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To get the league off the ground, Davidson knew that he needed investors. At a press conference held in Chicago on October 2, 1973, Davidson announced his core of investors, a group of men he called the "founding fathers".<ref name="worldfootballleague.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldfootballleague.org/|title=World Football League|access-date=2017-12-27}}</ref> These men were [[Robert Schmertz]], who owned the WHA's [[New England Whalers]] and NBA's [[Boston Celtics]]; a former hockey prospect named [[Howard Baldwin]] (future owner of the NHL's [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]), who ran the Boston Bulls charter; Ben Hatskin, who owned the WHA's [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)|Winnipeg Jets]]; and R. Steve Arnold, another WHA associate.
Perhaps one of the biggest of the "founding fathers" was a Canadian movie producer, [[John F. Bassett]]. A former tennis prodigy and owner of the WHA's [[Toronto Toros]], Bassett came from a wealthy Canadian family. The family owned (among other entities) the [[Toronto Argonauts]] of the [[Canadian Football League]], two Toronto newspapers and interests in television stations. The younger Bassett had been mulling over starting his own professional football league when he happened to meet Davidson and he was given a franchise for Toronto. Bassett
Along with the original founding fathers, the rest of the owners
Several prospective owners were forced to drop out. Davidson was willing to sell his Philadelphia team to investor Harry Jay Katz, before learning that Katz didn't have the strong resources that he claimed, and was in fact the target of several lawsuits, and rescinded his offer to sell the rights to Philadelphia.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/> He nearly sold the Detroit franchise to Bud Huchul, but it was later discovered Huchul had been arrested 30 times and faced 27 lawsuits related to his previous business dealings.<ref name=FallOff>Speck, Mark. [http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/19-03-701.pdf In Detroit, Where the Wheels Fell Off]. {{webarchive |url=
Davidson had initially planned for his league to commence play in 1975. However, the league came under pressure to accelerate its timetable, largely on account of strained labor relations affecting both established professional leagues. In the spring of 1974, players were threatening to go on strike in both the NFL and CFL, which could have delayed the start of their seasons and/or caused the quality of their product to deteriorate if owners attempted to bring in replacement players.
[[File:Jack Pardee as Houston Cougars head football coach.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jack Pardee]] served as head coach of the [[Florida Blazers]] in 1974.]]
The possibility of being the only major professional football league in operation (or, at least, the possibility that the quality of WFL football might be compared favorably with that of established league rosters filled with "[[Scab (union)|scab]]" players) appeared to be too good an opportunity to pass up – combined with rumors of another upstart league, it persuaded Davidson to advance the new league's planned debut to 1974.
One team went through several identities. The team slated to play in Maryland was to be called the Washington Capitals, but the [[Washington Capitals|expansion NHL team]] had already trademarked the rights to the nickname. A contest held to name the team came up with the name Ambassadors. The team then became the Baltimore-Washington Ambassadors, and then the Baltimore name was dropped, and the team simply became known as the Washington Ambassadors.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/> In order to boost ticket sales, Washington owner Joe Wheeler offered former Baltimore Colts quarterback [[Johnny Unitas]] a contract as head coach and general manager of the team, but Unitas declined as he was already under contract with the San Diego Chargers; he retired at the end of the 1973 season. Wheeler then made the same offer to [[Washington Commanders|Redskins]] linebacker [[Jack Pardee]], who quickly signed with the new league.
In the meantime, Wheeler had engaged in a war for territory with Pardee's old boss, Redskins owner [[Edward Bennett Williams]]. Wheeler wanted the Ambassadors to play at [[RFK Stadium]], but Williams refused to allow it, and the Ambassadors were on the move. Without ever stepping on the field, the team went through their third relocation, starting off as the Baltimore-Washington Ambassadors, then becoming the Washington Ambassadors, and finally the Virginia Ambassadors.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/>
===Competing for NFL players===
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2016}}
The fledgling WFL did succeed in raising stagnant salaries in the NFL. Average salaries in professional football were among the lowest in the four major North American sports, and the [[National Football League Players Association]] and the [[Canadian Football League Players Association]] had both gone on strike prior to their leagues' respective 1974 seasons in an effort to lift many of the rules suppressing free agency and player salaries. In addition, the NFL did not have a free agency system in place then (and one
With the uncertain labor situation, the WFL had the opportunity to provide players with a better deal than the established leagues would give them, along with the promise of employment. Davidson's league garnered major publicity when the [[Toronto Northmen]], led by John F. Bassett, signed three Miami Dolphins players, fullback [[Larry Csonka]],<ref name=sbj/> halfback [[Jim Kiick]], and wide receiver [[Paul Warfield]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reineking |first1=Jim |title=Alliance of American Football is just the latest in a long line of failed start-up leagues |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/04/03/aaf-joins-xfl-usfl-wfl-start-up-pro-football-leagues-failed/3349422002/ |access-date=May 24, 2019 |work=USA Today |date=April 3, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> to what was then the richest three-player deal in sports, an astounding US$3.5 million to start in 1975. The pact was a guaranteed, personal-services contract, so the trio would be paid even if the WFL did not survive its first season.
