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The USFL decided that it needed to rectify its reputation as a pass-first league. At least that is what it looked like this week as nearly every game featured a 100-yard rusher, including some unexpected totals from backs like Blair Thomas, Kantroy Barber, Charlie Garner, and Kenny Bynum. Guess all that nickel defense was too tempting to run against and this week fans got to see how effective a mixed attack can be. Rumors of the Houston Gamblers’ demise may be premature. Yes, they lost to the Pittsburgh Maulers at home, but they showed that there is still a lot of fight in this squad, battling to take the lead in the 4th, before Pittsburgh sent the game to overtime and an eventual win, and they did it despite losing their starting QB in the 3rd quarter. Chuck Hartlieb was having a decent game, completing 14 of 28 passes for 190 yards and a TD to Antonio Freeman before a big hit left him dazed and forced the Gamblers to bring in Perry Klien in relief. Klien would go 6 for 11 and himself toss a key TD, a short crossing route to Brett Perriman to take a 23-16 lead with 3:14 left in the game. Pittsburgh though had 3:12 to come back, and they did just that, with Robbie Bosco hitting Louis Lipps for a game winner with just under a minute left to play. Pittsburgh tied the game on Septien’s PAT, and the two clubs went to overtime. It was a big day for understudies, as Klien took over for Hartlieb while Dorsey Levins took over for Mike Rozier, who suffered through an ankle sprain for over a quarter, gaining only 2.4 yards per carry before Coach Thomas benched him and went with Dorsey Levins, who had greater success, a 5.2 YPC average. In overtime it was Levins who put Pittsburgh in position to win, catching Houston’s D off guard on a 3rd and 6, Levins took the delayed handoff and rumbled 23 yards, placing the Maulers well within Septien’s range. The veteran kicker would connect from only 27 yards out and when Houston failed to convert on their next drive the game was over. But it was a game that reminded fans around the league that just because the QB position was a bit unsettled, there were still talented players on the Houston roster. PHI 31 CHI 27 Another cracker of a game with both teams looking to be at midseason form as they went back and forth in Soldier Field. Charlie Garner had Offensive POTW stats, rushing for 139 yards and 2 scores while also leading the Stars in receiving with 7 catches and a 3rd TD through the air. Chicago got 2 scores from Rickey Watters and Wendell Davis looked dangerous, catching 8 balls for 118 yards and a score in a losing cause. BAL 27 MGN 30 These Atlantic v. Central battles were electric all weekend. Michigan needed a last second field goal to down the Blitz and move to 2-0. They got 114 yards from Tyrone Wheatley to power them to a hard-earned win. For Baltimore the key was 3 Miller TD passes, two to Bill Brooks and one to Rob Moore as the Blitz and Panthers gave us what felt more like a playoff game than a week 2 clash. WSH 17 NOR 16 This clash of divisions just keeps giving, this time with the Federals scoring the road win thanks to a Stewart to Schroeder TD with 1:16 left to steal the win away from Coach Ditka and the Breakers. Barry Word was the key for the Feds, rushing for 115 while Kordell Stewart struggled (3 picks on the day) before hitting on the key play for the Washington win. OHI 20 STL 10 Not as close as the other battles, but the Ohio upset of St. Louis was still one to watch. Eddie George finally got into gear, rushing for 70 yards on 16 carries, and Jeff Hostetler hit Joey Galloway (Who else?) for 2 scores to lead the Glory over the Knights. NJ 6 TEX 42 OK, they can’t all be gems. New Jersey looks like a team that is simply not up to snuff as the Outlaws run away with this one. How bad was it? Well, Tony Sacca got into the game and even he got a TD, connecting with TE John Henry Mills. We are two games into the season and the only points the Generals have put up have come off the foot of Adam Vinatieri. That does not bode well for Coach Knox, who is likely wishing he had hung up the towel when he left Seattle and the NFL. JAX 38 ARZ 9 Jake Plummer experienced some serious growing pains against the Bulls. Yes, he threw for 304 yards, mostly in garbage time, but his two early picks helped set up Bulls scores. Chris Chandler had a field day against the Wranglers’ secondary, finding Terrell Owens for 3 scores, all in the first half. Kenny Bynum had a surprising day as well, rushing for 155 yards on only 13 carries as he subbed for a dinged up Natrone Means. BIR 17 DEN 20 Denver moves to 2-0 with a big home win over the Stallions. The Gold sacked Brett Favre 5 times and Rashaan Salaam galloped for 133 on a weekend when running backs started to assert themselves across the league. Add in TD’s from Brunell to both Mark Carrier and Willie Gillespie and the Gold held on to stay undefeated. TBY 28 LA 23 Tampa Bay struggled with a very game Express club. Up 28-17 after 3, the final quarter belonged to LA, but the Express fell just short when a 4th and 3 pass in the final seconds failed to find a receiver. Jeff Garcia finished the day with 268 yards and 3 TDs, while Troy Aikman also threw for 3 scores. Tampa was hindered by an early injury to Errict Rhett, though James Stewart’s 61 yards rushing certainly helped Tampa hold on for the W. ORL 34 OAK 10 Orlando continued the theme of quality run games as backup Kantroy Barber maximized his touches with 105 yards on only 7 carries, the best of which was a 50-yarder. He also scored on a 25-yard run as he produced big plays all day against an Invader D still trying to find itself. MEM 32 POR 17 The Showboat defense showed it was ready for a western swing with 5 sacks of Jack Trudeau and 2 picks to add insult to injury. Heath Shuler added 302 yards passing as Portland just could not get things going and found themselves down 15 at the half. Kevin Shea’s 5 field goals were enough for Memphis to put away the Thunder. ATL 38 SEA 17 Atlanta may be on to something as they head up to Seattle and have one of their best offensive outings ever. Cliff Stoudt went 23 of 30 and hit on 3 TD’s, and Blair Thomas, the forgotten man in Atlanta, rushed for 110 and 2 scores. Rookie Tiki Barber added another 86 yards rushing as Seattle simply could not make tackles. At the half, down 24-7, Coach Widenhofer pulled an ineffective Timm Rosenbach and again we saw some sparks from 2nd year QB Jon Kitna. OLD DOGS, MEET NEW TRICKS: Who says these guys are over the hill? Both Robbie Bosco and Cliff Stoudt are off to phenomenal starts this year. Currently 2nd and 4th in passing yards after 2 weeks, the old men of the Maulers and Atlanta Fire respectively are showing they still have some gas in the tanks. Both vets are working with new coaches barely older than they are, and both are taking advantage of unsettled QB situations to show that they still have some magic in them. Stoudt currently sits at 3rd in QB Rating and has over 580 yards passing with 5 TDs to only 1 pick. Bosco’s numbers are a bit more modest, with 607 yards passing and 3 TDs, but has yet to throw a pick in Pittsburgh’s short to mid-range passing game. AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THINGS: If you are wondering which club might be in the market for a new QB, look no further than the Generals. Neither Tommy Maddox nor Rob Johnson seem to be getting the job done for New Jersey. Johnson has a sad 52.4 QBR and has thrown 2 picks with no TDs in limited action. Maddox does not fare much better, with a QBR of only 66.1 and a 1-0 TD to INT ratio. So, if you are Peyton Manning over at Tennessee, or Ryan Leaf at the Paloose, do either of you think you want to head to the Generals next year? Sure, NY Market is attractive, but the cupboard seems bare in East Rutherford as the Generals are a solid 0-2 only because they haven’t played 3 games yet. RUN TO DAYLIGHT: We mentioned that this week was a cornucopia of quality running, and no one benefitted more than Philadelphia’s Charlie Garner. Garner, who was not even in the top 12 after 1 week, jumped up to 2nd with 209 yards after 2 weeks, trailing only Denver’s Rashaan Salaam in the league rushing race. Do we expect Garner to stay on pace all year? No, not really, but if the Stars can turn Garner back into a 1,000 yard rusher, they could be a force. Garner rushed for over 1,200 yards in 1995, but slipped all the way to just over 650 last year. They need him to be back on track if they want to balance that offense. GOING DEEP: Last year it was Joey Galloway of Ohio who caught everyone’s eye with some astonishing early season numbers. This year that honor seems to be going to Jacksonville’s 2nd year receiver, Terrell Owens. Owens leads the league with 246 yards through the air, and added 3 scores this week just to emphasize that he was on his game. Playing opposite Brian Blades, Owens does not draw a lot of double coverage but teams may have to risk it as he is burning the opposition when faced with single man coverage. He is a bit, strong receiver able to muscle his way to balls, go up and “high point” them, or just outreach his defenders. That, particularly with a smooth route runner like Blades opposite him, is a tough combo for any defense to handle. It was a scary moment in New Orleans when newly acquired CB James Hasty of the Breakers suffered a head-to-head collision and crumpled to the ground. After several minutes motionless, and as the training staffs prepared the back board and brought out the cart, it was near silent in the Super Dome. It took 2 hours to get a report back from the hospital. Hasty had swelling on the brain and a crack in his skull, but after medical treatment was believed to be out of any danger, had movement in his extremities, and it seems the worst is over. Hasty will miss the rest of the season and may opt to retire after this very frightening injury, but by all accounts he should recover over time. Other, thankfully less dramatic, injuries include a broken collarbone for Ohio tackle Joe Valerio, a broken arm for Denver wideout Mark Carrier, a sprained ankle for Texas HB Rodney Thomas, a broken finger for Memphis CB Derrick Cudrup and a concussion that took New Jersey starting QB out of the game but should not affect his ability to return next week, assuming Coach Knox leans that way. Antonio Freeman, the speedy young receiver for the Gamblers, could miss a game or two with a rib injury, and Tampa has said that Errict Rhett will be a gametime decision after bowing out this week. Not since the vote to either stay a spring league or move to a fall schedule back in 1984 has there been an issue as contentious as the current debate over the USFL schedule. On the hand you have several owners, including those on the league’s special scheduling task force, who stand strongly behind the idea of reducing the schedule to 14 games, realigning the league into 6 divisions, and creating greater space during the two NFL-USFL transfer windows to allow clubs to acquire talent. On the other you have a subset of owners who view the loss of 2 games, particularly one home game, and the potential reduction of television revenue, as economic suicide. Well, perhaps not suicide, but certainly a move that will force some reduction in the labor costs. That potential has a lot of people worried, especially leadership with in the players’ union, the USFLPA, which has said that any reduction of the schedule has to come with no adjustment to contracted salaries, and who seem prepared to demand a new collective bargaining agreement if the owners vote to adjust the season schedule. This is the hornet’s nest the owners find themselves in as they prepare to meet next week. Potential clashes with the TV networks, potential labor conflicts, and potential division within their own ranks. And yet, at the same time, it is clear that the current transfer-window system which limits signing of both players and staff across the USFL and the NFL is also an untenable situation. Both leagues suffer from the timing of the windows, overlapping with one league’s postseason and with the other’s camp and preseason. With the two league seasons practically crossing over each other (USFL March to August, NFL September to February) there is just not room for the two leagues to comfortably engage in the type of peaceful inter-league transfer of personnel that the current agreement hoped to set up. Something is going to have to give. In an ideal world, both leagues would be able to adjust their schedules to create more space, but there are just not enough weeks in the year to accommodate 16-game schedules, month long preseason camps, and 3-5 weeks of playoffs for both leagues. One solution being put forward by Michigan’s Abe Taubman, would essentially dissolve the transfer window concept and allow players and coaches to be signed to “futures” contracts, so that a player would be committed to their current club through the remainder of a season and then, when that contract ended, would be able to jump to the rival league. That was what we saw in the first few seasons of the league, but it was rife with abuses and there was a sense that players who had committed to changing leagues and teams were more likely to give less than 100% on their old contract for a team they knew they were leaving. How would a new “open signing” model avoid that potentiality? Several owners, led primarily by Chicago’s Bill Wirtz, believe the better option is to take a short-term hit on TV contracts, to reduce the season and expand the transfer windows, confident that the league could both reduce player contracts by 1/8th (cutting 2 games equates to a 1/8th cut in games) and rebound with strong TV contracts by expanding opportunities to the networks not currently engaged in league broadcasts, CBS and NBC. That too seems a very risky gamble, as both the players and the current USFL networks are likely to balk at such a calculated move. There appear to be no perfect solutions here, and a lot will boil down to what kind of pain the USFL wants. Does it want labor strife and some tough conversations with the networks, or is it willing to risk the sort of wild west free agency that caused salaries to skyrocket and both rosters and coaching staffs to be in a constant state of tea-leaf reading, the state of affairs during the immediate post-lawsuit USFL. We should have some answers next week when the owners meet, with this as the sole topic of discussion. Regardless of the outcome, expect there to be some cracks in the usual lockstep style of the ownership group, and some possible long-term ramifications. Week Three brings us a full slate of divisional games, and while these are early season games, we all know that teams cannot afford to take their division foes lightly. A win here is like 2 wins in any other matchup. The most intriguing game in the Atlantic has to be 2-0 Pittsburgh visiting 1-1 Baltimore. Can the Maulers put a serious dent in the Blitz’s hopes to repeat as division champs? In other Atlantic showdowns, Philly is in New Jersey to revive that rivalry, and Ohio hosts the Washington Federals, both hoping to move to 2-1. In the South we have a battle of unbeatens as in-state rivals Tampa Bay and Jacksonville square off in the Gator Bowl. Memphis and Birmingham also have quite a heated rivalry and with both at 1-1, this should be a battle. Finally, Atlanta, hot off their best offensive game in 3 years get to play host to the Orlando Renegades. Our favorite Central Division matchup has 2-0 Michigan hosting the Chicago Machine. Can the Panthers put their stamp on the division with a home win? Texas is wondering the same thing as they come into their home match against the Breakers at 2-0. Meanwhile, Houston and St. Louis are both surprisingly 0-2, and neither wants to lose a 3rd straight to start the season. And finally, in the Pacific, we have 4 teams stuck at 0-2. One of them will certainly get their first win as 0-2 Arizona is at 0-2 Seattle. Denver is in LA to take on the winless Express, while Oakland will try to get their first win of the year as they visit the Portland Thunder.

