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defges · 3 years

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He was a captain on the Wisconsin team

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takealottodragmeawayfromreddie · 6 years

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The Reddie Horror Show

Aka. The high school IT au featuring Richie being a musical nerd and dragging all of his classmates with him that nobody asked for.

—In high school, Richie realized that he liked both boys and girls and started these jokes of being a stereotypical gay guy (even though he's actually bi).

—He used to watch musicals as an ironic liking and had fun making all the losers watch Grease with him and randomly screaming the lyrics of the most iconic musical numbers.

—But then The Rocky Horror Show appeared, and Richie truly loved it. Like, for real. He fell in love with the story, the characters and the songs.

—He got so obsessed that, everytime Eddie got carried away by angriness towards him (or anything), he would start singing "when Eddie said he didn't like his Teddy you knew that he was no good kid" just to make him angrier.

—Sometimes, the losers club would be waiting for Eddie to get ready outside his house and, when he finally came out, Richie would make his most ridiculous Dr. Scott voice and go "from the day he was born... he was trouble...".

—Everyone would be sick of all his references (specially when he would act like Frank N Furter or use "hot dog" as an insult) if he wasn't good. But the thing is that Richie is awesome at singing and acting and everyone is amazed by it.

—So, when one of their teachers asks the classroom to produce a musical as an important study project, of course Richie will suggest Rocky Horror.

—And, like the diva he has been becoming since he found this new passion and started to get all the cool parts at the drama club, everyone agrees that, no matter what the school may think, Rocky Horror is the best option.

—The auditions starts. Bill's stutter, instead of giving him troubles, makes him the perfect Brad. Beverly originally wants to play Columbia, but she has such a sweet voice that Janet becomes the ideal character for her to portray.

—Mike gets to play Rocky, basically because he is the one in better shape in the whole classroom. And Stan gets the narrator part.

—Our Dr. Frank N Furter is, surprise surprise, the superstar Richie Tozier, who accepts the honour like this is Broadway.

—Eddie and Ben aren't such good actors and singers, though. Actually, they kinda suck. Ben has troubles learning the dance routines and can't hit any note, and Eddie thinks this is stupid, anyway. (He's just so done with Richie making jokes about his name and that character who is called the same).

—So they take the parts of two random extras. They do the Time Warp in the background, sing "that ain't no crime" like it wasn't their only line in the whole thing and, even when Ben is upset because he has to watch Bev singing Dammit Janet with another guy, they try to do their best (failing comically).

—The problem starts when weeks go by and Eddie realizes he really appreciates Richie's efforts. Like, this is no joke for Richie. He actually takes it seriously, practices day and night (even while just hanging out with the losers), works hard to reach those notes and takes all the important creative decissions of the play.

—One day, he gives the classroom a heart-felt discourse about what "Don't dream it, be it" means and everybody just sits there and listen in an understanding silence.

—Then it hits Eddie. He likes Richie. He respects his passion, he admires his talent, he... he's kinda in love. He always has been.

—But this revelation doesn't hits him as much as finding out that it's the worst moment possible for being in love with Richie.

—Because Richie is now Frank N Furter. The dirty transvestite alien who rocks those heels and flirts with every fucking character.

—A horrified Eddie gets to watch the new found love of his life doing sexual disgusting moves, sitting on other people, running his hands all over Mike's chest/arms/legs, getting in a fake-bed with Bev and Bill, walking around in ridiculously sexy outfits and practically making out with EVERYONE but him.

—It gets even worse because, artistic or not, he's still Richie. So he will make jokes on his free time and won't shut up about how good that random girl's kiss was or how Mike carrying him bridal style was one of his personal goals. And, of course, that Bev and Bill thing won't get pass the radar.

—"Like, I know that they're the cutest couple ever and everything, but, man, it was fucking hot. Of course I'd rather be Rocky if Eddie's mother was Janet and she'd make me touch her juicy tits while singing Touch-a, touch-a..."

—"Beep beep, Richie", everyone says, but Eddie says it louder, and that comment about his mother isn't what bothers him the most.

—Ben is so sad about the Brad and Janet thing that he's secretly trying to write his own musical about her. Even if it's not that good and it'll never get done, he really wants to make it like he was Richard O'Brien himself.

