European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday March 26, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 25 world league of american football for openers no one catches fire Byro Staggenborg staff writer Jerry Lee Lewis  help Birmingham Mike Elkins did wonders in Sacramento and a backup charmed pm in Frankfurt. So went the first week of the world league of american football. The estimated turnstile count for the first four games was 111,971 fans who went to see world league games on two continents. The Birmingham fire led the Way with an estimated attendance of nearly 53,000 fans. Frankfurt preseason favorite to have the most empty seats shocked the league with a 23,169 showing. Sacramento bottomed the saturday attendance list with 16,579. The Low attendance was due in part of soggy conditions that sent most of the crowd to the exits Early in the second half. Birmingham watched its fourth professional football team lose to the Kevin Sweeney powered Montreal machine 20-5. Birmingham also had two teams in the now defunct world football league and one in the United states football league. Don Marzella Birmingham a Public relations director said the fires ticket office a was still counting tickets stubs. The count is at least 53,000, maybe  Michael Huyghue the fires general manager said the count could near 60,000 when the ticket stubs Are accounted for. A we purposely estimated it conservatively until we had a definite count a he said by phone monday. A we did no to have nearly enough staff at the game to keep  obviously Birmingham currently holds the world league record but the crowd was also the largest walk up showing in the history of the 72,000-seat legion Field a. Quot a a a a .1 v a a a a a a a. A a a we outdraw the great Alabama notre Dame games and Alabama Auburn games played at legion Field in terms of walk up sales a Marzella said. A we were absolutely thrilled at the showing a Huyghue said. A by the time the second Quarter started we still had people coming in. By the half we still had people filing in. A not bad considering we Only marketed fire football for three months before the  the Downside a we lost the game so that took away a Little a Huyghue said. Week 1 in review dragons beat the new York new Jersey knights 19-7 in Barcelona a month Pic stadium site of the track and Field events for the 1992 olympics. Mondays attendance for the san Antonio riders or Lando Thunder late contest was unavailable for this edition. A. A a a a a a a goodness gracious. While the great Ball of the Birmingham fire went Down in flames the 53,000 in attendance watched crooner Jerry Lee Lewis sing his hit a great balls of fire at halftime. A fire breather also danced the grandstands but his presence did no to ignite Birmingham. The song and dance failed to inspire Birmingham who trailed 13-0 by the half. Kevin Sweeney the highest rated quarterback and most sought after Prospect at the Orlando Combine last month lived up to Nis expectations. Sweeney tossed the machines first touchdown Ever hitting receiver Keith Jennings with a 23-Yard Spear in the first Quarter. Put me in coach. Mike Elkins who Rode the Bench for the Kansas City chiefs last season came off the Bench wearing a new uniform. Elkins on loan from the chiefs for the Sacramento surges world league Campaign suited up in the Aqua Gold and White and guided Sacramento to both its scores in a 9-3 Victory Over roman Gabriel a Raleigh Durham sky Hawks on saturday. Surge coach Kay Stephenson pulled starter Ben Bennett in favor of Elkins. Quarterback controversy nay says Kay. Quot a Quot Quot a we said before the game we have two quarterbacks and Mike had a Heck of a game a Stephenson told the associated press. A a Elkins executed Well but in a not saying anyone played badly. If we have a quarterback controversy then in a glad to have  Elkins completed seven of 10 passes for 73 Yards and no interceptions while playing Only in the second half. Bennett was 6 for 17 for 43 Yards with two interceptions. While with the chiefs last year in the american bowl in Berlin Elkins played so horribly a pair of inter cup pulk a sundays game had 19,223 fans watching the Barcelona tons that he was pulled in favor of Steve Pellcer. Dragons bag win from wire reports Barcelona Spain a Scott Erney passed to Gene Taylor for a 43-Yard touchdown and ran for another and the Barcelona dragons registered 11 sacks sunday to Post a 19-7 Victory Over the new York new Jersey knights. Erney completed 9 of 18 passes for 122 Yards As the dragons won their inaugural game played in a steady rain in the world league of american football. Erney who played at Rutgers beat out notre Dames Tony Rice for the starting Job with Barcelona and solidified his place on sunday. Barcelona a defense picked off two passes recovered a Fumble held the knights to 60 Yards Rushing and sacked new York new Jersey quarterbacks for a total of 87 Yards. The knights failed to score until the final seconds of the game despite racking up 265 Yards passing. Jeff Graham completed 14 of 20 attempts for 178 Yards with no interceptions and also led new York new Jersey in Rushing with 38 Yards. The dragons who scored All their Points in the second Quarter capitalized on a failed fake punt at the 38 by the knights at the end of the first Quarter and took a 6-0 when Lydell Carr plunged into the end zone from the 1-Yard line with 1 50 gone in the second. The score was set up by Gene palmers stands the Man London s Reserve of Stan Gelbaugh May have etched his name in the world league record books which is still As thin As a Handbill at this Point. Gelbaugh came off the Bench during the monarchs 24-11 win Over Frankfurt and tossed a 96-Vard to pass to Jon Horton for what is now officially the longest to pass in Olaf history. Radio Daze Frankfurt coach Jack Elway got an unpleasant Surprise just before the opener when he w As told the much hyped radio transmitter in of Mike Perez a helmet  be used since London s radios were rendered inoperable by some mysterious Force the helmet radios had been a Strong Selling Point for the world league which promised football at a Breakneck Speed. With the transmitter plays could be transmitted from the sidelines to the playing Field thus eliminating the need for Long huddles. A we were counting on the helmet radio up until game times a Elway told the stars and stripes after the game. A we did no to have signals worked out so we had trouble getting the plays in on  at the half Elway went to plan b a keeping Perez in Only a few offensive sets. Blame it on the rain it rained so miserably in Barcelona that organizers had to move the press Box at month Pic at the last minute and team officials offered free tickets to the dragon faithful. A staffer Rob Gloster dispatched the following report a fans yelled a Ole a at Good plays and spurred on their team with cheers of a Vamos a Spanish for a lets go a one fan added an american touch with a sign Reading a go dragons. I Grinnell  a despite the rain a Gloster continued a the 19,223 fans remained huddled under umbrellas and clustered in seats covered by the second  dragon officials arc offering free tickets to an april 14 game against Orlando to All fans who braved inc elements the week ahead week 2 has Sacramento at Birmingham and Raleigh Durham at Orlando on saturday. Sundays fare includes the new York new Jersey knights playing against London in Wembley stadium. Mondays slate has the Galaxy in san Antonio and Barcelona at Montreal. New York new Jersey defender Falanda Newton brings Down former nil running Back Paul Palmer of Barcelona on sunday. 17-Yard run up the Middle and a 17-Yard pass from Erney to Taylor. Knights quarterback Todd Hammel had a pass picked off at the dragons 43 and on the next play Erney connected with Taylor again for the touchdown 5 06 into the Quarter. Hammel was intercepted again on the knights next Possession setting up Barcelona a final score a 6-Yard run with 10 17 gone in the Quarter that gave the dragons a 19-0 Lead. Graham dashed in from the 1 for the seconds left in the game. Despite a ferocious downpour the level of play was significantly higher than that of a night earlier in Germany where the London monarchs Defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy in the we aft a in Augu knights Only touchdown coming with 25 ral game