The XFL and USFL transformed into the mighty UFL, the United Football League. The first week debuted last weekend over Easter weekend. The words of The Rock were, “Let’s ball out baby,” as he was the face of the XFL. The XFL trophy was on hand in Arlington and that could have used a face lift and hopefully not be part of the merger deal. The first game featured the two champions from the two spring leagues of last season. The UFL has two conferences named after the two former spring leagues. In week one, USFL teams beat up the XFL teams on the scoreboard and in the standings. The UFL has taken the rules of both former leagues and applied them to this new spring league. The games were sloppy. Knocking off the rust. I feel as the season goes on, the play on the field will get better. With only 8 teams in the UFL, each team has a solid roster and we are going to rank each squad every week in the UFL power rankings. We did not do a week one which is like throwing bologna at some gal’s ass on the Howard Stern show. We roll in starting our power rankings after week 1. Hope you enjoy the debut of the UFL power rankings as we know we will not teach you anything worthy. But we will ball out baby!!! Not a big fan of the Rock’s Ball Out Baby slogan. Maybe he will do better as all the teams are expected to do so.

#1. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (1-0)

If Stallions head coach Skip Holtz was not a football coach, he’d be playing dueling pianos in Music City. Holtz may be one of the best at playing dueling quarterbacks. He has done this with J’Mar Smith and Alex McGough until he found his guy. Each of them have won a USFL championship behind center for Holtz. Now this season he got production out of two of his quarterbacks. Matt Coral will be QB 1 but Adrian Martinez used his legs to rush for 52 yards. Both quarterbacks have different skill sets and Holtz played them like a fiddle against the Renegades as it was a battle of last year’s champions from the two different spring leagues. Matt Coral used the usual Stallion suspects on offense delivering his first touchdown pass to you know who, Deon Cain. He finished with 3 catches, 66 yards and hauled in a nice 39 yard pass from Coral. CJ Marble did his thing leading all rushers in the game with 67 yards on the ground. The Stallions defense did their part holding Arlington to 11 points.

Former Maulers corner back Mark Gilbert now with the Stallions had a huge interception off Luis Perez to basically seal the deal. Stallions scored the most points in week one tied with the Brahmas for 27. Their defense was stingy. This is an easy pick for number 1 in the power rankings.

#2. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-0)

The DC Defenders will not want to remember the Alamo. In their case, the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, as the Brahmas made lunch meat out of the beer snake team. This is not the same Brahmas team from last season. With the merger, Wade Phillips took over the head coach duties for the Brahmas and brought his old team the Houston Roughnecks with him to San Antonio. The Roughnecks name was adopted by the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. The Gamblers core are now wearing the oil rig on their helmets. This is good news for San Antonio fans because they have a punter with an arm who threw a bomb for touchdown.

The Brahmas punter Brad Wing, a former Pittsburgh Steeler, hits center Alex Mollette on a 40 yard pass play who was an eligible receiver on a trick play fake punt that was executed to perfection. The Brahmas look like they have a quarterback as Chase Garbers was 19-25 for 164 yards with two touchdown passes and also rushed for TD. Jontre Kirklin was Garbers’ main target in the week had 8 catches for 61 yards as he hauled in a touchdown. Brahmas held the Defenders to 12 points and their defense beat up Jordan Ta’amu all afternoon. Brahma fans were ecstatic!!!

#3. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-0)

The Showboats no longer have Todd Haley as their head coach which is a good thing. The Showboats head coach is John DeFilippo who was head coach of the New Orleans Breakers last season as they made the playoffs in the USFL. The Showboats team has their core from last year with lots of X-Breakers sprinkled in on the roster. DeFilippo helped Nick Foles become a better quarterback. The Showboats now actually have a stud quarterback unlike last season in Case Cookus who played the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL. Cookus had 201 passing yards in his first start in a Showboats uniform as he hit wide receiver Vinny Papale for his only touchdown pass of the day. The weapons Cookus has this year may be the best he has ever had as Jonathan Adams was one of the best wide receivers in the USFL last year. The former Breaker had 4 catches for 49 yards. It was the Showboats defense that should get the curtain call in week one holding the Houston Roughnecks to a total of 174 yards in offense.

Greg Reaves, Showboats line backer, had two sacks and a fumble recovery. The Showboats sacked Houston’s quarterback 4 times and held them to 12 points. Haley left, but defensive coordinator Carnell Lake stayed another X-Pittsburgh Steeler great. Showboats have the boats.