—If he wasn't so busy trying to create this thing, he would have overheard one of those million of conversations between Bill and Bev, when they talk about how Brad would rather have the narrator and Janet is kinda starting to see Transylvanian #8 (Ben) with love eyes.

—On Eddie's side, he's getting so angry about everything that he barely wants to speak to Richie. And he knows he has no right to get angry because Richie's not actually his man but that's his man.

—When Richie notices that he's been avoiding him and comfronts him about it, Eddie plays dumb in a very resentful way and Richie, who is kinda stressed because the play is in two weeks, won't take it. So they have a argument that makes Eddie confess his feelings and run away.

—After that scene, Eddie doesn't show at the rehearsals again and teacher gets so mad that she writes him out of the play. (Not that his character had any line, anyway...)

—But the losers are furious. They were supposed to be all together in this. And he even stops hanging out with them. He won't pick up the phone and always success to avoid them.

—The day of the play, Bill gets to talk to him leaving him with no chance of scape. He asks why is he acting so weird and Eddie finally tells the true. He declared his feelings to Richie and he assumed Richie would reject him.

—Bill makes the biggest facepalm of history. Richie likes him back! Stan told him that Richie told him that he was scared because Eddie was so ashamed of liking him that he had run away inmediatly after confessing and that maybe he was disgusted by all the sweet transvestite thing.

—Eddie feels so stupid. He wants to go and tell Richie that he's the most cool guy ever and he loves him. But Bill convices him that the best thing he can do is wait after the play.

—And the play starts. Eddie is sitting there in the front row, ready to watch his future man giving the best performance ever.

—Bill and Bev totally kill it as Brad and Janet at the beggining and the middle and the end.

—Stan is the best telling the story and showing everyone how to do the Time Warp. And Ben isn't that bad either.

—Then our dear Frankie appears. Fabulous is an understatement. He's absolutely amazing. The heels, the clothes, the walk. His voice does things that Eddie didn't even knew that it could and he just takes over the stage.

—You really can feel Mike's Rocky's torment at the "Sword of Damocles" number and there's something about Richie with a corset on teaching a Mike in golden underwear how to apply Charles Atlas' plan that is fucking hilarious.

—Ben's powerful "that ain't no crime" and his screams when Frank kills fake Eddie are amazing, and real Eddie can't help noticing the way Bev lowkey stares at him.

—The bed scenes are annoying, as always, but Eddie just smiles because his crush is such a good actor and he will get the real thing as soon as he solves what he caused.

—Bev and Mike's Touch-a, touch-a, touch me is closer to funny than to sexy.

—The Janet, Dr. Scott, Janet, Brad, Rocky thing is funnier than ever.

—The floor show starts. Mike, Bill and Bev? Stunning as always.

—RKO tower. Richie up there. Omg. Whatever happened to Fay Wray? Eddie can barely breath. He's so in love and Richie is so cool and everything is so perfect.

—Don't dream it, be it. Eddie finally gets the meaning of that. He always had been dreaming about things that he thought he couldn't have, that he didn't deserved. Health, real friends, real love. And now he seems to get it. It's always been there. And while Richie makes out with Mike, Bill and Bev at the same time (wearing women clothes, btw), Eddie starts to cry because, God, amazing. Best feeling in the World.

—I'm going home. At last, Richie looks to the audience and he seems to see Eddie. He's too focused on his big number, but their eyes meet anyway, for a few, subtle seconds. Eddie wonders if Bill had the chance to tell Richie that the feeling is mutual.

—Frank and Rocky get killed as, with great sound and light effects, the castle flies away into space. The whole room is in complete silence.

—Bill and Bev do an amazing closing number and Stan's acting as the last character who says something as the light fades away is tears worthy. At least that's what Eddie hears the next day.

—He doesn't gets to see it himself because he's too busy getting behind the stage into the changing room, where Richie is sitting, waiting for his last appearence at the very end.

—Richie looks so surprised that is obvious he didn't expected Eddie being there. Not with a bouquet of roses for the play star.

—"Eds, what are you doing here?"

—"Don't call me that, hot dog", he smiles.

