draft a DE somewhere in the mid rounds. For St. Louis, getting Johnson to replace Jim Miller behind their starter makes sense, and so does acquiring a solid DT to rotate in with two older veterans, 13-year vet Jerry Ball and 10-year vet John Jurkovic. Houston makes another move, acquiring LB Sam Cowart from the Arizona Wranglers for Free Safety David Arnold. Arnold was trapped behind Tyrone Drakeford in the lineup and the Gamblers definitely needed to add some athleticism in the LB corps. For Arizona, Arnold will be a likely starter after the loss of Roger Harper to free agency. Not a blockbuster trade by any stretch, but one likely to help both clubs. Seattle and Oakland pulled off one of the more surprising trades of the offseason in that both clubs were willing to part with established starters at one position to acquire another in a position of lesser depth. The Dragons needed help in the secondary, Oakland on the D-line, so both were willing to look at two of their deeper positions and trade away their starter, a rarity in any league. For Oakland, that starter was Strong Safety John Lynch, for Seattle it was defensive tackle Tim Johnson. Lynch has been a stalwart of the Invader secondary since coming into the league in 1993. He now becomes an immediate leader for the Dragon defense while Oakland will likely promote Torian Gray up to the starting spot. Johnson has been part of Seattle’s defensive line rotation since he entered the league in 1987. He is a bit of a risk as an older player, but Oakland needs leadership and experience as they build a new defense for Coach Capers. Johnson is a strong run-stuffer and space occupier, and Oakland absolutely needs to be able to shut down the run after a season as one of the worst in that department. Before looking at the recently re-opened NFL-USFL transfer window, we should take a look at the free agency signings within the USFL over the past couple of months. We start with the 10 most interesting signings and then a quick look at who is still available as the Draft and Training Camp approach. 10— LA signed CB Vince Buck away from Ohio, a solid move after losing both Aeneas Williams (ARZ) and Bobby Taylor (PIT) themselves. 9—Oakland added more line help in the form of Jon Carter, leaving a hole in Denver opposite Leslie O’Neill. 8—Tampa Bay also added a quality edge rusher, outbidding LA to acquire their speed rusher, Santana Dotson. 7—Philadelphia poaches a DT from a division rival, signing former Federal Chris Zorich. 6—Atlanta adds depth and a good pass catcher behind Tiki Barber by signing scatback Glyn Milburn away from the Federals. 5—Jacksonville gets their MLB, pulling Mike Vrabel away from the Portland Thunder to replace the departed Tedi Bruschi (now in Texas) 4—Three backup QB’s go off the board as Houston signs Tony Sacca, Tampa brings in Chuck Clements, and Denver lands Bill Musgrave from the Thunder. 3—Chicago tries to protect Jeff George by signing LT Jeff Wright away from division rival Michigan. 2—The WR market starts to shrink as Odessa Turner leaves Denver for Baltimore, Patrick Rowe departs St. Louis for the Bulls, and Tyree Davis moves from Pittsburgh to Arizona. 1—Philadelphia gets their replacement for Charlie Garner, signing former Stallion Stephen Davis, as predicted. Davis is a very different back from Garner, so expect a shift towards a power run game from Coach Mora. A lot of movement, but with nearly 2 months until the USFL season starts, there are still many players left waiting to be signed, here is our list of the best still on the board in key positions. WR: The WR pool is not great, but Orlando’s Reggie Rembert and veteran Ricky Proehl of Chicago are still out there if someone wants a slot guy. CB: This is a deeper pool. Within that pool we like Aaron Glenn (LA) and Harry Colon (PIT) to find work soon. DT: William Perry is clearly nearing the end of his career, but if you want a space-occupying DT, he is available. FS/SS: Safety is a strong position in the draft this year, which might explain why no Free Safeties have been signed yet. Looking at the pool you have Charles Mincy, Roy Harper, Mike Dumas, and stunningly, last year’s interception leader, Izell Reese, who is still trying to get a deal done to return to the Knights. Cory Chavous of Seattle is really the only potential starter among Strong Safeties in the pool, and we expect that as we get closer to draft day, someone will snap him up. HB: Among halfbacks, the best left on the table is clearly former Bull Natrone Means. He is demanding quite a lot, but with several clubs needing a new bell cow back, he may just get it from someone. Others available include Atlanta’s Blair Thomas, Oakland’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Washington’s Dino Philyaw. Not exactly a deep pool. LB: Bobby Hamilton, Cedric Figaro and Bobby Houston remain for teams looking for help at the LB position. We have to admit that Houston’s lack of offers remains something of a mystery to us. TE: Rumors had Pittsburgh TE Keith McKeller headed to Baltimore, but it has not happened yet, and it really is between him and former Steeler, current General Mark Bruener if a team wants a veteran TE. QB: Finally, if your team needs a QB upgrade, at starter or as a backup, they might want to look at raiding the NFL. The only player left at the position with any experience or upside would be Tampa Bay backup Mike Pawlowski. NFL-USFL TRANSFER WINDOW With that being the internal USFL roster of free agents, it is no wonder that the reopening of the NFL-USFL transfer window was met with a great deal of anticipation. It did not take long to see a flurry of moves as the window opened. Let’s start with the players brought into the USFL from the senior league. Portland takes a swing on an NFL veteran in their attempt to deal with the unexpected retirement of HB Robert Drummond, signing Napoleon Kaufmann of the Raiders. Kaufmann has had some durabilty issues of late, but still has some moves and speed left. He may be more of a bridge back until Portland can sign or develop a young talent. We still think the Thunder could be in the running for a top rookie back like a Ron Dayne or Jamal Lewis. Chicago does not go far to help fill their needs at WR, looking just across the halls of Soldier Field to find former Bear Chris Conway. Conway has had some issues with the Bears but is popular among fans, so this could be a good signing from a PR standpoint for the Machine, as well as a potential first-day starter. Jacksonville adds center Bubba Miller to their line. Miller, a solid player for the Philadelphia Eagles, will get a chance to be the full time starter in Jacksonville, where he only needs to beat out 3rd year player Chris Ramirez for the job. Philly was in the market for a new kicker after letting Chip Lohmiller walk (he walked over to the NFL Redskins). They dip into the NFL pool and pull out former Bear and Raider Jeff Jaeger to take over the kicking duties. Finally, what may be one of the weirdest interleague moments yet, as the two clubs, one from each league, basically created an interleague trade. Now, an official trade is not possible, the agreement between the two leagues simply does not allow for direct compensation back and forth across league lines, but what happened between the Breakers and the NFL Buccaneers is about as close as that can come. The Breakers, under new head coach Mike Nolan, were reassessing the QB position. Jamie Martin, who had been the full time starter under Mike Ditka since 1996, has a 4 season rating of 87.6, not horrible, but not impressive either. It appears that Coach Nolan thinks the Breakers can do better, and so one week ago the Breakers cut Martin, making him available, and the Bucs immediately snapped him up. Nothing weird there, Tampa Bay could use a veteran backup behind 2nd year QB Duante Culpepper. So, with Martin in the fold, New Orleans released embattled veteran Trent Dilfer. Within 6 hours, Dilfer was a member of the Breakers and the presumptive starter, though Coach Nolan has stated that it will be an open competition with Gus Frerotte and Bobby Hoying. Was this a case of collusion between two teams in different leagues or just quick thinking by both clubs’ managers? Probably somewhere in between. We suspect that both GMs had a very good idea what the other was thinking. It was well known that Dilfer was on the outs in Tampa Bay after being replaced by Culpepper midseason, and all it would take is a single phonecall for the Breakers to clue Tampa Bay in on the release date for Martin, a move the Bucs could reciprocate by releasing Dilfer on a scheduled date. It does not hurt that both QBs also have the same agent. So, is it illegal? Does not appear so, since both players went through the standard protocols for being released and joining the transfer window. Is it a new type of transaction that could alter how the two leagues work with each other? Possibly. Both leagues tend to be very big on imitation of what works, so this may not be the last we have seen of “virtual” trading. Martin to the Bucs was not the only USFL to NFL move in the transfer window this past two weeks. One of the reasons the USFL talent pool is a bit lighter today is because of some of the departures these past 2 weeks. The Stallions, after losing FS Blaine Bishop to the NFL also saw one of their best CBs depart, with Chris Dishman headed to the Minnesota Vikings. Looks like B’ham is going to have to start drafting DBs. LA’s signing of Frank Wycheck was pretty much a signal to TE Tony McGee that they would not be meeting his terms to resign. So, McGee, who had 33 receptions, including 6 TDs last year, will now be a Cincinnati Bengal. New Jersey will likely use a late round pick on a kicker after the New England Patriots signed Adam Vinatieri out from under them. Not exactly payback for Babe Ruth leaving Boston for NY, just another thorny moment between the two cities. LB John Roper will be leaving Seattle to play for Dallas next Fall. The cagey veteran signed a 2 year deal with the NFL Cowboys, leaving Seattle looking for an alternative. And finally, a big blow for a playoff team as Michigan fails to resign HB Tyrone Wheatley. The one-cut back who has led the Panthers’ rush attack since coming into the league in 1995 is off to the New York Giants. There had been friction between Wheatley and team management over the past 2 years, and apparently the low-ball bid from the Panthers when free agency first opened was enough to anger the 1,000-yard back and send him packing for the NFL. The departure leaves Michigan with Brock Olivo and Winslow Oliver in the backfield. Expect the Panthers to take a long look at Natrone Means, but also to decide if an early pick on a halfback in the draft makes sense for them. With all this movement, there remain a lot of holes on a lot of teams across the USFL, and as dicey as trying to outbid the NFL can be when it comes to top rookies, the draft is where the USFL has made most of its thunder, aside from the occasional big name signing of late career NFL players like Montana or Marcus Allen and players with concerns like Jeff George or Trent Dilfer. So, as we look at the top 15 players available in this year’s Collegiate Draft Pool for both leagues, it is not hard to imagine many of these players opting for the spring league, which does tend to average just under 50% signing success of players taken in the first 3 rounds of both the USFL and NFL draft. So, while not every player on this list will be headed to the USFL, a good number should, which makes the question one of where they would fit in best. Here is our look at the top 15 prospects and which USFL team makes the most sense for them. DE Courtney Brown (Penn State): Who does not need a disruptive force on the edge? Pretty much every USFL squad would love to have a player like Brown terrorizing opposing QBs. Memphis was thought to be an early option here, but with their trade for Dameaion Jeffries, that seems less likely. If we had to pick a landing spot for Brown, our best guess would be in Jacksonville, which recorded a league worst 23 sacks for the entire 1999 season. OT Chris Samuels (Alabama): Samuels should step in and be a starting LT as a rookie. His experience at a top end program like Alabama prepared him well for the rigors of pro football’s most technical position. But where should he go if he wants to try out spring ball? Our pick would be Oakland. They have a nice early draft position and a young QB who needs to feel safe in the pocket to be successful. HB Ron Dayne (Wisconsin): The big bruising back was this year’s Heisman Winner. He is best suited for a power run game, preferably one that will give him the ball 25 times a game. Look no further than the Michigan Panthers. They just lost Wheatley to the NFL, and they have a solid line in front of him. Dayne would do well to end up in Pontiac, but this will only happen if the Panther front office thinks him a better option than free agent Natrone Means, a very similar back to Dayne. LB LaVar Arrington (Penn State): Arrington is a difference maker, and what defense does not want that. There are several who not only want that but need it. We are looking at you Orlando, and you, Chicago, and we have not forgotten Birmingham in this group (though they also need secondary help, so they