Express Is All Anyone Could Want--and Less

Through the first one-sixth of its 1985 schedule, the Los Angeles Express--with its $40-million quarterback and cache of bright, promising talent--has been everything you could want in a young professional football team.

And less.

Ownerless.

Winless.

Cheerleaderless--at least for the time being.

If victory No. 1 doesn’t come soon, in today’s game at 5 p.m. against the San Antonio Gunslingers at the the Coliseum, for instance, the Express will be in danger of seeing the season slip into another condition altogether.

Hopeless.

Zero and three and in last place in the USFL’s Western Conference is not the type of start anyone would have forecast for the Express. This was, after all, the best team nobody wanted to buy, with its rich and richly gifted quarterback, Steve Young, and its roster studded with potential first-round NFL draft selections.

But so far, the Express has been as adept at holding onto fourth-quarter leads as it has the football, which is not good, since there have been nine fumbles, five of them lost, in three games.

The Express has been outscored by a cumulative 49-10 margin in the fourth quarter, and already, the team’s prospects of contending for the Western Conference championship are approaching critical condition. Undefeated Houston has a three-game lead over the Express.

San Antonio, 7-11 last season, is 1-2 so far in 1985 and is experiencing problems at quarterback.

Rick Neuheisel, the 1984 UCLA Rose Bowl hero, has been finding life a bit more thorny in Texas. After three games, Neuheisel’s statistics--402 yards and a 44.3 completion percentage--rank him last among passers in the Western Conference.

That has been enough to remove his name from the Gunslingers’ starting lineup. Neuheisel will make his Los Angeles homecoming as a benchwarmer.

His replacement is 30-year-old Fred Mortensen, who has the distinction of having been released by each of Denver’s pro football teams, the Broncos and Gold, twice. He also was released by the Washington Redskins after spending 16 games with them in 1979 without throwing a pass.

Express Notes Together At Last: Today marks the first time in two years that the Express’ highly touted, highly paid trio of offensive linemen--center Mike Ruether and tackles Mark Adickes and Gary Zimmerman--have started together. Ruether and Adickes, coming off knee injuries, made their first 1985 appearances last week against New Jersey and will both start today. . . . Another lineup switch has Kirby Warren, who rushed for 83 yards in 11 carries last week, starting in place of Mel Gray. The reason? “Fumbles,” Express Coach John Hadl said. “Kirby runs with power and strength and he holds onto the ball.” . . . Cheerleaders will be back on the sidelines by the Express’ next home game, team officials say. A new group will be selected today through a tryout scheduled to start at the Coliseum at 1 p.m. . . . Today’s game will be carried live on television (ESPN) and on radio--KGIL (1260 AM) and KEZY (1190 AM).