Tonight on ESPN (8pm) : Who Killed the USFL?

[PromoTheRobot]

Wow. Just finished watching it on Tivo. Great memories. The Stars were really an awesome team. Too bad Jim Mora never achievd the same level in the NFL. I doubt they could ever get another USFL off the ground now. Opportunity lost.

 

PTR

[RLflutie7]

You start with 8 teams and a 10 game schedule (you play the 3 teams in your division twice and the other 4 teams in the other division once). You only do 8 teams so that you have a high talent level and don't oversaturate the league. You gradually expand to 10 than to 12 and so on and so on. You can't build a league with too many teams (Its just too hard to get the right markets and owners) you have to be willing to be patient when building a league.

 

 

I don't think 8 teams will ever work. Everyone in the show said that expansion was a mistake. However, if you read a book by Jim Spence (a former ABC official who was involved with the USFL from the beginning) you'd understand my take.

 

He said that the USFL's 1983 and 1984 season was ABC sports most profitable property, except for the 1984 LA Olympics. ABC made 12 million in 83 and 14 million in 84.

 

"But then the league started to make some critical mistakes, the biggest one being the abondonment of cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit after the 1984 season. Cities of that size are criticial to television ratings, and the ratings were down in both 84 and 85, with ABC taking a loss on the USFL in 85."

 

My point is and has been with any new league, if you start with only 8 teams, they better be in the biggest TV markets that you can get. And you'd better expand pretty darn quick and get into most of the bigger markets or you have no chance. The XFL didn't have teams in Detroit, Philadelphia or Boston.

 

The biggest surprise about Jim Spence's book is that ABC sports offered a $175 million dollar contract to the USFL to continue in the spring and they declined. The first contract was for $50 million total for 83-86.

 

 

The book is called "Up Close and Personal" by Jim Spence with Dave Diles.

[RayFinkle]

sorry man. I think you have a similar avatar as Stuckincincy who is older than dirt. my bad.

I thought the same thing.

[/dev/null]

If I was Emperor, you'd be hanging from the dungeon walls in chains for using that avatar.

 

If I was Emperor I'd shoot lightning bolts out of my fingers at you

[Mark Vader]

I don't think 8 teams will ever work. Everyone in the show said that expansion was a mistake. However, if you read a book by Jim Spence (a former ABC official who was involved with the USFL from the beginning) you'd understand my take.

 

He said that the USFL's 1983 and 1984 season was ABC sports most profitable property, except for the 1984 LA Olympics. ABC made 12 million in 83 and 14 million in 84.

 

"But then the league started to make some critical mistakes, the biggest one being the abondonment of cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit after the 1984 season. Cities of that size are criticial to television ratings, and the ratings were down in both 84 and 85, with ABC taking a loss on the USFL in 85."

My point is and has been with any new league, if you start with only 8 teams, they better be in the biggest TV markets that you can get. And you'd better expand pretty darn quick and get into most of the bigger markets or you have no chance. The XFL didn't have teams in Detroit, Philadelphia or Boston.

 

The biggest surprise about Jim Spence's book is that ABC sports offered a $175 million dollar contract to the USFL to continue in the spring and they declined. The first contract was for $50 million total for 83-86.

 

 

The book is called "Up Close and Personal" by Jim Spence with Dave Diles.

That was one thing I never understood. Why did they take the USFL out of those cities? Especially when the Michigan Panthers won the first USFL Championship & the Philadelphia Stars were in the first two championship games.

[Arkady Renko]

That was one thing I never understood. Why did they take the USFL out of those cities? Especially when the Michigan Panthers won the first USFL Championship & the Philadelphia Stars were in the first two championship games.

 

I assume Baltimore's lost of the Colts led to the Stars moving to Baltimore.

[Booster4324]

If I was Emperor I'd shoot lightning bolts out of my fingers at you

 

I think you both should be Emperor.

[davefan66]

They should make one about the WFL- talk about highly entertaining television!!!!

 

I'd watch.

 

Actually, ESPN has run a 1 hour show about the WFL. I've caught it a few times.

They talked about how teams couldn't pay players for a few weeks, how the

championship trophy was repossed at the championship game due to creditors.

They interviewed one guy who played with the Jets and ended up in the WFL in

the last years of his career.

 

It was very good. Haven't watched the USFL one yet, so I can't compare them.

[dave mcbride]

Wrong. The other leagues you mentioned never pulled the stars from college and the pros like the USFL did.

Wrong - the WFL. Csonka, Kiick, Warfield, Stabler, Calvin Hill, Marty Schottenheimer, Lindy Infante ...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Football_League

[No QB - No Bueno]

Actually, ESPN has run a 1 hour show about the WFL. I've caught it a few times.

They talked about how teams couldn't pay players for a few weeks, how the

championship trophy was repossed at the championship game due to creditors.

They interviewed one guy who played with the Jets and ended up in the WFL in

the last years of his career.

 

It was very good. Haven't watched the USFL one yet, so I can't compare them.

 

Was the Jet John Dockery? I remember seeing a show where he walking around decrepit Randalls Island Stadium in NYC reflecting on the awful conditions during his time with the WFL. I think he have won SB lll with the Jets