NO PLACE LIKE JORDAN’S HOME

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Cameron Jordan has stayed afloat in the free agent pool lingering until June looking for his next team to play for in the NFL. After coming off a solid season weighting his offers, he clicked his spiked shoes three times and decided to come home. Jordan is coming home back to the New Orleans Saints for his 16th season in the NFL. All of them have been in the Big Easy. At 36 years of age, Jordan will turn 37 in July & says this will be his last season in the NFL. He could have pursued a Superbowl ring with a contender. He always had an invite by the Saints organization to play another season. He probably would have made more money elsewhere. He settles on a 1 year deal which is an incentive-laden type of contract. He will have to perform his best to get all the extra trimmings. The Saints right now are not Superbowl-bound. Late in the season last year, the Saints showed their fan base improvements. Could the Saints win their division the NFC South which is not a power house in the NFL? When any team makes it to the post-season, sometimes anything can happen. Look at the New England Patriots – a team that looked like they did not belong in the Superbowl. The Patriots found a way winning games on one of the easiest schedules in the NFL last year.

The Saints Defensive End Cameron Jordan was a 1st round pick by the Saints in the 2011 NFL draft 24th overall coming from the University of California. In 17 games last year for the Saints, he recorded 10.5 sacks along with 32 solo tackles and forced two fumbles. Not too shabby for a 36 year old athlete. Jordan has made the NFL Pro-Bowl 8 times in 15 seasons. Jordan has hit double digits in sacks in 7 out of 15 seasons. His career high in sacks was 15.5 sacks in 2019. In 2017 he had 13 sacks that year. He has a pair of 12.5 sack seasons as well. Last season was a contract year for Cameron as he responded but did not get the deal he expected to sign. In 2024 & ’25, he combined 6 sacks in those two seasons. Jordan has started every game in his career except 1 game. He has only missed 1 regular season game in his career. He has played 11 extra games in the post-season and has recorded 5.5 sacks in the playoffs. He has never played in a Superbowl as he missed Drew Brees and the Saints winning their only title by a few seasons. His career numbers he has 132 sacks in the NFL during regular season. Which ranks number 17 all-time in the NFL since they made the sack a stat. He has tallied up 494 solo tackles and has forced 17 forced fumbles in his career. He has 3 interceptions and has tallied up 248 QB hits in 15 seasons. Last year he had 15.

Ricky Jackson was a former Saint line backer as he played some defensive end as well. Jackson played for the Saints from 1981-1993 and racked up 115 sacks which is good for number two all-time on the Saints sacks list. Jackson would move on from New Orleans and play two seasons with the 49ers where he helped San Francisco win a Superbowl. In 15 seasons Jackson has 136 total sacks in the NFL. Cameron Jordan has 132 sacks all with the Saints which makes him the number 1 guy all-time at killing the quarterback for New Orleans. He would need 4 sacks to tie Jackson and with 5 he would move ahead of him on the all-time NFL sacks list. Number three all-time in sacks for the Saints is Wayne Martin who tallied 82.5 sacks from 1989-1999. One of the biggest bad asses in Saints history on their defense was Pat Swilling, who tallied up 76.5 sacks in Saints history from 1986-1992. Which is good for 4th all-time dressed in gold, black and white.

Then Will Smith rounds the top 5 on the Saints all-time sacks list. Smith unfortunately passed away in 2016. He helped the Saints win their only Superbowl as he played from 2004-2013 and played a few seasons with Cameron. He recorded 67.5 sacks for Smith.

The Saints came into last season with a new head coach, Kellen Moore, a guy that has played some quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Moore has been one of the league’s best play callers as well as being an offensive coordinator for years before getting his first head coaching job in New Orleans. The Saints fans may have found their next Drew Brees in Tyler Shough, who was a rookie last year. He showed he can throw the football and use his legs to get some yards. He was quite the leader out there. As a starter down the stretch he had a 5-4 record and Saints looked like a complete different team. The Saints added another top notch receiver in the draft picking up Arizona State Jordyn Tyson which will give Shough another play maker in New Orleans offense. The Saints still have Chris Olave who was the number 1 Saints receiver last year. The Saints aerial attack will be making some noise with Tyson and Olave. Then the Saints added running back free agent Travis Ethienne Jr. who had a monster year for the Jaguars last year. This offense will be better. The Saints defense played better as the season went on. Bringing back Cameron Jordan for peanuts is a big move for this organization. He is a guy that wants to be playing in New Orleans. His wife and 4 kids love the Big Easy. It’s their home away from home. Jordan dd not want to play for an arch rival like the Falcons, Panthers, or Buccaneers. That shows you something. He was honest he did not want to play for any cold weather teams. I thought the Bears should have tried to lure him to Chicago with the Saints old head coach Dennie Allen who is the defensive coordinator in the Windy City. Jordan gave the Saints a definitely home town discount. His heart is still in New Orleans and I have to give credit to a guy playing in one city his entire career. With free agency & trades that is unheard of in the sports world. If the Saints do make the post-season and don’t quite get to the Superbowl, they still look like a future contender. I think Jordan Cameron will go another year after this season just because this team is trending upwards. Look for Jordan along with the Saints to march after your quarterback at a stadium near you. Jordan is back home in the Big Easy looking to kill the quarterback.

BULLS ARE GOING BRAZILIAN STYLE AS THEIR NEW HEAD COACH

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The Chicago Bulls have found their replacement for Billy Donovan who stepped down from his duties several weeks back as head coach of the team. The Bulls brass must have liked what they saw from the Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter who is 41 years of age and got his big break last year starting the season working as an assistant. It took federal charges and the removal of the Trail Blazers original head coach, Chauncey Billups, who’s been in hot water being involved in an illegal gambling scheme to promote Splitter early on last season. Splitter ran with and compiled up a winning record of 42-39 in the Western conference. Which was good enough to be the number 7th seed in post-season. Why didn’t the Trail Blazers resign Splitter and remove the interim tag and make him their head coach for the future and beyond? Is this another “Another’s person junk, is the Bulls treasure type of move” by Chicago?

Tiago Splitter played 7 seasons in the NBA. Before the San Antonio Spurs drafted Splitter he was playing professional basketball overseas. San Antonio drafted the Brazilian 28th in the first round of the 2007 NBA draft. He made his NBA debut in 2010 and helped the Spurs win a title in 2014. He spent 5 seasons in San Antonio & then moved on and played one season in Atlanta. He concluded his career with the Philadelphia 76ers where he only managed to play in 8 games his final season which was 2016-17. He played mostly center his entire career as he stands at 6’11”. He did play some power forward as well. He averaged 7.9 points per game along with grabbing 5.0 rebounds per game. He averaged 1.2 assists per game as well. He played in 355 NBA games which does not count all the games he played elsewhere. In 2018 he joined the Nets as a scout and was part of the player development staff. In 2023 & ’24 he went into coaching as he was an assistant for Ime Udoka who was head coach of the Rockets. Then he went to the Euro league as he became a head coach in their 2024-25 season. Then he returned to the states and took the assistant job with the Trail Blazers that led him to the head coaching gig.

Tiago Splitter broke some long droughts in only one season being the guy out in Portland. Splitter’s winning season in his first season being head coach of the Blazers, you have to go back to 2001-02 when Maurice Cheeks came in and won right away. He also became the first Trail Blazer head coach in his debut season to win a post-season game. Splitter and his Trail Blazers were quickly dispatched in round 1 but they did win one game out of that best of 7. Mike Dunleavy was the last to win a post-season game in his debut. That was the 1997-98 season. Some things the Trail Blazers did well this season under Splitter was their last 51 regular season games they were a top 10 defense in the league. Wow, actual defense in the NBA. The Trail Blazers had a 30-21 record during that span. Another cool stat under Splitter as a team is they led the league in 2nd chance points. Rebounding and defense is a perfect recipe for winning basketball games. Instead of just chucking up the three pointer every chance you get and not rebounding to get the ball back.

