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USA Today USFL Special, February, 1994 The buds are beginning to bloom on the magnolia trees outside of Mobile, Alabama, and the fields that surround Theodore HS are filled with the sound of clashing pads. It is USFL training camp season again, and the Spring Champion Birmingham Stallions are having fun. Brett Favre, their All-league QB, tosses balls nonchalantly with Ernest Givens and Lawrence Dawsey as he jokes with Bob Lane about the rookies. One of those rookies, Auburn RB James Bostic takes hits form handheld pads as he practices busting through tackles. Another, CB Aaron Glenn from Texas A&M is engaged in tip drills. In one endzone veteran DT George Little gets a swig of Gator Ade, while his new linemate, Jon Carter, traded to the Stallions from the Wranglers, complains about the humidity. “If you think it is bad now, wait until we are playing ball in July. You can feel the air around you like it’s soup” says Little with a smirk. The Stallions are preparing to defend a title that seemed predestined last year. The team ran roughshod over the league, amassing a 14-2 record, and then proceeded to win close game after close game on their way to the franchise’s first title. And across the country, the rest of the league is trying to figure out if their team has done enough to overtake the juggenaut. In Corpus Christi the Houston Gamblers, who came as close as anyone all year, are hoping that adding some defensive talent in rookie LB Allen Aldredge, CB Mike Davis from Cincinnati, and veteran LB Fred Strickland, is enough to even the gap with the Stallions. In the hills of Flagstaff, Arizona, the Wranglers are looking to 9 rookie signings, including WR Darnay Scott of San Diego State, LB Winfred Tubbs of Texas, and CB John Reece of Nebraska, are enough to stay atop their division and catch up to both Houston and Birmingham. With one more cut day to go, some of the 9 may find themselves out the door or hoping for the practice squad, but the Wranglers need youth, and many expect 6-7 of these fresh faces to stick. Outside of Tupelo, Mississippi, the hope is very different. The Memphis Showboats invested a pirate’s booty to sign the top QB coming out of college this year, Tennessee’s Golden Boy, Heath Shuler. Now they hope that the investment pays off, and pays off quickly. A team built on defense, now has a chance to rebound from a surprising collapse last year, and they are putting their hopes in the young arm of Shuler. In Philadelphia, it is about taking the next step. The Stars were so close to the playoffs that they could taste it, but a final week loss against in-state rival Pittsburgh cost them their playoff spot. They are hoping that signing two top receivers in former Eagle Cris Carter and Houston slot receiver Ernie Jones will help turn Chuck Long from a strong arm to a winning QB. And in Michigan, the excitement is absolutely off the charts as the Panthers went big in their bid to become relevant again. Signing two legendary players from the NFL, QB Joe Montana and HB Marcus Allen, the Panthers are looking for immediate success. They also brought in depth at WR with Terrance Mathis and rookie Terry Mickens of Florida A&M. They too loaded up on draft picks, and are hoping that big DTs Sam Adams and Chris Maumalanga can immediately slot into starting roles to shore up a suspect run defense. It is a time for high hopes and big dreams around the USFL. Only 3 weeks until the league’s 12th season kicks off, and for the league’s 20 franchises, now is the time to build the foundation that will hold their season together. Some will meet their goals, some will exceed expectations, and some will fall well short. And if the USFL has proven anything over its first 11 seasons, it is that predicting which teams are ascending and which are due for a fall is nearly impossible. While many saw the writing on the wall for Birmingham last year, none predicted the collapses of Memphis and Tampa Bay. So, as we look ahead to this season, we are going to hedge our bets, providing you with our perception of the ceiling and the floor for each club. It’s time for Spring Football in America, a second season for the nation’s most popular sport, and a chance for fans from Orlando to Portland, from the Gulf Coast to the Rockies to dream about football once again. Let’s get to it. EASTERN CONFERENCE After last year’s dominant season, it is hard to pick against the Stallions to become the first USFL team to repeat as champions. Our bullpen leans in that direction, but with a target on their backs, we don’t think it will be easy. The conference is not as strong as the West, but there are challenges here along Birmingham’s path. ATLANTIC SOUTHERN Washington 11-5* Birmingham 12-4* New Jersey 10-6* Jacksonville 9-7* Philadelphia 9-7* Memphis 7-9 Pittsburgh 8-8 Orlando 7-9 Baltimore 6-10 Tampa Bay 6-10 WASHINGTON FEDERALS Key Departures: LB B. Zavala (Ret), K R. Wersching (Ret). DT J. Phillips (OAK), FS M. Kelso (NOR), WR T. Mathis (MGN) New Arrivals: CB A. Blaylock (BIR), LB W. Moss (ORL) Rookies to Watch: FS T. Drakeford (Va Tech), G C. Novitsky (UCLA), WR B. Schroeder (Wisc-LaCrosse) Outlook: Washington put together a strong season last year, essentially walking away with the Atlantic crown. We think it will be a bit tighter this year, and Washington did lose both talent and experience on defense with the loss of Zavala, Phillips and Kelso. We like the signing of Winston Moss, but we are unsure about the rookie class this year. Still, the Federals look to be a step ahead of the rest of the division. NEW JERSEY GENERALS Key Departures: FB M. Carthon (Ret), G J. Castenada (CHI), B C. Carlson (BAL) New Arrivals: QB O. Luck (POR), G. C. Lacina (ORL) Rookies to Watch: WR B. Brooks (UNC), HB B. Morris (Texas Tech) Outlook: The Generals dodged a bullet when Herschel Walker chose not to retire, but they are clearly expecting it to happen soon, signing Texas Tech bruiser Bam Morris to back up their face of the franchise. New Jersey barely eked into the playoffs last year, but Doug Flutie had his best season ever and we expect that growth to continue under Coach Wyche’s guidance. PHILADELPHIA STARS Key Departures: WR M. Quick (Ret), HB P. Palmer (Ret), S T. Bowles (HOU), QB M. Perez (BAL) New Arrivals: QB E. Kramer (BAL), WR C. Carter (POR), WR E. Jones (HOU), CB J. Hasty (BAL) Rookies to Watch: HB C. Garner (Tenn), S J. Covington (N Dame) Outlook: They came so close, only to miss out on the playoffs by a hair. They then lost some depth and one of their best playmakers with Mike Quick’s retirement. But the Stars’ management did not sit on their laurels, bringing in a lot of offensive talent to surround Chuck Long. Cris Carter was arguably the best signing of the offseason, and adding Ernie Jones for the slot position and a good-looking rookie in Charlie Garner to spell Kelvin Bryant are both strong moves. Are they strong enough for the Stars to return atop the Atlantic Division? Maybe, just maybe. PITTSBURGH MAULERS Key Departures: DE J. Bosa (TEX), HB P. Chaffey (FA), C D. Gamboa (FA) New Arrivals: C R. Hemphill (OAK), TE C. Boso (CHI), DT C. Veasey (CHI) Rookies to Watch: C K. Mawae (LSU), HB D. Levens (Ga Tech), K D. Brien (Cal), QB D. Nussmeier (Idaho) Outlook: Pittsburgh lost one of their best playmakers in DE John Bosa, and honestly their free agent haul was less than impressive. We like the addition of Mawae to start at C as a rookie, and don’t be surprised if Doug Brien beats out Rafael Septien at kicker, but our overall picture is one of a team treading water while those around them are swimming forward. BALTIMORE BLITZ Key Departures: DT J. Klecko (Ret), QB E. Kramer (PHI), LB B. Paup (NFL) New Arrivals: LB B. Bussey (NFL), DT W. Perry (TBY), QB C. Carlson (NJ), QB M. Perez (PHI), LB D. Lockett (PHI) Rookies to Watch: T W. Gandy (Auburn), LB J. Gildon (OK State), WR O. Parker (Troy) Outlook: The Blitz have improved under Coach Infante, but it is not showing up in the standings. Perry may actually be an upgrade over Klecko at DT, and Danny Lockett is a good short-term replacement for Paup, but the big issue remains at QB, where Chris Miller will either sink or save the Blitz season. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Key Departures: CB A. Blaylock (WSH), DE A. Pleasant (POR), WR C. Collins (NOR) New Arrivals: G E. Moore (CHI), DE J. Carter (ARZ) Rookies to Watch: CB A. Glenn (TAMU), C T. Nalen (BC), HB J. Bostic (Auburn) Outlook: The Stallions lost some good contributors to free agency, which is typical for a league champion, but none of the losses were essential to their success. If rookie James Bostic can help Birmingham actually get a run game to counter the passing of Favre, this team could make a run at 16-0. They are that good. JACKSONVILLE BULLS Key Departures: LB C. Bratton (Ret), WR L. Tillman (TEX), WR H. Jones (NFL) New Arrivals: LB J. Holland (HOU), WR D. Williams (TEX), DE A. Wallace (HOU) Rookies to Watch: DE J. Thierry (Alcorn), QB G. Foley (BC), TE H. Bishop (LSU), WR W. Jackson (Florida) Outlook: The Bulls may find it hard to keep up with Birmingham, so they may already be mentally settling for a Wild Card. They lost a good one with Charles Bratton’s retirement, but Johnny Holland should be able to plug that hole on defense. The toughest loss will be that of Hassan Jones, a top flight receiver. Dokie Williams has his skills but he is just not the same caliber of weapon. Keep an eye on DE John Thierry to possibly contribute early if he can make the big jump up from Div 1-AA ball. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS Key Departures: TE K. Jackson (DEN) New Arrivals: FS J. Booty (MGN), TE T. McGee (MGN) Rookies to Watch: QB H. Shuler (Tenn), TE A.J. Ofodile (Mizzou), S K. Lyle (UVa) Outlook: When Mike Kelley went down last season the Showboats absolutely imploded. This is just how perilous their balance of defense and offense is. Without a solid QB option, the Showboats simply could not compete. And with Kelley clearly losing some mobility and arm strength, the time was right to groom a successor. The Showboats sold the ranch to sign Tennessee hero Heath Shuler. The question now is how they keep him on the bench with Kelley in front of him? ORLANDO RENEGADES Key Departures: FB C. Heyward (STL), LB W. Moss (WSH), C R. Fortin (FA) New Arrivals: C J. Juriga (HOU) Rookies to Watch: WR B. Emmanuel (Rice), DT G. Wilkins (Gardner-Webb), K. M. Hollis (Idaho) Outlook: It feels like the Renegades’ window of opportunity is closing. Reggie Collier is not showing the same burst he had earlier in his career, and the defense lost a huge piece with the departure of LB Winston Moss. The Renegades did not do much this offseason, and that could cost them. We see a chance for Orlando to be this year’s collapse team. TAMPA BAY BANDITS Key Departures: DT W. Perry (BAL), HB V. Dunbar (ARZ), WR C. Collinsworth (FA) New Arrivals: FS T. Hoague (NFL), K D. Biasucci (NFL), TE J. Novacek (DEN), C T. Dixon (OAK) Rookies to Watch: HB E. Rhett (Florida), LB K. Mitchell (Syracuse), T C. Louchey (So Car) Outlook: Coach Glanville will enfuse this team with energy, and the front office helped add some talent as well. TE Jay Novacek should be a welcome sight for QB Troy Aikman, who simply did not have a reliable option when the deep ball was not there. We also think that the Bandits are right to address their woeful rush game. Bringing in a top talent like Errict Rhett can help take pressure off of Aikman and may help spark an offensive revival. Now, about that defense… WESTERN CONFERENCE Houston has represented the Western Conference in the past 2 Summer Bowls, and they will once again be the favorite, but there are plenty of teams who appear to be on the cusp, and have the potential to rise up and overtake the Gamblers. It will be a long season across the West, and in the end, we think the influx of talent in Arizona will prove valuable, but there could well be a surprise if any team gels at the right time CENTRAL PACIFIC Houston 10-6* Arizona 11-5* Texas 10-6* Oakland 10-6* Chicago 8-8 Denver 9-7* Michigan 6-10 Portland 8-8 New Orleans 4-12 St. Louis 6-10 HOUSTON GAMBLERS Key Departures: S D. Dykes (Ret), C J. Juriga (ORL), LB J. Holland (JAX), WR E. Jones (PHI) New Arrivals: FS T. Bowles (PHI), LB F. Strickland (DEN), WR J. Pruitt (OAK), FS L. Butler (JAX) Rookies to Watch: LB A. Aldridge (HOU), CB M. Davis (Cinci), G I. Davis (Ark) Outlook: Houston lost some significant contributors in free agency. That may hinder the defense most of all, though we do like the signing of Todd Bowles at safety. The key to Houston’s season will be diversifying the offense, because on the rare occasions when league MVP Thurman Thomas was contained, there were not a lot of other options for the Gamblers. TEXAS OUTLAWS Key Departures: K. N, Mike-Myer (Ret), WR D. Williams (JAX), CB N. Mustafaa (NFL), DE M. Mraz (FA) New Arrivals: DE J. Bosa (PIT), DT TJ Turner (NOR) Rookies to Watch: G L. Allen (Sonoma), DT B. Walker (DT), CB C. Sawyer (FSU), C. Boniol (K) Outlook: We are still trying to figure out how Texas flailed so much at the end of last season, costing them a playoff spot that seemed assured. This team is loaded with talent, and now with the addition of John Bosa they may finally have a top level pass rush. That should make defensive captain Brian Bosworth a happy camper in 1994. CHICAGO MACHINE Key Departures: G E. Moore (BIR), TE C. Boso (PIT), WR M. Haynes (NFL) New Arrivals: G. J. Castaneda (NJ), G L. Goeas (PIT) Rookies to Watch: T M. Spears (NW State), HB M. Bates (ASU), T G. Hegamin (NC State) Outlook: Chicago made great strides under Coach Schottenheimer last year, mostly due to the arrival of Bernie Kosar. Protecting the less-than-nimble QB was job one this offseason, and the Machine seemed laser focused on that job, signing two top free agent guards in Castaneda and Goeas. In the draft they added youth and skill to the tackle position, spending two picks on solid NCAA tackles. Chicago needs to build up their run game with Ricky Watters, because having Kosar throw the ball 600 times is not a formula for victory. MICHIGAN PANTHERS Key Departures: WR D. Halloway (Ret), FS J. Booty (MEM), G R. Brown (POR), HB A. Jenkins (STL) New Arrivals: QB J. Montana (NFL), HB M. Allen (NFL), DE J. Reynosa (JAX), WR T. Mathis (WSH), WR B. J. Edmunds (MEM) Rookies to Watch: DT S. Adams (TAMU), WR T. Mickens (FAMU), DE A. Adams (Clark), DT C. Maumalanga (Kansas) Outlook: No team was more daring, or more desperate, this offseason than Michigan. The signings of legendary QB Joe Montana will fill the Silverdome to be sure, but the bigger signing might actually be that of Marcus Allen. That combo will get the headlines to be sure, but we are not sure who Montana will throw to, and despite signing two top rookie DTs, we are still not sure that the Michigan D is ready for prime time. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Key Departures: S F. Wilder (Ret), WR M. Jackson (NFL) New Arrivals: FS M. Kelso (WSH), WR C. Collins (BIR), SS J. Blount (TEX) Rookies to Watch: T B. Williams (UGA), LB D. Dotson (Ole Miss), QB G. Frerotte (Tulsa) Outlook: Coach Ditka inherited a team with an identity crisis, and he still has a lot of rebuilding to do. We expect this season to be a reset for the Breakers as Ditka tries to build a culture of toughmindedness and aggression. He does not have the talent to pull off what he did in Chicago just yet, and we are still not sold on the offensive talent the Breakers possess as enough to get a lot of wins on the board. ARIZONA WRANGLERS Key Departures: HB D. Clack (Ret), DT M. Lodish (STL), WR B. Hill (POR) New Arrivals: LB B. Romanowski (NFL), HB V. Dunbar (TBY) Rookies to Watch: WR D. Scott (SDSU), LB W. Tubbs (Texas), WR M. Floyd (Fresno), CB R. Fuller (Tenn St) Outlook: Arizona faded down the stretch without Robbie Bosco at the helm. Losing Bruce Hill will not help either. So, what does Arizona do? They double down on defense, signing firebrand LB BilL Romanowski form the NFL, and then bringing in rookie LB Winfred Tubbs as well. That LB corps may be the key to the entire season for the Wranglers. OAKLAND INVADERS Key Departures: WR J. Pruitt (HOU), C R. Hemphill (PIT), SS C. Carrier (NFL) New Arrivals: DT J. Phillips (WSH), DE JJ Wierenga (TBY) Rookies to Watch: T T. Steussie (Cal), S D.Studstill (WVU), WR J. Morton (USC), TE C. Crumpler (ECU) Outlook: Oakland is hoping that Bobby Hebert plays in 1994 as he did in his final few games last year. His arrival came with much fanfare, but only in the final weeks of the year did it seem to pay off. Oakland focused this offseason on defense, with signings of Phillips at DT and Wierenga at DE. Their draft may have helped Hebert more directly, as we like the look of both Johnny Morton at WR and the big Cal tackle, Todd Steussie. DENVER GOLD Key Departures: LB F. Strickland (HOU), TE J. Novacek (TBY) New Arrivals: DE L. O’Neal (NFL) Rookies to Watch: LB T. Alberts (Neb), LB A. Beavers (Okla), HB L. Warren (Colo), CB P. Carter (So Miss) Outlook: Denver surprised a lot of folks last season, but the late injury to Dave Krieg may have created a can of worms for Coach Phillips. Rookie backup Mark Brunell looked very good in the playoffs, which may motivate QB Dave Krieg, or may cause turmoil. The one move this offseason that will only produce good things is signing former Charger Leslie O’Neal to line up opposite the 35-year old Frank White. O’Neal is going to make life very tough for opposing QB’s. PORTLAND THUNDER Key Departures: WR C. Carter (PHI), QB O. Luck (NJ), DT R. Putzier (FA) New Arrivals: FS R. Lott (NFL), DE A. Pleasant (BIR), G R. Brown (MGN), WR B. Hill (ARZ) Rookies to Watch: TE L. Johnson (JAX), DT M. Wells (Iowa), S M. Bell (Mich St) Outlook: The Kerwin Bell era may finally be over in Portland. Fans have wanted to see the Thunder move away from the erratic Bell for years now, and with the trade that brought veteran Panther QB Jack Trudeau to town, their wishes may finally be answered. Of course, bringing in Trudeau and then losing Cris Carter is not the kind of trade off Thunder fans wanted to see. Carter leaves a huge hole on offense, one which former Wrangler WR Bruce Hill does not seem appropriate to fill. Best of luck to Trudeau, because we do not see a lot of weapons for him. Best to hand off to Robert Drummond, who had a career year in 93. ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS Key Departures: HB B. Jordan (Ret), CB A. Burleson (Ret), FB N. Faaola (Ret), T G. Perry (NFL), QB D. McGwire (FA) New Arrivals: WR G. Clark (NFL), DT M. Lodish (ARZ), FB C. Heyward (ORL), HB A. Jenkins (MGN) Rookies to Watch: S T. Wright (Neb), S r. Harrison (W Ill), QB J. Miller (Mich St), WR C. Penn (Tulsa) Outlook: St. Louis seems to be spinning their wheels each year. They bring in a few solid players at lower cost, such as former Bull and Redskin Gary Clark, or Orlando fullback Craig Heyward, but they lose key talent too, such as Al Burleson and Gerald Perry. At least they seem to have settled on a QB, with David Archer the clear #1 this year. Rookie Jim Miller has potential, but is in no way ready to take the helm this year. OUR BIG PICTURE PREDICTION Like we said up front, it is hard to picture anything but a Stallions repeat. They have weapons upon weapons, and the losses this offseason were minimal. So we are not going to swim upstream. We pick Birmingham to come out of the East. The West is more open, and several teams could rise up to challenge Houston. We still like the Gamblers to win their division, but we see a defensive buzzsaw in Arizona, and if Bosco can stay healthy, their offense can keep pace. So, we are picking a Stallion-Wrangler Summer Bowl, and while Wranglers may be adept at roping Stallions, we just don’t see it. Our pick is Birmingham 35 Arizona 21 in Summer Bowl ’94.

USA Today, February 10, 1994 A lot to report as we prepare for the 1994 USFL Draft. We finally have news on a coach from Tampa Bay, several NFL player signings, a few more players changing jerseys, and a surprise release for the “New” New Orleans Breakers. TAMPA FINDS THEIR COACH We start in Tampa, where it was beginning to look like the Bandits would be retaining Ron Zook as their head coach. After falling short to the Breakers in the Mike Ditka bidding, Tampa interviewed several candidates, including LA Raiders DC Gunther Cunningham, NY Giants DC Mike Nolan, and the USFL Wranglers DC Dom Capers, but none seemed to match up with what Tampa was looking for. They seemed resigned to stick with Zook for the year, to see what he could do with the Bandits and their defense. But, just as the NFL-USFL window opened, the Atlanta Falcons released their flamboyant head coach, Jerry Glanville. Tampa jumped at the chance to sign the fiery coach. Glanville, who made his name as a defensive coach at Georgia Tech, with the NFL Lions and the Falcons, before moving into his first head coaching position in Houston. He lasted 3 years there before moving back to Atlanta. His tenure with the Falcons was bumpy. He lasted 4 years, leading Atlanta to records of 5-11, 10-6, 6-10, and 6-10 again before being let go. Glanville’s teams were often more attitude than on-field success, but his defenses were a high-risk, high reward showcase of his teams, with defensive stars such as Deion Sanders and LB Jessie Tuggle. In Tampa his first order of business will be to align with his new GM as they look to the draft, and an attempt to build not only a solid defense, but also a running game for the Bandits. USFL SIGNINGS As expected, we saw even more signings both from one USFL team to another and back and forth with the NFL as we entered the January transfer window. Here is our assessment of the biggest signings during this second offseason window. ARIZONA—Despite having one of the best defenses in the USFL last year, the Wranglers are not sitting on their laurels. In something of a controversial signing, the Wranglers have come to terms with LB Bill Romanowski, the former Romanowski was all but thrown out of San Francisco after several incidents, fines, and controversial statements. Seems a risky move by Arizona, but certainly the big LB also brings a lot of talent to the squad. DENVER—The Gold further depleted the San Diego Charger defense, signing DE Leslie O’Neal to a 4 year deal. O’Neal, after 7 seasons in San Diego, is no spring chicken, but managed 17 sacks in 1992, and another 12 this past NFL season. He will certainly be seen as a huge get for Coach Wade Phillips and the Gold defense. BALTIMORE—In something of an under the radar move, Baltimore may have helped to shore up their aging LB corps by signing former Bengal backer, Barney Bussey. Not a huge name nationally, but Bussey has been a steady part of the Bengals since 1986. He had his best season in 1990, when he had 54 tackles, 2 sacks and 4 interceptions. They also got a good deal and help for their interior D-line, signing former Bandits DT William Perry. Perry, who weighs in at 330 lbs remains a force particularly against the run. NEW ORLEANS—Hoping to replace some of the catches lost when Michael Jackson headed to the NFL, the Breakers have signed a reliable possession receiver in Clarence Collins (BIR). They also helped add defensive depth, signing safety Mark Kelso from the Feds. JACKSONVILLE—Still stinging from the loss of Hassan Jones, the Bulls picked up the best deep threat available in Texas’s wideout Dokie Williams. They also stayed in Texas to work on their defense, signing Houston Gambler LB Johnny Holland. HOUSTON—The Gamblers also stayed active, replacing lost players as quickly as they could, signing Fred Strickland at LB, James Pruitt at wideout, and New Jersey’s Juan Castaneda at guard. MICHIGAN—The Panthers continued to be aggressive in remaking their team, signing former Bulls DE Jim Reynosa to add some pass rush. Reynosa has had 12 sacks the past 2 seasons and stands at 74 for his career. DRAFT PREVIEW Even with a very active offseason, there are still holes on pretty much every roster, and in addition to these obvious choices, there are a lot of teams who are looking at older players and wondering if now is the time to sign a rookie to grow into the position before retirements lead to a crisis situation. Every draft room is different, but it seems clear that every team has goals and interests in this year’s draft. Some will be very active, having traded for extra picks, while others sold off several picks to snag that one key trade commodity. As we look at each team’s current needs, we will try to offer our thought on who their best option may be in the territorial draft and who they might shoot for in the open draft. BALTIMORE: The Blitz need help at tackle and have an aging LB corps. Thre is not a lot of top talent in their T-draft schools, so Baltimore is going to have to be on their game in the Open Draft. We like them to use their 1st round pick on a top tackle. NEW JERSEY: Another team with weaker T-Draft options, the Generals are likely going to be looking to find a future replacement for Herschel Walker, a big back who can take on the interior run game that Amp Lee does not excel at. PHILADELPHIA: The Stars are another squad with an aging star HB, so don’t be surprised if they go with a halfback as well, but they could also look to sign depth for their depleted safety group. PITTSBURGH: Rozier is the third older QB, but the Maulers have more areas of need, so we don’t see HB being the pick here. They need to strengthen that o-line first after losing several key players over the past 2 years. WASHINGTON: Not a lot of gaping holes on this roster, but they could use a true receiving TE. There is some good safety talent coming out of UVa and Va Tech, so expect them to sign at least one of the big safeties there, and then look at TE in the Open Draft. BIRMINGHAM: Defending champions rarely have big holes, and that is the case with Birmigham. They would love more explosiveness than Fullwood and Joseph provide at HB, so maybe Bostic out of Auburn, but expect most of their draft to focus on the trenches. JACKSONVILLE: They still need more help at wideout, and the T-Draft gives them a good shot at signing one of the best TE prospects as well, Seminole Lonnie Johnson. MEMPHIS: It is all about Heath Shuler, or it should be. They will certainly pick him in their T-Draft, but can they sign him? After that it is a bit of a minefield of positions of need. ORLANDO: A weak year for U. of Miami talent means Orlando needs to do well in the Open Draft. They might take a shot at a QB, but this is not a good year for it, and they could also use help at LB and in the late rounds upgrades at K and P would not hurt. TAMPA BAY: Even after some offseason signings, Tampa still has some major needs. They may be able to solve their HB issue if they can sign Florida’s Errict Rhett. Doing that would free them up to try to add strength to their o-line and add some defensive contributors. CHICAGO: After getting 2 guards through free agency and trades, Chicago may now look at tackle as they try to revamp their O-line. They could also use some depth across the board. HOUSTON: Linebacker is a good spot to look for depth and a possible starter. Allen Aldridge of the U. of Houston seems a likely candidate. After that, any position is open to them. MICHIGAN: So much has changed for the Panthers, but what remains is a need for more energy and physicality on the D-line, with both DT and DE being a priority. NEW ORLEANS: An interesting situation here, as the team clearly needs to address some offensive issues, but Coach Ditka will almost certainly push for a defense-heavy draft. TEXAS: Guard is an immediate need, as is CB and kicker, all three could be addressed in the draft. ARIZONA: With Bruce Hill gone in free agency and Trumaine Johnson not getting any younger, wideout is the immediate need. DENVER: Signing O’Neal will help the D-line get pressure, so now the Gold need to add some athleticism at linebacker. No better option than signing Trev Alberts from Nebraska in the T-Draft. OAKLAND: Tackle and Safety are the two biggest concerns, and both should be addressed in the draft. The good news for Oakland is that one of the best tackles coming out in this year’s pool is from Cal, Todd Steussie. PORTLAND: Safety is an area of need, but also TE, where Portland has only Clint Didier on the roster. Expect them to start on defense and then draft for the TE in the mid-rounds. ST. LOUIS: Does St. Louis go for a young QB now that Dan McGwire is gone, or are they comfortable with David Archer? And who looks like a solid QB prospect if Memphis does as expected and protects Heath Shuler through a T-Draft pick? NEW ORLEANS HAS A NEW LOOK Finally, in the “we didn’t see this coming” department, the Breakers revealed that they have worked with Nike to revise their color scheme for this year. No new logos, the uniforms are nearly identical (with some sleeve modification on the jerseys), but gone is the light royal or “ocean” blue, and in its place is a blue-green teal color that more closely mimics Gulf Coast waters. They also darkened and added a bit more of a greenish hue to their dark blue, now more of a navy, but retained the silver. So, we have a very similar look, just with new colors. New era means new look, it would seem.

