Podcasts about birmingham stallions

It’s been 31 seasons since the Dallas Cowboys last played in a Super Bowl game.  That season-ending victory came at the conclusion of the 1995 NFL season on January 28, 1996. Heck, it has been 31 seasons since the Dallas Cowboys have even played in the NFC Championship game! Team owner and billionaire huckster Jerry Jones tried to convince Dallas Cowboys fans last summer that trading away the team’s best defensive player was a smart move.  Micah Parsons wanted ol’ Jer to pony-up with another high dollar contract to remain in Dallas. Instead, the owner shipped Parsons to the Green Bay Packers right before the 2025 season began.  The defensive rushing specialist received what he wanted, though. Micah Parsons signed a new contract in Green Bay last fall paying him $188 million over four years (a whopping $47 million per season). Dallas received Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from Green Bay plus two first round draft picks as part of the deal. After losing Micah Parsons, Big D’s defense became a league-wide joke in 2025.  You can’t consider your team a title contender with a defense which allowed an NFL high 30.1 points per game last season. Cowboys fans were understandably upset after team owner Jerry Jones dealt the team’s “lone star” defensive player one year ago.  Jones’ history of meddling with the team’s roster has backfired plenty of times during this 31 season title drought. Despite the absence of a competitive defense, Dallas still finished with a fairly respectable 7-9-1 record last season.  Only the prolific offense of the Cowboys saved the 2025 team from being a total disaster. Something feels different this year… In April, Dallas selected safety Caleb Downs from Ohio State with the 11th pick in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.  A two-time college football All-American, Downs was expected to be taken earlier in the first round.  The Dallas Cowboys appear to have capitalized on a little bit of good fortune. Dallas then added another defensive pick with its second selection during Round 1.  Defensive edge rusher Malachi Lawrence played college football for UCF under the watchful eye of the Cowboys’ new defensive line coach, Demeitri Brim. Last season’s “defenseless” Cowboys had just made two first round solid defensive picks in the NFL Draft. Over the past week, the Cowboys re-signed defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (who was acquired from the New York Jets last season) to a new three-year deal worth $106 million. Williams played college football at Alabama under Coach Nick Saban.  He is well liked by his new teammates in Dallas. Is Maxx Crosby still a possible addition? It’s no secret that Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby would like to come play for the Dallas Cowboys.  The former fourth round selection out of Eastern Michigan played his high school football in Colleyville, Texas – just north of Fort Worth. Maxx Crosby plays his position with incredible effort and intensity.  He is a five-time NFL Pro Bowler entering his eighth NFL season – all with the woeful Raiders franchise.  He was briefly traded earlier this year (for two first round selections) to the Baltimore Ravens.  Unfortunately, Crosby failed the physical exam after rehabbing a knee injury incurred last fall.  That nullified the deal and required Crosby to return to the Raiders. Dallas made a competitive offer to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby (a first round and second round pick) but fell short.  Crosby’s knee injury may be healed sufficiently by now to warrant another trade offer from Dallas owner Jerry Jones over the next month. There’s no doubt that Maxx Crosby would represent a significantly upgrade to the Dallas defensive front.  His intense style of play would quickly make him a fan favorite in Dallas.  Keep an eye on this development in the weeks ahead. Cowboys made Brandon Aubrey the highest paid kicker in the NFL Seven million dollars per year sounds like a lot of money to pay for a field goal kicker. That’s what Dallas placekicker Brandon Aubrey will receive for the next four years after recently becoming the NFL’s highest paid kicker. Aubrey’s path to riches came without kicking a football in either high school or college.  He was a talented soccer player at Notre Dame and played professionally in Canada. The USFL’s Birmingham Stallions gave Brandon Aubrey a pro football tryout and signed him.  Aubrey delivered booming kick-offs and field goals in Birmingham over his two seasons with the spring football league team. The Dallas Cowboys signed him in 2023.  Brandon Aubrey made the NFL Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons.  He has booted six field goals of 60 yards or more in his career and provides the potent Dallas offense with a reliable scoring weapon. What about Dallas wide receiver George Pickens? Pickens (who played wide receiver in college at Georgia) was a second round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.  His first NFL contract paid him nearly $7 million – over a four year period. George Pickens and former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t seem to get along very well.  Pickens occasionally displayed less than 100% effort on the field at times.  That put him into the coaches’ dog house.  He compounded his own troubles with the Steelers and their loyal fans by posting “Free Me” comments on social media. The Steelers obliged and sent “Pouty” Pickens packing to Dallas in 2025. For just a lowly 6th round draft pick, the Cowboys inserted George Pickens into the starting line-up last season and saw his on-field talent.  He snagged 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns for Dallas last year. Dallas’ primary wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, benefited from having the speedy George Pickens on the field at the same time running routes to keep defenses off balance. Following his productive 2025 season, Pickens demanded a new long-term contract from Dallas owner Jerry Jones. Instead, the Cowboys recently placed its “franchise” designation on their new wide receiver. The team likely wants to see more than one season of positive results prior to plunking down big bucks for a long-term deal. Don’t feel sorry for George Pickens. He will receive nearly $24 million for the upcoming 2026 season.  