may prioritize that over the LB position.). Our bet is on the Renegades here, assuming Arrington drops to them in the second half of the first round. HB Jamal Lewis (Tennessee): If Ron Dayne is not the best back in the draft, then certainly Jamal Lewis is. He is very similar in style, big, pounding interior runs, but has more breakaway speed. We would have pegged him for Philadelphia for certain, but they signed Stephen Davis and cannot afford to shuffle two high cost backs in their offense. So, assuming Michigan goes with either Dayne or Means, who is left to take a look at Lewis? How about the Stallions? They lost Stephen Davis, and while they might opt for a speedier back like a Thomas Jones, we could easily picture Lewis as a Stallion. Again, they have some big holes to fill on defense, so if they go there first, we could see Lewis end up somewhere else, perhaps Arizona, who are definitely not happy with their run game. WR Peter Warrick (Florida State): A speedy receiver with good moves who should start out in the slot, we like him headed to Chicago, where Ricky Proehl wore out his welcome. Chicago just signed Chris Conway to play outside, but a rookie like Warrick could be a huge boost to the passing game for Jeff George and company. HB Thomas Jones (Virginia): Jones has potential to put up big numbers with the right club. He can catch the ball, runs well both inside and outside, and has the ability to run away from most linebackers. Not a prototypical big back like the other two top prospects, Jones fits better into a more wide open offense, like Birmingham or Tampa Bay, but our favorite fit would be in Washington, where the departure of Glyn Milburn leaves room for a back to spell Barry Word this year and step in full time very soon. WR Plaxico Burress (Michigan State): If Warrick is the perfect fit for a club looking for a slot receiver, Burress is what is needed if you need height, a guy who will go up and get those 50/50 balls in the endzone. Lots of clubs would love to add a player of his caliber to their receiving corps, and we don’t think he will drop too far in the first round. Look at Atlanta (#1), Oakland (#2), Philly (#4) or Chicago (#5) to go for the big outside threat. DT Corey Simon (Florida State): Interior D-line tends not to be a high value pick, so we could see Simon, who is clearly the best at the position in this year’s draft, slide a bit, possibly out of the top 10 or 12. The teams that could most use a big interior presence are a bit later in the draft, Denver or Texas in the draft’s second half. Perhaps one of them will move up. We could see Denver trying to get past Texas to get this pick, but where and with whom they would swap picks is hard to say. LB Brian Urlacher (New Mexico): Middle Linebacker can be the most important player on a defense, and when you look at Urlacher, who played both safety and LB at UNM, there is a lot to like in his game. This is a position that could rise up the boards if demand is there, and there are certainly some bad defensive teams at the front of the draft. We could see Atlanta possibly go here (though #1 seems a bit too high), or Chicago at #5, or New Jersey at #7, and if somehow he falls a bit, no way is he making it past Orlando at #15. DE Shaun Ellis (Tennessee): A bit more of a speed guy than Brown, Shaun Ellis would be great opposite a bigger, run & pass focused DE. And while it is easy to look at clubs like Jacksonville or Seattle, who need DE help right away, there are few clubs that would not take a shot at Ellis if he is available. The Wild Card for us is Coach Schottenhemer in New Jersey. He says he wants to get Phil Hansen more help, but picking a DE in the first round means adding to a position group that is solid rather than filling a more pressing need. DE John Abraham (South Carolina): Our third DE in the top 15, which goes to show how valued the position is (and how few “hands” players there are at the top of the draft board this year.) Abraham would be a great candidate for New Jersey if Ellis is gone, but might be a better fit in a 3-4 defense. Seattle, Orlando or Pittsburgh come to mind as good potential landing spots. QB Chad Pennington (Marshall): Do we really see Chad Pennington as one of the 15 best players in the draft? No. Is he likely to be chosen early just because QB is a need position across the league? Yup. That is why he is here. In a draft that does not have a clear future All-Pro at the position, and where the depth seems to drop quickly, Pennington is clearly ahead of others like Louisville’s Chris Redman or Hofstra’s Giovanni Carmazzi. If he goes in the top 15, the most likely landing spots are Atlanta (dropping down in a trade, no way they pick him #1), Chicago (possibly also if they opt to drop down), or New Jersey, who can afford a flier with 2 back to back picks in the round (#6 and #7 thanks to a trade with Portland.) LB Julian Peterson (Michigan State): A great run-stuffing LB, Peterson would be a great find for a club that wants to shut down the run and force teams to be one dimensional. That philosophy aligns well with Philadelphia’s Jim Mora, Arizona’s Art Shell, or Ohio’s Al Luginbill. Of those three, we think Philly or Ohio is a more likely option. Arizona has a solid LB corps and has needs elsewhere. CB Ahmed Plummer (Ohio State): Our last Top 15 prospect is the only DB in the group. It is a safety-heavy draft, but none really stand out as top 15 picks, more likely we will see a strong run on safeties in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Plummer, as the best pure coverage CB, and with a solid background covering Big 10 receivers like Plaxico Burress, could help out a lot of teams. Likely to go between picks 8-16, some options that make sense are New Orleans (#8), Ohio (#12), Washington (#14), and maybe, particularly if they can trade up to lock in the pick, St. Louis (currently at #19). So there you have it, our look at the top of the draft. A reminder that while USFL clubs often use the first 2 rounds to pick elite players, these are certainly not guaranteed to sign and some clubs will pick a slightly lower-graded player if that player has expressed openness and enthusiasm during pre-draft interviews. We get that they are all trained to do so, but a good GM can tell the difference between real interest and feigned interest. So, we shall see who ends up where and by the time we report back from camp in February, we will know just who is signed, sealed, and delivered for USFL play in 2000.

October 15, 1999 It has been 2 months since the Memphis Showboats held aloft the John Bassett Trophy after winning their first USFL Championship, a month since the NFL-USFL Transfer Window closed, and three days since the jaw-dropping news that one of the league’s best players was retiring in his prime after another stellar season. So, here we are, early USFL offseason and there is so much to report. We have player movement, retirements, coaching hires, and a few intriguing trades for you as the offseason has truly been a hot stove this year. Time to figure out where your team stands and what they need to do to dethrone or retain the crown in the new millennium, assuming, of course, that Y2K does not end the world. We start with the news that the last of the head coaching vacancies has been filled. Oakland joins Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Portland among the ranks of the “restarts” with a new coach. It appears that the reason the Invaders needed to delay their decision was that the man they wanted still had work to do with his old team. One week after the Summer Bowl, the Invaders announced that Denver Gold defensive coordinator Dom Capers would be the new leader of the franchise. Capers, who had helped to build up the Carolina Panthers in the NFL and whose defense helped Denver reach their third Summer Bowl, comes to Oakland with a big task to achieve, to rebuild a team that fell from 9-7 to 4-12 last season, a defense that ranked 23rd in the league in points allowed and dead last against the rush, while also rebuilding the ego of hot-headed QB Ryan Leaf, who also saw a huge drop-off in production, from 5,432 yards, 43 TDs and a 97.6 rating in his rookie year to an injury-plagued 1,892 yards, 11 TDs and 59.2 rating last year. Capers has some talent on the Invaders squad, including Leaf, HB Siran Stacy, wideouts Ed McCaffrey and Marty Booker, and defensive stalwarts such as DE Eric Curry, backers Chris Spielman and Kailee Wong, CB Bobby Taylor and SS John Lynch, but he also has major holes to fill and a team culture to get back on track after a season pretty much everyone wants to forget. Capers is no stranger to building a team up after serving as the first head coach of an expansion club in the NFL. He will have to take that same approach here, making some moves and some risks to bring Oakland back after a truly bad decline in 1999. Capers joins fellow new hires Bobby Petrino (ATL), Mike Nolan (NOR), Jim Mora Jr. (PHI), and Ray Rhodes (POR) on the hotseat that is the USFL head coaching stage. Which of these coaches is in the best positioned for a speedy turnaround? That is a tough question to answer. In Oakland and Philly we have two clubs that were in the playoffs in 1998, only to collapse in 1999, so there may be enough in the pantry there to mix up something good. While in Atlanta the cupboard has been bare ever since the club came into the league in ’95. New Orleans has a potential superstar in HB Ricky Williams, but what else do the Breakers bring to the table? While in Portland, it looks like a total overhaul may be in the works as the Thunder lose the face of their franchise and now look at a 2nd year QB to lead them to a new identity. THUNDEROUS NEWS! Every offseason brings with it a wave of retirements as players reach that point in their lives where either their bodies or their hearts tell them that it is time to move on. Ordinarilly these are decisions we see coming from a mile away, a player whose talents are diminishing or who essentially tells us that a season will be their swan song, but every once in a while we are shocked, and that is what happened this past September, when Portland Thunder halfback and 3-time league rushing leader Robert Drummond announced that he was leaving the game. Drummond, who had come back from a devastating ACL injury in 1997 to provide 1,000 yard seasons for the Thunder in both 1998 and 1999, against all the predictions, has opted to call it a career after 11 seasons in the USFL. The Syracuse product is leaving the game despite coming out of 1999 with a very strong 1,150 yards, 9 TDs and 4.8 YPC season. Yes, he had seen his work load reduced from an average of nearly 300 carries a season down to 233 in 1998 and 241 in 1999, but he was still the driving force in the Portland offense. Perhaps the loss of Vince Tobin at the helm was a piece of the puzzle, perhaps his 32 year old ankles, knees, and hips were a factor as well. The surefire first-ballot HOF back leaves Portland with a huge hole to fill. Over his career with the Thunder, Drummond has rushed for 12,824 yards, 91 touchdowns, and a 4.6 yards per carry average, all among the best in league history. He finishes his career 6th all time in rush attempts, 4th in rushing yards, 4th in touchdowns, and holds the 4th and 6th best rushing seasons in league history. His departure leaves Portland with only Darius Turner and June Henley in the backfield, two backs who combined for only 209 yards rushing and 51 attempts in 1999. He also leaves the club without a face for the franchise. Rookie Akili Smith did not wow fans in the Pacific Northwest with his rookie campaign (2,792 yards, 13-15 TD-INT ratio), and the defense has been mediocre even in its best years. A tough opening month for new head coach Ray Rhodes, but a chance to start from scratch it would seem. RETIREMENT ROSTER While Robert Drummond’s announcement was the biggest shock in the retiremen roster this year, it certainly is not going to be the only departure that deeply impacts a USFL club. Let’s run through the most impactful retirements of the offseason and how their club might try to deal with the absence. DE Reggie White (MEM): Not really a shocker that with his first title in hand, and after a record-setting 16-season career, the Minister of Defense would go out on top. White retires with 259 sacks in his illustrious career, a per season average of 16 per season over a decade and a half. The total has him standing all alone among USFL passrushers, over 70 sacks ahead of Phil Hansen in 2nd. White came to the USFL in the league’s 2nd year of existence and the first year for the expansion Showboats. He would play his entire career in Memphis, beginning with an 18-sack debut season. A model of consistency, his only season without double-digit sacks would be an injury-shortened 1991 campaign. His high mark was 21 sacks in a season, achieved in both 1990 and 1992, bracketing the injury. He is a certain HOF first-ballot entrant and will almost certainly remain a frequently-seen face in and around Memphis as he serves the community and has several local spokesperson deals in place. So how does Memphis deal with the loss? That is not an easy question. Over the years the Showboats have tried to put someone opposite White to draw off some blockers, but rarely has this