—A second later, they both run into each other arms and share a kiss that's even better than any make out scene in the play.

—When all the actors get back to stage for a final bow, everyone is surprised to see Dr. Frank N Furter showing up carrying a boy who abandoned the play with one arm and holding a bouquet with his free hand.

—But he doesn't even care. He just throws kisses all over the place and says thanks and pecks on real life Eddie's lips again and again.

—People is even more surprised when Janet lets go of Brad hand and reaches back to hold Transylvanian #8 arm and bring him to the front of the stage, kissing his cheek and whispering something about winter fire and things that no one gets to understand completely.

—Brad doesn't look too shock. He seems more interested in the narrator, who just smiles and waves at him from the opposite side of the stage.

—Everybody lives happily ever after, until, a few years later, at Eddie's 22th birthday party, Richie sings a weird thing called Dammit Eds and drops the ring more times than what the musical number demands because he's too nervous. Eddie blushes and begs him to stop and gets super angry, but he says yes anyway.

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flauntpage · 5 years

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Winds of Change: Thoughts on What Looks to be a Busy Week for the Flyers

Kinkead: this story was originally published on Sunday and has since been updated.

Via Anthony:

“While Joel Quenneville was the apple of Comcast Spectacor Chairman Dave Scott’s eye from the minute he was fired by the Chicago Blackhawks, Quenneville has the luxury of being patient and not accepting another gig right away if he feels a better situation might present itself in the near future (read: offseason). Quenneville is still being paid his $6 million salary to not coach Chicago and to do shots in the parking lot of Soldier Field at Bears games, or skiing in Colorado, where he is now, so there is no rush for him. Quenneville’s patience could likely lead Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher in another direction rather than waiting for Quenneville to get on board. That said, Comcast could throw a ridiculous sum of money his way and make the decision a quick one. Quenneville is not out of the conversation, but he’s certainly not a lock at this point. Quenneville was never Fletcher’s preferred hire, though he might be willing to accept him at the behest of his bosses – not because Quenneville isn’t a good coach, but he may not be the right fit right now. I had originally heard Mike Yeo was high on Fletcher’s list, and while that may still be the case I’m told by a team source he’s not the top target at the moment. Efforts to reach Scott this morning for comment about the entire situation went unanswered.”

=====================

Dave Hakstol coached his last game with the Flyers. Scott Gordon of the Phantoms will coach the squad on an interim basis.

There’ll be a press conference and General Manager Chuck Fletcher, flanked on one side by Flyers President Paul Holmgren and on the other by Comcast Spectacor Chairman and CEO Dave Scott, will feed the world one cliche after another about why a new voice was needed.

But what if Fletcher doesn’t necessarily believe what he’s about to tell you? What if internally, inside the hockey operations side of this organization, people truly believe that Dave Hakstol is a good coach?

What if this coaching change is really more about optics and pressure from above to hit a home run?

What if?

“That’s a great question,” one Flyers source said to me last night. “And I can’t tell you you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

That’s because Scott has been interested in pursuing Joel Quenneville almost since the minute he was fired by the Chicago Blackhawks last month.

And why not? Quenneville won three Stanley Cups in six seasons with the Blackhawks. The guy has a great track record and one that would certainly bring an instant infusion of interest and excitement to an apathetic fan base.

It was one of those conversations, though, that didn’t go well with former GM Ron Hextall.

So, Hextall was fired. For far many more reasons than this, but this was certainly on the list.

With the addition of Fletcher, Scott agreed to give him time to evaluate what he has on the roster and the coaching staff. But that willingness to be patient has dried up rapidly.

When the team looks as bad as it has in the past four games – all losses – and has fallen into last place by themselves in the Eastern Conference, and is tied for the third-worst record in the league, it can lead to a lot of public angst and make a bigwig like Scott concerned about the perception of his team.

But the Flyers are 2-4-2 since firing Hextall. It’s not good, but it’s not pathetic. There have been many worse eight game stretches than those in which you register six points.

And is six games enough time to give Fletcher to make all the evaluations he needs? Maybe, maybe not.

But the reality is, keeping the fanbase happy is also part of the business, and even if internally among hockey people there is a belief that Hakstol is still the right coach for this team despite all the outside noise, the people who sign the checks sometimes feel they have to consider more than just what the hockey people advise.