Why did the Trail Blazers let Tiago Splitter walk out the door? From the players perspective, all of them who played for Splitter last year liked him as a head coach. The Trail Blazers have a new owner of the franchise in Tom Dundon, the same guy that owns the Carolina Hurricanes who just won the Stanley Cup. He is somehow not a fan of Splitter. Dundon’s search for a coach will a be guy they can get at a lower cost. This has worked for Dundon with the Hurricanes by giving the job to Rob Brind’Amour, a former player that played for Carolina as his first head coaching gig. He actually helped the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006 as a player. Brind’Amour took the family discount to get the job and it has paid off with multiple trips going deep into post season and now this season has another title for the Hurricanes.

The Bulls don’t have new ownership but they did clean out the front office getting rid of all their top guys. They hired Bryson Graham as the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Bulls. This is Graham’s hire. The Bulls are in a a rebuilding stage right now. It seems after the Michael Jordan era came to an end, that all the Bulls have been doing is rebuilding. The Bulls have Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis as their core pieces right now on this roster. The Bulls have the number 4th pick in the NBA draft coming up. They also have the number 15 in the first round as well. This hire by the Bulls, your first instinct has you thinking just another guy they picked up on the scrap heap. I’m not sure this hire by the Bulls will be good, bad, or ugly. It depends on how this franchise builds this roster. What kind of talent will they have? It sounds like they will be looking to land a bigger type of guys with athletic skills. They sound like they want to play solid defense. Tiago Splitter and Graham will have the time to build this team without the pressure of winning right away. You’re basically building from the ground up again. I like the fact that Splitter has played for a winning franchise and won it all with the Spurs. When the head coaching job went to him last season because of Chauncey Billups’ federal charges, he did not back down. He turned a bad situation and an opportunity for himself into a head coaching job without the interim tag attached to it. Splitter is not a screamer or will be going ballistic on his players. He does hold his players accountable which in today’s NBA world is a totally different challenge than yesterday’s NBA. In a few seasons, the Bulls may be a scrappy bunch that you will root for because they will be doing the dirty things that need to be done to win games in the NBA. Instead of just shooting three pointers on each possession. I hope the Brazilian flavor to this franchise is what it needs to turn this awful organization around. Bulls nation has been waiting long enough. This may be one of the most exciting rebuilds in sometime.

THE UFL: 2026 UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION

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The UFL will be the first league since the USFL in the 1980’s to have completed their 3rd season in a row of spring football. The Birmingham Stallions had a three peat wining two straight USFL championships that carried over winning a third in the UFL’s first United Bowl. Can the Defenders repeat two straight seasons being the lowest seed in the post-season? The Louisville Kings in their first ever season in the UFL – can they win it all? Both teams were underdogs last week. I predicted the upset with the Kings over the BattleHawks. I did not predict the Defenders beating the Storm who had the number 1 seed. Will Mr. Bean get his revenge?

We have a prediction for the United Bowl III. We threw in a bunch of words and hoopla with some sizzling stats before we gave you our winner. You can read it all or scroll down just to see who we chose. Your choice. It’s riveting stuff.

#4. DC DEFENDERS(6-5) VS #3. LOUISVILLE KINGS(7-4)

The defending champions, the DC Defenders, have lived another week and find themselves back in the title game as they look to repeat. The Defenders were in the same spot last year with the number 4 seed, the underdog, and got the upset versus the BattleHawks on the road. Then proceeded to knock off the Michigan Panthers in the United Bowl 2 of 2025 to become champions. Last week the Defenders went on the road and upset the number 1 seed, Orlando Storm, in Daytona, Florida. Now the Defenders have a home game in this year’s title game that is being played in the nation’s capital which is home to the snake.

Wrong snake. The Defenders have the beer snake and will play this year’s championship in front of the home crowd. Like Tom Brady did years ago wearing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform. That went well for him and Tampa.

If you were one of the few motor boating fans in Memphis last year, it may be tough seeing the Kings in the championship this season.

The UFL moved three teams to different cities. The Memphis Showboats became the Louisville Kings. Last year Memphis was one of the bottom feeders of the UFL. The Kings roster is much different from last year’s Showboats. The Kings probably do have a few Showboats on their current roster. The Kings have been a hit in Louisville as you can tell by the following they get in Bourbon Town. The Kings went on the road and knocked off the BattleHawks in St.Louis in the Thunderdome last week. The Kings came into the post-season as the hottest team winning 4 straight games. By advancing to the championship, it is now 5 straight wins. The Kings started the season 0-3 and have gone 7-1 since.

REGULAR SEASON HEAD TO HEAD

The Kings swept the two game series versus the Defenders in regular season. In DC the Kings won 30-13. Then in Louisville it was a closer game, 33-30.

The quarterback match up is very interesting in this championship game. Jason Bean was the starting quarterback for the first few weeks for the Louisville Kings. He was traded to the Defenders which gave the starting job to Chandler Rogers, who has lost only one game as the starter for Louisville. The Defenders lost their starting quarterback in the first match up between these two teams in Louisville. Jordan Ta’amu’s injury in Louisville was season ending. Ta’amu guided the Defenders to their first championship last year. Bean was not even the first choice when Ta’amu went down. The Defenders elected to go with Spencer Sanders who was a disaster. Bean got the start in last week’s win over the Storm. He threw for 233 passing yards, 1 touchdown pass, and ran for 40 yards. Bean left last week with an injury but came back. When he was out, back up QB Sanders threw a pick six. Both QBs are duel threats. Rogers completed 12-20 passes last week with no mistakes for 162 passing yards with a touchdown pass. The BattleHawks defense were the number 1 unit in the league.

Both teams can run the ball well. Both teams have that two-headed monster in the backfield.

The Defenders running game is the heart of their offense. They need to run the ball to win this game. They have the best running back in the league this season in Deon Jackson, who scored a touchdown last week in Florida. Then they have the veteran Abraham Smith who has been with the Defenders for a lifetime it seems. Smith found the end zone last week too. The Kings two-headed monster each scored a touchdown in St.Louis. Both big gainers as well. The Kings back field has Ian Wheeler and former Jacksonville Jaguar running back, James Robinson.

The passing game, the Louisville Kings have the edge. You can’t forget that Jason Bean threw for over 200 yards last week. When Jordan Ta’amu was the quarterback for the Defenders, DC had a well-balanced offense. Just the Defenders passing game with Ta’amu behind center, they had one of the better aerial attacks in the UFL. In the first half of the season, the Defenders were outscoring everyone. The Defenders do have play makers. The last few weeks the Kings aerial attack with Chandler Rogers has been producing. The Kings winning streak to end regular season, they were averaging over 30 points per game. The Kings have some top notch playmakers like Isaiah Winstead, Lucky Jackson, and Tarik Black. The Defenders group have Keke Coutee, Briley Moore, and Braylon Sanders which all had multiple catches last week.

On defense the Defenders got one of their old faces back from last year’s championship. The Defenders called Andre Mintze as he came out of retirement to play in this year’s post-season. Mintze used some PTO at his current job to help the Defenders defense as he was part of last year’s championship team. The Defenders are that “bend don’t break” style of defense. They like to blitz. They thrive on turnovers.

The Kings have the better overall defensive unit between the two teams. Last week Jaheim Thomas was a tackling machine as he ended up with 9 which six were solo. The Kings have the sack king on this defense as Cam Gill led the league in regular season. Then registered 1 sack last week versus the BattleHawks. He had 5 solo tackles in that game as well. The Kings D led the league in takeaways. The Defenders need takeaways while the Kings can survive without them.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Both teams have that kicker who can sniper the ball off their foot from 60 yards or more. Matt McCrane for the Defenders was the first kicker in history to get the 4 point score, a new rule that was inserted this off-season for a field goal kick of 60 yards or more made. For the Kings, Tanner Brown made two 4 point kicks in the same game which was last week in the Thunderdome in St.Louis which is history. Brown is the first to have more than one 60 yard 4 point score in the same game.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Both head coaches have never lost a post-season game in the UFL. Chris Redman for the Kings, his only post-season win came last week on the road in his only game. Shannon Harris is 3-0 in the post-season. The funny thing there is he has never won a post-season game at home. The Defenders will be at home, but technically the Kings will be the home team being the higher seed.

