1980 Week 3 Roundup: Big Win on the Big Island

The Big Island finally had a big reason to celebrate.

David McBroom, QB

Honolulu QB David McBroom ran 2 yards for a TD with 1:07 remaining to give the Hawaiians a 33-32 victory over the Los Angeles Express that highlighted Week 3 of the 1980 USFL/WFL season. That win ended a five-game losing streak to LAX and gave the Hawaiians (3-0) a lead over the four-time champion Express (2-1) in the Pacific Division.

Gene Nowlin fired three TD passes to give the Express a 32-24 lead, but a field goal was followed by the 68-yard drive that ended with McBroom's game-winning run. He passed for 480 yards and three TDs and SS Joseph Daughtry was credited with 10 tackles.

In other Week 3 games:

• San Jose WR Charles May caught a pair of TD passes from QB David Schmitt as the San Jose SaberCats handed the Tampa Bay Bandits their second consecutive shocking loss, 32-20. 
• The New Orleans VooDoo forced overtime by intercepting an Oakland pass with 9 seconds to play, but the Invaders intercepted a pass on the third play of OT and Lester Reed kicked a 38-yard field goal to give Oakland a 30-27 victory. Invaders CB Vincent Tucker had nine tackles and two interceptions.
• Mario Valencia passed for 378 yards and five TDs as the Detroit Wheels handed the Philadelphia Bell their first loss, 38-24.
• New Jersey LDE James Lockette had a typical Lockette day -- 6 tackles, 4 sacks, 13 hurries and a forced fumble -- during a 55-10 thumping of Charlotte. Hornets MLB Fernando Stone had a fine day as well (10 tackles, 2 INTs).
• Georgia Force QB Philip Anderson rolled up 709 passing yards, tying a league record, and seven TDs during a 61-28 thrashing of the Arizona Wranglers. Anderson's passing yardage tied the previous mark set by Birmingham Stallions legend Agustin Crook during a 1977 game against the Force.
• Washington QB Joe Richardson compiled 579 yards and seven TDs as the Federals lambasted the Baltimore Stars, 65-21.

Week 4 Preview

The Tampa Bay Bandits (1-2) will try to get back up on their horse this week, but the Los Angeles Express (2-1) will try to keep them out from getting back in the saddle again. The Detroit Wheels (3-0) travel to Oklahoma to meet the Outlaws (3-0) in a battle of unbeaten teams. The Portland Storm (2-1) are at Pacific Division leader (yes, you read that correctly) Honolulu (3-0).

History Lesson

It occurs to me that many of our coaches may not be old enough to remember the real USFL and WFL. I thought a little history of each team might be entertaining to some.

The Florida Blazers of the World Football League became central Florida's first pro franchise when they took the field in 1974. The team played in the Tangerine Bowl and was 14-6 during the 20-game  WFL regular season. The Blazers, coached by Jack Pardee, lost, 22-21, to the Birmingham Americans in the first World Bowl. Running back Tommy Reamon, one of the league's best players, later revealed he had never received a paycheck that season. In fact, most of the coaches and players did not see a paycheck over the season's final 13 weeks. The team was sold and became the San Antonio Wings in 1975.

1980 Week 2 Roundup: One Week, Big Difference

Joseph Ring, RB, Shreveport Steamer (35)

Like a rather plain girl with a makeup kit and some fancy new clothes, the Shreveport Steamer underwent a nearly miraculous transformation in the course of a few days.

Shreveport, mauled 94-9 by Oakland in its season opener, faced an even more daunting opponent in Week 2—perennial league superpower Tampa Bay. And, like the Bandits, we never saw what was coming.

After Tampa Bay scored on its first two drives, Shreveport dominated the rest of the game. Rookie QB Edgar Jones fired a pair of TD passes and Joseph Ring rushed for 92 yards and another score as the Steamer stunned the Bandits, 36-24, at Tampa Stadium. Shreveport outscored Tampa Bay, 26-7, over the final 41 1/2 minutes.

Tampa Bay still led, 24-20, in the third quarter until Jones found Alex Flores from 10 yards away to give the visitors a 27-24 lead. James Hooper then kicked three field goals to help put the game on ice.

In other Week 2 games:

• Bryant Wiles found Kevin Harvick for the game-winning TD pass with 35 seconds to play, giving Philadelphia a 34-30 win over New Jersey, the Bell's first-ever victory over the Generals after 12 consecutive losses. New Jersey drove to the Philadelphia 8 in the final seconds, but ran out of time.
• The Cleveland Thunderbolts scored 27 points in the second quarter and went on to a 44-14 triumph over Memphis, handing the defending World Bowl champions their first loss. Chester Dougherty threw five TD passes for the 'Bolts, including four in a row of 48 yards or longer during the first and second quarters.
• The San Antonio Gunslingers forced four turnovers and stopped a crucial 2-point conversion attempt late in the game to take home a 38-29 win over the Pittsburgh Maulers.
• The Detroit Wheels improved to 13-0 all-time against the Michigan Panthers with a 29-17 victory. Rookie DB Clifford Blackburn had 10 tackles for the Panthers.
• Donald Lopez intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble as the Denver Gold took a 37-10 halftime lead and went on to whip the Arizona Wranglers, 50-24.
• Portland Storm QB William Hill passed for 604 yards and eight TDs during a 69-37 destruction of the San Jose SaberCats. The eight TDs were two short of the single-game league record held by former Birmingham Stallions QB Agustin Crook. The 604 yards rank No. 13 all-time for a single game.
• Gene Nowlin's 408 passing yards and six TDs led the Los Angeles Express to a 52-10 romp past the Florida Blazers.
• The Boston Breakers had been 1-21 in their last 22 regular-season games before claiming a 31-27 decision over the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte recorded 25 first downs to Boston's 6, but Boston MLB Dewey Wade stopped Hornets WR Jorge Dougherty a yard short of the goal line with 58 seconds to play.

Week 3 Preview

Which Shreveport Steamer (1-1) defense will show up against the Portland Storm (1-1)? If it's the same one that gave up 94 points to Oakland, heaven help them against Portland's high-octane offense. If its's the same one that shut down Tampa Bay, heaven help the Storm. The Los Angeles Express (2-0) host the Honolulu Hawaiians (2-0) in a battle for sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division. LAX has won five in a row against Honolulu since the final game of the 1977 regular season.  The Invaders (2-0) at New Orleans (2-0) sure looks like an intriguing matchup. So does the Philadelphia Bell (2-0) at the Detroit Wheels (2-0).

History Lesson

It occurs to me that many of our coaches may not be old enough to remember the real USFL and WFL. I thought a little history of each team might be entertaining to some.

The Detroit Wheels were owned by a group of 33 people, including singer Marvin Gaye and Little Caeser's pizza founder Mike Ilitch. However, the team was a financial disaster. They had to play in Ypsilanti, 37 miles away from Detroit, and the stadium there had no lights until the Wheels paid to have them installed. An open tryout was attended by 600 hopefuls and produced zero signings. The team won one of the 14 games it played, declared bankruptcy, and folded in October of 1974. The more notable players included QB Bubba Wyche (Sam's brother) and pro wrestler Stan Hansen.

1980 Week 1 Roundup: Oakland Scores Record 94

Before the Shreveport Steamer-Oakland Invaders game began, it looked like a pretty even matchup. Shreveport was 9-7 last season, tying for the South Division title and qualifying for the playoffs. Oakland had just missed the playoffs at 8-8.

Les Lacy, QB, Oakland Invaders

Once the game began, however, it was just the opposite of even.

The Invaders rolled up 844 net yards and scored 12 touchdowns, setting a USFL/WFL record for points in a game by beating the Steamer, 94-9.

The previous record for points in a game was held by the Portland Storm, who obliterated the Boston Breakers, 87-24, during Week 4 of the 1978 season. Before Portland's outburst, the Invaders had set the previous record when they routed Charlotte, 86-10, in Week 11 of the 1975 season.

Surprisingly, the only individual record set by the Invaders were for kicker Lester Reed's 13 extra points. Quarterback Les Lacy threw for 512 yards and seven TDs. Backup QB Jimmy Barahona threw for two more TDs, RB Daniel Lasseter ran for three scores, and Bruce Rivera returned an INT 24 yards for another.

The Invaders scored 38 points in the third quarter. Eight Oakland scoring plays covered 50 or more yards.

In other Week 1 games:

• The Denver Gold claimed a win that could prove vital 15 weeks from now, outlasting division foe Portland, 33-18. Wide receiver Corey True carried the ball 14 times for 88 yards and a TD for Denver and CB Donald Lopez clinched the win with a pick-six in the final seconds.
• New Oklahoma Outlaws coach RoyceR was a winner in his debut, a 22-10 decision over the San Antonio Gunslingers. LDE Joe Braatz returned an interception 28 yards for a TD for the Outlaws.
• The Baltimore Stars were within 35 yards of tying Pittsburgh, but a holding penalty and two dropped passes extinguished the final drive as the Maulers held on for a 34-27 win. Pittsburgh entered this season with a 33-3 all-time record against Atlantic Division opponents.
• David McBroom's 10-yard TD pass to Fred Bates with less than 2 minutes to go lifted the Honolulu Hawaiians to a 31-24 win over the Arizona Wranglers. Honolulu SS Joseph Daughtry intercepted two passes and was credited with 11 tackles.
• The Houston Gamblers are undefeated after All-Pro kicker Daniel McCormack kicked three field goals, one from 54 yards, during a 23-13 win over the Washington Federals.
• The New Orleans VooDoo limited the Birmingham Stallions to 4 first downs and 93 net yards in a 50-2 South Division win. New Orleans WLB Ramon Boldt had 9 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
• The Jacksonville Bulls have already won half as many games as all last season after beating the Orlando Renegades, 18-7, in their opener. Philip Williamson and Daryl Barney recorded two sacks each for the Bulls.

Week 2 Preview

The Memphis Showboats (1-0) will host the Cleveland Thunderbolts (1-0) in a rematch of last season's American Conference Championship Game, won 26-19 by Memphis. The Philadelphia Bell (1-0) and New Jersey Generals (1-0) will attempt to break their tie atop the East Division.

Record Book

Oakland K Lester Reed set an USFL/WFL record by booting 13 PATs against Shreveport. The former record of 12 was shared by three players—Reed (vs. Charlotte, 1975), Portland's Donald Dosch (vs. Boston, 1978) and Michigan's Donald Gary (vs. Southern California, 1979).

1980 Season Preview

Nathan Branch, LDE, Memphis Showboats (92)

The USFL/WFL has had five different franchises win the World Bowl in six seasons. Anybody want to go for six out of seven?

The Memphis Showboats went from wild-card playoff entrant to World Bowl champions last season. The Showboats had a significant roster turnover during the offseason, and it remains to be seen how all those changes will affect the reigning champions.

We do know the Showboats are getting older — 13 players with nine or more years of pro experience, including World Bowl MVP QB Antonio Wilson (15), LDE Nathan Branch (11), CB Richard Glasgow (11), formerly of the Georgia Force, and RB Gregory Shea (9). So the window may not be closed for Memphis, but it may only be open for a bit longer.

The Showboats will face some significant competition in the Southwest Division, the Oklahoma Outlaws and San Antonio Gunslingers. Oklahoma was 14-2 last season and the No. 1 seed entering the playoffs, but lost to Memphis and must now enter the 1980 season with a rookie head coach (RoyceR) and a 10th-year QB (Dale Brown). The Gunslingers (9-7) were only a game behind Memphis (10-6) when the 1979 regular season ended. The rebuilding Houston Gamblers (3-13) will be a year older and a year wiser.

The USFL/WFL regular season begins Friday with some outstanding matchups, including the Portland Storm at Denver Gold, Oklahoma Outlaws at San Antonio Gunslingers, and Baltimore Stars at Pittsburgh Maulers.

A look at the other divisions:

Pacific Division

The Los Angeles Express (11-5) won the World Bowl two seasons ago and have claimed four consecutive division titles. LAX will be the heavy favorite to make it five in a row. The Honolulu Hawaiians (8-8) have been at .500, one game over .500, or one game under .500 for five of their six seasons. The Southern California Sun (5-11) set a franchise record for victories last season, finishing third at the expense of the San Jose SaberCats (2-14).

West Division

The West is perennially the most entertaining division race. In 1979, four teams finished the season within one game of each other. There hasn't been a big gap in the standings since 1975. The Portland Storm (9-7) won the division on the final day of the regular season, the same day the Denver Gold (9-7) lost the title and missed the playoffs. That could turn around in 1980, but the Arizona Wranglers (8-8) and Oakland Invaders (8-8) will also have something to say about it.

Midwest Division

The Cleveland Thunderbolts (12-4) continue to assert themselves and are on the cusp of winning a World Bowl. The two-time World Bowl champion Detroit Wheels (12-4), meanwhile, are beginning to show their age as well as the psychological effects from the uncertainty of their coaching situation. The Chicago Blitz (7-9) and Michigan Panthers (5-9) continue to gain ground on Detroit and might provoke an interesting three-way race for second place behind Cleveland.

Southeast Division

The Tampa Bay Bandits (13-3) are 63-7 in their last 70 regular-season games, but somehow are still seeking their first league championship. In fact, no National Conference team has won the World Bowl since the Florida Blazers took World Bowl I. Maybe it's time for the National Conference, and the Bandits, to assert themselves? The Orlando Renegades (10-6) just missed the 1979 playoffs, while the Blazers (6-10) and Jacksonville Bulls (2-14) look toward a brighter future.

South Division

The New Orleans VooDoo (10-6) and Shreveport Steamer (10-6) battled wire-to-wire last season. Both made the playoffs, but both lost in the first round. In fact, South Division teams are 0-5 in the playoffs against teams outside their division since the VooDoo made it to the World Bowl in 1976. The Birmingham Stallions (4-12) are getting their act together under former Oakland coach Wolveraider and the Georgia Force (4-12) have embarked upon rebuilding under former coach (now new coach) tribewriter.

Atlantic Division

The Pittsburgh Maulers (13-3), like Tampa Bay, should have a World Bowl trophy in their case by now. The Maulers have won six division titles in a row. The Baltimore Stars (8-8) and Washington Federals (7-9) are both making up ground, but both may be one more season away from knocking off Pittsburgh. If the Charlotte Hornets go 1-15 this season, they will have nearly created the perfect bell curve on their victory chart — 1, 2, 3, 6, 3, 2, and 1.

East Division

The New Jersey Generals (13-3) closed the regular season with 10 consecutive wins, then played their way into the World Bowl for the first time. They would love to go back, but must get there through Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh again.The New York Stars (12-4) have a new coach, brxnivy, who hopes to get them farther than they got under the departed tribewriter. The Philadelphia Bell (7-9) set a franchise record for victories last season and could challenge New York for second place. The Boston Breakers (1-15) began the slow, painful process of reconstructing an aging roster by taking CB Charles Bowles with the first pick of the draft.

From The Commissioner's Desk: 1980 Season

The State of the League 1980

When I look at the other user-created leagues in MFN, and the current upheaval in the game, I have to say the USFL/WFL is in a pretty good place.

This league is heading into its seventh season, which puts it ahead of most. Look at the list of user-created leagues that have been abandoned by their commissioner after one or two seasons and are sitting idle, waiting to be deleted (and MFN sure takes its sweet time deleting those ghost ships).

We are going into the new season with 32 coaches again, pretty rare among user-created leagues. It did take a while to fill the two vacancies at the end of last season. I attribute that to the general downturn in the number of MFN users. I think that, when leagues are getting deleted, a lot of coaches are just leaving and not coming back. I also think that not much marketing is going on, other than word-of-mouth. I hope this changes soon.

Version 4.3

This will be the first season under V4.3. Members of the other leagues that have experienced this transition have given 4.3 a pretty resounding thumbs-down. I know I have spent way too much time trying to figure it out. My best advice to all of you is to play a few games this season and then do a playbook audit. Eliminate the plays that aren't working. From the forum language, it sounds like V 4.4 will be released sooner rather than later. It was originally intended to improve the running game, but the priority has now become fixing the issues in 4.3 with QB play, dropped passes, and the general ineffectiveness of the short passing game.

Competitive Balance

As far as competitive balance goes, I think we are still pretty good. There are 26 teams that have made the playoffs during the first six seasons. Some of the other six are seeing improvement under new coaches and some of the less experienced coaches are really starting to figure out the game. For instance, the recent upward movement by the Baltimore Stars and Washington Federals tells me the day may be coming when someone other than the Pittsburgh Maulers is (finally) going to win the Atlantic Division. The Philadelphia Bell franchise is about to step into contention in the East Division. The West Division and South Division are always candidates for a three-way tie at the top and I see the gap in the middle of the Midwest Division closing soon, perhaps as soon as this season.

Future Changes

I am always open to suggestions for change we can discuss. I did begin a discussion last season about becoming a rosters-only league. Nobody was interested, so it stopped there. Baltimore coach Duval has opined that cutting the salary cap would result in more players being released into free agency, resulting in a more equal talent distribution. We can discuss that, although it would be difficult to enforce in just our league. I will also open the discussion soon about adding a Hall of Fame to our league. Be thinking about how we can best facilitate nominations for this and what eligibility requirements we should add.

Welcome

We want to welcome two new coaches to the USFL/WFL this season, RoyceR (Oklahoma Outlaws) and brxnivy (New York Stars). RoyceR is brand new to the game, while brxnivy joined 10 months ago, but his original league has been deleted. Please be as helpful as you can to these new coaches. And, no, "helpful" doesn't mean offering your ninth-year OL for their first-round draft pick.

Ocean's Fifteen

I want to tip my hat to the 15 coaches who have been here since the first day of the allocation draft. Commitment is hard to find in online sports leagues, particularly in those where there is no entry fee. It is amazing that original coaches still constitute nearly half of our league's membership. I really appreciate these guys hanging in there through good times and bad. The 14 coaches other than myself are:

• trslick, Honolulu Hawaiians
• SunBlaze22, San Jose SaberCats
• Danny-G96, Southern California Sun
• Smirt211, Arizona Wranglers
• Pernbronze, Portland Storm
• Booger926, Houston Gamblers
• ToroTex, San Antonio Gunslingers
• CrimsonWolfZ, Chicago Blitz
• eyeballll, Detroit Wheels
• Loftusranger, Shreveport Steamer
• UKRAIN, Charlotte Hornets
• Otterpop, Pittsburgh Maulers
• pdoug20, Boston Breakers
• raidergreg69, New Jersey Generals

1980 Draft/Offseason Roundup

John Thompson (96), Charlotte Hornets

The first round of the 1980 USFL/WFL draft offered few surprises.

As expected, Florida State CB Charles Bowles was the first player taken, by the Boston Breakers. Bowles has a 92 overall default rating and only 24 volatility, so he could be the cornerstone around which Boston begins its rebuilding program.

Bowles was followed by RDE John Thompson (Sacramento State/Charlotte Hornets) and MLB William Fields (Other/Jacksonville Bulls). The Houston Gamblers had picks 5 and 7 overall and took CB Kelly Acosta and WLB Paul Declue.

Nine linebackers and eight cornerbacks were chosen in the first round.

Of the 32 picks projected by Booger926 in his mock draft as first-rounders, only nine slipped into the second round. Oddly enough, two projected first-round RB were nabbed in the second round—Max Howard by the Chicago Blitz and Tom Grossman by the Arizona Wranglers.

The draft wraps up today (Thursday), followed by late free agency and training camp.

Free Agency

Antonio Wilson

Quarterback Antonio Wilson, the MVP of World Bowl VII, is back for one more season with the Memphis Showboats. Wilson briefly tested the free agent waters before signing a one-year, $210,811 deal with Memphis. He is in his 15th pro season. Wilson split time with James Perry under center last season. He threw four interceptions against Cleveland in the playoffs, but bounced back with a memorable 459-yard four-TD performance against New Jersey in the World Bowl.

Former league defensive MVP Oscar Rodriguez signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Express. Rodriguez had a big season with Shreveport in 1975, but has struggled with injuries since and was allowed to walk by the Steamer management.

Former New Orleans wide receiver Thomas Canale has left the VooDoo to play for the Portland Storm. The 10th-year pro caught 23 TD passes in 1974, including seven in one game against Orlando, still a league record.

The New Jersey Generals allowed one of their most recognizable names, RB Herschel Walker, to walk away after six seasons. Walker signed the only free agent contract offer he received, from Tampa Bay. New Jersey took Walker with its third-round pick in the 1974 expansion draft. His overall rating had fallen from 89 to 70 over that time, and his production had fallen off from 1,276 yards in 1976 to 728 last season, when he eventually passed the torch to rookie sensation Rudi Johnson.

Fullback Kevin Youkilis, the Greek god of walks (and with 26 speed, walking is about all he can do), signed a one-year deal with the New York Stars.

Retirements

Leon Crisman

The biggest name among the retirees in the 1980 offseason was San Antonio Gunslingers CB Leon Crisman. His final season was his best, accumulating 103 tackles and intercepting 11 passes in 1979 while earning All-Pro honors for the second time. Crisman was also All-Pro in 1974.

Former Boston center Donald Lopez finally retired at age 39. Lopez played three seasons for the Breakers, two for the Portland Storm, and one for the Denver Gold. The 1974 All-Pro selection had a default rating of 90 when he hung up the cleats. Lopez allowed only three sacks in nearly 5,000 career snaps.