Express Gets Bad Numbers : Record-Low Turnout of 4,912 Watches 24-14 Loss to Bandits

The Los Angeles Express had so many things for which to be thankful this week.

It isn’t often that a bunch of opposing owners will pitch in and pay your light bills and salaries, but that’s what United States Football League owners decided to do for the Express last week.

And it isn’t often that a league commissioner comes to town to give a team a pep talk. But that’s what Harry Usher did for the Express last week. He even went so far as to say he was rooting for the Express against Tampa Bay on Saturday.

So inspired and so moved, the Express showed its gratitude by falling on its face once again. The Bandits, now the scorn of the league because they vowed not to join the USFL in the fall of 1986, defeated the Express, 24-14, at the Coliseum.

And isn’t it funny that everyone seems to be behind the Express franchise except the fans of Los Angeles. Saturday’s crowd of 4,912 was the smallest in team history, breaking the record low of 5,637 set on Easter at the Coliseum.

And send this memo to the league office. The Express, 3-8 overall, has drawn a total of 17,737 fans for its last three home games.

Some Express players have to wonder why league owners decided to prolong such agony.

Most of the team had figured last week’s game was the last for their floundering franchise.

“We were basically told to pack our bags,” Express quarterback Steve Young said.

It’s a season where everything has gone wrong.

You could sense that just by looking into the face of Young as he stood by his locker after the game.

Though the Express took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, the Bandits rallied to take a 17-7 lead at halftime. In the second half, Express Coach John Hadl decided to bench his $40-million quarterback, replacing Young with Frank Seurer to open the third quarter.

Young couldn’t believe it. Seurer couldn’t either. He went over to ask if Young was hurt. He wasn’t, at least externally.

Young threw two interceptions in the first half and was sacked four times. His mobility is still limited because of the knee injury he suffered March 23.

Seurer, though, didn’t fare much better, throwing two interceptions.

Hadl explained his move: “Steve just wasn’t reading coverages well. He made a couple of mistakes you just can’t make.”

After the game, Hadl met with Young privately. When Young returned to his locker, his eyes were red.

The former BYU All-Amercian had never been benched in his life.

“You just can’t take the game away from me,” a visibly shaken Young said. “I just wish I would get the benefit of the doubt. I’ve never doubted anyone else here.

Young chose his words carefully.

“Maybe he (Hadl) is just trying to fire me up,” he said. “But I’m fired up.”

Just another day in the life of the Express, who have had its share of distractions this season.

“Usually during a season you can block everything out of your mind,” Young said. “Your mother usually can’t even get a hold of you. But that hasn’t happened here. I don’t think people have realized what’s happened to us.”

Young finished his half completing 5 of 11 passes for 67 yards and two interceptions. Seurer was 11 of 21 for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

But this has been an interesting week for Tampa Bay. When USFL owners voted Monday to play in the fall in 1986, Bandit owner John Bassett said he would pull his team out of the USFL and form his own spring league.

But that minor distraction didn’t bother the Bandits’ play.

Quarterback John Reaves had a big night, completing 20 of 38 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Larry Brodsky in the first quarter and 14-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harvey with 2:08 left in the third quarter. That pass gave Tampa Bay a 24-7 lead.