Does Jason Bean get his revenge on the team that traded him away? It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season. The Storm could not do it last week as they beat the Defenders twice to close out the regular season. Are we going to see a Defenders repeat? Will the Kings win their first ever UFL Championship? This match up looks close on paper. I think it will be a close game at the very end. I think Bean will make the mistake while Chandler Rogers has had way more clean games. I like the Kings passing game over the Defenders. I think the Kings defense can make the Defenders offense one dimensional. I just don’t see Bean delivering with his arm. The Storm’s defense weakness last week vs the Defenders were the broken plays. The QB getting chunks of yardage with their legs. The Kings defense is a different animal. The Defenders backed into the post-season because they lost their starting quarterback. Bean is not Jordan Ta’amu.

OUR PREDICTION: IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KINGS!

THE HOT SAUCE KING OF CHICAGO WILL BE MISSED BY BULLS NATION

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In a shocking story over the weekend, the news came out about the passing of Chicago Bulls broadcaster Stacey King. It shows you life can be way too short. According to ESPN’s Davod Kaplan, it was a fall that punched the ticket of King at the age of 59, which is totally unfair. King not only gave you insight into Bulls games from 2006 until present times. He was drafted by the Bulls and helped Chicago win three titles. King was a part of the first three-peat championship teams that featured Michael Jordan, Horace Grant, and Scottie Pippen. As a broadcaster, his broadcasts dialed you in like if he was calling the game on your couch drinking a few beers. The words “hot sauce” are what he used to describe an incredible three point shot. He used plenty of humor and still gave you the X’s and O’s of the game itself. Stacey King has been a part of the Bulls organization for 25 seasons. Five as a player and 20 calling the games on television.

The Chicago Bulls drafted Stacey King in the first round of the 1989 NBA draft, 6th overall. He played 8 seasons in the NBA and 5 of them were with the Bulls from 1989 until 1994. He also suited up for the Heat, Celtics, Timberwolves, and his last team he played for in the NBA was the Mavericks in 1996-97. King played for two teams in his 8th season in the NBA. He played 5 games with the Celtics & then 6 with Dallas. In the NBA he played in 438 regular season games. He averaged 6.4 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and 0.9 assists per game in the regular season. He played another 61 games in post season where he averaged 5.0 point per game, 2.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. In his NBA career, King played some center and power forward. In college King was a true scorer at Oklahoma. If King played for a bottom feeder team in the NBA, he may have been that elite scorer he was during his college career. He always expressed he loved winning more and the Bulls were going deep in the post-season at the time only to be eliminated by the Detroit Pistons. After his NBA career was over, he still had the itch to play longer. King went overseas and played for 2 countries: Turkey and Argentina. He also played for Sioux Falls in the CBA which was at the time the Continental Basketball League. King after that went into coaching with two CBA teams: Rockford Lightning and Sioux Falls Skyforce. King would play professional basketball for over 10 years.

In 2006 Stacey King joined the Bulls broadcast. After 1 year he was promoted to lead color commentator on the Bulls television broadcasts. It did not take Stacey very long to win over all of Bulls nation with his game analysis. His signature nicknames for players like the Windy City Assassin for point guard and Chicago guy, Derek Rose. For Jimmy Butler it was Jimmy G Buckets. The G would stand for Gets. He always had some great one-liners over the years such as, “Where’s my poster machine?” He’d be referring to an amazing play on the court by a Bulls player. Then he would say, “Drive home safely, Chicago! Beep, beep!” That would be his sign off phrase to end the telecasts. “Give Me the hot sauce,” started with Kyle Korver’s three pointers when he would get red hot and rain down three’s all night long. For an explosive dunk he’d go with, “Asik and destroy.” For any Bulls player like Butler or Rose going strong for a shot through the middle of traffic and making it. He would say “Too big! Too strong! Too fast! Too Good!” The hot sauce saying led to a podcast for Stacey.

When he was a player, he had clever sayings to reporters. His best comment came when he said, “Jordan and I combined to score 70 points tonight.” Referring to one of Michael Jordan’s famous games where he scored 69 points. It was true they did combine for 70 points because Stacey had 1 point that game. On the court he helped win championships doing whatever he was asked to do. He obviously did the dirty work because he was not scoring a ton of points every night. He became a better announcer with his personality than playing the game. After the Jordan years, Bulls basketball has been nothing special. Yes, the Derek Rose years were solid until his serious knee injury changed that team. Throw in a few other teams that did well & made post-season only to be eliminated in the first round. Stacey had those teams with plenty of bad years mixed in between the teams that had a good year. No matter what, he kept you entertained. Since I started watching sports in the 4 main teams of the Chicago sports landscape, we have had some great announcers. More homers than trying to call both sides of the coin. In baseball we had the great Ken the Hawk Harrelson, Steve Stone, and Harry Carry. Harry and the Hawk had the slogans, the play calls, & the one liners like Stacey has. Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk for the Blackhawks along with Troy Murray were amazing at painting the picture. One of the best Bulls announcers was Johnny Kerr who called the games Stacey played in. Then the Bears’ Jeff Joniak calling, “TOUCHDOWN BEARS,” just dances inside your head like sugar plums do the night before Christmas. I’m sure I have forgotten some great announcers for all these teams in Chicago. I’m sure before I was born all these teams had some great personalities. Either on the radio air waves or the voice on your television set. For Stacey King he will go down as one of the best all-time on Chicago television at calling the game the right way. He sounded like one of those guys that sit next you on the bar stool in your favorite watering hole. Great laughs & great insight. He seemed like a great dude as a human being. Good, bad, or ugly you never leave not entertained. He will be very hard to replaced. He will be missed. He will never be forgotten. It sucks that a freak accident can do that to whoever. I give my condolences to the King family. Thanks for the great memories on the court and on my television set. RIP STACEY!!! We loved you, man!!

THE UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2026 POST-SEASON PREDICTIONS

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The UFL is now down to the final 4 teams for the season as the post-season has arrived. The Houston Gamblers, Dallas Renegades, Columbus Aviators, and the Birmingham Stallions failed to make the post-season. They will be home watching the rest of the league try to win the UFL’s 3rd championship. In are the defending champs, the DC Defenders, who could have a home game if they win this weekend. The beer snake would be thriving being fed the craft beers in a championship atmosphere. The Kings are one of the hottest teams in the league coming into the post-season. Orlando will be riding out the Storm in Daytona’s stadium because their normal home venue is being used this weekend. The Storm have been hot as well. Can Ricky Proehl get the BattleHawks out of the first round? Something Anthony Becht could not do when he was head coach of the St.Louis. We are going to throw in our two cents by predicting both post-season games with some witty post-season analysis. Enjoy!! Post-season football is always entertaining.

#3. LOUISVILLE KINGS(6-4) AT #2 ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS(6-4)

The Thunderdome in St.Louis will be hosting another post-season game. The BattleHawks once again showed the UFL they have the number 1 fan base as they had the best attendance in the league. However, can the BattleHawks win a post-season game? Anthony Becht is no longer their head coach. If he was the problem. The BattleHawks come into this post-season with a whimper. They lost to a bad Renegades team in the last week of the season with the number 1 seed in their reach. Renegades lost 7 straight until they upended the BattleHawks in the Thunderdome. Now they face one of the hottest teams, if not the hottest team, in the UFL. The Louisville Kings. Kings come in clicking on all cylinders winning 4 straight games. The Kings started out of the gates this season 0-3. They went 6-1 the rest of the season only losing to the BattleHawks in week six in a barnstormer of a game that finished with a score of 16-3.