USA TODAY, September 10, 1993 One month into the USFL offseason and do we ever have a lot to report. The NFL-USFL window produced some amazing movement, with big names headed between both teams. We have a new coach in New Orleans, a bit of turmoil in Tampa Bay, a flurry of retirements, and our final USFL expansion team has their identity. No time to waste. 1993 ALL-USFL TEAM & AWARD WINNERS The votes are in, the players named. Here are the best of the best from 1993’s spring football season. QB: B. Favre (BIR): 235/382, 4341 Yards, 42 TDs, 16 Ints, 119.9 QBR QB: J. Kelly (HOU): 262/401, 4545 Yards, 31 TDs, 12 Ints, 117.1 QBR QB: B. Kosar (CHI): 439/630, 4817 Yards, 34 TDs, 16 Ints, 99.4 QBR HB: T. Thomas (HOU): 323 Att, 1381 Yards, 16 TDs, 28 Rec, 645 Yards, 4 TDs HB: M. Rozier (PIT): 281 Att, 1220 Yards, 8 TDs, 21 Rec, 116 Yds, 0 TDs HB: K. Bryant (PHI): 273 Att, 1035 Yds, 12 TDs, 48 Rec, 260 Yds, 2 TDs FB: R. Wolfley (PIT): 9 Att, 52 Yds, 1 TD, 34 Rec, 167 Yds, 0 TD TE: W. Walls (CHI): 99 Rec, 1412 Yards, 13 TDs TE: J. Novacek (DEN): 95 Rec, 942 Yds, 5 TDs TE: S. Sharpe (BIR): 58 Rec, 808 Yds, 9 TDs WR: J. Jefferson (ORL): 119 Rec, 1428 Yds, 13 TDs WR: E. Givens (BIR): 73 Rec, 1702 Yds, 13 TDs WR: L. Jones (NJ): 94 Rec, 1682 Yds, 14 TDs WR: J. Walters (WSH): 110 Rec, 1546 Yds, 13 TDs WR: L. Dawsey (BIR): 63 Rec, 1498 Yds, 12 TDs T: R. Webb (BIR) T: B. Armstrong (POR) T: S. Moore (JAX) G: J. Bruhin (BIR) G: B. Sims (HOU) G: J. Davis (NOR) C: T. Rother (NOR) C: C. Pitcock (BIR) DE: D. Manley (WSH): 50 Tck, 23 Sacks, 2FF DE: C. Haley (ARZ): 44 Tck, 18 Sacks, 2 FF DE: R. White (MEM): 48 Tck, 16 Sacks, 4 FF DT: J. Browne (WSH): 47 Tck, 9 Sacks, 1 FF DT: J. Randall (BAL): 44 Tck, 8 Sacks DT: D. Saleamua (PIT): 46 Tck, 6 Sacks, 1 FF LB: K. Harvey (OAK): 121 Tck, 2 Int, 4 Sacks, 1 FF LB: D. Hacket (NJ): 118 Tck, 8 Sacks, 4 FF LB: K. Greene (BIR): 103 Tck, 1 Int, 5 Sacks, 2 FF LB: B. Noble (ARZ): 84 Tck, 1 Int, 9 Sacks, 3 FF LB: V. Johnson (JAX): 76 Tck, 1 Int, 8 Sacks, 3 FF CB: D. Woolford (BAL): 102 Tck, 8 Int, 3 FF, 33 Passes Defended CB: C. Dishman (BIR): 85 Tck, 8 Int, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 31 Passes Defended CB: A. Williams (OAK): 81 Tck, 6 Int, 2 FF, 27 Passes Defended FS: R. Lewis (STL): 61 Tck, 7 Int, 2 Sacks, 16 Passes Defended FS: V. Glenn (POR): 64 Tck, 6 Int, 1 FF, 16 Passes Defended SS: P. Gannon (NOR): 73 Tck, 4 Int, 2 Sacks, 8 Passes Defended SS: R. Blackmon (HOU): 68 Tck, 3 Int, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 12 Passes Defended K: J. Carney (CHI): 32/34 FG, 47/47 PAT, Long of 57 Yards P: R. Stark (PHI): 68 Punts, 3,257 Yards, 47.9 Average, 31 inside the 20 KR: C. Verdin (HOU): 23 Returns, 725 Yards, 2 KR TDs, 31.5 Average PR: T. Mathis (WSH): 32 Returns, 345 Yards, 10.8 Average 1993 MVP: Thurman Thomas, HB-HOU: First player in USFL history to gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Led the league in rushing and in rushing touchdowns. 20 total TDs. 1993 Playoff MVP: Brett Favre, QB-BIR: 80/114, 1356 yards, 12 TD, 3 Interceptions in 3 playoff games. Led the Birmingham Stallions to their first championship with a 29/42, 433 Yard, 5 TD Summer Bowl performance. 1993 Offensive POTY: Brett Favre, QB-BIR: Started 13 games, amassed 4,341 yards, 42 TD’s and a QB Rating of 119.9 while leading Birmingham to a 14-2 record. 1993 Defensive POTY: Dino Hacket, LB-NJ: 118 Tackles, 31 TFL, 8 Sacks, 2 Safeties. 1993 Rookie Of The Year: George Teague, FS-CHI: Started all 16 games. 56 tackles, 5 Sacks, 4 Interceptions, 11 passes defended and 1 defensive touchdown. Coach of the Year: Ron Erhardt, BIR: Led the Stallions to a 14-3 record and their first league championship. Improved by 4 wins over 1992. RETIREMENTS And as always, the end of a season leads to retirements as players opt to hang up their cleats, sometimes voluntarily and on the top of their game, and sometimes the result of a career of injuries or simple physical wear and tear. This year’s announced retirements include some players who made their name in the USFL, and others who split time between the NFL and the new Spring League. Here are the players who tipped their caps and are ready to ride off into the pro football sunset: ARZ: HB Darryl Clack BAL: DT Joe Klecko HOU: S Donald Dykes JAX: LB Charles Bratton MGN: DE Ronnie Paggett MGN: WR Derrick Halloway NJ: FB Maurice Carthon NOR: S Fred Wilder PHI: HB Paul Palmer PHI: WR Mike Quick STL: FB Nuu Faaola TEX: K Nick Mike-Myer STL: HB Buford Jordan WSH: LB Brandon Zavala STL: S Al Burleson WSH: K. Ray Wesching So it looks like St. Louis will be looking for some youth in the backfield, while Philadelphia has to replace their leading receiver. Arizona will need to find a backmate to share carries with Lionel James, no spring chicken himself, and Baltimore, Washington, Houston, and Jacksonville have some big holes to fill on defense. But, that is what free agency and the draft are for. NEW COACH IN NEW ORLEANS Before we get to the flurry of player signings, we have a coaching signing to announce, and it is the big fish we have all been waiting for. Two days ago the New Orleans Breakers announced that they have hired former Dallas and Chicago TE, and former Bears Head Coach Mike Ditka to lead the franchise. Ditka, who won a Super Bowl with Jim McMahon, Walter Payton, and one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, will try to revive a New Orleans franchise that slipped from the playoffs for the first time in over a decade this year, but also a team that has built a reputation for choking when the season was on the line. Despite a solid decade of strength, the Breakers have been unable to get past the Conference Title Game and appear in the Summer Bowl. Ditka will be expected to tighten up a defense that ranked dead last in scoring defense, giving up 474 points in 1992. Of course, it is also a team unsettled on offense and needing a boost there as well, not an easy assignment. PLAYER MOVEMENT & SIGNINGS OK, on to the players, over the past few weeks we have seen several key signing from within the USFL free agency pool. Now that the USFL-NFL transfer window is closed, it has been trades and free agent signings that have kept the hot stove cooking. Here are our Top 10 moves so far this season: 10) Oakland trades center Troy Dixon to Tampa Bay to strengthen their d-line. The Invaders receive DE J.J. Wierenga in return. This is a trade that allows or an upgrade for both teams. 9) Tampa stays active, signing former Denver Gold TE Jay Novacek as a short range weapon for QB Troy Aikman. Novacek is not a speedster, but Tampa already has that. He will provide a solid 3rd down and red zone option in the Bandit offense. 8) The Federals stock up their defense, signing both LB Winston Moss from Orlando and CB Anthony Blaylock from the league champion Stallions. As Washington’s D was not good enough already. 7) Houston and Jacksonville pull off a trade of defenders, with FS LeRoy Butler going to the Bulls in exchange for DE Aaron Wallace coming to Houston. The Gamblers have good depth at safety, making Butler expendable, while it was a definite area of need for Jacksonville. 6) The Knights bolster their run game, signing fullback Craig “Ironhead” Hayward from Orlando and adding a solid 3rd down back in Michigan’s Alfred Jenkins. 5) The Panthers add two wideouts, one through free agency, signing Washington receiver/returner Terrance Mathis, and one through trade, sending TE Tony McGee to Memphis for veteran wideout Billy Joe Edmunds. All this in an attempt, we expect, to replace the retired Dereck Holloway’s production. 4) The league champions add some explosiveness on the D-line, by trading 2 picks to Arizona for DE John Carter. Birmingham loses their 3rd and 5th rounders this year but get a DE capable of rattling opposing QBs. 3) The Thunder are active, signing three potential starters in free agency, DE Anthony Pleasant (BIR), WR Bruce Hill (ARZ) and guard Ray Brown (MGN). Of course, having lost both Cris Carter and DT Roland Putzier still makes their offseason feel a bit below a success. 2) Philadelphia aims to improve their passing game and make up for the retirement of Mike Quick by signing the best offensive player in the free agency pool, former Thunder wideout Cris Carter. For Carter it will be his second stint in Philly, after starting his career with the NFL Eagles. But the Stars did not stop there, signing Houston slot receiver Ernie Jones, and adding a solid backup for Chuck Long in former Baltimore Blitz backup Erik Kramer. 1) While the Cris Carter signing was big, we think the signing of DE John Bosa away from Pittsburgh and into the Texas Outlaw roster was the biggest coup of free agency to date. Bosa can be a disruptive player and can come at the QB from either the right or left side of the line. In addition to these cross-league signings, we should also note that several of the remaining big name players, most notably 2-Time Summer Bowl Champion QB Jim Kelly, have resigned with their teams. Kelly joins Reggie White, Alan Risher, HB Barry Word and WR Eric Martin as top flight players who opted to remain with their current teams. SEATTLE NAME REVEALED And finally, after a 3 week process which saw 4 names whittled down to a final 2, the final vote tally is in. With 57% of the vote, Seattle Dragons was announced as the team’s name. It appears that have 3 other nautical themed teams split the vote and many who may have voted for Admirals or Pirates, refused to back the Sea Devils in the final round of the name selection process. The Seattle Dragons revealed their logo and helmet this week, both focused on a fire-breathing dragon’s head. The yellow head and red flame are trimmed in black, and will appear on a forest green helmet. The full uniform is expected to be revealed at some point in 1994, along with those of the 3 other expansion clubs in LA, Columbus, and Atlanta. The Admirals had been the second identity eliminated as fans preferred both Dragons and Sea Devils, which meant that Seattle would not be the first team in pro football to include "salmon" as a team color. The week after that, the two finalists, the Navy, Teal, and Red Sea Devils identity and the Green, Yellow, and Red Dragons identity went head to head. Fans in Seattle seemed to recognize that with one of the Dragon owners being an owner for the green and yellow Seattle Supersonics meant that perhaps green and yellow were the way to to. Both names received over 40,000 votes in the call-in final contest, but in the end, Dragons won by a wide 57-43 margin.

Hi everyone. I am slowly building towards the 1995 expansion, when the USFL will move from 20 teams to 24. This brings up an issue due to the limitations of the Draft Day Football '21 system I am using to simulate the league and track stats. DDF21 allows for 2 types of 24-team league. One is a 4-division format with 6 teams in each division and a 16-game season. The other is a 6-division format, with 4 teams in each division, but only with a 14-game season. I prefer the 6 division format, but am not a fan of dropping to 14 games. So, I want to poll the folks who follow the site and see what you would prefer to see. Here again are your two options, please use the comment section below to give me your preference and your thoughts. OPTION 1: 6 Divisions of 4 teams each, playing a 14-game season. OPTION 2: 4 Divisions of 6 teams each, playing a 16-game season. Thanks for your input and your support.

