Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 64

2 8C TIMES MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2001 XFL XFL 1 XFL TEAMS Chicago Enforcers STADIUM: Soldier Field. COACH: Ron Meyer. MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: TE Tyji Armstrong, RB John Avery, WR Aaron Bailey, Andy Crosland, RB LeShon Johnson, QB Kevin McDougal, WR Roell Preston, WR Ryan Yarborough. DID YOU QB Paul Failla went to Notre Dame before signing a professional baseball contract with Anaheim. Three years later he returned to Indiana (Pa.) University and threw for 2,067 yards and 1 5 touchdowns.

OUTLOOK: Avery (29th pick in the 1998 NFL draft by Miami) and Johnson (sixth in the 1993 Heisman voting) will be counted on while young QBs develop. Las Vegas Outlaws STADIUM: Sam Boyd Stadium. COACH: Jim Criner. MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: TE Rickey Brady, Ron Carpenter, QB Ryan Clement, OL David Diaz-Infante, DE Antonio Edwards, LB Kurt Gouveia, DB Brandon Sanders, DT Carl Simpson, CB Jamel Williams. DID YOU Carpenter played 16 games with the Super Bowl champion Rams in 1 999, and Diaz-Infante won two titles with Denver.

OUTLOOK: The Outlaws are built for defense with NFL-experienced players including Sanders and Williams, and they place offensive hopes Clement' hands. The team released QB Mike Buck on Sunday as well as DT Antonio Dingle, both former NFL players. Memphis Maniax tTt: S-x; Yixv" JLr 1 Srl AVA TS STADIUM: Liberty Bowl. COACH: Kippy Brown. MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: OT Harry Boatswain, DE Shante Carver, QB Marcus Crandell, QB Jim Druckenmiller, WR Alvin Harper, WR Charles Jordan, RB Brent Moss, FB Roosevelt Potts, RB Rashaan Salaam, LB Patrick Sapp, DB Cory Sawyer, QB Craig Whelihan.

DID YOU Memphis has five first-round NFL draft picks: Carver, Druckenmiller, Harper, Salaam and OT Bernard Williams. OUTLOOK: The Maniax are loaded with former NFL John Avery, left, once a first-round choice of the Miami Dolphins, looks to continue his career in the XFL. 1 Alvin Harper a game every week, as will UPN and TNN (which carry the two most popular WWF programs). That's three televised games out of four every week. If the XFL can get two-thirds of the WWF's audience, it will do cartwheels.

For the non-football, avid wrestling fan, there's always 8. The sideshow. If the WWF shows are any indication, plenty of things should be going on off the field to keep a fan busy. Most publicized are the cheerleaders, who will play an active role aimed at the coveted 12-24 age demographic. fromIC employee hired outside the WWF.

"I can assure you there will be nothing scripted or questionable in any shape or form." Seeing, though, is believing. So here are 10 reasons to tune in during Week 1: 1. How can you not? The commercials are hip. The promise of something different is tantalizing. And curiosity alone should guarantee big ratings.

The XFL will be the rubberneck league until it proves itself to be a football league. Can you keep from looking? After all 2. It is football. But don't take McMahon's word for it. Take the word of serious football coaches: Orlando's Galen Hall (former Gators and World League), Los Angeles' Al Luginbill (former NFL Europe), and Memphis' Kippy Brown (former Dolphins offensive coordinator).

I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't real," Hall said. It will take a while before ev: eryone else is as convinced the league is "real." But to its credit, the XFL has brought in football people for the football and the crafty marketing arm of WWF owner Vince McMahon founded the XFL. the WWF is staying out of the on-field product. Once fans are convinced the football is real, will it be good enough to hold their interest? That brings us to 3. The players.

Okay, so there's no Brett Favre, or Marshall Faulk, or anyone close. But keep in mind, Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Kurt Warner of the St Louis Rams was an Iowa Barnstormer and Dolphins receiver Oronde Gadsen was a Portland Fire Dragon in the Arena League. Take Orlando's starting quarterback, Jeff Brohm. A few years ago, some Buccaneers fans were excited about the prospect of Brohm as a starter. And Cleveland signed him for the final game this season after injuries knocked out its other quarterbacks.