After the BattleHawks acquired the King of the Spring Fling, Luis Perez, from the Renegades, I thought it was an instant ticket to a championship for them. In 4 games the King of the Spring Fling has not done well. He is 2-2 as a starter this season. He has tallied 1,018 passing yards . He has 4 touchdown passes to six interceptions. Yikes!!!

Meanwhile the Kings made a QB trade when they sent Jason Bean packing at the trade deadline. The starting job then went to Chandler Rogers who has made 5 starts for Louisville. Rogers went 4-1 as the starter. He’s a duel threat quarterback who tallied 1,119 passing yards with 5 touchdown passes to three interceptions. With his legs he scored two touchdowns. The Kings in the last 4 games have averaged over 30 points a game.

If Luis Perez can get his game straightened out, he has multiple weapons in the passing game. The BattleHawks have plenty of talent at the wide receiver room including Hakeem Butler who may be the tallest target in the league. It was another solid year for Butler who caught 29 balls for 641 receiving yards and three touchdowns. They also have veteran guys like Jahcour Pearson, Blake Jackson, and Steven McBride. The BattleHawks also signed one of Perez’s cronies who played with him on the Renegades, Sal Cannella, who has shown he is one of the best tight ends in the league. Sal came available after the Cleveland Browns cut ties with him this off-season.

The Kings have plenty of weapons of mass destruction as well. They have Lucky Jackson who can be a threat as a wide receiver and gives the Kings a home run threat in the return games. Then Isiah Winstead, who racked up 474 receiving yards this season. Then Kaden Prather gives Rogers a big target to throw to. Then tight end Zach Davidson can be that guy that moves the chains.

Both teams can run the ball well. The BattleHawks use a power back that will run you over in Jarveon Howard. While the Kings have a two-headed monster in their back field that features former Jacksonville Jaguar James Robinson and Ian Wheeler. Two well-balanced offenses as well as two of the better defenses in the league.

The Kings have the sack master on their defense in Cam Gill. Gill led the UFL this season with 11 sacks. The Kings also have Corey Mayfield Jr. who led the league this year in interceptions. The former Brahmas defensive back Mayfield Jr. had 4 interceptions this season. The Kings defense is solid from top to bottom. The Kings defense led the league with 17 takeaways. The Kings defense allows only 21.8 points per game this season.

The St.Louis BattleHawks defense is the best unit in the UFL. It’s a defense that features the last defensive player of the year in Pita Taumoepenu. The BattleHawks can get after the quarterback. They led the league with 31 sacks this season. The BattleHawks defense allows only 18.1 points per game.

This game will be the game of the weekend here. Both teams are pretty much equal. The BattleHawks average 287.1 yards on offense per game. While the Kings average 293.7 yards per game on offense. It’s hard to win on the road in the Thunderdome. The BattleHawks quarterback Luis Perez has won a championship a few seasons ago with the Renegades in the XFL. That was the year Perez was traded in mid-season and then took it from there and got hot in post-season. St.Louis has failed in the first round of the post-season. The Kings are one of the hottest teams right now which means opponents may be scared to play them at this time. I’m going with the road team in this because of Luis Perez struggling.. The Kings are playing well on all three phases of the game right now & that will carry over to the post-season.

OUR PREDICTION: LOUISVILLE KINGS

#4. DC DEFENDERS(5-5) AT #1. ORLANDO STORM(8-2)

After the Defenders and Storm conclude this post-season game, it will end the three game series between the two teams. The Storm and Defenders just finished the season playing back to back games against each other. In which the Storm won both match ups. Maybe it will be the third time is the charm for the Defenders. The Storm come in having the number 1 seed in the post-season as they finished the season strong winning 4 straight games. Meanwhile the Defenders backed into the post-season losing 4 straight games. Once upon a time the Defenders were the top scoring team in the league until they lost their starting quarterback Jordan Ta’amu with a season-ending injury at Louisville.

The Defenders will have a hard time defending their championship run with the quarterbacks they do have. Spencer Sanders has been no good as he was the first guy thrown into the ring to replace Ta’amu. Then a mid-season trade landed the Defenders’ Jason Bean who was the Kings former starter in Louisville. Bean has talent but makes too many mistakes. The Defenders did sign spring journeyman E.J Perry to the roster. Perry played for the Showboats and the Panthers. His play level in the past has been too erratic. The Defenders have the worst quarterback room in the post-season.

The Orlando Storm have the MVP of the league behind center for them. Jack Plummer has shown the UFL world he is the best quarterback in the league. He threw 17 touchdown passes to only 1 interception. He tallied up 2,188 passing yards. He has multiple play makers he can throw to. The Storm lacks a running game where the Defenders need to run the ball to win this game.

Deon Jackson is the Defenders’ entire offense. Jackson led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns. The Storm defense can struggle against the run. The Storm’s defense will also falter on broken plays that get extended with running quarterbacks. If the Defenders use Bean or Sanders they could make big plays with their legs. The Defenders are a one dimensional offense as the Storm want to be a well balance offense. It depends on what the running game can do for the Storm. Some weeks they are well balanced. Some times it’s all about what Jack has.

The Orlando Storm has only given up 18.6 points per game which makes them one of the better defensive units in the league. They have the best red zone defense in the league. Defensive tackle Isiah Buggs can swallow up the run. Keshawn Banks led the league with the most tackles for loss of yardages. The Defenders defense plays very aggressively and thrives on turnovers. They will come after the quarterback with everything including the kitchen sink on some of their blitz packages.

Anthony Becht and Shannon Harris are the only two remaining head coaches from last year. Becht was the long time head coach for the BattleHawks but took most his staff to Florida to coach the Storm. Becht and his staff were part of that testy rivalry between the Defenders and BattleHawks. Last year the Defenders were not favored to win the championship. Harris in his first season got DC to the post-season, coached two victories, and took home the championship. Harris is 2-0 in post-season while Becht is 0-2 in the post-season. His teams have been favored to win it all but the result have been losses. One loss was last year in the XFL Conference Championship when Harris’ Defenders beat up the BattleHawks on Becht’s home turf which was a 36-18 beat down in the Thunderdome of St.Louis.

It would have been cool to see the Defenders hoist the beer snake in the UFL championship game in DC next weekend. I don’t see the Defenders getting past the Storm this weekend. It’s the quarterback play that concerns me about the Defenders. I don’t think Moe, Larry, or Curly can come through behind center against a top defense like the Storm have. Even if they signed a Shemp, it would not matter. I know it’s hard to beat a team three times in a row. Without Jordan Ta’amu, this Defenders team will not get it done. This may be the best team Anthony Becht has coached in his career. He has the horses. I think he will use them wisely and slay his dark demons of the first round action.

OUR PREDICTION: ORLANDO STORM

OUR NHL PREDICTION OF THE 2026 LORD STANLEY WINNER

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STANLEY CUP FINALS

We are down to two teams in the chase for the Lord Stanley Cup, the most prestigious trophy in sports. Remember like the Blarney Stone. do not kiss or lick it because you really don’t know where it’s been. The conference finals were a big snooze fest. I picked Avalanche and Hurricanes in the conference finals games. I went 1-2 in the conference finals match ups. For the entire post-season, predicting each series has given me a 6-8 record to this point. Even if I get the Stanley Cup final prediction right, I will still come away with a losing record. Even though I will get back up off the ground from being thrown off the back of the horse. I will dust myself off and roll the dice on my Stanley Cup pick with all the fixings. Make sure you bet the opposite.

LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Golden Knights eliminated: 1st round, Mammoth, 2nd round, Ducks, 3rd round Avalanche.

Hurricanes eliminated: 1st round, Senators, 2nd round, Flyers, 3rd round, Canadiens

BOTH TEAMS CHASING THEIR 2ND STANLEY CUP

Both teams are (1-1) all-time in the Stanley Cup finals. This will be the 3rd time for both these teams making it to the Stanley Cup finals. The Golden Knights won theirs a few years ago in 2023. While the Hurricanes you have to go back to 2006 when they hoisted the Cup.

