'84 Chronology-James Jumps II

Event Date: April 22nd, 1984

Event Description: James Released

Source: The Victoria Advocate

'84 Chronology-James Jumps

Event Date: April 22nd, 1984

Event Description: Federals Lose James

Source: United Press International

Former Southern Methodist running back Craig James, who has sat out most of the season with an injured knee, was reportedly ready to jump from the Washington Federals of the United State Football League to the New England Patriots.

If he does make the switch, James would be the first big-name player to switch from the USFL to the National Football League.

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The Dallas Morning News reported Saturday that one USFL general manager believes James may have already signed with the Patriots, who drafted him in the seventh round last year.

New England coach Ron Meyers coached James at SMU.

James is in the middle of a four-year Federals contract worth $2 million, and source close to James said the Federals are anxious to get out of the contract.

James, who has been unable to play since the first week of the Federals' season because of ligament damage to his right knee, recently cleared USFL waivers, allowing him to sign with the Patriots.

Washington general manager Dick Myers said James asked the Federals for permission to visit the Patriots, and the Federals agreed. James confirmed from his home in Virginia that he had asked for permission to talk to the Patriots, but he would not say whether he was leaving the Federals. He said he just wanted to find out whether the Patriots were still interested in him.

'I'm happy to be here in Washington, but I'm disappointed with losing. It's hard accepting,' James said.

"I don't regret making the decision to sign here. It was good for myself and my family. I'll move now if it's right for me and my family."

Story-(UPI)

'84 Chronology-High Praise

Event Date: April 20th, 1984

Event Description: Levy Praises Kelly

Source: Chicago Tribune-UPI

If Chicago Blitz Coach Marv Levy can be taken at his word, stopping the Houston Gamblers at Soldier Field on Sunday will be like trying to fill an inside straight.

'The Gamblers have the most unique offense I have ever seen with quarterback Jim Kelly sprinting out and having his big blocking back, Sam Harrell, trailing to take a handoff,' Levy explained.

Houston brings an offense to town, Levy says, which is “geared mostly for passing, but is so explosive, it is almost impossible to contain.”

Kelly has passed 254 times, an average of  32 passes per game. “We have to be prepared in a way we don't get caught in any blitzes, because Kelly is such a good runner, he can kill you with those kind of tactics,” Levy said.

Levy, whose team is 2-6, was anything but happy about his team's showing against New Orleans last Sunday. The Blitz led 21-10 going into the final quarter, but a pair of Breakers’ touchdowns pushed New Orleans into the win column.

“It was the kind of game you would like to forget because there were so many key assignments missed, and by some pretty good football players,” he said.

Levy adds the Blitz is more like an expansion team, but at the same time, does not have the advantage Houston, a new team in the league, has had, because in addition to the draft, the Gamblers got to take a lot of players from other teams.

“In order for the Blitz to win consistently this season, we have to score anywhere from 30 to 35 points a game because our defense is just not good enough to stop a lot of teams,” he said.

The game will also mark the return of former Chicago Bears' head coach Jack Pardee, who coaches the Gamblers.

Story-(UPI-Modified)

'84 Chronology-Week #9 Preview

Event Date: April 20th, 1984

Event Description: Week #9 Preview

Source: Pro Football Weekly

Week #9 USFL Preview

Saturday, April 21st

 (5-3) Tampa Bay Bandits at (3-5) Jacksonville Bulls

Latest Line: (Bandits -3)   

Television: ESPN National: Tom Kelly & Don Heinrich

Radio: ABC Radio: Gene Deckerhoff & Vic Prinzi

  (4-4) Denver Gold at (5-3) Arizona Outlaws

Latest Line: (Outlaws -5)

Television: ESPN Regional: Paul Manfra & Dan Lovett

Radio: ABC Radio: Ray Scott & Bob Buck 

 (7-1) Philadelphia Stars at (6-2) Pittsburgh Maulers

Latest Line: (Stars -9)

Television Coverage: Local

Radio: ESPN: Sam Nover & Jack Ham

 (1-7) Oakland Invaders at (3-5) Los Angeles Express

Latest Line: (Express -8)

Television: Local

Radio: ESPN: Joe Starkey & Bob Murphy

Sunday, April 22nd

(5-3) Houston Gamblers at  (2-6) Chicago Blitz

Latest Line: (Gamblers -4)

Television Coverage: ABC National: Keith Jackson & Lynn Swann

Radio: ABC Radio: Don Chevrier & Paul Hornung

    (4-4) New Orleans Breakers at (4-4) Michigan Panthers

Latest Line: (Panthers -5)

