OT-The USFL 30 Years Later

[NJCardFan]

For those unfamiliar, it was 30 years ago this spring that the United States Football League began play as the first pro football league opposite the NFL wince the train wreck known as the WFL ceased operation after playing less than 2 seasons. The first 12 teams to take the field for the USFL were:

NJ Generals
Boston Breakers
Arizona Wranglers
Chicago Blitz
Denver Gold
Washington Federals
Philadelphia Stars
Tampa Bay Bandits
LA Express
Oakland Invaders
Birmingham Stallions
Michigan Panthers

The Panthers won the first championship over the Stars but the Stars won the next 2 and was clearly the class of the league. My friends and I really supported this league and I was disappointed when it folded thanks to the idiocy to try to play in the fall thanks to Donald Trump. I went to a few games before the Stars left for Baltimore.

Some great players got their start in that league: Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Reggie White, Hershel Walker, to name a few. Anyone remember this league?

 

[BigRedRage]

Go Wranglers!

 

[jf-08]

My brother and I loved this league.

Mike Rozier and the Pittsbugh Maulers!
New Orleans Breakers after moving from Boston
Jacksonville Bulls
Oklahoma Outlaws
Memphis Showboats (?)
San Antonio Gunslingers
Houston Gamblers

OK combined with AZ to be the AZ Outlaws.

That was a fun league for a kid to follow.

 

[jf-08]

USFL is coming back:

http://www.theusfl.net/about.php
The USFL plans to kick off in March, 2014 with eight teams spread across the United States in cities that will embrace the league as a new form of affordable sports entertainment. Unlike its predecessor in the 1980s, the USFL will not compete with the NFL - it will always be a spring football league, and it will allow its players and personnel to move freely to football's highest level in its role as a developmental league.

 

[seesred]

I had season tickets for the Wranglers. I loved the team and hoped it would end up in the NFL. We had a pretty good turn out for the games. The cheerleaders were awesome. The 1983 Wranglers featured the League's 6th ranked passer in rookie QB Alan Risher, 12th ranked rusher in 3rd year vet Leon Calvin Murray, and the league's #7, #10, #11 receivers (1983 rookies TE Mark Keel, WR Jackie Flowers, and WR Neil Balholm, respectively).

Great time was had by all!

Go Wranglers!
40

 

[NJCardFan]

My brother and I loved this league.

Mike Rozier and the Pittsbugh Maulers!
New Orleans Breakers after moving from Boston
Jacksonville Bulls
Oklahoma Outlaws
Memphis Showboats (?)
San Antonio Gunslingers
Houston Gamblers

OK combined with AZ to be the AZ Outlaws.

That was a fun league for a kid to follow.

Rozier ended up in Jacksonville folded giving the Bulls a backfield of Rozier & Archie Griffin gave them 3 Heisman's in the backfield. Incidentally, if it weren't for the Bulls there would have never been the Jaguars.

 

[Azlen]

The Arizona franchise had a weird history. They were really bad the first year, then swapped all the players with Chicago and were a very good team that went to the Championship game and then merged with Oklahoma to become the Outlaws.
Their very first draft pick was Eric Dickerson. Never played here though.

 

[Buckybird]

Lots of great players that would be NFL players or had NFL careers played in the USFL & I enjoyed watching it. Hard to believe its been 30 yrs.

Several former Cardinals donned USFL jerseys including former greats WR Mel Gray & OT Luis Sharpe.

 

[Zeno]

You must be registered for see images attach

My mini helmets for the 2 AZ USFL teams. I loved it, got my first love for football through the USFL.

 

[Mulli]

Love!

 

[TruColor]

I've done a pretty extensive bit of research on the USFL graphics and team colors:

http://www.colorwerx.us/research/USFLPaintSpecs/USFLPaintSpecs.htm

I was a big fan of the Michigan Panthers back in the day.

...and I just discovered that I've got some broken links there. Crap.

