1974: Wheels Defeat Blazers for Only Win

The Detroit Wheels of the World Football League were limping along at 0-11 as they traveled to Orlando to meet the Florida Blazers on September 11, 1974. With the Blazers on top of the Eastern Division at 7-3, it did not seem likely that the Wheels might finally break into the win column.

The Wheels, coached by Dan Boisture, were typically competitive in their games, but unlucky in close contests as well as largely ignored by the Detroit area fans. They were not helped by playing home games in Ypsilanti, some 30 miles away from the city, and were in bad financial condition from the start. The Wheels drew heavily from ex-CFL players, including QB Bubba Wyche (pictured above), who performed ably.

Florida had more wins, if not a better financial situation. The Blazers were coached by former NFL linebacker Jack Pardee and featured ex-Jet QB Bob Davis, rookie RB Tommy Reamon, and TE Greg Latta on offense and DT Mike McBath and CB Miller Farr on defense. They had beaten the Wheels earlier in the season in Ypsilanti.

There were 9003 fans in attendance at the Tangerine Bowl. In the second quarter, the Blazers drove 61 yards in 13 plays, culminating in Bob Davis throwing a swing pass to RB Jim Strong for a 16-yard touchdown. The pass attempt for the action point failed but the home team carried a 7-0 lead into halftime (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an “action point”, that could not be kicked).

That was it until the Wheels started their third series of the third quarter with good field position at midfield and Bubba Wyche threw to WR Jon Henderson at the sideline, who went the distance for a 49-yard TD. Detroit also failed to complete a pass for the action point and the score remained tied at 7-7.

The Blazers weren’t able to get beyond their 25 on the next series and Detroit again had good starting field position at its 45 following the punt. This time the Wheels needed ten plays to score, although they lined up to punt at one point but Eric Guthrie, a backup quarterback as well as punter, passed instead of kicking and safety Terry Hoeppner caught it for a 22-yard gain. RB Billy Sadler ran six yards for a touchdown and then caught the pass for the action point that made it a 15-7 game with less than two minutes to play in the period.

With 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Blazers began to move on offense, going 80 yards in six plays. Davis threw to Tommy Reamon for 16 yards and WR Eddie Richardson for 25 on a throw down the middle of the field. A pass to WR Matt Maslowski picked up another 25 yards and another toss to Maslowski for 17 yards moved the ball to the Detroit two. Reamon ran the final yard for a TD but Detroit LB Dick Blanchard broke up a pass intended for Greg Latta on the attempt for the action point. The Wheels remained in front by one, and it was enough as Detroit held on to win by a final score of 15-14, setting off a wild celebration by the players.

The Blazers outgained Detroit (381 yards to 248) and had more first downs (20 to 12). However, Florida also turned the ball over three times, to none by the Wheels. There were a total of 15 punts (8 by Detroit, 7 by the Blazers).

Bubba Wyche completed 7 of 14 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, but he was also sacked seven times. Billy Sadler had 55 rushing yards on 10 carries that included a TD. Thanks to the long scoring catch, Jon Henderson (pictured at left) gained 61 yards on three pass receptions.

For the Blazers, Bob Davis was successful on 16 of 33 throws for 245 yards and was intercepted twice. Tommy Reamon ran for 65 yards on 17 carries and Greg Latta caught three passes for 84 yards.

“We just took the night off,” said a frustrated Coach Jack Pardee. “It was a team loss.”

The loss dropped the Blazers into a tie for first in the Eastern Division with the New York Stars at 7-4. They managed to win their next four games and ultimately topped the division with a 14-6 record, advancing to the WFL Championship game (or “World Bowl”) before falling to the Birmingham Americans and barely staying ahead of their creditors. Detroit was 1-10 and would not win again – nor would the Wheels finish out the schedule as the franchise folded three weeks later.

Bubba Wyche was one of sixteen players that were picked by the remaining WFL franchises after the Wheels folded. He joined the Chicago Fire for the remaining four games. Overall, he completed 50.9 percent of his passes for 2342 yards and 11 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. He also rushed for 287 yards and scored 11 TDs on his own.

1974: Late TD Propels Blazers to Win Over Wheels

July 17, 1974 marked the home debut of the Detroit Wheels, one of the teams in the newly-formed World Football League. Having lost their first game at Memphis the previous week, they were hosting the Florida Blazers with hopes of breaking into the win column.

The Wheels had a large group of investors, but were quickly showing signs of financial trouble to come. Dan Boisture had been hired away from Eastern Michigan to be head coach, and the team found itself playing at that college’s Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, over 30 miles from Detroit, having been unable to get a lease for Tiger Stadium. With a limited budget for players, the Wheels made little effort to sign NFL veterans, looking to Canada instead. QB Bubba Wyche, formerly of Saskatchewan, directed the offense and WR Hubie Bryant was the WFL’s early receiving leader after gaining 153 yards on seven catches in the opening week, although he was suffering from an eye injury.

The Blazers were coached by ex-NFL linebacker Jack Pardee and had won a narrow victory over The Hawaiians in Week 1. QB Bob Davis (pictured above) had NFL experience, having most notably served as backup to Joe Namath with the Jets, but the offense managed just eight points in the opener.

There were 10,631 fans in attendance at Rynearson Stadium for the Wednesday night contest. Several hundred people watched the action for free from a nearby hill. The atmosphere was festive, with a rock band playing prior to the game.

The Blazers scored first, driving 62 yards in eleven plays on their opening series, and Bob Davis threw to WR Matt Maslowski for a six-yard touchdown. The pass for the action point attempt failed, but the visitors held a 7-0 lead (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point, which could not be kicked).

Detroit came right back, going 80 yards in ten plays that ended with FB Sam Scarber running ten yards for a TD. The Wheels also failed to add the action point, and the score remained 7-7 until, with 29 seconds left before the end of the half, Les Perry kicked a 26-yard field goal for Florida.

The Wheels regained the lead in the third quarter when Bubba Wyche connected with RB Jim Rathje, who eluded several tacklers after the catch on the way to a 41-yard TD. The attempt to run for the action point came up short, but the home team was ahead by four points.

That remained the situation until late in the fourth quarter. Florida put together a series that covered 82 yards in 18 plays and was capped when RB Tommy Reamon scored on a five-yard run with 1:37 remaining. This time, the Blazers added the action point on a pass from Davis to TE Greg Latta, and now it was Florida on top by four.

There was still enough time for the Wheels to come back, however. Wyche threw to WR Charlie McKee for a 43-yard gain, and when the receiver fumbled at the end of the play, Sam Scarber recovered at the Florida seven with the clock now down to 1:07.

Scarber ran for two yards and Rathje picked up four to reach the one yard line. After Rathje was stopped for no gain, and with no timeouts remaining, Wyche hurriedly fired a fourth down pass into the end zone, but it fell incomplete. Florida came away with an 18-14 win.

The Wheels outgained Florida (340 yards to 308) although the Blazers had the edge in first downs (18 to 13). There were no turnovers, but lots of penalties, with Detroit flagged 9 times at a cost of 87 yards and the visitors penalized seven times for 50 yards.

Bob Davis completed 14 of 20 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. RB Jim Strong led the ground attack with 89 yards on 18 carries and was also Florida’s leading receiver with four catches for 29 yards. RB A.D. Whitfield also had four receptions, for 18 yards. Tommy Reamon contributed 65 yards on 16 rushing attempts, which included the game-winning TD.

For the Wheels, Bubba Wyche was successful on 14 of 29 throws for 221 yards and a TD. Sam Scarber (pictured at left) rushed for 74 yards on 11 attempts that included a touchdown. Charlie McKee topped the receivers with three catches for 69 yards.

“Sure it boosted our spirits,” said a relieved Coach Pardee of the Blazers. “Any game you win like that has to make you feel good.”

Detroit had to hurriedly prepare for a weekend game at Honolulu and lost, and kept on losing until reaching 0-10 before finally pulling out a victory in the return meeting with the Blazers. It was the only win for the Wheels, who failed to finish out the season and ended up at the bottom of the Central Division with a 1-13 record. Florida, which also suffered from major financial problems, fared much better, topping the Eastern Division at 14-6 and advancing to the WFL Championship game (called the World Bowl) before losing to the Birmingham Americans. 

1974: Blazers Upset Southmen in WFL Semifinal Playoff Game

Determining the playoff format for the World Football League’s 1974 season proved to be a reflection of the overall chaos surrounding the entire operation. A structure was finally agreed to that would include six teams and allow the Memphis Southmen and Birmingham Americans, the clubs with the best records, to have a bye for the first round. While The Hawaiians upset the Southern California Sun in one contest, the Florida Blazers defeated the Philadelphia Bell in the other. On November 29 the Blazers traveled to Memphis to take on the Southmen in a Semifinal Playoff game.

The Blazers hadn’t been paid in 13 weeks due to lack of income compounded by organizational flux and lawsuits that prevented the league from stepping in to compensate the players. In addition, the Blazers were angry because they had to beat Philadelphia to advance to the Semifinal game while Memphis and Birmingham drew first-round byes.

Head Coach Jack Pardee held the team together through all of the adversity, and Florida had topped the Eastern Division with a 14-6 record. The offense was directed by QB Bob Davis, formerly of the Oilers, Jets, and Saints, and had the WFL’s leading rusher in rookie RB Tommy Reamon (pictured above). The defense was one of the league’s best and contained All-League selections DE John Ricca, DT Mike McBath, and CB Miller Farr, an ex-NFL star primarily with the Oilers and Cardinals.

The Memphis Southmen (or “Grizzlies”, as the local fans preferred to call them), coached by John McVay, were well-funded as well as successful on the field, having topped the Central Division with a 17-3 tally. 31-year-old veteran QB John Huarte, a journeyman backup in the AFL and NFL, competently directed an offense that featured a solid stable of running backs led by rookie J.J. Jennings and a fine receiver in WR Ed Marshall. CB David Thomas was the featured player on defense. Moreover, the Southmen had not lost at home all season.

There were just 9692 fans in attendance at Memphis Memorial Stadium (aka the Liberty Bowl) on a cold and rainy Friday night. Memphis scored in the first quarter on a one-yard carry by Jennings. The Southmen got another TD before the opening period was over thanks to a completion by Huarte to Marshall that covered 45 yards. While Jennings successfully ran for the action point following his initial score, the attempt failed following the second TD, but Memphis was out in front by a score of 15-0 (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an “action point” that couldn’t be kicked).

It only seemed to get worse for the Blazers in the second quarter when Bob Davis suffered a rib injury and was replaced by rookie Buddy Palazzo, who had thrown just five passes during the regular season. But while there was no further scoring in the first half, most notably thanks to an interception by Miller Farr of a Huarte pass in the end zone, Florida began to close the gap in the third quarter.

First, capping the Blazers’ first series of the second half, Dave Strock kicked a 25-yard field goal and then Tommy Reamon ran for a 21-yard touchdown. The action point was successfully added and the tally was at 15-11 heading into the final period.

It looked as though it would stay that way until the Blazers got a break late in the fourth quarter. Forced to punt after Palazzo was sacked deep in in his own territory, David Thomas fumbled the kick and TE Luther Palmer recovered at the Memphis 22 with 1:13 remaining. Four plays later RB Richard James ran four yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The pass attempt for the action point was intercepted but the Blazers were ahead by three.

Memphis still had a chance, but Bob Etter’s 40-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds on the clock was blocked by DE Louis Ross. Florida advanced to the WFL Championship game by a score of 18-15.

The Blazers gained just 58 net passing yards but more than made up for it with 213 yards on the ground. They also had the edge in first downs (17 to 15). There were three turnovers, with Memphis giving up two of them.

Tommy Reamon was the offensive star as he rushed for 125 yards on 25 carries that included a touchdown. Bob Davis completed only three of 10 passes for 20 yards with one intercepted before exiting the contest and Buddy Palazzo was good on three of six throws for 47 yards with no TDs but also no interceptions. TE Greg Latta led Florida’s receivers with three catches for 26 yards. 

For the Southmen, J.J. Jennings rushed for 106 yards on 24 attempts. John Huarte (pictured at left) was successful on 17 of 22 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown and had one picked off. WR Jack Ettinger had 9 catches for 105 yards.

“We beat Memphis, the World Football League, and their money,” exulted Florida LB Larry Ely afterward. It was a stunning win for the underfunded underdog team.

“We were mad and hungry,” summed up Coach Pardee. “We played that way.”

The Blazers came up short in the league title game, called the World Bowl, by a 22-21 score against the Birmingham Americans. It marked the end for the team, as what was left of the franchise was transferred to San Antonio for the WFL’s second (abbreviated) season in 1975, including around 20 of the leftover players.

MVP Profile: Tommy Reamon, 1974

Running Back, Florida Blazers



Age: 22
1st season in pro football
College: Missouri
Height: 5’9” Weight: 191

Prelude:
Chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 9th round of the 1974 NFL draft, Reamon instead signed with the WFL’s Virginia Ambassadors, who became the Florida Blazers by the time the season started. The youngest player on the team, he nevertheless became the feature back.

1974 Season Summary
Appeared in all 20 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 386 [1]
Most attempts, game - 35 (for 189 yds.) at Charlotte 10/23
Yards – 1576 [1]
Most yards, game – 189 yards (on 35 carries) at Charlotte 10/23
Average gain – 4.1 [13]
TDs – 11 [3, tied with J.J. Jennings & Bubba Wyche]

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 38
Yards – 336
Average gain – 8.8
TDs – 3

Passing
Pass attempts – 4
Pass completions – 3
Passing yards – 152
TD passes – 2
Interceptions – 0

Kickoff Returns
Returns – 6
Yards – 168
Average per return – 28.0
TDs – 0
Longest return – 42 yards

Punt Returns
Returns – 1
Yards – 0
Average per return – 0.0
TDs – 0

Scoring
TDs – 14 [5]
Action Points – 3 [9, tied with twelve others]
Points – 101 [5]
(Note: Touchdowns counted for 7 points in the WFL)

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 55
Most rushing attempts, game - 25 at Memphis, Second Round playoff
Rushing yards – 238
Most rushing yards, game - 125 at Memphis, Second Round playoff
Average gain rushing – 4.3
Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 2
Most pass receptions, game - 1 vs. Philadelphia, First Round playoff, at Birmingham, World Bowl
Pass receiving yards - 52
Most pass receiving yards, game - 39 at Birmingham, World Bowl
Average yards per reception – 26.0
Pass Receiving TDs - 1

Awards & Honors:
WFL MVP: League (co-winner)
1st team All-WFL: League, Sporting News

Blazers went 14-6 to finish first in the WFL Eastern Division, despite deep financial problems that led to the players often not receiving paychecks. Won First Round playoff over Philadelphia Bell (18-3) and Second Round playoff over Memphis Southmen (18-15). Lost World Bowl to Birmingham Americans (22-21).

Aftermath:
The Blazers disbanded following the ’74 season and Reamon played for the WFL’s Jacksonville Express in 1975 but was injured by the time the league folded in October – he ended up with just 278 yards rushing and 16 pass receptions. Reamon signed with the Steelers in ’76 and played in the preseason, but was dealt to the Kansas City Chiefs and gained 314 yards rushing and caught 10 passes while also returning kickoffs. After failing to make the Chicago Bears in ’77, where he had been reunited with ex-Blazers Head Coach Jack Pardee, Reamon moved on to the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. He failed to catch on with the NFL Redskins in 1978 and his pro football career ended. Afterward, he appeared in the movie “North Dallas Forty” and did some television acting before moving into high school and college football coaching.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/13/14]

1974: Birmingham Defeats Florida for WFL Championship

The World Football League (WFL) came into being with grand pretensions. Founded by Gary Davidson, who had been involved with the American Basketball Association (ABA) and World Hockey Association (WHA), the plan was to create a world-wide league that would spread American football to other continents. As it was, the WFL took the field in 1974 with 12 US-based teams split into three divisions (the one Canadian franchise, in Toronto, shifted to Memphis before ever taking the field).

There were a number of rules changes that differentiated the WFL from the NFL (although the older league picked up a few of them, such as overtime in case of ties and moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone). Most notably, touchdowns were worth 7 points, and were followed by the “action point” – either a running or pass play, but no placekicking, and worth one point.

By the time the 20-game regular season came to an end, two teams had folded and two others had transferred to other cities. Large initial crowds turned out to have been padded by the handing out of free tickets, and ultimately most of the teams became mired in red ink. The playoffs were expanded from four to six to, finally, eight teams (80 % of the surviving teams in the end) with the Philadelphia Bell and the Hawaiians making it into the postseason with 9-11 records.

When the dust cleared after two rounds of playoffs, the Florida Blazers, who had placed first in the Eastern Division with a 14-6 record, faced the Birmingham Americans, the second place team in the Central Division at 15-5, for the league championship in what was called the World Bowl (or, more optimistically, World Bowl I) on December 5, 1974 at Birmingham’s Legion Field. Attendance was 32,376 for the location that had received the most fan support during the year in the WFL.

The Blazers, coached by Jack Pardee, had missed 15 payrolls and the players nearly boycotted the game. It appeared that they would fall easy prey to the Americans, who led 15-0 at the half and 22-0 after three quarters. Veteran QB George Mira directed the offense to three touchdowns – first, a one-yard run by RB Joe Profit; then a four-yard run by RB Art Cantrelle; and finally, a 26-yard TD pass from Mira to TE Bob Brown. Backup QB Matthew Reed ran for an action point after the second score, the only one that was successfully converted during the game, which proved to be crucial in the end. An apparent first quarter TD plunge by Panthers RB Tommy Reamon, in which it appeared that he had broken the plane before losing his grip on the ball, was ruled a fumble and, with the ball passing through the end zone, a touchback.

Florida came to life in the fourth quarter. QB Bob Davis threw touchdown passes of 39 yards to Reamon and 40 yards to TE Greg Latta. With 4:14 left in the game, Rod Foster returned a punt 76 yards for a TD in spectacular fashion to bring the Blazers to within a point. However, the Americans stopped Reamon on the ensuing action point attempt and held on to win, 22-21.

Fights broke out as the Americans ran out the clock. Florida CB Billy Hayes grabbed the game ball after the last play and ran for the locker room with Birmingham players in pursuit, ending in a shoving match under the end zone stands.

Mira (pictured) was the game’s MVP, more for his outstanding direction of the offense than his passing statistics, which came to five completions in 14 attempts for 90 yards with a TD and no interceptions. The team ran for a total of 211 yards, spread among four backs and Mira, who gained 27 yards on four carries. Joe Profit led the group with 58 yards on 21 attempts. TE Brown was the top receiver with three catches for 55 yards and a score.

Bob Davis ended up completing 8 of 21 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tommy Reamon, who led the league in rushing during the regular season, was also the top ground gainer in this game, carrying 13 times for 83 yards. WR Hubie Bryant was the team’s top receiver with 3 catches for 50 yards.

There were the usual celebratory comments after the game. Said Mira, “I’ve waited eleven years to be a starter on a championship team”. And Birmingham’s Head Coach Jack Gotta added, “I don’t know what happens tomorrow, but tonight is the greatest night of my life.”

Afterward, sheriff’s deputies took possession of the Americans’ uniforms, which were sold at a local sporting goods store.

The WFL made it back to the field for another season in 1975, but failed to complete the schedule; there was no World Bowl II. But the name “World Bowl” returned in the 1990s when the NFL’s developmental league, the World League of American Football, adopted the same name for its annual championship game.