World Football League 1975

[PJC]

Well it was 30 years ago about this time of year that the WFL was starting it's second season with hopes of a new look and a second chance with the fans from the year before.

Do those of you out there that followed or have read about the league think that the WFL should have even tried a second year with all the bridges they burned from the year before?

Thanks

[minnfan]

Well it was 30 years ago about this time of year that the WFL was starting it's second season with hopes of a new look and a second chance with the fans from the year before.

Do those of you out there that followed or have read about the league think that the WFL should have even tried a second year with all the bridges they burned from the year before?

Thanks

Ya'know, that's an interesting question. When you think about it, why did they bother with a second season? At the time, nobody I knew, read about or saw on the tube thought the league had any chance after the mess of 1974. Even the pitiful TVS contract was gone now and only local tv stations carried any games.

When the Winds failed to sign Namath the Chicago franchise was running on fumes from day one, Portland was on life support and few teams had any hope of making money. Why did they decide to throw more money down that rathole?

Thanks for the question, I sure don't know the answer.

[minorleagueguy]

...by the way...didn't Gary Davidson (sp) say the WFL was in better $shape than the ABA, and the WHA?

minorleagueguy

[jwalters]

Truthfully I believe the league did have more money than the WHA and ABA. The only problem was the enhanced cost of running a football team and the fact that many of the owners had fortunes in materials but not in cash. I believe the owner in Hawaii, Hemmeter, had the most hard cash in the league. He worked in real estate and development so wasn't dependent on stocks or oil or something like that. The interesting thing is that the WFL didn't completely die in 1975 the league was ressurected a few years later as the American Football Association or AFA. Many of the teams used old WFL names and most of the teams had former WFL employees on the staffs. The league was a little bit more intelligent in how they spent their money. You can read more about the AFA at this website
www.birminghamprosports.com

[minnfan]

Truthfully I believe the league did have more money than the WHA and ABA. The only problem was the enhanced cost of running a football team and the fact that many of the owners had fortunes in materials but not in cash. I believe the owner in Hawaii, Hemmeter, had the most hard cash in the league. He worked in real estate and development so wasn't dependent on stocks or oil or something like that. The interesting thing is that the WFL didn't completely die in 1975 the league was ressurected a few years later as the American Football Association or AFA. Many of the teams used old WFL names and most of the teams had former WFL employees on the staffs. The league was a little bit more intelligent in how they spent their money. You can read more about the AFA at this website
www.birminghamprosports.com

In materials, not in cash. Good point. Although it was a mistake, in hindsight at least, to believe anything Gary Davidson said so his comments on which of his failing leagues had the most cash (should have stated it as the least debt) doesn't mean much. At that time, football salaries were far higher than basketball or hockey anyway.

I still have a few AFA programs from their Chicago Fire days. It seems to me that one of them shows a history older than 1974 though. Did the AFA grow out of one of the other minor league of the early 1970's? Certainly the AFA was minor league, which explains why they didn't last long. Minor league football, in the US at least, simply doesn't get the support they need to survive.

[jwalters]

Yes it did. You sure know your stuff. The league actually begn as a semi-pro league in Texas. I think some of the original teams had connections with the old Texas league and the Continental League. Most of the Texas teams in the early days of the AFA were new teams however and can trace their history to the early 1970's intead of the early and late 1960's like the Texas and Continental League teams. I wish the AFA had survived as a minor league. They had a pretty decent plan.

[minnfan]

Yes it did. You sure know your stuff. The league actually begn as a semi-pro league in Texas. I think some of the original teams had connections with the old Texas league and the Continental League. Most of the Texas teams in the early days of the AFA were new teams however and can trace their history to the early 1970's intead of the early and late 1960's like the Texas and Continental League teams. I wish the AFA had survived as a minor league. They had a pretty decent plan.


It's a disappointment that minor league football simply doesn't work in the US. NCAA is the major reason I suppose, that's hundreds of teams feeding players into the NFL, and whatever other leagues exist at any point. But guys who want to play and can't get left out. Minor leagues would be as good in football as they are in hockey and baseball, but it never works.

[Trooper Keeton]

Thread I played for the Texans against the Fire 1982 in Chicago would you look up the owner. I want to see if he has a film. trooperkeeton.com

:confused:QUOTE=minnfan;8768]In materials, not in cash. Good point. Although it was a mistake, in hindsight at least, to believe anything Gary Davidson said so his comments on which of his failing leagues had the most cash (should have stated it as the least debt) doesn't mean much. At that time, football salaries were far higher than basketball or hockey anyway.

I still have a few AFA programs from their Chicago Fire days. It seems to me that one of them shows a history older than 1974 though. Did the AFA grow out of one of the other minor league of the early 1970's? Certainly the AFA was minor league, which explains why they didn't last long. Minor league football, in the US at least, simply doesn't get the support they need to survive.[/QUOTE]