Personally, I have never been a huge fan of Hakstol as a coach. If you go back and read many of my posts from last season, you will see that I would have made a change at coach last season.

However, once I was given real insight into what was going on behind the scenes during Hextall’s tenure, even I felt like Hakstol probably deserved a chance to redeem this team post-Hextall.

Frankly, I would have been, and still would be O.K. with letting him coach the rest of the season.

But that’s likely because I don’t see this team as one that’s good enough to make the playoffs this season. After all, they’re eight points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and 10 points out of a wild card spot. They would need to go on an extended hot run to make up those differences AND hold on to a playoff spot.

That’s very unlikely to happen folks.

But the problem is Scott and to an extent Holmgren already told us at Hextall’s firing that the impetus for the organization is to “win now.”

That might have been delusional on the part of Scott, because I never really felt Holmgren believed it was possible as the team was currently constructed – which is why he was chaffed with Hextall.

But Scott’s influences are not all rooted in actual hockey. Sure, he leans on Holmgren and now Fletcher to give him an update on the team’s progress, but really, his decisions are driven by the business side of things. When 12-15% of tickets out are not coming back through the door with regularity, that bothers him. When television ratings are down, even slightly, that bothers him.

And to be fair to Scott, that should bother him. The business side is what matters most, ultimately, to a corporate owner.

But sometimes corporate decisions are being made for wrong-headed reasons.

It’s like when an immensely popular television show is cancelled on one network and picked up by another. Why was it cancelled? Business decisions. Money talks baby, even if it wasn’t the smartest call.

So, Hakstol really doesn’t have a chance here.

And Scott REALLY wants to pursue Quenneville. Not because he’s necessarily the right coach for this group, but rather because that hiring would be viewed as hitting it out of the park by the public and might put some more butts in seats.

But how different from Hakstol really is Quenneville? At least from how he handles his personnel?

More after the jump:

If coach Q is going to be the guy as is very widely rumored, well, he's very much a vet-oriented coach at this point except for truly stellar young players who "play like vets". So if you want a "play the young guys through the growing pains" type, they'd need to look elsewhere.

— Bill Meltzer (@billmeltzer) December 16, 2018

Bill is spot on with this. Quenneville is at a point in his coaching career where he expects to go into a situation where he has to coach to win now, not to develop young players.

“This is where things get tough for Chuck,” another Flyers source told me yesterday. “If he’s going to make a change at coach, he would want to do it with a guy he really wants and believes is a good fit for the team right now, not a guy he has to settle for who might not be the best fit.”

The source went on to say Fletcher doesn’t dislike Quenneville. He added that Fletcher has a lot of respect for Quenneville and thinks he’s a great coach.

“But is he the right guy for this team at this time,” the source asked me back rhetorically.

My thought is that if Fletcher was really going to have it his way with a coaching change, he would want a guy he is familiar with who has a track record of working well with younger players.

Mike Yeo, who he hired in Minnesota, would more fit that bill.

But would Yeo move the needle in the city?

Nope. And that’s why Fletcher may have walked into a position where his hands are tied on this matter.

Listen to the highly respected Chris Johnston, a reporter for SportsNet in Canada and how he explains what might be coming:

oops, link: Headlines: @Sportsnet https://t.co/kKU5S50pXT

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 16, 2018

The key sentence is this: “With the Flyers wrapping up their road trip in Vancouver, it could be one where Chuck Fletcher is forced to make a change.”

I’ve been in Johnston’s position before. Where you are told something and asked not to report it, but given permission to speculate on it.

Heck, I just went through this with the whole Hextall firing. I explained it in detail on our Snow the Goalie podcast (link at the bottom of the story).

But the way he phrases it – “forced to make a change” – that tells you Fletcher was probably comfortable waiting here, but the urgency is coming from somewhere else (read: Scott).

And if Quenneville is hired as the new coach, the fan base will be instantly thrilled. And he is a good coach, no doubt, so they can be happy.

But nothing will make this team better until there are changes made to the roster.

