SCOUTING REPORTS

EASTERN CONFERENCE/Atlantic Division

NEW JERSEY GENERALS
OWNER: Donald Trump
COACH: Walt Michaels
KEY PLAYERS: QB Brian Sipe, RB Herschel Walker, DB Gary Barbaro
STADIUM: Giants Stadium (76,891)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 32,000
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 6-12; 33,822
OUTLOOK: The addition of Sipe ($3.2 million for four years) will open up the running game even more for Walker, the USFL's leading rusher (1,812 yards). Sipe's main target will be Danny Knight, top territorial pick from Mississippi State. A rebuilt defense features ex-NFL newcomers Barbaro (Chiefs), cornerback Kerry Justin and safety Greggory Johnson (Seahawks), linebackers Willie Harper, Bobby Leopold (49ers) and Jim LeClair (Bengals) and rookie end Freddie Gilbert.

PHILADELPHIA STARS
OWNER: Myles H. Tanenbaum
COACH: Jim Mora
KEY PLAYERS: QB Chuck Fusina, RB Kelvin Bryant, OT Irv Eatman
STADIUM: Veterans Stadium (72,204)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 13,500
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 15-3 (division winner); 18,794
OUTLOOK: Fusina has five able receivers, including Bryant (1,442 yards, 16 TDs rushing; 53 catches, 410 yards, 1 TD receiving). The defense, which gave up the fewest points in the USFL (204), has beefed up, adding ex-49er nose tackle Pete Kugler and rookie end William Fuller. The Stars have the league's best kicking game, with punter Sean Landeta (41.9-yard avg.) and kicker David Trout, the league's leading scorer with 121 points.

PITTSBURGH MAULERS
OWNER: Edward DeBartolo Sr.
COACH: Joe Pendry
KEY PLAYERS: QB Glenn Carano, RB Mike Rozier, DB Jerry Holmes
STADIUM: Three Rivers Stadium (59,000)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 15,000
EXPANSION TEAM.
OUTLOOK: "This team is like the French Foreign Legion; nobody wants us," says Pendry, offensive coordinator of the Stars last season. Except for The $3 Million Rookie, Rozier, the Maulers are a team of unknowns, never-weres and has-beens. On offense, Carano finally gets his chance after seven years with Dallas, during which he threw just 56 passes, completing less than 40% of them. His main receiver is Ricky Martin, who has been cut by an NFL team and a CFL team. Look for Rozier to carry the offense.

WASHINGTON FEDERALS
OWNER: Berl Bernhard
COACH: Ray Jauch
KEY PLAYERS: QB Reggie Collier, RB Craig James
STADIUM: RFK Stadium (55,045)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 10,000
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 4-14; 13,850
OUTLOOK: Collier, obtained in a trade with Birmingham, had a disappointing rookie season—he passed for only 604 yards and 1 TD and missed nine games with a knee injury—and has much to prove. So does James (823 yards on 202 carries), who spent most of '83 hampered by a back injury. The defense, No. 2 in points allowed (442), was hurt by the loss of veteran linemen Coy Bacon and Ron Estay in the expansion draft. The Feds' bright spot is Eric Robinson, the USFL's best kick returner (29.0-yard avg.).

EASTERN CONFERENCE/Southern Division

BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS
OWNER: Marvin L. Warner
COACH: Rollie Dotsch
KEY PLAYERS: QB Cliff Stoudt, WR Jim Smith
STADIUM: Legion Field (75,412)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 17,756
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 9-9; 22,046
OUTLOOK: After six seasons as the backup, Stoudt finally started for the Pittsburgh Steelers in '83. He finished a dismal 28th among the 31 NFL quarterbacks. His top receivers are another ex-Steeler, Smith, who led the Stallions with 51 catches for 756 yards in '83, and 5'8", 163-pound Joey Jones, a rookie out of Alabama.

