Express’ Game With Portland Tonight Could Be End of Line for L.A. Franchise

Three or four times a week, football players are bound to hear some form of the following: “Now, fellas, we can’t look beyond this game. I don’t care if our opponent hasn’t crossed the 50-yard line since Christmas, we’ve got to take ‘em one at a time. This is our most important game of the year.”

Los Angeles Express players might be excused this week if that cliche blows in one ear and out the other.

The Express (2-7) plays host to the Portland Breakers (3-6) tonight at 5 p.m. at the Coliseum.

But if ever a team was looking ahead, it’s the Express. Not to its next game, but rather to the next United States Football League owners’ meeting. There, the fate of the Express will be determined.

USFL owners are meeting Monday night in New Jersey to discuss, among other pressing matters, the future of the floundering and ownerless Los Angeles franchise, which has been held financially afloat by the league all season.

Express President Don Klosterman admitted for the first time this week the possibility of the team being disbanded.

The Express didn’t practice on Friday. Instead, they talked. Klosterman and Hadl met with the team Friday morning and Klosterman reiterated what he had told the media a day earlier--that there was a chance the team could fold.

The Express, though, has been playing as if it has known all along.

Last week, the Denver Gold defeated Los Angeles, 51-0, at Denver.

It was a defeat that sent Express Coach John Hadl into a tirade. Obviously embarrassed with his team’s performance, Hadl struck back this week.

He cut one player, Ed Martin, and threatened to add others to the list.

“We’re going to do some more cutting before it’s over,” Hadl said. “If people don’t play, they’re not going to get paid. It’s as simple as that. I don’t care what kind of contracts they have. I told them that. . . . I don’t care if we have to play with 35 guys. It doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

There are rumors that Express players are holding back to save themselves for future careers in the NFL.

Quarterback Steve Young, who was mercifully removed from last week’s game after being sacked six times in the first half, said he hopes that isn’t the case.

“We have too many guys to think that’s happening,” Young said. “We don’t have dogs on this team. But there could be a small group, and all it takes is a couple on each side of the ball to damage a team.”

Twenty-eight Express players have gone down with injuries this season. The Express lost two players, lineman Joe Lukens and back Tony Boddie, on one play against Denver. Both underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week.

What happens when you combine injuries with a lackluster attitude?

Let’s go to the stats. The Express has scored two touchdowns in its last five games. The Express is 12th in the USFL in offense and has scored only one touchdown in its last 16 quarters. The Express offensive line has yielded a league-leading 45 sacks in 9 games.

Now, certainly, is the time for drastic measures.

“You start talking about cutting them and taking away their money and they start listening,” Hadl said.

But what of the future of the Express?

“Obviously, it’s not good business sense to keep going like this,” Hadl said. “If they (owners) don’t get together, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Express Notes Tonight’s game will be aired live on radio stations KGIL (1260 AM), KPZE (1190 AM), KWNK (670 AM) and KWRM (1370 AM). . . . Looking back: The Express ran its record to 0-3 on March 2 with a 14-10 loss to the Breakers at Portland. In that game, the Express committed five turnovers and fumbled twice inside the Portland 10-yard line. . . . Portland Coach Dick Coury is expected to start Matt Robinson at quarterback. Robinson completed 13 of 22 passes for 212 yards in last week’s 26-17 loss to Baltimore, but he threw four interceptions. . . . Former Express starters, defensive back Scott Byers and receiver Anthony Allen, now play for the Breakers. . . . Express kicker Tony Zendejas had his consecutive field-goal streak snapped at 11 when he missed a 47-yard attempt last week against Denver. Add Denver: The Gold scored 51 points against the Express last week. That’s eight more points than the Express has scored in its last five games.