The New USFL... Not your Father's B League!

[Scholes]

--Minneapolis Awarded USFL Franchise--

The USFL is coming to Minneapolis. The renegade football league backed by some of the world's wealthiest people has awarded the city of Minneapolis a franchise to begin play at the start of the inaugural season, slated to begin in February.

USFL Commisioner Bill Walsh announced the league and division structure, as well as the 32 franchises the league will begin with, at a press conference in Los Angeles yesterday. The press conference generated quite a buzz and many insiders are thinking that after many failed attempts, the new USFL maybe be able to challenge the NFL for popularity.

Minneapolis submitted a bid that included a brand new stadium, to be shared with the Vikings and Gopher football team, as well as their franchise fee, believed to be in the region of an initial 75 million dollars.

Although they were awarded a franchise, not much else is in place for Minneapolis. All they posess at the moment is the stadium and a front office, led by owner Glen Taylor, who is also the owner of the Timberwolves basketball team.

The league will run from February to June, culminating in Los Angeles with the American Bowl. It mirrors the current NFL format of 32 teams in two leagues, each with four divisions. The four division winners along with two wildcard teams will advance to the playoffs.

USFL Divisions and Franchises

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE

NORTHEAST
Baltimore
Boston
New York
Philadelphia

SOUTH
Houston
Kansas City
Little Rock
St. Louis

NORTH
Chicago
Detroit
Madison
Minneapolis

WEST
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco

FEDERAL LEAGUE

SOUTHEAST
Atlanta
Charlotte
Columbia
Miami

SOUTH
Birmingham
Memphis
Oklahoma City
San Antonio

NORTH
Columbus
Des Moines
Indianapolis
Lincoln

WEST
Denver
Portland
Sacramento
Seattle

[Scholes]

----Minneapolis Announces Nickname, Head Coach----

The Minneapolis Monarchs are almost ready to play football in February. Now all they need are some players.

Owner Glen Taylor presented Minneapolis with its newest sports franchise, the Minneapolis Monarchs yesterday at a press conference at brand new Bud Grant Field. The logo features a ferocious looking lion head sporting a crown and "Monarchs" running underneath it. The team's primary colors are navy and columbia blue.

Another major unveiling occured at the conference right after the nickname and logo were displayed, the head coach. Former University of Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt is the first coach of the Monarchs. The Monarchs signed Richt to a four year, 11.5 million dollar contract yesterday, and he is already in Minneapolis beginning to assemble his staff.

A brief question and answer session was held with the media whereupon Richt was forthright and honest about his position with the team in the new league.

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea what to expect. I believe that the right people are in charge of this league, and the right people are in charge of the teams. That being said, you never know what the American people are going to react to. Look at reality TV, or music, or sports for that matter. It's very hard to predict and I can only hope that we can provide a viable product for them to enjoy when the NFL's not going." When asked about the type of players he expected to be coaching, he was optimistic. "There are some extremely talented players putting their names in the hat and I'm anxious to beging scouting them and working them out as soon as possible. A lot of these guys just need a shot to prove they have what it takes, and that's what we're giving them. It should be very exciting."

The USFL Inaugural Draft will take place August 15th, 2003.

USFL Franchise Nicknames

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE

NORTHEAST
Baltimore Blaze
Boston Terriers
New York Knights
Philadelphia Liberty

SOUTH
Houston Hornets
Kansas City Gladiators
Little Rock Thunder
St. Louis Silverhawks

NORTH
Chicago Citadelles
Detroit Excelsiors
Madison Huskies
Minneapolis Monarchs

WEST
Las Vegas Gamblers
Los Angeles Griffins
San Diego Skyfires
San Francisco Quakes

FEDERAL LEAGUE

SOUTHEAST
Atlanta Vipers
Charlotte Rebels
Columbia Tigers
Miami SeaWolves

SOUTH
Birmingham Bandits
Memphis Marauders
Oklahoma City Wranglers
San Antonio Liberators

NORTH
Columbus Mavericks
Des Moines Mustangs
Indianapolis Thunderbirds
Lincoln Silverbacks

WEST
Denver Generals
Portland Pioneers
Sacramento Miners
Seattle Admirals

[Scholes]

---Monarchs Complete Inaugural USFL Draft---

Minneapolis Monarchs head coach Mark Richt watched as the defensive ends went one by one in the first round of the USFL Inaugural Draft, then got in on the action himself. With his first selection, the 31st overall, the Monarchs selected 28 year old Donald Holmes, a 6'5" 280 lb. defensive end hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. Due to the serpentine nature of the draft, the Monarchs were on the clock again after two quick picks from the Miami SeaWolves. With their next selection, the Monarchs selected LT Charles Hampton. Hampton is 26 years old, and at 6'5" 309 lbs, he's not the biggest tackle around, but Richt says he more than makes up for that with his strength. "He's one of the strongest guys I've ever seen. They should put his workouts on ESPN or something. A physical specimen."