TEAM HISTORY

The Golden Knights became an expansion team in the NHL and their first season was the 2017-18 season. Since the birth of the Golden Knights, they have missed the post-season 1 time. They have made post-season 8-9 years in the league. Add three Stanley Cup finals to the equation which is pretty impressive. If you are a fan of another team, it just sickens you reading those stats.

The Carolina Hurricanes were originally the Whalers of New England playing in a different league than the NHL. The Whalers played in the WHA (World Hockey Association.) In 1974 they relocated to the state of Connecticut and became the Hartford Whalers. The WHA ceased operations and the Whalers went to the NHL in 1979. In 1997, the Whalers relocated to North Carolina and changed their name to the Hurricanes.

THE SKINNY

After the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes have lost 1 game in the post-season so far. The Hurricanes are 12-1 and have been playing solid defense in each series. You have to be impressed by the Las Vegas Golden Knights who swept away the Colorado Avalanche in the conference championship. The Avalanche came in as Cup favorites to win it all. The roster is loaded with talent. To lose all 4 games and get swept, you have to think Vegas is doing something right.

GOALIES

We know both the Hurricanes and Golden Knights can play solid defense. Both teams have proven that in the first three rounds. Up to this point, both goalies have been solid. Frederik Andersen for the Hurricanes has had a solid track record in the Stanley Cup post-season and he has lost only 1 game between the pipes this NHL post-season. Andersen has played in way more post-season games than the Golden Knights goalie, Carter Hall. Hall has started 11 games this post-season and has only lost two of those matches. In the 11 starts, the Vegas goaltender has a save percentage of .940 which is remarkable. He has allowed only 1.82 goals against average. Hart has only started 18 games in regular season for the Golden Knights. Andersen has played more games during regular season than Carter and has played deep into the post-season the last few years.

The Golden Knights were very happy to have Mitch Marner in the Avalanche series as he was questionable due to an injury for the conference finals. Marner is a two way play-maker on the ice and has tallied up 21 points so far this post-season. You could say that the Golden Knights have the three best players from both teams. Starting with Marner & then let’s not forget about Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. Then the Golden Knights have some unsung heroes as well in Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev who have tallied ten goals each during this post-season. Can Vegas light the lamp against a great defense like the Hurricanes? They really dismantled Colorado. It is possible.

The Hurricanes can get you with 4 different lines they have. It’s the second line the Canes have that they have done the most Van Damage with. Line number two features Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall, and Logan Stankoven. This line for the Canes has tallied 43 points this post-season. Nineteen goals and 24 assists. The Canes can score goals. They have the snipers. They may have the experienced goal tender in post-season. They cleared their hurdle in the conference championship by finally prevailing after a few years of going home short of the finals. Can the Canes light the lamp versus a great defense like the Golden Knights have?

This will be a great series to finish off the hockey year and the 2025-26 season. It will be better than both conference championships that were just played as those series were one sided. How does an expansion team win their second Cup in such a short history? The Golden Knights have to be Vegas lucky. It’s not even the same head coach who took the expansion team to the finals in the very first year. John Tortorella has been some kind of hockey whisperer to his team as he only managed 8 games in regular season with this bunch. My heart wants the Hurricanes to win it all. My gut feeling is Golden Knights will win this series. It will go the distance. I’ve bet against the Golden Knights in each round and lost. Maybe picking them will reverse their fortune.

OUR PREDICTION: GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN SEVEN

RAMS PULL OFF CHECKMATE MOVE THAT LANDS THEM MYLES GARRETT FROM CLEVELAND

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In 2021 the LA Rams pulled out a blockbuster trade that helped them win the Superbowl in the same year they acquired their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, from the Detroit Lions. The Rams are notorious for trading their number 1 draft picks for established veteran players over the last several years. The Rams have done it again in another CHECKMATE move and acquired one of the best defensive ends in the league, Myles Garrett, from the Cleveland Browns. The Rams will send their much younger defensive end, Jared Verse, to Cleveland with three draft picks of which two are number one selections. The draft picks are 2027 first round pick, 2028 first round pick, and finally a 2029 3rd round pick. This is a trade that can certainly help the Rams get to the Superbowl which their home stadium is hosting next February. It also helps the Cleveland Browns get some of the draft capital they surrendered to the Houston Texans a few seasons ago when they acquired the sexual predator, Deshaun Watson.

Myles Garrett was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns back in 2017 in the first round number 1 overall from Texas A&M. He is 30 years of age and already has 9 seasons in the NFL. He is the highest paid player in the league that is not a quarterback. He has won back to back years as the defensive player of the year. Last year he tied the NFL single season record of most sacks by a player in one season. He had 23 sacks. He played in all 17 games for the Browns last year, tallied up 43 solo tackles, and forced three fumbles in 2025. He has played in 134 career games in his career and has racked up 125.5 sacks with 293 solo tackles while forcing 23 fumbles. In 9 seasons he has only played in 3 career playoff games with the Browns and has recorded one sack in those games. Garrett is remembered for ripping the helmet off Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolf during a play & then using it as a weapon to hit him in the head with it. Garrett would miss six games including the post-season in 2019 for that incident as he was suspended by the league.

You have to feel sorry for Jared Verse who has two years in the league and has been a starter for the Rams both seasons. Now he leaves a potential team that could make it to the Superbowl to play for a flunky like the Browns. Verse is also a first round pick. He was drafted in 2024 by the Rams number 19 overall from Florida State University. Last year he racked up 7.5 sacks for the Rams as he played in all 17 regular season games. He also had 35 solo tackles and forced 3 fumbles. In two seasons he has racked up 12 sacks and has 71 total solo tackles in 34 games. He has also forced 5 fumbles. He has 45 total QB hits in two seasons. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Rams in 2024. He is a 2x Pro-Bowler as well and has only two seasons under his belt. The Rams are getting a solid piece in return for Garrett who is still playing under a rookie contract. Plus he is 25 years of age which is 5 years younger than Myles Garrett. The Browns in March also restructured Garret’s contract making him easier to trade. The restructuring will allow the Browns two seasons to spread his 41.09 million dollars in dead cap space on the salary cap instead of taking the hit in one season. The Browns also get two number 1 draft picks along with a 3rd. Let’s not forget Verse was picked in the first round. Now you have your draft capital back from the horrific deal acquiring the sexual predator, Deshaun Watson, back in 2022 from Houston. Watson has been terrible most of the time since he came from Cleveland. He has missed a ton of games with season ending injuries. Plus he’s a cancer in the locker room. Then you still hear about more sexual assault cases against him popping up. Hopefully Cleveland can use one of those draft picks and find a QB. Next year’s draft will be loaded with QB talent.

When the Rams won their last Superbowl, they had that one player on that defense who was a game wrecker. Aaron Donald was a beast. He has been retired now for the last few seasons. The Rams defense was solid last year. By bringing in Myles Garrett they have that Donald, a guy that can change the game. He’s a QB killer who has 239 hits on the guy behind center in 9 seasons. If he does not record a sack he will let you know his presence is there. He’s a guy that can close out football games. Let’s face it, the Rams are all in. They have a veteran quarterback approaching 40 years of age in Matthew Stafford who has shown he is capable of still playing at a high level. Last year the Rams went out and got another top receiver in the NFL, in Devante Adams. The Rams went all the way to the NFC Championship game and lost to a division rival, the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to dispose of the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. The Rams feel they need one more player to get them over the top of the mountain to get back to the Superbowl. The Rams feel they get more for their teams by trading their number 1 pick for talented veteran players. They have also acquired Von Mille and Jalen Ramsey in the past. This off-season they made a deal with the Chiefs for their all-pro corner back, Trent McDuffie, for some draft picks. The Rams actually used their number 1 pick this season on a quarterback, Ty Simpson. This Rams team has one of the best coaches in the NFL, the young mind of Sean McVay. Then next year’s Superbowl is in LA. The Rams could do their version of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and host the Superbowl in their own stadium. The Rams before the trade landing Garrett, had good odds by Las Vegas to win next year’s big game. Now they should be the lead horse in the race to win next year’s Superbowl. In my opinion this looks like a solid trade for both teams. Cleveland is not getting to the Superbowl any time soon as they need to rebuild that roster. The Rams have done this before and made the big move to put themselves in the best position possible. You can really say, “CHECKMATE!!”

