From the Commissioner's Desk: Happy New Year

First, a Happy New Year to all. I hope each of you have something good to anticipate in 2018. If not at the moment, maybe you will. In 2017, My wife and I got a new son-in-law, our first grandchild, and our first trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It will be hard to top that.

Forum Decorum

First, a word about the forums. One of our coaches recently apologized to me privately for an outburst in the league forums. I explained to him that I am sincerely attempting to build a culture in the USFL/WFL of both keen competition and a healthy user experience. They don't need to be mutually exclusive.

We haven't had any real problems in that area. I hope it continues. Part of my vetting process for new owners is to check their posts in the community and league forums. I have already rejected two applicants because of posts that were way out of line, including calling other coaches "stupid" or comments in a similar vein. Let's all remember to always count to 10 before we hit "submit."

Also, we have two owners for whom English is not their first language. UKRAIN is from Ukraine, AlexanDragon from Quebec.

Null and Void

The league's trade committee, for the first time since the USFL/WFL officially kicked off, voided a trade this week. It was a tough call for everyone who voted. The reason I insisted on a trade committee was the rampant "bad" trades I was seeing in the public leagues and how it was negatively affecting many inexperienced coaches and struggling franchises. The committee was put in place primarily to deal with extreme examples of trade imbalance or negative long-term implications, part of the reason this has happened only once in 2.5 seasons.

Those who have been with us since Day One, however, will recall we actually did have a trade voided before the USFL/WFL had even officially begun. Former Tampa Bay coach Campton sent two first-round picks and a second-rounder to New York for a defensive back. When the trade was voided for its long-term implications, Campton said he was simply taking a new approach and that the rest of the league "needed to have faith" in his "process."

Booger926 made this prophetic comment at the time: "If he stays around to see the future of his bad deal, then yes. If he bolts before, then NO and sets the precedent for the rest of the league."

And ToroTex added this: "Agreed. There is no way to ensure (enforce) a long term commitment from any owner. If there is a departure after what is viewed as a "bad" transaction, those that are committed to stay will be negatively affected from the choices made by the departed. The well-being and long term stability of the league is more important than any owner."

The three picks in this deal? They turned out to be FS David Oxford (75/78), RB James Connelly (77/82) and WR Lee Rice (89/96).

Of course, Campton didn't stick around. He joined other leagues that let him trade away everything as soon as he showed up. And what of Campton's "process?" The term "scorched earth" comes to mind.

He took over eight teams--and has abandoned them all, seven after just one season. His combined career record was 55-89. The teams he left behind have gone a combined 54-106 since he departed.

Week 6 Roundup

When two playoff contenders meet during the regular season, most would expect a nail-biter that isn't decided until the final seconds. In Week 6 of the 1976 season, however, the biggest matchups produced some of the biggest blowouts.

Gene Nowlin (8), LAX

The Los Angeles Express broke a three-way tie for first place in the Pacific Division by pounding the San Jose SaberCats, 69-7. LAX (4-2) scored 52 points in the middle two quarters as they took over sole possession of first place Gene Nowlin was 12-for-24 passing for 533 yards and eight TDs, one shy of the league record. Do the math, and it is some amazing math--44 yards per completion. Santiago Smith caught TD passes of 99 yards, 48, 61, 72, and 17. Thomas Canale (New Orleand VooDoo, 1974) holds the league record with seven TD catches in a game.

The Birmingham Stallions torched the Pittsburgh Maulers, 38-13, in a battle of 1975 playoff teams. Stallions CB Dusty Edwards recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, and was credited with four tackles. Edwards has 11 career pickoffs, but has a ways to go to catch Oakland's Edward Alston and San Antonio's Leon Crisman (18 each) on the all-time list.

The Detroit Wheels destroyed the Boston Breakers, 55-10, behind 569 passing yards and seven TDs from QB Mario Valencia. WR Timothy Hanna caught four of those TD passes. Boston continues to mystify. The Breakers have beaten New Jersey and Birmingham (1975 playoff teams), but have given up an average of 59 points in losses to Baltimore, Cleveland and Detroit.