#4.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-0)

The Michigan Panthers knocked off the St.Louis BattleHawks 18-16 with a walk off 64 yard field goal with two seconds left in the contest. It was the first field goal attempt by Jake Bates since high school. Bates played soccer in college. Bates was in preseason camp with the Houston Texans and made two extra points. Justin Tucker of the Ravens has a 64 yarder in the NFL as he did that at Ford Field like Bates did. The BattleHawks iced Bates with time out and Jake kicked the ball anyways and made it. Then after the time out he nailed it again and the Panthers win their home opener versus a good team as many experts have the BattleHawks getting to the playoffs. The Panthers have always been known for their defense and a solid running game. The Panthers new running back Wes Hills, former Breaker of the USFL, led week one with 85 rushing yards. The Panthers seem to have found their quarterback as well. Last year EJ Perry stepped behind center late in the season and led the Panthers to the playoffs. Perry completed 12-24 passes for 176 yards versus the BattleHawks. He also rushed for two touchdowns and set up Bates at the end of the game for his shining moment on Easter weekend.

#5. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (0-1)

In the first half, AJ McCarron quarterback for the BattleHawks, was knocking off the rust. Then in the second half he was dialed in. McCaron had two touchdown passes as he completed 64% of his passes for 216 passing yards. McCarron hit Marcell Ateman for a touchdown with 49 seconds left in the game on the road versus the Panthers.

Then McCarron converted a 2 point pass to another receiver Jake Sutherland as St. Louis looked like they escape Michigan with a win. I’m not concerned as the BattleHawks will rebound from their week one loss. Sutherland had 3 catches on the day for 45 yards with a touchdown and two point conversion. While Ateman had 6 catches for 60 yards and the touchdown. The BattleHawks are waiting for Jahcour Pearson to return from injury. Pearson was a big signing for St. Louis in the off-season. Pearson led the XFL in receptions last year playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons.

Pearson had 60 receptions for 670 yards with 4 touchdowns. When he suits up for his first game with St. Louis, McCarron will have a security blanket over the middle of the football field with great hands.

#6.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (0-1)

Big Game Bob Stoops and his quarterback Luis Perez started off well versus the Birmingham Stallions. The Renegades had an 11-3 lead at one point in the very first quarter. The Renegades finished with 14 points. Perez was hot out of the gates as he connected on a 51 yard pass to Isaiah Winstead for touchdown strike. Perez’s numbers were pretty good as he completed 19-28 for 214 yards with a touchdown pass and had an interception. The Renegades were the champions of the XFL last year and were manhandled by the champions of the USFL, the Stallions. The Renegades hover around 500 last year and got hot at the very end and took into the playoffs. I expect the Renegades this season lose one win one. Lose two win two. Then wait to see what Stoops has up his sleeves when the big games at the end are a must win.

#7. DC DEFENDERS (0-1)

This is not the same Defenders team that went 9-1 in regular season last year in the XFL and made it all the way to the championship. The Defenders lost some key play makers on offense to the dreaded NFL. The Defenders lost their star running back Abraham Smith to a season ending injury as he did not even play one game. The Brahmas attacked Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu as he was hit and hit hard all afternoon. At one point in the game, Ta’amu hit his receiver Keke Coutee on an 8 yard strike to cap off a nice drive and get the Defenders back in the game. Jean Delance, offensive lineman of the Defenders, get ejected from the game for spitting on Brahmas defender Delontae Scott. To make matters worse, Wade Phillips challenged the play, the touchdown that could have made the game 20-18. Phillips thought, Delance moved early before the snap on the offensive line. The Brahmas and Head coach Phillips would win the challenge and that erased the touchdown as Delance was moving and would be penalized. Delance was the spitter like the former MLB pitcher for the Mets in the Seinfeld episode, Roger McDowell.

Delance had 4 bad penalties in the game. Delance was cut by the Defenders during the week. Bravo!!!

#8.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (0-1)

The Roughnecks are the Gamblers from last year. Houston will have a great defense this year with the addition of Reuben Foster.

Foster former number 1 pick by the 49ers in the NFL. Last year he made his comeback with the Maulers of the USFL. His debut with the Roughnecks, he had an interception and a fumble recovery. Foster did leave the game late in the 4th. The Roughnecks have a beast in the middle of their defensive line in Toby Johnson. The Roughnecks remind me of the Pittsburgh Maulers who had talent on the defensive side, but the offense was out to lunch.

I don’t understand why Houston cut Kenji Bahar as he was one of the better quarterbacks in the USFL last season and getting better. The Roughnecks starter behind center, Jarrett Guarantano, was sacked 4 times and did not play well in the first half. The Roughnecks tried their second string quarterback Reid Sinnett, but he was no good. Guarantano played better in the second half as he had a rushing touchdown late in the game. He finished with 157 passing yards. I’d rather have Bahar as my QB 1 than this kid Guarantano. It may be a long year for Houston Roughnecks football.