THE MR. OCTOBER OF THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS TAKES HIS OWN LIFE

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The hockey world has lost one of their best post-season players in the history of the game in Claude Lemieux, who was a 4x Stanley Cup winner. On May 28th, Claude’s son found his body in back of the family’s furniture store in Florida around 3 AM. Claude has been battling depression most of his life and took his own by hanging himself. No one would have guessed that as he made a public appearance in Montreal while serving as a torch bearer at the Canadiens’ Eastern Conference finals game vs the Hurricanes. He is survived by his wife Deborah and 4 children. His son Brendan played in the NHL. His own brother, Jocelyn, also played professional hockey and he was in the NHL for 12 seasons. On the ice Claude was a beast. Off the ice he was a gentle giant teddy bear. He was a solid regular season player his entire 21 year career. When it came to the post-season, he was a money player. A hired hit man type that would get the job done each and every night on the ice. He was the Reggie Jackson of the hockey world.

Claude Lemieux was only 60 years of age. He was born on July 16th of 1965 in Buckingham, Quebec. The Montreal Canadiens selected him in the 2nd round of the 1983 NHL draft, 26th overall. He made his NHL debut in the 1983-84 season with the Canadiens. He skated for six different franchises. The three hockey franchises he stayed with the longest was Montreal, New Jersey, and Colorado where he helped them all win at least one Stanley Cup. He also skated three seasons in the desert with the Coyotes. Did one season with the Stars and concluded his career with the Sharks in 2008-09 season where he only played in 18 games. In 21 seasons, Claude played in 1,215 regular season games. Add another 234 playoff games to his hockey resume. In regular season he tallied up 379 goals and dished out 407 assists for a total of 786 points.

Claude Lemieux was that guy you hated if he did not play for your team. If he did wear your team’s jersey, you instantly fell in love with his style of play, especially in post-season. You can ask any Red Wings fan. Claude in a post-season game in the finals laid out Detroit’s Kris Draper which was a game six of the series when he wore a Devils uniform. Draper’s face hit the boards and the hit caused serious facial injuries. Claude became known as a Red Wing killer as it sparked a rivalry that played out with the Devils and lingered into his Colorado days. Claude’s nickname was Pepe.

He was named after that cartoon skunk, Pepe La Pew. The name fits because of his style of play. Claude was an agitator on the ice along with being an enforcer. He also skated well and can put the puck in the net. He elevated his level of play in the post-season like flipping a light switch. When he won his first cup in Montreal for the Canadiens back in the 1985-’86 season, he scored 10 goals with 16 points during that post-season run. He helped the New Jersey Devils win their first cup ever in the 1994-95 season. That was the year Claude became MVP of the cup finals and won the Smythe award. His third cup came the following year wearing the Avalanche sweater in the 1995-96 season.Then Claude would find his way back to Jersey and won another cup during the 1999-’00 season. In 234 games he played in post-season, he scored 80 goals and dished out 78 assists for a total of 158 points. He ranks number 9 all-time on the NHL’s post-season goals list.

After getting the best of the Red Wings in two different uniforms, Detroit got their revenge on their home ice versus Claude Lemieux who was still skating with the Avalanche. Red Wings fans were wanting blood in a regular season game in hockey town with their Wings and the visiting Avalanche. Late in the first period, pretty much a brawl broke out between the two teams. In an epic fight between Claude and Darren McCarthy, the Red Wings fan got their revenge. McCarthy beat the daylights out of Claude that day in that game. They would have a rematch months later. Claude was able to cross that line in post-season play doing the dirty things as he racked up over 500 penalty minutes in post-season play. Claude was a vilian to the Red Wings which made them better as they created their own dynasty after those epic 1990’s clashes between the Devils and Avalanche. McCarthy after hearing about the passing of Claude, called him a brother as they became friends later on in life & he expressed his condolences to the Lemieux family.

Everyone wishes they had that easy button in life. Nothing is ever easy in life. Sure many people make things look that easy. Claude Lemieux probably found hockey was easier than family life in general. I can imagine hockey was his outlet in life. To play the game he has played since he was kid. Push away all those feelings inside that come pimping up in the mindset. Claude has been retired from the game for over a decade. The mind starts to race with too many thoughts. Maybe some regrets in life. Depression is a real thing that many people back in the day would poke fun at. Hockey players beat the shit out of each other on the ice & then shake hands after the match. Whatever happens on the ice stays on the ice. In the real world feelings don’t go away as they linger. Why do people get hooked on drugs and drinking? Trying to force those lingering feelings away. Claude was happy being the torchbearer at the Canadiens game not too long ago. The family could not see it as he obviously had something bothering him to take his own life that way. Leaving his kids and wife. Which is a shame. Most of the world has mental issues. Some may not even know they do. I hope the Lemieux family can cope with this tragedy. Certain deaths of loved ones can linger for a very long time. It’s definitely a sad day in the sports world losing a great player along with a person that way. Hopefully a death like that can prevent someone else down the road from ending their own lives. RIP PEPE!!!

2026 UFL: THE UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 10

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First year head coach Chris Redman has his Louisville Kings playing their best football of the year. The Kings are moving up the rankings and could be a thorn in the sides of other teams if they make it to the post-season dance. We go into the final week of regular season with three teams clinching a playoff spot. Two teams fighting for the final spot. Three teams that are eliminated could play spoiler because no seeds have been clinched yet. The number 1 seed is still open for business. We will sort it all out and paint the playoff picture for you with our latest addition of the power rankings.

WEEK 10 UFL POWER RANKINGS

#1. ORLANDO STORM (7-2) Same spot from last week as King of the UFL mountain.

Isaiah Buggs was a beast for the Orlando Storm defense last week. The Storm’s pursuit for the best record in the UFL and the number 1 seed meant they needed to fend off the Defenders and got the job done. Buggs plays defensive line on the Storm’s defense and he was a one man wrecking crew going after the quarterback and stopping the Defenders run which is their strong point right now.

The Beastman Buggs had 1 sack with 4 tackles. Three of them solo and three for yards lost on the play. He was consistently causing problems and being disruptive in the Defenders offensive game plan. The Storms offense was not well-balanced in this one. The running game is the team’s weakness averaging 2.2 yards per carry. The skies, Jack Plummer was once again lighting them up with three touchdown passes for 275 passing yards. He has multiple play-makers he can use every week. Chris Rowland had 8 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Badger had 5 catches for 82 yards and touchdown. Then Cam Camper had 3 catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. The Storm also have KJ Hamler who was quiet versus the Defenders, only catching 1 ball. If this team could run the ball like their passing game, they will be unstoppable in post-season. Plummer could carry this team if the defense can Bugg out like they are doing.

#2. LOUISVILLE KINGS (5-4) Moved up 1 spot from last week

It’s good to be a Louisville Kings fan in the UFL. They are one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won three straight games. They have won 5 out of their last 6 games. This is a team that started the season 0-3 and are right now in great shape to make it to the post-season. The Kings control their own destiny this weekend. If they beat the Aviators, they are in. If the Stallions lose, they are in. If the Storm beat the Defenders, they are in. Last week they completed the sweep on Dallas scoring 37 points which was the week high in week 9. In two games versus the Renegades, they have scored 84 points. Chandler Rogers is getting better each week at the Kings’ quarterback position. He completed 16-21 passes for 266 passing yards with two touchdown passes. No mistakes.

Another play-maker is emerging for the Kings. Wide receiver Tarik Black caught 4 balls for 82 yards while hauling one of those passes for a touchdown. The Kings running game ran wild versus the Renegades. They tallied up 205 rushing yards on the ground. Their two-headed monster running backs both had big games. Ian Wheeler gained 93 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. Then James Robinson gained 88 yards on the ground. If the Kings get to the post-season I really don’t think anyone will want to face them.