[[File:CalvinHill1979.jpg|thumb|right|Running back [[Calvin Hill]] played for [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|The Hawaiians]] in 1975.]]
The NFL took notice, as did their players when they were approached to jump leagues. The [[Oakland Raiders]] nearly lost both their quarterbacks. [[Ken Stabler]]<ref name=sbj/> signed with the [[Birmingham Americans]], and [[Daryle Lamonica]] penned a contract to play for the [[Southern California Sun]] starting in 1975. [[John Wilbur (American football)|John Wilbur]] left [[The Over-the-Hill Gang (American football)|the Over-the-Hill Gang]] as a [[Washington Redskin]] to invest, coach special teams, and play for [[the Hawaiians (WFL)|the Hawaiians]]. The [[Dallas Cowboys]] also took roster hits when WFL teams in Hawaii and Houston signed running back [[Calvin Hill]] and quarterback [[Craig Morton]] respectively. The Hawaiians also signed [[Minnesota Vikings]] Pro Bowl WR [[John Gilliam]] and [[San Francisco 49ers]] All-Pro TE [[Ted Kwalick]]; however, Gilliam ended up with the [[Chicago Winds]] and Kwalick signed with the [[Philadelphia Bell]] prior to the 1975 season.
By early June 1974, the WFL claimed they had some 60 NFL players under contract. Many of these defections came in the form of futures contracts. The players would play out their existing deals with the NFL, then jump to the WFL when those deals expired. Thus, Stabler
The top minor leagues in the United States at the time, the [[Atlantic Coast Football League]] and [[Seaboard Football League]], were also tremendously affected as it caused them to fold.<ref name=sbj/> The ACFL had survived a suspension of operations in 1972 to return to play in 1973, only to have the WFL lure away most of the ACFL's and SFL's players with the prospect of playing in a "major" league. Both leagues were forced to fold; the ACFL and half the SFL folded immediately, with two teams joining the four remaining SFL teams to play in 1974; the SFL folded after an abbreviated 1974 season.
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The WFL held a college draft. The first six rounds were held on January 22, 1974, with the remaining 30 rounds held on February 5. [[David Jaynes]], quarterback from Kansas, was the first player selected in the draft by the original Memphis franchise that became the Houston Texans by the time the season started.
[[File:Gator Bowl Jacksonville Florida 1961.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gator Bowl Stadium]], planned site of the first [[World Bowl (WFL)|World Bowl]]]]
As was common with many upstart leagues, the WFL's intended lineup of teams changed several times before they even played a down. Most notably, Bassett's Toronto Northmen were forced to find a new home after the Canadian government threatened to ban any American football team from competing with the CFL. Though the [[Canadian Football Act]] never passed, the mere threat of it prompted Bassett to move the team to Memphis, where it became the [[Memphis Southmen]]. It was generally referred to by fans, local media, and even some official team materials as the Grizzlies, which they officially renamed themselves to the following season (not to be confused with the [[Memphis Grizzlies|current NBA team of the same name]]). The WFL suffered an even more serious blow when the CFL and NFL reached agreements with their striking players that ensured that the upstart league would be forced to compete with both of their established rivals.
The original schedule called for a four-team playoff, with semifinal games held on
In the first few weeks, the WFL looked to be a resounding success. Attendance outpaced the first week of the [[American Football League]] in 1960, averaging just under 43,000 a game. The box office numbers proved to be the beginning of the WFL's undoing when two teams admitted to inflating their gates on a
Six games into the first season, a number of WFL franchises were in serious trouble. The [[Detroit Wheels]] were looking to move to [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], and the [[Florida Blazers]] made overtures of bringing the first place club to [[Atlanta]].
It was discovered that in the rush to commence play in 1974, several WFL teams had paid less than the original $120,000 franchise fee in order to meet Davidson's target of 12 teams. Additionally, league officials had conducted little to no [[due diligence]]. As a result, most of the league's teams were badly undercapitalized. By most accounts, the only reasonably well-financed teams were Memphis, Philadelphia, the Hawaiians and Southern California.
In many cases, WFL teams were unable to meet the most basic team expenses. For instance, the [[Portland Storm]]'s players were reportedly being fed by sympathetic local fans
The most dire situation, however, was that of the Detroit Wheels. The team's original 33 owners appeared to pay for team expenses out of pocket as they arose, resulting in what amounted to a club football team playing
The Wheels seemingly bottomed out when they arrived in Philadelphia to face the Bell. The players discovered that there were no medical supplies or tape available, and initially refused to take the field. When it looked like the Wheels would have to forfeit, a salesman at the game donated enough tape to allow them to play.<ref name=FallOff/> The league was forced to take over the team after complaints from the players.