It took a while before the Monarchs were on the board again, but when it was their turn they selected their first backfield player, RB Hank Givens. Givens was rated as one of the best running backs in the draft, but at 33 years old, many teams shied away from him. He's thankful for the opportunity. "I really appreciate the Monarchs looking past my age and recognizing my talent", said Givens. "I can do some great things for this team right now, not three years down the road like some of the other guys chosen before me. They won't regret their choice."

25 year old MLB Reuben Fitzgerald and soon to be fan-favorite WR Tyrone "Sleepy" Devine rounded out the top five picks for the Monarchs, who seemed to favor speed and defense early in the draft.

The only player the Monarchs drafted with previous NFL experience was former Saints DE Vaughn Booker, whom they chose in the 39th round.

Training Camp begins December 19th for all USFL teams.

Minneapolis Monarchs 2003 Inaugural Draft


1. Donald Holmes, DE
2. Charles Hampton, LT
3. Hank Givens, RB
4. Reuben Fitzgerald, MLB
5. Sleepy Devine, WR
6. Toby Lewis, CB
7. Howard Stafford, RT
8. Robert Robinson, LOLB
9. Todd Turley, DT
10. Kenny Andrews, LG
11. Rod Johnson, WR
12. Cory Watters, QB
13. Corwin Jacobs, CB
14. Juan Williams, FS
15. Montae Mathews, DE
16. Jeremy Carpenter, TE
17. Stacy Burnett, C
18. Maurice Mack, RG
19. Levon Payne, FB
20. Jason Blount, SS
21. James Evans, ROLB
22. Gabe Tucker, DT
23. Avery Fisk, WR
24. Tracy Dockett, K
25. R.J. Green, RB
26. LaMont Gibson, TE
27. Ian Ambrose, LG
28. Antonio Hudson, P
29. Sedrick Mason, MLB
30. Donny Gregg, CB
31. Merton Cleveland, QB
32. Germaine Brady, LT
33. Oliver Williams, RG
34. A.C. Hejl, DE
35. Chad Burns, CB
36. Darren Johnson, FS
37. Renaldo Stiles, DT
38. Anthony McComas, WR
39. Vaughn Booker, DE
40. Floyd Tucker, ROLB
41. Kevin Wright, RT
42. Charles Dickey, C
43. O.J. Carter, SS
44. Jared Abdullah, RB
45. Stanley Odom, LOLB
46. Greg Lucas, QB
47. Levon London, WR
48. John Mansfield, TE
49. Ty Lawrence, CB

[Scholes]

---Preseason Wrap-Up---


WEEK DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULT
1 Jan 9 Wranglers Won 33-32
2 Jan 16 at Pioneers Won 40-28
3 Jan 22 at Miners Lost 10-41
4 Jan 28 Skyfires Won 19-7


The Monarchs looked awfully impressive at sometimes, just awful at others. The offense moved the ball well, finishing with the 3rd highest points per game average in the USFL at 25.5 a game. The bad news is that they also finished third from last in the league in points allowed, at 108.

The defense needs to improve dramatically if the Monarchs want a shot at the American bowl, they looked mediocre at their best moments. The week 4 game against the San Diego Skyfires was a sloppy game in which San Diego's first two QB's were out with injuries.

---Preseason Team Statistics---

First Downs 70
Third Down Conversions 34
Third Downs 60
Third Down Percentage 56.7%
Forth Down Conversions 1
Fourth Downs 2
Fourth Down Percentage 50.0%
Two Pt Conversions Made 0
Two Pt Conversions Attempted 3
Two Pt Conversion Percentage 0.0%
Offense Redzone Num 16
Offense Redzone TDs 8
Offense Redzone FGs 4
Offense Redzone Percentage 75.0%
Rushing Yards 440
Rushing TDs 5
Passing Yards 926
Passing TDs 6
Offensive Pass Interceptions 5
TOTAL OFFENSE 1366
Defensive Pass Interceptions 4
Fumbles Lost 5
Penalties 16
Penalty Yds 140
Turnovers 10


The Monarchs converted 56.7% of their third downs, which is a good sign. The red zone percentage is a little low, only 75% scoring and a 50% touchdown rate. Coach Richt mentioned that he'd like to see that number closer to 80-85% for the season. 10 turnovers in 4 games is unacceptable, and something that needs to be remedied immediately.