In other Week 6 games:

• The New York Stars continue to consider themselves the luckiest team on the face of the earth. Jacksonville TD Edward Fields fumbled at his own 15, setting up New York's only TD one play later, as the Stars edged the Bulls, 10-7. New York won its Week 5 game on a 105-yard kickoff return in the final minute.
• New coach setherick didn't need much time to turn things around in Orlando, as the Renegades knocked off Pacific Division co-leader Honolulu Hawaiians, 30-27. It was Orlando's first game with a full roster under setherick. Renegades CB Michael Ellis, obtained this week in a trade with the Michigan Panthers, intercepted two passes.
• Three teams are 3-3 in the Southwest Division and the Houston Gamblers are only one game back after undefeated Arizona knocked off the San Antonio Gunslingers, 38-35. Cory Robinzine caught four TD passes for the Wranglers, including the game-winner with 28 second remaining.

Week 7 Preview

The squeaky-tight Southwest Division will see some movement Tuesday when Memphis (3-3) hosts Oklahoma (3-3) and San Antonio (3-3) hosts Houston (2-4). The Charlotte Hornets (1-5) will try to repeat their victory over the Washington Federals (1-5) from four weeks ago. The Los Angeles Express (4-2) will be at Detroit (5-1) in a battle of postseason contenders.

Week 5 Roundup

Michael Estrada (58), LDE, Georgia Force

Four unbeaten teams remain in the USFL/WFL after five weeks. Which is the biggest surprise?

Not the Georgia Force, who came back from a 13-6 deficit late in the third quarter to outscore the Portland Storm, 22-16. Georgia was 15-1 during the 1975 regular season before falling to the Pittsburgh Maulers in the National Conference championship game. Portland QB William Hill's fumble was recovered by Georgia RDE Michael Estrada, leading to Force QB Phillip Anderson's go-ahead TD pass to RB Allen Benefield early in the fourth quarter.

Maybe not the Tampa Bay Bandits, who forced six turnovers in beating the Orlando Renegades, 50-12. The Bandits have been upwardly mobile since the day Macarovil took over as head coach. Bandits MLB Martin Wilbermuth sacked Orlando QB William Carter on the third play from scrimmage, stripped him of the ball, then returned the fumble 43 yards for a TD, dragging Carter on his back into the end zone..

Maybe the Cleveland Thunderbolts? The 'Bolts tore apart East Division leader Boston's defense, mauling the Breakers, 76-26. Cleveland, 8-8 last season, led, 52-7 at halftime. 'Bolts QB Brandon Robertson was 21-for-26 passing for 639 yards and nine TDs, a QB rating of 158.33. Robertson tied the USFL/WFL record for TD passes in a game (Vincent Goode, New Orleans, and Les Lacy, Oakland) and fell 6 yards short of the single-game passing yardage record held by Goode. Cleveland's Adam Velasco returned the opening kickoff 106 yards for a TD.

Maybe the Arizona Wranglers? The Wranglers, 3-13 last season, moved to 5-0 by beating the Memphis Showboats, 35-26. Coming up big for Arizona was the firm of Welsh (Albert, CB, nine tackles) and Welch (Ryan, DT, two sacks),

In other Week 5 games:

• The New York Stars have won back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history. Rookie WR Alan Howard returned a kickoff 105 yards with 50 seconds to play, giving the Stars an 18-15 win over the Chicago Blitz. Chicago's Roland Ellis attempted a 59-yard field goal as time expired, but it fell just short.
• There is now a race for the top of the Southwest Division after the previously winless Washington Federals stunned San Antonio, 26-18. The Gunslingers are now 3-2, while Houston, Memphis, and Oklahoma are all one game behind. Washington QB Joe Richardson had a nice day, accumulating a 147.74 QBR while throwing a pair of TD passes.

Week 6 Preview

The surprising New Orleans VooDoo (4-1), who finished 7-9 last season, travel to Oakland (4-1) to meet the defending World Bowl champion Invaders. The San Jose SaberCats (3-2) and Los Angeles Express (3-2) will try to break what is currently a three-way tie with the Honolulu Hawaiians atop the Pacific Division. Something's got to give when the New Jersey Generals (0-5) host the Philadelphia Bell (0-5). The Portland Storm (3-2) will host the Denver Gold (1-4), the first time all season Portland has not faced a team unbeaten at the time of their meeting.

