Birmingchamp, Alabama

Once again, Birmingham has claimed top honors in the Unbridled Stallions Football League.

Yeah, until further notice, that’s what I’ve decided to call the USFL. It’s cheesy and goofy, but I’m going with it.

I mean, why not?

FOX may own the league, but the Birmingham Stallions own the league. Skip Holtz and his merry herd of horses are now 21-3 since the modern version of the spring circuit was created, winning both championships – the latest a 28-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers Saturday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

“I’m so proud of these players for what they’ve been able to do,” Holtz said. “We had an open team meeting earlier this year and we talked about last year was over and this is a new football team and if we’re gonna win it, we’re gonna earn it – we weren’t protecting a damn thing, we were gonna go earn something.

“We weren’t trying to sit on our heels and try and protect success.”

If it wants to be called the United States Football League again, it needs to crown a champion from a state other than the one that serves as home to the Stallions. That might be easier said than done.

Being this iteration of the USFL is just two years old, it would seem presumptuous to call what Birmingham has bult a dynasty.

Don’t care … I’m calling it that anyway.

Dynasties have to start somewhere, and winning 88 percent of the games you’ve played – and going 4-0 in the postseason – qualifies in my book.

Last season, of course, the Stallions were tops from wire-to-wire. Take away a late regular season hiccup against Houston, and USFL Year One was merely an extended coronation of Birmingham’s latest entry in professional football.

This year, though, was different. And arguably more impressive.

The team was rocked with injuries – devastating injuries – at the outset, and midway through the campaign Birmingham was 3-2 and sitting in third place in the South Division.

The Stallions have since won seven in a row, with the biggest and best saved for last.

“I feel like the second half of the season we started rolling, started clicking and playing a lot better,” defensive tackle Willie Yarbary said. “If we line up and do our jobs, we weren’t worried about anything and we proved it today.”

They didn’t just overcome adversity, they kicked it in the face.

Certainly, quarterback Alex McGough was the heart and soul of this year’s title winners. He was so good so often they really should’ve given him two Most Valuable Player Awards – just so he’d have a spare.

“One reason for our success is how comfortable we are,” McGough said. “With me it’s comfort with the offense, Coach Skip … the chemistry that we’ve created with the guys, you just can’t make it up.”

But football is a team sport, and this was a total team effort that began on a spring night in the Magic City and ended on a summer evening under the shadow of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum. And because of those injuries I mentioned earlier, there were times Birmingham was a different looking team from week-to-week.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter because they took the concept of “next man up” to a whole new level. To be next up meant to step up, and whoever got the call in a particular situation was ready, willing and more than able.

“Our goal was not to win the championship, it was let’s make sure we’re as good as we can be,” Holtz said. “And let’s just keep getting better every week. I was asked before the game how in the world have we gone 20-3? We didn’t try and go 20-3, we just tried to go 1-0.”

Teamwork made the dream work – for the second year in a row.

And through it all, they had fun.

Big fun.

Sometimes we forget football is a game because pro football is also a business. But mixing business with pleasure is a hallmark of this bunch, who genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves whether playing or practicing.

“To watch these players grow, to watch them come together and watch them go out there and excel on the field … it’s a blessed day,” Holtz said.

So, hail to the two-time champs … you did Birmingham proud by going back-to-back. Now, it’s time to take a well-earned break before you gear up for season three of the Unbridled Stallions Football League.