Perhaps one of the most bizarre incidents for the WFL in 1974 involved defensive end [[John Matuszak]], who had jumped from the NFL's [[Houston Oilers]] to play for the WFL's [[Houston Texans (WFL)|Houston Texans]]. While Matuszak worked out on the field prior to a game against the [[Charlotte Hornets (WFL)|New York Stars]], attorneys for the Oilers and federal marshals arrived at the stadium: five minutes into the first quarter, shortly after sacking Stars quarterback Tom Sherman for a 13-yard loss, Matuszak was
The league seemingly bottomed out in October when it shut down the Wheels and the Sharks after 14 games. The collapse of the Sharks meant that the [[Gator Bowl Stadium|Gator Bowl]]
▲The league seemingly bottomed out in October when it shut down the Wheels and the Sharks after 14 games. The collapse of the Sharks meant that the [[Gator Bowl Stadium|Gator Bowl]] would not host World Bowl I; coincidentally, Jacksonville was also slated to be the host of the 1986 [[United States Football League|USFL]] Championship Game, but the USFL folded before that season began. It would not be until February 2005 that the city would host its first championship pro football game, [[Super Bowl XXXIX]].
Davidson was forced to resign in October 1974, and Hawaiians owner [[Christopher Hemmeter]] was named the new commissioner a month later.
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The playoff format itself was also chaotic: numerous playoff formats were tossed around, including brackets ranging from three to eight teams, with one owner proposing the World Bowl be canceled and the championship handed to the regular-season champion Memphis Southmen.
[[File:Warren McVea 1969.jpg|thumb|right|Running back [[Warren McVea]] began the 1974 season with Detroit but was traded to Houston a month into the season.]]
Eventually, six teams were chosen for the
However, after being informed only 1,000 advance tickets had been sold for the Hornets' matchup against the Blazers, league officials forced the Hornets to withdraw from the playoffs. The Hornets' cut of the gate would have only been enough for their players to get $100 for the game, nowhere near enough for the financially strapped team to justify the trip to Orlando. League officials arranged for the Bell to advance in their place, as they were slightly more robustly funded and could cover their travel costs.<ref>Speck, Mark (1998). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003954/http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=worldbowl WORLD BOWL I .... AND ONLY]. ''Coffin Corner''. Retrieved 2011-02-27.</ref>
Despite the various disasters, many thought the WFL performed fairly well, though below NFL standards. Many games were tight, decided by seven points or less, and the Action Point, the one-point conversion run or pass attempt after a touchdown, was favored among WFL coaches and critics. The league
Not even the World Bowl could go off without a hitch. For a time, it appeared that the game would not take place because the Americans owed $237,000 in back federal taxes. However, the [[Internal Revenue Service]] agreed to let the game go ahead in return for a portion of the gate. Both teams were owed several weeks' back pay; the Americans only agreed to play when their owner promised them championship rings if they won.
As if losing a championship game in a squeaker was not bad enough, things got much worse. Florida head coach
The champions did not fare much better; only days after the World Bowl, the Americans' office furniture was repossessed by sheriff's deputies.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/>
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Many NFL stars who had been attracted to the league quickly sought to get out of their contracts. Quarterback [[Ken Stabler]] (Raiders), defensive end [[L. C. Greenwood]] (Steelers), and quarterback [[Craig Morton]] (Giants) all were able to get courts to nullify their contracts with WFL teams, while former NFL veterans like [[George Sauer Jr.]], [[Charley Harraway]], [[Leroy Kelly]], and [[Don Maynard]] all retired.
Home-grown talent, like quarterbacks [[Tony Adams (
===1975 season===
{{Main|1975 World Football League season}}
Though many predicted the WFL was dead, the league returned for the 1975 season. During the offseason, Hemmeter developed a plan to restore a measure of financial sanity to the league by paying players and coaches based on a percentage of revenues, while imposing strict capitalization requirements on the teams. Several markets from 1974 returned under new team names and new ownership. The deceased Sharks of [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] came back as the 'Express.' The Portland Storm became the Portland Thunder, the Birmingham Americans were replaced by the [[Birmingham Vulcans|Vulcans]], and the [[Chicago Fire (WFL)|Chicago Fire]] became the [[Chicago Winds|Winds]]. The World Bowl runner-up [[Florida Blazers]] folded, and their franchise rights were relocated to [[San Antonio, Texas]], as the [[San Antonio Wings]]. [[Akron, Ohio]] was briefly mentioned as a location for the twelfth WFL team (the replacement for the Wheels), but this never materialized, and only 11 teams
{{cite news|title=A Century of Sports: The Mahoning and Shenango Valleys|work=The Vindicator|page=4|date=November 14, 1999}}</ref> Only two teams, Memphis and Philadelphia, returned with the same ownership from the prior season. ''Sports Illustrated'', in its postmortem, noted that the change between 1974 and 1975 was so drastic that for all intents and purposes, the WFL of 1975 was a nearly completely different entity than its predecessor. The WFL of 1974 was described as a bombastic credit risk, while the WFL of 1975 was a safer but much quieter entity that failed because it was ignored.<ref name=SIMoney>{{cite magazine |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1975/12/01/the-day-the-money-ran-out |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Johnson |first=William Oscar |title=The day the money ran out<!-- http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1090543/index.htm -->|date=December 1, 1975|page=84}}</ref>
An idea produced by the league was to have players wear different colors of pants based on their position. Offensive linemen were to wear purple pants, running backs green pants, receivers blue pants, linebackers red, and defensive backs yellow. Quarterbacks and kickers were to wear white pants. In addition to the colors, the pants were also adorned with items such as pinstripes (for the offensive linemen) or large stars (for quarterbacks) for those not watching on color television. After a test run in preseason games, this idea was scrapped.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/>
[[File:Larry Csonka 1972.jpg|thumb|right|Fullback [[Larry Csonka]] played for the [[Memphis Southmen]] in 1975.]]