Week 4 Roundup

Call it the wild, wild West.

The USFL/WFL's West Division has suddenly become a three-way race and each horse in that race has some impressive victories. The Arizona Wranglers (4-0) completed a three-week, three-game sweep of Southern Division foes by beating the Shreveport Steamer, 23-14. The Portland Storm (3-1) knocked off Detroit, 20-13, just when the Wheels were beginning to look like the league's team to beat. The Oakland Invaders (3-1), defending World Bowl champions, rallied to beat the Oklahoma Outlaws, 41-34.

Bryan Demott (55), LDE, Portland Storm

The Wranglers have already won more games than they won all last season (3-13). Wide receiver Cory Robinzine, who left Philadelphia to sign a huge free agent contract with the Wranglers, caught five passes for 105 yards against Shreveport, including this double-tipped pass for a 34-yard TD.

With its back-to-back wins against Oakland and Detroit, the Storm might be the World Bowl favorite right now. Portland recorded four sacks against the Wheels, two by LDE Bryan Demott, and has averaged 6.5 sacks per game against four very good teams (San Antonio, Oklahoma, Oakland, Detroit).

Oakland trailed the Outlaws, 31-13, with less than 13 minutes to play. Quarterback Les Lacy threw a pair of hot-read TDs to make it 34-27. Lacy's 40-yard completion on a defensive overuse penalty led to the tying touchdown with 1:17 to play. Oakland got the ball back with 19 seconds to go and Lacy found WR Jonathan King for an 83-yard game-winning TD.

In other games Tuesday:

• New Orleans CB Larry Ackman intercepted a Washington pass at the 26 with 1:20 to play to preserve a 31-28 victory over the Washington Federals as the VooDoo improved to 3-1.
• The Georgia Force (4-0) handed New Jersey its fourth consecutive loss, 23-17, as CB Richard Glasgow intercepted Generals QB Doug Fluty twice.
• Boston QB Eric Pierce heaved an 80-yard bomb to WR Jonathan Miller with 1:27 remaining in overtime, giving the Breakers a 37-31 win over the Birmingham Stallions.
• The New York Stars (2-2) have doubled last season's victory total, thanks to a 17-10 win over the Florida Blazers. CB Gabriel Meza had eight tackles and a sack for the Stars.
• A failed 2-point conversion by Denver opened the door for San Antonio, and Gunslingers kicker Ronald Hensley booted a 44-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give his team a 16-15 win over the Gold.

Week 5 Preview

The Georgia Force (4-0) will find it tough to keep their record unblemished when they travel to Portland to face the red-hot Storm (3-1). The Boston Breakers (3-1) will be at Cleveland to face the Thunderbolts (4-0) in a battle of division leaders.

Welcome, setherick

Setherick, Orlando Renegades

Setherick has joined the USFL/WFL as coach of the Orlando Renegades. He takes over a team that is a combined 8-27-1 in its first three seasons.

Setherick had already been denied entry into the league once due to the "Mount Rushmore" clause, but is interested in studying a rebuilding process here, not total domination of the league. He is one of MFN's premier data experts and has been kind enough to share many of his insights in the community forums, helping dozens improve their teams significantly. If you want to pick someone's brain, folks, this is the brain to pick.

Week 2 Roundup

It Ain't Over 'Till It's Over

Yes, we're saying there's a chance.

David Tucker, WR, Gunslingers

The San Antonio Gunslingers were dead in the water against Baltimore, trailing the Stars, 22-14, and Baltimore holding the ball with less than 2 minutes remaining in regulation time. But, on third-and-eight, Baltimore gambled and failed when WLB Ronald McNeill intercepted a Victor Gorman pass at the Stars' 24. A facemask penalty on the Stars moved the ball to the 4. On fourth down, QB Tony Smith found WR David Tucker across the middle of the end zone for a TD. Smith then hit WR Marshall Gibson for the 2-point conversion, tying the score with 51 seconds to play.