worked. Their current bench depth is not ideal. Without White, Tony Hill, with 6 sacks, is the next best member of the D-line, but he is more naturally on the other side of the line from White. They have Raylee Johnson and Sedrick Clark on the bench as well, but neither of them have been able to acquire significant playing time over their short careers. So it looks like Memphis will either have to ply the Free Agency waters in search of a pressure edge rusher, or look to the draft. This year’s rookie crop does offer a few potential starting points in Penn State’s Courtney Brown, Tennessee’s Shaun Ellis, and South Carolina’s John Abraham. Ellis, coming from not only Memphis’s back yard, but the same school as White, seems a natural fit, but he would risk the immediate comparisons to White, which seems unfair from the start. Free agency, at least within the USFL, does not seem to hold the answer either, with the best prospects being Denver’s Jon Carter, LA’s Santana Dotson, and New Jersey’s Marcellus Wiley, good players all, but not the production monsters like White. So, we shall see what we see, but the loss in Memphis will be felt both on the field and in the locker room as White was a giant in the league and certainly for the league champion Showboats. WR Cris Carter (PHI): Another likely future HOF performer, Carter split his time in the USFL between the Portland Thunder (1990-1993) and the Stars (93-99), after starting his career in the NFL with the Eagles. He retires with 12,024 yards receiving and 66 touchdowns on 1,019 career receptions, and he leaves on top, at least statistically, with career highs in receptions (125) and yards (1,374) in his final campaign, a frustrating one that saw the Stars drop from the top of their division to the basement. Carter, like White, was a locker room leader and a mentor for younger players. Those players are now going to have to step up to fill a pretty big void in the passing game. Carter’s retirement likely means that Troy Brown will step into the #1 receiver spot in his 6th season. Kevin Dyson, Alex Van Dyke, Stepfret Williams, and Na Brown sit behind Brown on the roster, but Philly is already looking to do more. They have made two signings at the position in hopes of replicating a fraction of Carter’s production. During the transfer window the Stars reached into the NFL ranks to sign former Bear wideout Bobby Engram, and within the USFL free agent pool they stepped up and signed Seattle wideout Courtney Hawkins. Neither one of these receivers has the production of Carter, but perhaps by spreading the ball around, QB Bobby Hebert can find a way to replicate the results. LB Andre Collins (PHI): In what is clearly a rebuilding year, Philadelphia, and their new head coach Jim Mora Jr., also loses LB Andre Collins to retirement. A leader on the defensive side since coming to the Stars in 1990, Collins was known as a sideline to sideline player and a smart defender who was particularly good in coverage and run pursuit. He retires with 646 tackles (85 behind the line of scrimmage), 31 sacks and 9 interceptions in 156 games played. The Stars have already made a move to try to replace Collins, signing LA Express linebacker George Koonce, though it is unknown if Koonce will take over Collins’s slot or replace fellow backer Bryce Paup, who left to Portland in free agency. LB Dino Hacket (NJ): Just up I-95 another USFL club is dealing with the retirement of their defensive playcaller as Dino Hacket announced his retirement after 14 seasons roaming the field, with his first 6 in Pittsburgh and then 8 more in the Meadowlands. Hacket was a punishing hitter and a wiley field marshal for the Generals’ defense. He retires with 966 tackles (169 for a loss), 41 sacks, 9 picks, two All-USFL nods, the 1986 Defensive ROTY award and the 1993 Defensive Player of the Year award, a year in which he made 118 tackles and 8 sacks. New Jersey has already dipped into free agency to sign a linebacker, but interestingly they signed outside backer Lorenzo Styles, which likely means that they are looking for Paul McGown to step into the MLB role, likely with Styles and Bobby Howard outside him. The ageless Kevin Greene will likely remain a 3rd down entrant into the lineup, specializing in pass rush. LB Mike Junkin (JAX): Staying with the linebacker run, Jacksonville will say goodbye to Mike Junkin, the 35-year old longtime member of the Memphis Showboats. Junkin came to Jacksonville on a one year deal, after short stints in Portland, Baltimore, and Orlando. He played in all 16 games this year, but started only 5, producing 12 tackles. In his career, mostly with Memphis, he amassed 677 tackles, 47 sacks and 10 interceptions. Jacksonville used Junkin mostly in spot play to deal with injuries or fatigue among their 3 starting backers (Bruschi, Brandon, and Armstead). While Junkin will be missed in that role, the larger issue for Jacksonville is the departure of Tedi Bruschi via free agency. With Bruschi headed to Texas to play for the Outlaws, Jacksonville needs to find a new MLB to run their 4-3 defense. There are several options out there in free agency still, though we think there is really only 1 top choice, Portland’s Mike Vrabel would be a perfect fit for the Bulls. CB Robert Massey (OHI): We finish with one more defender, Ohio’s top corner, Robert Massey. Massey leaves the Glory after only 1 season in Columbus. The former Chicago Machine and Seattle Dragons star retires with 174 games played (163 starts), in which he amassed 870 tackles, 234 passes defended and 31 picks. In his final season, his only year with the Glory, he had 79 tackles and 5 picks, leading the team in takeaways. With his departure Vince Buck is likely to take over the #1 spot, opposite each team’s best receiver, with Corey Raymond or Ty Howard battling for the 2nd spot. Expect Ohio to use an early draft pick to try to fill in behind these three. Other retirements of note include Washington CB Derrick Beasley, Portland DE Anthony Pleasant, Chicago guard Mike Zordich, Baltimore HB Derrick Fenner, Chicago LB Michael Brooks, Arizona TE Keith Cash, and St. Louis WR/KR Anthony Miller. OFF TO THE FALL As if retirements were not a big enough impact on the USFL each year, there is also the inevitable give and take across the NFL-USFL divide, and this offseason saw quite a few notable names heading from Spring to Fall or vice versa. Let’s start with the departures from the USFL first, and there are several which are sure to cause USFL coaches and GM’s some white hairs. We start on the offensive line where two elite tackles are jumping to the NFL. Atlanta’s Eugene Chung and Baltimore’s Jumbo Elliott are both headed straight from a USFL season into the NFL fall season. That means big trouble for both the QBs who had counted on them for protection. On the interior of the line the two biggest defections are center Kevin Mawae from the Renegades and guard Larry Allen from the Texas Outlaws. Allen is staying in state with the Cowboys while Mawae also heads to Texas, playing for the Oilers in Houston. Among offensive skill positions, we saw no notable QBs switch from USFL to NFL, but the same cannot be said for the halfback, tight end, and wideout position, in which 4 players of significant impact are leaving for the fall league. We start with the biggest departure, TE Keith Jackson of Denver. The Gold’s best receiver by far, and a favorite target of Mark Brunell, Jackson led all tight ends (and most wideouts) with 125 receptions in 1999, helping Denver reach the Summer Bowl. He leaves the USFL after 12 seasons (6 each in Memphis and Denver) and will now likely finish his career with the NFL Eagles. Another pass catcher, Brian Blades, long the top receiver for Jacksonville, is headed to the Seattle Seahawks, while HB Charlie Garner, Philadelphia’s leading rusher since the 1995 season, is off to the LA Raiders. Blades had been overtaken as the #1 target in Jacksonville by Terrell Owens these past 2 years, but still was a huge part of the Bulls’ offense, bringing in 82 receptions for 973 yards and 8 TDs this season. Garner, who suffered a major knee injury and missed most of this year, is a bit of a surprise, as the Raiders are taking a big chance that he can have a Robert Drummond-like recovery. Philadelphia had brought in Darrell Thompson to replace Garner, but he is off to Ohio in free agency, so the Stars will need to think HB either in the draft or free agency. Rumors have the Stars in negotiations with free agent Stephen Davis, the Stallions’ primary back. The other back to leave for the NFL was Tampa Bay’s James Stewart. Stewart was never able to get a lot of carries in the Tampa Bay pass-first offense, and was usually only a change of pace when Errict Rhett was winded from all the screens and swing passes he caught. He heads to the Detroit Lions after a 5-year career in Tampa that saw him rush for only 497 yards. Looking at the defensive side of the ball, the big names no longer roaming the USFL include Birmingham free safety Blaine Bishop, Houston defensive tackle Luther Ellis, and St. Louis backer Trev Alberts. It was well known that Ellis was likely to be a salary cap victim in Houston as the Gamblers need funds to resign DE Michael Sinclair, but it had been hoped that he would remain a USFL talent. However, the offer from the Detroit Lions was too lucrative for most USFL teams to match in a year when the salary cap is tight for many clubs. Bishop and Alberts are also players whose departures will be felt, however, this is a good draft for the safety position, and Birmingham has already boosted their secondary with an NFL signing that shook both leagues (see below for the exciting details). In St. Louis, the departure of Alberts was met with consternation, but the Knights are looking at several prospects in the draft, and are also likely to provide more playing time to Mike Caldwell at the position. SPRING FORWARD Before fans of the USFL get too depressed about the players headed to the senior league in the fall, we should remind you all that the NFL-USFL Transfer Window is a 2 way street. Just as the USFL lost several big name players to the fall, the NFL saw several of their highly-coveted free agents bolt to the spring league. No name shifting leagues was bigger than the acquisition the Birmingham Stallions made for their defense. Prime Time!!! Neon Deion is headed to Legion Field!! That’s right, Deion Sanders, arguably one of the best corners to ever play the game is the newest member of the Birmingham Stallions. After a stunning debut with the Atlanta Falcons and a career that saw him delight fans in San Francisco and Dallas, the wettest Gerry curl in pro football heads to the USFL on a 3-year deal that will likely see him finish his career as a Stallion. This is a huge get for Birmingham, who have lived on offensive firepower over the past half decade. Sanders is a true shut down corner, capable of cutting the field in half for opposing QBs. He instantly upgrades a secondary that needs upgrading. Sure, he may not still be the dynamic return man he once was, but he still terrorizes QBs with his ballhawking style. A huge get for a small city team in the USFL. A second big get on the defensive side of the ball is more of a homecoming as LB Hardy Nickerson is returning to the Michigan Panthers after a 2-year hiatus in the NFL. Nickerson, who became a star in Pontiac after arriving as a rookie in 1987, already has over 900 tackles and 41 sacks for the Panthers. After leaving for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1998, he is back in Panther burgundy, champagne and blue. He has signed a 3-year deal, but most expect him to perhaps play 1-2 years into that contract. That is a short term solution for the Panthers’ D, but it is a welcome one nonetheless. Pittsburgh hoped to provide Charlie Batch with some weapons this offseason and it looks like they have done that, signing WR Jake Reed away from the Minnesota Vikings. Reed will line up opposite Andre Rison in the Mauler formation and is expected to serve as a key 3rd down and possession receiver, though he is also more than capable of going deep. Portland too looked to help out its offense, though we are not exactly sure if they succeeded. Coach Rhodes was only on the job for 2 weeks when the Thunder signed QB Rick Mirer, last seen in a NY Jets uniform in the NFL. Mirer, who was a big star for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, started off well in his first few years with the Seattle Seahawks, but his pro career seemed to fizzle, leading to a move to New York, where he also struggled. We still expect Akili Smith to be the starter in Portland, and Mirer’s skill set parallels that of the mobile Smith, so the Thunder now have a viable backup, but is Mirer the type of mentor who can bring the best out of Smith? That seems a tall order to us. OK, our last highlighted NFL player jumping to the USFL is just one of about 35 who made the leap, but the only other player we would consider immediately impactful. With starting free safety Joe King likely headed elsewhere in free agency, Baltimore needed to find a solid replacement, and one who would come at a lower cost. They believe they have done this by signing former 49er and current Cleveland Brown Marquez Pope. Pope started his career as a corner