Television Coverage: ABC Regional: Jim Lampley & Lee Corso 

Radio: ESPN: Bob Sherman & Dan Follis

Monday, April 23rd

 (5-3) Memphis Showboats  at (4-4) Birmingham Stallions

Latest Line: (Stallions -4)

Television Coverage: Local

Radio: ESPN Radio: Rick Weaver & Mike Lawhead

(3-5) Washington Federals  at (3-5) New Jersey Generals

Latest Line: (Generals -6)

Television Coverage: ESPN-National: Jim Simpson & Paul Maguire

Radio: ABC Radio: Bob Buck & Dick Butkus

'84 Chronology-Carrier Clash

Event Date: April 20th, 1984

Event Description:  Carrier Dome Conflict

Source: UPI

A Long Island hotel magnate trying to base a USFL franchise in Syracuse said his plans will be delayed until a tax dispute involving the Carrier Dome is settled.

Ken Feldman, one of six investors interested in a USFL expansion team, said Tuesday his group's plans would only hinder a quick settlement between Syracuse University, which owns the Dome, and the city. The city claims the Carrier Dome is subject to property taxes because it is not used solely for educational purposes.

Although the university disagrees and has taken the city to court, it recently paid $1.25 million in back taxes in a move to block city acquisition of the 50,000-seat stadium.

Syracuse University officials have said they are opposed to a USFL franchise.

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'84 Chronology-The Union Label II

Event Date: April 20th, 1984

Event Description: USFL Players Association Meetings

Source: UPI

The first executive director of the U.S. Football League players union said Wednesday he will try to bring some consistency to benefits among the 18 teams when the league and players begin contract talks.

Doug Allen, a former NFL player at Buffalo, was elected Tuesday as executive director of the USFL Players Association at a meeting of the board of players in Chicago.

Allen said he is finishing up some business in his previous post as assistant to the director of the NFL Players Associaton, but will devote full time to his USFLPA job.

Allen said the players board wants to “get things underway quickly. They feel they have gone enough time without benefits and protections they need. The league has had a chance to get started and it's time to deal with players' concerns.”

He said the league's 18 teams offer their players a “hodgepodge of benefits and rights. We would like some level of consistency throughout the league. So if a player is traded or shifts teams, he won't lose some basic benefits.”

Allen said his experience in the NFL “will be invaluable when we sit down at the bargaining table.

The USFL management has Paul Martha (of the Pittsburgh Maulers) and Vince Lombardi Jr. (of the Michigan Panthers) on their negotiating team. They were both key figures in the talks with the NFL and NFLPA. I have had a lot of experience with them at the bargaining table and I think that should help when we start talking,” he said.

At the Chicago meeting, the players adopted a constitution and set bargaining priorites, which Allen said would be “reduced to some sort of proposal.”

Allen said there is much "interest and enthusiasm" in the new union among the players.

“There's a clear indication that there's a great deal of player support for the union. At the player reps meeting, every team was represented,” he said.

The new union will be based in Washington, but in separate offices from the NFLPA.

The USFLPA is the fourth union under the Federation of Professional Athletes, which includes the NFLPA, the North American Soccer League Players Association and the Major Indoor Soccer League Players Association.

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'84 Chronology-Lesson Learned

Event Date: April 20th, 1984

Event Description: Young Regrets Comments

Source: Beaver County Times

'84 Chronology-Deal Breaker

Event Date: April 20th, 1984

Event Description: Canizaro Pursues ESPN Deal

Source: Ocala Star-Banner

'84 Chronology-Pie in the Sky

Event Date: April 18th, 1984

Event Description:  USFL Study Group

Source: UPI

Despite a committee looking into moving its season to the fall, the USFL's major priority is solidifying its spring standing, a league spokesman said Saturday.

“The major emphasis is establishing ourselves firmly in the spring and establishing ourselves as a television product,” a USFL spokesman said.

USFL Director of Communications Jim Byrne added that progress is being made in the league's negotiations with ABC and ESPN. The two networks currently televise USFL games and have the right of first refusal to renew contracts which expire after the 1984 season.

“Everybody expects something to be finalized in a couple of weeks,” Byrne said of a new television deal.

A five-man committee headed by New Orleans Breakers owner Joseph Canizaro has been studying a move to the fall since January. Also on the committee are New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump, Tampa Bay Bandits owner John Bassett, Pittsburgh Maulers President Paul Martha and Los Angeles Express general manager Don Klosterman.

While Bassett has pubicly opposed a move to the fall, Trump has been a major booster of the shift since he bought the Generals last November. Trump predicted the move would take place in the fall of 1987 last Sunday after the Generals' victory over Memphis.

