'85 Chronology-Big Bird

Event Date: August 20th, 1985

Event Description: "Big Bird" Files Suit

Source: UPI

Robert “Big Bird” Smith, who signed a multi-year contract with the Arizona Wranglers in 1984 but never played a down in the USFL, has filed a $3.6 million lawsuit to collect money he says is owed him.

Smith, now with the NFL Minnesota Vikings, claims he was paid only $200,000 of his four-year contract that court records show amounted to $1.4 million.

Under Arizona law, successful litigants are awarded treble amounts.

The defendants are the Wranglers, now known as Sports Liquidators, Inc., and the Arizona Outlaws, as well as unknown corporations, partnerships and owners.

Smith signed with the Wranglers after his college career at Grambling State University, never played a game with the team because of a serious knee suffered during his senior year.

The attorney for Sports Liqiodators, Paul Meyer, was not availble for comment. The corporation's president is Ted Diethrich, who owned the Wranglers. Outlaws President Bill Tatham Jr. said he had other things more pressing that Smith's lawsuit.

“We have nothing to do with it,” Tatham said. “If Big Bird has a big case about his big contract, he should take it to Big Diethrich.”

Story-(UPI Modified)