That's how close Brohm is to being an NFL quarterback. There are others. Chicago's John Avery was the 29th pick of Miami in the 1998 NFL draft. Memphis' Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman Trophy. Los Angeles' Tommy Maddox was a highly publicized first-round pick who resurrected his career last season in the Arena League, and San Francisco's Dwayne Harper started 128 games in the NFL.

The league may lack depth when it comes to "name" players, but Keller is convinced there are enough NFL salary-cap victims and overlooked college players to staff a second league. But does that mean they can create an exciting product? The players will have lots 4 1) I. VP 1 vX players and have the most big names in the league. Crandell is spoken about as a budding star, but he'll have competition from Druckenmiller and Whelihan, former NFLers. Orlando Rage STADIUM: Florida Citrus Bowl.

COACH: Galen Hall. MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: WR Mario Bailey, OL Cheston Blackshear, QB Jeff Brohm, DB Omar Brown, LB James Burgess, RB Derrick Clark, WR Tony Gaiter, DL James Roberson. DID YOU RB Brian Shay finished his Emporia State career with six NCAA all-division records: most rushing yards 200-yard rushing games (15), all-purpose yards (9,301 total touchdowns (88), rushing touchdowns (81 and total points (544). OUTLOOK: For what if worth, Brohm is the consensus No. 1 pick in most XFL fantasy leagues.

His experience and Hall's coaching he led the Rhein Fire to two NFL Europe championships in the past three years makes Orlando one of the favorites. Birmingham Bolts STADIUM: Legion Field. COACH: Gerry DiNardo. MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: WR Jahine Arnold, QB Jay Barker, RB James Bostic, RB Troy Davis, DB Calvin Jackson, TE Reggie Johnson, QB Casey Weldon, WR Stepf ret Williams, LB James Willis. DID YOU Davis was the only player in NCAA history to rush for more than 2,000 yards twice in his career and finished as runner-up for the 1 996 Heisman after being the nation's leading rusher in consecutive seasons.

OUTLOOK: Weldon was the second pick in the XFL draft, and the Bolts hope eight years of NFL experience make him worth it. Willis has looked great on defense and is the leader. San Francisco Demons STADIUM: Pac Bell Park. COACH: Jim Skipper. MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: QB Pat Barnes, RB Derek Brown, WR Lee DeRamus, RB Vaughn Dunbar, WR James Hundon, QB Mike Pawlawski, LB Craig Powell.

DID YOU Dunbar led the New Orleans Saints in rushing as a rookie in 1 992, and teammate Brown pulled off the same feat the next season. OUTLOOK: The Demons have two of the Arena League's most productive players in WR Calvin Schexnayder (MVP in 1 998 with record 1 36 catches for 1 ,982 yards and 44 touchdowns) and Pawlawski, so they have potential for big offensive numbers. IM.Y.IMJ. Hitmen STADIUM: Giants Stadium. COACH: Rusty Tillman.

MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: Leo Araguz, RB Mike Archie, RB Joe Aska, LB Mike Barber, DE Tim Beauchamp, CB Butler Bnof WR Andre Coleman, DE James Cotton, WR Kirby Dar Dar, QB Charlie Puleri, QB Wally Richardson. DID YOU Coleman played 13 games with the San Diego Chargers in 1 994, his rookie season, and led the AFC with 1 ,293 yards on kickoff returns. He was the first player in Chargers history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a season. He earned all-rookie honors. OUTLOOK: Puleri is an experienced Arena League QB who has speed to work with: Aska is a former NCAA track champ, and Dar Dar is quick.

The Hitmen are one of the more solid teams top to bottom. Los Angeles Xtreme STADIUM: Los Angeles Coliseum. COACH: AILuginbill. MOST RECOGNIZABLE NAMES: CB Clifton Abraham, DB Reggie Durden, QB Tommy Maddox, WR Darnell McDonald, QB Scott Milanovich, RB Ken Oxendine, RB Rashaan Sheehee. DID YOU LB Brendon Ayanbadejo's brother Femi plays fullback for the Baltimore Ravens.

OUTLOOK: Maddox, an NFL first-round pick by Denver, revived his career during the Arena League season. He beat Milanovich, the league's No. 1 pick, for the starting job. Sheehee, a third-round pick of Kansas City, has been impressive. of help from 4.