The league changed the scheduling format from 20 games without exhibitions to 18 games (played in 20 weeks due to the odd number of teams) with exhibitions. Gone were weeknight games; the new schedule had games on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. But there were still problems, as although the original plan called for a July 5 preseason opener and August 2 regular season openers, the regular season had to open a week earlier, with a single game on Saturday, July 26, due to a stadium conflict. This meant that a single regular season game was played in the midst of the last weekend of preseason play (with some preseason games being played the next night).
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Despite Hemmeter's efforts, several teams soon ran into financial difficulties, in part due to alarmingly low attendance figures. (The WFL averaged 21,423 fans per game in 1974, but only 13,931 per contest in '75.) The Winds were shut down five games into the season after dropping below league capitalization requirements, leaving the league with ten teams (which itself was a convenience, because it eliminated the mandatory bye week). It was not enough to stem the tide; by late October rumors abounded that four of the remaining teams were on the verge of folding.<ref name=wcffl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TS8PAAAAIBAJ&pg=4343%2C3873192 |work=Victoria Advocate |location=(Texas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Woes continue for WFL |date=October 22, 1975 |page=2B}}</ref>
On Wednesday, October 22, a few days before the start of week 13, the WFL ceased operations.<ref name=itovr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KNZVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6366%2C6777086 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title='It's over' for WFL |date=October 22, 1975 |page=1E}}</ref><ref name=cllps>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zPJLAAAAIBAJ&pg=7184%2C3119091 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=World Football League collapses in hopeless debt |date=October 23, 1975 |page=34}}</ref><ref name=gossp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PW5YAAAAIBAJ&pg=6886%2C3074951 |work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Ghost of season past kills WFL |date=October 23, 1975 |page=13}}</ref> Hemmeter said that the league would have needed to spend as much as $40 million over two years to be successful, a bill that the league's directors, seven of whom sat on the boards of banks, did not feel could be justified.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/23/archives/money-ills-force-wfl-to-disband-wfl-gives-up-football.html|title=Money Woes Force W.F.L. To Disband|last=Cady|first=Steve|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=October 23, 1975}}</ref> The [[Birmingham Vulcans]], by virtue of their league-best record of 9–3 at the time of the shutdown,<ref name=sdcslg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZE9OAAAAIBAJ&pg=5099%2C1047746 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Pro football: World League standings |date=October 21, 1975 |page=14}}</ref> were proclaimed league champions.<ref name="ct780716">{{cite news |first=Rick |last=Talley |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |title=Origer's feelings for WFL, Fire still burn bright |page=B8 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/630803312.html?dids=630803312:630803312&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI |quote=Although he could have sold 22000 season tickets for that ill-fated '75 season, he folded the team [...] |date=July 16, 1978 |access-date=April 28, 2010 |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026130928/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/630803312.html?dids=630803312:630803312&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI |url-status=dead }}</ref>
With the relative financial stability of the Birmingham and Memphis clubs, both attempted to join the NFL but were refused. In 1979, the Memphis club owners filed an [[Mid-South Grizzlies v. NFL|anti-trust suit]] against the NFL. Their case was ultimately dismissed on May 30, 1984,<ref>{{cite news|last=New |first=The |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/supreme_court/index.html?query=NATIONAL%20FOOTBALL%20LEAGUE&field=org&match=exact |title=U.S. Supreme Court – The New York Times – Narrowed by 'NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE' |work=The New York Times |publisher=Topics.nytimes.com |access-date=2010-07-29}}</ref> by which time the owners had already established the [[Tampa Bay Bandits]] in the next professional league, the [[United States Football League]] (then in the midst of its second season; that league incidentally filed their own, more famous antitrust suit against the NFL in 1986). Although the NFL expanded by two teams in 1976, that expansion had been planned before the WFL's first season, and neither city (Tampa and Seattle) had hosted a WFL franchise.
One of the issues facing the WFL going into 1975 was how to hold a draft. The owners of the WFL teams collectively agreed they did not have the money to seek out the top college prospects. Instead, the league came up with a different plan. Instead of drafting a certain player, a WFL team would draft an entire NFL or CFL team. This gave that team the rights to negotiate with players under contract for that team. For example, only the Charlotte Hornets had the right to offer contracts to players from the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Colts, and Detroit Lions, and only the Chicago Winds could offer contracts to players from the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/>
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The league's struggles led to endless sarcastic comments (starting with the league's own abbreviation, which was often pronounced "[[Wiffleball|Wiffle]]"). Chicago Fire offensive lineman [[Steve Wright (American football, born 1942)|Steve Wright]] quipped that he had been offered a million dollar contract: "A dollar a year for a million years!"