Bernard Twiggs, K/P, Baltimore

Baltimore had to use kicker Bernard Twiggs as its punter because newly acquired punter Bernard Steele had not been activated for the game. Late in overtime, Twiggs, averaging 23.7 yards per punt, shanked one off the side of his foot that traveled only 9 yards to the Stars' 24. A sack would have forced a more difficult field goal attempt, but another face mask penalty on Baltimore moved the ball to the 16. Ronald Hensley split the uprights from 34 yards away with 1:11 to go in OT, and San Antonio was a 25-22 winner.

The Gunslingers, seeking a third consecutive Southwest Division title, found themselves all alone in first place at 2-0 after the Oklahoma Outlaws fell to the Portland Storm, 26-12.

In other Week 2 games:

• New York QB Eric Roberge was 14-for-18 passing and threw four TDs as the Stars surprised New Jersey, 28-19. Three of Roberge's TDs were to rookie WR Allen Howard. New York had scored only 10 points (and zero TDs) in its four previous games against the Generals, all losses.
• The Pittsburgh Maulers are already running away with the Atlantic Division. Pittsburgh defeated Charlotte, 38-10, a week after defeating Memphis by the same score. The Maulers are 2-0; everyone else in the Atlantic is 0-2. Pittsburgh CB Bradley Martinez made five tackles, intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble.
• The Honolulu Hawaiians moved into a three-way tie atop the Pacific Division with a 40-27 win over the San Jose SaberCats. Honolulu, which intercepted four passes, outscored San Jose, 37-7, during the middle two quarters.
• The Chicago Blitz bounced back from their Week 1 loss to beat the Los Angeles Express, 24-14, as Bruce Fine rushed for 107 yards.

Week 3 Preview

The Los Angeles Express and Honolulu Hawaiians will wrestle to break the three-way tie atop the Pacific Division. The Oakland Invaders will be at Portland to face the Storm. The teams split two regular-season meetings last season before Oakland won in the playoffs. Somebody is going to get their first win (maybe) when the Charlotte Hornets host the Washington Federals, the Orlando Renegades host the Southern California Sun, the Philadelphia Bell hosts the Shreveport Steamer, and the Denver Gold hosts the Houston Gamblers.

Week I Roundup

A Bolt out of the Blue

The great thing about the beginning of the new season is, everyone has a chance. Everybody is 0-0. Everybody has a shot. In theory, anyway, there is no such thing as an upset.

So, we don't know what to call the Cleveland Thunderbolts' 23-10 win over the Chicago Blitz. But we can call it impressive. Chicago and Oakland were the co-favorites to win World Bowl III this season, according to the league's coaches' poll. Chicago is coming off a 15-1 season, while Cleveland was 8-8. The 'Bolts are under new leadership, and coach jabillups85 certainly has an impressive resume, but we thought rebuilding might take a little longer than this.

More amazing than the result, however, was the tenor of the game. Cleveland held the normally unstoppable Chicago offense to 204 net yards. Blitz QB Daniel McKee, the league's co-offensive MVP in 1974, ended the game with a QB rating of 40.30, threw two interceptions, and was sacked eight times. Cleveland never trailed after RB Adam Velasco opened the scoring with an 8-yard TD run in the first quarter. Velasco finished with 114 yards rushing and two TDs. FS Michael Rodriguez recorded eight tackles and DT Stephen Taylor two sacks.

The Curse of Juan Bonnett, Part 2

Juan Bonnett, SS, Hawaiians

Just as you thought life couldn't get any worse for Juan Bonnett, he has become the albatross hanging on another team's neck. The Los Angeles Express topped the Honolulu Hawaiians, 27-16, in a key Pacific Division game Tuesday. The Hawaiians were playing without a kicker (we have no idea why). Bonnett, a strong safety (sort of) volunteered and missed a 28-yard field goal as well as what would have been the game-tying extra point.

Bonnett, you will recall, was the No. 5 overall pick by Houston in last season's USFL/WFL draft. He busted so badly that the Gamblers sent him packing to Honolulu for a late third-round pick.

