'86 Chronology-Compensation Concerns

Event Date: August 5th, 1986

Event Description: Niners' Want Wideout

Source: Lakeland Ledger

'86 Chronology-Foregone Conclusion?

Event Date: August 5th, 1986

Event Description: Kelly May Opt Out

Source: UPI

Jim Kelly, star of the Houston Gamblers who was one of Buffalo's two first-round picks in the 1983 draft, was given permission to talk with the Bills after the Gamblers announced upcoming changes to ownership.

The majority owner of the Gamblers, Stephen Ross and Kelly's agent said a clause in his contract with the Gamblers gives him the option of playing with another team if both sides agree.  Ross is in the process of purchasing the New Jersey Generals from Donald Trump.  

Houston minority owner Jerry Argovitz has said that he is open to the idea of Kelly pursuing an NFL deal. Kelly has a guaranteed contract for $800,000 next season, but has indicated he wants to play in the NFL.

The Bills are in need of a quarterback, coming off their second straight 2-14 season. They would like to have Kelly signed by their Sept. 7 season-opener against the New York Jets.

Lustig met with Kelly Monday night and said the quarterback would like to meet Bills Coach Hank Bullough and his offensive assistants. The meeting will likely occur this weekend when Buffalo plays the Houston Oilers in the Astrodome Saturday night.

“It's a foregone conclusion that Jim Kelly will be the highest paid player in football. And with good reason,” Lustig said Monday night from his Akron, Ohio, office. 

“Look at what he's going to mean to this franchise in terms of attendance and wins. We're aware of Buffalo's attendance problems.”

Lustig, who represents Bills running back Greg Bell, said contract negotiations could stall.

“Unless somebody is going to open up the vault and let me in, I really don't think the signing is going to happen quickly,” he said. “In my 10 years of negotiating with the Bills, I've never had an easy time of it.”

“Jim wants to play in the NFL. He has had nothing but success in Houston. He loves the city and the team, but at the same time he feels like he has already accomplished so much in the USFL. He just wants to find a situation where he'll have a chance to be a winner. We'll see how serious Buffalo is this week.”

Story-(UPI Modified)

'86 Chronology-Tumult

Event Date: August 5th, 1986

Event Description: USFL Owners Halt Meetings

Source: Football News

The U.S. Football League cut short an owners meeting with reports of ownership changes, mergers and indications that the league may look different next season.

The meeting, originally scheduled to last through Wednesday, ended abruptly a day early when New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump shocked the owners when he announced that he was indeed selling the team and that he would consider “bidding out” the personal services contract of star running back Herschel Walker.

Commissioner Harry Usher emerged from the conference room to say the meetings had ceased and “several interesting things were discussed by the owners and an announcement would be made in the coming days”.

League sources already leaked word on the following;

—A move by Donald Trump to sell the Generals to Stephen Ross current majority owner of the Houston Gamblers;

—A move to merge, move or fold the poorly attended Los Angeles Express franchise;

—Chicago owner Eddie Einhorn has announced that he has no intention of fielding an expansion team in 1987 or 1988;

— A merger of the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders with the team remaining in Oakland was discussed;

—A move by teams to allow some high salaried players the chance to move to the NFL or CFL;

—The league also received petitions for expansion franchises from a variety of cities including St. Louis, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Honolulu;

'86 Chronology-Break Down

Event Date: August 4th, 1986

Event Description: Canizaro Concerned

Source: Football News

New Orleans Breakers owner Joseph Canizaro has told fellow USFL team owners he was surprised by the recent call by Superdome officials to increase the teams’ rent for the 1987 season and beyond.

Canizaro told a closed session of league owners in Jacksonville, that he could soon be “looking for their help to find a new home,” the Times Picayune said, quoting other unidentified team owners.

Several owners told the newspaper Canizaro's comments indicate “he wants to get out of town,” since he would need the owners' permission to move the team to another city.

“That was the impression I got,” one USFL owner said.

Canizaro recently hinted that he would try to move elsewhere Superdome officials follow through with their plan to modify the current lease.

The Times quoted one owner as saying Canizaro told the group: 

“When I bought the team, I never thought that local officials would try and change the terms of our lease. But with the current economic problems in Louisiana, I guess they have decided that they will try and extort more revenue from us.”

The Breakers played in Boston during the 1983 season but moved to New Orleans due to the condition of Nickerson Field. 

The team had previously considered a move to Portland or Sacramento before settling on the Crescent city where they have played for the past three seasons.

Story-(UPI Modified)

'86 Chronology-Turning Point

Event Date: August 4th, 1986

Event Description: USFL Owners Meeting

Source: Football News

The proposed sale of the New Jersey Generals to Houston Gamblers owner Stephen Ross is expected to be discussed when U.S.F.L. team owners meet at 5 p.m. EDT today in New York, a league source said.

Ross confirmed last week that he was interested in purchasing the Generals from Donald Trump who intends to turn his focus to building a new stadium in New York to replace Shea Stadium. Ross would like to own a USFL team in New York, which is where his business activities are based. 

Trump on the other hand, is proposing to build a new stadium in New York which would in turn house the Generals. Trump was said to be displeased with the on field performance of the Generals this year.

But Houston minority owner Dr. Jerry Argovitz is expected to try and block the proposed sale until he is assured that he can find new investors for the Houston franchise.

Ross asked his attorneys to contact the other owners and inform them of the deal being negotiated with Trump. The asking price for the Generals is rumored to be somewhere between $9 and $15 million dollars.

In other league news; 

Eddie Einhorn has decided that he no longer has any interest in bringing a USFL franchise back to Chicago. 

With Trump seemingly on the way out and a move to fall play a lost cause, Einhorn has decided that the $12 million expansion fee is too high.

Story-(UPI Modified/Alternatehistory)

'86 Chronology-Happy Camper

Event Date: August 2nd, 1986

Event Description:

Source: Lakeland Ledger

'86 Chronology-Chick Magnet

Event Date: August 2nd, 1986

Event Description: Jackson Joins Chicks

Source: Daily Times

'86 Chronology-Corker Jumps Ship

Event Date: August 1st, 1986

Event Description: Dolphins Sign Pair

Source: Lakeland Ledger

'86 Chronology-Stumped!

Event Date: July 23rd, 1986

Event Description: Mitchell Spurns Outlaws

Source: Lakeland Ledger

'86 Chronology-Passing the Test

Event Date: July 21st, 1986

Event Description: Peace Seeks Chance

Source: Lakeland Ledger

'86 Chronology-USFLPA

Event Date: July 17th, 1986

Event Description: USFL Post Season Rosters

Source: UPI 

Under an agreement reached with the USFL Players Association, each franchise not facing the future prospects of a merger had to protect at least 25 players Thursday and increase that total to a minimum of 35 by noon EDT Saturday.

Final rosters were expected to be released by the league Saturday afternoon.

Once the USFL rosters are set, the signing of that league's free agents by NFL teams is expected to escalate. 

The NFL originally told its teams to wait until Aug. 1, when standard USFL contracts expire, to sign any USFL free agents. That deadline has been pushed back to after the NFL receives written notification from the USFL that the players in question are free.

Under an agreement reached with the USFL Players Association, each franchise not facing the future prospects of a merger had to protect at least 25 players Thursday and increase that total to a minimum of 35 by Friday. 

The signing of USFL free agents by NFL teams was expected to escalate Thursday. The NFL told its teams to wait until Aug. 1, when standard USFL contracts expire, to sign any USFL free agents.

Final rosters, as well as team salary reports, were expected to be released by the league late Friday afternoon.

Story-(UPI Modified)

'86 Chronology-London Calling!

 

'86 Chronology-Week #20 Preview

Event Date: July 4th, 1986

Event Description: Week #20 Preview