Donald Trump was a Football Fuckup
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I guess it is OK with some of you if you want to vote for the freak show that is Donald Trump......but sticking with the forum subject (as I don't really want to get into his politics): football, this guy was a complete fuckup.
Remember that he basically came in and took over the USFL, which was actually on its road to success until the league starting following his lead on things.
"His way" was to lead the league to compete with the NFL in the courtroom rather than on the field or on the TV screens.
Recall that the USFL began play in 1983 and played in 1984 and 1985. Also recall that when it played its game were shown on this fledgling sports network called ESPN.
For its 3 seasons of existance the USFL played in the spring and summer. It had voted however to begin play in the fall for the 1986 season, but Trump wanted the league to sue the NFL if it was going to do that. And it did.....and won a pyrrhic victory, winning all of 3 dollars.
IF that league had stayed in existance....and IF it had followed the AFL pattern and only put teams in non-NFL markets or huge markets and begun play in the fall, you could have a very viable 10 team league made of existing teams like:
Arizona Wranglers
Jacksonville Bulls
Memphis Showboats
San Antonio Gunslingers
Portland Breakers
Birmingham Stallions
Oklahoma Outlaws
Orlando Renegades
LA Express
New Jersey Generals
and maybe the Oakland Invaders (since the Raiders were then playing in LA)
Baltimore Stars (played there when Colts left)
So, instead of playing it out with its ESPN contract, playing in mostly non NFL cities, Trump, who owned the NJ Generals...who were perhaps its most popular team, insisted on the anti-trust lawsuit route...and failed.
If it had not failed, I believe there would have been a merger of the two leagues within just a few years.
And what would have happened? All those franchise movements would not have occurred. The Cards would never have run to AZ, (thus meaning the Rams could not have run to St. Louis) the Oilers would not have run to Tenn. as a team would have been in Tenn. (unless he wanted to go to Nashville anyway). Baltimore would have been given an expansion team because Jax would have had a team.
A whole host of franchise moves...including the attempt to move the Browns, may not have been made.
But, no.....we have Donald Trump and his ego to blame for a lot of those issues that subsequently occurred. Hell, he probably would today be the owner of a very successful NFL franchise had he been smarter.
(and I do worry about him making moves like this that are just done to support his ego rather than done for the greater good. He blew the "greater good" with football. Could he be expected to not blow it when bigger things are at steak?
Yes, I put this on the football board as this is a football subject.....and since there are also major moves about again moving current teams to LA.....when either the Rams or Raiders perhaps shoulda/woulda/coulda stayed there if not for Trump.
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I remember when that league crashed and burned......actually worked out pretty well for the Brownies....
If memory serves me, there was a supplemental draft and we got Minnefield, Mike Johnson, Kevin Mack and the Cube all in one fell swoop......1 year later, we tapped Bernie in the Supplemental draft too.....
All grrreat scores!
Thanks Donald
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Great 30 for 30 that you can watch on Netflix, "who killed the USFL" basically blames Trump for the league failing. Great old footage of the games.
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So we have Trump to thank for the Browns taking off to Blt? Is that verifiable?
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So we have Trump to thank for the Browns taking off to Blt? Is that verifiable?
So we have Trump to thank for the Browns taking off to Blt? Is that verifiable?
Indirectly perhaps.
The Colts left Baltimore I think in 1984. That year also, the Philadelphia Stars moved to Baltimore. They won the USFL championship.
Had the USFL hung on and eventually merged with the NFL, the Baltimore Stars would have clearly been one of the favorites among USFL teams to merge into the NFL.....and obvously that market would not have been open 10 years later.
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So we have Trump to thank for the Browns taking off to Blt? Is that verifiable?
Indirectly perhaps.
The Colts left Baltimore I think in 1984. That year also, the Philadelphia Stars moved to Baltimore. They won the USFL championship.
Had the USFL hung on and eventually merged with the NFL, the Baltimore Stars would have clearly been one of the favorites among USFL teams to merge into the NFL.....and obvously that market would not have been open 10 years later.
Indirectly perhaps.
The Colts left Baltimore I think in 1984. That year also, the Philadelphia Stars moved to Baltimore. They won the USFL championship.
Had the USFL hung on and eventually merged with the NFL, the Baltimore Stars would have clearly been one of the favorites among USFL teams to merge into the NFL.....and obvously that market would not have been open 10 years later.
Bullshit.
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Indirectly perhaps.
The Colts left Baltimore I think in 1984. That year also, the Philadelphia Stars moved to Baltimore. They won the USFL championship.
Had the USFL hung on and eventually merged with the NFL, the Baltimore Stars would have clearly been one of the favorites among USFL teams to merge into the NFL.....and obvously that market would not have been open 10 years later.
Bullshit.
Bullshit.
It is a stretch, sure.....but honestly, you have no capability of making a counterargument.
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Bullshit.
It is a stretch, sure.....but honestly, you have no capability of making a counterargument.
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It is a stretch..
Yes, it is.....
Yes, it is.....
I don't think it a far stretch to say: USFL merges with NFL>>>>>>Baltimore Stars become member of NFL>>>>>>no attempt to move Browns to Baltimore, obviously.
But>>>>> Incompetent Art Modell would have simply picked some other city that may have tried to induce him to play there.
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