That “franchise” designation requires Dallas to pay him the average of the five highest paid wide receivers in the entire NFL. Dallas fans should watch closely to see if George Pickens will continue to show improvement this season or return into his former disgruntled self while playing in Pittsburgh. Can quarterback Dak Prescott finally lead the Cowboys to an NFC title game? Prescott is entering his 11th NFL season in Dallas.  His impressive personal stats and friendly personality have made him a fan favorite. That said, Dak is only 2-5 in playoff games during his first decade in Big D. The former Haughton High School (Shreveport area) and Mississippi State product is being paid $60 million per season.  A four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Dak Prescott is now being paid at a high level that team owner Jerry Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and Dallas fans now expect a deep run into the NFL playoffs. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Prescott has not delivered – yet. Is Dallas a legitimate contender to win the NFC East this season? Absolutely! The NFC East has been dominated for the past several years by the Philadelphia Eagles.  Philly’s dominant defense and efficient offense has produced 50 wins against just 18 losses in the past four NFL seasons.  They won the 2024 Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Philadelphia’s core of top players on offense and defense has been dwindling by the year.  The Eagles posted an 11-6 record last season but were quickly bounced out of the playoffs in the opening round (at home) by San Francisco. Wagering lines posted by Las Vegas oddsmakers show the Philadelphia Eagles remaining the favorite to once again capture the NFC East title in 2026.  The Dallas Cowboys are projected to finish one game behind. Dallas must apply early pressure this fall to nudge the Eagles off their perch atop the NFC East standings. The Cowboys’ 2026 schedule appears somewhat favorable. Dallas plays nine home games and eight road games in the NFL’s 17-week regular season.  A pair of late season road games at defending Super Bowl champion Seattle and at the NFC runner-up Los Angeles Rams will likely decide the playoff fate for the Cowboys. To the surprise of no one, “America’s Team” (ugh) will play in six nationally televised prime time night games.   Three (including the season opener at the New York Giants) will be featured on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.   Dallas will appear twice on Monday Night Football (ESPN) and one time on Thursday night (Amazon Prime).   Prediction: There is no doubt that Dallas has an excellent opportunity to return to the playoffs in the 2026 NFL season.  The defense will improve (it can’t be worse than last season’s 32nd place showing).  Dallas’ productive offense (2nd in the NFL in scoring last year) is back and seems ready to roll once again. Regardless of whether defensive weapon Maxx Crosby comes aboard this year, I see Dallas improving to a record of 10-7 in the regular season. That means that Dallas should make the playoffs – either as NFC East champions or as a Wild Card entry. I have no clue about the playoffs.  Recent history would suggest that you might not wish to place any wagers on the “Boys” once the post-season begins. Buckle up and enjoy the ride this season, Cowboys fans! Perhaps this might even be the year when Dallas ends that 31-season “no titles” streak. The post Will the Dallas Cowboys finally end “The Streak” this season? appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

I’m ba-a-a-ck! Being a grandfather isn’t something that you train for.  It was quite challenging last week to go outside and shoot basketball for an hour in the summer heat with an 8-year old intent on dispatching his creeky ol’ Grandpa in morning games of one-on-one. He took the overall 3-game series, but Grandpa held his own (at least for this year).  Now, where did I put that tube of SportsCreme? In fact, the past month has found my lovely wife and I spending a full week with each set of our five young (10 and under) grandsons.  We have enjoyed a total summer blast! Now, the house is quiet again.  Our eight-year old rescued Old English Sheepdog (Molly) seems to be mourning the loss of our fine young gentleman visitors and their very patient Dad. Molly enjoyed extra company during her morning and evening dog walks every day. It has been difficult to keep close tabs on sports while traveling to visit or hosting our very sharp and fun-loving grandsons over the past month. Some things appear to have changed a lot.  Others didn’t. It’s time to catch-up. Good news!  Saints legend Drew Brees was inducted into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame! New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the Black and Gold to their only Super Bowl appearance and title in February, 2010.  He set numerous NFL passing records during his stellar 20-year pro football career. The Texas-born Brees was an excellent student as well.  He majored in Industrial Management at Purdue University.  Drew Brees quarterbacked the Boilermakers football team to the Rose Bowl in 2001 as the team won a share of the Big Ten title. The San Diego Chargers selected Brees with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. It’s hard to believe that he played in San Diego for the first five years of his pro football career. A trade to the New Orleans Saints in 2006 also paired Drew Brees with new head coach Sean Payton.  It would be a match made in WhoDat Heaven for us Saints fans. Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in August, 2005.  The Louisiana Superdome was painstakingly repaired and refurbished the following year as New Orleans welcomed home its beloved football team along with a new quarterback and head coach. Drew Brees’ infectious positive attitude and leadership skills helped the Saints improve every season leading up to that Super Bowl victory. More importantly, the Saints’ rise served to boost the spirits of the entire Gulf South region during recovery efforts from both Hurricane Katrina and, a month later, Rita in southwestern Louisiana. Sorry, Archie Manning supporters.  The true GOAT (greatest of all time) for the majority of New Orleans Saints fans is Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees.  Congratulations! Red-hot Red Sox are blazing in baseball’s American League! The Boston Red Sox have won 27 of their last 32 baseball games through Sunday, August 9.  Boston was at the bottom of the American League East standings earlier in the season. The BoSox are still seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays with 45 games left to play in baseball’s seemingly never-ending 162-game regular season.  Late inning comebacks have been the rule during Boston’s recent hot streak during July and into early August. Will the Boston Red Sox remain hot during this hottest month of the year?  Stay tuned! The eight team UFL recently packed-up and left Houston and Birmingham.  Why? Spring pro football’s United Football League (UFL) quietly exited two of its long-time markets less than two weeks ago. The Birmingham Stallions won three straight spring football titles from 2022 through 2024.  A brand new college football stadium for UAB featuring nearly 40,000 seats played host for Stallions home games in each of the past five seasons. The UFL’s billionaire owner and apparent league spokesman, Mike Repole, jousted with Birmingham football fans earlier this season about their lack of support for the team. It’s no surprise that Repole just pulled the plug after attendance declined this year.  His excuse for leaving Birmingham is what has raised eyebrows in Alabama. He said, “With Birmingham, this decision was 100% about the wrong sized venue.  Even on opening day, when 16,000 Stallions fans showed up, the energy, passion, and game atmosphere was not felt due to the size of the venue.” Here’s a question for you, Mr. Repole. Doing just as you requested, the Houston UFL franchise vacated its college football stadium at the University of Houston.  The Houston Gamblers moved into the city’s downtown soccer venue with 20,000 seats this season.  How do you explain why less than 7,000 fans attended Houston Gamblers football games this spring?  The team did exactly what you asked for and had even less success.  Houston’s UFL franchise is now defunct. Perhaps Mr. Repole might consider that the UFL’s on-field product is simply not very good.  It is also played during increasingly hot spring weather – especially in the league’s southern markets.  UFL games – which are (generally speaking) low scoring and not very exciting to watch – have trouble attracting local fans when tickets were priced as low as $20 apiece. The market, sir, has been and continues to speak to you quite loudly. Golf – Welcome to the winner’s circle, Jackson Koivun and Asterisk Talley! Two weeks ago, former Auburn All-American golfer Jackson Koivun picked-up his first PGA win at the 3M Open in Minnesota.  It was only his third professional start! After Sunday’s middle-of-the-pack finish in his fourth PGA start at Greensboro, NC, the 21-year old Koivun has earned enough FedEx points to qualify for this week’s first round of PGA playoffs beginning Thursday in Memphis. Let’s also welcome a 17-year old upcoming high school senior golfer to the winner’s circle. Asterisk Talley (yes, that’s her real name) easily won her first USGA championship by taking the US Women’s Amateur title in Tennessee with an 8-up victory.  She had previously finished runner-up in the 2024 US Junior Girls Amateur and the US Women’s Amateur. Congratulations to Ms. Talley!  Yes, there will forever be an Asterisk next to her last name on the US Women’s Amateur trophy. LIV Golf remains on life support but wants to tee it up again in 2027 In this continuing soap opera, LIV Golf (completing its fifth season in late August) will lose its Sugar Daddy financial backers.  The Saudi Public Investment Fund (with over $1 trillion in assets) has lost more than $5 billion to start, fund, and prop-up this worldwide golf venture.  They are skedaddling by no later than the end of August. Last week, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neal announced that a new lead investor has been secured.   Before you say, “Hooray!”, the golf league’s boss did not reveal a lot of specifics.  We don’t know who the investor is, how much money was actually being injected, or any other details which translate into a viable 2027 LIV Golf campaign. Golfers expecting to participate in LIV Golf during 2027 (assuming there is a season) will be playing for smaller prize money and will likely be asked to share in the risk (and, if possible, the rewards) of the revamped league. The future still looks shaky for LIV Golf. The US Senate punted on 4th down to go on vacation and leave the future of college athletics hanging in the balance When you woke up on Saturday morning, the United States Senate had adjourned to take a well-earned (sarcasm intended) full month of vacation. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) were finally able to bring their college sports bill to the floor of the US Senate over the past few weeks.  It showed some encouraging signs of passage. The SEC and Big Ten finally jumped aboard to support the Senate’s “Protect College Sports Act” last week.  That was the equivalent to a two-minute drill in hopes of getting this bill across the Senate’s goal line prior to the legislative body’s annual August recess. College sports conferences have been unable to get their primary rule maker and enforcement arm (the NCAA) to take consequential actions in recent years.  Guidelines and enforcement of rules in today’s transfer portal and NIL high dollar environment have many mid-sized and smaller universities considering dropping sports altogether.  The SEC recently suggested it was willing to break away from the NCAA and establish its own set of rules if something doesn’t change soon. With the proverbial play clock running, some Senators (as they are prone to do) tried to add amendments to the college sports bill last week.  They wasted too much time and failed to bring it to a full Senate vote prior the month-long adjournment. However, the Senators are promising to bring this college sports bill to a vote when they return in early September. If that occurs, the sports bill must still be approved by the House of Representatives and then obtain the President’s signature to become law. Sounds like a Hail Mary could be needed to complete this legislation with the mid-term elections coming up in November! The post Let’s Catch up! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