with the Chargers before transitioning to safety in his final years in San Francisco and then last year, on a 1 year deal with Cleveland. He comes to Baltimore with a chance to win the starting job at the position, with only backup Leomont Evans to beat out. Even with the signing, don’t be surprised if the Blitz also use a mid-round pick to sign a potential heir at the position. Once the NFL-USFL Transfer window closed (another will open in January), the action around the USFL turned to the internal free agent market and the trading block. While we typically do not see a lot of major trades until the weeks right before the late-January draft, this year we did get a few that could be substantial for the clubs involved. Houston worked to deal with issues they had at center by making a deal with the New Jersey Generals. It was a costly deal, sending CB Merlon Kerner plus a 3rd round draft pick to the Generals, but they got the man they wanted, big roadgrater Olin Kreutz. Kreutz will immediately be pencilled in at the pivot position and will be a significant upgade for the Gamblers, while New Jersey gets much-needed speed at the corner and an extra pick to boot. New Orleans also looked to improve in the secondary while Chicago hoped to upgrade their notabley weak receiving corps with a player for player swap. The Breakers send Johnnie Morton off to the Windy City and in return they get Latin Berry, Chicago’s designated nickel back. Berry comes to New Orleans likely to be moved outside as either the #1 or #2 alongside Mike Riley. Chicago will likely continue to build their receiving corps, which was an issue all year for Alex Van Pelt and then Jeff George. Morton was targeted 77 times by Jamie Martin in New Orleans but finished the year with only 35 receptions for 372 yards. Whether or not George and the Machine offense under Marty Mornhinweg will be able to get more out of the 7th year receiver is the big question among Machine fans, but with Ricky Proehl also likely gone to free agency and neither Floyd Turner or David Dunn looking like a true starter, Morton will certainly get a shot, but don’t be surprised if Chicago looks to add a true #1 either through the draft or free agency. Could Odessa Turner fit the bill or will Chicago look at rookie options like Peter Warrick (FSU) or Plaxico Burress (Michigan State)? Oakland’s new head coach Dom Capers wasted no time trying to upgrade a defense deeply in need of interior strength. His 24th ranked run defense will certainly be upgraded with the addition of former Orlando Renegade DT Tracy Rocker. Rocker, who rotated with Pat Williams and Joel Steed in the Orlando 4-3, will be an immediate upgrade, and will likely take over a nose tackle position if we get the 3-4 alignment we expect from Capers. In return for the physical Rocker, Orlando receives offensive line help in the form of center Mike Devlin and a 4th round pick from the Invaders, who hold the #2 position each round. Devlin was expendable thanks to the emergence of 2nd year player Jeff Saturday as an All-USFL candidate. Devlin, demoted to a swing lineman, will once again get a chance to start in Orlando, while Rucker will step in as the clear #1 at DT for Oakland. Unlike the 1 month limit of the August and January NFL-USFL free agency periods, the internal market for free agents is open all offseason, and we have already seen some pretty strong action as clubs work to deal with likely salary cap issues, departures, and needs. We have already mentioned several of the players changing uniforms this year, players like HB Darrell Thompson to Ohio, Linebackers Lorenzo Styles to New Jersey, Ted Bruschi to Texas, and George Koonce to Philly, and Bryce Paup to Portland. We also saw wideout Courtney Hawkins move from Seattle to Philly. These are certainly not the only moves. Here are several more that we think could have a big impact on the 2000 season. CB Aeneas Williams moves from Oakland to Arizona. Williams is a ballhawk who could fit well with Art Shell’s aggressive style on defense. Portland continues to enhance their defense by signing Clyde Simmons away from the Bandits. Simmons has been largely ineffective in Tampa Bay, but the powerful pass rusher could see a lot of the defensive line play in Portland designed to free him up to be more of a force. Ray Rhodes should know how to get the big man matched up without the double teams he so often saw in Tampa Bay. Washington looks to return their defense to its former glory and a big step in that direction was the signing of nose tackle Dan Saleamua. Put him alongside Jerome Brown and you may have the best interior DL in the league. Baltimore also gets into the DT market, signing Michael Dean Perry away from the Bulls. Perry is clearly on the downside of his career arc, but can still be effective as a 1st and 2nd down run stuffer. Orlando not only provide Terry Kirby with a breather, but takes away a key weapon from a division rival as they sign Moe Williams away from league champion Memphis. Williams will likely be more of a short yardage and change of pace back behind Kirby in Orlando. Another back changing zip codes is Rodney Thomas, who likely goes from being the clear #2 behind Reggie Cobb in Texas to a potential #1 in Birmingham. This move almost certainly means that Stephen Davis’s time in Birmingham is over, and with rumors having him headed to Philly, it makes sense that the Stallions would invest in a back with a lot of untapped potential like Rodney. The question now is whether or not the Stallions will also make a run at a local star in Alabama star HB Shaun Alexander. While several teams are looking for linebackers, including the moves we cited above, Seattle thinks they have found who they need in former Texas outside linebacker Levon Kirkland. They inked him to a 4-year deal. The QB market has been slow, with few potential starters among the bunch. The best option right now may be Jim Miller of St. Louis, who looked very good filling in for an injured Todd Collins this year. Outside of him, you have players like Bill Musgrave, Mike Pawlowski, Tony Sacca, and Chuck Clements. The only one signed so far, and an interesting signing at that, is Jeff Lewis, the Denver backup to Mark Brunell, who goes to New Jersey. There is significant noise in New Jersey that Coach Schottenheimer is not enamored of starter Spence Fischer, and bringing in Lewis, an athletic if somewhat untested option, could be a sign that Schottenheimer might be looking to challenge Fischer. We honestly would not be surprised as well if the Generals took a shot at one of the early-round QB options in the draft. There is no sure fire starter in this year’s rookie QB class, but someone like Chad Pennington, Gionvannie Carmazzi, or Chris Redman could be another pressure point to try to get the best out of Fischer or provide insurance if he buckles under the pressure. Ohio snagged a big name among tackles by signing Emory Yates away from Philadelphia. Yates’s days as an All-USFL starting LT may be over, but he could be a very valuable swing tackle or potentially move over to the right side for Ohio, allowing Jerry Wunsch or Rome Oben to take over the LT position. With Keith Jackson surprisingly jumping to the NFL, the two best tight ends on the board were Atlanta’s Frank Wycheck and Memphis’s O.J. Santiago. Both have now found new homes. Wycheck will take his special teams prowess and swiss army knife skill set to LA to pair with Rookie of the Year Cade McNown. Santiago also heads out west. He will step into the role which had been filled for so long by the ageless Terry Orr, who apparently has age after all, retiring this year. Santiago is a big target and a step or 5 faster than Orr these last few years. This could be a very good option for Jake Plummer as he scrambles out of pressure. Looking at the wideout slot, we have seen some movement, mostly among potential slot or 2nd receivers. Washington added Houston’s J.J. Stokes, a speedster who was simply unable to use his talents well in Houston. Texas added depth in Arizona’s Darnay Scott, and Ohio did the same, still trying to find someone to take pressure off of Joey Galloway. The Glory added Cedrick Tillman, last of Michigan but better known for his time in St. Louis and Birmingham. Finally, we don’t want to forget about special teams, so a shout out to the Pittsburgh Maulers who upgraded by signing punter Tom Rouen from the Wranglers. It is rare for a punter to get a decent payday from free agency, but the Maulers signed the 9-year veteran as the highest paid punter in the league. A lot happening among the front offices of the league’s 24 clubs, but player personnel decisions were not the only news coming out of the league during these past 2 months. We have news from the league owner’s meeting as well. The news was not good for those groups seeking to join the USFL as the owners, by a 19-4 vote, with New Jersey mysteriously abstaining, voted to delay any expansion to 2005 at the earliest. We all expect that this will lead to several groups likely making inquiries into the purchase and relocation of a current franchise, and this will certainly be an issue for the league, but it seems clear that with this decision the league is primarily considering the issue of alignment, scheduling and their TV contracts. The other big piece of news that ties into this decision is the creation of a select committee of 6 owners who are tasked with doing a viability study of a potential realignment and schedule adjustment for the 2002 season. This is the same issue that ripped the league apart only a couple of years ago when issues of contract negation and fair compensation led the USFLPA to push a strike that caused the owners to buckle and retain a 16-game season. Once again momentum seems to be building to shorten the season to 14 games to allow for larger buffers between the NFL and USFL seasons. This would be paired with a realignment from 4 divisions of 6 teams to one with 6 divisions each with 4 teams. With TV negotiations likely to produce contracts that run through 2003 or later well underway, it seems an odd time to push this agenda, but clearly this is still very much an unresolved issue among ownership. Finally, the USFL Competition Committee proposed an interesting flashback, a proposition to return to a territorial draft in which each team would have exclusive rights to players from a select pool of local colleges. This style of draft was eliminated prior to the 1995 expansion based on concerns about inequity about the regional markets. A return to expanding the draft with a territorial selection phase would have to address that issue if it wants votes from owners in regions where college talent is not as plentiful. After all, New Jersey and Philadelphia are certainly not going to be pulling the same talent pool as a Birmingham, Los Angeles, or Houston can use, at least not if all schools in the T-Draft are geographically tied to the USFL franchise. That is it for this month’s report. Join us in December as we look ahead to the draft and update you on USFL trades and free agency.

Hi everyone. Hard to believe but with Summer Bowl 1999 in the books, we have now completed 17 seasons of USFL history. Happy you have been following along as we head into the new milennium. A quick word about timing. As with most years of this simulation, there is actually more behind the scenes work to be done with the game itself in the offseason than during the simulation of the season, so I may need a few days to get ready for 2000 and the offseason moves. Typically in the offseason mode I need to: Fire coaches. Create new coaches and/or sign coaches from within the game. Decide which players with contracts up will resign, which will be USFL free agents and which may jump to the NFL. Process the retirements. Create the custom schedule for the next season on excel and then upload into the game. Research what NFL players changed teams between 1999-2000 to see who might possibly leave for the USFL. Assess team needs for each of the 24 squads. Determine early Free Agent signings Create the first offseason report for you all. Scout and then run the collegiate draft. Run a second round of free agency. Create the NFL players coming into the league (custom players) Add those players to the appropriate teams. Remove/set aside any USFL players headed to the NFL. Fill rosters to 60 players each. Simulate the preseason game (still only 1 preseason game) Finalize rosters with cuts down to 53. Set depth charts for the regular season. Adjust or update coaching styles to match personnel and the coach in question. Write the post-draft offseason report. Write the season preview report. Start simulating Week 1 of the next season. So, as you might guess, this can take a bit of time. I hope to have something ready this weekend (offseason report 1 at least) and be ready to kick off the 2000 season by next weekend. It should be a pretty interesting offseason, and I am intrigued as to whether the big star of the 2000 draft (a 6th round QB out of Michigan that no one expects much from) ends up in the USFL or not, and if so, where? Please check back soon as I hope to have new posts up, but we hope to be back with season 18 by next weekend. Have a great weekend and thanks for following along on this alt history vision of the USFL.

