Shreveport Steamer (1974-1975)
February 25, 2013
World Football League (1974-1975) Born: September 18, 1974 – The Houston Texans relocate to Shreveport, LA Folded: October 22, 1975 First Game: September 25, 1974
© 2024 FUN WHILE IT LASTED
Category: World Football League
Read More »
Birmingham Vulcans
January 28, 2013
The Vulcans were the second of two Birmingham franchises that took part in the World Football League, a short-lived rival to the NFL that played parts of two seasons in 1974 and 1975. The Birmingham Americans were the first (and only) champions of the WFL in 1974 and drew strong crowds to Legion Field. But financial problems sunk the club immediately following the season. New owners organized the Vulcans for the 1975 season but the team played only a dozen games before the World Football League went belly up in October 1975.
Jacksonville Express
January 28, 2013
The Jacksonville Express was a franchise that existed for part of one season in the World Football League during the summer and autumn of 1975. The WFL was an under-funded effort to challenge the NFL head-to-head in the fall, along the lines of the AFL-NFL rivalry of the 1960’s. Jacksonville was one of the league’s original cities in 1974, but the Jacksonville Sharks club went kaput midway through the season. The WFL took another crack at Jacksonville in 1975 with the formation of the Express. But this time the entire league folded halfway through the regular season on October 22nd. The Express had a 6-5 record when their season was cut short.
Houston Texans (1974)
January 28, 2013
The Houston Texans were a blink-and-you-missed-’em franchise in the World Football League during the summer of 1974. The Texans played only five home games at the Astrodome before abruptly moving to Shreveport, Louisiana in mid-season. The Texans’ great notoriety came from briefly luring away the NFL’s #1 overall draft pick in 1973, Houston Oilers defensive end John Matuszak. The Tooz played just a handful of snaps for the Texans before sherrif’s deputies served him with a restraining order on the sideline, ending his WFL adventure after only one weird evening.
Jacksonville Sharks (1974)
January 20, 2013
The Jacksonville Sharks were a high profile flop in the World Football League. The poorly financed club is remembered primarily for going out of business in the middle of the league’s first season in October 1974. The Sharks debut on July 11, 1974 seemed promising. A huge announced crowd of 59,112 showed up at the Gator Bowl to watch the Sharks defeat the New York Stars 14-7. The next Sharks home game on July 24th drew over 46,000. But word soon got out that many of the tickets were freebies. By September, crowds dwindled to fewer than 20,000 per game.