It's Free Game Friday on The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty as Super Bowl Champion Shaun King joins the show to react to 49ers Signing Deebo Samuel, Chris Olave & Saints agreeing to Contract Extension, and more... Alabama Crimson Tide' Great AJ McCarron joins the show to breakdown the TRUTH about the UFL Pulling the Plug on the Birmingham Stallions... 6 Year NFL Vet & Colorado Alum Matt McChesney joins as well! Join us for this Free Game Friday on The REALEST Show on Planet ERF! Like, Comment, and Subscribe! The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty is the realest sports show on Planet ERF! We discuss what other talk shows & debate shows refuse to discuss! We are LIVE 3 hours a day from 6-9am pacific with the realest guests on Planet ERF! Coach Jason Brown is the star of the hit Netflix series "Last Chance U", master motivator, and legendary JUCO football coach!! Darnell Smith Fox Sports very own, Ball State Alum, and Nap towns finest! Merciless Monday | Talk that Talk Tuesday | Work-Boot Wednesday | Truth Telling Thursday | Free Game Friday Live M-F 6am-9am PST. Subscribe and become a member today, $2.99 for general membership or $5.99 to join Slap Nation and get access to the exclusive Coach's Crew group Chat!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Logan Busbee of BhamSports.net stopped by 3 Man Front on Friday to try to break down the potential tiebreaker scenarios for the Birmingham Stallions' playoff push. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday's 7am hour of Mac & Cube started off with the guys not buying the latest Brendan Sorsby injunction or the reasoning behind it; later, Tom Hart, from the SEC Network, tells us how little separates the top seeds in this SEC Baseball Tournament, how far he thinks Alabama & Auburn can go in this tourney, which teams actually have stuff to play for; and finally, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, starting QB for your Birmingham Stallions, says what's been the winning difference these last few weeks, what it takes to prepare for the same opponent in consecutive weeks, and how he's grown as a QB "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Head Coach of the Birmingham Stallions AJ McCarron joined the 3 Man Front crew to talk team development so far this season, and preparation for the next two weeks against the Aviators! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday's 7am hour of Mac & Cube started off with a look at the kick times that have been announced for the '26 season; then, we have a Draft to pick the games we're most excited for in Weeks 1-3; later, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB for your Birmingham Stallions, tells us the best thing at coach AJ McCarron does to make DTR comfortable, what's the next step for this offense, and how they've prepared to take on Columbus this weekend; and finally, the guys continue their Game Draft through Week 5. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2026 NBA Playoffs second round is heating up, and the Korner Booth crew has you fully covered. In the West, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves evened their series against the San Antonio Spurs at 2-2 after a massive Game 4 performance. Edwards dropped 36 points, 16 of them in the fourth quarter, as Minnesota rallied back to knot the series. The big story? Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was ejected for throwing an elbow toward Wolves big Naz Reid early in the second quarter, and despite the no-suspension ruling, his absence opened the paint wide open for Minnesota to take over down the stretch. With Game 5 looming in San Antonio, this series is far from over. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to make the Los Angeles Lakers look overmatched. The Thunder have yet to lose in the 2026 playoffs, and OKC's depth, defense, and efficiency, combined with too many Lakers turnovers, resulted in a third-straight double-digit victory. LA is on the brink of elimination and running out of answers against the defending champs. In the East, the New York Knicks made a statement, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers out of the postseason. The Knicks advanced behind a swarming defense and a red-hot offense, with Miles McBride, starting in the wake of OG Anunoby's injury absence, dropping 25 points on 7-for-9 shooting from three in the clinching Game 4. New York is rolling and looks like a genuine Eastern Conference Finals threat. Then there's the Pistons-Cavs series, which has the makings of a classic. The top-seeded Detroit Pistons hold a 2-1 series lead after dropping a wild Game 3 to Cleveland. James Harden answered the bell with nine fourth-quarter points as the Cavs got clutch baskets down the stretch to earn their first win of the series. Can Detroit close it out, or will Cleveland's experience flip this thing around? We break it all down. On the football side, UFL Week 8 is upon us, with the playoff picture getting clearer by the week. Coming out of Week 7, the St. Louis Battlehawks improved to 5-2 with a 31-20 win over Columbus, the Louisville Kings crushed the DC Defenders 30-13 to snap their five-game winning streak, the Birmingham Stallions survived the Dallas Renegades 21-17 in overtime, and the Orlando Storm earned their fifth straight victory. With three weeks left in the regular season, every game matters, and we've got the full breakdown. And finally, breaking NFL news. After nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, tight end David Njoku is heading to Los Angeles, signing a one-year deal with the Chargers worth up to $8 million. Njoku joins a Chargers tight end room that already includes Oronde Gadsden and Charlie Kolar, giving Justin Herbert and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel one of the most dangerous position groups in football heading into 2026. We give our full take on the fit and what it means for the Chargers' Super Bowl window. #NBAPlayoffs #NBA2026 #Timberwolves #Spurs #AnthonyEdwards #Wembanyama #OKCThunder #Lakers #Knicks #76ers #Pistons #Cavaliers #UFL #UFLWeek8 #DavidNjoku #Chargers #NFLNews #KornerBoothPodcast

The 2026 United Football League (UFL) spring football campaign passed the halfway point recently. Through six weeks of the league’s ten-game regular season, each UFL team is now on a similar path.  The eight spring football franchises are experiencing a decline in attendance at the midway point of the 2026 season. The UFL replaced teams in San Antonio, Detroit (Michigan Panthers), and Memphis this year. Those franchises were relocated to Louisville (Kings), Columbus (Aviators) and Orlando (Storm). A primary reason for leaving San Antonio, Detroit, and Memphis was that all three teams played in large traditional football stadiums.  Those facilities cost the UFL a lot of money to lease. Small crowds of 10,000 fans or less for games played in 50,000 seat facilities looked really bad on national television, too. This new trio of UFL teams is playing their home games in soccer stadiums with seating generally less than 20,000.  The optics showing a crowd of 10,000 inside of a smaller football venue looks more visually appealing to home television viewers. Let’s count that as a win for the UFL.  