Now that was a championship game. Sure, the USFL has made a name for itself with wide open football and competitive championships (the average margin of difference in the USFL’s 11 prior championships was 6.4 points, with only 2 games having more than a 1 TD difference at game’s end, compared to the NFL, with a nearly 14 point average margin, and only 2 games being within 7 over the same period). All that said, this year’s final was a showstopper. It was a spectacle. If you are not on board with the USFL at this point, you just don’t know football. In a game that saw momentum swing violently back and forth between the two teams, we almost went to overtime as it came down to a 2-point conversion to make the difference. The two teams combined for 996 yards and there were only 4 punts combined for the two teams. Brett Favre lit things up, throwing for 433 yards and 5 TD’s. Jim Kelly kept pace with 455 yards and 4 scores, but the difference in the game came down to Birmingham’s ability to focus attention on Thomas, preventing him from going off on their D, and one brilliant play at the end. Thomas’s day started off roughly. Unable to find his helmet on the Houston sideline, he actually missed the first drive of the game, with Keith Woodside having to sub for him. It was an uneventful 3-and-out, but it set a tone for Thomas of frustration which would continue throughout a game that saw him rush the ball only 13 times for 47 yards and have only 2 receptions for 16, a far cry from the his performance in last week’s Conference Championship. Yet, despite Thomas being hamstrung all game, Houston’s offense was not. Birmingham and Houston traded first quarte touchdowns as Brett Favre guided the Stallions to a TD on the first drive of the day for Birmingham. Completing 3 of 4 passes on the drive, Birmingham also got a 9-yard run from James Joseph on a 3rd and 4 draw play call, and then the 1-yard TD from Brent Fullwood on shovel pass from Favre. Houston responded quickly with their own bang-bang drive. Five plays in less than 2 minutes, capped with Tremealle Taylor’s 2 yard reception on a rub-aided crossing route. Taylor, who only had only 1 catch all season, was in the game only because Ricky Proehl had hobbled off with an ankle injury after the 2nd play of the game. The second quarter saw the first real momentum shift, as a Scott Norwood field goal gave Birmingham a short-lived lead. Houston would go on to add 13 points in the quarter after that, a streak that expanded to 20 unanswered points in the 3rd. The first score was Kelly to Perriman, followed by two John Kasay field goals as Houston took advantage of a late Favre interception to kick a 21-yarder with only 14 seconds in the half. When they added a long TD to TE Ron Heller to open the third, it was beginning to look like Houston had Brett Favre’s number. It was 27-10 and while Favre had built up quite a bit of yardage in the first half, he had only 1 TD to show for it. That was about to change. Following the Houston score, Favre could be seen rallying the offensive players along the sideline. What followed was a stunning turn of momentum as Birmingham rattled off 4 touchdown drives in succession, helped by a Jim Kelly interception and a failed 4th and 1 play by Houston on the Birmingham 38. Favre found Orlando Truit for the first score, then followed that with a Clarence Collins TD to finish out the 3rd quarter down only 27-24. The final period began with the first of two Ernest Givens TD’s, a 12 yarder. On their next possession, following Houston’s failed attempt at 4th and 1 as Kelly’s awkward QB sneak was rebuffed, Favre took 6 plays to get down the field and then used the shuffle pass again, this time to a crossing Ernest Givens. Birmingham had flipped the script, and now lead 38-27. But, once again it seemed the tide was about to turn. Houston took the next possession and got it close enough for John Kasay to kick them within 1 score at 38-30. The Houston defense then proceeded to force a 3-and-out after a penalty on 2nd and 7 on Birmingham gave Favre a 2nd and 17. Two incompletions followed, the final one on a brilliant tip by Ashley Ambrose to stop Givens from securing the first down. Houston had just over 3 minutes to tie the game with a TD and a 2-point advantage. The drive began with a short pass to Thomas, only his second reception on the day. It was followed by a deep ball to Brett Perriman for 28 yards. After a pass to Verdin on first down was broken up, the Gamblers went right back to the diminutive slot receiver, and this time they hit big. Verdin caught the slant and raced between the safeties to daylight. 33 yards later it was Houston down 36-38 and a 2-pointer could get the tie. Kelly looked to his most reliable player, Thomas, but so did the Birmingham defense. The pass was slightly behind Thomas, who turned to reach for it, but was just laid out by safety Darryl Williams. The ball fell harmlessly to the ground and Houston knew they needed to go for an onside kick. The ball hopped once but was easily corralled by James Joseph at the Birmingham 40. Houston’s defense held Fullwood to -1 yards on first down, held Joseph to no gain on 2nd down, and Birmingham oddly chose to run Joseph up the middle on 3rd. They had killed about 1 minute, used up Houston’s timeouts, but now would return the ball to the Gamblers with still 1:15 on the clock, up by only 2. Houston received the punt at their own 46, excellent field position for a short drive towards a field goal. On first down pressure forced Kelly to throw short to Thomas. On second down, Kelly hit McKeller for 7 before Blaine Bishop took him down. 3rd and 3 and the play of the game. Kelly took a 5-step drop, looking for Verdin across the middle, but his protection broke down, and LB David Brandon, blitzing right in Kelly’s line of site, forced the QB to tuck the ball back down and try to scramble. Brandon caught him by the left leg, and Kelly fell. The sack cost the Gamblers 7 yards, pushing the ball back to the original line of scrimmage at their own 46. They had to go for it on 4th down. Kelly got the ball out of his hands on 4th and 10, but it was thrown into traffic as Ernie Jones was covered by both Anthony Blaylock and Blaine Bishop. The ball tumbled to the ground and the game was over. Birmingham was the new USFL Champion. Houston would not repeat or snag their 3rd title. Brett Favre, with his 29 of 42, 433 yard and 5 TD game was named MVP, and the players raised Coach Erhardt onto their shoulders in jubilation. In the locker room, team owner Marvin Warner thanked the players, praised Coach Erhardt, then pointed to the sky and asked everyone to remember former coach Rollie Dotsch, who passed away before he could reach this mountaintop. It was a jubilant but respectful scene all at once. Coach Erhardt took the traditional phone call, President Clinton thanked him on behalf of the nation for a game well-played and a championship well deserved. Houston was a worthy opponent, the game itself was everything you want a title game to be, and the USFL moves on with a new champion and an offseason of anticipation. Even in Championship Week there is always offseason news, and this week provided some real excitement, at least for one fanbase. MICHIGAN—The transformation of the Michigan Panthers under Coach Skip Holtz continues, and in a big way. The Panthers this week held a press conference to announce signings, and they did not disappoint. Not only did they introduce former San Francisco 49er as the new starting QB for the Panthers, signed on a 3-year deal thought to rival that of Favre and Kosar. But they went one further, introducing another huge NFL signing in former USC Trojan and LA Raider, halfback Marcus Allen. In the matter of less than a month the Panthers have completely redefined who they are as a franchise. Trudeau is gone, Culver is likely to be traded as well, and now you have two bonafide superstars in Michigan garnet and sky. We expect that next week we may very well be announcing record ticket sales for the 1994 season in the Pontiac Silverdome. This was a bold move by Panthers’ ownership, and one that we are sure fans in playoff-starved Detroit will embrace wholeheartedly. PORTLAND—The signing of former 49er legends does not stop with Joe Montana in a Michigan uniform. Portland, fresh after trading for Jack Trudeau, has added another quarterback, this time on the defensive side of the ball. Former 49er and current Los Angeles Raider safety Ronnie Lott has inked a deal to play with the Thunder after the 1993 NFL season. Lott will remain with the Raiders this season, before heading to Thunder training camp in Corvallis in February. The big time hitter and highly respected defensive leader should help Portland add some grit to a defense that too often seemed rudderless. TAMPA BAY—An interesting development in the Tampa Bay coaching search. While there has been no movement on signing a head coach, and Ron Zook retains his interim HC position, the Bandits did sign a new Offensive Coordinator in former 49er Wideouts Coach Ray Sherman. Sherman will take control of an offense centered around QB Troy Aikman. The move also clearly signals that either Zook will be staying on as Head Coach, with defensive coordination duties as well, or Tampa is expecting to sign a defensive minded coach to lead the team, one who does not mind that the team has already committed to an offensive coordinator and the style of football he prefers to run. NFL SIGNINGS: The USFL has lost some good players over the past 2 weeks. Among them are LB Bryce Paup, who is leaving the Blitz to play in frigid Green Bay. LB Brian Noble, who leaves Arizona for the LA Raider and Tampa HB Kevin Harmon, who will head to Buffalo. Wide receiver seems to be a coveted position for NFL teams as three quality starters have departed for the fall league. Hassan Jones of Jacksonville was the first to depart, despite being a featured player on a playoff team. Jones will now suit up for the Minnesota Vikings. Michael Haynes followed Jones to the NFC Central as he signed with the Bears, and Michael Jackson has left the New Orleans Breakers to sign with the New York Jets. Finally, we received word just today that starting left tackle for St. Louis Gerald Perry will be headed off to the NFL, as will CB Najee Mustafaa of the Texas Outlaws. LEAGUE RESIGNINGS: Finally, as expected, we have begun to see a flurry of teams resigning top players. The list of players reupping with their teams includes some major contributors, among them are DE Reggie White in Memphis, QB Alan Risher in Pittsburgh, HB Barry Word in Washington, CB Kirby Jackson in New Jersey, and HB Timmy Smith in Denver. There are still several players who need to sign on the line, and we expect many more who will take their talents elsewhere, so keep checking in as we follow the USFL through their offseason moves, trades, and signings. And finally, after the first week of voting on the new Seattle club name, the team has announced that the 4th place name choice, Seattle Pirates, is out. That leaves Admirals, Dragons, and Sea Devils still in the hunt. At this point in the voting, Dragons is slightly ahead of Sea Devils, with Admirals in third, but with 2 weeks left, it really is anyone's race. The team announced that they will eliminate 1 more name next week, and that the 2 finalists will then vie head to head to be the name of the club. The club also released the logo that would have been the Seattle Pirates' identity, a purple, orange-red, and gold pirate in side view. Honestly, I think that even without seeing this logo first, the folks in Seattle somehow knew that this name and identity was not a winner. Keep up the good work, Seattlers? Seattlites? Seattlans? What are those folks called?

One game left to reach the Summer Bowl. One game to prove you have the heart of a champion. Four teams vying for a shot at the big dance. Will it be the two time champion Gamblers looking to become the first USFL team to ever repeat as Champions, or the plucky squad from Chicago led by an NFL import QB? Will young gunslinger Brett Favre will his Birmingham Stallions to the title game for the first time in a decade, or will Dan Majkowski and the Federals get a shot at joining the exclusive club of two time champions? The only way to get a shot at the title is to get a win this week. Sunday, July 18, 1pm ET. Legion Field, Birmingham, AL The Federals came into the Eastern Conference Championship knowing that they needed to run the ball to control the clock, and they needed Don Majkowski to come close to matching up with Brett Favre in order to leave Birmingham with a win and earn a Summer Bowl Berth. They did both, and still lost the game. With Barry Word gaining 98 yards on the ground on only 12 attempts, Curvin Richards adding 61 of his own, and Don Majkowski throwing for 3 scores, it all should have spelled out a Federals win. Birmingham only rushed the ball 12 times, for a ludicrous 6 total yards, and yet, somehow the Stallions pulled it out. Brett Favre basically put his team on his shoulders and willed them to a win in Legion Field. Throwing for 443 yards against the usually stout Federals defense, and enduring 8 sacks along the way, Favre still managed to put up 3 scores and help Birmingham outpace Washington, thanks to 2 Scott Norwood field goals. Favre would finish 27 of 37, with 3 TDs as the Stallions abandoned all hope for a run game and just kept dropping back and exploiting the Federals’ secondary. Favre found 8 different receivers on the day, including 5 catches for 139 yards for Givens, 5 for 81 to TE Walter Reeves, and 6 for 96 yards for Clarence Collins. And it was not as if Washington was not getting pressure. 8 sacks over the course of the game, including 2 from Jerome Brown and another 2 from LB Curtis Talifero, but as the game grew longer, and Washington started blitzing more to put greater pressure on Favre, the secondary became exposed. The game remained close, with Birmingham leading 17-14 through three quarters, but in the 4th a Norwood field goal and a back-breaking Favre to Collins TD pass gave Birmingham an untouchable 13 point lead. The Stallions were headed back to the championship and proved that even a well-executed game plan by their opponents may not be enough this year. Sunday, July 18, 5pm ET – Astro Dome, Houston, TX Just as Brett Favre proved unstoppable in Birmingham, Chicago learned this week that Thurman Thomas was the most dangerous player in the USFL. Thomas rushed for 73 yards on only 10 carries, including 2 TD runs, which is a strong day, but what killed the Machine was his 5 receptions for 182 yards and 3 more touchdowns. It was a one man show as Jim Kelly just kept looking to #34 every time he needed a big play, and the former OK State Cowpoke kept delivering. Thomas’s day included a 68 yard reception on a simple circle route, a 47 yard TD reception, another for 37 yard, a 14-yard score on a screen, a 1-yard TD plunge, and a gamebreaking 20-yard run to shift Houston from a 28-27 lead to the final 35-27 margin. It was an MVP performance from a top MVP candidate. Chicago was able to stay close throughout the game, despite Thomas’s explosion, and despite a bad day for Bernie Kosar, who threw 3 picks n the day. Albert Bentley was a big reason why as the savvy veteran rushed for 109 yards and a score. 4 John Carney field goals, and a Reggie Langhorne TD from Blair Kiel during a drive when Kosar was getting medical attention, helped Chicago to a 16-14 halftime lead and a 24-21 lead after 3. But during the game’s final quarter there just was not enough left in the tank. Thomas gave Houston the lead with his 14-yard reception from Kelly, and then slammed the door shut with his 20-yard run on a 3rd and 2. And so the Gamblers will return to the Summer Bowl, their 4th appearance since joining the league in 1984. And we may be in for a real treat as it will be Favre vs. Kelly, but perhaps more accurately, Favre vs. Thomas, the two top candidates for this year’s MVP trophy, squaring off. SUMMER BOWL PREVIEW This one is going to be a show. No doubt about that. Brett Favre and his 42 TD passes against Thurman Thomas and his 2,000+ yards from scrimmage. Ernest Givens, Jim Kelly, and two defenses who simply have to try to contain their opponent, because stopping them seems out of the question. It will be a game between two teams that did not face each other this year, and between two teams that ran roughshod over the league all year. It is the matchup everyone has been wanting to see ever since the season began, and now we are going to get to witness it in the biggest game of the year. Who has the edge? Let’s break it down position by position. QUARTERBACK: This one is actually pretty tight. In Favre and Kelly you have the #1 and #2 QBR quarterbacks in the league. Kelly threw for more yards this year, but Favre led all players in TD tosses. After this week’s performance we have to give the nod to Birmingham, but it is not a clear victory. RUNNINGBACK: This one is easy. Thomas is an MVP candidate, the league leader in rushing, and the first NFL player to ever cross the 2,000 yard mark for yards from scrimmage. Birmingham’s leading rusher, Brent Fullwood, finished the year as the 21st best rusher in a 20 team league, with only 545 yards. Birmingham is not a team that is going to seek offensive balance, whereas Houston can throw with the best of them, or switch it up and win on the ground. RECEIVERS: Another lopsided result as Birmingham has one of the deepest and deadliest receiving corps in the league, particularly with flanker Lawrence Dawsey expected back this week. Ernest Givens, Dawsey and Clarence Collins are the wideouts, and the combo of Shannon Shape and Walter Reeves provide the inside options. Houston has talent in Brett Perriman, Ernie Jones and their TE’s, but it is still Thomas who is the most dangerous receiver for the Gamblers. Advantage Birmingham. O-LINE: This one may be a toss-up. Brett Favre has been sacked more than Kelly, but he has also thrown a lot more, whereas the Houston line is there for both the pass and the run game. If it is 3rd and 1 we side with Houston, but in a game of 7-step drops and deep balls, Birmingham can get the job done. We will call this a Push. D-Line: Neither club can get consistent pressure without some blitzing, and both have shown that they have the ability to stop the run, but not always consistency in that effort. The DE’s for Houston, Gerald Williams and Michael Sinclair have a very pedestrian 11 sacks between them, while Birmingham’s combo of Anthony Pleasant and John Copeland have a slightly better 14 combined sacks. Where Birmingham may have the advantage is up the middle, where we like Collin Scott and George little slightly more than the 3 man front of Houston with Ike Readon taking up the middle. But, when comparing a 3-4 with a 4-3 we also have to look at the LBs. LINEBACKER: Both clubs have dynamic stars in their LB corps, Houston with Pat Swilling, Quentin Coryatt and Kiki DeAyala, and Birmingham with Kevin Greene and Manu Tuiasosopo. Houston’s backers are asked to do more in their 3-4 alignment, and they are certainly a more aggressive and more athletic group, but the problem arises in that Birmingham may force 1-2 of them to leave the field as they trot out multiple 3 and 4 receiver sets, pushing Houston into nickel and dime sets. We give the edge in talent to Houston, but the matchup does not favor LBs in this game. SECONDARY: Birmingham’s CB combo of Blaylock and Dishman are among the league’s best, with Chris Dishman ending the year tied for the league lead with 8 interceptions. Houston’s combo of Ashley Ambrose and Reggie Sutton is simply not as productive, and while we like the hitting power of Houston FS Donald Dykes and SS Robert Blackmon, that suits them best against a team that runs the ball more than Birmingham does. In a wide open passing game, the advantage here has to go to the team with better corners, and that is Birmingham. KICKING GAME: Both Scott Norwood and John Kasay are top notch kickers, so we have to call this a push, and does anyone really think that punting will be a big factor in this game? Nope. COACHING: Ron Erhardt has fully embraced the gunslinger mentality of his quarterback, is willing to give up on the run and just fling the ball, and has the creativity to exploit weaknesses in any defense through a wide range of combination routes that find openings. Ray Willsey has already won a championship with these Gamblers, and while less creative than Erhardt, knows his team well, what they do well and what they don’t. He is unlikely to stand in awe of Favre and the Stallions’ passing game, but does he know how to slow them down? We are giving Erhardt the edge here despite Willsey’s playoff experience. OUR PICK: It’s all about who maximizes their talent to the maximum. And despite their greater experience and the amazing skills of Thurman Thomas, we are going to go with the wildcard here and pick the Stallions. Repeating is tough, hunger favors the challenger, and Birmingham has been the best team in the league all season. We don’t see that changing here. Our Pick is Birmingham 42-35 over a very game Houston squad. And yes, we expect a shootout here. Some interesting stories from around the league. Let’s get right to it. ORLANDO— Count the Renegades out of the Mike Ditka rally, as they have found their coach. Orlando this week announced that George O’Leary of the San Diego Chargers would be their next coach. A lower profile coach than many had expected, O’Leary has served as a D-line coach and Defensive Coordinator in the college ranks, particularly at Syracuse and Georgia Tech before signing on with the Chargers as their D-Line specialist. Clearly Orlando is going for substance over splash, while still acknowledging that the club’s defense has simply not been solid enough to compete and win in the USFL. This will be O’Leary’s first head coaching job since taking on that role at Central Islip and Liverpool high schools in New York in the 1970’s. He steps into an Orlando squad that was in the Summer Bowl only 2 seasons ago, but which seems to be in a retooling phase. MICHIGAN—New Michigan coach Skip Holtz did not waste any time putting his stamp on the franchise. In a stunning trade, Michigan this week sent 7-year starter Jack Trudeau to the Portland Thunder in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick and backup tackle Dean Steinkuhler. The move, which frustrated Portland fans cheered as the end of the up and down Kerwin Bell years, has Panther fans scratching their heads as the team is now left with former Houston backup Sean Salisbury and untested Pat O’Hara at QB. It seems pretty clear that Holtz is not done yet, and that there is a QB plan in place. That could mean more trades, an early draft pick spent on Michigan State signall caller Jim Miller, or perhaps an NFL poach? We mentioned Joe Montana as a free agent target of the USFL. Would Michigan make sense for the 4-time Super Bowl champion QB? Well, Holtz has a strong background with Notre Dame, Montana’s alma mater, and the Panthers play in a dome, so weather is not an issue. It is intriguing to say the least. ST. LOUIS--- The first NFL signing of the season is a homecoming of sorts as former Jacksonville Bull wideout Gary Clark returns to the league with the Knights. Clark, who has spent the past several years as a member of the NFL’s Washington Redskins returns to the USFL with Coach Elway’s Knights, where he is rumored to be possibly taking the place of another veteran, Eric Martin, rumored to be seeking to retire. TAMPA BAY—They don’t have a coach yet, though Ron Zook remains on staff at the moment in an interim position, but Tampa Bay has already started making player moves, signing two NFL starters to the roster. They have signed 8-year veteran kicker Dean Biasucci away from the Indianapolis Colts, and free safety Terry Hoague from the Redskins. Hoague is an instant upgrade at the position, which has been a weak spot in the Tampa defense for several years. Biasucci cannot be any worse than 1993 kicker Lin Elliott, who was last in the league in FG % and only made 17 kicks all season. SEATTLE-- The 1995 expansion club is wasting no time on building an identity. The Seattle Times and KONO (Seattle’s ABC affiliate) have released the 4 team names that will be part of the Name the Team contest over the next few weeks. The choices are the Seattle Sea Devils, Seattle Dragons, Seattle Pirates, and Seattle Admirals. Clearly a nautical theme seems to be in the works. The contest is set to run for the next 2 weeks, with a running vote tally announced each day in the paper and on the nightly newscast of KOMO. Team officials say they have early mockups of a logo for each name, through assistance with the USFL marketing team and Nike, so once the contest is over, it likely will be a quick turnaround before we see an official announcement from the club.