I take you back to 2006-07, the year widely considered to be the worst in Flyers history. Ken Hitchock was their coach, and he was fired. Bob Clarke resigned as GM. Holmgren came in and took the team with the worst record in the league, and in the span of 18 months turned them into an Eastern Conference finalist.

What did he do:

Turned Freddy Meyer into Alexei Zhitnik in December and then flipped Zhitnik for Braydon Coburn two months later.

Traded an injured Peter Forsberg to Nashville for Scottie Upshall and a first round pick and then returned that pick to Nashville in a later trade to get the negotiating rights to pending free agents Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen, and then signed both of them.

Traded a future draft pick for a starting goalie in Martin Biron.

Traded Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson and a draft pick for Joffrey Lupul and Jason Smith

Signed Danny Briere as a free agent.

Five moves. One big name player (Forsberg), A few future draft picks, a once-promising player (Pitkanen), a couple of depth players (Meyer/Zhitnik and Sanderson) and eight players were added to a roster that already included Simon Gagne, Mike Knuble, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and R.J. Umberger.

So, it can be turned around quickly.

If I had to pick a “quintet” from the current team that I would use to plan for a quick turnaround, it would be Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim and Travis Konencny.

That’s not to say that I would get rid of everyone else, or that anyone else on the list above is completely untouchable. Nolan Patrick is still 20 years old, and although he’s been a disappointment so far, he’s still got major upside. Jake Voracek is a veteran talent who can be the right fit if the rest of the roster makes sense, but I recognize he would bring value if you traded him.

And other players could still fit – they don’t all need to go.

But, what if you traded for a goalie with a little term left on his contract? What if you added a veteran defenseman with a palatable contract? What if you picked up another young forward who can be part of a new core next season and beyond?

What if Wayne Simmonds could be part of a package with the Toronto Maple Leafs that would bring back Kasperi Kapanen?

What if Shayne Gostisbehere was the Joni Pitkanen that netted you two quality veteran players?

What if, after hiring Quenneville, a deal involving good prospects/draft picks could be swung with Chicago that would bring Corey Crawford and Duncan Keith?

What if there were someone out there willing to trade for James van Riemsdyk, since he would likely be a better fit somewhere else than he is right now?

These are the changes that Fletcher has to be considering. These are the roster changes that need to start now, regardless of who the coach is – whether its Hakstol, Quenneville, Yeo or someone else.

The first trade that led to the renaissance the next season that Holmgren made back in 2006 (not counting a small deal for Todd Fedoruk in November) occurred on Dec. 16 when Meyer and a third rounder were traded to the Islanders for Zhitnik.

Today is Dec. 16. The time is now to start this roster upgrade.

If Scott wanted to fire Hakstol, he should have done it with Hextall. Putting Fletcher in this position is not a good look for the organization.

Frankly, Scott should let Fletcher leave well enough alone with the coach for now, reshape the roster the way he likes it, and then replace the coach after the deadline, or the end of the season.

Because, no matter what Scott has said, this team is in no position to “win now” as it is currently constructed.

But let the construction change and then see what happens.

Although it sounds like they aren’t going to do it that way.

For more Flyers coverage, be sure to check out our pregame and intermission shows before and during home games via Facebook Live on the Crossing Broad Facebook page and Periscope via Anthony’s Twitter account. Also, listen to our Flyers podcast Snow the Goalie ([iTunes] [Google Play] [Stitcher] [RSS]), leave a 5 star review, and follow us on Twitter:@AntSanPhilly @JoyOnBroad

The post Winds of Change: Thoughts on What Looks to be a Busy Week for the Flyers appeared first on Crossing Broad.

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altusfl · 6 years

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22. Lead up to the 1986 Season --- Expansion: Team 17 --- the New (New) Chicago Blitz

Based on a recommendation by Peter Hadhazy, the league hired Bill Polian back from the Buffalo Bills at double his salary to be the GM/President of the Chicago Blitz. Polian was told up front it was a 1 to 2 year job that would likely lead to much better ones in the future.

He was tasked with making the Blitz competitive immediately. He was told that the league would assure Chicago would get the number one pick overall and the league office would work with Polian to sign Bo Jackson after the end of the college baseball season.