However… The average attendance for those three new UFL franchises isn’t exactly turning heads, either. Through game 6, the entire league is averaging a little bit more than 10,000 fans per football home game.  Half of the UFL franchises (Houston, Dallas, defending champion DC, and Orlando) still can’t pull more than 10,000 per outing to their games. St. Louis (which led the league in attendance in each of the UFL’s first two seasons) is averaging 25,700 per game to lead the league in 2026. Below is a chart showing the attendance for each UFL team through Game 6 last weekend. Ticket prices for UFL games across the league are relatively cheap You can buy a 20-yard line ticket to this Saturday night’s Birmingham Stallions home game against the Dallas Renegades for $15 and receive a free t-shirt, too! Let’s say that the average ticket price in Birmingham was $25.  If the Stallions attract a crowd of 15,000 to this Saturday night’s game, that translates into ticket revenue of $375,000 for the week. Over a five game home schedule, Birmingham would generate $1.85 million in ticket revenue. With a roster of 50 players making an average of $60,000 per season, the personnel cost for the Stallions is $3 million.  Let’s also estimate that total expenses for the Birmingham UFL franchise (lease payments, coaching salaries, travel, game day costs and administrative expenses) are (conservatively) another $3 million. Now, multiply that revenue shortfall by eight UFL franchises.  The numbers simply don’t work. What about the television ratings for the UFL? The television ratings for UFL games compared to the NFL are similar to upstart LIV Golf when compared to the PGA Tour. UFL spring football brings about 5% of the average number of weekly television viewers which the NFL attracts for its games in the fall. Television ratings in 2026 for the UFL have been difficult to quantify week-to-week.  In general, the four weekly televised games have settled into a predictable pattern. FOX (one of the minority owners of the UFL) is into Year #2 of providing a Friday night prime-time football game.  The six Friday night games in 2026 have averaged 638,000 viewers. For Friday, May 3, the UFL spring football game on FOX (which attracted 670,000 viewers) finished in dead last behind primary competitors CBS, ABC, and NBC. The CBS Friday night line-up averaged over 4 million viewers.  ABC attracted less than three million.  NBC (which featured horse racing from Churchill Downs) came in at less than 2 ½ million last Friday night. FOX cannot be pleased about getting curb-stomped in the TV ratings every Friday night for two straight years.  The network’s Friday night UFL spring football games have been unable to crack the one million viewer mark one single time in two years. A recent week of prime-time television ratings showed the FOX Friday Night UFL game finishing in 162nd place. In addition to trailing the four primary networks, the FOX Friday UFL game lagged behind top cable television offering on Fox News, ESPN, MSNow, TLC, HGTV, TBS, USA Network, Comedy Central, ESPN2, Food Network, Bravo, Hallmark, CNN, Discovery, History, and A&E. That stinks. ABC’s Saturday afternoon UFL games have shown the strongest viewer interest.  Last week’s Dallas Renegades at DC Defenders drew the league’s highest television audience of the season as 1,050,000 watched the game on Saturday afternoon, May 2. The television networks need the UFL to consistently attract more than one million weekly viewers Advertisers want their product to be seen by the greatest number of people in their desired demographic.  Football traditionally delivers a predominantly male buying audience and is highly coveted by certain advertisers. UFL games are shown on the “big” networks like ABC, FOX, and ESPN. That means that there are zero excuses why football fans are not finding and watching the games.  It is proof that most viewers simply aren’t interested in the product. Has the UFL been targeting the growing online gambling market to stay afloat? Like it or not, online sports gambling has been growing quickly.  Unfortunately, many college students are becoming increasingly involved with online gambling. The UFL football games (especially those shown every Friday night in the spring) represent “the only game in town” for some bettors seeking football-oriented gambling opportunities. It’s impossible to know whether the UFL or the owners of online gambling companies are actively pursuing younger audiences to wager on UFL spring football games. The lack of growth in the UFL’s television audience from year-to-year seems to indicate that the gambling factions are not having a sizable effect. Who is Mike Repole, and why has he become “Mr. UFL?” The first two seasons of the UFL were financially underwritten by an ownership team of FOX Sports (50%) along with wrestling/media star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his ex-wife Dani Garcia, ESPN, and RedBird Capital Partners. The original set of owners has lost tens of millions of their own money during the first two UFL seasons. Last summer, billionaire entrepreneur/promoter Mike Repole became a partner in the UFL, too. He purchased an undisclosed interest after the 2025 season ended. Repole quickly jumped-in trying to remake the league with several of his own ideas. The enthusiastic Mike Repole is about as subtle as the Kool-Aid guy bursting through the wall. He has already told Oklahoma City that they will be granted a UFL franchise in 2028 once the city’s new soccer stadium is completed.  Repole wants the spring football league to double in size to 16 teams within the next few years. It was Mike Repole’s idea to move three franchises to Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando this season.  He also spearheaded the UFL’s move into smaller soccer venues in 2026 to save cash and look better on television. The 57-year old Mike Repole has also jousted with fans of the 2024 UFL league champion Birmingham Stallions franchise, too.  He let it be known that the Alabama-based franchise would be moved if local supporters didn’t show significant improvements in game attendance this season. (Note – the Stallions are #2 in UFL average attendance entering Week #7) Yes, Mike Repole has been a virtual one-man crusader for the UFL over the past year. Try as he might, the vital signs for his beloved UFL in 2026 are still the same. The UFL remains on life support Only the deep pockets of the UFL’s investors has kept this patient from an expected death. Let’s forget about the size of the football stadiums.  