In the 1976 season, Memphis Southmen coach John McVay joined the staff of the [[New York Giants]] and brought with him nine players from the Southmen. In what has been described as "the closest approximation to a meeting between the champions of the WFL and the NFL" (even though the Southmen never won a WFL title), the Southmen-reinforced Giants upset the defending Super Bowl champion [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], 17–0, in a preseason match that year.<ref name="cc2205">{{cite news |first=Mark L. |last=Ford |work=The Coffin Corner |publisher=Pro Football Researchers Association |title=25 Significant "Meaningless" NFL Games |volume=22 |issue=5 |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/22-05-865.pdf |date=2000 |access-date=January 19, 2010 |archive-url=
The WFL, for all its embarrassing miscues, produced a number of coaches who found success in the NFL, notably [[Jack Pardee]], [[Lindy Infante]], and [[Marty Schottenheimer]]. [[Jim Fassel]], a quarterback for the Hawaiians, became a head coach in the [[National Football League|NFL]] and [[United Football League (2009)|UFL]], taking the [[New York Giants]] to [[Super Bowl XXXV]] in 2001 and the [[Las Vegas Locomotives]] to a win in the [[2009 UFL Championship Game]]. McVay worked his way up the Giants organization and eventually became the team's head coach; he had even more success as general manager of the [[San Francisco 49ers]] during the 1980s [[dynasty (sports)|dynasty]] years. Several players, most notably [[Pat Haden]], [[Danny White]], [[Alfred Jenkins]], [[Greg Latta]], and [[Vince Papale]], later found success in the NFL as well.
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The WFL also arguably affected locations of other professional football teams: from the NFL, Hawaii hosted the [[Pro Bowl]] from 1980 through 2009 and again from 2011 to 2016, Jacksonville got the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] in 1995, Charlotte received the [[Carolina Panthers]] in the same year, and Houston's expansion franchise, the [[Houston Texans|Texans]], revived the name of the WFL team in 2002. Though the WFL's Toronto establishment failed due to Canadian resistance, the [[Buffalo Bills]] (with Canadian backing and special conditions) played one [[Bills Toronto Series|home game in Toronto]] a season from 2008 to 2013, and the league's original intent to expand the game globally is being partially fulfilled by the [[NFL International Series]]. Other cities became regular stops for franchises in other leagues:
*Memphis hosted the [[Memphis Showboats|Showboats]] of the [[United States Football League|USFL]] from 1983 to 1985, the [[Memphis Mad Dogs|Mad Dogs]] of the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]] in 1995, the [[XFL (2001)|XFL]]
*Birmingham hosted the [[Alabama Vulcans|Vulcans and Magic]] of the [[American Football Association (1978–1983)|AFA]], [[Birmingham Stallions|Stallions]] of the USFL, the [[Birmingham Fire|Fire]] of the [[World League of American Football|WLAF]] from 1991 to 1992, [[Birmingham Barracudas|Barracudas]] of the CFL in 1995, the [[Birmingham Thunderbolts|Thunderbolts]] of the XFL in 2001
*Orlando hosted the Americans of the AFA, [[Orlando Renegades|Renegades]] of the USFL, [[Orlando Thunder|Thunder]] of the WLAF, [[Orlando Rage|Rage]] of the XFL, the [[Florida Tuskers|Tuskers]] of the [[United Football League (2009–2012)|UFL]] and the [[Orlando Apollos|Apollos]] of the AAF.
*Shreveport later hosted the Steamers of the AFA and the [[Shreveport Pirates|Pirates]] of the CFL.
*Jacksonville hosted the Firebirds of the AFA and the [[Jacksonville Bulls|Bulls]] of the USFL before the NFL Jaguars franchise was awarded. In 2010, Jacksonville received an [[Arena Football League]] expansion franchise, [[Jacksonville Sharks (arena football)|which revived the Sharks name]].
*Charlotte later hosted the Chargers of the AFA before the NFL Panthers franchise was awarded.
*San Antonio later hosted the Charros of the AFA, [[San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL team)|Gunslingers]] of the USFL, the [[San Antonio Riders|Riders]] of the WLAF, the [[San Antonio Texans|Texans]] of the CFL, the [[San Antonio Matadors|Matadors]] of the [[Spring Football League|SFL]], the [[San Antonio Commanders|Commanders]] of the AAF, the [[San Antonio Brahmas]] of the 2020 XFL and 2024 UFL, and four home games for the NFL [[New Orleans Saints]] during their [[2005 New Orleans Saints season|2005 "road season"]], in which the Saints [[Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Saints|had to abandon their usual stadium]], the [[Louisiana Superdome]], due to [[Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Louisiana Superdome|damage]] from [[Hurricane Katrina]]. (San Antonio has also hosted NFL exhibition games.)
*Southern California hosted the [[Los Angeles Express (USFL)|Express]] of the USFL, the [[Los Angeles Xtreme|Xtreme]] of the 2001 XFL, the [[Los Angeles Wildcats (XFL)|Wildcats]] in the 2020 XFL, the [[Los Angeles Dragons|Dragons]] of the [[Spring Football League|SFL]] and was expected to host a franchise in the UFL, a promise that was never fulfilled before the league's sudden shutdown in 2012.