Los Angeles WR Santiago Smith caught four passes for 119 yards, two for TDs, including the clinching 57-yard score that widened a 17-16 lead to 24-16 — a drive that was kept alive on a face mask penalty called on (guess who) Bonnett.

Other Week 1 Games

• Rookie QB Eric Pierce passed for 317 yards in his Boston debut and the defense intercepted a pair of Doug Fluty passes as the Breakers knocked off the defending East Division champion New Jersey Generals, 29-21. The Generals drove from their own 8 to the Boston 49 late in the game before turning the ball over on downs. LDE Ryan Willey and SS Nathan Smith both had seven tackles for Boston.
• Birmingham's Roger Reed kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime to give the Stallions a 19-16 win over the Shreveport Steamer in a big South Division game. Shreveport, after driving from its 20 to the Birmingham 6, tied the score on James Hooper's 44-yard field goal as regulation time expired. The Steamer got the ball back after Reed's field goal in OT, but CB Dusty Edwards ended the game when he intercepted a Fred Murphy pass.
• San Jose QB Dave Schmitt hit WR John Martin with a 4-yard TD pass with 1:51 to play, giving the SaberCats a 24-17 win over the Denver Gold. Two plays earlier, San Jose completed a 35-yard pass when Denver was penalized for overusing a play.
• New Detroit QB Mario Valencia came up big in his first start, throwing for 554 yards and six TDs in a 55-3 win over the Philadelphia Bell. Valencia, formerly of Jacksonville, fired scoring strikes of 70 yards and 71 yards on the Wheels' first two possessions. Detroit CB Bradley Mondragon pulled down three interceptions. Former Detroit starting QB Henry Prieto (the offensive equivalent of Juan Bonnett) threw one pass for the Wheels. It was incomplete.
• In a battle of 1974 and 1975 playoff teams, a game for the ages by Portland LDE Norman Paulk wasn't enough as the Storm fell to San Antonio, 27-13. Paulk had 11 tackles, 10 hurries, and five sacks, but the offense couldn't keep pace as QB William Hill was intercepted five times, twice by Gunslingers FS Kendall Burnett.

Week 2 Preview

The Chicago Blitz will try to rebound from their loss to Cleveland when they travel to Los Angeles to face the Express. New Oklahoma coach awest827 was a winner in his debut, but the Outlaws must now host Portland. The Oakland Invaders will be at Shreveport in a battle of 1975 playoff teams. The Houston Gamblers host the Memphis Showboats in the MFN Game of the Week.

1976 USFL Season Preview

The USFL/WFL's third season begins Tuesday, and it could be a wild ride.

Third-year free agency resulted in several busloads worth of player shuffling during the preseason. In some cases, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. In some cases, the almost-rich added the pieces they needed to be given membership to the country club. The influx of some experienced new coaches has created even more competitive balance.

Here is a division-by-division look at the upcoming 1976 season:

Pacific Division

Gene Nowlin, QB, LAX

This division could see its third different champion in three years. The Honolulu Hawaiians (10-6) are the defending champs. The Los Angeles Express, however, have been on the cusp of contention and now have a solid, experienced coach in mwd65. The San Jose SaberCats won the division in 1974 (12-4), then inexplicably plunged to 3-13 last season. Head coach SunBlaze22 has tried to address some of the factors that led to their demise. The Southern California Sun may bring up the rear again, but let's say something nice about coach Danny-G96. The Sun was the only team to go through the allocation draft with no human coach. Danny-G96 has been saddled with lousy SIM draftees from Day One. As he replaces the dead weight with real players, the Sun have to get better.

West Division

Edward Ryan, MLB, Invaders (54)

The Oakland Invaders stormed through a 14-2 regular season, then swept Portland (36-13), Detroit (9-6) and Pittsburgh (48-7) to win World Bowl II. Almost all of Oakland's key players have returned. Among them are QB Les Lacy, the league's offensive MVP. The Portland Storm have put together consecutive 12-4 seasons and beat Oakland in last year's regular-season finale. No reason the Storm can't make a third playoff trip. The Arizona Wranglers broke open their piggy bank during free agency, committing more than $217 million to three players. Can those three players turn around a franchise that has gone 6-10 and 3-13? Former Denver Gold coach Sanchezz has left the league and left behind quite a mess for new coach AlexanDragon. He'll get there, but it won't be quick or easy.