Trump said he was optimisitc because of high television ratings by the league this season. Trump used the 1987 target date because the NFL's current television contract expires after the 1986 season, while the USFL would be free to negotiate a new contract with ABC that season if it moved to the fall.

“The biggest story of this league is we've been getting the highest ratings in our time slot by far,” Trump said last week. “That's the biggest story -- not how well Herschel Walker is playing or whether he will play this week.”

The committee is studying logistic and financial problems of the proposed change in seasons. Since 12 USFL teams are located in NFL cities and 11 of them share NFL stadiums -- including three which share major league baseball stadiums -- stadium availability is a problem.

Trump suggests playing games on Thursday and Sunday nights to alleviate the scheduling problems.

Getting the networks to allot additional air time and generating fan interest with two leagues in the fall are other obvious problems.

The committee is also looking at the availability of advertising money and whether current advertisers would be interested in sponsoring the league in the fall.

“A long-term planning group is studying a number of alternatives and the move to the fall is one of them,” said Byrne, who wouldn't rule out the USFL keeping its current spring format. “It is really premature to say that (move to fall) is definitive.”

In other pro football news;

The Chicago Bears Friday signed place kicker Vince Abbott, recently released by the USFL Los Angeles Express.

Abbott, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound kicker out of Cal State-Fullerton, was briefly with the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins during the 1982 pre-season.

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'84 Chronology-Thorny Issue

Event Date: April 18th, 1984

Event Description: Penrose Sidelined

Source: Ocala Star-Banner

'84 Chronology-Ground Chuck

Event Date: April 17th, 1984

Event Description: Ralston Replaced

Source: United Press International

John Ralston has been fired as coach of the 1-7 Oakland Invaders, his replacement will be Chuck Hutchison, brought down from the Invaders' front office just last week to take over the offensive line.

Hutchison now replaces Ralston and, at 35, the former Ohio State and St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman becomes USFL's youngest head coach.

Ralston, former Denver Broncos coach who became the spring league's first full-time employe when hired as Invaders' coach and general manager in '82, also is being relieved of the front office duties, though he can hang on in an undisclosed capacity. 

Oddly, he was dismissed one day after supervising a quarterback tryout for Dan Pastorini, the 13-year NFL veteran, and saying, "He's got a surprisingly strong arm with a lot of zip.

Hutchison said Fred Besana, ranked among the top three quarterbacks in the USFL last season, will continue to start despite the teams’ acquisition of second-year man Tom Ramsey from Los Angeles.

Story-(UPI Modified)

1987 USFL Poll

Should the USFL consider a move to the fall for the 1987 season?

Stay in the Spring

Move to the Fall

Created with PollMaker

'84 Chronology-Fall Back

Event Date: April 16th, 1984

Event Description: Bassett Livid

Source: Schenectady Gazette

'84 Chronology-Show of Support

Event Date: April 16th, 1984

Event Description:  Owners Back Blitz

Source: United Press International

U.S. Football League owners and general managers are willing to help support the struggling Chicago Blitz -- at least over the short term -- to keep the franchise alive until a new owner can be found.

Acting Blitz general manager Carl Marasco said the other owners have given him the freedom to “wheel and deal” with their money to improve the Chicago franchise, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

Jim Valek, general manager of the New Jersey Generals, said all USFL owners must deposit a letter of credit with the league. That money is earmarked for emergencies, such as the beleaguered Blitz.

“We anticipated this,” Valek told the Tribune. “It's not unusual to lose people in a new league. This league supports the philosophy of helping Chicago. The last thing we want to do is to disrupt the schedule. We must stay with the schedule. We believe in making Chicago as competitive as possible.”

USFL Commissioner Chet Simmons spoke with the owners Thursday about the financially strapped Blitz. He said he will issue a statement on the team's position next week.

“It's important that teams like Chicago succeed,” Houston Gamblers president Dr. Jerry Argovitz told the Chicago Tribune Friday.  “And Chicago will succeed. A new stabilized ownership will come in, because the USFL is on the brink of a very substantially improved TV contract.”

Argovitz said he thinks the new television contract will speed the search for a new Blitz owner.

“Chicago will find new owners, and very shortly, I feel,” Argovitz said. “The new TV contract will take care of the team's debts. Besides, a lot of people have $200 million, but how many have their own football team? It's the most exclusive men's club there is.”

ABC, which helped to found the new league in 1983, is in the last year of its contract with the league. The network has an option to renew the contract, but Argovitz said another network also has expressed interest. “And if the ABC offer isn't considerably more substantial, we'll say, Go home,” Argovitz said.

Story-(UPI)