*The New York/New Jersey metropolitan area hosted the [[New Jersey Generals]] of the USFL, the [[New York Sentinels]] of the UFL, and the [[New York Guardians|Guardians]] of the [[XFL (2020)|2020 XFL]], and two teams that bore both states' names: the [[New York/New Jersey Knights|Knights]] of the WLAF and the [[New York/New Jersey Hitmen|Hitmen]] of the 2001 XFL.
*Chicago hosted the Fire of the AFA, [[Chicago Blitz|Blitz]] of the USFL and the [[Chicago Enforcers|Enforcers]] of the 2001 XFL.
*Detroit later hosted the Michigan Panthers in both the [[Michigan Panthers|1983-85]] and [[Michigan Panthers (UFL)|2022-present]] incarnations of the USFL and UFL and was targeted as a possibility for XFL expansion before the 2001 XFL folded.
*Portland later hosted the [[Portland Breakers|Breakers]] of the USFL and served as the launching point for the [[CFL USA]] initiative with an exhibition game in June 1992, though it never received a CFL team.
*Houston later hosted the [[Houston Marshals|Marshals]] in the [[Spring Football League|SFL]] and the [[Houston Roughnecks (2020)|Roughnecks]] in the 2020 XFL, along with [[Houston Roughnecks (2024)|another Roughnecks]] in the 2024 UFL.
The NFL's [[Houston Texans]] revived the name of the WFL's [[Houston Texans (WFL)|franchise]] for that [[Houston|city]] when it began play in [[2002 NFL
There is also a [[Major League Soccer]] team called the [[Chicago Fire (soccer)|Chicago Fire]], and there are/were also [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] teams called the [[Memphis Grizzlies]] (2001–present) and [[Charlotte Hornets]] (1988–2002, 2014–present) (the nickname "Hornets" was used for minor league baseball teams in Charlotte long before the WFL entry; also, the "Grizzlies" name for the Memphis NBA team was in use when the franchise was still in [[Vancouver]]). The [[Jacksonville Sharks]] and [[Portland Thunder]] names were later revived for teams in the 2010 revival of the [[Arena Football League]], with the indoor Sharks (outlasting its namesake by several years) having since moved to the [[National Arena League]].
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==NFL jumpers==
Several NFL players signed contracts, or in some cases, future contracts with teams in the World Football League. In the case of a future contract, this was when a player entering the final years of a contract with an NFL team would sign a contract with a WFL team that goes into effect the moment the player's obligation with his NFL club is finished. Each signing is broken down by team, said players previous NFL club, and year player signed a contract. Just because a player signed does not mean he ever played for that team. L. C. Greenwood, for instance, never played a down of football for Birmingham.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/> No one shown with a date after 1975 ever actually played for the WFL team listed due to the league's insolvency as of that year.
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;Birmingham
:[[Ross Brupbacher]], LB (Chicago Bears) 1974
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;Detroit
:[[Warren McVea]], RB (Kansas City Chiefs) 1974
:[[Mike Taylor (linebacker, born 1949)|Mike Taylor (born 1949)]], LB (New York Jets) 1974
;Florida
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:[[Richmond Flowers (American football)|Richmond Flowers]], DB (New York Giants) 1975
:[[Craig Morton]], QB (Dallas Cowboys) 1975
{{col-break}}
;Jacksonville
:[[Guy Dennis]], OG (Detroit Lions) 1975
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:[[Tom Drougas]], T (Baltimore Colts) 1976
:[[Rocky Rasley]], G (Detroit Lions) 1976
:[[Mike Taylor (offensive tackle)|Mike Taylor (born 1945)]], T (St. Louis Cardinals) 1974
:[[Steve Thompson (American football b. 1945)|Steve Thompson]], DT (New York Jets) 1975
:[[Clancy Williams]], DB (Washington Redskins) 1974
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:[[Dave Williams (wide receiver)|Dave Williams]], WR (Pittsburgh Steelers) 1974
:[[Dick Witcher]], TE (San Francisco 49ers) 1975
{{col-end}}
Many other players jumped as well. Dallas running back Duane Thomas signed with the Hawaiians in 1975 after being released by the Washington Redskins. Longtime Cleveland Browns running back Leroy Kelly signed with Chicago. Other players joined the WFL despite being drafted by NFL squads, such as quarterback Danny White, who signed with Memphis before eventually joining the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.<ref name="worldfootballleague.org"/>
==Television and radio coverage==
The league's only national television contract was with the [[TVS Television Network]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=161510.0 |title=World Football League Affiliates |date=28 January 2010 |work=Radio-Info.com Discussion Boards>NATIONAL TELEVISION TOPICS>Classic TV |access-date=15 April 2012}}</ref> a [[Broadcast syndication|syndicator]] of American sports programming. [[Merle Harmon]] and [[Alex Hawkins]] announced TVS' Thursday Night Game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.funtrivia.com/en/Sports/World-Football-League-13439.html |title=World Football League – Fun Facts, Answers, Factoids, Info, Information |publisher=Funtrivia.com |date=1974-12-05 |access-date=2010-07-29}}</ref> Guest announcers were often brought into the booth including [[Paul Hornung]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/603835842.html?dids=603835842:603835842&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Sep+15%2C+1974&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=World+Football+League&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104101202/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/603835842.html?dids=603835842:603835842&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Sep+15,+1974&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=World+Football+League&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |title=World Football League |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=1974-09-15 |access-date=2010-07-29}}</ref> [[George Plimpton]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/lost-treasures-of-nfl-films/the-world-football-league/episode/307736/summary.html |title=Lost Treasures of NFL Films: The World Football League Episode Summary on |publisher=Tv.com |access-date=2010-07-29}}</ref> [[Alex Karras]], and [[McLean Stevenson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newspaperarchive.com/LandingPage.aspx?type=glpnews&search=mclean%20stevenson%20wfl&img=\\na0041\6792757\49638276_clean.html |title=Search Old Newspaper Articles Online |publisher=NewspaperARCHIVE.com |access-date=2010-07-29}}</ref>