USFL Football is back for its 15th Season. The league that brought you Herschel Walker, Joe Cribbs, Eric Truvillion, Jim Kelly, Doug Flutie, Brian Bosworth, Brett Favre, and Mike Rozier is back in action with 24 teams playing in its opening weekend. In what feels like a new era in the league, the Houston Gamblers defend their title without the star that got them three Summer Bowl Championships, while new stars hope to make a name for themselves in the USFL. Rookie QB Jake Plummer gets his first start in a familiar venue, Sun Devil Stadium, former Husky HB Corey Dillon is in action in Seattle, and Colorado Buffalo star QB Kordell Stewart takes over the mantle in Washington after 2 years of tutelage under All-USFL QB Don Majkowski. It is a season of opportunity, of promise, and of potential, and it all starts this weekend when the stadiums of the USFL were filled once again with fans of spring football. GAME OF THE WEEK: ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS @ PORTLAND THUNDER A good opening day battle between two potential contenders in the Western Conference as St. Louis traveled to Portland to open the season. A light rain fell during most of the game but did not seem to impact play as the two teams combined for 817 yards of offense. Both Robert Drummond and Darrell Thompson started the season well, with the two-time league rushing leader gaining 116 to kick off a new year while the Knights’ Thompson gained 93 and scored on his first action of the year. A 14-13 game at the half in favor of the visitors, thanks to TDs’ from TE Alex Higdon and Thompson on a 7-yard run. St. Louis boosted their lead on the first drive of the second half when fullback Ironhead Hayward rumbled in from 8 yards out, but Portland would find a way back. Down 24-16 after 3 quarters, the Thunder got TD’s from Drummond and a Webster Slaughter TD catch to take the lead 29-24 with only minutes left. But, on the TD toss, QB Todd Collins was dinged up and former Buffalo Bill Frank Reich would have to finish the game. NJ 15 BAL 17 Defense was definitely ahead of offense as both the Generals and Blitz had trouble moving the ball. Both defenses keyed on the run game, with neither team able to garner 100 yards. Chris Miller hit Bill Brooks and Lamar Thomas with scoring tosses, but when Tommy Maddox found Malcolm Floyd with a score as the clock wound down, New Jersey was within a 2-point PAT of tying the game. The Stars D came up big on the conversion, as Maddox was unable to hit TE Mark Chmura over the middle on a desperation throw. WSH 20 PIT 27 Another good Atlantic Division battle as Pittsburgh got a late TD from Bosco to Shaw to break open a 20-20 tie in the final minutes of play. Mike Rozier just keeps rolling along, garnering 112 yards on 20 carries and a 7-yard TD to boot for the Maulers. Washington’s Kordell Stewart looked sharp, completing 28 of 39 passes for 354 yards against a Mauler D that simply could not keep him in the pocket. OHI 21 PHI 34 The Glory had the Stars on the ropes through three quarters before a 13 point outburst in the 4th helped Philadelphia secure the home win. Newcomer Troy Brown made a big impression for the Stars, catching 5 balls for 74 yards and 2 TDs. Ohio’s Eddie George was completely bottled up by the Stars defense, rushing for only 7 yards on 12 carries before Ohio moved to a pass-first strategy. ATL 24 BIR 27 Both the current and the former Stallion QBs had strong games as Birmingham’s Brett Favre just edged Atlanta’s Cliff Stoudt for the win. Favre found Ernest Givens 6 times for 139 yards, and connected with Shannon Sharpe for two scores on the day while Stoudt made it an auspicious USFL debut for Lake Dawson, who caught 7 balls for 126. JAX 30 MEM 13 The Bulls ruined the home opener for Memphis by picking off Heath Shuler twice and running off 23 unanswered points in the 2nd half. Both Brian Blades and Terrell Owens had over 100 yards for the Bulls as they came out of the gate hot. ORL 22 TBY 28 A season-opening Battle of Florida saw QB Troy Aikman of the Bandits start strong, completing 67% of his passes for 360 yards and 3 scores, the final one a 21 yard swing pass to Errict Rhett for the game-clinching score in the 4th. Newly acquired WR Keenan McCardell had a big day for Orlando, catching 6 balls for 94 yards, but it was not enough as the Renegades fell in Tampa Stadium to last year’s Conference Champion. CHI 20 ARZ 17 Chicago struggled to put away Arizona in Tempe as rookie QB Jake Plummer went 27 of 44 for 190 yards and a score. Chicago relied on 3 scoring tosses from Dan McGwire, including a Wesley Walls TD to go up by 10 late, but Plummer found his TE, Terry Orr with a late score to pull within 3. Chicago secured the win with an onside recovery and a key 3rd and 3 pickup to allow them to kill the clock and take the win. HOU 20 DEN 35 A new age in Denver began with Chuck Hartlieb going 12 of 27 for 250 yards and 2 scores, but it was not enough as Mark Brunell threw for 2 scores and Rashaan Salaam rushed for 1 on the way to a Denver victory at Mile High. Houston would go only 4 of 13 on third down, and Thurman Thomas averaged only 2.6 yards per carry as Denver’s defense played well in the home opener. MGN 20 LA 17 Michigan was not yet in synch on offense as the Express stuck around the entire game. Rookie Antowain Smith averaged 5.1 yards per carry, but was outgained by Tyrone Wheatley on the day as Michigan had just enough to secure the win, getting a late TD plunge from Rodney Culver to take the lead away from LA for good in the 4th. NOR 23 OAK 13 The Breakers got 76 yards on 17 carries from Terrell Davis, and held Bobby Hebert in check most of the game to secure a road victory. Oakland’s run game never materialized as Siran Stacy averaged only 1.3 yards per carry, but the new LB corps for the Invaders played well, with Chris Spielman and Ricky Shaw both earning 7 tackles. TEX 16 SEA 9 A gloomy, rainy day in the Emerald City produced a sloppy game with 11 combined penalties and 4 fumbles (2 recovered by the opposition). Corry Dillon struggled in his first USFL start, gaining only 10 yards on 7 carries, while Reggie Cobb muscled out 53 yards on the ground. Texas got TDs from Rodney Thomas and Lawyer Tillman and a sack of Rosenbach in the endzone gave them their 16 points, enough to pull this one out in the rain. NEW FACES ON OPENING DAY A big day for debuts around the league as we saw several new starting quarterbacks, quite a few NFL transfers, and a decent number of rookies getting into the action. Kordell Stewart began his run as the new QB of the Washington Federals with a strong outing, throwing for 354 yards in a tough loss to Pittsburgh. Rookie superstar Jake Plummer showed some flashes for Arizona, almost guiding them back to a home victory against Chicago, while Chuck Hartlieb assumed the mantle in Houston and had some struggles. Of the NFL transfers, WR Lake Dawson had the splashiest showing, with 126 yards receiving as the newest member of the Atlanta Fire. But it was a tough day overall for rookie running backs as Corey Dillon, Troy Davis, and Tiki Barber all struggled with the speed and ferocity of the pro game. Antowain Smith was the leading rusher among rookies with only 56 yards as the new kids in town got a taste of how fast the spring game is. CONCERN IN COLLUMBUS Despite a steady drumbeat of optimism out of the Ohio Glory, there has to be concern about Eddie George as he simply failed to provide any spark for the Glory offense. George rushed the ball 12 times, but gained only 7 yards against an admittedly stacked Philadelphia Stars defense. The Glory had been pushing the idea that this would be a breakout season for the Ohio State back, but once again the line and the play calling did George no favors. While his former Buckeye teammate, Joey Galloway, has seen major success in his short USFL career, George has simply been unable to match the performances we saw from him on fall Saturdays with his spring Sunday outings. For Coach Saban, who had hoped to move Ohio out of “expansion” status and into “contender” status, the maturation and success of George as a back is key to Ohio’s future. If he cannot figure out a way to free George up and if George cannot start turning 1-yard losses into 4 yard gains, this could be a long year of disappointment for fans in the Buckeye State. GLAD YOU’RE BACK How much did QB Brett Favre miss Ernest Givens last year? Well, if this week’s opener is any indication, the loss was a huge one. After a very rough season which saw Favre throw for a lot of yards but very few wins without Givens on the field, the combo was back to their old hijinx again this week against Atlanta. Yes, we realize that Atlanta is not exactly known as the league’s best pass defense, but Favre and Givens were able to connect early and often on the way to a 139 yard day for the veteran receiver. Clearly the two have chemistry, and while there are other quality receivers on the Stallion roster, there is nothing like having your favorite target at 100% and ready to go deep. A rough first week of USFL play as over 30 players now find themselves on the injury report for Week 2. Of these, a few are potentially a major impact for their clubs. Newly acquired center John Burch could be out of the Pittsburgh lineup for up to 3 months with a hip injury that occurred on a nasty pileup. Seattle will be without their starting strong safety, Alton Montgomery, for at least 2 months due to an ACL partial tear, and Chicago guard Leo Goeas could miss a month or more after a bad knee sprain with minor ligament damage. That, fortunately, is the extent of the long-term injuries, but other players who could miss a game or two include Arizona LB Winfred Tubbs (hand), Philadelphia safety Marcus Quinn (hamstring) and wideout Cris Carter (questionable with a broken finger), Bulls’ CB Ron Pitts (shoulder), Michigan HB Rodney Culver (hamstring). Listed as probable but likely game time decisions include Knights QB Todd Collins, Atlanta QB Cliff Stoudt (knee), and both New Orleans starting wideouts, Herman Fontenot and Qadry Ismail. Opening weekend saw a healthy USFL with strong attendance across the board. Even some cities which tend to lag had a good turnout, including over 33,000 in Los Angeles (always a tough market) and 35,400 who came out to Sun Devil Stadium to welcome Jake Plummer to the Wranglers. The highlights from a turnout standpoint were in Denver, where over 51,300 came out to see the Gold defeat the Gamblers, and in Tampa Bay, where an early rivalry game against Orlando brought out nearly 63,000 on a sunny March Sunday afternoon. The highest TV ratings were for the Saturday night clash between Washington and Pittsburgh and Sunday’s late afternoon game between the Gamblers and Gold, but ratings were also strong for a wide range of games on the three networks (ABC, ESPN and FOX). With the league set to debate an altered schedule and alignment at the upcoming owner’s meetings, attendance and TV ratings will be a big piece of the puzzle to be sure, as will potential clashes with the USFLPA regarding any potential change to the schedule, particularly the potential to shrink to a 14-game regular season, a move which would require considerable alteration to the CBA as well as to individual contracts across the league. While Week 1 saw an interesting mix of divisional and inter-divisional games, Week 2 brings us full inter-conference play. Among the more anticipated games we have Birmingham at Denver, Baltimore at Michigan, Philly in Chicago, and Pittsburgh at Houston in a battle of the past two league champions. We will also see the Federals take on the Machine in Chicago, Ohio head to St. Louis, New Jersey in a rare game against Texas, and Jacksonville head out to the desert to face the Wranglers. Tampa Bay is in LA in a homecoming of sorts for former UCLA QB Troy Aikman, while Orlando flies west to face Oakland, Memphis is up in Portland, and a cross-country battle of 1995 expansion clubs as Seattle hosts Atlanta.

Can one man determine the fate of 12 different football franchises? This USFL offseason there seem to be a lot of folks who believe the answer is yes. The Houston Gamblers have dominated the Western Conference for a decade and the man at the center of that dominance has been QB Jim Kelly. When the 3-time USFL MVP retired last September it sent ripples of change throughout the league, almost like the Emperor being killed in Last of the Jedi. For some, particularly Gambler Nation, it marked the end of an era, and left them wondering if their club could find a way to stay at the top of the league. For fans of the other 11 Western Conference clubs, it means there may very well be a void at the top and they all want their club to step up and become the new king of the hill. We agree that without Jim Kelly at the helm, and with Houston not really going big to find a replacement, at least not yet, there is a good chance that the Gamblers will struggle this year. They have a lot of talent on their team, but we all know that QB is the key to success in the USFL, and while we think Chuck Hartlieb has been a solid backup, we are not sold that he is ready to take the mantle. So, who is ready to jump into the void? There are several Central Division clubs that seem to be on the rise, from the shut down defense of the St. Louis Knights to the run-first offenses of Michigan and New Orleans. You also have Denver in the Pacific, who seem to have found a QB of their own in Mark Brunell. Our analysts have compiled their preseason Power Ranking, and just as we did with the Eastern Conference, we will go in their predicted order to explore all 12 USFL franchises and see what we see as the strengths and deficiencies of each club, including recent roster departures, arrivals, draftees, and the coaching stability of each club. Then, when we have finished our review of all 24 clubs our analysts we will leave it up to the Swami himself, Chris Berman, to give us his prediction for Summer Bowl 1997. So, let’s get started with our look at the Western Conference. DENVER GOLD (#1 in West, #3 Overall) Departures: FS C. Mincy (FA), DT M. D. Perry (FA) Arrivals: TE Jimmie Johnson (NFL), FS Jamel Williams (ROOK), G Chris Dishman (ROOK), HB Terry Battle (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Phillips is pretty well-ensconced in Denver and his club winning the Pacific last year certainly did not weaken that standing. Problem is another quick playoff exit could be seen as a real problem. Denver is expected to win the relatively weak Pacific again, but has to be able to prove that it is on a par with the clubs from the much tougher Central Division. Outlook: Our panel believes Denver will be the #1 seed in the West this year, but that does not necessarily mean the best team. The Central clubs will knock each other down while Denver should be able to cruise to a division title unless Portland or Seattle make serious improvements. But what happens come playoff time? Denver’s roster largely stood pat. They were able to replace Mincy’s departure with one of the best-looking rookie safeties in recent years, but the loss of Michael Dean Perry could be an issue. Denver is counting on a rotation of James Manley and John Jurkovic to keep the center of the line solid, but may have to rely on more help from a very talented LB corps that includes Marvcus Patton, Kurt Gouveia, Trev Alberts and John Holocek. OUR BEST GUESS: Lots of division wins help Denver grab the top seed at 11-5. ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS (#2 in West, #4 Overall) Departures: TE G. Scales (FA), WR R. Ismail (FA), HB R. Brooks (NFL), LB B. Minter (Trade) Arrivals: DT Brent Sowell (FA), SS Jason Snider (FA), WR Patrick Rowe (Trade), LB Darrin Smith (NFL), K Ryan Longwell (ROOK), WR Kevin Lockett (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Jim Johnson made all the right calls last year and helped St. Louis move from also-ran to a serious division contender, even wresting 1st place away from Houston for several weeks. He will now look to make the Knights, and their defense, a new force in the Central Division. Outlook: The Knights took a big hit when Rocket Ismail bolted for new digs in Arizona, but by trading for Patrick Rowe and drafting Kevin Lockett they hope they have found enough receptions to offset the loss. A lot still rests on that defense, though. Todd Collins is serviceable, but is not the kind of QB who can carry a team. The run game is still a bit shaky, though we like the greater use of Ironhead Hayward that we saw last year. But in the end, if the Knights want to find themselves in 1st place in this tough division, they will be relying on defensive studs like safety Rodney Harrison, DT Jerry Ball, LBs Marcus Cotton and newly-acquired Darrin Smith, and get even more pass rush from DE play out of Tony Tolbert, Andy Harmon and Dameaion Jeffries. OUR BEST GUESS: We like a stingy defense and a conservative offense in a division that no longer has a lot of study QB’s. 10-6 and 1st in the Central is our pick. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (#3 in West, #5 Overall) Departures: LB R. Shaw (FA), CB B. Mitchell (FA), WR Terry Mickens (NFL), LB Jesse Cox (NFL) K Brad Daluiso (FA) Arrivals: FS Mike Prior (NFL), DE Kevin Cota (FA), WR Dedrick Ward (ROOK), T Ross Verba (ROOK), K Brett Conway (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Holtz got what he wanted in the signing of Doug Flutie, a steady hand at the till. Flutie’s playmaking ability match up well with the straight-ahead run game of the Panthers. Now Holtz can focus on improving the Panther defense and hoping that the club has hit on a gem or two in the draft. Outlook: Michigan is a tough team to figure out. We could see them winning 10 games or only 6, but likely they fall right in the middle. If they can keep feeding Tyrone Wheatley the ball, and if the receiving group of Weegie Thompson, Muhsin Muhammad and rookie Dedrick Ward can continue to develop, the Panthers could be a very tough out. OUR BEST GUESS: We are just not sure what to make of the Panthers, but our consensus leans a bit towards favorable. 9-7, 2nd in Central NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (#4 in West, #6 Overall) Departures: T D. Reisenberg (FA), DE C. Bradtske (FA), CB G. Atkins (FA), S. Mark Kelso (RET) Arrivals: WR Horace Copleland (FA), T Troy Auzene (FA), SS Sammy Knight (ROOK), CB Chris Canty (ROOK), WR Isaac Byrd (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Ditka was on the edge last year and falling out of playoff contention late did not do him any favors. By our estimate he needs at least 9 wins and a playoff appearance to keep him in place in the Crescent City. Outlook: The Breakers and Panthers feel very much like the same team to us. A decent but not devastating defense, a solid run game that relies heavily on one big back, a QB who can make some plays but can also be really off at times. New Orleans is good, but not great, in most areas, and we are just not all that confident in Coach Ditka’s offensive schemes. OUR BEST GUESS: We are going to put the Breakers right where the Panthers are, 9-7, 3rd in Central on a tiebreaker. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (#5 in West, #10 Overall) Departures: QB Jim Kelly (RET), WR R. Proehl (FA), SS L. Butler (FA), WR J. Pruitt (RET) Arrivals: DE Danny Stubbs (NFL), C Matt Yount (FA), SS Chris Carter (ROOK), T Adam Meadows (ROOK), QB Chuck Clements (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Willsey is an institution in Houston, with 3 league titles, including last year. He is not going anywhere unless he wants to. That said, this year could be his toughest job to date. Outlook: Yes, a lot of pieces are still in place from last year, but the loss not only of Jim Kelly but of safety LeRoy Butler and two contributors at the wideout position will have a big impact on the Gamblers. Expect Houston to rely on Thurman Thomas more than ever as they turn the QB reins over to Chuck Hartlieb. But we saw Thomas lose a step last year, with his YPC dropping below 4.0 for the first time and his total yards drop to 851, the first season under 1,000 yards in his career. If his decline is legit, the Houston offense could be in real trouble. OUR BEST GUESS: We see Houston as a club in transition. They may need to blow things up and start over because we just don’t see enough here to assume a player here or there can return them to glory. 8-8 may be the best they can do, and that would put them 4th in the division. PORTLAND THUNDER (#6 in West, #12 Overall) Departures: G J. Andolsek (FA), FB M. Cade (NFL), LB B. R. Smith (RET), CB H. Welch (RET), HB A. Lee (RET) Arrivals: C Jeff Uhlenake (NFL), CB James Bullock (FA), WR T. Dixon (NFL), FB Arnulfo Cowley (ROOK), LB Mike Vrabel (ROOK), WR Matthew Hatchette (ROOK), HB June Henley (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Tobin needs to show some growth with this club. They have hovered around .500 the last 2 years and fans are growing restless. 10 wins or more would sure help him prove his plan to rely on defense and HB Robert Drummond is working. Outlook: The Thunder took a lot of hits in free agency and retirements. They got a good one in signing NFL center Jeff Uhlenake, and we like the look of rookie wideout Matthew Hatchette. Another rookie, Mike Vrabel from Ohio State, is likely to also get a starting gig right out of the gate at MLB. But is this enough to catch the Denver Gold. We are not so sure. OUR BEST GUESS: 8-8, 2nd in the Pacific. TEXAS OUTLAWS (#7 in West, #13 Overall) Departures: T T. Auzene (FA), SS K. Porter (FA), QB M. Shula (FA), LB A. Moyer (NFL) Arrivals: SS Mike Minter (ROOK), FB Robert Booker (ROOK), T Ryan Tucker (ROOK), QB Tony Graziani (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Pardee is going to need more than past success in Houston to get him through this season. So far the transition to a face-paced spread-style offense has just not worked for the Outlaws, putting too much pressure on their D and with too few big games from Kelly Stouffer. OC Mouse Davis is out, and the new offensive philosophy should include more touches for Reggie Cobb and hopefully better protection for Stouffer. Pardee needs results and fast. Outlook: The only big signing this offseason for Texas was resigning their own DE, John Bosa. They needed that but they also needed to bring Troy Auzene back and that did not happen. So, it may be rookie Ryan Tucker trying to protect QB Kelly Stouffer. Texas still does not have the personnel to really play the kind of ball Pardee would like. Their defense is not fast enough, and their offense lacks real gamebreakers. That is not a good omen for the coach or the fans in San Antonio to be sure. OUR BEST GUESS: Texas finds a way to stay in the mix, but once again fades down the stretch, 7-9, 5th in Central. CHICAGO MACHINE (#8 in West, #16 Overall) Departures: WR H. Copeland (FA), QB S. Zolak (FA), DT K. Fagan (FA), CB D. Burroughs (NFL), HB J. Johnson (RET), LB G. Biekert (FA) Arrivals: WR Ricky Proehl (FA), DE Chad Bradtske (FA), HB Duce Staley (ROOK), CB Sam Madison (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Schottenheimer has rolled the dice with QB Dan McGwire, letting Zolak go in free agency. After finishing last in the division in 1996, he cannot afford another basement finish, but this is a tough division and we just don’t see a lot of muscle in this Machine lineup. Outlook: The Machine took some big hits in free agency, and while we like Ricky Proehl on special teams and as a quality slot receiver, it is not enough. The drafting of Duce Staley, while a good player, makes little sense for a team that already has a quality back in Rickey Watters. What they need were playmakers on the outside and more speed on defense, and we don’t see that in this year’s roster. OUR BEST GUESS: 5-11, 6th in the Central and Marty moves on. SEATTLE DRAGONS (#9 in West, #18 Overall) Departures: FB Z. Crockett (FA), QB D. Klingler (FA), CB Adrian Robinson (FA) Arrivals: DT Gilbert Brown (NFL), DT Isaac Williams (FA), G Craig Novitsky (FA), FB Theron Wilson (ROOK), HB Corey Dillon (ROOK), CB Al Harris (ROOK), C Mike Flynn (ROOK) Coaching Situation: This may be a make or break year for Coach Widenhoffer. Seattle lost almost nothing from a team that looked better in Week 18 than Week 1 last year, and they had one of the better-rated drafts, getting a stud halfback and local hero in Corey Dillon but also adding a potential starter on defense in CB Al Harris. The most intriguing move was on the D-line where they signed not only veteran Isaac Williams but stole away a true mountain of a man in former Packer Gilbert Brown. Outlook: We like Seattle as a possible playoff darkhorse. Dillon should be an immediate upgrade for the run game, Timm Rosenbach should be back at QB, and if he falters we already know that 2nd year QB Jon Kitna can make plays with his arm or his feet. The WR corps is basically Eric Metcalf and the 7 dwarves, but there is talent on defense and this just feels like a team ready to rise. OUR BEST GUESS: Another team we could not agree on, and ended up saying 7-9 was a good year, but there are folks in our bullpen who see up to 10 wins for this club and even a possible leapfrog over the rest of the division. That will have to be seen to b believed. 7-9 and 3rd in the Pacific is where we place them. OAKLAND INVADERS (#10 in West, #20 Overall) Departures: T H. Swayne (FA0, LB R. Rivera (NFL), LB R. Kirk (RET), LB K. Harvey (RET), DT . R. Rodgers (RET), DB J. Hasty (Trade) Arrivals: LB Chris Spielman (FA), LB Ricky Shaw (FA), WR Terry Mickens (FA), WR K. Simien (Trade), HB Troy Davis (ROOK), G Frank Middleton (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Mora is finding his return to the USFL to be a rough ride. After a mediocre 7-9 year the club bottomed out (he hopes) at 5-11 last season. But, just as he started talking about retooling he lost 3 of his 4 starting linebackers with Harvey and Kirk retiring and Rivera headed to the NFL. That is tough to overcome. Outlook: The Invaders were active this offseason, they had to be. Signing both Chris Spielman and Ricky Shaw to rebuild the linebacking corps was an absolute necessity. They also added some dynamism to the run game with the diminutive sparkplug Troy Davis of Iowa State. Is it enough? We are not convinced. Bobby Hebert seems to be winding down his career, and Henry Ellard cannot do it all himself. The defense will be a work in progress, and we are not sure that work will develop fast enough to keep Coach Mora from feeling the heat. OUR BEST GUESS: Things look very shaky by the Bay this year. 6-10, 4th in the Pacific. LA EXPRESS (#11 in West, #21 Overall) Departures: HB Marcus Allen (RET), T Alan Kline (FA), DT L. Shackerford (FA), SS J. Snider (FA), WR P. Rowe (Trade) Arrivals: G Erik Andolsek (FA), FS T. Hauck (FA), LB Barry Minter (Trade), HB Antowain Smith (ROOK), SS Torrian Gray (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Neuheisel did well in his first year with an expansion club, but saw little growth with the club in his 2nd year. That makes this year pivotal. The Express need to make a push for .500 to keep Neuheisel feeling secure. But the former QB, turned HC, still does not seemed settled on a QB. Brent Pease had success early while Jeff Garcia struggled, but if you have 2 QB’s, as the saying goes, maybe you don’t really even have 1. Outlook: Marcus Allen struggled to gain yards behind the LA line. Will Antowain Smith, with a more bruising, straight-ahead style fare better? Adding Eric Andolsek at guard should help, but what would really help is if the receivers would finally start to play up to potential. Mike Pritchard has been the lone star in the sky for LA, but they need either Rob Carpenter or Darnay Scott to step up as well. OUR BEST GUESS: We really like Neuheisel, but we don’t see LA having the horses to get this club into contention, and without that, this third year could easily be a last year for the young head coach. 5-11 and 5th in the division is our pick. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (#12 in West, #22 Overall) Departures: HC Ted Tollner (Released), QB Robbie Bosco (Trade), SS D. Fulcher (NFL), K M. Luckhurst (FA), TE M. Boyer (RET) Arrivals: C David Houle (FA), WR Rocket Ismail (FA), T Robert Curry (FA), TE Pete Metzelaars (NFL), QB Jake Plummer (ROOK), DT Renaldo Wynn (ROOK), WR Nate Jacquet (ROOK), SS Omar Stoutmire (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Shell comes in with a mission to clean house and a clean slate is what he wants. He started immediately working with the GM to fix the biggest issue, the offense. There is still a lot of defensive talent on this club, and now, with a hotshot rookie QB, and a rebuilt O-line, the Wranglers are hoping to make believers out of disgruntled fans in the Valley of the Sun. Outlook: We love the moves that Shell and the Wranglers have made. They got their man in Jake Plummer, then helped him out by signing two linemen and snagging a reliable outlet in TE Pete Metzelaars from the NFL. With two savvy vets at TE (including Terry Orr), the Wranglers can run a lot of 2-TE formations, protect Plummer, run the ball, and count on that defense to win close games. The only big issue we see with the plan is that we are just not sold on the combo of Tim Lester and Karim Abdul-Jabbar as a consistent force in the run game. That will hold the Wranglers back and force Plummer to carry the load, a lot to ask of a rookie. OUR BEST GUESS: Arizona is starting over, and that takes time. This year is really just a trial by fire for both Plummer and Coach Shell. It won’t show in the standings, but by season’s end there should be a lot of optimism in the locker room and in the stands. 4-12, 6th in West. SEASON PREDICTION: Those are our picks from the top of the power ratings to the bottom, now let’s hear what the Swami has to say. Hello everyone, your trusted swami here. And for the first time in a long time I am not going to make my usual pick of Houston vs. Pittsburgh. Jim Kelly has left the building, and that changes everything. We have a new sheriff in town and he may be more Barney Fife than Wyatt Earp. So who do we like in a world where we don’t just expect Houston to be there? Tampa Bay looks solid and they have a QB who can carry a team when needed. Baltimore has a defense that will put the fear of God into you. It once again may be Mike Rozier’s last run at a title, something we feel like we have been saying for years. Out west you have a young gun in Denver, a Blitz-wannabe in St. Louis, and you have the veteran, the golden boy of 1985, Doug Flutie in Michigan. It’s a wide open race, and we are going to make some wild picks just to shake things up. I am not going to go with the frontrunners in either conference. Too easy to look at Baltimore, Tampa Bay or Denver and predict a title. Nope, I am going fully out in left field. My pick this year is for the Orlando Renegades to put together a late-season run and to knock off Tampa Bay in a thrilling all-Florida Conference title. They will then go on and win their first USFL title by defeating a wild card team in the Summer Bowl, and that Wild Card will be… the Seattle Dragons. Yup, I told you I was going for the darkhorse and Seattle is the ultimate mudder. They will upend St. Louis in the dome thanks to a balanced offense and an underrated defense. Seattle and Orlando, those are my picks, and since I am very rarely right about these selections, there is no pressure for me to be right this time around either.