The rules. Ever try to get to the fridge to grab a snack, then race back in time to view the extra point? The XFL will have no extra points via the foot, eliminating football's most routine play. Teams have to run or pass for that point. Getting rid of the routine is one of the XFL's master plans. No fair catches.

No touchbacks on punts. All punts are live after 25 yards. No in the grasp. And one foot needed in bounds for a catch. The innovations might provide an appealing edge.

The league might even end up being another success story for 5. Vince McMahon. Is he a genius or the devil? After making his mark in "sports entertainment," McMahon is trying to do the same with a legitimate sport, which the XFL is because 6. You can bet on it. Las Vegas was going to wait a few weeks before setting lines because it had the same fears the cynics do about the league's integrity.

But after attending many preseason scrimmages, it has decided to set lines now. The Los Angeles Xtreme is a 5-2 favorite to win it all, and Orlando, the nearest team to the Tampa Bay area, is second at 4-1. 7. Cops, the Pretender or Nash Bridges. The XFL is picking its spots well, with little competition on Saturday (TVs slowest day of the week) and few competing sporting events Sunday.

The league has the edge over other failed start-up leagues because NBC is a 50-50 partner (more marketing) and will televise AP (1998 9. The cameras and microphones. The coaches will be miked. The players will be miked. The cameras will be in the locker rooms at halftime.

Television will take viewers where the NFL refuses to go. The plan is to bring fans closer to the teams, which, by the way, are 10. Orlando Rage, Los Angeles Xtreme, Memphis Maniax, New YorkNew Jersey Hitmen, Chicago Enforcers, San Francisco Demons, Birmingham Bolts and the Las Vegas Outlaws. Career Fair iM nti 'lies' 'Baa the area's top seminars. Presented By Tampa Bay.

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Jabil Circuit MetLife Financial Services Morton Rant Pinch A Penny Randstad Raymond Associates Republic Bank Rescare Florida Snap-On Tools in Mease James Produced By March 10 Las Vegas at Orlando, 8 Chicago at Memphis, 8 March 11 New YorkNew Jersey at San 4 Los Angeles at Birmingham, 7 March 17 Memphis at New YorkNew Jersey, 8 Birmingham at Las Vegas, 8 March 18 Orlando at Los Angeles, 4 San Francisco at Chicago, 7 March 24 Las Vegas at Los Angeles, 8 Memphis at San Francisco, 8 March 25 New YorkNew Jersey at Orlando, 4 Birmingham at Chicago, 7 March 31 Chicago at New YorkNew Jersey, 8 Orlando at Birmingham, 8 April 1 Los Angeles at Memphis, 4 San Francisco at Las Vegas, 7 April 7 Orlando at Chicago, 8 Memphis at Las Vegas, 8 Aprils New YorkNew Jersey at Birmingham, 4 San Francisco at Los Angeles, 7 XFL schedule Saturday New YorkNew Jersey at Las Vegas, 8 Chicago at Orlando, 8 Sunday Los Angeles at San Francisco, 4 Memphis at Birmingham, 4 Feb. 10 Chicago at Los Angeles, 8 San Francisco at Orlando, 8 Feb. 11 Birmingham at New YorkNew Jersey, 4 Las Vegas at Memphis, 7 Feb. 17 San Francisco at Memphis, 8 Los Angeles at Las Vegas, 8 Feb. 18 Chicago at Birmingham, 4 Orlando at New YorkNew Jersey, 7 Feb.

24 New YorkNew Jersey at Chicago, 8 Birmingham at Orlando, 8 Feb. 25 Las Vegas at San Francisco, 4 Memphis at Los Angeles, 7 March 3 Los Angeles at New YorkNew Jersey, 8 Birmingham at San Francisco, 8 March 4 Las Vegas at Chicago, 4 Orlando at Memphis, 7 Compiled by John C. Cotey. tHcttrfiburn il' A', If you are an employer wishing to exhibit at JobQuest, please call Bonnie Trembulak at 727-893-8977 or 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8977.

Visit our Web site at: www.sptimes.comjobquest Tunes photo (1998) FRASER HALE The Orlando Rage's Jeff Brohm was once a Buccaneer. He signed with the Browns late this season after their quarterbacks were hurt..