Southwest Division

Donnie Baker, WR, Gunslingers

The San Antonio Gunslingers should bulldoze their way to a third consecutive division title behind 2,000-yard WR Donnie Baker. San Antonio is 11-1 against division opponents during its first two seasons.The Oklahoma Outlaws were 10-6 last year, just missing the playoffs and almost beating San Antonio twice, but have a new coach this time around in awest827. The Houston Gamblers have made some solid moves in an attempt to reach contender status, but are 1-11 vs. division opponents over two seasons. The Memphis Showboats, also under new leadership (Oberyn), lost all-pro DB James Jones during free agency but still have all-pro LDE Nathan Branch.

Midwest Division

Mario Valencia, QB, Wheels (18)

If anybody can knock off Oakland, it's the Detroit Wheels. They barely lost to the Invaders in the American Conference championship game last season and made some solid moves during free agency. Detroit signed QB Mario Valencia away from Jacksonville and two solid offensive linemen away from Michigan to protect Valencia. The Chicago Blitz were cruising along at 14-0 last season before losing to Detroit, then lost to the Wheels again in the playoffs. Chicago has added some parts for another title run. Former Cleveland Thunderbolts coach Scarface left behind a salary cap nightmare for new coach jabillups85. The 'Bolts (8-8) have some star-caliber players, however, and the rebuilding process is likely to be a quick one. No team suffered more ill effects of free agency/salary cap than the Michigan Panthers, but coach Hellbriner is working diligently to replace the dearly departed and climb back into contention.

Southeast Division

John Hernandez, WLB, Bandits

The Tampa Bay Bandits improved from 6-10 to 8-8 under Mcarovil and are ready to join the ranks of the contenders this season. They could be this division's third champion in three years. The Jacksonville Bulls are seeking a third consecutive postseason appearance, but took some big hits during free agency. The World Bowl I champion Florida Blazers went through three head coaches last season and are trying to find their way under Pacman327. The Orlando Renegades won their first two games, then dropped 14 in a row. They could threaten the league record of 20 consecutive losses by the New York Stars in 1974-75.

South Division

Charles Stark, CB, Stallions

The South Division could be, top to bottom, the best in the league and will be a dogfight again this season. The Georgia Force (15-1) lost to Pittsburgh in last year's National Conference title game and will bring back nearly their entire roster under new coach dangitdarnit. The Birmingham Stallions improved from 4-12 to 13-3 last year and made the playoffs and are likely to be there again this time around. The Shreveport Steamer improved from 8-8 to 12-4, earning a playoff spot, and made some bold offseason moves to gear up for another run. The New Orleans VooDoo has a new coach (greyghost1225) and were 7-9 last year. But, let's not forget, New Orleans was the 1974 division champ and still has many of those pieces in place.

Atlantic Division

Sidney Woosley, OG, Maulers

Pittsburgh Maulers coach Otterpop could let his dog Rover run this team and the Maulers would still run away to a third consecutive division crown. Pittsburgh returns all-pro running backs Cliff Thomas and John Murray, but Maulers fans are still clamoring for Rover to replace Otterpop after Thomas and Murray ran the ball only a combined eight times against Oakland. The Baltimore Stars (8-8) are the closest thing to a competitor for Pittsburgh as they try to work through a third consecutive season with only one QB on the roster. The Washington Federals (7-9) won three more games than in 1974 and have made some moves to help them vault over .500. The Charlotte Hornets made big strides under coach UKRAIN last season and are likely to improve on 1-15 and 2-14.

