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===The 1983–1984 off-season=== * In September 1983, the New Jersey Generals were sold by [[J. Walter Duncan]] to real-estate magnate [[Donald Trump]]. The year before, Trump had been tapped to be the original owner of the franchise, but had backed out in order to make an unsuccessful bid to buy the NFL's [[Indianapolis Colts|Baltimore Colts]]; the league subsequently awarded the franchise to Duncan instead. * The [[Boston Breakers (USFL)|Boston Breakers]] were unable to find a more suitable venue within Boston and its surrounding areas, so the Breakers relocated to New Orleans on October 18, 1983,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19831019&id=P6ofAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fNYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3235,3514636&hl=en|title=Gadsden Times|via=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=March 25, 2016|archive-date=May 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507224607/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19831019&id=P6ofAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fNYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3235,3514636&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> and later sold to [[New Orleans]] businessman [[Joseph C. Canizaro|Joseph Canizaro]]. * Seeing the out-of-control spending worsening, Blanding sold his Denver Gold to Doug Spedding for $10 million. Blanding is widely thought to be the only owner to make a profit on the USFL. * Needing fresh capital, the league chose to expand league membership from 12 to 18 teams, adding the [[Pittsburgh Maulers (1984)|Pittsburgh Maulers]], [[Houston Gamblers]], [[San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL team)|San Antonio Gunslingers]], [[Memphis Showboats]], [[Oklahoma Outlaws]] and [[Jacksonville Bulls]]. The Dixon plan called for expansion to 16 in the league's second year. The Outlaws were originally slated to play in San Diego, but as was the case with what became the Express, could not get a lease for Jack Murphy Stadium. The Outlaws opened play in Tulsa at [[Skelly Stadium]]. The Gamblers were technically not an expansion team. Founder David Dixon had reserved a franchise for himself in founding the league. He had chosen not to field a team in 1983 to help guide the league. By 1984, Dixon was disgusted with the path the league was on and the league owners were sick of Dixon's constant complaints about them overspending.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dixon disgusted|url=http://www.usfl.info/dixon.html|publisher=USFL|access-date=1 February 2017|archive-date=October 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005014215/http://www.usfl.info/dixon.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=League owners sick of complaints|url=http://www.usfl.info/1984.html|publisher=USFL|access-date=1 February 2017|archive-date=February 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225183706/http://www.usfl.info/1984.html|url-status=live}}</ref> With their blessing, he sold his franchise for slightly less than the $6 million expansion fee. Dixon's franchise became the Houston Gamblers. * After seeing the Wranglers lose ten games in a row to finish 4–14 (tied with Washington for the league's worst record) and perhaps more importantly seeing attendance wilt in the summer heat at [[Sun Devil Stadium]], Joseph decided to sell the Wranglers. Meanwhile, in spite of having the league's highest profile coach, [[George Allen (American football coach)|George Allen]], and being at worst the third best team in the league, the [[Chicago Blitz]] had drawn an anemic 18,133 per game, unable to contend with [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Chicago Cubs|Cubs]] and [[Chicago White Sox|White Sox]], the latter on their way to the postseason for the first time in 24 years. Blitz owner Dr. [[Ted Diethrich]], a Phoenix resident, felt the losses did not justify an investment so far from his home in Phoenix. Diethrich sold the Blitz to Milwaukee heart surgeon James Hoffman, and then bought the Wranglers from Joseph. Almost immediately after Diethrich closed on his purchase of the Wranglers, he and Hoffman swapped their team assets—coaching staff, most of the players, and all. To Blitz fans, it seemed that Hoffman had jettisoned one of the league's elite teams in favor of a team that tied for the league's worst record. In truth it was worse than that. In a league starved for competent QB play, Wrangler triggerman Alan Risher stayed in Arizona. The new Blitz would feature longtime Bear backup QB [[Vince Evans]] (signed in November 1983 to a four-year, $5 million deal). In January, The Blitz tendered an offer that would have been the largest contract in football—$2 million a year for three years—to Bears running back [[Walter Payton]]. Payton advised he would consider the offer, but would not be rushed by the Blitz. The Blitz's 1984 season was scheduled to start on February 27, 1984, and they had little success selling season tickets. The Blitz needed Payton to sign quickly to help season ticket sales, so they had put a deadline on the offer of February 9, 1984.<ref>{{cite news|title=Payton denies report|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/07/sports/sports-people-payton-denies-report.html|newspaper=NY Times|date=7 February 1984|access-date=2 February 2017|archive-date=March 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320170542/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/07/sports/sports-people-payton-denies-report.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Before he made up his mind, the Blitz withdrew the offer realizing they simply did not have the finances.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blitz withdrew offer|url=http://www.usfl.info/blitz/roster.html|publisher=USFL|access-date=1 February 2017|archive-date=8 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908074301/http://www.usfl.info/blitz/roster.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> With a less talented team and no big names to excite the fans, Chicago's season ticket sales predictably flatlined, in spite of Hoffman sinking a lot of money into advertising. Just prior to the start of the season, a frustrated Hoffman walked away from the Blitz, leaving the team to the minority owners. * In addition to Trump buying the Generals, the [[Los Angeles Express (USFL)|Los Angeles Express]] were sold to J. William Oldenburg. The league believed that the teams based in the nation's two largest markets were owned by the owners with the deepest pockets. Trump and Oldenburg both went on signing sprees. Trump poached several NFL starters, including Cleveland's QB [[Brian Sipe]]. Oldenburg's Express went after a number of highly regarded collegiate players. This combined with a general lack of quality QBs (only nine QBs in the 12-team league finished the 1983 season with QB ratings above 70) and HBs (even in an 18-game season only six rushers broke the 1000 yard mark) tipped off another explosion in league spending as USFL teams raided the NFL and college ranks to keep up.
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