When only 10,000 paying fans show up to watch any professional sport with massive fixed costs like football, the sports league is going to lose tons of money and eventually cease to exist. Perhaps the UFL has been hoping to attract some type of life preserver from the National Football League.  It’s not that the NFL couldn’t have invested in the UFL from Day 1, though. It simply chose not to.  The NFL has watched any number of spring pro football leagues come and go.  That’s because football fans aren’t interested in the product. The NFL wisely understood that they “own” the fall sports calendar. NFL franchise owners want football fans to be salivating in anticipation of the league’s return every year. Remember that the NFL has already been through this with the American Football League back in the 1960’s. Once the AFL achieved significant momentum with football fans and grew its television ratings, the NFL purchased their youthful competitor to end the challenge. The UFL’s presentation on the field and for home television has been exceptional.   Games (though still a bit too low-scoring for me) are often entertaining to watch. I will award the UFL an “A” for effort. This spring football league and several others have tried mightily to get their product to take root.  Football fans simply have not reciprocated with an endearing love for spring pro football. The UFL’s owners have every right to lose as much money as they desire hoping that their football league will eventually gain traction with the public. When and if that ever should happen, the NFL is likely to respond. The post UFL Midseason Report – Still on Shaky Ground appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Tuesday's 7am hour of Mac & Cube started off with the gang discovering why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated & how much power the NCAA actually has over collegiate sports; then, David Hale, from ESPN, tells us how the Duke men's basketball & Amazon Prime streaming deal came about, if this is something that College Football could replicate, and what the ACC's major takeaway was for the NFL Draft; later, AJ McCarron, head coach for your Birmingham Stallions, says what more he wants to see from QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, where the defense has grown this year, and how they've prepared to take on Dallas; and finally, the boys recap the UFL weekend action. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2026 NBA Playoffs first round is officially complete, and it delivered drama from start to finish. In the biggest upset of the opening round, the Philadelphia 76ers knocked out the #2 seed Boston Celtics in a gripping Game 7 victory, 109-100, sending shockwaves through the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder continued their dominance with a commanding sweep of the Phoenix Suns, cementing OKC as a legitimate championship contender heading into the second round. The Minnesota Timberwolves proved they're no longer a feel-good story; they're a real threat to take down the defending Western Conference powerhouse, the Denver Nuggets. In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors went the distance in a bruising seven-game series before Cleveland punched their ticket to round two. The Detroit Pistons survived a feisty Orlando Magic squad, the New York Knicks made a statement by dominating the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly escaped Houston in a hard-fought battle, and the San Antonio Spurs handled the Portland Trail Blazers convincingly. We break down every first-round series, the key performances, turning points, upsets, and what each team needs to do to advance deep into the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Then we shift over to the gridiron for a full Week 6 UFL recap. The St. Louis Battlehawks got things started Thursday night with a dominant 16-3 road win over the Louisville Kings — a statement performance that has St. Louis looking like a force in the UFL standings. Friday, the Columbus Aviators bounced back in a big way, defeating the Houston Gamblers 24-17 in a game that answered some serious questions about Columbus's resilience. Saturday's action saw the DC Defenders dismantle the Dallas Renegades 24-6 at home in convincing fashion. The weekend closed out with one of the best games of the UFL season so far, the Birmingham Stallions pulled off a 20-17 road upset over the Orlando Storm in a thriller that came down to the wire. We've got full recaps for all four Week 6 UFL games, key player performances, and a deep look at the updated UFL standings heading into Week 7. #NBAPlayoffs #NBA2026 #UFL #UFLWeek6 #BasketballHighlights #SportsRecap #76ers #Celtics #OKCThunder #Timberwolves #UnitedFootballLeague #DCDefenders #BirminghamStallions #KornerBoothPodcast

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Wednesday's 7am hour of Mac & Cube started off with Greg revealing he lied to one of his kids as well as the guys looking back at Auburn's and Oklahoma's Spring Games; then, Berry Tramel, who covers Oklahoma for the Tulsa World, tells us where his opinion shifted after their Spring Game, what John Mateer needs to be successful in 2026, and why it's Playoff or Bust for the Sooners; later, AJ McCarron, head coach for your Birmingham Stallions, says why he made those QB changes & named Dorian Thompson-Robinson the starter, how great it was to have that massive crowd at Protective Stadium, and how they plan to move forward & face the DC Defenders; and finally, Greg explains what it takes to learn a new system and become the starter in short time like DTR will for the Stallions. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday's 9am hour of Mac & Cube saw David Eckert, who covers Texas for 24-7 Sports, tells McElroy & Cubelic how Spring Ball went for the Longhorns, what Will Muschamp has brought to the team, and if it's championship or bust down in Austin; then, we recap the wild weekend in the UFL including a massive trade pulled off by your Birmingham Stallions; later, Cole & the boys lay out how they'd fix the Stallions; and finally, a few Bad Box Scores to make you smile as we close out Monday. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 1 of Monday's 3 Man Front featured our big takeaways from the Auburn A-Day game, fans voicing their frustrations with the Birmingham Stallions & Steve Irvine talking all things UAB! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gene wraps up today's show.