We start our preview of the 1997 USFL season with the Eastern Conference. Last year Baltimore raced out to a 12-1 mark before slumping just a bit in the final weeks. They were undone in the Conference Final by a Tampa Bay squad that had won 8 straight. Tampa would go on to give the Houston Gamblers all they could handle before eventually bowing to the Western Champs. But what of this season? Who is stronger? Who may be slipping a bit? Could there be a surprise team? Can Pittsburgh return to their 1996 form or will Baltimore dominate the Atlantic. In the past 5 years we have seen Baltimore, Pittsburgh (2x) and Washington (2x) all claim the Division Title. In the Southern Division, it has been just as wild, as 1996 saw Tampa take the crown, while in 1996 it was Jacksonville, and before them both Birmingham and Memphis took the lead. Could this year be the year for Orlando to step up? To sort things out we are going to use our USFL Power Rankings to run through the conference, and along the way we will look at the departures and arrivals on each club, talk about coaching security, and then give our best guess of how each team will finish. So, let’s get started. BALTIMORE BLITZ (#1 in East & Overall) Departures: QB D. McManus (FA), C J. Burch (FA), DE C. Buchanon (FA), LB M. Jones (FA) Arrivals: LB Mike Junkin (FA), LB Duane Bickett (FA), LB Tarek Salah (ROOK), QB Wally Richardson (ROOK), FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo (ROOK), DT Grady Jackson (DT) Coaching Situation: Coach Infante seems about as entrenched as a head coach can be. The team looked really good on defense last year (#1 in several categories) and while they did suffer some turnover, they should still be solid. He will need even more from their offense, but he is supposed to be an offensive guru, so it is not too much to ask. Outlook: The fact that the Blitz are rated as the best club in the league in our power ratings sure is a big leap from last February. They made a lot of believers last year, but now need to cash in on that potential. We love the addition of a big FB to plow the path for Barry Foster, and the revamped LB corps should be a bit more aggressive than last year’s bunch. This club is stacked on defense, and that will take them far. OUR BEST GUESS: 12-4 and 1st place in the Atlantic. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (#2 in East & Overall) Departures: DE A Mitz (FA), LB K. DeLong (FA) Arrivals: LB Derek Smith (ROOK), FB Jerold Sewell (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Jerry Glanville was on the hotseat after two mediocre seasons in Tampa, but last year’s run gave him a lot of rope, now let’s see if he hangs himself or if he helps Tampa go even further. He needs to continue to let Aikman and company play vertical football while perhaps helping that defense get just a bit better. Outlook: Tampa Bay was expected to be decent, but went to a whole other level in the second half of the season. In the offseason the Bandits focused on resigning their two big Free Agents, QB Troy Aikman and TE Ben Coates. They were successful with both, but that kept them from making a lot of moves to improve the roster. Their big hope is that this was a team on the rise and that they have not reached their full potential yet. OUR BEST GUESS: We like Tampa, but the South is hard to figure. They could win it all easily or fall back to the pack. Our guess is that they barely stay ahead of some hungry teams. 10-6, 1st in the South. PHILADELPHIA STARS (#3 in East & #7 Overall) Departures: QB E. Kramer (FA), FS T. Hauck (FA), T C. Conklin (RET), DT E. Tuaolo (NFL) Arrivals: T Emory Yates (FA), WR T. Brown (NFL), LB P. Duckworth (FA), HB G. Milburn (Trade), QB J. Delhomme (ROOK), DT Seth Payne (ROOK), LB Mike Crawford (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Berry is secure enough with Philadelphia, but fans are nervous that the team is getting a bit old and a bit slow. They are not going to be a fireworks show, more of a slow burn, but the team is solid and that can do a lot for a coach. Outlook: We like rookie Seth Payne to help with the Stars’ run defense, and we think Mike Crawford will get some snaps as well. Trading for Glyn Milburn could help on 3rd downs, but the absolute key to the Stars’ offseason was stealing away Emory Yates from the Stallions. A premier right tackle, Yates could really invigorate the Stars run game, which takes pressure off of Chuck Long and means more sustained drives to help the defense catch their breath. OUR BEST GUESS: Philadelphia may not be ready to catch up to Baltimore, but they will be in the playoff hunt for certain. 10-6 and 2nd in the Atlantic. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (#4 in East and #8 Overall) Departures: QB A. Risher (RET), C R. Hemphill (NFL), CB L. Lang (FA), DT C. Veasey (FA), QB J. Fourcade (FA) Arrivals: CB Mike Davis (FA), T Doug Reisenberg (FA), T Paul Gruber (NFL), LB K. DeLong (FA), C J. Burch (FA), WR Derrick Mason (ROOK), FB Nick Sualua (ROOK), QB Mike Cherry (ROOK) Coaching Situation: With the departure of Ted Marchibroda the Maulers start a new era. They promoted Emmitt Thomas to be the face of the franchise as the club’s first ever African-American coach, and Thomas immediately began putting his stamp on this team, adding 3 offensive linemen to return to what he called “Bulldozer football”. With Mike Rozier, the ageless wonder, back in the fold, that bulldozer strategy may just help Pittsburgh return to the top of the division. Outlook: We love the signing of two solid tackles and a center. Mike Rozier and Robbie Bosco must love it as well. Yes, Pittsburgh took a shot at rookie QB Jim Druckenmiller, which cannot make Bosco feel great, but he will be the man this year and if the Maulers can run the ball, he can be successful. With Louis Lipps back in action alongside Raynard Brown and rookie Derrick Mason, the play action game could be quite dangerous. OUR BEST GUESS: We still think there will be some “getting-to-know-you” pains on this squad, but they could still compete with Philly and maybe even Baltimore for the division. 9-7 and 3rd in the Atlantic. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (#5 in East and #9 Overall) Departures: LB D. Smith (FA), DT C. Maxey (FA), T N. Randall (RET), HB T. Agie (RET) Arrivals: G Dave Cadigan (FA), HB Travis Jervey (FA), FB Larry Centers (NFL), LB Sam Rogers (NFL), TE O.J. Santiago (ROOK), DT Barron Tanner (ROOK) Coaching Situation: After last year’s bizarre outburst and firing of Buddy Ryan, Cam Cameron has a lot to prove. He got the Boats into the playoffs last year, but now expectations will be for him to repeat the feat in a very even division top to bottom (well, maybe not Atlanta). Outlook: Memphis is a bit of an enigma. They lost some talent, especially on the two lines, but signing Cadigan can help that. We like Larry Centers as a receiver but it seems that Moe Williams needs more of a straight line blocker in front of him. Once again it looks like Heath Shuler will have to throw the ball 50 times a game for Memphis to compete with some of their division foes. Reggie White is still the Minister of Defense, but there is not a lot of firepower behind him. OUR BEST GUESS: We are not sold on the Boats this year. We think they will slip down a notch or two, just because this division is so dynamic. 7-9, 4th in South ORLANDO RENEGADES (#6 in East and #11 Overall) Departures: TE M. Cook (FA), T R. Curry (FA), LB D. Bickett (FA), LB T. Green (RET), LB V. Waiters (RET), CB Reynolds (RET) Arrivals: FS Pat Ellers (FA), WR Keenan McCardell (Trade), LB Greg Biekert (FA), QB Scott Zolak (FA), LB Dante Jones (FA), SS LeRoy Butler (FA), WR Reidell Anthony (ROOK), DT Pat Williams (ROOK), LB Dexter Coakley (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach O’Reilly was another hotseat guy who saved his skin with a good second half last season. He may be seeing smoke but we don’t think there is fire here in the short term. Outlook: Orlando was one of the most active teams in the offseason, but with 2 of their starting 4 linebackers retiring, they had to be. Signing Greg Biekert and adding Dexter Coakley in the draft add speed and ferocity to the Orlando linebacking corps. Adding both rookie Reidel Anthony and vet Keenan McCardell in trade from New Jersey help boost the Renegades passing game. The key for Orlando, especially on defense will be how quickly the new guys, including 2 possible new starters in the secondary and a big, but raw, Pat Williams on the D-line, can get on the same page. OUR BEST GUESS: We have Orlando as a dark horse for the Summer Bowl. We like the moves they have made, their mix of vets and young talent, and we like the aggressiveness of the front office. Do they have enough to overtake Tampa? Maybe not, but we think they are best positioned to try of any club in the division. 10-6, 2nd in South. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (#7 in East and #14 Overall) Departures: WR D. Williams (FA), HB J. Morris (NFL), DE G. Hinkle (FA), CB D. Bryant (RET), C T. Anderson (RET) Arrivals: WR Brian Stablein (NFL), DT Michael Dean Perry (FA), HB Kenny Bynum (ROOK), QB Danny Wuerfel (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Fassel suffered through a rough season last year, sliding out of contention with a club many thought could go all the way. He will need to show an ability to rebound this year or he could be in trouble. Jacksonville has talent, they just need to play within themselves and not give away games. Outlook: We think the Bulls have enough talent to challenge Tampa and Orlando, but it comes down to leadership, and we are not sure Fassel gets the most out of his players. The signing of big DT Michael Dean Perry away from Denver should bring immediate dividends. We are not so sure about losing Dokie Williams and signing only Brian Stablein from the NFL in his place. That feels like a lateral move at best, and more likely a downgrade. OUR BEST GUESS: 8-8, 3rd in South WASHINGTON FEDERALS (#8 in East and #15 Overall) Departures: QB D. Majkowski (RET), T K. Lanier (RET), CB L. Lyles (RET), DT M. Bouette (FA), G C. Novitsky (FA) Arrivals: T Melvin Tuten (FA), QB Eric Kramer (FA), SS Louis Oliver (FA), WR Yatil Green (ROOK), CB Michael Booker (ROOK), G Steve Scifres (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Hackett has some issues to address, most importantly the transition to a very different QB in Kordell Stewart. We expect him to have a year to sort that out before the pressure is really on for results, and good thing because Washington simply does not look like a world-beater right now. Outlook: This will be a very different Federals squad without Don Majkowski. We all knew Stewart would take over eventually, but is now the best time? Washington brought in Eric Kramer just in case, but shifting an offense from the Majik Man to Kordell Stewart, and then to Kramer, would be a rough transition. But, Washington still has Jerome Brown and Dexter Manley on that D-line, so they can still win in the trenches if that is how they have to win games. OUR BEST GUESS: 6-10, 4th in Atlantic. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (#9 in East and #17 Overall) Departures: T E. Yates (FA), HB J. Joseph (FA), DT B. Sowell (FA), WR T. Dixon (NFL) Arrivals: T. Alan Kline (FA), DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen (NFL), LB Henri Crockett (ROOK), WR Marcus Robinson (ROOK), FS Marcus Wimberly (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Erhardt still has a lot of good will after 2 really strong seasons and a league title, but he has to do something to get the rest of this team up to the quality of his QB. It cannot be shootout after shootout because the defense cannot contain anyone. We saw how poorly that went last year. Outlook: Birmingham still has major issues on defense. That seems obvious. We like the combo of Stephen Davis and Mike Alstott in the backfield, but Erhardt has to give them more touches. These are backs who get stronger as the game goes, but 15 carries is not going to do it. It cannot all be on Brett Favre’s shoulders. OUR BEST GUESS: 6-10, 5th in South. OHIO GLORY (#10 in East and #19 Overall) Departures: HB Curvin Richards (NFL), DT Pio Sagapolutele (FA), QB Rickey Foggie (FA), LB Dean Lyttle (NFL) Arrivals: QB David Klingler (FA), HB LeShon Johnson (NFL), T Jerry Wunsch (ROOK), QB Koy Detmer (ROOK), FB Daiman Shelton (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Saban had a very good 2nd season with Ohio, garnering a lot of support in the Columbus area by knocking off some quality teams. Fans in mid-Ohio hope for more of the same this year. Outlook: Ohio could be a surprise pick this year. A lot will depend on QB Jeff Hostetler. When he went down last year the wheels fell off the bus. Management added David KlinGler and rookie Koy Detmer from BYU to the QB group to avoid a repeat of that, but it still comes down to playing solid defense, hoping Hostetler stays healthy, and finding a way to turn Eddie George into the 1,200 yard rusher we all think he can be. OUR BEST GUESS: 6-10, 5th in Atlantic NEW JERSEY GENERALS (#11 in East and #23 Overall) Departures: LB C. Spielman (FA), LB J. Fields (FA), CB K. Jackson (NFL), C M. Baab (RET), WR S. Schwedes (FA) Arrivals: CB/S Jason Sehorn (NFL), WR Malcom Floyd (FA), FS Brian Dawkins (FA), DE Marcellus Wiley (ROOK), LB Keith Mitchell (ROOK), QB Todd Bouman (ROOK), LB Dwayne Rudd (ROOK) Coaching Situation: Coach Knox has bitten off quite a situation in New Jersey and while most fans in the NYC area seem to have more issues with the management in general, at some point Knox is going to have to start producing wins to hold the wolves at bay. That looks like a tall order with the current roster. Outlook: New Jersey appears to have had a pretty strong draft, or at least one which will produce several potential starters. Wiley at DE, Rudd and Mitchell at LB, and even Rickey Parker at CB could find themselves getting a lot of playing time this year, in part because the rest of the roster is particularly in need of upgrades. It is going to be a long year for New Jersey again. OUR BEST GUESS: 4-12, 6th in Atlantic. ATLANTA FIRE (#12 in East and #24 Overall) Departures: DE Steve Rogers (FA), TE F. Wainright (FA), LB Juan Long (FA) Arrivals: FS Charles Mincy (FA), CB Tyrone Legette (NFL), G Chris Dalman (NFL), WR Lake Dawson (NFL), FB Zach Crockett (FA), HB Tiki Barber (ROOK), CB Ronde Barber (ROOK), TE Greg Clark (ROOK) Coaching Situation: With the dismissal of Dan Reeves and the hiring of Sherm Lewis, Atlanta heads in a very different direction. Lewis is known for offensive innovation, and the big question there is whether or not that means the Fire will rely on Cliff Stoudt or try again with Eric Zeier. In either case, it looks like they will be once again trying to find a running game. Signing Zach Crockett as a blocker and then adding flashy rookie back Tiki Barber to the mix is the latest attempt to develop a run game in the Peach City. Outlook: Atlanta still has a very “expansion team” roster, but the ownership seems committed to quick improvement, having spent some money to bring in players from the NFL, from other USFL squads and to sign some big ticket rookies. Is it enough? Probably not enough at this moment, but perhaps in a year or two these moves will pay off. OUR BEST GUESS: 4-12, 6th in Atlantic PREDICTIONS While we will save our postseason predictions for our Western Conference preview, we will finish today’s article with our look at individual achievements for the 1997 season. Our reining MVP has retired, so that honor will be a race to fill some big shoes. We have several new coaches, and we know that it is often a first year coach who wins Coach of the Year as their team gets an immediate boost, and we have a crop of rookies who are expected to immediately take on a starting role, so lots of potential ROTY candidates there as well. So who do we see rising to the top? Let’s take a look. LEAGUE MVP: While in most years this would be a battle of the QB’s, we think 1997 is primed for either a receiver or a running back to take the title. Sure, Troy Aikman, Mark Brunell, or Chris Chandler could have a monster year and take the title, but if they do not there are some strong candidates outside of the QB position. Joey Galloway, the speedy wideout of the Ohio Glory, came closer than anyone in years to reaching the coveted 2,000 yard mark. Only a late season injury to his QB kept him from eclipsing Eric Truvillion’s record for receiving yards, but that injury also highlighted how dependent a receiver is on QB play. If Jeff Hostetler can connect with Galloway again the wideout could come close to the record again, but is that enough for an MVP? If Ohio wins only 5 or 6 games can they really boast the league MVP? And if Hostetler, who is not getting any younger, struggles or gets dinged up, how can Galloway rise? No, we think a better shot is if a USFL running back busts out this year and challenges Herschel Walker’s rushing record. The candidates are pretty obvious as there are only a few teams in the league whose offenses are geared towards the run. Portland’s Robert Drummond has led the league in rushing the past 2 years and the Thunder still seem dedicated to feeding him the ball, so he has to be a frontrunner. In Michigan, the Panthers rely on play action passing, and that means Tyrone Wheatley has to getting 20-25 touches a game. Wheatley faded down the stretch last year, and there are concerns that the workload is too much for the back. Mike Rozier is 33 and while his 3rd place finish in the rushing title last year was impressive, the grind of 14 seasons is clearly getting to the shifty back. Our pick is a bit of a darkhorse, but one we think is on the rise and with a team that will feature his talents, and that is New Orleans Breaker Terrell Davis. Davis is a beast of a back, able to run through, around, over, or past defenders. Coach Ditka will not be afraid to give him the ball time and again, to grind down opponents. We saw him do this with Walter Peyton while coaching the Chicago Bears and we fully expect that with Jamie Martin at QB, the Breakers will look to Davis to control the pace of games, to wear down defenses, and to help set up the vertical game. So, if it is not a QB, our pick for MVP is the former Georgia Bulldog, Terrell Davis. COACH OF THE YEAR: This award almost always goes to the leader of whichever team makes the biggest leap from the year before. That is tough to predict, and when we look at new coaches around the league, we are not sure any of those squads is ready for rapid improvement. We could see it possibly going to Pittsburgh’s Emmitt Thomas, but he inherits a team that won the title 2 years ago, so a rise up the standings is more of a return to position than a great improvement. We don’t see Atlanta suddenly rocketing up the Southern Division standings, and Arizona also seems like a team that will need a couple of years to mature for Coach Shell. Cam Cameron is technically a new coach in Memphis, but he already took the Showboats to the playoffs last year after the Buddy Ryan fiasco, so would it be a shock if they returned? So, not a new coach. Which team could be a big riser this year and propel their coach to the honor of COTY? Our pick is whichever club can finally end the Houston dynasty in the Central Division. There are several contenders as we all pretty much expect the Gamblers to take a step back this year as they have to redesign their entire offense without Kelly at the helm. You have last year’s surprise team, St. Louis with that lock down defense, you have the Panthers who also took a swing at the title last year. You have Mike Ditka in New Orleans, who seem poised to make a title run, and you have Marty Schottenheimer in Chicago, who still has a pretty solid roster to work with. Of these 4 clubs we like the odds for the Panthers, and if the Panthers can rise out of the pack, especially if they can win the division by more than just a tie-breaker, then Coach Skip Holtz becomes our nominee for Coach of the Year, because with the king (Houston) stepping down, there will be a war of secession in the Central division and the winner there will deserve accolades for making it out alive. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: The obvious choice is QB Jake Plummer who steps back into Sun Devil Stadium after a pretty illustrious career at Arizona State already named the starter. But while we expect great things from the young gunslinger, the Wranglers are still in pretty rough shape across the roster. Wins will be hard to come by, and this first year may be a tough one for the plucky QB. It is far easier for a rookie coming into a pretty good team to be placed into a position to get immediate results. So who fits that bill? Certainly not Tiki Barber, who the Fire hope can finally get them a decent ground game. The Fire are also not ready to ascend this year. What about Troy Davis in Oakland? Not with Stacy still the starter. Antowain Smith in LA should be the feature back all season, and the Express have a good passing game to balance things out. But our pick is going to be a bit of a gamble. We like Corey Dillon in Seattle. The Dragons look to have some talent on that offense, enough to possibly challenge in a weak division. If Seattle can get to 8 or 9 wins this year, and if they can maintain balance between the pass and run game, Dillon has a chance to bust through, gain 1,200 yards or more and snap up this title. If not him, then our best guesses would be either Smith, or perhaps even a defender like DT Trevor Price in Denver, or LBs like Dexter Coakley in Orlando, Henri Crockett in Birmingham, or Mike Vrabel in Portland.