Jim Mora made a name for himself with the Philadelphia Stars, helping the USFL to become a major force in American sports and the Stars a major force in the USFL. His success eventually led to a call from the NFL, where he helped the New Orleans Saints reach their first postseason action in over 25 years of play, but when he returned to the USFL, success was not immediate. Mora had three utterly forgettable years in Oakland before being unceremoniously let go by the Invaders. He found himself quickly snatched up by William Dunavant, the flamboyant owner of the Memphis Showboats, and in only his second season in the Mid-South he once again had his squad playing championship football. For as much as this week’s Summer Bowl victory by the Showboats was the result of the play of Reggie White, Heath Shuler, Adrian Cooper, Al Wilson, and the unheralded Tydus Wynans, it was equally a testament to the genius of Jim Mora and his ability to see the game from every angle. Denver had the Showboats caught in a slug fest for the first 30 minutes of the game, taking a 17-10 lead that nearly held until halftime before Mora noticed a pattern in the Denver defense and began to exploit it. Denver had limited Heath Shuler to only 89 yards passing in the first half, and while the Showboats had scored first, a Larry Centers 3-yard run on their first possession, Denver’s combination of slow, methodical offense focused on Rashaan Salaam and a low pressure, heavy zone defense had limited the opportunities and the success of Memphis. When Mark Brunell connected with TE Marco Battaglia to put the Gold up by 7 with time winding down in the 2nd quarter, it was clear the Showboats were off their game, and needed a spark. Jim Mora provided that spark. It may sound odd to have a coach provide the spark, but as the Showboats received the kickoff at the 2-minute warning, Mora gathered the offense and laid out a gameplan that would lead the favorites to 4 consecutive scoring drives, turning a 7-point deficit into an insurmountable 21 point lead. The strategy was simple. He would line up Joe Horn in the slot, forcing the Gold to recenter their zone defense and play more to the center of the field, and with that he would place his faith, and that of his quarterback, in the unheralded slot receiver he would move outside to a more open sideline. Tydus Wynans would become the new focus of the offense, something that no one outside of Mora and his QB would believe. The strategy paid immediate dividends as the Denver defense did exactly as Mora imagined, moving the safeties closer to the hashmarks to provide additional support against Joe Horn. In doing so, it put pressure on either the free safety or the nickel to cover the elusive Wynans. After only 4 plays, including two runs by Garrison Hearst, the gambit paid off as Heath Shuler faked an out pass and Wynans turned upfield gaining a solid 2-3 steps on the safety. Shuler, the recently named League MVP hit Wynans in stride, and the speedy, but not always surehanded, little man caught the ball in stride on his way to a 40-yard touchdown. Mora had found the formula. The game went to the half tied at 17, but with one team now looking ready to start again and the other looking blindsided. When the second half opened, the Showboats struck again, this time on the first play from scrimmage. This time they lined Horn up on the same side of the field as both Bobby Olive and TE Adrian Cooper. When first Cooper and then Wynans shifted, suddenly the Showboats had 3 speed receivers on the left side of the line and only Cooper split to the right. When all 3 receivers crossed to the right on short routes, it created a wall of bodies that the Denver defenders could not avoid. The result was Cooper angling to the center of the field and finding himself wide open. Shuler again threw a perfect ball and with an open field in front of him, Cooper did the rest, racing 74 yards downfield to score the go-ahead touchdown. Denver, now frazzled on defense, needed to respond, but when Salaam came up one yard short on a third and 4 in Denver territory, Coach Jauron played it safe and punted the ball away. Memphis, now fully feeling their momentum rising, responded with another scoring drive. This time it was short passes with Wynans on out patterns or criss-crossing with Horn on the right side of the field. Bobby Olive, alone on the left was more decoy than actual threat as he would not catch a ball all game while Wynans and Horn would combine for 8 receptions. But in this new strategy it was Horn who would take the short routes from the inside and Wynans who would head upfield. After 8 plays this Memphis drive also ended with a touchdown, Wynans’s second, a 13-yarder on an out patter where again the defender took an inside position and paid dearly for it. Denver again struggled to move the ball, though on their next drive they did get the ball to midfield. Memphis was in full form by this point, and on their next drive, the last of the 3rd quarter, Shuler connected with Adrian Cooper three times, Horn once, OJ Santiago once, and then, in the red zone, again found Wynans for his 3rd TD of the game. Memphis was now in full command, up 38-17. Denver would have no choice but to abandon the methodical running game with Salaam. He would have only 2 carries in the final period as Denver had to play from behind and turn to the passing game. This second shift, now from Denver, was also fully understood by Mora, who, no longer fearing the inside run game of Denver, spread his d-line, giving Reggie White a wider angle on his path to the QB. The result? White recorded all three of his sacks in the final period of the game. Two of those sacks essentially ended Denver drives (though on one occasion they would try and fail to complete a 4th and 8 pass.) While White and Memphis’s blitzing linebackers focused all their attention on pressuring Brunell, Memphis’s offense was content to use their 2 possessions in the 4th quarter to slow down their play, hand the ball to Hearst and Centers, take what the defense gave them, and watch time tick off the clock. Denver would score once more, another Battaglia TD reception, but it was far too little and far too late (only 1:04 left to play). Memphis would take the 14 point victory and their first league title. Denver would fall for the third time in a league final. The MVP award went to Shuler, to go along with his league MVP crown, and Reggie White would be named the Defensive POTG for his fierce final quarter, but both were quick to give credit to their coach, for the insight provided in this game, the inspiration provided all season, and the freedom for each player to maximize his talents. Memphis was picked to finish 4th or 5th in the South in most preseason polls. Their 1998 campaign had produced an 8-8 season, better than in the year before Mora’s arrival, but in no way an indication that this was a club that was headed to a #1 seed in the playoffs, especially not in a division that had the defending league champion in Tampa Bay, the always explosive Birmingham Stallions, and an up and coming Orlando Renegade squad. What Mora accomplished this year is to turn a largely underachieving squad into a juggernaut that ripped through the second half of the season and the playoffs to raise up the John Bassett Trophy and lay claim to the title of USFL Champions. While the game represented Jim Mora’s fourth trip to the Summer Bowl, with 3 appearances and 2 titles in Philadelphia (1985-1987), this year’s title is made more incredible by the fact that so many had begun to doubt him. After failing to advance in the NFL playoffs with New Orleans, then his short-lived stint in Oakland, there were doubters. We suspect that they are eating some humble pie today as Jim Mora sits atop the Spring Football world with his third title in hand. Congratulations to Coach Mora, and to the entire Memphis Showboats squad for bringing a title to the Mid-South. FINAL STATISTICS PASSING Shuler (MEM) 18/30, 302 Yards, 4 TD, 0 Int, 2 Sacks, 133.6 Rating Brunell (DEN) 27/34, 225 Yards, 2 TD, 0 Int, 4 Sacks, 113.8 Rating RUSHING Salaam (DEN) 15-98, 1 TD, 6,8 YPC Hearst (MEM) 15-66, 0 TD, 4.4 YPC Whittle (DEN) 2-12, 0 TD, 6.0 YPC Centers (MEM) 4-10, 1 TD, 2.5 YPC RECEIVING Jackson (DEN) 8-55, 0 TD Turner (DEN) 6-65, 0 TD Wynans (MEM) 5-121, 3 TD Battaglia (DEN) 5-25, 2 TD Smith (DEN) 5-61, 0 TD Cooper (MEM) 4-106, 1 TD Horn (MEM) 3-39, 0 TD Centers (MEM) 3-27, 0 TD DEFENSE Cowart (DEN) 9 Tackles, 1 FF Walton (MEM) 7 Tackles, 1 Pass Def White (MEM) 3 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 1 FF O’Neill (DEN) 3 Tackles, 1 Sack

Four teams battling for a ticket to the biggest game of the summer. Four franchises hoping that this is their year. A past champion, itching for another ring. Two sets of division rivals meeting again in the postseason with everything on the line. A two time Summer Bowl loser wondering if this is their year. A Cinderella story, rising from the cellar and looking to end up in the penthouse, and a surprise powerhouse led by a coach with championship pedigree. That was the setting for this week’s title games in the east, with Denver @ Los Angeles and Birmingham @ Memphis. So who is moving on for a shot at the title and who came so close only to be sent home? Let’s find out. We expected fireworks in Memphis when the Stallions and Showboats clashed for the Eastern Conference title, and we got them. How does 1021 combined yards and 75 combined points sound? Sounds like a rough day for the defenses and yet there were 8 sacks in the game. We also saw a 100-yard day from Memphis’s Garrison Hearst and 99 yards on the ground from a totally unexpected source, Birmingham’s Charlie Rogers. Stallion wideout Lawrence Dawsey gained 148 and on the other side of the formation Ernest Givens had 113, but the high total of the day went to Memphis’s Adrian Cooper, who finished the day with 161 receiving yards, including a monster of an 85-yard TD catch and run. Reggie White found the QB twice, and Mike Rucker found his once, but there were no picks in the game, no turnovers at all, in fact. It was a show, a major spectacle from beginning to end, and when it was all said and done the astonishing season of the Memphis Showboats continued, with Jim Mora and his squad heading to LA for the league title. Here is how it happened. The game started as many do with both clubs probing and testing each defense out. We only saw 6 points scored in the first quarter, a pair of field goals from Birmingham’s Olindo Mare. But, this cautious approach would quickly give way in a 2nd quarte that saw 4 TDs scored. The first was a short rub route completion from Shuler to wideout Lawyer Tillman, the first of six, yes six, touchdowns on the day for Shuler. The score gave Memphis a short-lived 1-point lead. Short-lived because only 6 plays later Stephen Davis broke through the line and rumbled for 17 yards to put Birmingham back up 13-7. Memphis would counterpunch the Stallion score, with Shuler finding FB Larry Centers open on a goalline swing pass as Memphis again went up by 1 point with the PAT. It appeared the scoring for the half had ended as the two clubs stepped up on defense over the final 6 minutes of the half, but, just as it looked like the Stallions would hand the ball to Alstott to end the half, Brett Favre saw something in the Memphis defense and went deep. He found Lawrence Dawsey in single coverage and exploited it with a perfectly thrown lob that led Dawsey down the left sideline and into the end zone, a 75 yard TD to close out the half with Birmngham up 20-14. When they came out for the second half Memphis was fired up about the mistake that had let Birmingham take the halftime lead. They showed their displeasure by linking up on 3 consecutive first down pass plays, the final one being a nicely thrown Shuler to Joe Horn TD pass to once again regain the lead. After a sack of Favre forced a Birmingham punt, Memphis again pressed their advantage, this time Shuler hitting Tydus Wynans from 17 yards out to increase the lead to 28-20. Birmingham could not let the game get out of hand, and their response was a quick drive of 7 plays, including a 37-yard run by backup Charlie Rogers, who got more carries in the half after Stephen Davis proved largely ineffective in the first half. Rogers would finish the day with 99 yards on only 8 carries, but this drive would stall at the Memphis 17, forcing Birmingham to add only 3 from the foot of Mare. It was at this point of the game when Memphis found its own trick play, a flea-flicker that saw TE Adrian Cooper totally unguarded down the middle of the field. Shuler was almost clipped by Reggie White as he threw the ball, but it found Cooper and 85 yards later Cooper found the endzone, putting Memphis up 35-23, it’s largest lead of the day. Once again Birmingham responded with a drive of their own. Aided by a costly offsides penalty on 3rd and 2, the drive ended with Favre finding Dawsey for a second time, cutting the lead to 5, 35-30. As the game entered the 4th quarter, Birmingham needed to find a way to stop the Showboats from building the lead back up. They switched to a nickel base to deal with Heath Shuler, but Jim Mora countered by using draw plays to Hearst and Centers to throw Birmingham off. Hearst gained 52 of his 107 yards on this one drive, carrying the ball 7 times in the process. Hearst would get the ball to the Stallion 8-yard line, and from there the playfake allowed TE O.J. Santiago to come off the line unguarded and Shuler hit him for a club record 6th TD pass on the day, all six to different receivers. Back up by 12, the game was now one of frantic efforts by the Stallions and slow, plodding time management by the Showboats. Birmingham would add a field goal at