East Division

Doug Fluty, QB, Generals

The New Jersey Generals, the youngest team in the league in 1974, grew up in 1975. The Generals finished 13-3 and won the division by seven games before falling to Pittsburgh in the playoffs. QB Doug Fluty and friends are back for another go-round. Were it not for San Jose, the Boston Breakers would have been the biggest disappointment in the USFL/WFL after going from the 1974 National Conference championship game to 6-10 last season. The aging Breakers have made some moves to get back to the elite level before the clock strikes midnight. The Philadelphia Bell (4-12) snapped a nine-game losing streak on the final day of the 1975 season, but took some free-agency hits. A new coach took over the New York Stars, then traded away the few good players from a team that was 1-15 last season. its lone victory over Philadelphia ending a 20-game losing streak. Even 2-14 would be an improvement for this sorry franchise.

Bold Predictions

Division champions: Los Angeles Express, Oakland Invaders, San Antonio Gunslingers, Detroit Wheels, Tampa Bay Bandits, Shreveport Steamer, Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals.
Wild Card: Portland Storm, Chicago Blitz, Birmingham Stallions, Jacksonville/Boston/Georgia (three-way coin flip).
World Bowl III: Oakland Invaders 31, New Jersey Generals 20.

History Lesson 1: The USFL and WFL

I am going to try to fill in some gaps during slow times in our league with brief historical notes about the USFL and WFL. You may be curious about the origins of your team

Tommy Reamon, Florida Blazers (1974)

Let me start off by thanking punisher, who contributed a bunch of helpful links in our league forum. But I will start this off with some non-web resources.

The USFL played from 1983 to 1985. The WFL was around in 1974 and part of 1975. There was only one championship game, as the league folded midway through its second season. One of the more interesting things I read about the WFL was that Florida Blazers RB Tommy Reamon, named to the all-league team in 1974, never received a paycheck that season. I doubt he was alone. The USFL was, in many ways, legit. The WFL was just a mess.

I found the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? extremely entertaining. When you watch the last scene, an emotional interview with a former Tampa Bay Bandits player, you will understand just how strong the tie was for many football fans and players. You will also shake your head at what a shame it was that the league chose to go head-to-head with the NFL in court when it very well could have forged a lasting niche with a schedule that ran from late February through mid-July. Small Potatoes used to be on Netflix, but not any more. You can pay to watch on YouTube or other outlets.

I know we have some accountants and "numbers guys" in our league. You might enjoy the book The One Dollar League by Jim Byrne. It details some of the financial history of the USFL and how those transactions impacted the league's eventual downfall. This book is out of print, so it is super expensive, but you might be able to find a copy at your local library.

Here are two books I have not read:

The United States Football League, 1982-86
Fallen Generals: The History of the New Jersey Generals, the USFL's Glamour Team

Jeff Pearlman is apparently getting ready to write another.

Want to buy a t-shirt and rep your team? You can do it here.

There are tons and tons of USFL videos on the USFL Forever YouTube channel. I guess that is sort of a web resource, but it was too good to leave out. As long as you're on YouTube, you might as well check out this documentary about the WFL too.

Training Camp Roundup

Gordon Shive, WLB, Baltimore Stars

Training camp is a day dreaded by many MFN coaches. If you roll the dice by taking a player with a high volatility rating, you may see that player "bust." That is, his true ultimate potential, now revealed, could have decreased significantly since draft day. If so, you have missed an opportunity to improve your team and are stuck paying significant money to a guy who may ride the bench or may not be on your roster at all.

Sometimes these fears are unconfirmed. The player will at least maintain his potential or, in some cases, improve.

The Portland Storm, Washington Federals, and Shreveport Steamer all had their worst fears confirmed Thursday. Portland drafted tight ends with both its first- and second-round picks and both busted. The Federals saw the bottom drop out of their first-, second- and third-rounders. Shreveport saw drops in six of eight draftees, including picks 1 and 3.

Significant "busts," those in the first three rounds with a drop of minus-7 or more, are listed below.

#64 Jose Sherlock LT R 2/-8 2/-8 47 80 LAX (1) #74 R. Guerrero C R 4/-7 4/-7 48 82 SCS (1) #53 Charles Smith LDE R 1/-11 1/-11 36 50 DEN (3) #81 Wayne Postma TE R 3/-12 3/-12 39 68 POR (2) #87 Andre Stevens TE R 5/-12 5/-12 53 70 POR (1) #18 Michael Kendall WR R 5/-10 5/-10 35 61 MEM (2) #64 Malcolm McNish LG R 11/-15 11/-15 42 67 SHR (1) #44 Roy Williams WR R 9/-10 9/-10 39 60 SHR (3) #69 Gerry Newton LDE R 2/-8 2/-8 45 62 BAL(2) #60 William Loggins RT R 6/-9 6/-9 46 62 WAS (1) #22 Dave Richardson SS R 1/-19 1/-19 24 35 WAS (3) #70 Bradley Hoerr LT R 0/-7 0/-7 47 61 WAS (2) #54 Johnny Moore MLB R 3/-16 3/-16 35 57 BOS (2) #14 Matthew Burgess WR R 5/-7 5/-7 38 66 NYS (2) #75 Maurice Davis LT R 2/-12 2/-12 34 58 PHI (3)

Draft Day was a happier occasion for some.

Two players taken in the first round saw significant gains. Gordon Shive of the Baltimore Stars went through the roof on his improvement and is likely to be one of the league's better outside linebackers for years to go come. New Jersey's Leroy Selmon didn't seem at all bothered by the switch from defense to offense.

#93 Gordon Shive		WLB	R	19/4	19/4	61	82	BAL (1)
#84 Leroy Selmon		TE	R	6/6	6/6	42	85	NJG (1)

Check out the Chicago Blitz. Five of their seven draft picks improved significantly, including first-rounder Leroy Obrien. Talk about the rich getting richer.

#39 William McKenzie	FS	R	9/7	9/7	26	50
#48 George Keyes	RB	R	7/5	7/5	37	68
#71 Brad Meriwether	DT	R	9/5	9/5	53	75
#53 Leroy Obrien	SLB	R	12/5	12/5	51	78
#83 Mario Graham	TE	R	3/2	3/2	36	62
#17 Jose Clingerman	QB	R	5/-2	5/-2	37	59
#64 Joshua Smith	RDE	R	9/-3	9/-3	34	47

The Philadelphia Bell accelerated their rebuilding process by going 6-for-8 on draft day:

#2 Roy Rhyne	QB	R	12/-3	12/-3	56	87
#10 Shawn Martin	WR	R	9/6	9/6	36	66
#75 Maurice Davis	LT	R	2/-12	2/-12	34	58
#63 Thomas Smith	LG	R	5/3	5/3	40	61
#61 Paul Elston	RT	R	8/7	8/7	47	81
#56 Clinton Harris	MLB	R	5/2	5/2	27	40
#42 Vincent Tucker	SS	R	16/7	16/7	52	81
#29 Jason Hubbard	FS	R	13/7	13/7	42	69

The Jacksonville Bulls saw significant gains from rounds 1, 3, and 4:

#3 Charles Evans	QB	R	14/4	14/4	66	83
#69 Michael Smith	RG	R	17/4	17/4	42	67
#66 John Irizarry	RG	R	10/4	10/4	39	74

The Tampa Bay Bandits kept pace with their division rivals by hitting the jackpot on four of six picks:

#13 Ernest Seal	WR	R	10/9	10/9	37	68
#12 Edward Conner	WR	R	11/3	11/3	55	91
#50 Ron Hall	LG	R	10/-2	10/-2	32	53
#58 Daniel Middleton	DT	R	14/0	14/0	36	65
#57 Randy Dukes	WLB	R	19/4	19/4	56	80
#30 Brian Newberry	CB	R	9/5	9/5	37	68

The Birmingham Stallions fared nicely with a first-rounder and two third-rounders:

#16 Lee Rice	WR	R	12/3	12/3	55	92
#77 Robert Clayton	RG	R	13/4	13/4	46	71
#73 Anthony Quinn	RT	R	3/6	3/6	34	74

The Charlotte Hornets drafted four fullbacks -- and came up big on three:

#47 Humberto Gray	FB	R	15/3	15/3	44	81
#27 Jorge Knox	FB	R	19/3	19/3	54	82
#46 Carl Hammond	FB	R	19/2	19/2	59	69
#37 Paul Fuller	FB	R	6/-3	6/-3	46	68