According to TVS president [[Eddie Einhorn]], the games actually got decent ratings at first. However, affiliates started bailing out after the Philadelphia and Jacksonville gate-inflation scandals. The trickle became a flood after two teams moved in the middle of the season and two more folded altogether. New York's midseason relocation came in part because the lights at Downing Stadium were nowhere near bright enough to illuminate the entire field, leading TVS to deem them inadequate for broadcast. This limited the Stars' national television exposure to away games. By the time of the World Bowl, the games were struggling to achieve Nielsen ratings above 2.0, and TVS found it nearly impossible to sell advertising. Despite the losses, Einhorn was actually willing to stick it out until Hemmeter announced the Winds were going to try to sign Namath. Einhorn told Hemmeter that the league had effectively bet its whole credibility on Namath coming to Chicago, and none of TVS' affiliates would commit to broadcasting the 1975 season unless Namath signed with the Winds. When he didn't, the WFL was left without a national television contract.<ref name=SIMoney/> The loss of such a critical revenue stream was a factor in the league's collapse midway through the season.
Recordings from a few WFL telecasts survive, including two games involving the Jacksonville Sharks: one includes approximately one hour of footage from the July 10, 1974 match between the Sharks and the New York Stars, and the second includes ten minutes of footage from the Sharks hosting the Chicago Fire on July 17. [[NFL Films]] included clips from the Sharks-Stars game, including an animated introduction, in their television documentary series ''Lost Treasures of NFL Films'' in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetvdb.com/series/lost-treasures-of-nfl-films/episodes/130064|title=Lost Treasures of NFL Films - The World Football League @ TheTVDB|website=www.thetvdb.com|language=en|access-date=2018-08-03}}</ref> In it, host [[Steve Sabol]] describes the damaged video tape as ''"a fourth generation copy of a copy"'' and as ''"TV history"''; Sabol also noted that much of the WFL footage was [[Lost television broadcast|lost or destroyed]], and that much of what remained was home-recorded [[kinescope]]s far below broadcast quality. Lewis Bice, who shot promotional film for Birmingham to be used for highlight reels, preserved some of his work, which NFL Films used in the special along with the surviving telecast footage; NFL Films was pleasantly surprised at the caliber of Bice's surviving footage, which was remarkably close to NFL Films's own work, with Sabol commenting that if he'd known of Bice back then, "we would've hired him in a second."<ref>{{Citation|last=Darrin Oliphant|title=Lost Treasures of the NFL S03E04 - The World Football League|date=2017-01-12|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkfb7dwT4IQ| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/Gkfb7dwT4IQ| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-03}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Twenty-one minutes of the TVS broadcast of the [[World Bowl (WFL)|1974 World Bowl]] - including the pre-game show, player introductions, and opening kick off - was uploaded to YouTube in 2018.<ref>{{Citation|last=Darrin Oliphant|title=WFL 1974 World Bowl - Birmingham Americans vs. Florida Blazers|date=2018-01-28|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V2iMbwWlx8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/8V2iMbwWlx8| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|access-date=2018-08-03}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
One complete game on radio in audio form also survives - the 1974 WFL Playoff Game involving the California Sun and the Hawaiians, recorded from Hawaiians flagship station [[KSSK (AM)|KGMB]].<ref>{{Citation |title=1974 WFL Playoff-Hawaiians at Sun [radio] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGb7ID-suoY |language=en |access-date=2022-05-12}}</ref> A mostly complete recording of the Chicago Fire's radio broadcast on [[WBMX|WJJD-FM]] of their game against the Philadelphia Bell also survives <ref>{{Citation |title=World Football League Game - Philadelphia Bell vs Chicago Fire |url=http://archive.org/details/WorldFootballLeagueGame-PhiladelphiaBellVsChicagoFire |access-date=2022-05-12}}</ref> as do fragments of other WFL radio broadcasts. <ref>{{Cite web |title=World Football League |url=http://wfl.charlottehornetswfl.com/pages_multimedia/radio_network.php |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=wfl.charlottehornetswfl.com}}</ref>
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While the Boston Bulls franchise never made it onto the field; the team's preparations for the 1974 season had gone along far enough for the team to have signed contracts that January, shortly before the plug was pulled, with [[WLVI]] to televise the club's away games (as well as agreeing to pick-up the TVS package) and [[WEZE|WEEI-AM]] to carry the team's entire schedule on radio. Although the franchise would be folded into the New York Stars, WLVI nevertheless honored their agreement to be the TVS/WFL outlet for Boston.