TAMPA BAY BANDITS
OWNERS: John Bassett, Burt Reynolds, Steve Arky
COACH: Steve Spurrier
KEY PLAYERS: QBs John Reaves and Wayne Peace, RB Gary Anderson, WR Eric Truvillion
STADIUM: Tampa Stadium (72,128)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 32,136
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 11-7; 39,896
OUTLOOK: Anderson, equally adept at running and pass catching, is the big gun in the "Bandit Ball" offense. Truvillion was All-USFL with 66 catches for 1,080 yards and 15 TDs. Mike Butler. ex-Packer end, will spur the defense.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS
OWNER: Joseph Canizaro
COACH: Dick Coury
KEY PLAYERS: QB Johnnie Walton, LB Marcus Marek
STADIUM: Superdome (72,675)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 10,600
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE (as the Boston Breakers): 11-7; 12,735
OUTLOOK: Coury did a lot in '83 with very little, but now he has No. 1 draft pick Buford Jordan, a 219-pound running back from McNeese State, and second-rounder Mark Schellen, the Nebraska fullback who blocked for Rozier.

MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS
OWNER: William B. Dunavant Jr.
COACH: Pepper Rodgers
KEY PLAYERS: QB Walter Lewis, DE Reggie White
STADIUM: Liberty Bowl (50,180)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 17,880
EXPANSION TEAM.
OUTLOOK: The Showboats are out to make pro football the king in Memphis. When Lewis, a former Alabama star, and White, an All-America at Tennessee, signed their multimillion dollar contracts, the team threw parties—complete with the mayor, Congressmen, Senators, cheerleaders, 20-foot banners, marching bands and prancing ducks.

JACKSONVILLE BULLS
OWNER: Fred Bullard
COACH: Lindy Infante
KEY PLAYERS: QBs Matt Robinson and Ken Hobart, DT Don Latimer, LB Vaughan Johnson
STADIUM: Gator Bowl (80,100)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 23,000
EXPANSION TEAM.
OUTLOOK: Infante, former Bengals offensive coordinator, will put a premium on passing. Robinson will start, but Infante's high on Hobart, who threw for 9,300 yards and 79 TDs at Idaho and was given a reported $1 million, four-year contract. The Bulls may have more trouble defensing the pass than completing it.

WESTERN CONFERENCE/Central Division

MICHIGAN PANTHERS
OWNER: A. Alfred Taubman
COACH: Jim Stanley
KEY PLAYERS: QB Bobby Hebert, WR Anthony Carter, LB John (Sac Man) Corker
STADIUM: Silverdome (80,638)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 22,000
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 12-6 (USFL champions); 21,296
OUTLOOK: Carter started slow in '83 but came on strong, catching 60 passes for 1,181 yards and the winning toss in the championship game. The defense is led by Corker, the Defensive Player of the Year, who paced the USFL in sacks (28½).

CHICAGO BLITZ
OWNER: Dr. James Hoffman
COACH: Marv Levy
KEY PLAYERS: QB Vince Evans, DB Doug Plank
STADIUM: Soldier Field (65,077)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 8,800
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE (as the Arizona Wranglers): 12-6; 25,778.
OUTLOOK: This is beginning to look like a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Bears. Nine former Bears made the squad, the most notable being Evans, who with a guaranteed four-year, $5 million contract now gets his first chance to be a full-time starter. Levy must rebuild on defense.

HOUSTON GAMBLERS
OWNERS: Bernard Lerner, Dr. Jerry Argovitz, Alan Lubetkin
COACH: Jack Pardee
KEY PLAYERS: QB Jim Kelly, RB Mark Rush, LB Kiki DeAyala
STADIUM: Astrodome (50,496)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 10,000
EXPANSION TEAM.
OUTLOOK: It's a crap-shoot for the Gamblers, who tried out 762 players. Houston is banking on Kelly's arm. Pardee, like his mentor, George Allen, values experience at linebacker and he has signed NFL vets Mike Hawkins (Patriots), Kevin McClain (Rams) and Robert Jackson (Browns) at that position.

OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS
OWNERS: William Tatham Sr. and Jr.
COACH: Woody Widenhofer
KEY PLAYER: QB Doug Williams
STADIUM: Skelly Stadium, Tulsa (41,000)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 13,500
EXPANSION TEAM. OUTLOOK: "The only person I know anything about is Doug Williams," says Widenhofer, ex-Steeler defensive coordinator, who was hired the day of the '84 USFL draft. Woody, meet Mel Gray, who had 351 catches in 12 years with St. Louis. Shake hands with your mammoth offensive line—it averages 6'6" and 270 pounds.