As USFL camps open up and as draftees begin to sign, teams are assessing their rosters, determining strengths and areas for growth and hopefully improving over last year. It is a complex process, certainly more of an art than a science, but this late in the offseason the teams are beginning to get a sense for who they are. Let's take a look at the recent moves that are helping each club build towards a new season in just 5 weeks. USFL COLLEGE DRAFT As always the USFL Draft was a bit of a guessing game this year. It’s great to get excited about the players your favorite squad selects, but then comes the agonizing wait to see if those players will sign with the spring league or wait for the NFL draft 3 weeks later. The best laid plans of any GM can be torn asunder by players opting to play in the fall, and with NFL salaries rising as a response to USFL competition, the odds are good that any blue chipper your club signs may opt to stay in the fall with the NFL rather than make the leap to spring ball But, that said, we have begun to see some signings. Here are a few of our favorite hits and misses so far this February: HIT: The Wranglers make good on their promise. Arizona made it very clear they were going to woo Jake Plummer hard, and they did. Plummer signed and was announced as the Day 1 starter at QB for Arizona a solid week before the draft. Season ticket sales for the Wrangler saw an immediate jump, and #16 jerseys were on shelves in the Phoenix area within a week. Now it is up to new Head Coach Art Shell to surround Plummer with talent that maximizes his skill set. MISS: With the second pick in the draft, the New Jersey Generals took a shot at replacing Chris Spielman with the hardest hitting LB in the draft, Florida State’s Peter Boulware, but he opted instead to sign with the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL, leaving New Jersey hoping not to miss out on a LB and perhaps overcompensating 3rd round pick Dwayne Rudd of Alabama. HIT: Atlanta hit the daily double, signing both HB Tiki Barber and his identical twin, CB Ronde Barber. It took waiting until after the NFL Draft, but the choice to select both of the twins played well in the Barber household. When Tiki was drafted by the NY Giants and Ronde by the Buccaneers, it was a quick decision for the two to head to Atlanta to play side by side. MISS: The NY Giants did not entirely miss out, as their first overall selection, Miami wideout Ike Hilliard opted to join team blue rather than sign with the Orlando Renegades. Orlando did not spend a 1st round pick on Hilliard, opting for Florida wideout Reidel Anthony instead, but after choosing Hilliard in round 4, they ended up with 1 of their 2 targets at the position. Not the worst miss of the day. HIT: LA got the HB they wanted and quickly signed University of Houston pounder Antowain Smith to a 4 year deal. Smith waited until the NFL draft to sign, but opted for sunny, glamorous LA over cold, snowy Buffalo. MISS: The USFL had been warned that Warrick Dunn would not make a decision on where to go until after the NFL draft, and when he was drafted by his quasi-home town Buccaneers, the Philadelphia Stars new their odds of picking up the dual threat back were slim. Dunn signed with Tampa Bay and Philly got on the phone to make a trade (see below) and acquire a modest substitute. HIT: New Jersey in our minds made a good calculated bet when they passed on both of the big name, big school DE’s out of Miami, Kenny Holmes and Kenard Lang, and instead used a mid-round pick on a home-grown player with great potential, Columbia University big man Marcellus Wiley. Wiley has neither the pedigree nor the price tag of the two Hurricanes, but he has a very high ceiling. MISS: Jim Druckenmiller was the other highly touted QB in a week QB draft, apart from Plummer, and he would have been a good fit for Pittsburgh, who just don’t see Robbie Bosco as a long term answer, but the lure of the West Coast was too much and he will be off to the 49ers. Pittsburgh did sign a late round QB for depth, Mike Cherry out of Murray State, but their search for the next franchise QB may have to wait another year. HIT: We predicted it, and the Dragons got it done, signing UW halfback Corey Dillon. Dillon should be an immediate starter for Seattle and should upgrade that run game quite a bit over Roosevelt Potts. Potts is now seen as a potential trade candidate, because in Dillon Seattle has a solid 3 down back, and Derick Loville is a better receiver, a skill set Seattle wants to have in their backfield. MISS: We end with a pretty big whiff. Memphis desperately needs a big LT to protect Heath Shuler and help that run game and in the first round they had their choice of Walter Jones from FSU or Orlando Pace from Ohio State. They opted for Jones, but honestly it looks like neither option would have worked for them. Jones signed quickly with the NFL and Orlando Pace ended up being the #1 overall pick to the St. Louis Rams. Memphis did sign a tackle, but not until their 5th round pick, Waverly Jackson out of Virginia Tech. Jackson does not project as a day 1 starter, and may even be better suited at right tackle, so this was a big miss. But, as USFL camps begin, there remain a ton of picks left to sign, either for spring ball or with the NFL, so it is way too early to grade this draft just yet. More news is sure to come and we will try to cover it in our preseason primer for the 1997 USFL season. TRADES If you were looking for big name trades in the USFL this offseason you were sadly disappointed. Teams seemed eager to retain their top talent and not mix things up too much, and while we saw a few mid-level deals, there is nothing here to write home about. Honestly, these four deals are the only ones even worth mentioning: New Orleans sent WR Kerry Simeon and a 3rd round pick in 1998 to Oakland for CB James Hasty. Hasty will make an impact in the Breakers’ secondary while Simeon adds just a bit of depth, and perhaps some special teams ability to a pretty shallow Invader receiver group (after McCaffrey and Ellard it takes a big dip.) The LA Express sent WR Patrick Rowe to St. Louis in exchange for LB Barry Minter. This is a good deal for both clubs as the Knights need more help at wideout after losing Rocket Ismail in free agency, while LA needed more muscle in the LB corps and the Knights had depth at the position. Orlando sent Brian Dawkins (FS) to New Jersey for wideout Keenan McCardell. The Generals had a huge gap at the Free Safety position, to the point where they even considered moving newly acquired Jason Sehorn there, but getting Dawkins fills that immediate need and allows Sehorn to bounce between CB and SS. Meanwhile, Orlando gets a solid receiver to help out Scott Mitchell. Philadelphia sends guard Joe Patton to Oakland for scatback HB Glyn Milburn. Clearly coach Berry wants backs who will contribute in the passing game to help out Chuck Long. Milbury is a good option out of the backfield, but now with he and Garner as the two main backs, who gains that key 3rd and 1? Meanwhile, Oakland, which has all kinds of needs, helps shore up the interior of their line, in hopes that Coach Mora can rebuild a flagging run game with Siran Stacy and rookie Troy Davis. NFL SIGNINGS Again, no real blockbuster deals here, but a few potential improvements for clubs that were thin. We like some of the moves but you will not be buying Summer Bowl tickets for your club based on these signings. Atlanta signs CB Tyronne Legette and guard Chris Dalman. A solid nickel corner and a swing guard who will likely be first off the bench if anyone goes down at guard or center. Houston added DE Danny Stubbs, hoping to provide some depth behind Michael Sinclair and stud sophomore Kavika Pittman. Memphis tried to provide more range in their LB corps by adding Sam Rogers to the squad. The former Buffalo Bill will slot in alongside Eddie Simmons and Joe Mott as Memphis tries to build up the 3 in their 4-3 alignment. With Buddy Ryan gone, expect this defense to do some things differently in '97. Ohio added depth behind Eddie George by signing LeShon Johnson. The former 3rd round pick of the Green Bay Packers was let go after two unspectacular seasons, briefly signed with the Arizona Cardinals and now will rotate with Ernest Byner as both spell George in the Ohio Glory backfield. Pittsburgh may have found a right tackle to help protect Robbie Bosco by signing Paul Gruber. After 7 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gruber moves over to the spring and the Maulers, where he will help Mike Rozier and Dorsey Levins find holes. Pittsburgh took a shot at a tackle in the draft, but a longshot in Orlando Pace, but could not land the future NFL #1 pick, so Gruber may be the answer at the position, at least for now. Seattle may have a steal on their hands, signing a big body to fill in at Nose Tackle. Former Viking and Packer DT Gilbert Brown will certainly end up in the rotation of DTs along with Tim Johnson and Don Sasa, and may even help the Dragons utilize some 3-4 formations so that they can get LB J.D. Fuller or Tommy Thigpen on the field more often. PATIENCE PAYS OFF FOR ATLANTA It took several months and a bit of an awkward signing but the Atlanta Fire finally have their new head coach. After some early feelers were sent out in September the Fire quickly decided that their top candidate was the OC of the Green Bay Packers, Sherm Lewis. Only problem was that the NFL season had already started and Lewis would not be available until that season ended. Atlanta GM Jerry Angelo would have to run the show even as the club negotiated with Lewis's agent on a futures contract. And so Atlanta made their personnel moves, prepped their draft, and scouted for an club without an coach. This was not the first time such a process has been done. Texas followed a very similar route before hiring Jack Pardee, but Pardee was already on the outs with the Houston Oilers while the Packers had every intention of retaining Lewis. Atlanta did not really seem to have a backup plan. If they were unable to persuade the Packer OC to jump ship at the end of the year, they would have to scramble to fill perhaps the most important job on the sideline, not to mention all the coordinators and position coaches which tend to follow a new head coach hire. But, the club got assurances along the way from Sherm Lewis's representatives that the young coordinator was interested in coaching in the USFL and was particularly intrigued by Atlanta. By the time the NFL playoffs were ready to kick off, Lewis was signed, but he still had business to attend to in Green Bay. led by QB Jim Harbaugh, the Packers went deep into the NFL playoffs, not bowing out until they faced the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game. That mean that Lewis was unavailable until after the USFL draft, and practically the first day of camp. He had to quicky assemble his staff and essentially take over a team whose roster was nearly set before he stepped into the team offices in Atlanta. It was not an ideal situation by anyone's account, but at the end of the day the Fire get the coach they coveted, Lewis, a 3 time Super Bowl champion with San Francisco, gets his chance at the big chair, and a team without much to boast about gets a new direction and a chance to rewrite its identity as a franchise. SUMMER BOWL 1997 And finally, before we sign off, the USFL debuted the logo for the 1997 Summer Bowl, to be held at the home of the Texas Outlaws, San Antonio’s Alamodome. The logo makes reference to the familiar street stones that line many of the prominent boulevards in town as well as the ubiquitous shape of the city’s top attraction, the Alamo. The colors are “Fiesta” red, turquoise, and gold, though honestly we think it is more of a pink than a red, and the feel is definitely southwestern. Here is your 1997 Summer Bowl logo, and now we prepare for 24 clubs to seek to have that logo sewn on their jerseys next July.