Another midsummer playoff football weekend. From scorching heat in Tempe to the cool AC of the Astrodome, football was all the rage this weekend. We had 4 games and 8 teams all building to the Conference Championships and one step closer to the Summer Bowl at the Super Dome in New Orleans. It was a weekend full of tension, drama, glory and heartbreak. Let’s get to it. Saturday, July 10, 1993 --- RFK Stadium, Washington, DC It was not final second heroics, but this game between two familiar foes had a bit of everything else and truly delivered as fantastic playoff football. The two teams traded scores throughout the day as both Alan Risher and Don Majkowski had strong days. The big surprise of the day was HB Curvin Richards, who got more carries than Barry Word and rushed for 57 yards, most in the second half. That equaled the total for veteran Mike Rozier of Pittsburgh, who was held largely in check by the Washington defense. Pittsburgh scored first on a Risher-Pritchard connection with 5 minutes left in the 1st quarter, but when the Maulers got the ball back, a tip at the line of scrimmage became a pick-6 thanks to the quick reflexes of Washington’s Mike Dumas. Washington took the lead 3 minutes later on a Barry Word TD run, but the Maulers came right back to tie at 14 with Risher hitting Raynard Brown. Washington pulled ahead before the half, thanks to a 46-yarder from Ray Wersching, and then a last second Joey Walters TD from Majkowski. Trailing 23-14 at the half, Pittsburgh wasted no time getting back into it, with Risher connecting for his third TD pass of the day, a beauty of a seam route run by Mike Shaw, and it was 23-21 after 3. In the 4th it was two field goals that would determine the outcome. The Maulers retook the lead briefly after a 24-yard chipshot by Septien, but it was Washington who would put up the final points, a 39-yarder that just barely grazed the inside of the right goalpost on its way through for the Federals’ 26-24 win. Washington will now head to the Conference Championship and a chance to return to the Summer Bowl. Saturday, July 10, 1993 ---- Astro Dome, Houston, Texas Saturday’s night game proved to be another grind-it-out defensive showdown as Denver kept Houston in range, but was never able to get the upper hand against the #1 seed. Despite being outgained on the day 388 to 219, the Gold were never fully out of it. They actually put the first points on the board, when a nice 73-yard drive ended with Timmy Smith finding the corner and plunging in from 4 yards out. Houston would quickly recover, and put 3 on the board with their next drive. They would take the lead, one which they would never relinquish, on their final drive of the first quarter, a 51 yard drive after Mark Brunell’s only pick of the day, capped by Thurman Thomas’s goalline dive. Brunell, who started for the injured Dave Krieg, played close to the vest, mostly completing short dink and dunk passes all game. He finished the game with a 21/35 completion rate (60%) but only 164 yards. Natrone Means and Timmy Smith combined for 22 carries, but yards were tough to come by, and the combo only amassed 47 yards on the day. Meanwhile, Jim Kelly went 18 of 28 for 270 yards and Thurman Thomas rushed 22 times for 100 yards, adding another 84 in the air. Thomas’s touchdown, however, would be the only time the Gamblers found the endzone. They kicked 2 more field goals in the next 2 quarters, and went into the 4th with a 16-7 lead. That 9-point cushion would prove vital, as Denver needed 2 scores in a game where they were not showing any explosiveness. Houston held Denver to just 1 field goal in the 4th, and then added another of their own (John Kasay’s 4th on the day), and it was all she wrote. The plucky Denver Gold were sent home and the #1 seed advanced to host the Western Conference Championship next week. Sunday, July 11, 1993 --- Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama The first game of the Sunday double header was a wild affair, with neither club seeming to have an answer for the offense of the other. With Jacksonville amassing 512 total yards of offense, and Birmingham surpassing that with 536, it was one of the highest scoring, and most intense games in USFL history. Both quarterbacks flirted with 500-yard games, with Eason throwing for 461 and 6 touchdowns (tying the league record) and Favre throwing for 480 and 4 scores. It was a free for all form the onset as the two teams combined for 28 points in the first quarter alone. Scores from Shannon Sharpe, Hassan Jones, Brent Fullwood, and Jones again gave us a 14-14 first period. In the second, Birmingham had its most decisive quarter, adding 10 points to take a 2-score lead on the Bulls, but when Jacksonville scored first in the second half, Hassan Jones’s 3rd of the day, it was game on again. Birmingham responded with a Favre to Truitt scoring strike, but once again Jacksonville was game, with Brian Blades scoring from 19 yards out. The shootout continued into the 4th quarter, where once again both teams scored twice. Brent Fullwood and Clarence Collins both scored for the Stallions, who took a seemingly safe 45-28 lead, but in the final minutes Jacksonville got 7 from Lawyer Tillman, recovered an onside kick, then Eason hit HB Vince Workman for the 6th passing TD of the day. It all came down to another attempt at an onside kick, this time with Jacksonville trailing by only 3 points. Stoyanovich got the bounce he wanted, but TE Walter Reeves was not going to muff this kick, and when he snatched it and fell to the turf, the Stallions punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals. 87 points and it was decided by an early field goal and the good hands of a backup tight end. What a game!!! Sunday, July 11, 1993 --- Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona The final game of the weekend kept up the frantic energy of the rest, again a tight game, though it did not always appear it would be. Arizona led 24-7 at the half, but a furious comeback by Bernie Kosar and the Machine proved too much for a tired and overheated Arizona defense. The game started with a temperature in the mid-90’s after being delayed nearly an hour to see if the temperature would drop below 100 degrees. It hit 97 and the league decided to move forward (the temperature did dip to 81 by the 4th quarter). Arizona, like the field turf, was red hot when the game began, scoring 24 in the first half on 3 Mitchell TD passes, one each to Lester, Hill, and Hawkins. Chicago got 7 form a Wessley Walls TD reception, but seemed destined to fade away as the game wore on. Quite the opposite occurred. Chicago came out for the second half and put 10 on the board to pull back to a 7-point deficit. Despite a Trumaine Johnson TD catch which boosted the lead back to 14 (31-17), Chicago was unphased, and when the 4th quarter began, it was the Wranglers, not the Machine, that faded down the stretch. Arizona gained only 78 yards in the final period, while Chicago racked up nearly 250, including drives that ended with a Reggie Langhorne TD, a Michael Haynes TD, and, with 22 seconds left in the game, a John Carney 40 yarder that gave Chicago the lead and the win. In a game that saw both teams move the ball well, we had something unexpected in that both clubs had solid ground games. Chicago’s Albert Bentley finished the day with 95 yards and a TD, while Arizona got a great game from fill-in power back Tim Lester, who broke out some huge runs against a tired Chicago defense, gaining 129 yards on only 10 carries. But, in the end, it was Bernie Kosar’s 281 yards passing and 3 TD’s which did in the Wranglers and set up Chicago for a huge game in Houston next week. Four teams left, three we pretty much expected in Houston, Birmingham and Washington, and one upstart crashing the party in Chicago. We also have four of the game’s best quarterbacks in Kelly, Favre, Majkowski and Kosar. It should be explosive as each club tries to figure out if they can outpace their opponent. Defense has been in short supply this postseason and both of these games look like they have the potential to come down to who has the ball last. WASHINGTON @ BIRMINGHAM: The unstoppable force against the immovable object, also known as Brett Favre vs. the Washington Front Four. Can Manley and the Feds get to Favre and force him to throw some poorly-chosen passes, or will Favre have the time to find his receivers and get the ball deep? That is the key to the game. Sure, Washington will try to milk the clock with their run game, and Birmingham will stack the box, but we all know it comes down to a QB vs a DE in the end. Got to go with Favre on this one. Birmingham has shown they can protect him, and if they do, it will be a Stallions win. CHICAGO @ HOUSTON: As division foes, Houston and Chicago have met twice this season, with the Gamblers coming out on top both times. But, you know what they say about a team beating another 3 times in the same year. Houston would seem to have all the advantages, but we won’t count Chicago out because they have shown that they can stick with even the best teams. Their last loss to Houston in Week 15 was only by 6 points, and they have hung tough in game after game. Do they have enough, we are not sure, but we expect it to be close. That is just what Chicago does. NEW YORK CITY—July, 13 The big news has arrived, today the USFL bigwigs made it official. The rumors out of Columbus are correct, and the Ohio Glory will be joining the USFL in 1995. The second team was also announced, and in what appears to have been a close decision, Seattle will be joining the league in 1995 as well. So, we now know our four expansion cities and 3 of 4 identities. 1995 will have the Los Angeles Express return to the Pacific Division, where they will be joined by a yet-to-be-named Seattle franchise. The St. Louis Knights will be reassigned to the Central Division, the only division not to get an expansion club. The Atlantic Division will be adding Ohio as a rival to Pittsburgh, and the Southern Division will be the home to the Atlanta Fire. The celebration in Columbus, Ohio was immediate, with the governor hosting an event at the State House, complete with red, white, and blue confetti, and the guests of honor, the Ohio Glory owners, real estate magnate Daniel Galbreath, Ann Arbor based Domino's Pizza President Thomas Monaghan, and former astronaut and U.S. Senator from Ohio, John Glenn. The club officially unveiled their logo, an eagle head, holding a trailing red and white banner, all on a flag blue circle, which harkens to the Ohio State flag as well as to the symbols used by NASA for various space missions. The team colors will be, officially, flag blue, firework red, and white. The Glory will play at Ohio State University’s Ohio Stadium, which has a seating capacity of just over 91,000 seats, though it is expected that some of the upper levels will be covered by team logo tarps to reduce capacity to somewhere around 55,000. It will still be one of the larger venues in the league. Seattle will be owned by an LLC headed by Microsoft executive and owner of the Portland Trailblazers, Paul Allen and including manufacturing giant John Edson, and the owner of Seattle’s NBA Club, the Supersonics, Barry Ackerly. The team will play their home games at the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium, north of downtown in the University district. The stadium has a capacity of 72,500, and, like Washington, will likely tarp off upper decks to create a more cozy 45,000 seat stadium unless demand requires more. The team plans to run a name the team contest through the Seattle Times and local ABC affiliate KOMO. With both Mariners baseball and the Supersonics also playing through the summer, there are questions about fanbase, but with Seattle being a very strong corporate city, with a growing population and a high-income level population, there is anticipation that Seattle’s USFL fanbase can draw from fans of the Seahawks, as well as those who may feel priced out by NFL ticket costs. All four clubs will be stocking their rosters with players in an expansion draft to be held in October of 1994 and through the USFL Collegiate Draft in February of 1995. Atlanta has named their head coach already, former Broncos head man, Dan Reeves, and LA has scheduled a press conference later this week, where they too are expected to be naming the coach who will help guide them in the expansion process. With Columbus and Seattle being added later, we do not anticipate coaching announcements until later this fall, possibly not until the end of the NFL season in January, when several coaches will reach the end of their current contracts. LOS ANGELES—July 15 The Los Angeles Express have their new head ball coach, and he is a name familiar to USFL fans everywhere. LA has opted to go sign a former USFL player, and the youngest head coach in pro football. Today at Angel Stadium, the Express presented former Arizona Wrangler and San Antonio Gunslinger quarterback Rick Neuheisel as their new head coach. Neuheisel, who retired from the USFL after injuries cut short his 1987 season in San Antonio. Since that time the UCLA grad has been coaching with quarterbacks at his alma mater. He was named to be the Offensive Coordinator for UCLA before the USFL came calling. With only 6 years of coaching, Neuheisel is green, but he has also been credited for helping to develop talent such as Troy Aikman and Tommy Maddox. Serving under Tom Donahue, the legendary UCLA head coach, Neuheisel has quickly risen up the coaching tree and was considered for several OC jobs across the western states, but has chosen instead to come back to the USFL. His first order of business may well be to find a quarterback. Tommy Maddox may be at the top of that list, the 1988 grad of UCLA has been a backup to John Elway in Denver after being drafted in 1992, and may be an option when his contract expires after the 1994 NFL season. But, let’s let Rick get his feet into an office, and an LA hat on his head before we start speculating too hard about who his QB will be two seasons from now. When asked if any of his former USFL teammates may find a place on his coaching staff, Neuheisel joked, perhaps half seriously, saying “Well, a good number of my teammates are still around, playing ball, but if I could sign up one guy right now, it would be Putt Choate, the most dedicated linebacker I ever played with and a real terror on the field, even during practice.” TAMPA BAY---July 16th The Tampa Bay Bandits, still smarting from a very disappointing 5-11 season, still mourning the loss of owner John Bassett, and still in search of a Head Coach after the resignation of Steve Spurrier, are turning over a new leaf. A part of their new start is a new look, thanks to the folks at Nike. While the colors and the primary logo, the masked rider, remain the same, there are some noteworthy changes to the Bandits’ look. First of all, Nike has created a secondary logo, a TB monogram with a black cowboy hat very reminiscent of the won worn by minority owner Burt Reynolds in his box office smash Smokey & the Bandit movies. The second are the use of thin, curved pant stripes and matching side panel and yoke piping on the red and white jerseys. Again, we think there is a nod here to Reynold’s and his films, as the jerseys now take on the look of a Western button down shirt’s embroidery. Nike has not come out and said it, but it makes sense to us that they are embracing a “good ole’ boy” look and the flamboyant personality of the former FSU football player and Hollywood icon, Reynolds as they start to rebuild their team around another country boy, QB Troy Aikman. Here is a look at the new look Bandit gear:

Wildcard Weekend. Two teams on the cusp of excellence. Two teams that want one more week, one more game to prove themselves. It is win or pack it in. Time to put it all on the field, leave nothing behind, because the only way to play next week is to grab the W this week. It’s do or die time for the Generals, Bulls, Invaders and Gold. Playoff football. Sunday, July 4, 1993 --- The Gator Bowl, Jacksonville Florida It was tale of two halves between the Generals and Bulls. A first half dominated by defense was followed by an explosion of 4th quarter points as the Bulls wore down the Generals and put the game away late. New Jersey hung tough and held a modest 6-0 halftime lead thanks to two kicks from Roger Ruzek and a lackluster Bulls offense in the first half. The second half was another story as adjustments made by Jacksonville wore down the Generals defense, and the Bulls kept up defensive pressure on New Jersey QB Doug Flutie, holding the visitors scoreless in the second half. Flutie would be sacked 3 times and throw a costly interception in the 3rd quarter, while Tony Eason heated up, throwing for 3 scores in the final 30 minutes. Jacksonville came out in the second half willing to give up on a run game that garnered only 54 yards on the day. They turned the ball over to Tony Eason, who survived a 5-sack day, including 3 from NJ’s sack leader, Phil Hansen, and found Hassan Jones for 110 yards and 2 scores. Jones would be named Player of the Game, but it was really the shift away from a 2 back, 2 wideout offense to a 3-receiver set for most of the second half which gave the Bulls the momentum they needed. New Jersey lost their 6-0 lead half way through the 3rd when Eason found Jones for his first of 2 scores. Down 7-6 after 3, the game was still anyone’s to take, but a costly pick by Flutie, caught by safety Mark Carrier, led to a quick Pete Stoyanovich field goal. Four minutes later Eason found Brian Blades for a score and now the Generals found themselves down 11 with only 6 minutes left. Jacksonville held tight and after a failed NJ field goal, Hassan Jones broke down the New Jersey coverage with a double move and Eason found him for a 66-yard touchdown to all but end the game and send Jacksonville to a Southern Division rendezvous with Birmingham next week in Legion Field. Sunday, July 4, 1993 --- Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado With Oakland facing Denver for a second straight week, and with the Gold now holding the home field advantage, Coach Vermeil knew the game would not lead for an easy day. Rumored to have spent 3 nights sleeping at his office in Oakland, Vermeil tried to put together a game plan that would break the slow, grinding style of the Gold. Would he unleash Hebert to go deep or rely on Siran Stacy against the Gold’s rush defense. Vermeil, recognizing the playoff pedigree of his quarterback, Bobby Hebert, decided to let him loose, to try to go over the top on the Denver defense. Hebert was able to find some deep balls, but the strategy also led to only a 51% completion rate, and despite having speedy wideouts in Henry Ellard and Marc Duper, the leading receiver for Oakland ended up being TE Sam Bowers. For their part it seemed that Denver anticipated Vermeil’s strategy. They employed a deep zone, often a 3-deep formation, and forced Hebert to look to short receivers far more often than he wanted to. But, while the story of the game could have been the Denver defensive strategy, a twist of fate altered the course of the game and created a totally different storyline. While the first half was dominated by the Denver defense, despite Hebert’s 145 yards passing, the Gold went into the half leading 10-3. They would open the second half with the ball, but on a 3rd and 7, Dave Krieg scrambled to the sideline to avoid the pressure, but took a huge hit, some would say a late hit, from Oakland LB Randy Kirk. Krieg was visibly shaken and untested rookie Mark Brunell was called in to take his place. Oakland would score on the ensuing drive, putting more pressure on Brunell as the game was handed to him as a 10-10 tie. He was erratic, to be sure, but he did what needed to be done. With just over 3 minutes left in the game he positioned Jason Elam for a very makable 37 yard field goal. Denver took the lead, but could not hold it. Hebert led a final drive to equalize the score, and when Matt Bahr’s kick sailed through with 25 seconds left, the crowd of 45,604 in Denver groaned with agony, sensing that they would now need Brunell to lead them to victory in overtime. He did just that. After a rough first drive in overtime, one which saw him miss a wide open Odessa Turner on a 3rd and 7, Brunell calmed, and when the Denver defense got him the ball back, he seemed a different player. Over 6 plays he found 4 different receivers, including a 28-yarder on 3rd and 10 to former Bandit Willie Gillespie. With the team in field goal range, he faked a run to Means and found a wide open Jay Novacek alone in the middle of the field, and Denver got the 6-point score to take the home win, and to advance to next week’s huge challenge, facing the Houston Gamblers in the Astrodome, and likely with a rookie who did not start a single regular season game at quarterback. Next week is a huge one for USFL action with two Saturday games and two Sunday clashes. It will be Pittsburgh @ Washington at 4pm Eastern from RFK on Saturday, followed by Denver @ Houston in the nightcap, kicking off at 8:30pm Eastern. On Sunday we will see the Bulls at the Stallions at 1pm Eastern from Legion Field. Birmingham swept the season series with Jacksonville, taking the Week 10 matchup on the road 41-31 and facing them again in Week 17, when Bob Lane got the start as the Stallions rested Brett Favre, yet they still came out ahead 38-27. The Final game of the weekend sees the Chicago Machine, in their first playoff game as a franchise, facing the Pacific Division champion Arizona Wranglers. The two met early in the season, a Week 5 tilt in Tempe, which the Wranglers won 30-24, but that was before losing Robbie Bosco for the season. How the untested Scott Mitchell will do in a playoff situation is one of the big questions for the game. Our picks: We love Houston and Birmingham to do what #1 seeds are supposed to do. In the other two games, we give the road teams, Pittsburgh and Chicago, a fair chance to pull off the upset and advance. In the case of the Maulers and Federals it is a game of familiarity. For Arizona and Chicago it is a game of unknown quantities and first time pressures. Considering how much playoff experience Chicago QB Bernie Kosar brings to his team, we have to give the edge to Chicago, while the other game is truly a toss-up. Our editor’s bullpen is split right down the middle, with half taking the Maulers to pull off the road win and the other half solidly in Washington’s corner. Sorry, but no help with your Vegas odds on this one. First up on our round up of non-playoff league news, the Philadelphia Stars have released their 1994 uniform designs, presented by Nike. The new look Stars are honestly not far from the old look stars. Yes, they have a new secondary logo depicting the Liberty Bell with a star-incorporated into the famous crack, and yes their new red is slightly darker and their new gold slightly lighter, and yes, the sleeve and pant stripes are updated, but all in all it is not a big shock to the system compared to their prior look, and we expect that most Philly fans like it that way. You can check it out below, at the end of this section. On the coaching front, it looks like we have three teams all chasing after the same coach. Within the span of 8 days former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka has toured the south, starting off in Tampa Bay, then Orlando, and finishing off his tour of down and out Southern teams, he spent yesterday with the New Orleans Breakers. All three teams have been known much more for offense than defense in the past, so Ditka is an interesting choice for all three. Of the three Tampa has the best QB situation with Troy Aikman the clear choice, Collier is clearly slowing down and showing his age, and New Orleans is still trying to figure out if Rosenbach is a keeper or not. But, outside of QB, each team has serious issues. None of the three has been able to run the ball effectively, none has a top notch pass rush, and none look like a team ready to break out. Ditka does appear very favorable to making the jump to the USFL, so we expect him to sign with one of these three teams, but that means the other two really need to have a Plan B, and we are just not sure what that might be for any of them. And finally, while no official announcement has been made, we expect that Columbus, Ohio will be announced as the next USFL franchise any day now. Why do we think this? Because local Kmart’s in the entire state have just received a shipment of the t-shirts pictured here, and told to put them out on Monday. If that is not a clear sign of an announcement, I don’t know what is. The fact that not only does the team have its name and logo, but that they already went into mass production of merchandise can only point to an absolute certainty that they have been selected and are ready to roll. And what is the new team name, the Ohio Glory. I am not a big fan of singular names, and we already had one with the Atlanta Fire introduced earlier this year, but a team that celebrates American excellence, and the unique role Ohio has played in our history, makes a lot of sense. This is a team that has a local owner, but also investors from Michigan (of all places) and even a minority owner who is an American Hero, Senator John Glenn, so embracing the entire state, and an All-American, red, white, and blue theme, makes a lot of sense here. So, it is not official, but we are ready to get on the bandwagon for the Ohio Glory.

USA Today July 2, 1993 Fourth of July weekend and it is playoff football time. It’s the Wild Card Weekend and while half of the league starts priming for a busy offseason, 4 teams battle for the chance to advance in the USFL playoffs. In this edition we will examine all 10 playoff teams, starting with our Wild Card competitors, share some news relevant to the USFL’s expansion efforts, and take a look at the top Free Agents expected to be on the market this year. Let’s get it started with our Playoff Profiles PLAYOFF PROFILES NEW JERSEY GENERALS (8-8) The Skinny: New Jersey’s season was a rollercoaster. After starting 2-1, they lost 5 in a row, but then rebounded with 5 straight wins, including a shocking home win against Birmingham, before losing 2 of their final 3 to end the season at 8-8. They qualified on the last week of the season thanks to a big win over Baltimore and a loss by the Philadelphia Stars. How they do will depend on which team shows up. Players to Watch: Normally we would look at Herschel Walker to define the Generals’ success, but not this year. This year it is all about Doug Flutie, who had his best season statistically, with a 35-17 TD-INT ratio and 4,633 yards passing. If he is hot, can escape the pass rush and find his deep threat receivers, the Generals can be dangerous. Potential Concerns: New Jersey was middle-of-the-pack in most defensive stats, but that is because they traded good weeks and bad weeks. If Phil Hansen cannot get to the QB and if the LBs are not on their game and allow broken tackles, this could be a very short postseason for the Generals. Outlook: New Jersey matches up well against the Bulls, so we would not be shocked if they pulled off this week’s road game, but facing Birmingham in Legion Field is no small task. Yes, New Jersey beat the Stallions earlier this season, one of only 2 teams to do so, but that was in Giants Stadium and it was the defense’s best game of the year. Is that a repeatable task? We are not so sure. OAKLAND INVADERS (8-8) The Skinny: After a 2-5 start we had all but written off the Invaders, and were wondering what happened to the Bobby Hebert we all remember from his brilliant years in Michigan, but a 6-3 finish helped to build confidence in the squad. The team still relies too heavily on their defense and Hebert has not exploded yet in the way we expected, but Oakland has enough weapons, with Siran Stacy, Henry Ellard, and Marc Duper to be dangerous. Players to Watch: Yes, Hebert’s play matters, quite a bit actually, but in our minds it is all about the 4th ranked scoring defense. Ken Harvey has been a beast all year, leading the league in tackles, and Aeneas Williams can pick a QB’s pocket at any time, but they will need support from others, including rookie SS John Lynch, LBs Rivera and Kirk, and some up front pressure from Kim Bokamper and Derwin Jones would help too. Potential Concerns: Can the Oakland offense win a game if the defense falters? That is the big question. Hebert has been better of late, but his 53.6 completion rate means a lot of 3rd downs do not end well. We need to see some old school Cajun Cannon if Oakland expects to move past Denver and then Houston, both on the road. Outlook: This first matchup against a team they just played in Week 16 is an intriguing one. Denver matches up well against the Invaders, so this is likely to be a close game. If Hebert can show us some magic, and if the defense is on their game, Oakland can easily pull off the road upset, but that means facing Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and the Gamblers in Houston, and that is where we see the party ending. DENVER GOLD (8-8) The Skinny: It is so hard to predict what we will get from the Gold each week. We know that they rarely have an offensive explosion, relying on ball control and defense to win games, and they lost 3 of their last 5, so they are not exactly peaking right now. If they are going to win games it will be because they did not make mistakes and they forced others to make those mistakes. Players to Watch: If Natrone Means gets 100 yards, or even 80 on the ground, the Gold have a much better chance of winning. The combo of Means and Timmy Smith can be a powerful one, but only if Means is able to muscle those tough yards on a 3rd and 2. Potential Concerns: This is not a team that is built to come from behind. They rarely score quickly, and rely a lot on controlling both tempo and the clock. If they fall behind by 14, or even 10 points, they have a tough time playing catch up. So, watch the 1st quarter and that can determine how things look. Outlook: Denver lost to Oakland just last week, but we expect that at home, and with playoff advancement in the balance, we will see a more intense and more focused Gold squad. Can they get past Oakland at home, sure. Can they beat Houston on the road? I would not bet the ranch on that. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (9-7) The Skinny: The Bulls are the only Wild Card team with an actual winning record, but, look again at their year. They started on fire, winning 6 of 7 to begin the year. That means that they have gone 3-6 down the second half. That is troubling. Their rushing game is ranked last in the USFL, so they cannot run out the clock. Their pass defense is 18th, so they cannot stop teams from coming back on them. Those are troubling issues, and not typical of a playoff team. Players to Watch: As much as we expect Jacksonville to rely on Eason to Blades and Jones, the key to this game is if Vince Workman can provide a solid threat on the ground. If the Bulls can get any semblance of a run game, it makes it that much harder for a defense to stay in nickel and dime formations all day, and that means Eason will have an easier time finding his big play receivers. Potential Concerns: We have already hit on it. This is a team that can easily sprint out to a lead and then fail to hold it. Comeback wins are sort of the norm in the USFL, with so much riding on the passing game, so the inability to defend the pass is perhaps the roughest weakness to have. Outlook: Unlike most teams in the league, racing to a 14-0 or even 21-0 lead is no guarantee for the Bulls. They need to play consistently across all 60 minutes and they need to keep the pressure on the other team by scoring in all 4 quarters. If they can do that, they can advance past New Jersey and then take their chances in a likely 45-42 shootout in Birmingham. CHICAGO MACHINE (9-7) The Skinny: Chicago’s offseason coup signing of Bernie Kosar was a bit of brilliance from Coach Schottenheimer. Kosar has helped Chicago to their first playoff appearance since their arrival in 1987. This is a Machine squad that needs two things, a good game passing and a bend-but-don’t break defense. If Kosar can distribute the ball to all of his receivers, the Machine can win a road divisional game against the Wranglers. If he is limited, they may have issues. Players to Watch: Without Ricky Watters able to play, it is unlikely Chicago will have much of a run game, so their run game becomes the short pass, and that is where likely All-USFL TE Wessley Walls comes in. He is the only TE in the league to lead his team in receiving, with over 1,400 yards on the year. When he is occupying the middle of the field neither a LB or a safety can truly cover him. That also frees up the outside receivers, which always helps Kosar in the long run. Potential Concerns: The defense is bad. 20th in yards allowed, including the worst-ranked pass defense in the USFL. And yet, if they can force teams to spend time moving down the field only to kick field goals, they can still win. Outlook: While we love what Bernie Kosar delivers on offense, without Watters and with that porous defense, we don’t see Chicago getting far. Maybe they upset Arizona in 2 weeks, but then what? PITTSBURGH MAULERS (11-5) The Skinny: To go 11-5 and only get a Wild Card has to be disappointing for the Maulers. To have to face Washington in the first round has to be even more frustrating. But, this is a team that has won 6 of their final 7, including a win over the Federals in Week 10 (and a loss in Week 12). They can defeat anyone on their best day. Players to Watch: We are not going to say Rozier, well, we just did, but we are not going to pick him as the player to watch. That player is DE John Bosa. Bosa has 13 sacks this year, and when he gets a sack, the Maulers tend to win. Yes, there are 10 other players on defense, but an active Bosa makes all their jobs easier. If Bosa can rattle Majkowski, the Maulers can repeat their Week 10 victory in RFK. Potential Concerns: Alan Risher has had some excellent games this year, and a few where he just misses his targets. If he can find Louis Lipps early and often, it will be a good week for the Maulers, if not, or if he throws a few too many errant passes, it could turn ugly. Outlook: We like the Maulers, but having to play a road game in the divisional round, against a Washington team that knows them well, is not the easiest draw. They would almost rather face Birmingham than the Federals just because of that familiarity. On a neutral field, Maulers-Federals is a toss up, but in RFK, it will be tough to walk away with a win for a second time this season. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (10-6) The Skinny: It is hard to remember that at one point Arizona was 8-2 and could have challenged for the best record in the league, but a 2-4 homestretch revealed some issues with the team. Yes, Charles Haley is killing it in his first year since coming over from Washington, and the combo of Clack and James can be deadly, but we all know what the concern is. Players to Watch: Yup, it’s all about Scott Mitchell. When Robbie Bosco went down to a season-ending injury, Arizona was forced to turn to Mitchell to lead the squad. A big piece of the 2-4 home stretch slide was squarely on Mitchell. A 13-10 TD-INT ratio does not fill anyone with confidence. If he can shift that to 3-1 in a playoff game, the Wranglers D can do the rest, but if it is 1-3, they don’t look like a winner. Potential Concerns: Mitchell to be sure, but this is a team that is first in the league in both points per game and yards per game, so as long as Mitchell does not actively hamstring the team, they can win most games. Our fear is that Mitchell seems prone to nerves and playoffs only intensify nerves. Outlook: Ask us after 10 weeks, with Bosco in command, and we have Arizona as a championship favorite. Ask us now and we are not sure how they beat the Machine at home, much less a potential matchup with Houston in the AstroDome. Let’s just say we are not betting on Arizona to run the table. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (12-4) The Skinny: The Federals are legit. Yes, they had some surprising losses (New Orleans, New Jersey, and Baltimore) but those were part of a 1-3 start. Since then they have gone 11-1. That is a killer record and includes a win over the Stallions. This is a team that can scare almost anyone. Players to Watch: We love the offense, but it is all about Dexter Manley and 4-man pressure now that we are in the playoffs. You know that Manley, whose 23 sacks tie Phil Hansen’s record, is itching to add more during the playoffs. And while Manley gets all the press, Jerome Brown is just eating double teams for lunch and still making big plays every single game. That D-line, even without Haley anymore, is still an offensive coordinator’s nightmare. Potential Concerns: With Terry Kirby out, there is a lot of pressure on former FB Barry Word to carry the load. Washington’s only other run option is former Renegade Curvin Richards, who has flashed at times, but is just not going to get you explosive plays. If Word can do well on 1st and 2nd down, it makes life that much easier for Majkowski on 3rd down, and that can lead to a W almost every time. Outlook: This is a team that has, and can, defeat the Stallions, even in Birmingham. If they can get front-4 pressure, they can force turnovers or 3-and-outs and then build up a lead. A dangerous squad that can win in several ways, we see a lot of potential in the Feds this year. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (13-3) The Skinny: At 13-3, this is a squad that has not shown a lot of weaknesses. If you look at their 3 losses the common theme is that Thurman Thomas was contained and Kelly had to win the game with his rather midling receiving corps. But every team has tried to follow this script, and most have failed, so what does that say about the Gamblers’ chances? Players to Watch: As much as we want to talk about the mid-range defense, and the need for more QB pressure, we all know that it is about Thomas. If he can get 150 total yards, which is pretty common, then the Gamblers look like a winner. It is just that simple. Potential Concerns: If Houston falls behind, taking away the run threat, then they are a lot easier to contain. A team has to have a fast start against them. That is where their biggest weakness lies. Outlook: When you have one of the premier weapons in the game, you can go far. When you pair that weapon with an experienced Championship roster and a top QB, and now you are looking at potential dynasty category. If Houston can win another title, they will have to be considered a dynasty in the USFL, becoming the first club to win 3 titles. And they have the talent to do it. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (14-2) The Skinny: Coach Erhardt found lightning in a bottle when he drafted Brett Favre out of Southern Miss. Favre has been a record-shattering force of nature for the Stallions. After the retirement of Joe Cribs, the entire script has been flipped, the once conservative 3-yards and a cloud of dust Stallions are gone, and in their place we have the 14-2 sprint for 60 minute Stallions. This team is a dynamo, and as long as Favre can avoid his occasional interception sprees, they clearly look like the best team in the league. Players to Watch: We are going to avoid the obvious and say either Danny Knight or Clarence Collins. With Dawsey listed as doubtful, we already know that Favre is going to look early and often for Ernest Givens and TE Shannon Sharpe, but this offense runs best when they have a 3rd option. Dawsey was a deep threat, neither Collins nor Knight are, but they are both solid possession recievers, and one of them will have to be there if Favre cannot connect on the big play to Givens. Potential Concerns: Not many. Their first matchup will be against either New Jersey or Jacksonville, and barring some truly bizarre circumstances, we don’t see them losing that game. Washington poses a threat, and Pittsburgh can be a spoiler, but we look at this club and see a title as a very real expectation. Outlook: We are putting our money on this squad. Yes, their defense is mid-range (10th), but when you are #1 in both scoring and offensive production, you don’t need a Top 5 defense to win a title. We think most of the nation wants to watch Kelly v. Favre in the Summer Bowl, because that would be pretty damn great. OFFSEASON STORIES TO WATCH While there is expected to be a smaller free agent pool this year than in recent years, that does not mean that we will not have some drama this offseason. With a wider gap this year than ever before between the elite teams, the midrange clubs, and the weak sisters, there will be a huge push for teams to restock their rosters and to, as much as possible, deplete the rosters of the league’s power players. Looking at those players who are still unsigned, and either have just become free agents or will once their playoff runs are done. Here is what we see: The biggest name on the potential free agent list is Houston QB Jim Kelly, but no one on the planet expects him to do anything but resign with the Gamblers. The NFL could come calling, but more than likely the negotiations are already advanced with Houston and as soon as the playoffs end for the club, Kelly will become the highest paid QB in the league. Looking beyond Kelly, the deepest pools are at receiver and on the D-line. Let’s start with defense. This year’s free agent crop includes some high quality targets with years of good play left in them. Among those likely to fetch top dollar we have Arizona DT Mike Lodish, Baltimore’s Joe Klecko, Birmingham DE Anthony Pleasant, Jacksonville’s sack leader in DE Jim Reynosa, Philly’s Will Fuller, Pittsburgh’s John Bosa, Portland DT Roland Putzier, Tampa’s William Perry, Washington DT Joe Phillips, and the biggest prize of all, Memphis’s ALL-USFL regular, DE Reggie White. White seems very happy with Coach Buddy Ryan and his defensive scheme, so he is unlikely to jump ship despite the issues with the Showboats on offense. The others seem far more likely to make a money play and move around the league. Receiver is the other key spot to track, both wideouts and TE’s. Among the top talent available this offseason we find Portland's Cris Carter, Washington’s Terrance Mathis, Texas’s Dokie Williams, Tampa’s Chris Collinsworth, Oakland’s James Pruitt, New Orleans’s Michael Jackson, Memphis TE Keith Jackson, Jacksonville’s Lawyer Tillman, St. Louis’s Eric Martin, Chicago’s Michael Haynes, Houston’s Ernie Jones, Denver TE Jay Novacek. Carter and Keith Jackson will likely fetch the highest price from USFL and NFL clubs, but don’t sleep on Jackson, Jones, or Novacek. Finally, among other positions there are some gems, though they are few and far between. Discounting QB Alan Risher, who will likely resign with Pittsburgh as soon as the season ends for the Maulers, the other big names to watch for include: FS Martin Bayless (ARZ), OLB Bryce Paup (BAL), T Emory Yates (BIR), LB Fred Strickland (DEN), LB Johnny Holland (HOU), C Jim Juriga (HOU), HB Alfred Jenkins (MGN), G Juan Castaneda (NJ), QB Cody Carlson (NJ), QB Timm Rosenbach (NOR), LB Ron Rivera (OAK), FB Ironhead Heyward (ORL), LB Winston Moss (ORL), FS Todd Bowles (PHI), T Gerald Perry (TBY), TE Chris Kelley (TBY), HB Barry Word (WSH), and FS Mark Kelso (WSH). Again, there is still time for some of these players to be resigned before we see a feeding frenzy, but we expect quite a few to jump to greener pastures. NFL TALENT: With NFL-USFL transfer windows scheduled for August as well as February, there are two opportunities for cross-league signings. It is always hard to predict who will jump from one league to another. We have already highlighted the USFL stars who are free agents this summer, and we expect some to sign and play this fall in the NFL, but the same could also happen with NFL teams and their late free agents, not to mention those players who will become free agents in January and could sign on for a back to back season with the USFL in March. Among current NFL free agents still working on deals either with their own club, or with others, but available, there are some huge names still unsigned. Top among them is legendary QB Joe Montana, All-Pro HB Marcus Allen, former 49er safety Ronnie Lott, and former Jacksonville Bull wideout Gary Clark, all of whom are having issues with their current NFL teams and may be ripe for the picking. Montana and Allen are of particular interest. After seeing how successful Bernie Kosar was in his first year as a veteran signing from the NFL to the Chicago Machine, how many teams would like to get their hands on Joe Montana. Sure, he may only have 1-2 seasons left in him, but as one of the biggest stars in football, he would be an immediate superstar on a USFL team struggling at QB (We are looking at you, New Orleans). Allen’s situation is quite different. The Raiders and Allen seem to be at an impasse, and there is a lot of hurt there. A USFL team could offer Allen the chance to start clean and the Raiders would prefer to have him sign with the spring league than with a team they would face each year. Allen is in the prime of his career and would be a huge add for any team that wants to boost their run game (Hello Jacksonviille!!). Lott also has a couple of good years left in him, and Gary Clark has been a reliable contributor since the early days of the USFL. EXPANSION NEWS News out of the NFL this week as we have our newest 1995 expansion club for the fall league. This past Wednesday the NFL introduced the Tennessee Copperheads. While many had anticipated that Nashville would be the selection for the fall league’s 30th club, there were apparently disputes between the league and the new ownership group regarding the name. While there was a grassroots movement for “Copperheads” to be the name, one that included fans getting thousands of signatures on a petition and actually mocking up uniforms, NFL Properties was apparently not happy with the idea of a team having a snake motif, concerned that it would not have broad appeal. It seems the ownership group, hoping to draw in enthusiastic fans from the grassroots effort, has convinced the NFL that Copperheads can work. The team and its new logo was introduced this week. The USFL can take some pride in the selection of two southern cities, Charlotte and Nashville as NFL expansion sites, as the proof of engagement and high attendance in the South comes directly from the success of clubs like Memphis, Jacksonville and Birmingham in the spring league. You are welcome, NFL. The selection of Charlotte and Nashville, two non-USFL cities and two cities not among the USFL’s expansion finalists, is also good news for the league. The USFL is expected to announce the 23rd and 24th franchises at any time, after having already confirmed that the reborn LA Express and the Atlanta Fire would be the 21st and 22nd teams, beginning in 1994. Rumors have Columbus, OH as a frontrunner for a club in the Northeast/Midwest. Ohio is prime football country, and choosing Columbus provides not only a USFL-exclusive city, but also a solid regional rival for the Maulers without encroaching on Cleveland and Cincinnati NFL fanbases. There are reports coming out of our sources in NYC that the Columbus bid is all but signed, sealed, and delivered, and that the club may try to identify with the state rather than the city, as seems to be the case with their bid documents and logo. The final club, like Atlanta is likely to be in an NFL city, but one where there is strong fanbase and room for growth. If LA is in the Pacific Division, Atlanta joins the Southern Division, an Ohio team could be in the Central or the Atlantic Division, which means that Boston (Atlantic) and Dallas (Central) could make sense. Boston's bid still has stadium issues, which the league has seen end poorly (San Diego to Tulsa, for example) so we expect they are out of the running. Dallas could fit well, especially since the city offers stadium options other than Jerry Jones’s Texas Stadium. With Jones being vehemently against sharing his stadium with a USFL club, a Dallas club would likely be looking at the Cotton Bowl as their home. Of course, the league could also reconfigure the Pacific, moving St. Louis to a more natural fit in the Central Division, where they would have immediate rivalries with Chicago and New Orleans. If they opt for that, then Seattle is very much still alive as an expansion option. With the ability to provide a rival to Portland (rather than a 3rd Texas club), and the allure of an outdoor stadium in Seattle (Husky Stadium) as an alternative to dome football from the NFL, Seattle is very attractive. Add in a booming tech industry and a lot of corporate money in the region and we could see Seattle edging out Dallas. From what we hear, we may be only 1-2 weeks away from an announcement (if our sources can be trusted), so we shall see if our predictions are accurate or not.