#3. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (6-3) Dropped 1 spot from last week.

Are you impressed with the BattleHawks since the King of the Spring Fling took over as the starting quarterback? I thought Luis Perez would put a jolt into this BattleHawks offense with him behind center. The BattleHawks get their revenge on the Gamblers beating them at their place in week 9. This after the Gamblers beat them in Arch-City in week 8. The BattleHawks clinch a playoff spot with the 21-15 win over the Gamblers. St.Louis is only 1 game behind the Orlando Storm and have a chance at the number 1 seed in the UFL post-season.

The Gamblers use two dum-dums every game at the quarterback position. Both guys are not very good and somehow Houston wins one and makes a game out of the other. Luis Perez is not in sync with his new teammates. He threw the ball 39 times. He’s always good for an interception. He did throw a touchdown pass. Why not give Perez some help with the running game instead of putting everything on his shoulders?

The BattleHawks’ featured back is Jarveon Howard who had 55 rushing yards on the ground. The BattleHawks averaged 3.9 yards per carry as a team vs the Gamblers. Kylin James only carried the ball 6 times for 31 rushing yards as well as a touchdown. James needs to get the ball more often if he is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. The BattleHawks defense were gashed by the Gamblers running game. The mighty, at one point this season, hawks definitely have more than one kink in their feathers that will need to be addressed before post-season. Or it will be one and done for St.Louis like last season.

#4. DC DEFENDERS (5-4) Moved up 1 spot from last week.

The Defenders will get a chance in post-season to defend their title from last year. Despite the loss to the Storm, the Defenders have clinched a playoff spot. The Defenders have lost three straight games. They were once on top of the UFL world with a balanced offense that could light the scoreboard up. They lost their starting quarterback Jordan Ta’amu to a season ending injury back when the Defenders played the Kings in Louisville. Ta’amu was the guy that played a big role in helping this Defenders team win it all last year. Now this team has to rely on a run first kind of quarterback in Spencer Sanders.

Sanders completed 10 passes out of 21 attempts for 160 passing yards. He completed 47.6% of his passes which is not good. He did use his legs for 75 rushing yards. The Defenders last week averaged 5.8 yards a carry. They can run the ball. The passing game has suffered with Sanders being QB 1. Their defense needs turnovers to thrive. They most likely will get the number 4 spot and pretty much get back into the post-season. They play the Storm once again this weekend. They could be playing the Storm for a 3rd time in the post-season if Orlando lands the number 1 spot. Three games in a row the UFL will throw Defenders vs Storm at you.

The Defenders fan-base dresses like they are going to Comic-Con. At least they can enjoy the new spin off of the Big Bang Theory coming soon. We do know that Spencer fails to save the Defenders universe.

#5. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (4-5) Dropped 1 spot from last week.

The Stallions did drop the big one losing to the Aviators last week. The Stallions have been playing well in the second half, but lost in a shoot out against Columbus’ second string quarterback who had the game of his life. The Stallions are not dead yet for post-season hopes. However they need lots of help. First, in week 10 the Stallions have to beat the Gamblers. Last time Houston and Birmingham met, the Gamblers beat them. The Stallions also need the Defenders without their starting quarterback to take down the top team in the league, the Storm. Then they must rely on the team they lost to last week, the Aviators, to come through and knock off the red hot Kings team.

My prediction is the Stallions get to 5-5 for the season. No soup for them in the post-season. The Stallions dynasty comes to an end.

#6. COLUMBUS AVIATORS (3-6) Moved up 1 spot from last week.

I hate when teams find the answers to their lingering problems at the very end of the season. The Aviators finally unplugged the Jalan McClendon experiment that failed this season.

The Aviators replaced Jalan with another Jalen, just spelled differently. Who knows nowadays which spelling is correct. I’m not sure the Aviators had the answer at the quarterback position all along. Only completing 46.7% of your passes is not the long term fix either.

Despite only completing 14-30 passes & 213 passing yards, Jalen Morton earned himself player of the week. Morton and the Aviators scored 36 points to knock off a hot Stallions team. Morton threw three touchdown passes with 1 interception. He is a duel threat QB who also ran for 96 yards and scored a touchdown using his legs. It would take the other Jalan weeks to get that production that the new guy got in only 1 week. We will see how Morton does in week 10. Will he have pepper or salt?

#7. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (3-6) Dropped 1 spot from last week.

The Gamblers made a game out of almost beating the BattleHawks in back-to-back weeks.

The Dueling banjos Houston has playing quarterback for them combined for 146 passing yards. Only completing 15-29 passes for 1 touchdown pass and an interception. John Rhys Plumlee along with Hunter Dekkers should be traded to the Arena League. It’s that simple. Houston has a problem at the QB position that has been lingering for years. Either the Roughnecks or the Gambler uniforms can’t hide their issues.

It was the Gamblers running game and defense that helped Houston stay in the game. Kirk Merritt found pay dirt with a rushing touchdown. It was the Gamblers featured back, Marcus Yarns, who gashed the BattleHawks defense with 98 rushing yards on 13 carries. The Gamblers should consider distributing the ball to their running backs more often than relying on their Deliverance theme song at the QB position to get the job done.

#8. DALLAS RENEGADES (3-6) Still under the stairs buying up all the real estate in the bottoms.

The head coach of the Renegades this season is Rick Neuheisel. His first season as head coach in the UFL has been a complete disaster. The Renegades started out strong 3-0, but have lost 6 straight games and have been eliminated from post-season play. Spring football is not Ricky’s thing. When he played quarterback for the San Antonio Gunslingers back in the USFL during the 1980’s, they were not a good team. In two seasons in San Antonio, the team went 12-24 overall. Or it could be a Texas thing that does not go well with Rick. Dallas’ present day is San Antonio in the past. Austin Reed looked like he was going to be MVP of the league. Last week he hit rock bottom as he completed 7-21 passes. That equals out to 33.3% which is awful. Reed did throw two touchdown passes and an interception. He may have done better versus the Kings than he did in his first meeting. Reed’s confidence has to be broken in a million pieces. One time he showed promise in this league and in the NFL in Bears camp during pre-season. What his future will be, I don’t know. Rick should be worried too.

The bright side of the Renegades came from running back Lorenzo Lingard who had 56 rushing yards on the ground versus a difficult Kings defense. He also scored a rushing touchdown. Will the Renegades ever win again?

2026 UFL: THE UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 9

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Number 1 on the DC Defenders, Bryce Thompson, is not getting any Christmas cards from the fans in Louisville any time soon. The Chants of “Number 1 sucks,” after Thompson expressed his ill feelings to a Kings fan during the game about how his team, or that number 1 talking in the 3rd person, is better than sliced bread. Number 1 and the Defenders have fallen on their shields in the power rankings. A storm is brewing at the number 1 spot. One team is officially in the post-season. The King of the Spring Fling has a hiccup. Dallas is still at the bottom. Houston has no problems last week. Plenty of movement in week 9 power rankings. We will discuss each team from the best to the worst in our latest addition.

WEEK 9 UFL POWER RANKINGS

#1. ORLANDO STORM (6-2) Moved up 4 spots from last week

With the Defenders and the BattleHawks losing in week 8, the UFL has a new sheriff in the league at number 1 in the power rankings.

Every team will be gunning for a new sheriff and especially the Storm as they are the first team to clinch a post-season spot. They also have the best record in the UFL after 8 weeks of action. Jack Plummer is the best quarterback in the league right now. Plummer did not throw any passing touchdowns in week 8. He did tally 238 passing yards and used his legs to score two rushing touchdowns.

He leads the UFL in passing yardage. He is in the top few in most categories. The Storm beat the Renegades on the road which is not much to brag about as Dallas has been on the electric slide in the wrong direction. The Storm have a well-balanced offense. They have multiple play makers that Plummer can throw to. The Storm’s defense is not lights out but can definitely rain on your parade.