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The final hour of Friday's 3 Man Front included a brand new edition of #PatPonders, our excitement for the Birmingham Stallions' home opener and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Stallions QB Matt Corral joined the show on Thursday to talk about this weekend's home opener against Orlando, playing for AJ McCarron & more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Tuesday's 7am hour of Mac & Cube started off with a recap of Michigan beating UConn and bringing another national championship to the Ann Arbor; then, Cole & Greg say what they've learned about Bama so far this Spring - focusing on the QBs and offensive line; and finally, Matt Corral, QB for your Birmingham Stallions, tells us what he wants to improve after the tough loss to the Houston Gamblers, how AJ McCarron has excelled at being coach, and what they've done to prepare to take on the St. Louis Battlehawks. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Springtime means a return of increasingly warm temperatures (ugh), pollen galore (yuck), and a very eventful initial weekend of sports. Major League Baseball’s 2026 season opened as all 32 teams began tied for first place with a 0-0 record After this past weekend of opening games, it should come as no surprise that the homeless “Athletics” are off to an 0-3 start.  Voodoo dolls in Oakland seem to be having their desired effect on this wandering baseball franchise! The former Oakland Athletics vacated the Bay Area last year and temporarily moved into a minor league baseball stadium in Sacramento.  This team is simply known as the “Athletics” today.  They will remain in Sacto for 2026 and 2027.  A new indoor baseball stadium is under construction in Las Vegas and is expected to become home for this downtrodden franchise starting in 2028. The UFL returned, too.  It’s a good thing St. Louis still has their team! Spring professional football’s UFL began its third year with four games played over the weekend.  The St. Louis Battlehawks attracted more than 31,000 fans to watch its 16-10 win over the defending champion DC Defenders on Saturday in the Battledome. Three other UFL home teams failed to attract even 15,000 patrons for Game #1. The new Louisville Kings franchise were welcomed by 14,000 fans in their inaugural game being played in Kentucky.  They watched the Birmingham Stallions rally to score the game-winning touchdown with two minutes left in a 15-13 victory over the hometown Kings Friday night.  A Sunday night gathering of 11,000 cheered as Orlando “Stormed” to a 23-16 victory over the Columbus Aviators.  The Dallas Renegades pulled a quaint crowd of less than 9,000 fans to its debut game in Frisco, Texas on Saturday. As stated in my league preview last week, the UFL continued to have problems getting most of its teams to score points.  Only two of the eight teams in Week #1 tallied 20 or more points. Are the NFL referees going on strike soon? An under-the-radar story this weekend involved the growing tension between the NFL and its referees union.  The NFL Referees Association may be recommending a strike soon.  The current collective bargaining agreement between the refs and the league is set to expire on May 31. NFL owners have angered the referee union by wanting to raise the probationary period from three years to five and make playoff assignments based on performance rather than seniority.  As you might expect, the referees union looks at those issues differently. A referee strike last occurred in 2012 and lasted three games into the NFL’s regular season.  After several botched calls during the opening weeks of the regular season, the owners and referees finally reached an agreement in late September, 2012. This weekend’s news indicated that the NFL owners are preparing to move forward if there isn’t a new deal soon.  They are compiling a list of possible replacement referee candidates from the ranks of college football.  If a new deal with the NFL referees’ union is not reached by May 1, the football league may be planning to hire and train a set of new referees for the upcoming football season. Golf – first, let’s have some good news! PGA golfer Gary Woodland’s last professional victory came at the 2019 US Open.  About three years ago, the golfer underwent a very delicate surgery to remove a lesion from his brain.  Just two weeks ago, Woodland told the media that he had developed PTSD during his difficult recovery from brain surgery. Sunday’s final round saw Gary Woodland holding a one-shot lead starting the final 18 holes at the Texas Children’s Hospital Houston Open.  He raced out to a 4-under par 31 on the front nine in posting a final round 67 to win the event by five shots. The Houston crowd chanted, “Gary…Gary…Gary!” on the closing holes as Woodland tried to remain focused on the task at hand. Woodland once played on both the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team and on college golf team.  He wisely chose to play professional golf for his post-college career.  Now 41, Gary Woodland picked-up his fifth career PGA win in Houston and a paycheck for nearly $1.8 million. His emotional win in Houston also came with an invitation to play in The Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia in just ten days. Golf – Tiger Woods flipped his SUV and earned a DUI charge in Florida Now 50 years of age, Tiger Woods captured the spotlight once again on Friday.  Golf’s biggest name since Jack Nicklaus was placed under arrest near his home in central Florida after flipping his Land Rover vehicle at a high rate of speed. Tiger Woods’ SUV quickly came upon a truck which was slowing to turn into a driveway. Woods lost control of his vehicle.  The SUV flipped onto its side and Woods safely crawled out of the passenger-side window.  Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic around when the accident occurred. Woods agreed to a breathalyzer test for alcohol, but he then refused to submit to a lawful test for DUI. He was briefly taken into custody late Friday afternoon and released on bond after several hours at the local jail. I was a bit surprised to learn that Tiger Woods still had a valid driver’s license after having more than one past issue involving driving while impaired. This might be a good time for Tiger limit his future driving to the tee boxes at the golf course. NCAA Basketball – March Madness Mauls SwampSwami’s men’s bracket I don’t know which game surprised me more over the past few days. The #2 seed University of Houston faced #3 seed Illinois on Thursday night with the game being played in the Cougars’ home city of Houston at the Toyota Center.  The Cougars were playing in their seventh year of making it to the Sweet 16 round or further. Houston clanked three-pointers, two pointers, and hardly ever shot a free throw in losing to the Fighting Illini 65-55.  The Cougars shot only two free throws in the entire game. This game was U-G-L-Y from start to finish.  The halftime score was Illinois 24, Houston 22.  Coach Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars again failed to bring the school and their long-time coach a first national championship trophy in men’s basketball. And, yes, ol’ SwampSwami picked Houston’s Cougars to win it all this year.  Drat! Congratulations to Illinois and coach Brad Underwood!   After knocking off Houston, the Fighting Illini downed upstart #9 seed Iowa 71-59 on Saturday to advance to the Final Four on Saturday in Indianapolis.  