Welcome to the USFL Offseason. A lot has happened in the short weeks since Houston won its third league title. We have seen the NFL-USFL transfer window open and close, USFL Free Agency begin, a major retirement announced, and the Denver Gold have completely revamped their identity. So, a lot to discussion. Let’s get right to it. KELLY GOES OUT ON TOP While not a huge surprise, we are sure that there are many in Houston who were saddened by the announcement that Jim Kelly would be stepping away from the game after 13 seasons at the helm of the Gamblers. Kelly helped usher in an unprecedented decade of success for the Houston Gamblers, a run that included three league titles, six trips to the Summer Bowl, and 10 playoff appearances. Signed when Houston was just a fledgling expansion club in a fledgling league that was on the brink of either greatness or disaster, the young QB from the U. of Miami quickly became one of the league’s brightest stars. In his first year with Houston, Kelly threw for over 4,400 yards and 33 touchdowns, leading the “Run & Shoot” offense of coach Jack Pardee and coordinator Mouse Davis. Over the course of the next 13 seasons he would amass 53,073 yards passing, 412 touchdowns, a lifetime completion percentage of 63.3% and a lifetime QB rating of 101.8. He leaves the league holding career records for Pass Attempts (6164), Pass Completions (3,904), Yards, ands Touchdowns. His 412 TD passes completely eclipses 2nd place (Reggie Collier with 257) and his 53,073 yards blows way past Collier again (38,764). Whether running the multiple receiver sets of the Run & Shoot, or a more traditional 3-receiver offense under Coach Ray Willsey, Kelly has been nearly unstoppable. Kelly leaves the game at the top of his form, setting a league record this year for yards in a season with 5,417, and tying the league record with 47 touchdowns. He won the Summer Bowl MVP for the third time in 3 victories, to go along with being a 3-time league MVP (87, 95 and 96), 10 time All-USFL quarterback, and 70-time player of the game honoree. Kelly came to Houston initially as a strategy to avoid having to play in cold, windy Buffalo, the NFL city that drafted him. He quickly became a favorite around town, making appearances all over the city and helping to enshrine Gambler Nation as one of the league’s most fervent fan bases. He is widely known in the community for his outreach and for the charity which honors his son, Hunter. The league will surely miss this bright star as it moves forward, and for the Gamblers the process of reimagining themselves for the first time in over a decade now begins in earnest. The Gamblers have yet to make a move to bring in new talent at the position and have expressed confidence in long-time backup Chuck Hartlieb, but we are skeptical that Hartlieb is the long term plan in Houston. It would not surprise us, however, if the Gamblers go with Hartlieb in 1997 as a bridge QB, because when we look at the 1998 crop of QB's we see two potential superstars in Tennessee's Peyton Manning and Washington State's Ryan Leaf. And if that were not enough, both the Stallion's Brett Favre and the NFL Patriots' Drew Bledsoe have contracts expiring in 1998. NFL NAMES MAKE THE JUMP TO SPRING As we see each year, the pool of NFL players who remains unsigned into late July, hoping to use the USFL as either a negotiating tool or an escape plan from a bad NFL situation stays pretty steady. While the USFL tends to pick up more NFL defectors in January than in August, there are always a few noteworthy names that head into the spring league rather than rejoin their NFL squads. This year’s small crop has some value, though we did not see any big name Quarterbacks or ball carriers make the leap. Here are our Top 10 NFL signees in the initial transfer window, not in ranked order: 1. Pete Metzelaars, TE (ARZ): The 13-year veteran of 2 Buffalo Bill titles in the NFL comes to the Arizona Wranglers to end his career. He will likely be a mentor to some of the younger receivers in Tempe, and a reliable target. With Terry Orr just as old as Metzelaars, Arizona may have to get an AARP membership for their 2-TE formation. 2. Lake Dawson, WR (ATL): The third round pick from Notre Dame leaves the Kansas City Chiefs after only 2 seasons, opting out of his rookie contract. Dawson is a solid route runner and has good quickness off the ball, something Atlanta could use to add some spice to a pretty tame Fire offense. 3. Kimo Von Oelhoffen, DT, (BIR): Another younger player opting out after his rookie contract expired, Von Oelhoffen is a “motor” guy who Birmingham hopes can shore up the run defense on a team that desperately needs to keep teams from shortening games on them. 4. Jimmie Johnson, TE (DEN): The 6 year vet with 3 clubs in the NFL comes to Denver to help back up Keith Jackson at the TE position. Unlikely to get a starting nod over Jackson, JJ will be able to see a lot of action as Denver runs quite a bit of two tight end looks. A solid receiver and an improving blocker, expect Johnson to line up mostly on running downs or as a play action option. 5. Brian Stablein, WR (JAX): After bouncing from Denver to Cincy, to Indy, this quintessential possession receiver finds his way to the USFL and the Bulls. Jacksonville has some talent at WR, including young Terrell Owens, but Stablein will provide that needed set of sure hands on third down. 6. Larry Centers, FB (MEM): A decent blocker but an outstanding receiver out of the backfield, Centers leaves the Arizona Cardinals after 5 seasons to join the Showboats. Don’t expect a lot of I-formation in Memphis, but Centers could easily be the 3rd down back the Boats need to spread the defense a bit. 7. Mike Prior, SS (MGN): Michigan loves the savvy vets, as they add yet another 30-year old to their secondary to join Chris Snyder and Garland Rivers. Prior is a fierce hitter and is good in coverage as well. After 10 years in the NFL, we are not sure how much tread is left on the tires, but the Panthers will find a role for a player with this much experience. 8. Jason Sehorn, DB (NJ): The Generals love to pick the pockets of their NYC rivals in the NFL, and the way they wooed Sehorn away from the Giants is a thing of beauty. Sehorn, who came on as a corner last fall for NY will likely play a combo of corner and safety for the Generals. He is fast, which the Generals’ D needs, and he has a knack for finding the ball when the team needs it. Giants fans will not be happy about this move, but maybe it will turn more of them into Generals’ supporters as well. 9. Troy Brown, WR (PHI): The Stars needed both a slot receiver and a return man and in 3-year vet Troy Brown of the Patriots, they think they have found both. Brown is speedy, quick, and makes good cuts. Perhaps more dangerous in the return game than as a polished receiver, he will have time before the season to work with Chuck Long and the Stars’ mentor/receiver Cris Carter to get ready to be productive for his new club. 10. Jeff Uhlenake, C (POR): After making a name for himself as a tenacious run blocker and stalwart pass protector in both Miami and New Orleans, Uhlenake looks to be a big piece of the puzzle for a Portland offensive line that needs some muscle and some attitude. Robert Drummond will love running behind this big roadgrater of a center. USFL FREE AGENTS Of course, with the NFL-USFL transfer window, there are also some losses the other way. This year the biggest names headed to the senior league include QB Doug Nussmeier, HBs Reggie Brooks and Jamie Morris, wideout Scott Schwedes, corner Derrick Burroughs, LB Jason Gilden, and DTs Kevin Fagan and Esera Tuaola. There was a brief scare in which Troy Aikman’s agent was in talks with the Dallas Cowboys, but a generous new contract from Tampa Bay, as well as the resigning of security blanket, TE Ben Coates, brought Aikman back to the fold. A few other major free agents opted to stick with their original clubs, including CB Derrick Cudrup in Memphis (Key with Burroughs’ departure), CB Troy Vincent in St. Louis, DE Joey Bosa of Texas, and SS Louis Oliver in Washington. But, as we see every offseason, several key players with open contracts did make the jump. Here are just a few of the bigger Free Agent signings we have seen this Fall: 1. Arizona, one of the offseason’s most aggressive clubs to date, signed a key player in the Baltimore Blitz defense, inking DE Charles Buchanon to a 3 year deal to play for the Wranglers. 2. The Wranglers also tried to upgrade their offense, a much needed move, and simply outbid St. Louis for the services of former golden-domer, wideout Rocket Ismail. Expect the Rocket to be the deep threat for whoever plays QB in Arizona (Seriously, it’s Jake Plummer, right?) 3. Atlanta looked for immediate upgrades at two key positions, signing free safety Charles Mincy away from Denver and then hoping to boost their run game by signing bruising fullback Zach Crockett from the Dragons. 4. Orlando also wanted a piece of that Blitz defense and got their man in LB Duane Bickett. The rangy defender will be in Orlando for at least 3 years after signing with the Renegades. 5. But if you are looking for a big defender to move teams, look no further than Michael Dean Perry, who heads from Denver to Jacksonville to clog the middle for the Bulls. 6. On the offensive side, other than Rocket Ismail, the biggest relocation has to be the move by slot receiver extraordinaire Ricky Proehl from Houston to division rival Chicago. That is a twofer, you weaken your top rival for the division and you get a guy who is not afraid to run across the middle. 7. Lineman was also a big position in free agency this year and it looks like Philadelphia struck gold by stealing stud tackle Emory Yates from the Stallions. The big road grater on the right side will certainly help Charlie Garner and the Stars run game. 8. Another big blocker headed to a new team is Eric Andolsek, who will trade blocking for Jack Trudeau in Portland for protecting Jeff Garcia or Brent Pease in LA. Trey Auzene, the athletic tackle is also changing zip codes, moving from Texas to New Orleans. What is it with intra-divisional moves this year? 9. Finally, if you are looking for a low key signing that could have a big impact next year, keep an eye on Scott Zolak, heading from the bench in Chicago to the bench in Orlando. I know, does not sound like much, but what the Renegades get in Zolak is a player who can come in on a moment’s notice and mop up, take over, or save a game if Mitchell, who is not exactly good at evading hits, goes down. We all know how huge backup QB play can be in this league and Zolak is well-positioned behind Mitchell in Orlando. So who has not signed yet? A few pretty big names, mostly on defense. At the top of that list is LB Chris Spielman of New Jersey. Very little chance the Generals resign their leading tackler, but who will woo him over to their squad? Early money has him headed either to Houston or out to Oakland, who are desperate to sign backers after the retirement or departure of 3 of their 4 starters. Others to keep an eye on include LB Ricky Shaw of Michigan, SS LeRoy Butler of the Gamblers, LB Donta Jones in Washington, DT Jerry Wahler from the Breakers, and DE George Hinkle of the Bulls. On offense there are a few linemen of note out there, but the skill positions don’t offer much support for clubs looking to upgrade. Looks like some of the USFL’s offensively-challenged clubs will have to look to the College Draft to fill needs. Speaking of the College Draft, we are still a couple of months away, but the hype is already beginning. While we will have to wait until January to see who goes where, it is never too early to prognosticate and dream of perfect matchups. Here, for your enjoyment are our picks for the best potential marriages between USFL club and college talent: 1. QB Jake Plummer to Arizona: You knew we would start here. With the #1 pick in the draft it is all but assumed that the Wranglers will try to sign Plummer as soon as NCAA rules will allow. They are not going to wait for Draft Day. If they can get his name on a contract after Bowl Season ends, they will do it. It is such a perfect match, a flamboyant gunslinger of a QB who already plays at Sun Devil Stadium, staying in town to continue thrilling the fans in the desert. 2. LB Peter Boulware to the Oakland Invaders. Oakland needs linebackers worse than any club in the league and this Ohio State product is a beast. He may be a tough sign, as he seems to have his sights set on the NFL, but Boulware would be an instant starter for the Invaders. 3. HB Corey Dillon to Seattle. Another home town hero with a perfect placement. The Dragons desperately need to upgrade at the HB position. Dereck Loville is fine as a scatback but the combo of him and Roosevelt Potts is not producing regular results for the Dragons. A solid bruiser of a back like Dillon, from the U-Dub, seems a no-brainer for Seattle. 4. CB Shawn Springs in Ohio. We do love the local kids staying in town and Ohio needs to add some speed to their secondary. Springs is about as fast as a corner can get. He may be a bit rough around the edges, but he will not be intimidated by the leap from the Big 10 to the USFL. 5. OT Walter Jones to Michigan. The Panthers need to do more for that line, either to protect Flutie (who is good at scrambling but should not have to do it so much) or to spring Tyrone Wheatley. Jones is a potential first day starter at left tackle, a technically sound and ridiculously strong lineman with good feet. 6. HB Tiki Barber or CB Ronde Barber to Atlanta. UVa is in Atlanta’s “half-price” list for the cap, so maybe a two-for-one with these twins from the Wahoos. We all know Atlanta wants a halfback, and we don’t see Warrick Dunn as the type of 3-down back they need. If they can woo both players at once, the odds of signing either (or both) could be quite positive. And just think of the doublemint commercials they could do!!! 7. QB Danny Wuerfel to Jacksonville. The FSU product is not expected to be a 1st round pick in either league and would need time to mature, well, sitting behind Chris Chandler in Jacksonville seems a good spot to do that. With only Browning Nagle sitting behind Chandler, a young kid with Florida ties seems a good fit for a 2-3 year project. 8. HB Antowain Smith to the LA Express. With Marcus Allen retiring, and a line that still does not look fast enough to run a lot of pulling plays, LA needs a big back, not a scatback. That is why we reject Warrick Dunn again and go for a bigger, brawnier runner. They could look at Sedrick Shaw here, but if they can get Smith, he might be the best plug & play option. 9. LB Mike Vrabel to New Jersey. We assume Chris Spielman will be out of the Meadowlands by the time the draft comes, and that leaves a huge hole in the Generals’ defense. Vrabel is not the fastest player in the world, but he plays smart, takes good angles, and can deliver a hit. New Jersey will need those skills if they want to build a defense to take on the Blitz in the division. 10. OK, two picks from the later rounds, since not every quality player comes out of the big schools or starts out as a bluechipper. Our two sneaky picks that would be good choices for USFL clubs are, first, CB Al Harris out of Texas A&M Kingsville, and let’s keep him local by sending him to San Antonio and the Outlaws. He is not a tall corner, but he can leap, and that can end a height disparity really quickly. Second, we love the smarts of Louisiana-Lafayette QB Jake Delhomme. A likely late round pick, in the right system, one that focuses on smart play more than arm strength, Delhomme could develop into a quality starter. We are looking at clubs like Chicago, Philadelphia, or Portland, where Delhomme could sit and learn for a couple of years and then assume the mantle. DENVER STRIKES GOLD! OK, before we go, we have one more piece of news. After much delay and a good amount of speculation, the Denver Gold have unveiled their new Nike-designed look. It all starts with a new primary logo. The golden starburst is nice, and will remain as a secondary image, but it does not really speak to the Mountain West. The new logo depicts a bold capital “D” just as the old Broncos logo used to, but along with the two-tone golden D we also see a pick-axe, directly linking the team name to the history of the region. The team shifts its colors slightly to pull off this logo, now pairing black with both a light and a more color-rich golden tone for bevel effects. The new colors are also on display on the uniform, where Nike uses sublimation to allow for transformation from one shade of gold to another. This is most noticeable on the helmet stripe, which shifts from darker to lighter gold then back to dark again at the base of the helmet. A similar shift in tone happens on the pant stripes as well. Denver will continue to wear black helmets, and a black jersey with gold highlights, but now has three pairs of pants to choose from, a white pair with black-gold-black stripes, a gold set with a wide black stripe, and a solid black set with a tone-shifting thin gold stripe. It is a look that includes elements of past designs, but adds something new, such as the shift from sleeve stripes to tapered shoulder stripes. Not a revolution, this uniform and logo are an evolution for the Gold.

