Event Date: March 28th, 1984
Event Description: Worth Mentioning
Source: United Press International
Accusations have been flying higher than some kickoffs in pro football, with the ball itself at the center of controversy.
Fans of the older National Football League claim the two-season old United States Football League's balls do not approach the standards of the NFL ball, but according to Industry Week magazine and Wilson Sporting Goods Co., who manufactures the ball, both are identical except for color and markings.
Both balls have been produced at Wilson's Ada, Ohio, plant since the early days of the NFL. The company also serves as the major supplier for college teams who prefer the NFL Model to the TD Model because they feel it is easier to pass and handle.
Wilson said its NFL contract calls for 450 balls per season for each of the 28 teams. Both the USFL and NFL each use about 24 balls per game, or six per quarter, and a new ball is put into play after each kick. Balls taken out of play are used for practice, according to John M. Cranor of Wilson.
The pro contracts account for 12,600 of the two million balls produced annually, Cranor added.
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