It will be Illinois’ first trip to the Final Four in 21 seasons. The 62-year old coach Underwood was a longtime assistant coach who received his first Division I coaching job at Stephen F. Austin. He took the Lumberjacks into the NCAA March Madness field twice in three seasons while in Nacogdoches, Texas prior to joining Illinois in 2017. Yet another head-scratching game in this weekend’s NCAA March Madness men’s tournament was Sunday afternoon’s massive collapse by #1 East seed Duke in losing at the buzzer to #2 UConn 73-72.  Duke led by as many as 19 points in this game before committing a turnover and allowing a 30 foot 3-pointer by Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (his only made 3-point basket of the day) with less than one second remaining. Duke’s first three games in the NCAA tournament were closer than most of us expected.  The Blue Devils struggled against #16-seed Sienna (71-65).  Third round foe and #5 seed St. Johns kept Duke off balance until a final minute surge lifted the Devils to an 80-75 win. Duke had no shortage of high school All-Americans on its team again this season.  A few of these “rentals” move onto the NBA later in the spring.  Duke’s starting five featured one senior, one sophomore, and three freshmen. Contrast that to UConn’s starting five which included two seniors, two juniors and just one freshman. When Duke had Connecticut down by 19 points, the Huskies played like a veteran group and kept fighting hard until the end of Sunday’s game. As for the Dukees, the coach’s inability to keep his team together from one year to the next has kept this fading basketball powerhouse out of the winner’s circle for ten straight seasons. Regional furniture seller could lose a millions soon! Both the Connecticut Huskies men’s and women’s teams have advanced to their respective Final Four national semifinal games at the end of this week. Jordan’s Furniture (a New England based chain) stands to lose millions of dollars if both Huskies teams should win their Final Four opening games later this week. The regional furniture retailer offered customers a full rebate for merchandise purchased between January 20 through February 16 if both University of Connecticut basketball teams advance to play in this year’s NCAA title games. A representative for the furniture store said the company had purchased some form of risk insurance in the event the company needs to pay off millions to its customers soon. No matter how they “couch” it, Jordan’s Furniture may want reconsider promotions which involve “bedding” against the state’s favorite college basketball teams! The post Baseball returned, Tiger was jailed, and my NCAA Picks are toast (again) appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

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Monday's 7am hour of Mac & Cube began with the guys recapping their spring breaks and what it's like being at Disney Parks in this era; then, Paul Finebaum, from the SEC Network, tells McElroy & Cubelic how big of a hit the SEC's reputation took in basketball, what this Spring means to Lane Kiffin & LSU, and what to expect this fall from the SEC; and later, AJ McCarron, head coach for your Birmingham Stallions, tells McElroy & Cubelic what it was like getting his first win in the UFL, where he wants to see QB improvement, and what Cole is like as a sideline reporter. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday's 9am hour of Mac & Cube started off with Deon Cain & Tae Crowder and Tre Norwood & Jaydon Mickens, from your Birmingham Stallions, joining us in-studio to preview the upcoming UFL season; then, Cole & Greg say what they're looking forward to watching this year in the UFL; later, the guys breakdown today's Alabama vs. Hofstra NCAA Tourney game; and finally, we make our Friday games predictions official. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Isom talks about his local ties to St. Louis, winning with the Birmingham Stallions, and much more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday's 7am hour of Mac & Cube began with more (annoying) lawsuits in the realm of College Football; then, Tyler Siskey, the new OC for your Birmingham Stallions, tells us how excited he is for (most of) the new UFL rules and why he'd like to see junior college football return to Alabama; later, the guys think it's wild to see the son of Philip Rivers commits to NC State; and finally, Cole isn't a fan of the latest QB trying to get a 7th year of eligibility. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Birmingham Stallions head coach AJ McCarron stopped by 3 Man Front on Thursday to update us on training camp for the Stallions & weigh in on the new rule changes coming to the UFL this season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third hour of Thursday's 3 Man Front featured Birmingham Stallions' head coach AJ McCarron giving us a training camp update, our thoughts on some proposed rule changes across college football & your calls/texts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPISODE 339 ECU FB Alum Noah Henderson previews his upcoming season with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL by Pirate Radio 92.7FM Greenville

"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday's 9am hour of Mac & Cube started off with Ari Wasserman, from On3 Sports, telling us who are his top returning QBs for 2026, why Byrum Brown is probably being slept on, and where non-conference schedule is affecting teams; then, Cole wonders if coaches are calling out their players for poor performances now because kids are being paid; later, AJ McCarron, head coach of your Birmingham Stallions, says how he's preparing to put himself into game situations, what fans can expect from this version of the Stallions, and how cool it is to have a bobblehead of himself; and finally, we lay out our TV watching weekend plans, thanks to TD's Fine Furniture in Sumiton. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday's 9am hour of Mac & Cube got underway with AJ McCarron, head coach for your Birmingham Stallions, telling us how it's been since he was named coach, what went down during the UFL Draft, and what he thought about Ty Simpson's 2025 season; then, the guys try and make sense of the potential 9-game redshirt rule; later, Cole & Greg come up with ways to make the regular season better without having to expand the College Football Playoff; and finally, a few wild Bad Box Scores of the Day wraps up our Wednesday. "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Zaslow and Amber Wilson are in for Evan, Canty and Michelle in New York City on this Christmas Eve program. Draymond Green and Steve Kerr have tempers flair, leading to Draymond leaving the court. Have Draymond's antics become too much for the Warriors? Then, AJ McCarron, new Birmingham Stallions head coach and 3x national champion QB for the Alabama Crimson tide. Plus, should we change where the games are played in the 2nd round of the College Football Playoff in the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan Zaslow and Amber Wilson are in for Evan, Canty and Michelle in New York City on this Christmas Eve program. Draymond Green and Steve Kerr have tempers flair, leading to Draymond leaving the court. Have Draymond's antics become too much for the Warriors? Then, AJ McCarron, new Birmingham Stallions head coach and 3x national champion QB for the Alabama Crimson tide. Plus, should we change where the games are played in the 2nd round of the College Football Playoff in the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices