1974: Emery’s Third TD Propels Sun Past Bell

Two World Football League teams with 3-3 records met in Philadelphia on August 21, 1974. The visiting Southern California Sun were in first place in the Western Division, just ahead of the Houston Texans, while the host Philadelphia Bell were third in the Eastern Division and trying to keep pace with the Florida Blazers and New York Stars.

The Sun, coached by Tom Fears, had an all-rookie starting backfield of QB Tony Adams, FB James McAlister, and HB Kermit Johnson. Adams was playing well, but while Johnson ranked second in the league with 407 rushing yards, he had been injured the previous week and was unavailable for the game against the Bell.

Philadelphia had taken heat for inflating early home attendance figures with free and heavily-discounted tickets and the local media was thus making far more of missteps by the front office than the team’s play on the field. With Head Coach Ron Waller utilizing a creative offense, eccentric QB Jim “King” Corcoran had passed for 1168 yards and 12 touchdowns in six games and the running  back combination of John Land and Claude Watts was a productive one.

There were 14,600 fans in attendance at JFK Stadium on a pleasant Wednesday night. The Bell broke out to the early lead in the first quarter when RB John Land caught a pass from “King” Corcoran for a nine-yard touchdown. Corcoran tossed another TD pass later in the opening period, this time connecting with WR Paul Dunn from 34 yards out. In both instances the action point attempts failed and the score was 14-0 (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point attempt that could not be kicked).

The Sun got on the board when RB Alonzo Emery (pictured at top) ran for a one-yard touchdown and the tally was 14-8 after Tony Adams threw to James McAlister for the action point. In the second quarter, the visitors took the lead when Emery again scored from a yard out and Adams successfully ran for the action point and a 16-14 margin.

Philadelphia moved back in front at 21-16 on a one-yard TD carry by RB Alan Thompson, but the pass attempt for the action point was unsuccessful. Before the half was over, Adams threw to WR Dave Williams for an 11-yard touchdown and RB Ralph Nelson ran for the action point. The Sun took a 24-21 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, Corcoran again rallied the Bell on a series highlighted by two passes to TE Mike Carter, one of 12 yards and the next for a 27-yard TD. They failed once more at adding the action point, but led by 28-24.

The game had been highlighted by passing and long kick returns during the first three quarters, but the teams slugged it out in the final period. The Southern California offense remained stymied until late in the contest when they advanced 80 yards in 11 plays, helped along by two 15-yard penalties called on the defense. Adams threw to WR Greg Moses for a 29-yard gain to the Philadelphia one and, with 52 seconds remaining, Alonzo Emery scored his third touchdown to move the Sun back in front.

The attempt to add the action point was unsuccessful and so there was still an opportunity for Philadelphia, down by three points, to tie the score. A sweep by Land put the Bell at the Southern California 40 and Land then caught a pass from Corcoran at the 31. However, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved the ball back 15 yards (and drew the furor of Coach Waller) and, while two sideline passes moved the ball into field goal range, a 36-yard field goal attempt by Jerry Warren was blocked. Southern California came away with a dramatic 31-28 win.

The Sun had the edge in total yards (430 to 399) and first downs (23 to 17). Philadelphia turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by Southern California, and drew 11 penalties to five flags thrown on the Sun, although Ron Waller blamed “jaded officiating” for several of the infractions called on his team.

Tony Adams completed 21 of 40 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Ralph Nelson rushed for 49 yards on 17 carries and James McAlister (pictured below) added 35 yards on six attempts, while Alonzo Emery scored the three short TDs as part of his 9 yards on 7 carries. McAlister also led the receivers with 6 catches for 140 yards.

For the Bell, Jim Corcoran was successful on 18 of 33 throws for 241 yards and three TDs, although he was picked off twice. John Land ran for 51 yards on 10 attempts and Claude Watts carried 11 times for 44 yards. Claude Watts topped the receivers with 5 catches for 50 yards while Paul Dunn and Mike Carter had four pass receptions apiece, for 79 and 71 yards, respectively. CB Marv Pettaway had kickoff returns of 73 and 47 yards that set up scores.

The Sun moved a game over .500 and Philadelphia a game under. Southern California pulled away to top the Western Division with a 13-7 record and the Bell went 9-11 to place third in the Eastern Division. Both teams made it into the constantly-revamped playoffs and lost in the first round.

Alonzo Emery scored a total of seven touchdowns. Utilized in short-yardage situations, he ran for just 67 yards on 40 carries in his only pro season. 

Highlighted Year: Jim “King” Corcoran, 1974

Quarterback, Philadelphia Bell

Age: 31

9^th season in pro football, 1^st in WFL

College: Maryland

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

The flamboyant Corcoran had a long and successful career as a minor league pro quarterback, achieving a near-legendary status due to his performance on the field and eccentric behavior off of it. He spent the better part of his first six seasons in the Atlantic Coast Football League. With Wilmington in 1966, he led the ACFL in pass attempts (247) and with Waterbury in 1967 topped the circuit in attempts (309), completions (141), yards (2065), and TD passes (19). Corcoran was cut by the AFL’s Denver Broncos during both the 1966 and ’67 preseasons and was signed to the New York Jets’ taxi squad. He started the 1968 season with Bridgeport, which acted as a minor league team for the Jets, and after he was sold to another AFL club, the Boston Patriots, continued in the ACFL with Lowell, Boston’s minor league affiliate. Corcoran again led the league in pass attempts (333), completions (166), yards (2158), and TD passes (20). He also played in two games for the Patriots, throwing seven passes, two of which were intercepted. In 1969, after failing to catch on with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, Corcoran joined the Pottstown Firebirds for two seasons and led them to an 11-1 record in ’70, a year in which he topped the ACFL in pass attempts (297), completions (164), completion percentage (55.2), yards (2129), and TD passes (24), although an injury caused him to miss the league championship game, which the Firebirds won. He was named to the ACFL All-Star team. After another failed trial with the Eagles in 1971, Corcoran returned to the ACFL and the Norfolk Neptunes, leading the league in completion percentage (52.6) and TD passes (17) as the club won the championship. He joined the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL for 1972 but quit rather than be a third-string quarterback and moved on to Chambersburg of the Seaboard Football League, but was injured midway through the season. He spent the ’73 season with Flint of the Midwest Football League. Corcoran joined the Bell of the new WFL for 1974, reuniting with Head Coach Ron Waller, who had been an assistant with Pottstown and head coach at Norfolk, as well as a number of other players who had been teammates with both of those clubs.        

1974 Season Summary

Appeared in 19 of 20 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 545 [1]

Completions – 280 [1]

Yards – 3631 [2]

Completion percentage – 51.4 [6]

Yards per attempt – 6.7

TD passes – 31 [1]

Interceptions – 30 [1]

Rushing

Attempts – 23

Yards – 26

Yards per attempt – 1.1

TDs – 3

Scoring

TDs – 3

Action Points - 1

Points – 22

(Note: Touchdowns counted for 7 points in the WFL)

Postseason: 1 G (WFL First Round playoff at Florida)

Pass attempts – 32

Pass completions – 11

Passing yardage – 127

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 2

Bell went 9-11 to finish third in the WFL Eastern Division. Lost WFL First Round playoff to Florida Blazers (18-3).

Aftermath:

Corcoran returned to the Bell in 1975 but lost his starting job to Bob Davis. He completed 45 of 99 passes for 440 yards and three TDs with six intercepted before the WFL folded in October. Corcoran retired, “the minor league Joe Namath” having passed for 14,528 yards and 134 touchdowns over the course of his checkered and colorful career. 

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1974: NY Stars Edge Bell on Fourth Quarter Field Goal

For the third week of the World Football League’s 1974 season, a natural rivalry took center stage on July 25 as the Philadelphia Bell hosted the New York Stars. There were 64,719 enthusiastic fans in attendance at JFK Stadium for the nationally-televised Thursday night contest, including Commissioner Gary Davidson – although the luster would dim weeks later when it was found out that most of those present had received free or significantly-discounted tickets.

The Bell were 1-1, having won their opener in front of a similarly large crowd before bowing to Houston the previous week. Head Coach Ron Waller’s team featured an exciting offense directed by QB Jim “King” Corcoran, a colorful veteran of minor league football. The ground game was strong and featured running backs Claude Watts and John Land, who also were experienced minor league hands. The most notable player on the defense was LB Tim Rossovich, a colorful figure in his own right who had played for the NFL Eagles.

New York was coached by former pro quarterback Babe Parilli and had yet to win in two hard-fought contests. There were several ex-Jets on the roster, including WR George Sauer, DE Gerry Philbin, and DT John Elliott. QB Tom Sherman had spent three years with the Boston Patriots before toiling in the minor leagues.

The Bell struck first, completing an 89-yard drive in five plays when Jim Corcoran threw to Claude Watts for an 18-yard touchdown and then successfully added the action point on a quarterback sneak, following three offside penalties on New York, to gain an 8-0 lead (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point, which couldn’t be kicked).

New York got on the board when RB Dave Richards scored on a one-yard carry to finish off an 85-yard series, but the Stars remained a point behind when the pass attempt for the action point was unsuccessful.

The Stars took a 14-8 lead just before the end of the first half when RB Bob Gladieux dove one yard for a touchdown following a 20-yard completion from Tom Sherman to WR Al Young. However, they again failed to convert on the action point.

Philadelphia moved back in front a little less than six minutes into the third quarter on a Corcoran pass to TE LeVell Hill that covered nine yards for a touchdown. The score was set up by a 19-yard completion to WR Don Shanklin on the previous play. The Bell were unable to add the action point.

Moses Lajterman (pictured at top), an Argentine kicker out of Montclair State, booted a 40-yard field goal at 3:12 into the fourth quarter to put the Stars in front, following an 11-play, 50-yard series. Lajterman was playing in his first pro game, having earlier been cut from the squad but then re-signed when PK Pete Rajecki suffered a rib injury, and adding to the drama was the fact that Larry Butler was making his first snap of the season, having moved over to center due to an injury to Bob Kuziel.

The Bell had two chances in the last two minutes as Corcoran effectively passed them down the field, but Jack Simcszak missed to the right on a 36-yard field goal attempt and George Chatlos failed from 26 yards at the end of the contest. New York won by a final score of 17-15.

The Stars led in total yards (322 to 301) and first downs (17 to 12). Most of their yardage came on the ground (201) while Philadelphia was more productive through the air (215 yards). The Bell turned the ball over four times, to three turnovers suffered by the Stars.

Tom Sherman completed 7 of 15 passes for 121 yards with no touchdowns and one intercepted. Bob Gladieux rushed for 74 yards on 21 carries that included a TD and RB Ed White was right behind with 70 yards on 18 attempts. Al Young was New York’s top receiver, catching four passes for 74 yards.

For the Bell, “King” Corcoran was successful on 14 of 24 throws for 215 yards and two TDs, but also tossed two interceptions. John Land gained 59 yards on 14 rushing attempts and Claude Watts was held to 19 yards on five carries that included a score while also pulling in three passes for 31 yards. WR Don Shanklin had three pass receptions for 87 yards and WR Linzy Cole added 55 yards on his three catches.

“We played better against Jacksonville and Birmingham, but I’ll take it,” said Babe Parilli. “This is a tough, competitive league. All the teams are evenly matched. Nothing could have been bigger for us.”

Having finally broken into the win column, the Stars proceeded to put together a five-game winning streak. They were 8-5 when the franchise was shifted to Charlotte, where they were renamed the Hornets, and finished out the year with a 10-10 record. The Stars won their next two games but remained inconsistent, going 9-11, although they reached the postseason and lost in the first round. The revelations that the high early-season attendance figures were inflated by free and discounted tickets damaged the credibility of both the WFL and the Bell, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in fan support for games later in the schedule.

Moses Lajterman went on to kick 7 field goals in 11 attempts in his only pro season. George Chatlos, whose missed field goal attempt at the end of the game sealed Philadelphia’s fate, never got another opportunity to try for another, although he did remain with the club as a linebacker and scored a touchdown. The Bell had trouble with placekicking all season, with three kickers accounting for eight field goals in all. 

1974: Oliver & Durrance Lead Sharks to Win Over Bell

The two World Football League teams facing off for the nationally televised Thursday-night game on September 5, 1974 were sporting losing records and trying hard to stay in the playoff hunt.

The Jacksonville Sharks were at 3-6 and having trouble with missed payrolls and dwindling attendance. They were on their second head coach, Charlie Tate, after original coach Bud Asher was let go six weeks into the schedule. They also changed quarterbacks with rookie Reggie Oliver (pictured above) from Marshall replacing Kay Stephenson behind center. RB Tommy Durrance, a former college star at Florida, was a stalwart on offense, but one of the better defensive players, SS Ron Coppenbarger, was out with an injured knee.

The visiting Philadelphia Bell had a 4-5 record and Head Coach Ron Waller’s team was known for its intricate offense directed by colorful QB Jim “King” Corcoran, the WFL’s current leader in scoring passes with 18. Running backs John Land and Claude Watts were also key contributors. But large crowds in their early home games proved to have been padded with free or heavily discounted tickets (which also happened to some extent in Jacksonville) and fan support dwindled thereafter.

There were 17,851 fans in attendance on a rainy night at the Gator Bowl. Jacksonville scored on the first play from scrimmage as Reggie Oliver connected with WR Edgar Scott for a 45-yard touchdown. Tommy Durrance ran for the action point (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point that could not be kicked). The Bell put together a 67-yard drive that ended with QB Frank Dimaggio running three yards for a TD. The try for the action point failed and the Sharks remained in front by 8-7.

Still in the opening period, Philadelphia took the lead when CB Bernard Chapman returned a blocked field goal try by the Sharks 59 yards for a touchdown. A pass to RB Alan Thompson added the action point and the Bell took a 15-8 lead into the second quarter. Grant Guthrie kicked a 21-yard field goal for the Sharks to make the score 15-11 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Bell blocked a second field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown. This time it was for 77 yards by LB George Chatlos and John Land ran for the action point that extended Philadelphia’s margin to 23-11. Jacksonville’s defense was putting heavy pressure on Corcoran, but the two blocked field goal returns had the Bell in front.

The Sharks came back with two scoring carries by Durrance, both covering eight yards. The first made the score 23-18 and was followed by a run for the action point that fell short. The second put Jacksonville in front by 26-23 as Durrance then ran for the action point. Both drives were helped along by Oliver’s effective passing and the Sharks added another touchdown in the fourth quarter as Oliver threw to WR Drew Buie from 13 yards out. Kay Stephenson completed a pass to RB Wayne Jones for the action point.

In the closing minutes the Bell put together a 67-yard drive that led to a one-yard plunge by Land for a touchdown. It was a case of too-little, too-late. Philadelphia had squandered scoring opportunities on two missed field goal attempts, a fumble, and a bad snap on another field goal try and the Sharks came out on top by a final score of 34-30.

Jacksonville outgained the Bell (454 yards to 334) and had more first downs (24 to 17). Philadelphia also turned the ball over three times, to one by the Sharks, although the two blocked field goals were costly to Jacksonville.

Reggie Oliver completed 14 of 24 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns with one intercepted. Tommy Durrance (pictured below) rushed for 72 yards on 20 carries that included two TDs. Edgar Scott caught four passes for 107 yards and a TD and TE Dennis Hughes added 101 yards on his three receptions. Drew Buie also caught four passes, for 71 yards and a score.

For the Bell, “King” Corcoran was successful on just 13 of 30 throws for 174 yards and had no TDs while being picked off once. John Land ran for 88 yards on 17 attempts and also led the receivers with 6 catches for 66 yards

“I wasn’t sacked once,” exclaimed a jubilant Reggie Oliver. “Our offensive line gave me the best protection of the year and blocked so well for our running game that the passes opened up.”

“I wish I had the time that other fellow had,” said Corcoran in defeat about Oliver. “He looked like All-Pro and they blitzed me all night.”

The Bell got their revenge the next week with a resounding 41-22 win in Philadelphia. Beset by increasing money woes, the Sharks went 4-10 before folding. The Bell made it to the end of the season and, while finishing with a losing 9-11 record, managed to make it to the playoffs where they lost in the first round.

Overall, Reggie Oliver ended up passing for 1415 yards and 7 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Tommy Durrance ran for 658 yards on 218 carries (3.0 avg.) and scored five TDs. The demise of the Sharks marked the end of both of their brief pro careers, but the win over the Bell was a significant highlight for each.

1974: Fire Defeat Bell on Carter TD Pass in Last Two Minutes

The Chicago Fire was 4-1, but coming off a big loss to the Florida Blazers, as they faced the Philadelphia Bell in World Football League action on August 14, 1974.

The Fire, coached by Jim Spavital, had Virgil Carter at quarterback (pictured at right), a smart and experienced player who had been with the Bears and Bengals in the NFL. The running game was strong with HB Cyril Pinder, formerly of the Eagles and Bears, and unheralded but effective rookie FB Mark Kellar.

Philadelphia was coached by Ron Waller and featured an exciting and complex offense that was guided by QB Jim “King” Corcoran, an eccentric field general who had been around the minor league football circuit for nearly a decade. Running backs John Land and Claude Watts were also experienced minor league players who were proving to be productive, although Land was out for the game at Chicago. 

The Bell’s record stood at 3-2 and they were determined to keep pace with the New York Stars in the Eastern Division. But while the team had drawn huge crowds to JFK Stadium for its initial home games, it had recently been learned that many of the tickets had been distributed for free or at a substantial discount, casting a shadow over both the franchise and WFL.

There were 27,607 fans in attendance at Soldier Field for the Wednesday night game. The Fire, coming off the big loss the previous week, seemed flat during the early going. The Bell scored first in the opening period as Claude Watts ran for a six-yard touchdown. RB Alan Thompson added the action point for an 8-0 lead (in the WFL, touchdowns were worth seven points and were followed by an action point, which could not be kicked). Before the period was over, Chuck Ramsey booted a 26-yard field goal for the home team and the score was 8-3 after a quarter of play.

In the second quarter, Cyril Pinder caught a pass from Virgil Carter for a six-yard TD and Carter ran for the action point. Mark Kellar added a one-yard touchdown carry and although the try for the action point failed, Chicago held an 18-8 lead.

The Bell scored once again in the first half as Corcoran connected with Thompson for a two-yard TD. The pass for an action point was unsuccessful and the score stood at 18-15 in favor of the home team at the intermission.

The Fire took command and opened up a 25-15 lead in the third quarter as Pinder scored another touchdown, this time on a one-yard carry through the line. The action point attempt failed. Meanwhile, the Fire’s defensive line harassed Corcoran and the Bell could get nothing going offensively.

However, Chicago’s 10-point lead evaporated in the fourth quarter as the Bell scored twice. First, Chicago safety Barry Ruffner fumbled a punt at his own 10 yard line to set up a Philadelphia score. Corcoran ran for a TD from a yard out although the pass attempt for the action point failed.

Four minutes later, a shanked punt gave the Bell good field position at the Chicago 45. It didn’t take long for the visitors to capitalize. On the next play, Corcoran tossed a pass down the middle to Watts that resulted in a 45-yard touchdown. Again the action point try was unsuccessful, but Philadelphia led by 29-25 with 8:13 remaining in the contest.

Still behind with 3:34 left on the clock, the Fire drove 80 yards in nine plays. Carter completed five straight passes along the way, the last to WR Jack Dolbin from 11 yards out for a TD. The action point attempt was no good but the home team was back in front by three points with the clock down to 1:34. The lead held up and Chicago came away with a 32-29 win.

Chicago accumulated 394 yards on offense, to 346 for the Bell, with 275 of that total coming on the ground. The Fire also held a 23 to 15 advantage in first downs. Philadelphia turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Chicago, and was hurt by 10 penalties.

Both Cyril Pinder (pictured at left) and Mark Kellar reached triple digits in rushing yards, with Pinder gaining 151 yards on 18 carries and Kellar running for 112 yards on 23 attempts. Each scored a rushing touchdown and Pinder added another on one of his two pass receptions. Virgil Carter completed 12 of 20 passes for 119 yards and two TDs with one intercepted. Jack Dolbin and Mark Kellar each caught three passes, for 26 and 13 yards, respectively. TE Don Burchfield gained 37 yards on his two receptions to top the club.

For the Bell, Jim Corcoran was successful on 17 of 34 throws for 256 yards and two touchdowns but with three interceptions. Alan Thompson paced the ground game with 49 yards on 16 carries and while Claude Watts ran for only 20 yards and a TD on 5 attempts, he also caught 5 passes for 144 yards and the one long score. Thompson also had five receptions, for 29 yards and including a TD.

The Fire appeared to be back on track and won two of their next three games, but reversed course and didn’t win again the rest of the season. Injuries, in particular to Virgil Carter, were the primary culprit as Chicago ended up at 7-13 and third in the Central Division. Philadelphia was 9-11 and third in the Eastern Division, although in bizarre fashion they made it to the postseason, falling in the first round.

Virgil Carter ended up ranking second in the WFL in touchdown passes with 27 – putting him behind Jim “King” Corcoran, the league leader with 31 – and also in completion percentage at 54.5. Cyril Pinder led the club with 925 rushing yards on 179 carries for a fine 5.2-yard average. He scored a total of 11 touchdowns, putting him second on the club to Mark Kellar with 15.

Claude Watts ended up leading the Bell in touchdowns with 18 (and was second in the WFL overall) as he rushed for 927 yards on 199 carries (4.7 avg.) and caught 46 passes for 584 yards. 

1975: Sun Defeat Bell in Highest-Scoring WFL Game

The Southern California Sun were off to a 3-1 start in the second World Football League season as they hosted the Philadelphia Bell on August 29, 1975. Under the guidance of Head Coach Tom Fears, the Sun were benefiting from the presence of rookie RB Anthony Davis, a local star out of USC who had spurned the New York Jets to become the troubled WFL’s lone high-profile rookie signing for ’75. It had been anticipated that ex-Raider Daryle Lamonica would take over at quarterback for departed 1974 co-MVP Tony Adams, but injuries kept him off the field and another rookie from Southern Cal, Pat Haden (pictured at right), stepped into the starting role after overcoming a preseason injury. But while the offense could put points on the board, there were concerns about the defense, especially when star DT Dave Roller was knocked out of action with an injury the previous week.

Philadelphia had undergone coaching turmoil during the preseason, but was now guided by ex-Green Bay Hall of Famer Willie Wood, a pioneering African-American head coach. The Bell had also picked up QB Bob Davis from the Florida Blazers, who beat out the flamboyant Jim “King” Corcoran for the starting job, as well as RB J.J. Jennings from Memphis and TE Ted Kwalick from the NFL 49ers. The Bell came into the contest at 2-2.

There was a paltry crowd of 17,811 on hand at Anaheim Stadium for the Friday night game. Philadelphia had the first scoring opportunity, but a 38-yard field goal by Bob Cooper was nullified by a penalty and the follow-up attempt was blocked.

On Southern California’s first play, Anthony Davis threw an option pass to wide-open WR Dave Williams that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown. Davis successfully ran for the action point (in the WFL, touchdowns were good for seven points and were then followed up by an “action point” that could not be kicked). It was the beginning of a big first half for the 10^th-year veteran Williams.

The Bell evened the score when RB John Land ran for a two-yard TD to cap a seven-play, 54-yard drive, followed by Bob Davis throwing to Land for the action point, but the Sun came right back when Anthony Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for another touchdown. While they failed to convert the action point attempt, the Sun had a 15-8 lead – and had run just one play from scrimmage.

Before the first quarter was over, Williams scored again to cap a 72-yard drive, this time on a pass from Haden that covered 37 yards. The Sun again failed to add the action point but still held a 22-8 lead.

The Sun poured it on in the second quarter, with FB Greg Herd scoring on a one-yard carry set up by a pass interference call in the end zone (followed by a successful action point conversion on a run by backup QB Mike Ernst), and Williams adding two more TD catches from Haden on plays that covered 15 and 38 yards. Ted Kwalick caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bob Davis (and caught another pass to convert the action point), but Southern California maintained a solid 44-16 lead at the half.

The Bell didn’t give up as Davis tossed three more touchdown passes in the second half, of eight yards to WR Ron Holliday in the third quarter and, in the final period, of 13 yards to ex-Eagles veteran WR Ben Hawkins and 49 yards to a future Eagles special teams star, WR Vince Papale. Two of the action point attempts were successful.

The Sun added a one-yard TD carry by RB Bill Kramer in the third quarter and an eight-yard run by RB Gary Dixon in the fourth. Both action point attempts failed, but they weren’t needed as Southern California prevailed by a score of 58-39. To add insult to injury for the Bell, the local television station that was showing the game in Philadelphia pulled the plug on the telecast because it was running too late.

The 97 points scored made it the highest-scoring game in the WFL’s brief history. The Sun rolled up 508 total yards – with 233 coming on the ground – to 436 for Philadelphia, trying vainly to play catch-up throughout most of the game. Southern California also had the edge in first downs (25 to 22) while the Bell led in turnovers (3 to 2) and penalties (14, at a cost of 152 yards, to 10 flags for 96 yards thrown on the home team).

Anthony Davis (pictured below) had another noteworthy performance, rushing for 115 yards on 21 carries, throwing a touchdown pass, and returning a kickoff for another TD. Pat Haden completed 13 of 21 passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns and had one intercepted. Dave Williams was the receiving star with 6 catches for 179 yards and four scores.

For the Bell, Bob Davis was successful on 21 of 46 throws for 285 yards and four TDs along with two interceptions. John Land ran for 55 yards on 12 carries that included a touchdown and J.J. Jennings was right behind with 10 attempts for 52 yards. Land and Ben Hawkins each caught 5 passes (for 44 and 42 yards, respectively) and Ted Kwalick gained 93 yards on his four receptions.

“All week we talked about containing (Anthony) Davis,” said a disappointed Coach Willie Wood. “Then the first time the Sun has the ball he goes around end and throws for the 51-yard touchdown. We got flat, we lost concentration because of that play.”

Southern California compiled a 7-5 record and was in first place in the Western Division when the WFL abruptly folded in October. The Bell were at the bottom of the Eastern Division at 4-7.

Anthony Davis was outstanding, comfortably leading the league in rushing (1200 yards), rushing touchdowns (16), and scoring (133 points) after 12 games. He went on to play in the CFL, NFL, and USFL, but never came close to the same level of performance.

Pat Haden was off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar before the league folded, but would return to pro football with the NFL’s Rams for six years. Dave Williams finished off his pro career by catching 21 passes, 9 of which were good for touchdowns. He gained 327 yards (15.6 avg.) and the scoring reception from Anthony Davis was his longest of the year. 

Past Venue: Franklin Field

Philadelphia, PA



Year opened: 1922
Capacity: 60,658 when Eagles played there, up from 30,000 at opening and 52,593 currently

Names:
Franklin Field, 1922 to date

Pro football tenants:
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), 1958-70
Philadelphia Bell (WFL), 1975

Postseason games hosted:
NFL Championship, Eagles 17 Packers 13, Dec. 26, 1960
USFL First Round playoff, Stars 28 Generals 7, June 30, 1984
USFL Eastern Conf. Championship, Stars 20 Stallions 10, July 8, 1984

Other tenants of note:
Univ. of Pennsylvania, 1922 to date
Philadelphia Atoms (NASL), 1976

Notes: Replaced earlier stadium of the same name that was built in 1895 and demolished and rebuilt into present facility. Hosted one home game of NFL Frankford Yellow Jackets, 1927. Hosted two USFL playoff games because of a scheduling conflict for use of Veterans Stadium with baseball’s Phillies. Hosted a CFL game between Hamilton and Ottawa, 1958. Hosted Army vs. Navy football game, 1922, 1932-35 (13 games in the series were played at the predecessor stadium). Hosted annual Philadelphia City Title high school championship game, 1938, 1940-41, 1943-72. Hosts annual Penn Relays track meet. Constructed and owned by the Univ. of Pennsylvania, it was named for Penn’s founder, Benjamin Franklin. Stadium was dedicated during halftime of Penn vs. Navy football game on Oct. 28, 1922 with President Warren G. Harding presiding. Upper deck was completed three years later. Site of first radio broadcast of a football game, 1922. NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack during a game between the Eagles and Steelers, Oct. 11, 1959. Lights installed in 1970 and venue hosted first Eagles appearance on Monday Night Football. Original grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf in 1969 and Sprinturf in 2004.

Fate: Still in use.



(View above shows stadium with additional temporary end zone seating. View below is a more modern depiction)

1974: Steamer Defeats Bell Before 750 Fans at JFK Stadium

It was a rainy Wednesday night in Philadelphia on October 16, 1974 as the host Bell took on the Shreveport Steamer in a World Football League contest at JFK Stadium. Adding to the gloom was a miniscule estimated turnout of 750 at the 100,000-seat venue, a bitter pill for a team that had drawn big crowds in its first two home games – and created a scandal when it was later revealed that the vast majority of those fans were using free or heavily-discounted tickets.

The Bell, under Head Coach Ron Waller, was a colorful club with an exciting offense led by eccentric QB Jim “King” Corcoran. The passing game was productive, and there were good running backs in John Land and Claude Watts. Still, Philadelphia had a losing 6-9 record coming into the contest with Shreveport.

The Steamer had started the season as the Houston Texans and moved to Shreveport in late September. At the time of the relocation, they sported a 3-7-1 tally and things had not gotten better for the veteran team, which was 1-3 in its new city for a combined record of 4-10-1. There had been plenty of turmoil with the move, as many players were opposed to it and Head Coach Jim Garrett was suspended when he actively urged them to not report to Shreveport. Garrett was replaced by Marshall Taylor, and despite the misgivings, the club received a warm welcome from the fans in the new locale. FB Jim Nance (pictured above), an ex-AFL star with the Patriots, was a standout running the ball. Another former AFL player, LB Garland Boyette, was the leader of the well-seasoned defense. Veteran QB Mike Taliaferro quit the team, and two rookie quarterbacks, D.C. Nobles and Dave Mays, ran the option offense.

Philadelphia fumbled less then four minutes into the game and Nobles started off the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Eber that was followed by a successful pass for the action point. After Bell DB Ron Mabra intercepted a Nobles pass, Land and Watts proceeded to grind out a drive. Watts scored for Philadelphia, but the action point attempt failed and the Steamer held an 8-7 lead after a period of play (touchdowns counted for seven points in the WFL, followed by an action point that could not be kicked).

In the second quarter, Mays came in at quarterback for Shreveport after Nobles strained his shoulder and connected with TE Willie Frazier for a 29-yard TD. The pass attempt for the action point was unsuccessful and Shreveport took a 15-7 lead into halftime.

The Bell started off the second half scoring when Jerry Warren kicked a 32-yard field goal to cut the margin to 15-10. Nobles came back into the game for Shreveport and the Steamer responded with a drive that concluded with Nance scoring on a two-yard run. Nobles ran for the action point, making the score 23-10.

“King” Corcoran passed to WR Ron Holliday for a nine-yard touchdown, capping an eight-play, 64-yard drive by the Bell, but the action point was again missed and the score stood at 23-17. It didn’t stay that way for long. Safety Richmond Flowers returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards. On the next play, Nobles threw his second scoring pass to Eber, this time covering 39 yards, extending the Steamer lead to 30-17 as the action point attempt failed.

The Bell scored once more in the fourth quarter when Corcoran threw an eight-yard TD pass to WR Vince Papale, and Land ran for the action point. The Steamer missed a chance to extend the lead when a 20-yard field goal attempt by Charlie Durkee hit the upright and was no good. But Boyette intercepted a Corcoran pass and Shreveport was able to run out the last four minutes to win 30-25.

The statistics were very even, with Shreveport barely outgaining the Bell (323 yards to 321) and having the edge in first downs (17 to 15). Philadelphia had more rushing yards (180 to 164) while the Steamer gained more net passing yards (159 to 141). However, the Bell lost three fumbles, to none given up by Shreveport. Jim Nance ran for 104 yards for the Steamer, and John Land gained 105 yards on 13 attempts for Philadelphia.

The biggest story from the game was the paltry attendance, which was the smallest for any WFL game.

“I don’t know if it was the World Series, the weather or what, but that’s the smallest crowd that I can ever remember playing in front of,” said Land.

“Hell, I wrestled before bigger crowds than that at Indiana (Pa.) High School,” added Jim Nance.

With the win, the Steamer was now 2-2 under Coach Taylor. They went 1-2 the rest of the way and finished at 7-12-1 and tied for third in the Western Division. Philadelphia won by a surprisingly big margin of 45-7 over the Southern California Sun the next week and, with a win by forfeit to conclude the season, ended up with a 9-11 record and a playoff spot. The Bell lost to the Florida Blazers in the first round.

Jim Nance ranked third in the WFL with 1240 yards on 300 carries (4.1 avg.) and eight touchdowns. John Land wasn’t far behind as he carried the ball 243 times for 1136 yards (4.7 avg.) and eight TDs. Land was a far more productive pass receiver out of the backfield than Nance (who caught just 14 passes) with 54 catches for 621 yards and another four touchdowns.

After averaging 60,127 fans in the first two home games (inflated by the free and discounted tickets), the Bell averaged just 9328 in the remaining eight, including the 750 against the Steamer. The team survived to return for the aborted 1975 season, but moved to the less-spacious Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania.

1975: Bell Spoils Calvin Hill’s Debut with Hawaiians

The World Football League’s Honolulu-based team, The Hawaiians, had started poorly in 1974 but improved throughout the course of the eventual 9-11 season. The team had used rookie Norris Weese at quarterback until veteran Randy Johnson, cut by the NFL’s Giants, came aboard at midseason. While WR Tim Delaney led the WFL in pass receptions with 89, the running game ranked last among the clubs that made it through the full season.

Several NFL veterans had been signed to contracts prior to the ’74 season, but other than Johnson, who only became available because the Giants released him, the club had to wait until 1975 to avail themselves of their services. Two of the players they had signed, San Francisco TE Ted Kwalick and Vikings WR John Gilliam, were allocated to other teams by the league (Philadelphia and Chicago, respectively). But RB Calvin Hill (pictured above), who had gained 5009 rushing yards in six years with the Dallas Cowboys, joined the Hawaiians for the ’75 season and it was anticipated that he would substantially upgrade the running attack. However, the team had lost Johnson as the quarterback, who jumped back to the NFL with the Washington Redskins.

On August 2, 1975 The Hawaiians traveled to Philadelphia where they opened the regular season against the Bell before a sparse crowd of 2732 fans at Franklin Field on a 94-degree Saturday night.

The Bell had undergone a change in head coach after Ron Waller, who guided the club in 1974, abruptly resigned during the preseason. After assistant Joe Gardi took over for an exhibition win over Portland, former Packers great Willie Wood was named to the position the Tuesday prior to the season-opening contest. Wood thus became the first African-American head coach of a major league pro football team in the modern era (some 14 years before Art Shell was hired in the NFL; Fritz Pollard had coached in the early 1920s).

Philadelphia scored first on a 37-yard field goal by Bob Cooper. The Hawaiians responded with a 72-yard drive that was capped when Hill caught a pass from QB Rick Cassata for a 13-yard touchdown. With a successful pass for the action point, they led 8-3 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, colorful Bell QB Jim “King” Corcoran threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Kwalick that was followed by RB J.J. Jennings running successfully for the action point. The Bell took an 11-8 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, Corcoran threw a pass to WR Ron Holliday that went 15 yards in the air but was turned into a 55-yard touchdown when Holliday evaded three tacklers and ran down the right sideline for the score, although the action point attempt failed. Cooper followed with a 35-yard field goal to give Philadelphia a comfortable 21-8 lead after three quarters.

The Hawaiians narrowed the margin in the fourth quarter on a two-yard carry by RB Clayton Heath. The action point attempt failed but the Bell now led by just six points with plenty of time remaining.

The Hawaiians again moved into Philadelphia territory, but in a key defensive play by the Bell, Hill was stopped short at the Philadelphia 30 in a fourth-and-two situation. With time running out, The Hawaiians inserted backup QB Sonny Sixkiller into the game and advanced to the Bell 16 yard line with the help of a pass interference call and three offside penalties. With no timeouts remaining, Sixkiller threw to WR Tim Delaney in the end zone for an apparent game-winning score, but a holding penalty nullified the play and give Philadelphia the 21-15 win.

The Hawaiians had more first downs (23 to 16) while outrushing the Bell, 245 yards to 119; Philadelphia gained more net passing yards (154 to 84).

Calvin Hill ran for 155 yards on 32 carries and Clayton Heath added 68 yards on 17 attempts that included a TD. Rick Cassata completed just 7 of 19 passes for 61 yards with a TD and three interceptions while Sonny Sixkiller connected on both of his passes for 23 yards. Hill and Heath also each caught three passes, with Hill leading the club with 30 yards. Tim Delaney had 26 yards on his two catches.

For the Bell, King Corcoran was successful on 13 of 25 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. J.J. Jennings, who had been a league co-MVP with Memphis in ’74, ran for 57 yards on 11 carries to pace the rushing attack. Ron Holliday had five catches for 100 yards that included the long TD.


“Wow, if people wanted excitement, they certainly got their money's worth tonight,” said Willie Wood (pictured at right), a winner in his first game as a pro head coach. “Our guys really held them down at most crucial points although those offside penalties almost gave me heart failure.”

Neither team did particularly well in the WFL’s abbreviated second season that ended in October with the abrupt folding of the league. Both ended up with 4-7 records, which meant a last-place finish in the Eastern Division for the Bell at the point that the plug was pulled; the Hawaiians tied for fourth with the Portland Thunder.

The opening game performance was the best for Calvin Hill as he went down with a knee injury shortly thereafter and ended up with just 218 yards on 49 carries. He returned to the NFL with Washington in 1976, where he played for two seasons before moving on to the Cleveland Browns for four years. While still an effective role player, he never ran the ball more than 80 times in a season or exceeded his post-WFL high of 301 yards with the Redskins in ’76. As a receiver out of the backfield, he did catch as many as 38 passes with the Browns in 1979.

As for Willie Wood, he got another pro head coaching opportunity with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, becoming that league’s first black head coach.

Past Venue: JFK Stadium

Philadelphia, PA
aka Municipal Stadium



Year opened: 1926
Capacity: 102,000

Names:
Sesquicentennial Stadium, 1926
Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, 1926-64
John F. Kennedy Stadium, 1964-92

Pro football tenants:
Philadelphia Quakers (AFL), 1926
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), 1936-39
Philadelphia Bell (WFL), 1974

Postseason games hosted:
None

Other tenants of note:
None

Notes: Hosted annual Liberty Bowl, 1959-63. Hosted Army vs. Navy football game, 1936-41, 1945-79. In addition to dates noted, hosted selected Eagles home games in 1941, 1947, 1950, and 1954. Was also occasionally used as a practice facility by the Eagles during the 1970s. Hosted one home game of NFL Frankford Yellow Jackets, 1931. Built as part of 1926 Sesquicentennial International Exposition and was so named until the closing of the exposition. Site of boxing world heavyweight title fight on Sept. 23, 1926 in which Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey and also hosted another such fight in 1952 in which a reigning champion, Joe Walcott, lost to Rocky Marciano. Also used for track & field events.

Fate: Demolished in 1992, the site is now occupied by the Wells Fargo Center.



(View showing, from bottom to top, JFK Stadium, The Spectrum, and Veterans Stadium)

1974: Bell Defeat Wheels After Near-Forfeit

During the World Football League’s first season, the Philadelphia Bell might not have been one of the more successful teams, but it was certainly one of the most entertaining. Under Head Coach Ron Waller, the Bell ran a complex offense full of unorthodox formations. Directing that offense on the field was QB Jim “King” Corcoran (#9 in above photo), a flamboyant minor league football veteran who had spent ten years playing for such clubs as the Norfolk Neptunes and Pottstown Firebirds. He had arrived at training camp in a white Lincoln Continental with the license plate of “KING” while shouting out the window through a bullhorn, “The King has arrived! The King has arrived!”

For all the flamboyance, Corcoran proved to be an effective quarterback for the Bell, passing to wide receivers Donnie Shanklin and Ron Holliday, as well as a local product from non-football-playing St. Joseph’s named Vince Papale who would later make the NFL Eagles as a 30-year-old special teams standout. RB John Land led the Bell in both rushing and pass receiving, and formed a solid tandem with Claude Watts.

Defensively, the team included former Eagles and Chargers LB Tim Rossovich, perhaps better remembered for his off-field behavior that included eating glass and occasionally setting his hair on fire than for his on-field exploits. Other standouts included LB Wally Dempsey, an eight-year veteran of the CFL, and CB Ron Mabra.

However, the team had also been responsible for the league’s biggest scandal when large crowds for the first two home games were found to have been significantly padded by tickets that had been given away (if not substantially discounted). With the end of the complimentary tickets, the crowds dropped off significantly, despite the exciting nature of the team’s play.

Philadelphia had compiled a 3-4 record as they prepared to host the winless (0-7) Detroit Wheels at JFK Stadium on August 28, 1974 before a crowd of 15,100. As was the case with many of the WFL teams, the Wheels were experiencing severe financial hardship to such an extent that the game came close to not being played.

The Wheels had started out short on cash and were never able to dig out of the hole. Not only was money short to pay players, but the team couldn’t cover administrative costs either. Programs were not delivered for one home game because the printer had not been paid, and players brought towels from home so they could take showers.

When the Detroit players arrived for the game at JFK Stadium, they found that there were no supplies, including tape, available. The team considered forfeiting since it wasn’t safe for the players to take the field without taping up. However, WR Jon Henderson was able to talk a Johnson & Johnson salesman into donating a carton of tape so that the game could be played.

For all the adversity, the Wheels were typically competitive on the field, and this game would be no different. The Bell scored first on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Corcoran to Land. But by the third quarter, Detroit was leading 16-14. Philadelphia’s Jerry Warren put the Bell ahead to stay with a 23-yard field goal, and the Bell followed that up with a 24-yard TD pass from Corcoran to Shanklin. The Wheels scored again, but couldn’t catch up as Philadelphia held on for a 27-23 win.

The Bell accumulated 174 yards on the ground, led by John Land’s 90 yards on 16 carries; Claude Watts contributed 34 yards on 15 attempts and a touchdown. “King” Corcoran completed 11 of 29 passes for 184 yards and two TDs. Both Land and Donnie Shanklin caught three passes apiece, with Shanklin’s 64 yards topping the club.

Detroit outrushed the Bell, gaining 194 yards, as RB Jesse Mims led the way with 85 yards on 15 carries and a TD. QB Bubba Wyche, a CFL veteran (as were many of the players on the team) who capably directed the offense throughout the difficult season, completed 13 of 28 passes for 156 yards, with no touchdowns and two of them picked off. Mims and FB Sam Scarber each caught four passes, for 20 and 33 yards respectively, although RB Billy Sadler gained the most yards receiving with 67 on his one catch.

The Wheels would not survive the season, although they did win once before folding with a 1-13 record. They also had the distinction of having the lowest average home attendance during the WFL’s first season (10,228). Philadelphia finished up at 9-11, putting them third in the Eastern Division but good enough to qualify for the postseason – they lost convincingly to the Florida Blazers in the first round.


“King” Corcoran led the WFL in pass attempts (546), completions (280), and touchdown passes (31) while ranking second in passing yards (3632); he also tossed 30 interceptions. John Land (pictured at left) rushed for over a thousand yards (1136) and also led the club with 54 pass receptions; Claude Watts was just under a thousand rushing yards with 927.

As Coach Waller summed up his exciting and colorful team, “We’re not a very conventional team. People come to our games to be entertained. We don’t put you to sleep like the Miami Dolphins do.” Of course, it could be said that the Bell also failed to win with the regularity of the Dolphins at that time, but they certainly contributed plenty to the brief history of the off-beat World Football League.

1974: WFL Debuts with Five Games

The World Football League kicked off its inaugural 20-week season with five games on July 10, 1974. The new league started off with 12 teams, along with great ambitions and several novelties. Most games were scheduled on Wednesday nights in order to avoid conflict with high school, college, and NFL games (a weekly nationally-televised game would be played on Thursdays). The July start (the league played no preseason games, although there were some intersquad scrimmages) gave the WFL a head start on the NFL, which was beset by a player’s strike during the preseason that kept veterans out of the training camps until late August.

The WFL instituted several rules changes, some of which the NFL had adopted for the ’74 season as well - they included moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone, allowing for an overtime period in case of ties, and bringing the ball back to the line of scrimmage if a field goal was missed outside the 20 yard line. While kickoffs in the NFL would now be from the 35 rather than 40 yard line, the WFL chose to kick off from the 30. Additionally, the new league banned fair catches of punts, allowed for forward motion by backs prior to the snap, required receivers to have just one foot in bounds for a catch to be legal, and prohibited the bumping of receivers beyond three yards of the line of scrimmage. Touchdowns would be seven, rather than six points, to be followed by an “action point” that could not be kicked. An invention called a “Dickerrod” was used instead of the traditional chains for measuring first down yardage.

There were 55,534 fans in JFK Stadium as the Philadelphia Bell hosted the Portland Storm, winning 33-8 behind QB Jim “King” Corcoran (pictured below left), who had the best passing night in the WFL’s first week. Corcoran, a semi-legendary figure in the world of minor league football, completed 21 of 38 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. The running tandem of Claude Watts (94 yards on 16 carries) and John Land (73 yards on 14 attempts) also had an impressive debut. WR Vince Papale, later to become celebrated as a walk-on free agent and special teams standout for the NFL’s Eagles, caught three passes for 39 yards.


Attendance at Orlando’s Tangerine Bowl was far less (18,625) as the Florida Blazers defeated The Hawaiians in a low-scoring 8-7 contest. RB Jim Strong was the star for the Blazers, catching a three-yard touchdown pass and then scoring the decisive action point. RB Derrick Williams gained 94 yards on 18 carries for The Hawaiians while Strong and fellow running backs Tommy Reamon and A.D. Whitfield combined for 104 yards for Florida. Blazers QB Bob Davis passed for only 55 yards and Norris Weese and Bill Donckers combined for just 106 yards for the Honolulu-based club.

A crowd of over 36,000 at Soldier Field saw the Chicago Fire record a 17-0 shutout of the visiting Houston Texans. QB Virgil Carter (pictured below right) threw two touchdown passes, although he also had three picked off. WR James Scott had 10 catches for 84 yards and one of the TDs. Houston ground out 116 yards rushing but veteran quarterbacks Don Trull and Mike Taliaferro passed for just 58 yards.


Legion Field in Birmingham was filled with 53,231 fans who saw the Birmingham Americans defeat the Southern California Sun by an 11-7 tally thanks to a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown by CB Steve Williams. RB Paul Robinson spurred the ground game with 79 of Birmingham’s 144 rushing yards although rookie RB Kermit Johnson of the Sun led all rushers with 88 yards on 24 attempts.

Elvis Presley was among 30,122 in attendance at the Liberty Bowl where the Memphis Southmen were winners over the Detroit Wheels, 34-15. Memphis RB J.J. Jennings (pictured at top) had the most rushing yards in the first week with 99, including a touchdown, and also caught four passes for 83 yards and another TD. Detroit WR Hubie Bryant had the best receiving game of the first week in defeat with 7 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown.

The following night, in the first nationally-televised contest with Commissioner Gary Davidson in attendance, the largest crowd of all, 59,112, was present at Jacksonville’s Gator Bowl as the Sharks defeated the New York Stars, 14-7. However, the game suffered a delay when a blown generator caused a blackout – it was perhaps a portent of bad things to come.

While the crowds were certainly encouraging, the scarcity of points was a disappointment. The league averaged just 13.8 points per game for the six contests. Scoring would improve as the season progressed, but other factors would cast a shadow over the WFL.

Several weeks into the season, it was divulged that attendance, particularly in Philadelphia and Jacksonville, had been considerably aided by the handing out of huge numbers of free tickets. Of the 55,534 fans at JFK Stadium, only 13,800 had actually paid; a crowd of 64,719 for the second home game, against New York, contained only 6200 paid attendees. The big opening night crowd at the Gator Bowl was padded by some 44,000 free passes.

League credibility never recovered from the disclosure, and the fact that the WFL was floating in a sea of red ink became clearer as the season progressed. By the end, 10 teams remained and two of those had relocated (Detroit and Jacksonville folded; the Houston Texans became the Shreveport Steamer and the Stars moved from New York to Charlotte, NC).