'84 Chronology-Four Year Plan

Event Date: January 11th, 1984

Event Description: Simmons Visits Cleveland

Source: United Press International

Attendance at U.S. Football League games last year averaged about 25,000 per game, and commissioner Chet Simmons was hopeful it would improve in the league's second season.

“We have to keep our options open,” he said Thursday. “I think four years is a good period of time to see if we have reached our goals.”

Simmons, who visited Cleveland Thursday, said he wanted to make Cleveland the site of a USFL franchise. The city already has one football team -- the NFL's Browns.

Simmons wants to add eight more teams to the current 16 teams, and said Seattle, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Cleveland were the main targets.

“If there are interested people here (in Cleveland) with money and have a sincere interest, we would be crazy to turn our back on the 10th leading market in the United States,” he said.

“My purpose here is not to talk to prospective buyers, but we are at the very beginnings of conversations with people here,” he said.

He would not elaborate, but Malrite Communications, the owner of two Cleveland radio stations, also owns the USFL's Washington Federals, and has the rights to a Cleveland franchise.

He said he was happy that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Cliff Stoudt had agreed to a contract with the Birmingham Stallions, and expected Buffalo Bills running back Joe Cribbs to sign with the Stallions as well.

“We are in competition with the National Football League,” he said. “We are not raiding that league. We will not break contracts.”

New Jersey Generals quarterback Brian Sipe, formerly of the Browns, “will be very good at marketing himself, his team and the league,” Simmons said. “I hope that taking a star away from this area will not keep people here from becoming interested in our league.”

Story-(UPI)