I'll have to fix them when I get back home (on the road right now).

 

[Dr. Jones]

Those are awesome Zeno....

 

[Billy Bob]

went to most games, at half time that is. they would open the gates at half time and you could walk right in. we would sit on the east side right behind the Wranglers/Outlaws sideline. good times!

 

[BillsCarnage]

The Arizona franchise had a weird history. They were really bad the first year, then swapped all the players with Chicago and were a very good team that went to the Championship game and then merged with Oklahoma to become the Outlaws.
Their very first draft pick was Eric Dickerson. Never played here though.

And they got pasted in that championship game too.
http://www.usfl.info/wranglers/

And this site, when working, has some throwback shirts
http://www.throwbackmax.com/html/arizona_wranglers.html

 

[Zeno]

I also have the inaugural season Wranglers stein, it has the schedule printed on it and pennants for the AZ teams...they all have a place of honor in my man cave.

 

[Mulli]

ESPN USFL 30/30 documentary is really good

 

[TRW]

Still got my Wranglers cap. Loved that league and have great memories of taking my 2 boys and my dad to a game at SDS.

Fun times.

 

[NJCardFan]

And they got pasted in that championship game too.
http://www.usfl.info/wranglers/

And this site, when working, has some throwback shirts
http://www.throwbackmax.com/html/arizona_wranglers.html

They were beaten by my team, the Stars. That was one team that could have been competitive in the NFL. Their defense was sick led by the late great Sam Mills.

 

[NJCardFan]

ESPN USFL 30/30 documentary is really good

Small Potatoes? It's on demand. It was produced a few years ago.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

You must be registered for see images attach

My mini helmets for the 2 AZ USFL teams. I loved it, got my first love for football through the USFL.

Sweet. Willing to give up your secret on where you found these?

 

[Zeno]

Sweet. Willing to give up your secret on where you found these?

I can't remember exactly where I got those (some online store) but I saw some on E-Bay recently.

Here is one...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arizona-Wra...l_Fan_Shop&hash=item3a75b6ca06#ht_1048wt_1399

 

[wa52lz]

Murray up the middle!
MURRAY, Calvin RB 5-11 185 '83 Ohio St.

 

[wa52lz]

And they got pasted in that championship game too.
http://www.usfl.info/wranglers/

And this site, when working, has some throwback shirts
http://www.throwbackmax.com/html/arizona_wranglers.html

That 84 team, after the franchise swap w/ Chicago, was stacked. Greg Landry, 2- 1000 yd rushers in Kevin Long and Tim Spencer, Trumain Johnson @ WR, Frank Minnifield and Luther Bradley in the secondary, John Lee, Kit Lathrop and Karl Lorch on the Dline- they must have had 40 sacks between them.

 

[Osbern61]

Good times. I went to about 8 Philadelphia Stars games(including the final championship game against Oakland at the Meadowlands) but was a die hard Generals fan. I picked them just based on their helmet before they even signed Walker, but they sucked in year one. The next 2 seasons they played much better and owned the Stars in regular season, but couldn't beat them in the playoffs.
I used to love ESPN coverage and I think it was the late Tom Mees who did the USFL highlights for them. Games were on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and ABC had a Sunday game. I would watch any game, even if it was the San Antonio Gunslingers vs the Pittsburgh Maulers; again, good times.

 

[wa52lz]

I had season tickets for the Wranglers. I loved the team and hoped it would end up in the NFL. We had a pretty good turn out for the games. The cheerleaders were awesome. The 1983 Wranglers featured the League's 6th ranked passer in rookie QB Alan Risher, 12th ranked rusher in 3rd year vet Leon Calvin Murray, and the league's #7, #10, #11 receivers (1983 rookies TE Mark Keel, WR Jackie Flowers, and WR Neil Balholm, respectively).

Great time was had by all!

Go Wranglers!
40

Risher led them to that big 4th qtr comback against the Blitz. That was my first live pro football game.