#2. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (5-3) Fall from top of the mountain one spot to second in the power rankings.

Al Bundy said once on Married with Children, “If you lose to the Rams, your team should get kicked out of the league.” It should apply to the BattleHawks who had a let down last week and took a loss to the Houston Gamblers at home in the Thunderdome. Luis Perez threw for 300 passing yards. Steven McBride had 8 catches for 116 receiving yards. With numbers like that, how the hell did the BattleHawks lay an egg versus the Gamblers?

The King of the Spring Fling, Luis Perez, threw two interceptions of which one was a pick six. The BattleHawks were down 20-9 at halftime. The BattleHawks defense only allowed a field goal in the second half. The BattleHawks only managed a touchdown in the second half which was not enough to be stunned by the visiting Houston team. It was the first loss at home for the BattleHawks.With the loss, the Storm perched themselves in front of the BattleHawks for the number 1 playoff seed. However, help is on the way for St.Louis.

The BattleHawks signed one of the best tightends to have played spring football over the last few seasons. Former Renegades tight end Sal Cannella will come to Arch-City and join his former teammate Perez suiting up for St.Louis. Cannella played in two NFL games for the Browns in 2025 and caught two balls for 11 yards. He became available when the Browns recently cut him from their roster making him a free agent. Cannella has played 4 seasons starting with the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers back in 2022. He has played for the Renegades for the last three seasons which included helping them win an XFL championship. He has caught 175 balls in spring football for 1,765 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. St.Louis’ offense now has become even more potent.

#3. LOUISVILLE KINGS (4-4) Moved up 1 spot from last week

The Kings have the hex over the Defenders, beating them twice in the last two weeks and Louisville has evened their record at 4-4. The Kings are in the mix right now for post-season with 2 weeks left to play. It may have been one of the best games of the year as the Kings win a thriller at home. This game had it all including a kickoff return by Tyler Hudson to tie the game at 7’s.

If you were at the concession stands or in the bathroom, this game had 14 points on the scoreboard in less than a minute. Also on the Kings special teams, Tanner Brown had a big day kicking multiple field goals including nailing a 60 yarder for 4 points.The Kings knocked out the Defenders starting quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu, in this one. Some thought the Kings fans were going to see Jason Bean who was Louisville’s quarterback the first few weeks until he was traded to the Defenders. Instead they dealt with run first/ask questions later Spencer Sanders who is not really much of a passer. Chandler Rogers threw a touchdown pass and had an interception for the Kings behind center. The Kings tallied up 134 rushing yards in this one. Wide receiver Isiah Winstead had 5 catches for 92 yards while hauling in a touchdown pass.

Louisville had over 10,000 screaming fans on hand rooting the Kings on. Out of the gates the Kings looked like a team that would take awhile to get their shit together. In the last few weeks, they are one of the hotter teams in the league and could certainly make some noise in the post-season if they end up getting one of the spots. They play well in all phases of their game.

#4. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (4-4) Dropped 1 spot from last week

The Stallions right now are one of the hottest teams in the league winning three games in a row and are at the .500 mark. Birmingham started off the season 1-3 in their first 4 games. Now they have turned things around going 3-1 in their last 4 games. Since the Stallions landed Dorian Thompson-Robinson, they are 3-1 with him as the starting quarterback. Last weekend the Stallions were shut out in the first half by the Aviators, 3-0. It was the Stallions defense and special teams that won their 4th game of the season for head coach AJ McCarron. The Stallions only scored 14 points which was enough to beat the worst team in the league, the Aviators. The win was not very impressive which is why they dropped a spot in the power rankings.

Defensive back Steven Gilmore blocked a 55 yard field goal attempt by the Aviators and then scooped up the ball and took it to the house for a touchdown. Steven’s brother is Stephon Gilmore who has played multiple years in the NFL.

The Stallions defense held the best rushing team to 61 yards on the ground, which averages out to 2.4 yards a carry. The Stallions defense only gave a field goal in a big win for them as they are pushing for a post-season spot.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (5-3) Fallen 3 spots from last week.

The defending champs are in big trouble. They have lost back to back games to the Louisville Kings. Now they have lost three straight games. The biggest problem they have is last week they lost their starting quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu, to a knee injury early in the contest versus the Kings. He is out for the rest of the season.

It looks like the beer snake is dead as the back up options at QB do not look promising. Last week the Defenders second string quarterback, Spencer Sanders, completed 7-15 passes for 83 passing yards and 1 interception. He used his legs for 5 carries & 27 rushing yards. Not sure why the Defenders did not insert Jason Bean, the X Kings quarterback who started multiple games for Louisville earlier this season. At least he can pass the ball. They landed Bean in a trade with the Kings for Mike Diliello who was the back up to Ta’amu the last two seasons. I bet they wish they did not make that trade because Diliello in my opinion is better than any of the guys that DC has. Look for the Defenders to rely heavily on the running game. The Defenders defense will need to practically shut out teams. The UFL championship will be played in DC. The Defenders will not be there as the X champs are drowning in their big gulp beers right now.

#6. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (3-5) Moved up 1 spot with their big upset last week

Somehow the Gamblers are still alive for the post-season as they found a way to upset St.Louis in the dome.

To upset a team like St.Louis in the Thunderdome you have to play like Mad Max. The Gamblers defense did as they intercepted the King of the Spring Fling, Luis Perez, twice and gave the BattleHawks their first loss at home this season.

It was defensive back Kary Vincent Jr. who took one Perez’s passes all the way to the promised land for a pick six. The Gamblers defense held St.Louis to 16 points for their 3rd win. The new quarterback for the Gamblers, John Rys Plumlee, threw three passes and completed 2 for a negative 3 yards. Luckily the other guy they have behind center here and there, Hunter Dekkers, played well completing 15-22 passes for 155 passing yards which included two touchdown passes and he did throw 1 interception. But it did not matter because Gamblers won the game and are still alive in the playoff hunt. I would not gamble on the Gamblers getting to the post-season.

#7. COLUMBUS AVIATORS (2-6) Drop 1 spot from last week

In week seven, the Aviators defense gave up the most points. In week 8 the Aviators defense gave up really only 7 points to the Stallions. The other 7 points came from a blocked field goal touchdown on special teams. Yes, Aviators gave up 14 points to the Stallions in a loss because Columbus only scored three points in the game. The Aviators bread and butter has been their running game as they are the number 1 rushing team in the UFL. The three-headed monster at the running back position that features Toa Taua, Zaquandre White, and John Lovett along with their quarterback have combined for 11 rushing touchdowns. However versus the Stallions the running game was held in check. The Aviators offense in general was horrific. Jalan McClendon threw two interceptions. Once again he threw a whole heck of lot of passes for not many passing yards.

The Aviators defense played well. Much of the season the Aviators defense was MIA. Versus one of the hotter teams in the league, guys like Smoke Monday who may have the best name in the league, had 5 tackles and help Columbus swallow up the Stallions offense. Even at 2-6 the Aviators are not mathematically out of it for the post-season. Spoiler alert!! I think by next week their time will run out.

#8. DALLAS RENEGADES (3-5) Still holding down the fort under the stairs in the power rankings.

The Renegades may have played their best game in a very long time. However it’s the same results for the Renegades, another loss which makes the current skid 5 in a row. Austin Reed had three touchdown passes versus one of the top teams in the league, the Orlando Storm.

Former Houston Roughnecks wide receiver now in a Renegades uniform, Emmanuel Butler, hauled in two touchdown catches. Reed only tallied up 131 passing yards in a game the Renegades lost by one score and had the early lead. Reed leads the league in touchdown passes. The Renegades started out of the gates 3-0 and looked like their destiny was the post-season. Now their post-season chances have dwindled taking on another loss.

Reed will have to orchestrate two wins in the final two weeks in an asteroid field with no headlights working. Then hope some teams suddenly fall off the map. Perhaps then the Renegades find the post-season. I think someone pulled the plug on the Renegades season weeks ago.