🏈 USFL Championship A Celebration Of Longevity

History is littered with football leagues that flopped, but the USFL feels different. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: Many football leagues have come and gone, but the USFL is different than the rest … The Jaguars are poised to take another step forward, but the continued growth of Trevor Lawrence is key … and more! It is hard to be a back-to-back champion in pro football, which places the Birmingham Stallions on the cusp of a neat little bit of history this weekend. There are reasons for that; football is a copycat industry and everyone tries to usurp the champ, the sport by its nature is unpredictable, and you're often at the mercy of the gridiron gods. And then there is the blatantly obvious explanation: It is hard to go back-to-back if your league doesn’t last for two seasons. Such is the reality of football entities that have sprung up over the years to either compete with or supplement the NFL. That the Stallions, behind QB Alex McGough and head coach Skip Holtz, have a shot at a second ring when taking on the Pittsburgh Maulers in the championship game on Saturday (8 p.m. ET on NBC) is first and foremost because the USFL has achieved a rare feat. "We’re here," USFL president Daryl Johnston told me this week. "From the beginning, we were built to last, and we had the framework in place to make that happen. We’re just getting going." Football history is littered with fresh leagues that got going but got no further. Attempts to give football supporters some real live action to occupy their time and remote controls during the interminable pause between NFL seasons have been mostly fruitless. From the original XFL, to the Alliance of American Football, to a bunch more long-forgotten acronyms, the repeating story was usually one of initial optimism, followed by fiscal fact, followed by a sad slide into disappearance. Some didn’t get through the first year. Not many reached the end of the second. For the rest of the story, [click here.]( [STORY IMAGE 1] [IN OTHER WORDS] - While Trevor Lawrence's continued rise is the [biggest key]( for the Jaguars, there are questions regarding the pass rush and pass-catchers, Ben Arthur writes. - The Home Run Derby is nearing, and five spots are still up for grabs. Jordan Shusterman takes a look at [38 players who could claim them]( including those most preferable. - After 16 months in Philadelphia, James Harden is ready for yet another run at [being the focal point]( of star-studded championship contender, writes Yaron Weitzman. - Rick Pitino has changed the vibe around St. John's, while Kentucky added some much-needed experience. Both programs make an appearance in John Fanta's latest [Top 25 rankings](. For the latest news and updates, [click here.]( [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Martinique vs Panama (FS1, 6:30 p.m. ET) Martinique faces Panama with both teams looking to capture consecutive wins in Gold Cup play. New York Yankees at St. Louis Cardinals (Saturday, FS1, 2:15 p.m. ET) Gerrit Cole takes the hill against a fierce Cardinal offense as the Yankees battle the Cardinals. Connecticut Sun at Las Vegas Aces (Saturday, ABC, 3 p.m. ET) Two of the best teams in the WNBA clash when the Sun face the Aces in Las Vegas. Tampa Bay Rays at Seattle Mariners (Saturday, FOX, 7:15 p.m. ET) Some of the most exciting young stars in baseball meet when Wander Franco and the MLB-leading Rays collide with Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners. New York Liberty at Seattle Storm (Sunday, CBSSN, 6 p.m. ET) The high-powered Liberty offense head on the road to face the Storm in Seattle. San Francisco Giants at New York Mets (Sunday, ESPN, 7 p.m. ET) The Giants look to continue their hot play to start the season, while the Mets hope to begin a hot streak of their own. For all of today's games and scores, [click here](. [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Pittsburgh Maulers vs Birmingham Stallions (-7): Stallions to win by more than 7 points From FOX Sports Wagering Expert: Chris Fallica It’s true — only two of the Maulers' six losses came by more than seven points, but now they are facing a team that's posted wins by 17, 40, 14, 23 and 25 this season. I’m carrying the lesson I learned last week over to this week. Don’t read too much into the regular-season matchup, which was a game Pittsburgh easily could have won (as New Orleans did in the regular season with Birmingham). The Stallions have been the class of the league for two years now, and I expect a solid win to cap off a successful defense of their 2022 championship. I'll lay the points. Birmingham repeats. For the latest betting odds, [click here](. 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