---Preseason Individual Statistics---

PASSING CMP ATT YDS PCT YPA SACK TD INT LONG RATING
Merton Cleveland 50 88 643 56 7.3 6 6 2 69 93.1
Cory Watters 25 43 347 58 8.0 6 0 3 36 55.1

RUSHING ATT YDS AVG LONG TD FUM
R. J. Green 49 265 5.4 71 3 1
Hank Givens 43 159 3.6 15 2 1
Levon Payne 6 17 2.8 10 0 0
John Mansfield 1 2 2.0 2 0 0
Merton Cleveland 1 -3 -3.0 0 0 1

RECEIVING REC YDS AVG LONG TD DROP YAC
Anthony McComas 13 235 18.0 69 0 2 38
Rod Johnson 15 231 15.3 36 1 0 36
Jeremy Carpenter 8 106 13.2 32 1 0 35
Lamont Gibson 9 88 9.7 16 0 2 28
Levon London 5 83 16.5 31 2 3 11
R. J. Green 4 71 17.7 59 1 1 78
Sleepy Devine 5 61 12.1 27 0 3 25
Avery Fisk 6 61 10.1 20 1 0 25
Hank Givens 4 32 8.0 10 0 1 27
Levon Payne 5 17 3.3 7 0 0 18
John Mansfield 1 5 5.0 5 0 0 2

KICKING FGM FGA PCT FGSBLOCKED XPA XPM PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Tracy Dockett 7 9 77 0 9 9 100 0 7 0
Antonio Hudson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 3

PUNTING ATT YDS AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Antonio Hudson 11 448 40.7 66 0 1 3

KICK RETURNS ATT YDS AVG TD LONG
Levon London 11 232 21.0 0 40
Sleepy Devine 10 182 18.1 0 37

PUNT RETURNS ATT YDS AVG LONG TD
Sleepy Devine 4 144 36.0 63 1
Levon London 2 6 3.0 6 0

DEFENSE TOT LOSS SACK FF FREC YDS TD INT RET AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Sedrick Mason 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
O.J. Carter 15 0 0 0 1 12 0 0 0 0.0 1 0
Stanley Odom 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3 0
Todd Turley 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Gabe Tucker 12 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1 0
Chad Burns 12 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 4 0
Floyd Tucker 11 2 2 0 1 28 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Darren Johnson 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Donny Gregg 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1 0
Robert Robinson 10 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 24 24.0 3 0
Vaughn Booker 9 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Reuben Fitzgerald 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Toby Lewis 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 2 0
Jason Blount 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Donald Holmes 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Juan Williams 6 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 12 6.0 1 0
A.C. Hejl 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Montae Matthews 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
James Evans 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 1 0
Corwin Jacobs 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.0 0 0
Renaldo Stills 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Rod Johnson 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Kenny Andrews 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Anthony McComas 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Avery Fisk 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Maurice Mack 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Lamont Gibson 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Howard Stafford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Kevin Wright 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0

BLOCKING PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Stacey Burnett 9 2
Kevin Wright 8 1
Charles Dickey 7 0
Kenny Andrews 4 0
Germane Brady 4 1
Oliver Williams 4 1
Ian Ambrose 4 2
Howard Stafford 3 2
Maurice Mack 2 3
Levon Payne 2 0
Jeremy Carpenter 1 0
Charles Hampton 1 0


Both quarterbacks performed well, Cleveland surprisingly so, and while some fans may like to see him start in week 1, it is Watters' job. R.J. Green was a punishing runner, breaking a lot of tackles and getting the 2 or 3 extra yards per carry that Givens wasn't. They might split a little more time than was previously expected. The receiving core is deep and talented. TE Jeremy Carpenter really impressed in the preseason with his blocking and catching.
Sleepy Devine is electrifying, as evidenced by his 36.6 yard punt return average.

Nobody really stood out on defense, a pick here, a sack there. It's a shame that missed tackles isn't a stat because a few of these guys might lead the league in that stat.

[Scholes]

Excerpt from ESPN.com

---Minneapolis Monarchs Team Breakdown---

Week 1 is fast approaching and if it's anything like the preseason, Monarch fans should be in for a wild ride. Possessing one of the USFL's most potent offenses along with a boom or bust defense, Minneapolis has landed all over the map as far as predictions go. We'll break down the roster and tell you where we think the Monarchs fit in in the USFL's inaugural season.

Quarterbacks
NO PLAYER POS OVR SAL YRL AGE HT WT
3 C.Watters QB 86 $1.47M 1 26 6'1" 219
1 M.Cleveland QB 75 $1.36M 2 28 6'2" 239
13 G.Lyons QB 62 $780K 1 26 6'3" 224


Cory Watters is the #1, and had flashes of brilliance in the preseason, but was also picked 3 times without throwing a TD. Granted, he didn't see a ton of playing time, but he also didn't inspire a ton of confidence from the Monarch supporters. By the 4th game, Merton Cleveland was the proof that the most popular player on every football team is the backup quarterback. 6 TD's 2 INT's and a 93 passer rating with the second string offense was impressive, but keep in mind he did that against the opposition's second string D. Coach Richt has said all along that Watters is his guy, we'll see how long he'll keep that up if the Monarchs and Watters struggle early.
Grade: B

Runningbacks
NO PLAYER POS OVR SAL YRL AGE HT WT
32 H.Givens HB 90 $880K 1 33 5'8" 224
27 R.Green HB 79 $2.00M 2 26 5'9" 257
49 J.Abdullah HB 69 $1.75M 5 29 5'9" 214
20 L.Payne FB 92 $550K 1 27 6'4" 245


Hank Givens didn't look like the game-breaking running back we saw in NFL Europe last season, and he'll be the first one to tell you that. When asked about his subpar preseason performance, Givens was straightforward. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Givens replied, I've stunk so far. It's only preseason though, I'll get it together." He'd better get it together in a hurry, because a younger, stronger backup is lurking in the form of R.J. Green, the bulldozer from Central Florida who punished opposing tacklers to the tune of 5.4 yards per carry, 3 touchdowns on the ground, and 1 through the air. If used correctly they could be a devastating one-two punch, with Givens using his speed to the outside and Green plowing for the tough yards. Fullback Levon Payne won't get many carries, but is a devastating lead blocker and will catch a few passes as well.
Grade: A

Receivers
NO PLAYER POS OVR SAL YRL AGE HT WT
80 R.Johnson WR 90 $1.41M 1 31 5'11" 219
83 S.Devine WR 90 $10.59M 3 22 5'5" 171
89 A.Fisk WR 78 $1.17M 1 26 6'1" 171
81 A.McComas WR 74 $1.17M 1 26 5'11" 166
87 L.London WR 72 $810K 1 28 5'9" 214

What the Monarch receiving core lacks in size it more than makes up for in skill, determination and heart. A perfect example of this is 22 year old rookie Tyrone "Sleepy" Devine. Arguably the fastest man in the USFL (4.2 40 time), he stands at an impish 5'5". When he's on the field however, he plays like he's 6'4". Game smarts, elusiveness and fundamentals define his game, and he's proving alreday that he's worth the big bucks the Monarchs spent on him. The rest of the receivers are all under one year contracts, and there may not be enough money to go around at the end of the year, so the competiton and desire to produce will be fierce. The winner in the deal will be the Monarchs and QB Cory Watters, who will have a fun time throwing to this talented group.
Grade: A-

Tight Ends
NO PLAYER POS OVR SAL YRL AGE HT WT
86 J.Carpenter TE 99 $1.41M 1 27 6'5" 252
85 L.Gibson TE 80 $3.39M 3 26 6'3" 259
82 J.Mansfield TE 68 $3.00M 3 26 6'2" 248

Jeremy Carpenter thought his football days were over when he went to defend his country in the Middle East after college. After all, he would be 27 and have lost quite a bit of his skill when he got back. Turns out, they played quite a bit of football in their down time overseas, and he came back twice the athlete he was. The Monarchs were delighted when he was still available in the 16th round (Many other teams hadn't even invited him for a workout) and snapped him up. They could only sign him to a one year contract because he still dreams of playing in the NFL, and wants a chance to prove himself this season. On the other side of the big set is LaMont Gibson, a surprisingly nimble big man who displayed great hands in both practice and game situations. If he works on his blocking a bit, he will rival Carpenter in terms of all-around talent.
Grade: A