'85 Chronology-Breaking Back?

 Event Date: July 27th, 1985

Event Description: Woolf Not Worried

Source: United Press International

The U.S. Football League's Breakers franchise and Doug Flutie may be returning to Boston.

According to Flutie's agent Bob Woolf, the Breakers, who have played in three cities in three years, may return to New England. Woolf was quoted Friday in South Middlesex News, a Boston-area paper.

However, Dick Coury, who has coached the Breakers on their nomadic three-year ride through Boston, New Orleans and Portland, said he does not believe the move will take place.

Woolf made his comments after learning that New York real estate developer Stephen Ross had purchased the Houston Gamblers. There is a possibility the Gamblers may move to New York or merge with the New Jersey Generals, Flutie's team.

A merger would bring Houston's Jim Kelly, the league's best quarterback, to the Generals and make Flutie expendable.

'We're not going to worry,' Woolf said of the possibilites. 'I know Doug would like to stay in New York, but there are a lot of possibilities. The Portland Breakers could move back to Boston. With (Dan) Ross and Marcus Dupree, there could be strong potential in that.

'We have 14 months. There's plenty of time. I just keep hearing talk that it's a possibility. We just have to be patient and see what happens.'

Flutie set the collegiate record for career total offense while putting Boston College on the football map with four sparkling years, culminating last season in his 'Hail Mary' pass and the Heisman Trophy.

'As far as I'm concerned, right now I'm with the Generals for the next five or six years,' Flutie said. 'But if the USFL is interested in building strong franchises, they may as well start one in Boston and have Doug Flutie as quarterback.'

Coury, who was named USFL Coach of the Year in 1983 with the Boston Breakers, does not believe his club will relocate.

'Not even a chance,' Coury said. 'I haven't heard that one. It's really far out. But I'd bet the league would like to have a team in Boston because of the TV market and Flutie.'

'We don't think it could happen,' said Portland vice president Jack Galmiche. He said he asked owner Joe Canizaro about the report and 'Joe told me he didn't know anything about it and was somewhat amused by it.'

'We don't have a desire to go anywhere else,' Galmiche said. 'Our desire is to stay here, and as a possibility, we might merge with someone.'

Meanwhile, the financially-troubled franchise gave no assurance it will meet a Tuesday deadline for two overdue paychecks.

The Breakers must issue paychecks for the two-week periods ending July 1 and 16 by Tuesday afternoon or the players will be waived and then declared free agents if not signed by other USFL clubs.

'I don't believe we will (meet the deadline),' Galmiche said.

The Breakers have requested an extension of at least 30 days and 'hopefully until Oct. 1,' Galmiche said.

'In return, any player on our team who wanted to go into an NFL camp for a tryout would be allowed to do so, with the provision that if he didn't make a team, he would revert back to us,' he said.

more to come......