the 5 minute mark, but that still kept it a 2-score game, and the Stallions would not get any closer. The game ended with Memphis up that same nine points. The crowd, a mix of Showboat and Stallion fans, had a few moments of tension but was largely celebratory after the game, the first sellout in Showboats history, a full 62,921 on hand, including at least 15,000 Stallion fans, maybe more. The crowd got what they wanted, an amazingly entertaining game, and for the home fans, a huge win that sends them to a title clash next week. The crowd was not quite as large (around 41,000) at Farmers Insurance Field for the clash between the Express and the Denver Gold, but there was plenty of enthusiasm from the home fans and a contingent of 6,000-7,000 who wore Denver black and gold. The game, while not quite as high flying, had plenty of fireworks as well, and required an extra period to find a winner. It was a game that saw Denver use both their QB’s, with Lewis closing out the game after Brunell once again had to sit with an injury, this time his knee. For LA, the focus was the passing game, with Cade McNown finding 8 different receivers on the day. Antowain Smith as moderately successful against the Denver D, while Rashaan Salaam carried the ball 20 times for 96 yards, a very solid 4.8 YPC. It was a game where Denver made more mistakes but LA was unable to cash in on them, including a heart breaking final second field goal attempt that would have given the win to the home squad. The game started off slowly, with 20 total points in the first half. Both LA and Denver seemed to want to get the run game going, and both ended up with more long third down attempts than they may have wanted. After a Rashaan salaam TD opened up the scoring, Galen Hall and the Express started to bring their Strong Safety down to the line, a strategy that proved effective for the rest of the half. On offense, LA managed two field goals from Doug Brien and added a Tory Holt TD catch in the second quarter to go into halftime up 13-7. With visions of playing in a title game right in their own stadium LA was playing well, but with some nerves clearly on display. These nerves led to a significant error as the Express lined up for the 2nd half kickoff with only 10 men. That error helped Denver return the kick all the way back to the Express 47 yard line. From their it only took them 4 plays before they took their first lead since the opening score. Brunell hit Odessa Turner from 14 yards out and Denver was now up 1 at 14-13. LA responded to the short Denver drive with one of their own as their returner Aaron Glenn returned the kickoff 39 yards up to the 49 yard line. McNown would find Mike Pritchard for a score 8 plays later and once again LA had the lead, though it was now 19-14 as the attempt to go up by 7 with a 2 point play failed. After a Gold field goal closed the gap to 2 points, Denver got the ball back after a solid 3-play defensive stand. This was their chance to take the lead once again, and they started a drive that would lead them to that result. 7 plays in 3:33 led to a Salaam 1-yard plunge to put Denver up 24-19 as with 12 minutes left in the 4th quarter. They would add to that score on the very next play. Kicking off, Denver’s Jeff Wilkens got the ball to the 10 yard line, where it took a high bounce that apparently confused LA returner Fred Lester. Lester caught the ball at the 1 just as defenders were closing in. Rather than fall down and give LA the ball on the 1 or 2, he tried to spin out of the initial tackle, a spin that took him into the endzone, where he was wrapped up. Initially placed at the 1, the play was challenged by Denver coach Dick Jauron. The call was overturned, with the result being a Denver safety and now a 7 point lead. That would prove pivotal as those 2 points saved Denver. LA responded on their next drive, with McNown hitting Rob Carpenter for a score with just over 3:20 to play. The ensuing PAT tied the game up rather than putting LA ahead (due to the earlier safety). But neither team was looking forward to overtime. Denver came out aggressively, but on a 2nd and 7, Mark Brunell was hit by LA linebacker Barry Minter. He was injured on the play, but the ball also popped up into the air and right into the hands of SS Carnell Lake, who had also been blitzing on the play. Lake caught the ball just above the turf, falling to the ground, but it gave LA the ball at midfield with just under 1 minute to play. The Express would move the ball to the Denver 30 before sending out Doug Brien to attempt a game winning 47-yarder. A hush fell over the largely vocal LA crowd as the ball was snapped and the kick left the tee. A collective grown went out when the ball sliced to the left and just missed on the outside of the goal posts. Denver was still alive, and overtime was now an inevitability. As so often happens, the toss decided the fate of the two teams, with Denver choosing tails and getting the result they wanted. Jeff Lewis trotted out to lead the Gold for the extra period, a gimpy Mark Brunell trying to walk off his knee pain on the sideline. Lewis would do exactly what he did the week before, outperform expectations and lead Denver to a playoff win. He completed his first 3 passes, interrupted only by a single Salaam run. On 1st and 10 from the LA 31, a holding call put the drive in jeopardy and moved the Gold out of field goal range. Lewis, unflapped, completed a quick 5-yard out to Jacquez Green on 1st and 20, then a 9 yarder to Keith Jackson on 2nd and 15, leading to a third and 6 just outside of comfortable field goal range. The called play was a crossing pattern that should free up Green again, but the play quickly deteriorated as LA blitzed both LB George Koonce and safety Rich Coady, a strategy that had proven effective against Brunell all day. But Lewis is more mobile than Brunell, and he sprinted out to his left, eventually finding TE Marco Battaglia on what would end up as a 23 yard catch and run. One play later Lewis hit Keith Jackson for the game winner and the Denver fans in attendance erupted in joy. LA would not host their own title game. The clock had struck midnight and the Cinderella Story of the 1999 Express was over. It was an amazing finish to an amazing year, but a Summer Bowl spot would elude the grasp of Angelino football fans again. Denver would be returning to LA in one week to face the Memphis Showboats. They would enter the game with a potential QB controversy, and with a penchant for pulling off surprises. Coach Jauron would praise Jeff Lewis, and the entire offense for how they played the overtime period. But deep down we have to wonder if he now has to consider benching Brunell in favor of the unheralded QB that has pulled their fat out of the fire twice this playoff season. COACHING CAROUSEL SPINS INTO HIGH GEAR Two more USFL coaching hires this week, both surprises as Portland and Atlanta make their selections. Portland went back to their first interview, announcing this week that Ray Rhodes, the Defensive Coordinator of the Texas Outlaws would be their next head coach, continuing a legacy of defensive-minded head coaches after the departure of Vince Tobin. Rhodes inherits a team with a rookie QB in Akili Smith and a defense that was 22nd of 24 teams in yardage allowed yet somehow was only 12th in the league in points allowed. Rhodes was also considered a frontrunner for the Oakland position, now the lone open position remaining in the league. While Portland stayed within the USFL, Atlanta, after failing to develop a winning club under former NFL coaches Dan Reeves and Sherm Lewis, went a totally different way, announcing this week that young hotshot playcaller from the U. of Louisville, Bobby Petrino, would be the new head coach of the Fire. Petrino, who developed as a QB coach bothat Idaho and Arizona before taking on OC duties at Louisville, is considered a QB specialist, and now goes to a club that has to decide if they have their QB of the future in either Eric Zeier or 1999 rookie Aaron Brooks. He also takes over a club with a truly horrible defense, so he will need to bring in some defensive help this offseason, both on field and in the coaching rooms. RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS As we expected, this week was a pretty big week for announcements of retirement from pro football. Across the league, players began filing officially and that brings leaks, which brings press conferences. No real surprises yet, and we are still waiting to hear from several big name players who have been rumored to be considering the option, but that does not mean that this week’s announcements will not influence teams as we head into the full offseason. Here is our list of the 8 biggest retirement announcements to date: CB Robert Massey (OHI): Massey retires after 1 season in Ohio in which he played as both a kick returner (518 yards on 21 returns) and in the secondary (79 tackles, 5 picks). Massey came into the league in 1989 with Chicago, moved to Seattle in 1995 in the expansion draft and then opted into a 1-year deal in Ohio. WR Anthony Miller (STL): While Anthony Miller never really caught on as a receiver in the league in his 12 seasons with Baltimore and St. Louis, he certainly made his mark as a return man. He retires with a grand total of 105 career receptions for 1,122 yards and 8 receiving touchdowns, but he also retires with 237 returned kicks for 5,873 yards, a 24.8 average and 1 TD along with 275 punt returns for 2,297 yards (8.4 YPR average) and 2 punt return touchdowns. St. Louis will certainly miss the field position advantage Miller provided. DE Terry Crews (HOU): A bit player in several strong seasons for the Houston Gamblers, Crews became famous due to his addictive TV commercials in the Houston area. Always entertaining, Crews, who retires with only 27 career tackles and 8 sacks, is very likely to remain in media focus as both a local commercial actor and personality. LB Michael Brooks (CHI): One of the oldest defenders still playing in the league, Brooks came into the USFL with New Orleans in 1987. He started 15 games his rookie season. Always injury plagued, Brooks played in 154 league games but started only 60. He retires with 370 tackles, 17 sacks, 5 picks, and 13 years of professional football under his cap. LB Mike Junkin (JAX): Mike Junkin retires a Jacksonville Bull after 1 season there, one in Baltimore, 2 in Portland, but he will always be remembered for his early years in Memphis. The versatile LB retires with 677 tackles in 170 games. He forced 20 fumbles in his long career, accrued 47 sacks and 10 picks. He was named to All-USFL teams in 1988 and 1989, both with Memphis. DE Anthony Pleasant (POR): The leader of Portland’s pass rush since coming to the team from Birmingham in 1994, the 10-year veteran retires with 60 career sacks. He played for the 1993 USFL Champion Stallions and started 143 games for Birmingham and Portland. The Thunder will now have to rely on younger edge players like Hugh Douglas, Jomo Cousins, Cyron Brown and possibly an early draft pick to enhance the pass rush wit Pleasant’s departure. LB Andre Collins (PHI): Since starting 11 games for the Philadelphia Stars in 1990, Collins has been a mainstay of the Stars’ defense. In his 10 seasons with the club, Collins amassed 646 tackles, with his high point being an 88 tackle season in 1997. He also added 31 sacks and 9 picks in his career. His MLB position in the Stars 4-3 will likely be taken up by Robert Gooch or Mike Peterson, as this is a position the Stars are not likely to draft for, though a mid-range free agent is a possibility. WR Cris Carter (PHI): Philadelphia loses another starter and this one will certainly hurt. Cris Carter came to the USFL after starting his career in the fall with the Philadelphia Eagles. Carter began in Portland, where he racked up over 100 receptions in each of his first three seasons, but grew disenchanted with the Portland coaching and gameplanning. In 1994 he jumped ship and through free agency found himself back in Philadelphia with the Stars. Once again his value was easy to recognize as Carter caught 100+ receptions 5 times in 6 years with the Stars, including a career high 125 receptions for 1,374 yards this season. Known for his tightrope sideline catches and impeccable hands, Carter’s USFL totals include 1,019 receptions for 12,024 yards and 66 career touchdowns. A 4 time All USFL selection, Carter’s lone championship came with the Stars in his first season since moving over from Portland, a season in which he caught112 balls for 1,257 and 9 touchdowns. The Stars will be hard pressed to find a receiver either in free agency or the draft who can match the potential Hall of Fame career of Carter. On the roster right now they have Troy Brown, Kevin Dyson, Edward Stinnett, Alex Van Dyke, and Na Brown, so do not be surprised if they go for a wideout early in this year’s draft. MEANWHILE IN NEW YORK With the Summer Bowl scheduled for LA this week, the focus is certainly there, but we should remember that in the week following the title clash between Memphis and Denver, the 24 league owners will be meeting in NYC, and there are some big issues expected to be on the table. First up is the television deal with ABC/ESPN. We know already that both NBC and CBS are very interested in adding the USFL to their sports offering, but ABC/ESPN still have the inside track, and with Fox’s contract not due to expire for another 2 years, there may be little room for a third major partner, though certainly the league owners will consider what the other two large networks have to say. The second item, and we cannot believe we are saying this, is that once again the owners seem to be considering a shift to a 14-game schedule and a new alignment