The Summer Classic, the Hottest Ticket of the Summer, the Big Game of Summer, in just 14 short years the annual league championship has garnered a lot of attention, a lot of nicknames, and has quickly established itself as one of the season’s biggest events. The USFL Summer Bowl has become a late summer tradition, wrapping up a second season of football that begins each March and winds its way through the winds, rain, and occasional late blizzards of spring, into the sun and sweltering heat of summer, before concluding with a late July or early August classic. This year’s Summer Bowl was played before over 63,000 fans in the greater New York, New Jersey metro area, the second time the Generals have played host to the game. On a warm, but not oppressive evening in late July, the Summer Bowl drew fans from across the country to watch two of the best teams in the spring league battle for the coveted league title. On the one sideline you had the Houston Gamblers, who have been something of a dynasty in the 1990’s, making their 4th appearance in 5 years in the USFL’s Summer Bowl. They have 2 titles to their names and a roster that would make any club jealous. Boasting perhaps the top QB in all of football, and certainly in the USFL, in Jim Kelly, one of the best all-purpose backs in Thurman Thomas, and a receiving corps that has both speed and precision. Houston boasted the best offense in the league this season, a reflection of the gunslinger mentality of their star QB. Across the field you have the Tampa Bay Bandits, hoping to win their second title in team history, having opened up the USFL in 1983 by winning it all in their first season. The trophy given the winner of this summer classic is named for their founding owner, John Bassett, and his brand of showmanship and gung ho resilience is what the Bandits are all about. They have an entirely different roster from the won that won it all 14 seasons ago, but the spirit of Bandit Ball lives in QB Troy Aikman, HB Errict Rhett, and a defense that lives and dies by the big play. They come in as a 4-point underdog, but they have won 9 in a row to get here and they feel like a team on a mission. Two clubs ready to battle for all the glory and all the accolades that a league title brings. Two fanbases ready to cheer on their warriors, and a league ready to put on a spectacle. This was Summer Bowl 1996. Play Ball and pass the BBQ, this is gonna be a good one!!! Houston won the toss, and unlike most teams, they almost always choose possession over deferral. They did that this game and the Gambler offense began with the ball on their own 25 after the touchback kick from Tampa’s Dean Biasucci. And in just one play, tragedy struck the Gamblers. On a short run from Thomas, young wideout Antonio Freeman got caught between two defenders trying to provide a lead block and fell to the ground in obvious pain. He would hobble off the field, assisted by two players from the bench, and would not return to the game. In one play Houston had lost one of their most dynamic playmakers. The Gamblers did not dwell on it, and after a defensive pass interference on the next play they would mount a quick and decisive scoring drive, capped off with a beautifully run seam play that found TE Ron Heller open for a 23-yard TD. The play, reminiscent of one Tampa uses often with Ben Coates, left the safeties out of position and Heller was able to take advantage and burn the Tampa Defense. The Houston defense, as if taking inspiration from their offense came out for Tampa’s first play and Antonio London got a hold of Aikman as he struggled to escape a collapsing pocket. From 2nd and 16, the Bandits could not recover, and on a 4th and 12, Tampa punted the ball back to Houston. The Gamblers would also be forced to punt after Perriman mishandled a 3rd and 12 catch, and Tampa got the ball again on their own 5, after a 59-yard punt. They would make modest gains, getting out of the shadow of their own endzone, but were forced to punt on the last play of the first quarter, Houston up 7-0. 4 more short drives and 4 more punts took up most of the 2nd quarter as both clubs found ways to get pressure on the opposing QBs. Kelly was sacked by Raul Brown on Houston’s first drive, then Aikman by Kavika Pittman, and Kelly by Bobby Houston. On Houston’s 3rd possession of the half, the Gamblers did a better job of protection and within 3 plays they were closing in on the red zone. Kelly hit Proehl for 15 on first down, then Proehl again, and Houston was at the Tampa 28. They then called a draw play that totally caught the Bandits off guard. By the time the linebackers realized that it was Thomas with the ball and not Kelly, they were in no position to make the tackle, and with the safeties occupied with slot receiver Proehl and TE Dilger, Thomas had a clear path to the TD and a 14-0 Houston lead. The score clearly impacted Tampa’s level of anxiety, and on their next possession there was a palpable sense that a 3-and-out could spell the end of the game. Troy Aikman responded, finding Freddie Solomon, Ben Coates, and Robert Brooks on consecutive plays to get Tampa to the Houston side of the field. Rhett rushed for 10 on a 4th and 1 to keep the drive alive, and on the very next play Aikman found Robert Brooks for 21 to get the Bandits to the Houston 8. It took 3 downs to get the score, but on 3rd and goal from the 8, Tampa used a rub route to free up Freddie Solomon, and the slot receiver made a diving catch on a low pass from Aikman to put Tampa on the board with 1:13 left in the half. Houston would let the half run down, and after 2 periods, we had a 14-7 game with a lot of exciting plays already in the books. The game would only get better in the second half. As the two clubs went to the locker room and the crowd at Giants Stadium was entertained by local legend Jon Bon Jovi, both coaches tried to formulate a plan that would offset the success of the two passing offenses in the first half. When the second half began, Houston had some success. After an initial first down, Aikman failed on two attempts to find receivers and were forced to punt from their own 10. Having been backed up by a holding call, the 1st and 20 from the 10 was just too much to overcome. They punted to Houston and the Gamblers got a great return from Proehl, taking the ball all the way back to the Tampa 28. Backed up against the wall, Tampa’s defense came up big, with Bobby Houston tackling Perriman 2 yards short of a first down on 3rd and 10. Houston would settle for a John Kasay chipshot field goal to build a 10-point lead at 17-7. Tampa responded quickly, with Tony Vinson setting them up well with a good return down the right sideline. Tampa began the drive a their own 41, the best starting field position of the day. They challenged the Houston D on first down with a perfectly executed seam route of their own, this time with Coates gaining 28 after the play action drew in the middle linebacker. 3 plays later, Aikman again hit Freddie Solomon, this time from 12 yards out, and Tampa was back within 3 points at 17-14. Houston responded on their next drive, aided by a Tampa miscue at the worst possible time. Houston started fast, with Kelly hitting Antonio Freeman’s replacement, little used Willie Jackson, on consecutive plays. Thurman Thomas then took a pitch outside left, and found a huge crease, busting lose for 32 yards on the play before Kevin Mitchell was able to bring him down. After two plays yielded nothing, Tampa had Houston dead to rights on 3rd and 10, but were called for 12 men on the field due to a late-exiting lineman. Houston had new life and on the very next play, Kelly made use of his slot receiver, finding Proehl for a TD to build up the lead once more. Tampa got the ball back with just over 2:40 left in the 3rd. They would mount a 12 play drive, combining runs from Rhett with passes to 5 different receivers, before Errict Rhett drove the ball in from the 3 yard line on a 3rd and 1. Tampa would not go away, and was back within 3, now with just over 13 minutes left in the game. But each time Tampa drew the game within 1 score, Houston responded. It took Kelly and the Gamblers only 6 plays to stretch the lead back out to 10 again, this time with Perriman catching the Kelly pass and creating a 31-21 buffer. On Tampa’s next drive, it was Houston who kept them alive, first with a facemask penalty on Quentin Coryatt that gave Tampa 15 yards on a 3rd and 10, and then with Pat Swilling called for defensive holding, to put the ball at the Houston 44. From there Aikman guided the offense down the field, first hitting Brooks for 11, then a Stewart rush for 6, a Rhett rush for 7, and finally Aikman finding a streaking Shannon Baker on the sideline for 19 yards and a score. Here we were again, now 31-28 Houston. The Gamblers got the ball back, once again up by only 3, and with 4:55 left in the game. While they certainly did not rush to get plays snapped, there was a purpose to the Gambler drive. A 10-point lead this late in the game might just be enough to end Tampa’s hopes. Kelly hit Dilger for 21, then 2 straight incompletions left them with a 3rd and 10 on their own 39. So, Kelly went back to his most trusted weapon, hitting Thomas on a screen play as Tampa blitzed from the outside LB position. The Blitz left the flat open and with blockers in front, Thomas was able to race 30 yards down to the Tampa Bay 30 before being driven out of bounds. With first and 10 on the 30, Houston caught a break when a Thomas run for -3 yards was nullified by a tripping penalty on DT Gordon for the Bandits. Replay showed that he did kick his leg up at Thomas and that led to a clipping of the back’s ankle and a quick negative play. The ball was moved to the ball to the 20, and on the very next play, Thomas got his revenge. He again found a hole in the Tampa defense as they again overplayed the pass and blitzed, leaving a gap in their second level defense. The 20 yard run ended with Thomas diving and stretching the ball to the pylon. The play was reviewed and the ref ended with his hands in the air, signalling a touchdown for Houston. The Bandits got the ball, now trailing 38-28 and with only 2:11 left to play. They would need a quick score and an onside kick to have any chance of a comeback. They got exactly that. Starting on their own 14 after an ill-conceived run out of the endzone on the kickoff, Aikman hit Solomon on 1st down for 8 yards and a clock-stopping sprint out of bounds. On 2nd and 2, Aikman went deep and Robert Brooks drew a defensive PI on Brazil, to move the ball to the 47. After a pass broken up led to 2nd and 10, Aikman escaped the pocket and found Baker behind the coverage. With the safety scrambling to get to the sideline, Aikman threw a perfect “in the basket” lob to Baker, who danced in the last 10 yards to draw Tampa once again within 3 points. 1:24 left in the game and the 60,000 + in the stadium were getting exactly the kind of show they paid to see. Tampa would go for the onside kick, but it was recovered by Houston’s hands team at the Tampa 44. All it would take is one first down to end all hopes for the Bandits. But, just as if on cue, the defense found its way. Thomas rushed for 2 yards on first down, 0 yards on second, and Coach Willsey, rather than risk a pass to gain the first down, trusted his defense, and handed the ball to Keith Woodside. Tampa’s defense stuffed the run, calling their last time out to preserve 37 seconds on the clock. Houston would have to punt. Tampa Bay would not get a return as the ball sailed into the endzone. First and 10 on their own 25, down by 3, and no time outs left. The Bandits would need some big plays to get this game to overtime. They got one on their very first play. Aikman hit Baker for 13 yards, but the speedy receiver was unable to get out of bounds. He was tackled by Leroy Butler, but there was a flag on the play. Michael Sinclair had hit Aikman late. The clock stopped as a result of the penalty, and Tampa was now on the Houston 47, needing only 15-20 yards to give Biasucci a shot to tie the game. 15 seconds left. Aikman took the snap from the shotgun. Rather than blitz, Houston rushed only 3. Aikman danced in the pocket, then meandered to his left to buy time. No one was open, and Aikman, feeling the pressure of the ticking clock, tried to find TE Troy Drayton back across the middle. They tell QB’s never to throw back to the middle late, and that would have been good advice on this day. Fred Strickland, not known for his speed or his hands, was in the right place at the right time. Stretching upward to deflect the ball and then snagging it in his heavily taped hands. The big MLB rushed only a couple of yards before going down into a fetal position to protect the ball. Houston had dodged a bullet. They would trot out onto the field for 1 more play, a victory position, and then were doused in red, white, and blue confetti as the game was over. The Gamblers had won their third title. The Bandits had proven to be a very worthy opponent. The fans in the stadium as well as those at home had gotten the gift of a great spectacle, a game for the ages and a fantastic finish. Jim Kelly would claim the game’s MVP for his 3 TD, 323 yard day, but this was absolutely a team effort. Thomas finished the day with 95 yards rushing, mostly on long gashing runs. His 2 TD’s were huge, as was his only reception, the 30 yard screen pass that broke Tampa’s back. Ricky Proehl would finish the day as Houston’s top receiver, with Tampa’s best defender moving from Freeman to Perriman. Proehl finished with 6 catches, 95 yards and a key score. On defense, Strickland made the big play, and also finished as the game’s leading tackler with 10 stops. For Tampa it was a valiant effort, and a solid performance on many fronts. Aikman would finish the day with 260 yards and 4 TDs, but that one late throw is sure to haunt him this entire offseason. Errict Rhett was solid with 68 yards rushing, and the combo of Brooks, Baker, and Solomon, each with 4 catches, accounted for 186 yards of offense. CB Eric Allen blanketed Perriman all day and little-heralded DE Alonzo Mitz finished the day with 2 sacks of Kelly, 2 of the 6 that Tampa’s blitz-heavy defense would log. In the post-game interviews, both teams were gracious towards their opponents, and while Thomas was telling anyone who would listen that he was headed to Disney World, Jim Kelly fielded several questions about his future. Would this be his last game as a pro? Would he step away at the mountaintop, or would he come back for another season and yet another attempt to do what no team had every done in the 14 years of the league, repeat as champions? No answers were forthcoming as a champagne-doused Kelly wouldn’t respond, just congratulating his teammates, his coaches, team ownership, and the fans of the Houston metro area who have embraced the Pittsburgh native as one of their own. So Houston wins their third title, equaling the feat Philadelphia completed 2 years ago. The Bandits proved they are a talented team to be reckoned with for years to come, and the USFL once again got a championship worthy of a top tier, world class, football league. It was, as team owner Jerry Argovitz would declare “A beautiful day in America!”

The USFL Conference Championships may be the best evidence yet that the old cliché about defense winning championships may be a bit outdated. In both games dynamic offenses made two of the league’s best defenses look hapless, and blew both games open. Baltimore raced out to a 12-1 record this year, but it was Tampa Bay who finished the year stronger, winning their last 8 games to get here, and on Sunday they looked like a confident and dangerous bunch. In the Western Final St. Louis came in as the plucky underdog, and, well, they got plucked, by a team on a mission. Houston has been a dynasty for almost a decade in the USFL’s Western Conference and they played like one this week. Things started off well for the Blitz, and they finished strong, but there was a solid 40 minutes of this game where simply nothing went right, and that was more than enough for the Tampa Bay Bandits, perhaps football’s hottest team, to punch their ticket to New Jersey and Summer Bowl 1996. Troy Aikman would throw for 392 yards and 4 touchdowns against a Baltimore defense that had stifled the pass all season long. The Tampa defense, unheralded as a squad added one of the biggest moments of the game to help Tampa Bay secure a win and prove they deserved more respect than they had earned from many this season. Baltimore started well. Their defense held Tampa to only 25 yards of offense in their first two drives and the Blitz seemed to be getting their own offense geared up, scoring on their first two drives, though in both cases they had to settle for Luis Zendejas field goals. But, with just over a minute left in the first quarter Aikman found a gap in the Blitz pass defense, and created a play that shattered the Blitz defense’s confidence, opening a floodgate that would soon put Baltimore behind the 8-ball. On a 2nd and 4, Aikman faked the handoff to Errict Rhett, and, rolling to his right, found TE Ben Coates on a seam pattern. The Blitz safeties had committed to the run, and Coates got a step on them. Before they knew what had happened, he was 10 yards past them and on his way to a stunning 75-yard TD reception. Tampa Bay would go on to score the next 21 points as well, ripping open Baltimore’s conservative game plan as Aikman connected with both Sean LaChappelle and with Coates again. As the 3rd quarter began and Tampa held a 21-6 lead, Chris Miller tried to rally the Blitz, but instead got caught telegraphing a hook play. Kurt Schulz ducked in front of Miller’s receiver, and we had our second quick strike knife to the heart of the Blitz. Schulz returned the pick 36 yards and suddenly the Bandits were up by 22 points. Baltimore tried to mount a comeback, but quick strikes were never their strong suit. They would add 14 points to their total, but with an Aikman to Brooks TD sandwiched between two Blitz scores, Baltimore never got within 10 points of the Bandits. Tampa would be heading back to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 1983 and Troy Aikman held aloft the trophy as the game’s MVP after a 19 of 24 day in which his accuracy was put on full display, as was the arsenal of weapons available to him in Tampa’s new vertical offense. Both Ben Coates and Shannon Baker ended the game with over 100 yards receiving, while Freddie Solomon, another late season revelation, caught 5 balls for 98 yards and Robert Brooks added 3 for 47 and a score. Aikman completed passes to 10 different receivers on the day, and while neither Errict Rhett nor James Stewart were asked to do much, they combined for a respectable 62 yards on 19 total carries. For Baltimore it was a crushing end to what had been a dream season. For Tampa a long awaited return to championship football and one more bridge to cross. While fans in Baltimore spent most of the game believing they could find a way back, the few Knights followers who made the trip to Houston could harbor no such illusions. The Gamblers dominated this game like few we have seen in recent years, and while the final yardage totals of 325 to 446 seem somewhat balanced, they do not reflect what the crowd saw this Sunday in the Astrodome. They saw their hometown Gamblers dismantle and embarrass a proud defensive squad. And it was not a sneak attack, it was exactly who you thought it would be, Kelly, tossing 5 TD’s, with 3 to Brett Perriman and one to the game’s leading receiver, Antonio Freeman. It was Thomas rushing for 138 and a score, and his backup, Keith Woodside, gaining another 87 as Houston just did not let up all game. It was 17-0 after 1 quarter with the Gamblers scoring on all three possessions in the half. First Perriman from 18 yards out, then a kick from Kasay on St. Louis’s only red zone stop of the day, and then Thomas from 1 yard out. St. Louis would get their only points of the day on a Cole Ford field goal to open the 2nd quarter, but then another Brett Perriman score and it was 24-3 at the half. In the second half, Houston got the opening kickoff and in the next 15 minutes scored on 4 consecutive possessions, including a Todd Bowles Pick 6, a 63-yarder from Kelly to Freeman, a Ken Dilger TD catch, and Perriman for a 3rd score. The game was 52-3 after 3 quarters and both St. Louis and Houston seemed content to let Thomas and Woodside run down the clock. A Kasay field goal would be the only scoring in the final 15 minutes, but the fans did not leave. They stuck around to celebrate a definitive win as Kelly raised his own game MVP trophy and the Gamblers toasted yet another trip to the Summer Bowl, their 4th in the past 5 seasons. Now the pressure is on Kelly & Co. to not be satisfied getting back. Last season they fell to an underrated Pittsburgh club. Would that happen again with Tampa Bay? Or could Houston lift the Bassett Trophy for the 3rd time. We will find out next week when we have a matchup of two of the best offenses, the most diverse talent pools, and the most explosive playcallers in the game. Bandits-Gamblers for all the marbles. Summer Bowl 1996, the 15th Championship of the USFL, could be one of the most exciting yet. In the Tampa Bay Bandits and the Houston Gamblers we have the top two scoring teams in the league, the #1 and #2 in total offense, and the #1 and #2 passing offenses in football. On the one hand you have the master gunslinger, Jim Kelly, appearing in his fifth title game. On the other sideline you have the deadly accurate Troy Aikman, making his first appearance in the spring league’s biggest game. This has all the makings of a classic. As we dissect the matchups, it becomes clear that this game will be one of momentum, of big players making big plays, and of inches between completion and incompletion, first down vs. fourth down, between winning and losing. Let’s take a look at each team’s key playmakers and what they are likely to face in this game. Houston’s passing attack against Tampa’s pass defense. If there is one squad that is viewed as suspect in this matchup it is the Tampa pass defense, and that has to be scary for Head Coach Jerry Glanville. But Glanville is a gambler, and that means he is likely to throw everything in the book at Kelly. We expect CB Eric Allen to be assigned to Antonio Freeman all night, which means that the pressure will be on Darrien Gordon and safeties Kurt Schulz and Chris Crooms to deal with Perriman, Proehl and the Houston TE’s Dilger and Heller. The big X-factor will be whether or not Tampa tries to cover Thomas out of the backfield with a linebacker or if they bring in a nickel to free up Schulz to be on Thomas. We know Glanville will want to blitz, but can he afford to with his secondary stretched so thin? If he does it will have to be either Bobby Houston or Kevin Mitchell, but these two have a combined 8 sacks on the year, not exactly a pedigree for disrupting the Houston pass game. We give the distinctive edge to Houston here. Tampa Bay’s passing attack vs. Houston’s pass defense. You would not know it from the press, but Houston’s pass defense is actually rated as the 3rd best in the league. Houston likes to get pressure from their front four, especially DEs Kavika Pittman and Michael Sinclair. Behind their front 4 they play a lot of 2-deep zone, daring teams to go deep while often containing them to short passes. Aikman certainly has enough weapons to stretch the coverage, including a quality deep threat in Shannon Baker (24 yards per catch this season), and while Baker goes deep it opens up Brooks underneath. And if Houston rotates coverage to Brooks, you still have to worry about TE Ben Coates in the middle of the field. And with the emergence of Freddie Solomon as a slot receiver, Tampa has weapons which can exploit zones. If they can hold off the Houston pass rush, they can go toe to toe with the Gamblers on explosive plays. The run games. Neither team relies heavily on their run game, though Errict Rhett averaged 4.2 yards per carry on his way to 991 yards on the ground this season. Thomas is a step slower in the rush game than in his heyday, but still gained 851 yards, largely on draw plays. We don’t expect either teams to step back from their pass-first strategy, but of the two running games, we think Tampa’s has a better chance of making an impact. The Bandits can also rely on James Stewart to get some tough yards in the middle, whereas neither Thomas or Woodside are particularly strong inside rushers. If this were a bad weather game, it would certainly favor Tampa and their run game, but with Thomas also likely to play a big part in the passing game, and the weather in New Jersey expected to be sunny and calm, we just don’t see this as a game that will be determined on the ground. Turnovers. Neither club is particularly prone to turning the ball over, after all Houston led the league with a +21 turnover margin, in large part to only turning the ball over 12 times all season. Tampa was not far behind at +16, with only 21 turnovers all season. The Tampa defense can ballhawk at times, so it will be up to Kelly to avoid errant throws and avoid a costly mistake. He is a gunslinger and has, on occasion, forced a ball that a more cautious QB would not have thrown. Aikman is more calculating, and more accurate in general. He is more likely to take a sack or throw the ball away rather than force it into double coverage. Slight advantage to Tampa Bay here. Coaching. Well, Ray Willsey has had Houston in the playoffs every season but one since taking over for Jack Pardee, and that includes 4 trips to the Summer Bowl in that time, so we cannot knock that pedigree. His overall record in the USFL of 73-37 is one of the best in league history. Not bad for a guy who almost never gets credit for the team’s success. On the other hand we have Jerry Glanville, who while entertaining, has also caught some flack in his 3 years in Tampa Bay. After coming over from the NFL, where he was more known for bravado and wardrobe than for winning games, Glanville had two pretty mediocre years at the helm of the Bandits. 8-8 in 1994 was followed by 7-9 last season, and rumors that he was on the hotseat this year. He responded with an excellent 12-4 season, his best in coaching. He is known as a risk taker and as someone who prizes passion and energy, but he is also known as a coach who does not always handle adversity well. What will happen if the Bandits get down early, will he cut loose, and is this team ready to do that if needed? We have to favor Houston and Willsey in this area. OUR PICK: Well, we said it would be Baltimore over Houston, so now do we rate Tampa as a potential underdog here? They have talent, no doubt, but they are inexperienced, led by a coach who has not exactly built up a reputation for winning the close ones, and they are facing a squad that has something to prove after losing in last year’s title game. I think we have to lean towards Houston here. In what could be Jim Kelly’s final game (those rumors persist) the Gamblers will be prepared, motivated, and ready for anything Glanville throws at them. We are picking Houston, but hoping that Tampa makes this a game to remember. After all, it is former Bandits owner, John Bassett, whose name is on the trophy, seems only fair that Bandits are the team Houston needs to beat to claim it.