With several “win & in” games scheduled this week, we would not have expected the best game of the week to be between two clubs with playoff bids already secured, but when the Federals and Machine faced off in RFK, both teams still had a lot to play for, and it showed. Washington needed a win to secure the Atlantic Division Title and a bye to rest players before the Divisional Playoffs. Chicago had already landed their first playoff berth in club history, but a win could provide them a bye as well, as the top Wild Card team in the West. So what we got was two teams fighting for a week off, and apparently that is a huge motivator in the world of pro football. The two teams spent much of the first half trading scores. Chicago started the game off when Bernie Kosar hit Aubrey Matthews for a short TD pass to give the Machine the early lead. Washington came back, and as the 2nd quarter began it was Majkowski to the everpresent Joey Walters for the equalizer. Both teams relied heavily on their QB’s all day, with Majkowski accounting for 351 of Washington’s 409 yards of offense, while Bernie Kosar was responsible for 361 of the Machine’s 385 total yards. But, on their first drive of the second half, it was a short run that regained the lead for Chicago as Rodney Carter found space between the left tackle and guard for a 2-yard score. Washington responded once again, with Majkowski throwing his second of 4 TD’s on the day, this time to TE Mike Jones. But, with time left on the clock Chicago was able to get into field goal range, and when John Carney’s 42-yarder stayed true, it was the Machine up 17-14 at the half. In the second half we saw much of the same. Washington started off the scoring with Majkowski hitting the lanky Herman Moore on a 6 yard fade route to retake the lead 21-17. Chicago responded with a TD of their own as Kosar hit Michael Haynes from 12 yards out. As the 4th quarter began, they would add to their lead as Carney added another 3 to make the score 27-21. But that 6-point lead is a tenuous one, and with 4:02 left, Washington got the ball and made their way down the field patiently, on their way to a second TD for TE Mike Jones, this one on a busted play that saw Majkowski leave the pocket, and stall just long enough for Jones to get open in the endzone. Chicago had 1:42 to try to get into field goal range, but a penalty on a 2nd down from their own 32 left them with a 2nd and 20, and they simply could not convert, turning the ball over on downs with only 43 seconds left. A couple of kneel downs and Washington won not only the game but the Atlantic Division, a bye, and a home game against Pittsburgh in the divisional round. Chicago, by the end of the day, would also earn a bye, thanks to a loss by the Denver Gold, but would travel to Arizona in the divisional round for their first ever playoff appearance. NJ 30 BAL 7 The Generals needed a win and a Philly loss to make the playoffs, and with both games happening simultaneously, there was sure to be a lot of scoreboard watching, but despite this, New Jersey made sure they did their part. The Generals built up a comfortable 20-0 lead over 3 quarters, thanks in large part to their run game, which saw both Walker and Amp Lee score first half TDs. With the game well in hand, the Generals watched to see if Pittsburgh would take care of the Stars and give New Jersey the 5th playoff spot in the East. PHI 10 PIT 24 Fighting for a shot at the division title, Pittsburgh was motivated to take the Keystone Clash seriously, and their intensity spelled doom for the overmatched Stars. The Maulers’ D was opportunistic all game, picking off Chuck Long 3 times, and Alan Risher threw scores to three different receivers as the Maulers finished the year 11-5 and condemned the Stars to an 8-8 finish and playoff elimination on a tie-breaker to the Generals. JAX 27 BIR 38 With Cliff Stoudt dinged up and Brett Favre being rested, Bob Lane got a start for the Stallions, and proved that Birmingham has the deepest QB room in the league. Lane went 14 for 22 and threw 4 TD’s as the Stallions, who had nothing to play for, still took it to the Bulls in Legion Field. Lane found Lawrence Dawsey for 2 scores, also connecting with Clarence Collins (starting in place of a resting Ernest Givens), as Birmingham finished the year an impressive 14-2, the best record in the league. MEM 13 ORL 20 Two teams that had much higher hopes for the season met in the Citrus Bowl, and , thanks to a 4th quarter TD pass from Craig Erickson to Shawn Jefferson, Orlando came out on top. Gino Torretta got the start for Memphis, and while his 25 for 55 performance is not going to impress too many, it was a chance for Memphis to see what they had in Torretta for the future. MGN 12 HOU 21 David Klingler got the start for Houston, but it was Thurman Thomas who everyone came to see. The league leader rushed for 66 yards and caught 2 balls in the game, finishing the season with 1,381 yards rushing and 654 through the air, a season total of 2,035 yards from scrimmage, becoming the first USFL back to ever break the 2,000 yard mark. TEX 21 NOR 24 New Orleans finished out the season with a win in front of a sparse 18,202 in the Super Dome. Tim Rosenbach got another start, finishing with 184 yards passing, a TD and an Int, while Texas rested Kelly Stouffer. Rookie Alex Van Pelt of Pitt completed 20 of 43 passes and went 2-2 on TDs-Ints for the Outlaws. It was a lackluster game for two teams who had lackluster seasons. Texas started the year strong, standing at 6-4 at one point, but yet another second half swoon (0-6 down the stretch) doomed them to an identical 6-10 record as the rudderless Breakers. DEN 10 OAK 18 The scenario was clear for Oakland, win and they become the 5th and final playoff team. For Denver a win could mean a bye, but that depended on Chicago. Oakland was the more motivated team, and while it was both defenses that dominated the game, Bobby Hebert did just enough to get the win. Trailing 10-6 in the 3rd, Hebert led the Invaders on a score-shifting drive that ended with a TD to Sam Bowers. The Invaders would add a late safety and a field goal to wrap up the game. Their prize, a trip to Denver for a rematch next week. POR 14 STL 41 Portland did not look like a team fighting for a playoff spot, falling behind the Knights 17-7 after one quarter, and they simply did not have any response in the second half, when St. Louis scored 24 unanswered points. Kerwin Bell’s lead leading 23 interceptions (thanks to 4 in this game) are a major issue for the Thunder, while St. Louis got a strong performance (89 yards and 3 scores) from backup HB Terrance Flagler, in for a rested Darrell Thompson. ARZ 6 TBY 10 Arizona rested several starters, though not QB Scott Mitchell, and Tampa protected Troy Aikman by giving John Fourcade the start. The result was a snoozefest on the field in Tampa Stadium. The big winner on the day was Robert Brooks, who got the start for a rested Eric Truvillion, and came away with 4 receptions and a TD. With the Baltimore defense focusing their attention on league receiving TD leader Lam Jones, it was Irving Fryar who came up big this week to help New Jersey secure a playoff spot. Fryar caught 8 balls from Doug Flutie, for 122 yards and a score as the Generals rolled over Baltimore and into the playoffs. With the stellar season Lam Jones has put up this year (94 receptions for 1682 yards and 14 TDs) it is easy to overlook the cagey veteran Fryar, but Fryar too had a banner year as Doug Flutie passed for over 4,500 yards and 35 TDs. Fryar went over 1,000 yards at 1,145 after an initial season in New Jersey where he gained only 796. He also increased his TD production from 6 in 1992 to 8 this year. This is clearly a result of Sam Wyche’s offense turning Flutie into more of a deep ball QB, but it is also a sign of the comfort level that the receivers are having in New Jersey’s more diverse and aggressive passing game. With Herschel Walker barely reaching the 1,000 yard mark this season, while Flutie flourished, it appears to be a new day in New Jersey, a day in which it is the pass that will set up the run after a decade of smashmouth football in the Meadowlands. When the dust cleared on Sunday, we were very much in the same position as when the week started. Washington turned their 1-game lead into a division title, Chicago, Denver and Oakland all maintained their positions, and Pittsburgh and Jacksonville held their #3 and #4 spots. The only shift was in the Atlantic, where Philadelphia’s loss to Pittsburgh and New Jersey’s win over Baltimore flipped the division and sent New Jersey into the playoffs while a disappointed Stars team has to be content with an 8-8 record, a 4-game improvement over 1992 in Coach Berry’s first season. So we now know the matchups for the 1993 playoffs. New Jersey will play Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl in the Eastern Wildcard, while Oakland will travel to Denver for a rematch of this week’s game. Waiting in the wings are the #1 seeds, Birmingham and Houston. In the divisional matchups we know it will be Pittsburgh @ Washington in an All-Atlantic affair, while Chicago will travel to Arizona in the West, a game between two teams who basically switched places a decade ago. Early odds heavily favor the Gamblers and Stallions to reach the Summer Bowl, but predictions have been wrong before. We shall see, starting next week with the Wild Card Round. A Black Monday first this year, as we had our share of firings, but we also had a hire. With Michigan’s legendary coach Jim Stanley retiring, the Panthers took advantage of Black Monday to celebrate the 2-time champion coach and introduce his successor. At a ceremony in downtown Detroit, the Panthers said goodbye to Stanley, providing him with a gold whistle and a key to the city. The departure was bittersweet as the Panthers suffered through their worst season in Stanley’s swan song, finishing 4-12. Looking to the future, Michigan used the opportunity to introduce their new head coach. Coming from the college ranks, the Panthers presented Skip Holtz, son of Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz, and Defensive Coordinator for the 10-1-1 Fighting Irish. Holtz who helped build one of the best Notre Dame teams in years, and who held Texas A&M without a TD in a dominant 28-3 Irish win in this past January’s Cotton Bowl, will begin working with Michigan’s front office to rebuild a club that has been in decline since a 10-6 season in 1989. The last 4 years have seen Michigan drop from 10-6 to 9-7, then back to back 7-9 seasons and this year’s 4-12 lowpoint. While Skip Holtz was shaking Jim Stanley’s hand and getting the keys to the Panthers’ facilities, across the league there was less pleasant news being made. Two more longstanding coaches were let go on Monday. In Orlando, only 2 years removed from an appearance in the Summer Bowl, Coach Howard Schnellenberger was relieved of his duties. A 9-7 season last year and a 6-10 fall this year helped Orlando ownership make the decision to replace the only coach the Renegades have ever had. Schnellenberger leaves Orlando with a career record of 57-55-0 in 7 seasons with the team. Based on recent play Orlando could go either for an offensive guru who can help build a team, perhaps with a new QB as Reggie Collier may have seen his last action this year, or they could go with a defensive specialist who would hope to improve on Orlando’s 18th ranked pass defense. In New Orleans, a team that finished 20th in points per game allowed, and which finished at 6-10 was a long way away from the early success Coach Bill Arnsparger brought to the team in his first 5 seaons. But, the weight of losing 3 straight Conference Title games, and a clearly botched search to sucede QB Matt Robinson has pushed the Breakers to go a new direction. Rumors are already swirling that New Orleans, along with Tampa Bay, will make a serious run at signing outspoken former Bears head coach Mike Ditka to bring some swagger to the team. Speaking of Tampa Bay, who were also early frontrunners to sign former Denver Bronco head coach, and new coach of the expansion Atlanta Fire, Dan Reeves, the rumor mill has been in 5th gear as few expect current interim coach Ron Zook to get the job despite a solid 3-1 final month. Ditka’s name has been prominent, but there have also been rumors swirling around Florida State legend Bobby Bowden, defensive guru Bud Carson, and former Outlaws head coach Woody Widenhofer. It seems clear that Tampa Bay is looking for a tougher defense as they try to support QB Troy Aikman. Whoever comes into the position in Tampa is likely to be looking for a bellcow back this offseason as the Kevin Harmon-Eric Bienemy combo did not work out, producing a bottom 5 rushing attack. As we enter the playoffs, let’s take a look at the four clubs set to play this week and who will be unavailable for them. New Jersey comes into the week with 3 players declared out for the game, Guard Juan Castaneda, SS Eric McMillian and C Mike Baab. Losing 2 starters on the O-line could be an issue, particularly for Herschel Walker’s production. New Jersey’s opponent, the Jacksonville Bulls, are in better shape, expecting to get both backup QB Mike Shula and LB Charles Bratton back from injury next week. Both are listed as Probable on the injury report out today. The only player sure to miss the game is CB Tony Anderson. Denver is also looking pretty healthy for their matchup against Oakland in Mile High. DE Vince Rafferty is out with a knee issue, and backup TE Demetrius Davis is listed as doubtful, but neither should produce major issues for the Gold. Oakland has a bit more to worry about. They have 2 players out and 2 listed as doubtful. Guard Jonathan Richards and CB Clayton Holmes are likely out regardless of how deep Oakland’s run will be. The bigger hits will be insecurity in the secondary, as, in addition to Holmes, CB Bo Eason and FS Robert Sparkman are both Doubtful for the game. We have already looked a bit at the teams headed into this weekend’s Wild Card Playoffs, but let’s look at matchups. New Jersey @ Jacksonville The Bulls’ biggest weakness all year has been pass defense, where they rank 17th in the league. That is an area of danger as New Jersey QB Doug Flutie has had a career year and both Irving Fryar and Lam Jones have eclipsed 1,000 yards this season. For New Jersey, the key may be takeaways vs. turnovers. The Generals have been pretty middle-of-the-pack in most offensive and defensive categories, not unusual for an 8-8 team. Where New Jersey has lacked is in takeaways. They have only 28 all year, and with 24 turnovers, their +4 ratio is in the bottom half of the league. Of course, Jacksonville’s +0 ratio is even worse, so the Generals can take comfort in that. Oakland @ Denver Not much separates these two teams. Both rely on a good scoring defense (Oakland is 4th at 330 points allowed, Denver is 5th at 340) and both have proven they can win the close games. Oakland is a +17 in turnover margin, second best in the league, but Denver has only committed 19 turnovers all year, so they know how to protect the ball. The key to this game may be the two running backs. Siran Stacy finished the year with 1,061 yards rushing and 7 scores, while Natrone Means, in his rookie season, gained 759 and scored 3 times. But we have to remember that Denver likes to mix in Timmy Smith, and with his 551 yards and 8 TD’s, Denver has the more dynamic and multi-faceted rushing attack. Our picks: It is hard to win on the road in the USFL, and that is doubly true in Denver, where the altitude and the fans can be a factor. The Gold seemed to play a bit vanilla last week in Oakland, perhaps expecting a rematch, so we expect them to throw some new wrinkles at the Invaders. I like Oakland in this one. In the other game I have to think that New Jersey will find a way to exploit a weak Jacksonville pass defense. Doug Flutie had his best season as a pro, and with the threat of Walker always there it is hard to double up on Fryar and Jones, so I see New Jersey getting the W and moving on to face Birmingham. The Generals were one of only 2 teams to defeat the Stallions, so that will be a rematch that will be worthy catching.