The league predated the vast expansion of cable television and sports networks spearheaded by the birth of [[ESPN]] in 1979, which severely limited the options the WFL had to televise. At the time, the [[AFL–NFL merger]], coupled with the launch of ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', had spread the [[National Football League on United States television|NFL broadcast rights]] over all three of the [[Big Three television networks]]. The NFL, in a 1973 memo, noted that if the NFL had left one of the Big Three networks without NFL rights, it would have left an opening for the WFL. This memo was later used as evidence when the [[United States Football League]] (which included Einhorn as one of its team owners) filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, hoping to break its television contracts; the lawsuit, although it acknowledged the monopoly, did not succeed in voiding the contracts.
==Teams==
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* [[Detroit Wheels]] (1974)
* [[Florida Blazers]] (1974), [[San Antonio Wings]] (1975)
* [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|The Hawaiians]] (
* [[Houston Texans (WFL)|Houston Texans]]/[[Shreveport Steamer]] (1974), Shreveport Steamer (1975)
* [[Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)|Jacksonville Sharks]] (1974)
* [[Jacksonville Express]] (1975)
* [[Memphis Southmen]] (
* [[New York Stars (WFL)|New York Stars]]/[[Charlotte Stars]]/[[Charlotte Hornets (WFL)|Charlotte Hornets]] (1974), Charlotte Hornets (1975)
* [[Philadelphia Bell|The Philadelphia Bell]] (
* [[Portland Storm]] (1974)
* [[Portland Storm|Portland Thunder]] (1975)
* [[Southern California Sun]] (
==Stadiums==
* [[Legion Field]], Birmingham (
* [[Soldier Field]], Chicago (
* [[Rynearson Stadium]], Ypsilanti (1974)
* [[Citrus Bowl]], Orlando (1974)
* [[Alamo Stadium]], San Antonio (1975)
* [[Honolulu Stadium]] (
* [[Aloha Stadium]], Honolulu (1975)
* [[Astrodome]], Houston (1974)
* [[State Fair Stadium (Shreveport)|State Fair Stadium]], Shreveport (
* [[Gator Bowl Stadium]], Jacksonville (
* [[Liberty Bowl Stadium]], Memphis (
* [[Downing Stadium]], New York (1974)
* [[American Legion Memorial Stadium]], Charlotte (
* [[John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia)|John F. Kennedy Stadium]], Philadelphia (
* [[Franklin Field]], Philadelphia (1975)
* [[Civic Stadium (Portland, Oregon)|Civic Stadium]], Portland (
* [[Anaheim Stadium]], Anaheim (
==Rules==
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* '''Limited (or no) pre-season games.''' In 1974 and 1975, NFL teams played six pre-season games and 14 regular-season games (which was changed in 1978 to four pre-season and 16 regular-season games, and again in 2021 to the current three pre-season and 17 regular-season games.). The CFL played 16-game seasons with four pre-season games (since 1986, they play an 18-game season with two pre-season games). In contrast, the WFL's 1974 schedule called for 20 regular-season games and no pre-season games; in 1975, it was 18 regular-season games and two pre-season games.
* '''Summertime football.''' The NFL's regular season started on September 15 in 1974 and on September 21 in 1975; the WFL's regular season started on July 10 in 1974 and on July 26 in 1975 (with the 1975 pre-season starting on July 5). At the time, the [[Canadian Football League]], which must contend with colder winters than American leagues, had recently completed a gradual move from playing twice weekly with a similar start time to the season as the NFL to playing once weekly and starting its season in July (the CFL now commonly starts its regular season in June).
* '''Weeknight football''' (1974). While NFL games were played mostly on Sundays and, from 1970 onwards, a game on [[Monday Night Football|Monday night]], the WFL's 1974 schedule called for Wednesday night football (with a Thursday night national TV game). This scheduling format was abandoned in 1975. The featured Thursday night game was later adopted as
* The '''Dicker-rod''' (named for its inventor, George Dicker). For measuring first-down yardage, instead of using a 10-yard chain strung between two sticks and a [[chain crew]] to perform the task, the WFL used a device operated by a single person. This was a single stick, approximately three yards long, used to gauge the position of the football relative to the nearest gridiron line (the lines completely crossing the playing area, spaced every five yards).
{{main|Dicker-rod}}
==Commissioners==
*[[Gary L. Davidson]]
*[[Christopher Hemmeter]]
==See also==
<!--do not include any items that already appear in the main text-->
*[[List of American and Canadian football leagues]]
==References==
{{Reflist|
==External links==
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