While the divisional matchups did not produce any results which we would consider shockers, it certainly produced a lot of big plays. In three of four games the higher-ranked home teams held serve while out West a battle between two evenly-matched teams produced one of the closer games of the weekend. It was a week that got us a step closer to Summer Bowl 1996 and confirmed that the regular season had produced worthy contenders across the nation. Pittsburgh had handled a road trip to Memphis, but Baltimore was a far tougher task for the Maulers. While Rozier and company used the ground game to eat away at the Showboats, the Blitz were ready and by limiting Pittsburgh to only 3 of 9 on third down the Baltimore defense maintained a healthy time of possession advantage. Combine that with 3 Pittsburgh turnovers and Baltimore got itself a pretty comfortable win. Baltimore scored first on a Bill Brooks TD catch, and while Pittsburgh briefly had a lead after a Septien field goal and Rozier 10-yard run, by the half it was all Baltimore. The Blitz got scores form Kyle Brady, Alexander Wright and Barry Foster to take a commanding midpoint lead. Pittsburgh cut into it with a Freddie Scott score to start the second half, but it was too little as both Foster and Wright would score again to give Baltimore the 21-point win. Chris Miller threw for 292 and 4 TDs without a pick and Barry Foster’s 91 yards were enough to keep the ball away from Pittsburgh for considerable stretches. With the win the Blitz are into the Eastern Championship, a game they will host next week as the #1 seed. The one “upset” of the week, though the line was only 2 by the start of the day as St. Louis took advantage of sloppy play from Denver to nab a win in Mile High. Denver committed 4 turnovers on the day, 2 on poor tosses from Brunell and 2 fumbles, one each from Salaam and Mark Carrier. For St. Louis the star was Amani Toomer, who caught 5 balls for 73 yards, though the Knights also made good use of Rocket Ismail, Alex Higdon and the running of Thompson and Jenkins. Up 17-13 after three quarters, the Knights shut down Denver in the final quarter, forcing 2 three-and-outs and then a final turnover on downs on a 4th and 6 as the St. Louis defense proved it was the real reason the Knights were competing in the playoffs. Up next for this Cinderella story is the Western Conference Championship, but they would have to wait until Sunday to see if they would be hosting the Panthers or traveling to Houston. We said Philly’s best chance was to slow the game down, play conservatively and stay close enough to possibly win it in the end, and that is exactly what they did. After Tampa Bay got on the board first with an Aikman to Shannon Baker 24-yard TD, Philadelphia’s shell defense kept Tampa out of the endzone for most of the game. In the meantime, conservative calls and short passing allowed them to crawl back to within 1 at 7-6. But, in the end the dam broke and Tampa Bay again found an opening and doubled up the score. It was Aikman to Baker for a second time, now from 14 yards out. Up by 8, and unwilling to risk Troy Aikman to the Philadelphia pass rush which had garnered 5 sacks on the day, the Bandits turned to the run, rushing Rhett 9 times in the final quarter. Philadelphia never reached the endzone and when a Chip Lohmiller kick from 47 out went wide left, it dispirited the Stars, who never crossed midfield after that point. Tampa Bay would face Baltimore for the Eastern title, a matchup of the two top teams all season long in the up & down Eastern Conference. We had a feeling that the Panthers-Gamblers clash might be the best game of the week, and we were not wrong. In a game not decided until the waning minutes of action, Michigan and Houston battled up and down the field for the full 60 minutes. Jim Kelly was held to only 248 yards passing and 2 scores, while Doug Flutie accounted for 299 and 2 scores as well. Tyrone Wheatley helped keep Michigan on the field with a game MVP-worthy 183 yards on 15 carries. He also accounted for 2 Panther scores on the day. The teams traded scores all day, with Houston taking a 10-0 lead after a Thurman Thomas TD to end the first quarter. Michigan countered with Tyrone Wheatley’s first score of the game, but a Kelly to Perriman score as time ran down in the 2nd gave Houston a 17-7 halftime advantage. The 2nd half began with Michigan drawing closer on Wheatley’s 2nd scoring run. Not to be outdone, Houston again pressed their advantage, and again it was Kelly to Perriman. But, after a solid defensive stop by Michigan, the Panthers got a break as a busted coverage freed Jeff Campbell and turned a short pass play into a 42-yard score. Now down only 3, Michigan hoped to pull ahead on their next drive, but a tipped ball at the line found the waiting hands of Houston’s Quentin Coryatt. With a short field, Kelly and the Gamblers took advantage and backup HB Keith Woodside punched it in from 2 yards out to boost the Gambler lead to 10. New Jersey would get back within 3 as Flutie hit Butch Rolle for a score with 3 minutes left to play, but after a Houston first down, New Jersey got the ball back with only 22 seconds left in the game, and it was just not enough time for them to get into field goal range. They opted instead for a Hail Mary with 2 seconds left, but the ball did not find a receiver, and so it will be Houston hosting St. Louis next week, with the winner headed to Summer Bowl 1996. Down to 4 teams left, as #1 Seed Baltimore hosts #2 seed Tampa Bay in Memorial Stadium at 1pm on Sunday, while St. Louis at Houston matches the #3 and #1 seeds in the West. It will be a clash of top flight defenses against dynamic offenses in both matchups as the Blitz and Knights try to prove that defense wins championships while Houston and Tampa Bay lean on multifaceted and explosive offenses. Here are some things to consider this week: While we all expect defensive prowess from Baltimore (#1 in PPG allowed) and St. Louis (#3), we should not forget that Houston is also a solid defensive team, ranked 6th in the league in points allowed. It could be a tough day for Thurman Thomas on the ground as St. Louis allowed only 1,006 total rushing yards this year, but, Thomas is also a solid contributor in the passing game, which could be an issue for the St. Louis linebackers. Houston and Tampa Bay possess the top 2 passing attacks in the league, but St. Louis and Baltimore are in the top half of the league in rushing, so we could see a very contrasting style of offense from the teams facing each other this week. If it is turnovers that will decide the game, the edge definitely goes to Houston, who finished the season at +21 in the turnover/takeaway margin. The next closest was Tampa Bay at +16, while Baltimore was only +7 and St. Louis +6. Weather should not be a factor as Houston plays in a dome and the weather predicted for Baltimore is hot but not oppressive, with cooling winds coming in from the coast. Injuries also should not play a major factor, at least not injuries carried over from this week, as none of the four remaining clubs suffered any serious injury concerns in their divisional games. So, are we changing any picks this week? Nope. We said Houston & Baltimore in Summer Bowl 1996 before the playoffs began and we are sticking with that pick. While both Tampa and St. Louis have had strong seasons, we think it will be these two who emerge victorious. Wranglers Find their Man: The Arizona Wranglers wasted no time snagging a head coach, and they make history in doing so. With Emmitt Thomas not yet officially the head coach in Pittsburgh, the Wranglers sneak under the wire and now officially become the first USFL club with an African-American Head Coach by announcing the signing of former Oakland Raider player and LA Raider Head Coach Art Shell as the new leader of the Wrangler organization. Shell, who has served for the past year as the offensive line coach of the Kansas City Chiefs after being let go in LA, comes to the Wrangles with a reputation as a believer in hard-nosed football and a specialist in offensive line play. He is expected to bring several former Raider coaches with him, including receivers coach Fred Biletnikoff and possibly will go after former defensive line coach Gunther Cunningham, now with the Philadelphia Stars, as his new DC. Not known as a QB guru, Shell does have expertise in line play and does seem like a good fit for a potential gunslinger at QB like Jake Plummer, who is already rumored to be interested in being drafted by the Wranglers, though no one can say anything official until after the 1996 Fall NCAA season. As for the other HC search, Atlanta is believed to be down to 2-3 finalists, including former Pittsburgh Head Coach Joe Pendry, current Green Bay Packer OC Sherm Lewis, and current Texas OC Mouse Davis. If they want to go with Pendry or Davis they could make a decision soon. A choice of Lewis could lead to a futures contract, but Lewis is locked into his job with the Packers for the 1996 season unless Green Bay opts to let him walk, which seems unlikely. With Art Shell and Emmitt Thomas already on board, would the signing of Lewis, creating a pool of 3 African-American head coaches, be the beginning of a sea change in USFL hires? There are many quality candidates out there, not the least of which is former Bulls and Oklahoma & Texas Outlaw QB Doug Williams, who has spent his post-retirement years as a coach in High School, at Navy, and with the NFL Buccaneers. He currently serves as a scout with the Buccaneers, but could be called back to coaching if the right USFL offer came in. With both the USFL and NFL looking at improving coaching ranks and the opportunities for minority coaches, the future certainly looks bright for both the leagues and former players looking to get into coaching, just as Art Shell has done. End of an Era in DC: We said it was likely, and it came to pass. In a press conference at RFK Stadium this Wednesday, Washington Federals QB Don Majkowski made it official. He will be hanging up the cleats and the familiar green #7 Federals jersey. Majkowski played 10 seasons for the Feds, the final 8 as the undisputed starter for DC’s club. In that time he passed for 25,590 yards and 201 touchdowns. The “Majik Man” led Washington to the playoffs 5 times, including tow Atlantic Division titles and the Federals’ only league title in 1990. And while most QB’s often feel pushed out the door at the end of his career, Majkowski remained the clear starter in Washington despite the selection of Kordell Stewart in the 1995 draft. Stewart will now get his shot as the heir apparent in DC, but for fans in DC, those #7 jerseys will still be a big part of their Federal fanaticism. Ted Hands Over the Reins: In a press conference on Tuesday, Ted Marchibroda made it official, handing over the keys to the Pittsburgh Maulers to Emmitt Thomas. Thomas joins Art Shell as the only 2 African-American coaches in the USFL, but inherits a team that has all the hallmarks of a potential playoff contender. The big issue which Thomas must immediately confront is what is in the cards for 32-year old HB Mike Rozier. Rozier, who again finished in the Top 5 of rushing leaders in the league, and who rushed for over 100 yards in both of Pittsburgh’s playoff games, hardly seems like an aging back past his prime, but 1997 would be his 14th season in the league, a mark unheard of for a back of his power and propensity to take on tacklers. With Bryant, Cribbs, and Walker all enjoying retirement, we have to wonder if Rozier still has the passion and the physical presence to come back for a 14th year. Thomas will certainly hope he does, even with Dorsey Levins looking like a solid option to replace Rozier. FREE AGENT SURPRISES: No signings yet, as the playoffs continue, but a couple of “courtesy cuts” in the USFL as veteran players get a chance to move on. Arizona released veteran SS David Fulcher, who is hoping to sign with the NFL as they open camps. Birmingham tackle Emory Yates was considered a needed signing for the Stallions, but is now free to test the free agency waters. In Chicago, CB Derrick Burroughs at 32 was considered expendable, something he will likely contest with his play if he signs with another club. Expect Scott Zolak to also get some looks, though likely not as a fulltime starter after a pretty poor season in Chicago. Jacksonville said goodbye to 33 year old wideout Dokie Williams and 34 year old former Gambler, CB Domingo Bryant, both seen as cap casualties for the rebuilding Bulls. New Jersey hopes to resign LB Chris Spielman, but Spielman has not taken to Knox’s style of coaching and could be looking for friendlier shores. New Jersey could also be seeing the loss of one of their top corners, as Kirby Jackson prepares to see what the market will bring for a 32 year old DB. Oakland finds themselves in a bit of cap pressure as well, and the first major casualty is veteran LB Ron Rivera. Rivera is the third LB to be leaving Oakland after the retirements of Ken Harvey and Randy Kirk, so I guess we all know what position the Invaders and Jim Mora will be shopping for this offseason. Orlando has released one of their former NFL signings, LB Duane Bickett, who at 25, still has a lot to offer a team with a bit more cap space. Texas is hoping they can resign DE John Bosa, but to do so they have to make some moves, the first of which was to cut tackle Troy Auzene. Kelly Stouffer cannot be happy about that. QB Mike Shula is also going to be looking for another home after Texas becomes the 3rd USFL team to cut him loose. Finally, in Washington, SS Louis Oliver has refused the latest offer from ownership and could be headed elsewhere, while LB Donta Jones is also hoping for a major payday.