Polian was told that the league owners had no problem with him signing one more first-round pick level talent in support --- ala the original George Allen Blitz --- as that is the talent level that will be required to re-earn the fan trust in Chicago — a requirement if the league was going to find a buyer.

Denver backup QB Vince Evans would also be assigned back to Chicago. Evens had lost his job in Denver to Doug Flutie, but had learned a lot about quarterbacking from Mouse Davis. Polian laid out the plan and Evans was eager for a second shot in Chicago.

Polian set about securing his other rookie star.

“I think they were expecting me to sign a wide receiver or something but you know they told me 'We’re going to give you the greatest running back in college football… but a guy who wants to play baseball half the time! And you don’t get him in this, your key season, until the college baseball season is over!’ I had these visions of Bo quitting the team around week 10 each year and us not having a running game.”

“I could totally see that tearing the team apart with players picking sides. So it was a total no-brainer when I looked at the regional assignment and saw that I had Ohio State [because Oklahoma was going to keep Notre Dame as their territorial assignment] that I was going to sign Keith Byers to play fullback. Byers was a beast as a junior and had really made an impact on the fans in the area.”

“Getting that done took some doing. The Byers signing was not popular among the league owners I can assure you… but people don’t understand the potential the Jackson signing had to rip apart a roster.“

Usher had a problem with the league owners. They felt he favored Oklahoma owner J. Walter Duncan and had given Duncan far too much talent the previous off-season. Usher and Duncan decided to eliminate that by pushing Outlaw defensive Coordinator Jim Bates and several players who fit Bates’s scheme to Chicago.

The league needed Chicago to succeed. They told Bates that while he was good enough to be a head coach in the league, the league itself needed him in Chicago because it needed the franchise to be good from day 1. Bates felt some loyalty to Haphadzy who had recommended him to Duncan.

Bates was not high profile enough in the area to curry Chicago area fans who for the most part had been actively ignoring the USFL and had not seen Oklahoma’s run, but his ability to produce as a coordinator was unquestioned by Polian. Bates would be rewarded with a very large contract that mirrored what USFL head coaches were making to do the job for a year.

The Chicago Bears had done a similar thing paying their Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan a very large salary that rivaled a head coach’s salary to stick around. Defense mattered to Chicago fans, so it was good business.

Outlaws LT Duane Wilson, DE Mike St. Clair, DE Ken Gillen, NT Bob Nelson,NT Paul Hanna, DT Tony Suber, ILB Jeff Leiding, OLB/DB Jim Bob Morris, OLB/DB John Barefeild, OLB/DB Larry James, DB Mike Ulmer, would be reassigned to the new Blitz. Outlaws owner J. Walter Duncan who had gotten quite close to all of the players would personally decide to meet with each of the 11 players to explain the situation and personally apologize. They were after all having to uproot their families in part because Duncan was embarassed. He would hand each of the 11 players a $10,000 check to help with relocation costs. (St. Clair would thank Duncan, but refuse the relocation check and chose to retire.)

Nelson would recount the meetings later. “Man, it was emotional. Mr. Duncan explained that if things stayed the way they were NONE of us would ever get the credit we deserved for our hard work. Mr. Duncan really liked Coach Faibanks and Coach Bates. Neither one would get any credit for anything we did if we kept that team together. It sucked, but he was right.”

“I’ll tell you this. I have never had an owner look me in the eye and give me the straight truth like that. I appreciated it and I know everyone else did. And no other players in the history of the USFL who was reallocated ever got any relocation money prior to that day. Mr. Duncan started that. He was a standup owner.”

Polian would want to bring back Blitz coach Marv Levy but the USFL owners would insist that he could not. While they all agreed Levy was a fine coach who did a great job in Chicago, they felt they needed to create excitement with the coaching hire so they provided Polian with a short list of successful area coaches — former Notre Dame coaches Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine, and current Illinois coach Mike White — Polian quickly decided that White was the choice.

“The first two seemed vaguely interested but seemed to want to drag out negotiations haggling about control and the length of their contracts. White on the other hand had a situation where all his best talent had graduated and the cupboard was looking pretty bare. I needed a coach who could accept the Bates situation without taking it out on the Oklahoma players and who could work with Jim and I.”