of teams. The same concerns about overlap with the NFL, particularly for free agency, seems to be driving the discussion again. At least this time the owners have a sense of what happened the last time and will not assume an acquiescent union. If they want o move ahead with any change to the format of the season they will have to deal with the CBA and the expectations that contracts will retain their full value despite any adjustments to the season. Finally, there is an item up for discussion that could profoundly impact both the TV discussions and any realignment or schedule adjustments, the topic of expansion. While there does not appear to be much energy behind another expansion, particularly with the difficulties we have seen among the 4 franchises from the 1995 addition. Only this year, and only LA have been able to crack .500 and make a playoff appearance, but perhaps the success of the Express might indicate that the league is finally seeing progress among the expansion class of 1995. Does that translate into a desire to add more teams? It seems unlikely but we know that outside of the league there is demand. There are well-funded groups in at least 5 cities that are hoping to see a new wave of expansion bidding come to the spring league. We know of groups in Dallas, Boston, Miami, the Twin Cities, and Indianapolis that remain very interested, and with new stadia to finance in both Charlotte and Nashville, it seems those cities are also looking to see if they can double their pro-football dates by adding spring football to their NFL offerings. The concern for the USFL has to be if they do not look to expand some of these ownership groups may start wooing clubs in the league with a hope for relocation. We know that there are clubs unhappy either with their stadia or with the terms of their contracts in those cities, so it may just be possible to peel off a club like Portland, Atlanta, St. Louis, Columbus (Ohio Glory), or Oakland. With that possibility looming as a possible backup plan for these ownership bidding groups, the league has to tread lightly and provide at least a glimmer of hope for expansion or we may see a wave of relocation efforts which can only hurt current franchises trying to build a case for their product in cities across the country. The injury spotlight for this week’s league title game will likely be on Mark Brunell. He is listed as probable, which is good, but the fact that he is listed at all is still a concern. Of course, the bigger issue is what the Gold decide to do with Jeff Lewis even if Brunell is 100%. Do they gameplan a series or two with Lewis in the game? After all, he has led them to two victories in the postseason and he does add a level of unpredictability that Brunell is unlikely to add. We know that Leslie O’Neill is not on the injury list, so other than Brunell, the only other concern is T Larry Odom (Out) and safety Myron Guyton who had been upgraded to probable. For Memphis we know that Rob Johnson is out, which seems to be fine with everyone. The other two names on the injury list are WR Tydus Wynans and center Charles Wilson, both of whom are listed as questionable, but are likely to see some action. Memphis is in good shape on the injury front, as is Denver, which means a good game between two pretty healthy clubs. So what do we make of this unexpected matchup in LA? The folks at the Las Vegas sports book seem to be pretty convinced that the money is leaning towards Memphis. The opening line was Memphis -6, but that has risen to -8 in the last 24 hours. That means that Vegas is trying to find takers for the Gold, and that means that the public is also skeptical of Denver’s ability to slow down Heath Shuler and the offense that just put away Brett Favre and the Stallions. The two clubs did not meet this year, so we have no track record to go on. We know that Denver won 3 of their last 4 games to finish 10-6, and then won three playoff games to get here. Memphis got the bye before knocking off Pittsburgh and Birmingham to make their first Summer Bowl appearance since 1988, but they were also very hot at the end of the year, winning 6 of 7 to finish out the year. So, what do we think? Well, if we look position by position, we might get a better sense of where things lie. Quarterback: Clear advantage to Memphis, who has the likely MVP as their QB. Heath Shuler broke out this year with a monster season, while Mark Brunell was his usual reliable self, but has been knocked out of games twice in the last month. This one goes heavily to Memphis. Running Backs: Rashaan Salaam gives this one to the Gold. He will be the key to their offense. His 1,191 yards rushing clearly outshine Garrison Hearst’s 905, though that is actually a solid total for Hearst considering that Moe Williams was given 70 carries and gained over 250 yards as well. Hearst is a better receiver, but neither club uses that position too much for the passing game, Denver preferring to keep a back in for pass protection and Memphis more likely to throw the ball to FB Larry Centers than Hearst or Williams. We give a marginal edge here to Denver. Receivers: Memphis’s offense relies heavily on a very aggressive passing game, and they have a diverse receiving corps to get it done. Their top 5 receivers include Joe Horn (WR), Adrian Cooper (TE), Lawyer Tillman (WR), Larry Centers (FB) and O.J. Santiago (TE). You rarely see them in 3-wide formations, preferring to work the pass and the run from either standard pro formations or a 1-back, 2 TE formation. Denver is far more likely to focus their passing attack on a wider range of outside threats. Keith Jackson at TE is their top receiver and tops in the league with 125 catches, but Odessa Turner leads the club in yardage with 1,192 and Dedric Smith, the former LA Express wideout, who leads in TDs with 11. Add in occasional tosses to TE Marco Battaglia and rookie receiver Peerless Price and Denver too can spread the ball around. The numbers favor Memphis in this matchup, and so do we. O-Line: We are going to call this one a toss up because, quite frankly, how you measure the line is what makes one look better than the other. Denver clearly has the better run-blocking line, while Memphis’s hogs are used to providing Heath Shuler with time. So, it is a bit of a wash really. D-Line: We have two great pass rushers in this matchup with Reggie White of Memphis and Leslie O’Neill of Denver. What gives Denver the slight edge here is that outside of White, Memphis does not have a lot to crow about. DE Tony Hill has 10 fewer sacks than White (16 to 6) and no DT scored a sack this season, while in Denver, Leslie O’Neill’s 24 sacks were followed by 10 more from DE Jon Carter, and 9 more from the rotation of Dan Saleaumua, Mark Bouette, and James Manley inside, each with 3 sacks on the year. That is a big factor in favor of Denver. Linebackers: We like the veteran leadership of Kurt Gouveia and Tracy Rogers for Denver, but when it comes to pure athleticism and pursuit, Memphis’s Joe Mott, Jim Schwartz, and Al Wilson have an edge. Unlike Denver, who may be forced to play a nickel formation most of the game to slow down Heath Shuler, Memphis will be able to use their standard 3-4 all day, and that favors them against the run. We like Memphis here. Secondary: Memphis will line up CBs Rodney Young and Fred Weary alongside safeties Tebucky Jones and Alvin Walton. This is not an intimidating group, but it is solid, with Jones leading the group with 6 picks this season. For Denver the picks were hard to come by, but they have solid hitters in the secondary with CBs Anthony Tuggle and Bruce Pickens, FS Myron Guyton (likely to play despite his injuries) and SS Corey Gaines. If Guyton cannot play, Jamel Williams will shift into his position. This one looks about even when we look at their impact, but we expect Denver’s group to be tested more than Memphis’s, so edge to Memphis. Special Teams: Memphis’s Jeff Hall is somewhat less experienced than Denver’s Jeff Wilkens, but this year Hall led the league in PAT’s, hitting 63 of 65, and also connected on 79.3% of his field goal tries, while Wilkens landed at only 69%, with 9 missed field goals this year, though he was a perfect 44 of 44 on PATs. The returners, Peerless Price for Denver and Rodney Young of Memphis have been adequate, but neither is setting the league on fire. And, when it comes to coverage, Memphis has better numbers, but that may be due to the propensity for touchbacks on both the punt and kickoff teams. Coaching: Honestly, this is where we see the biggest potential advantage, and it leans towards Memphis. This will be Jim Mora’s 4th Summer Bowl, though it is his first since departing the Stars. He has been here before and he knows how to get the most out of his team. This is Dick Jauron’s 2nd season with Denver, and while he got them to the playoffs in both seasons, the experience with championship football is just not there. We have to give the advantage to the Showboats here. FINAL ANALYSIS: I think we will know early how competitive Denver can be. If they can run the ball early and slow down the game, and if they can avoid the big play from the Showboats’ offense, they have a chance to hang around and flip the scoreboard at the end. That is a bit of a tall order honestly, and we think the better odds are with Coach Mora and the Showboats. We are picking Memphis to win their first title, and Mora’s third, with a final score prediction of Memphis 28 Denver 20.

Three games that went just about how most folks predicted, and one that no one could have foreseen. That is the story of this week’s USFL Divisional Playoffs as the Denver Gold, playing with their 3rd string QB upend the St. Louis Knights in a wild shootout. These are two clubs known for their defense and slow, stable offenses, but what we got in this game was two backups just cutting loose. A wild game, but not the only one that kept audiences engaged and excited about USFL football. Playoff football as we get to the last four clubs alive for a chance to play for a title in LA at Summer Bowl 1999. The Memphis Showboats demonstrated to the nation how they had won 12 games and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference by rattling off 33 unanswered points to crush the upset hopes of the Pittsburgh Maulers. The Maulers had come into this game as a hot pick for an upset, having won 7 straight to get to the playoffs at 10-6, but Memphis put on a show against the Pittsburgh D and by the half the game was looking like a rout. The Showboats slowed things down in the second half or this could have gotten truly ugly. Pittsburgh started the game well, moving the ball effectively after the opening kickoff and finishing with a Scott Blanton field goal to open the scoring, but after that it just got ugly for the Maulers. Memphis opened their first possession with a signature play, the slant & go by TE Adrian Cooper. Pittsburgh was caught flat-footed, and Cooper raced 65 yards to the endzone on Memphis’s first play from scrimmage. It did not get much better for Pittsburgh after that, as Memphis scored on 5 consecutive drives, ranging from the 1st quarter into the 3rd. First a Garrison Hearst TD run, then a Joe Horn TD pass from Shuler, two Jeff Hall field goals, and finally a Lawyer Tillman bomb, a 60-yard score from Shuler. All the while Pittsburgh kept shooting itself in the foot: two fumbles lost, 9 penalties, 2 of 11 on third down, and a Charlie Batch pick that looked like he was playing catch with Memphis DB Tebucky Jones. It was a complete meltdown as Memphis dominated every aspect of the game. The Maulers would eventually get a TD in garbage time, but this game was truly over just as it began. Heath Shuler gave way to Gino Torretta with 8 minutes left in the 4th, having completed 14 of 25 passes for 304 yards and 3 scores. Moe Williams and Garrison Hearst combined for 104 yards and Lawyer Tillman ended the game as the top receiver with 122 yards and a score on 5 receptions. For Pittsburgh a good season ended badly. They will lick their wounds and head back to the three rivers to regroup for 2000, having accomplished a lot more than most predicted for them, but with a sour taste left by this game. For Memphis, it is back to the Liberty Bowl again next week, 1 game away from the Summer Bowl and with a familiar foe on the opposing sideline. Saturday’s night game was viewed pre-game as the least likely to be a close match, or to be an exciting showdown, but boy, were we way off on that. Denver had announced on Friday that it would be the athletic but largely untested Jeff Lewis who would get the start against St. Louis’s intimidating defense. That drove the line for the game up to an 8 point buffer for the Knights. Most expected this to be a game of field position, ground game, and eventual St. Louis dominance. What we got was an old-fashioned shootout, with both teams passing the ball against defenses designed to shut down the power run. Ahman Green ended the day with only 27 yards for St. Louis, and Rashaan Salaam fared only slightly better, carrying the ball only 12 times but gaining 62 yards (and 1 score). What no one saw coming was that unheralded Jeff Lewis would survive 6 sacks to complete 30 of 41 passes for 376 yards and 4 TDs. Yes, he was picked twice, but overall this was a star-making performance from a player that up until this week had been considered only the emergency quarterback. A free agent after the season, Lewis’s performance may have just shot his value through the roof. Jim Miller, on the St. Louis side, also had a phenomenal game, completing 33 of 55 passes for 329 yards and 5 scores, but one short of what he needed. The game went back and forth all night, with swings of momentum that made most fans dizzy. The game opened with a Knights’ field goal, but was quickly followed by Lewis connecting with Odessa Turner for a 75-yard bomb that shook the Knight fans to their core. St. Louis responded with a Miller to Lockett TD pass and we were at 10-7 St. Louis at the end of 1. In the second quarter, Denver started to find a rhythm. After another St. Louis field goal, Denver got another TD from Odessa Turner, though this one was from only 1 yard out on a quick outcut route. Just as in the first quarter, St. Louis responded and Kevin Lockett again caught a short TD pass to bring the lead back up to 6, 20-14. Denver then moved the ball down the field until Lewis found TE Marco Battaglia from 8 yards out to put Denver on top 21-20. St. Louis tried to respond in their 2-minute drill, but suffered from the worst possible outcome, a forced ball that was picked off by Denver’s Anthony Tuggle and returned for a score with only seconds left in the half. 28-20 Denver at the half and a stunned crowd in the dome. Denver stayed hot into the 3rd quarter, scoring 17 more points in the period. First was a 34-yard Rashaan Salaam run for a score, by far his longest of the day. That was followed by Odessa Turner’s third TD catch of the game, and then Jeff Wilkens’s first field goal. Denver had pulled out to a 45-20 lead and for many in St. Louis it seemed hope was lost. But in the 4th the game began to turn St. Louis’s way. After Miller combined with Bert Emmanuel on a long play, a 53-yard TD, they immediately got the ball back off a Jeff Lewis pick. With the ball and momentum on their side, the Knights moved the ball into the Red Zone and Miller again found Emmanuel, this time form 12 yards out. 45-34 and this game was not yet over. After a quick 3-and-out that had to make Denver fans nervous, St. Louis again moved the ball well, this time it was Miller to Ahman Green for the score, and after the successful 2 point conversion it was 45-42 with 6 minutes left to play. It was at this point that Denver did what their fans had been hoping for all half, they slowed the game down. Runs from Salaam and Ricky Whittle, short passes, nothing out of bounds, and 4 minutes later, Jeff Wilkensexpanded the lead up to 6 points. St. Louis would have to score a TD on their final drive to pull this game out. The Knights looked to do just that, moving the ball well, but also using a lot of time up in doing so. They found themselves on the Denver 17 with just 23 seconds to play, first and 10. On first down Jim Miller missed on a corner route to Emmanuel. 17 seconds left. Second down and Miller dumped the ball down to Etheridge. It gained 8 yards, but Etheridge was unable to get out of bounds. By the time Miller spiked the ball, there were only 3 seconds left. Fourth and 2 from the 9 yard line, but only one play left. After consulting with Coach Johnson, Miller looked for Amani Toomer crossing the back of the endzone, but Denver SS Sean Lumpkin was there and tipped the ball out of the endzone. Game over. Denver had won in a fashion no one could have predicted. Jeff Lewis was an instant celebrity, and the Gold were moving on to the Western Conference title game. The Michigan Panthers kept this game even through three quarters, but in the end the Cinderella story continued for the LA Express. At this point last year the Express were wallowing in a 2-14 season and looking ahead to the draft. Now they are one game away from a title, a truly amazing story of rebirth. For Michigan, a good showing fell short as the Express were the only team to score in the final period, and that was all the difference it took to earn the win. Michigan kept the game close by putting the ball into the hands of Tyrone Wheatley and Winslow Oliver. Wheatley would finish with 111 yards rushing and Michigan would win the time of possession battle 33:10 to 26:50, but after scoring 3 touchdowns in the first 3 quarters, the Panthers could not get points on the board in the 4th, while LA kicked three Doug Brien field goals in the final quarter to pull out of a 21-21 tie and take the win. Cade McNown was pursued by the Michigan defense, but still connected with both Tory Holt and Mike Pritchard for touchdowns on the day. Add in a TD run from FB Fred Lester and they were even with Michigan after 3. Michigan had gotten scores from Muhsin Muhammad, Desmond Clark, and Cedrick Tillman as Doug Flutie finished with 294 yards passing and the 3 touchdowns. But, in the final quarter, Flutie’s magic failed him. A pick on his first drive led to LA’s first of 3 field goals, and, down 6 late, he failed on a 4th and 3 from his own 33, leading to LA’s final score, and a 9 point lead that would hold up until the final whistle. The Express are now one home game, against a division foe they know well, from making an astonishing run to a Summer Bowl. While Denver is expected to have Mark Brunell back under center for the game, the Express have to feel good about pulling this game out and having the home field advantage against the Gold next week. The final game of the weekend pitted the Birmingham Stallions against the Baltimore Blitz. The story on this one was that Baltimore would try to keep the score down and win with defense while Birmingham wanted to force Baltimore to play catchup. In the end, it seems safe to say that things went Birmingham’s way, even if they scored 27, a low total for this offense. It was still 3 more than Baltimore had by game’s end. Baltimore took the opening kickoff, a bit of a surprise as most expected them to defer, but it paid off as a long drive ended with Jeff Garcia connecting with Rob Moore to put the Blitz up early. Birmingham immediately responded, with Favre hitting Tyree Davis for a short TD pass to even up the game. Birmingham would add an Olindo Mare field goal at the end of the quarter to take a 10-7 lead. In the second quarter, both defenses played well, but Birmingham’s made the big play. The only score of the quarter was a poorly timed ball from Garcia that was picked off by Stallions’ DB Blaine Bishop. Bishop sprinted the 41 yards to the endzone and suddenly the Stallion lead was 10. Baltimore regrouped at the half, and in their first possession of the 3rd quarter they took the ball down the field before Garcia found Moore again, 17-14 Birmingham. Birmingham, happy to slow down the game with a lead, used up most of the rest of the quarter on their next drive, ending the possession with Favre hitting Lawrence Dawsey on a 3-yard slant that put them back up by 10 at 24-14. A field goal to open the 4th quarter expanded the lead to 27-10 and put some desperation into Baltimore’s offense. The Blitz would get back to within 10 points with a Martin Grammatica field goal to open the 4th, but they would be stymied on their next two possessions. Birmingham had the upper hand, up by two scores. Baltimore would bring the game to within 3 with just seconds left, but their attempt at an onside kick failed and Birmingham was able to wrap up a road win. The Stallions will need to be road warriors again as they will now head up to Memphis to face their arch rival. This game could easily draw 80,000 fans in the stadium could hold that many. We expect a sellout with huge turnout from Memphis but also an enormous contingent of Stallion fans making the drive from Birmingham. New Orleans Finds Their Man We have our second coaching hire of the offseason as the New Orleans Breakers have announced that their new head coach will be former NY Giants and Washington Redskins DC Mike Nolan. Nolan, who began his coaching career at Oregon and Stanford before a short stint with the Arizona Wranglers and then the NFL, takes over a club built by Mike Ditka but never able to obtain the type of punishing D that made Ditka a household name in the NFL. Nolan’s style is very different from that of Ditka, preferring to wear suits and not team apparel on the sideline, and preferring a defense predicated on speed and mixed coverages rather than aggressive line play and blitzing. Nolan’s choice for offensive coordinator will say a lot about his plans for the Breakers. While everyone expects an offense focused on HB Ricky Wiliams, the question of whether or not Jamie Martin remains the preferred choice at QB is very much up for debate. The hire of Nolan leaves 3 positions still open in the USFL: Portland, Atlanta and Oakland may be biding their time to have a chance to speak with coaches involved in the playoffs, or they may opt to play the long game and wait for the window at the end of the NFL season to add on a coach just before camp. We have seen both strategies work in recent years, and all three front offices are being pretty quiet about their preferences at this point. USFL REVEALS 2000 SUMMER BOWL LOGO A week after announcing that Chicago and Pittsburgh will host the 2001 and 2002 Summer Bowls, the USFL revealed the logo for next year’s contest in Tampa Bay. The logo features the familiar blend of images from the world of football and the season of summer, with a golden sun rising over a football goalpost. The style and colors also nod towards the home team, with black and crimson taking a larger role than they usually do in Summer Bowl iconography, which tends to lean towards summery colors such as orange, gold, and pastels. The familiar Bandits script is also used in the logo, which also features 3 footballs as zeroes, perhaps a nod from the host team that they hope to seek a 3rd title in 2000 after a disappointing 1999 campaign. NO WORD YET FROM VETS It is not unusual for the playoff weeks to be a time when several players will announce their plans to retire. Fans in Philly have been dreading that they would get such an announcement from Bobby Hebert after a year where his personal on-field success did not lead to team success. But, Hebert, and several other big name veterans such as Webster Slaughter in Portland, Kevin Greene in New Jersey, Cris Carter also in Philly, Terry Orr in Arizona, and Troy Aikman in Tampa Bay, are all silence at this point. Perhaps they are wrapped up in rooting for friends on current playoff teams, or focused on healing after a long season, or perhaps they simply don’t know what they want to do. We expect we will start to hear some rumblings soon, as the need to begin training again usually does not hit until early October, and that is when the body of some veteran players informs the mind that it might be time to step away. Great news on the injury front for our 4 remaining clubs. No new injuries to report from this week’s games. Sure, there is some soreness and some bruises to go around, but no one added to the injury list. Better news in Denver where both Leslie O’Neill and Mark Brunell are expected back on the field for the Conference Championships. While there are some fans who are still reveling in Jeff Lewis’s performance this week for Denver, there are very few who will not be happy to see Brunell back under center. #3 BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (11-5) @ #1 MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (12-4) Sunday, July 25 @ 3pm ET (FOX) Liberty Bowl Stadium This is the game everyone wanted to see, the two top QB’s in the league battling it out in what will almost certainly be a shootout. These two clubs essentially look like mirror images of each other. Both use a 2-back format with Memphis backing up Garrison Hearst with Moe Williams, while Birmingham often shifts Mike Alstott to HB to spell Stephen Davis. Both clubs have receiving corps with lots of weapons, and while the combo of Givens, Dawsey, and Robinson in Birmingham is certainly more prolific than Horn, Tillman and Olive, Memphis has a clear advantage at TE with Adrian Cooper, and out of the backfield with Larry Centers as a pass-catching fullback. On defense Memphis also has an edge, ranked 7th in PPG allowed and 8th in yards allowed, while Birmingham ranks 18th in both categories. The wild card may be pass rush, with veteran Reggie White in Memphis vs. rookie Mike Rucker in Birmingham. If either one of these edge rushers can put pressure on the opposing QB, it could turn this game. OUR PICK: We love Brett Favre’s veteran leadership, but he is also know as a big game gambler, and those gambles can lead to big issues for the Stallions. Heath Shuler is not as playoff tested, but he is also more cautious with the ball, and we like that. Our pick, in a wild west shootout, is Memphis 38-35. #3 DENVER GOLD (10-6) @ #1 LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (11-5) Sunday, July 25 @ 7pm ET (ABC) Farmers Insurance Field After getting a heroic performance from Jeff Lewis to get them here, Denver has Mark Brunell back, and that could be a huge difference maker. With all the success the Express have had this year, they still have a rookie at QB. He is likely the Rookie of the Year, but still you would prefer more experience there. Denver clearly has the advantage in the run game with Salaam being several notches better than Antowain Smith. LA has the deper receiving corps with Mike Pritchard, rookie Tory Holt, Curtis Mayfield and TE Tony McGee available. Both clubs have solid defenses, with Denver ranking higher (#2 in points allowed and #4 in yards allowed) while LA lives and dies by takeaways, leading the league at +26 in turnover margin. Denver is actually second from last at -6. That is huge. Turnovers can absolutely decide a close matchup of otherwise even teams. Add to that the potential that a slow start for Brunell could lead to Lewis making an appearance, and we think the slight edge goes to the Express in this one. OUR PICK: We are going to keep the glass slipper on Cinderella and pick the Express to reach the Summer Bowl as the greatest team turnaround in league, and perhaps pro football, history. We pick LA to get 2-3 takeaways and edge the Gold 21-20.