SAN ANTONIO GUNSLINGERS
OWNER: Clinton Manges
COACH: Gil Steinke
KEY PLAYERS: QB Rick Neuheisel, WR Danny Buggs
STADIUM: Alamo Stadium (32,000)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 5,000
EXPANSION TEAM.
OUTLOOK: At 63, Steinke, formerly at Texas A&I, is the league's oldest coach, but he'll run a wild, shoot-'em-up offense. Rookie Neuheisel, out of UCLA, will be throwing to Buggs, who at Tampa Bay last year was the league's No. 2 receiver with 76 catches for 1,146 yards and 5 touchdowns. But the Gunslingers need to load up on defense.

WESTERN CONFERENCE/Pacific Division

ARIZONA WRANGLERS
OWNER: Dr. Ted Diethrich
COACH: George Allen
KEY PLAYERS: QB Greg Landry, RB Tim Spencer, WR Trumaine Johnson
STADIUM: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe (70,030)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 18,511
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE (as the Chicago Blitz): 12-6; 18,090
OUTLOOK: They're calling themselves the "New" Wranglers, but they're just the old Blitz. Spencer (1,157 yards, 6 TDs rushing) and Kevin Long (1,022 and 12) make up the best backfield in the USFL, and Johnson (a league-leading 81 catches for 1,322 yards and 10 TDs) heads the league's top receiving corps. Robert (Big Bird) Smith, a 6'7", 256-pound rookie end from Grambling, adds to an already formidable defense.

LOS ANGELES EXPRESS
OWNER: J. William Oldenburg
COACH: John Hadl
KEY PLAYERS: QBs Tom Ramsey and Frank Seurer, DTs Eddie (Meat Cleaver) Weaver and George Achica
STADIUM: L.A. Memorial Coliseum (92,516)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 11,645
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 8-10; 19,001
OUTLOOK: Don Klosterman (as G.M.) and Sid Gillman (as a special assistant coach) add a total of 60 years of NFL experience to the team. Hadl is ready to bring on Seurer, one of his Jayhawk recruits when he was Kansas' offensive coordinator, if Ramsey falters. The Express has signed three top collegiate offensive linemen: Baylor's Mark Adickes, Oregon's Gary Zimmerman and Texas' Mike Ruether.

OAKLAND INVADERS
OWNER: Tad Taube
COACH: John Ralston
KEY PLAYERS: QB Fred Besana, RB Arthur Whittington, DB Benny Barnes
STADIUM: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (54,615)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 23,000
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 9-9 (division winner); 30,622
OUTLOOK: The league's No. 2 passer, Besana (345 of 550 attempts for 3,980 yards and 21 TDs) will throw to, among others, two ex-Raiders, Whittington (1,043 yards, 6 TDs rushing; 66 catches, 584 yards, 2 TDs receiving) and Morris Bradshaw, and Ron Smith, formerly with the Eagles. Another Smith, Holden, who dumped root beer on coach Frank Kush's head after being cut by the Baltimore Colts last summer, also gets a look at wide receiver.

DENVER GOLD
OWNER: Ron Blanding
COACH: Craig Morton
KEY PLAYER: DE Dave Stalls
STADIUM: Mile High Stadium (75,123)
SEASON-TICKET SALES AS OF 2/17: 26,200
1983 RECORD AND AVG. HOME ATTENDANCE: 7-11; 41,735
OUTLOOK: Morton spent the off-season revamping his offense, which he calls "Airborne '84." Says Morton, who was 3-3 last season after taking over from the fired Red Miller, "No, we haven't abandoned the running game." Not yet. First he needs a topflight thrower. The starter at the end of last season, Craig Penrose, isn't the ticket. Stalls, who should help improve a defense that ranked fourth against the rush in '83, took all of a two-week break after completing the NFL season with the Raiders in the Super Bowl.

TEAMS ARE IN PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

EIGHTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS