The article has some great stories, especially how the team believes that it would have beaten the Houston Oilers of the NFL during the same era. Jerry Argovitz, part owner of the Gamblers, was quoted as saying that he made a bet with Bud Adams to donate money to the winning team’s owner’s charity of choice.
Enjoy the article as it will give you insight as to how the players felt about their experiences as pro football players
If you liked the 1984 and 1985 USFL Houston Gamblers, then you will enjoy a terrific website which has just about everything you could want about the Gamblers. This includes unique photos, photos from the 2010 Gamblers 25th anniversary reunion (has it been that long?!?), and lots of other USFL-related information.
Be sure to check out:
A special thanks goes to Mrs. Young, Steve Young’s mom, for giving me this pin from the Los Angeles Express when she was teaching junior high school. She knew that I was a huge USFL fan, so she gave this to me one day after class:
Pin Of The USFL Los Angeles Express
If you want LA Express or other USFL memorabilia then start your search by clicking any of the items listed in the eBay listings below:
Did you know that there was an attempt to create a specific USFL Players Association during the training camps prior to the initial 1983 USFL season. Here is a copy of the card which was given to prospective USFL players before the 1983 season began.
The association never got off the ground, but this is a unique piece of USFL memorabilia and history which you may have not ever seen previously! It is split into two photos, and you have the right to use them in a professional manner and if you give credit to USFLmemorabilia.com.
Part 1 of 1983 USFL Players Association Card
Part 2 of 1983 USFL Players Association Card
If anyone has credible information about any USFL “union” or “association” for the players during the later seasons then please contact this site and/or leave a comment with a reliable online source to verify the information. Thanks!
It is always interesting to go back in time and read the actual quotes and sentiments of the people involved as events were happening. A few days after the 1986 anti-trust suit judgement between the NFL and USFL resulted in the $1 ($3) verdict, Sports Illustrated talked with many of the USFL personnel in an article. It includes quotes from Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, and Jim Kelly: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065134/1/index.htm
Of interest are Jim Kelly’s quotes about not wanting to play in Buffalo and how he wanted his top 3 receivers from the Houston Gamblers to join him in Buffalo if he had to play there. He even wanted Mouse Davis as offensive coordinator!
If you like collecting USFL merchandise and memorabilia then be sure to click the links below to find some fun items from those mentioned in this post.
What was not covered, however, was the fact that the Portland Breakers could have been entitled to Doug Flutie’s rights. Due to an oversight on the USFL’s part (depending to whom you listen), the Breakers had Flutie’s rights stemming from the 1983 Boston Breakers. Here is why:
The USFL constructed a “territorial” draft process whereby teams would have “protected” colleges from whom they could draft. It was designed that way to keep geographic interest in the franchise. Boston College, where Flutie went to school, was under the “territorial” protection of the 1983 Boston Breakers. When the team ultimately ended up in Portland in 1985, the colleges to whom the Breakers had territorial rights in the draft had not yet changed.
Even though a Northeast college would have no geographic impact on the Portland franchise, the Breakers believed that they still had exclusive rights to Doug Flutie. How this was resolved is not widely known, and there are conflicting stories about the resolution. If any of you have official documentation about the resolution then post a comment and/or send the information to the e-mail address you find on the contact page.