The league wanted the team to be competitive fairly quickly, so Polian decided that White would be the right hire. “He was a fantastic young coach who had unprecedented success at a really tough location. White was the perfect mix of ‘great coach’ and ‘easy to work with’. ”

The new Blitz would build the core of their team around the former outlaws and members of the historically unprecedented 10-2 1983 University of Illinois team that went 9-0 in the Big Ten conference. That team would end up producing 21 players who would go on to be drafted by the NFL. Most of them did not make the NFL rosters, leaving a large contingent of almost NFL caliber players who knew what Mike White wanted.

The Blitz signed them all.

Highlights included flamboyant unanimous All-American wide receiver David Williams (the Bears 3rd round pick),

QB Jack Trudeau,

T Jim Juriga,

All-American S Craig Swoope,

Big Ten MVP DT Don Thorp, TE Cap Boso, and RB Thomas Rooks. Rooks and Byers would carry most of the rushing load when Jackson was unavailable.

"Those Illinois kids were a cocky bunch. That’s probably why so many of them made it. They just refused to be bad. But in our plan it really didn’t matter if all 21 of those illini made the roster or even most of them,” Polian would state in an interview years later.

“The first time we did the Blitz, we were in a bad spot because there was no culture on that roster. Arizona was a failed franchise and they gutted the franchise and broke the player’s focus by moving across the country before they gave it to us. A total lack of expectations really screwed Marv over. I was determined that was not going to happen again.”

“Having those 21 Illini in camp created a ‘Mike White culture’ and gave White shot to hit the ground running. The fact that only 12 of them made the final roster is really almost irrelevant. That opportunity, I felt, gave White the edge as a coaching candidate in a situation where we needed the team to be competitive immediately. The league didn’t afford me the time to argue with a coach about the right way to do things, so it made a lot of sense to do it the Mike White way.”

The team would also sign a key young All-American who had quickly fallen through the NFL system’s cracks.

WR Steve Bryant had been a star and All-American at Purdue but was just a part time player for the Oilers. Bryant had a couple of productive years in the NFL but now it looked like his NFL career was done at 27.

Polian thought Bryant would immediately be at least a solid second starter in the USFL with a chance to get a lot better with consistent playing time. “He was a good talent but not an elite one. He didn’t have great speed and wasn’t a tall strong possesion receiver, but he just made more out of every opportunity than most with his skill level. He reminded me a little of (Philadelphia Stars star WR) Scott Fitzkee.”

The territorial draft would yield three very good linebackers from Ohio State in Pepper Johnson, Byron Lee, and Larry Kolic.

“It was a great setup. With the league support, I was able to give White one of the League’s best running games and the league gave us the core of that defense. Bates had a defense that everyone struggled with in the USFL. White really understood the passing game and could teach it. Trudeau was a solid Talent and available at the right price and while Vince Evans was inconsistent and the times inaccurate, he had a confident swagger and no ceiling on his talent – and the Bears fans loved that. I felt very comfortable that White could deliver a passing game that would be effective in our league. That team was pretty much ready to challenge for a playoff spot from day one.”

The Blitz would sign the league’s fourth Heisman Trophy winner in a row in Auburn’s Jackson after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers purposefully caused Jackson to lose his collegiate baseball eligibility. The Bucs had done so to try to steer Jackson towards a football-only future in Tampa Bay. The Bucs were dead set on picking Jackson number one overall in order to force the issue. The USFL was able to take advantage of that animosity.

“We always in the driver’s seat vs. the NFL in the Jackson negotiation anyway. It is harder to get physically ready for football. We were able to offer a situation where Jackson could come to camp allowing him to get properly conditioned for football and play the entire USFL season. He would only miss the beginning of the baseball season. Jackson would be able to pay in the playoffs in both leagues with no animosity on our part.”

“The whole Bo thing worked out much better than I thought it would. We led the league in rushing that year and Bo and Keith were phenomenal. We were able to keep Bo’s workload in check with Keith and Thomas, and I think that kept Bo healthy with the strain he was putting on his body playing two sports. Bo never missed a regular season or playoff game while he was healthy in his years with the Blitz. The guy was a beast on the field. The fans loved him. Pretty good baseball player too.”

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