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The World Football League
struggled in its first year of existence and was at the
point of financial collapse at the end of the regular
season. It was decided, however to hold a playoff to
determine the champion to be crowned in the World Bowl.
Several playoff formats
were suggested and it was finally decided that there
would be a three team playoff with Birmingham (Central
Division runner-up), Florida (Eastern Division Champion)
and Memphis (Central Division Champion). This left
Western Division Champion, Southern California,
completely out in the cold. It was than decided to
revamp the playoffs to include all the division
champions and all the second place teams. Therefore, the
playoff teams would include Florida, Memphis, Southern
California, Charlotte, Birmingham and the Hawaiians. For
financial reasons, Charlotte was not able to enter the
playoffs and was replaced by Philadelphia, third place
finisher in the East.
Quarterfinals
The Hawaiians 32, The
Southern California Sun 14
 ANAHEIM
(UPI)- Randy Johnson passed for two touchdowns and Al
Davis scored two more Thursday night to propel The
Hawaiians to a 32-14 upset victory over the Western
Division champion Southern California Sun in the opening
round of the World Football League playoffs.
The Hawaiians, who were only 9-11 during the regular
season, qualified to play at Birmingham, next Wednesday
night in the World Bowl semifinals.
Johnson, an NFL veteran who was released by the New
York Giants in September, passed five yards to John
Kelsey for a second quarter touchdown and eight yards to
John Isenbarger for a score in the final period.
Davis scored the Hawaiians' first touchdown on a
three-yard run in the opening period and went in from
two yards out for a TD in the third period. Davis'
second touchdown and a subsequent action point put the
Hawaiians in front 25-14 after the Sun fought back from
a 17-0 deficit to close to 17-14.
The Sun had to play without running back Kermit
Johnson and offensive tackle Booker Brown, the team's
second and third draft choices. The pair mysteriously
failed to show up for the, game and a Sun spokesman said
they had been temporarily suspended until the details of
their absence could be determined.
They signed as a package deal with the Sun along with
running back, James McAlister, who missed the game
because of injuries. Johnson and McAlister were stars at
UCLA last season while Brown was a top lineman for the
University of Southern California
After Isenbarger caught Johnson's second TD pass, a
fight broke out between the Hawaiians' receiver and Sun
defensive back Jim Bowman. The fight led to a brief
free-for-all among Hawaiian and Sun players. Bowman was
kicked out of the game.
The Hawaiians took a 17-0 lead after Johnson's
scoring pass to Kelsey 5:47 into the second quarter. It
came after a 23-yard field goal by R.A. Coppedge with
2:53 gone in the period.
After a 37-yard field goal by the Sun's Rod Garcia,
Southern California got back into the game on a 46:yard
TD bomb with nine seconds left in the first half from
Tony Adams to Keith Denson.
Adams, the WFL’s No.1 passer during the regular
season, was injured early in the final quarter and was
replaced by Gary Valbuena.
Florida Blazers 18,
Philadelphia Bell 3
 ORLANDO,
Fla. (AP) - Florida Blazer Coach' Jack Pardee had one
word for his team’s 18-3 Thursday night World Football
League playoff victory over the Philadelphia Bell-
defense.
"It was the defense that opened it up with the big
turnovers, Pardee said, “and that's what it takes to
win."
The Blazer defense, the toughest in the WFL, scored
one touchdown and prevented another in advancing Florida
to a semifinal playoff against Memphis next week in
Tennessee.
Safety Rickie Harris scored with less than two
minutes gone. in the first quarter when he scooped up a
fumble by Bell running back Claude Watts and scampered
32 yards down the sidelines for the TD.
"I thought at first it was a dead ball," said Harris,
a nine-year veteran of the National Football League. “I
was waiting for the whistle all the way.”
Philadelphia Coach Ron Waller, who watched the play
from only a few yards away said there was no question in
his mind that the ball was dead. "It was a late
whistle,” Waller complained. "The TD shouldn't have
counted. I think the call was ridiculous."
The Blazer defense starred again late in the third
quarter on a goal line stand that had the sparse crowd
of 9,712 hardcore Florida fans yelling so loud that it
took Bell quarterback King Corcoran four tries to get
off an audible snap.
The Bell was handed a first and goal from the two as
the result of a pass interference call against Blazer
cornerback Billie Hayes, but was unable to score.
Defensive end John Ricca, who recovered another Watts
fumble earlier in the quarter, threw Corcoran for an
11-yard loss and the Bell was penalized another 10 yards
for holding.
Bell kicker Jerry Warren ended the series with a
35-yard field goal, but the score was nullified by
another penalty.
Warren gave Philadelphia its only points in the
second 37-yard field goal, but missed on a 27-yard try
in the opening period.
Florida's second touchdown came on a 54-yard pass
from quarterback Bob Davis to tight end Greg Latta, and
kicker Dave Strock added a 24-yard field goal in the
fourth period after missing on boots of 47, 45 and 37
yards.
The Blazer secondary, which ranks second in the
league, also intercepted Corcoran twice and held the
WFL's No. 2 passer to 127 yards on 11 of 32 pass
attempts
Blazer' players, six of whom had threatened to
boycott the .game because they hadn't been paid in 12
weeks, had their spirits lifted shortly before the
kickoff when the head of a new group of investor's in
the franchise delivered a check for $1.5 million to
cover outstanding debts.
Bob Prentice, an investment specialist from Cape
Canaveral, Fla. said the check represented a down
payment for the sale of the club, but refused to
disclose the total purchase price.
Semifinals
Birmingham Americans 22,
The Hawaiians 19
By JIMMY SMOTHERS
Gadsden (AL) Times Sports
Editor
BIRMINGHAM- The Americans
earned a spot in next week's World Bowl with a 22-19
victory over the Hawaiians Wednesday night at
Legion Field.
Despite the third smallest
crowd of the season (15,379) and near freeing 35 degree
weather at kickoff, the Ams turned in their best
offensive showing of the season in the WFL semifinal
playoff game.
"I thought our overall
enthusiasm was great." said coach Jack Gotta. "All the
problems we've had seem to be forgotten when we're
practicing or playing. This is the best Thanksgiving
I've ever had."
Running back Joe Profit
broke the team's one game individual rushing mark with
147 yards, almost half of the team's 308 yards rushing,
which was also a single game high for the year.
Profit's total, more than
double that of the Hawaiians came on 20 carries, which
was only one short of the team record of 21 carries.
Previous records had been
130 yards by Jimmy Edwards against Hawaii back in August
and 21 carries by Paul Robinson vs. Southern Cal back in
September. Previous team high overland was 299 yards
against Philadelphia on Nov. 6.
"Our defense was also just
super." said Coach Gotta. "We played so well all night
with the exception of about one minute. Our defense gave
us some wonderful opportunities that we didn't take
advantage of three in the first half. I was disappointed
in that. We should have scored some more points."
Last night's win was the
12th of the season for the Americans at home, giving
them a 16-5 overall record. Only game remaining in the
initial season of World Football League play will be the
Dec. 5 World Bowl against the winner of tonight's other
semifinal game between Memphis and Orlando. With a win
tonight, the favored Southmen will host next week's
game. And they are the league's only other team which
has not been beaten at home. If the Blazers win, then
Birmingham will host the title game.
"Our goal all along has
been to be in the World Bowl and now we're just one step
away from it." said Gotta, predicting a great ballgame
regardless of which team wins tonight.
"I still have great faith
in Birmingham and I think it’s a
great football city." the
coach continued. "We've got a hard core of fans that
have been fantastic."
Last night's win was more
than the one man rushing efforts of Profit. Reserve
quarterback Matthew Reed sparked a two touchdown second
half that controlled the football and erased a 7-11
deficit of the early third quarter.
A brilliant 27-yard punt
return to the 26 by Alfred Jenkins led to a touchdown
midway of the initial quarter. But the team could not
get in the end zone again that half, although one
touchdown was nullified on a penalty and the ball was on
the four yard line when time ran out.
The Americans' defense,
headed by the 10 tackles and 14-yard sack of linebacker
Warren Capone, had limited the Hawaiians to only 37
yards rushing and 30-yard field goal by R. A. Coppedge
with 4 50 left in the half. He'd gotten close enough for
the attempt on a 66-yard bomb- Randy Johnson to John
Isenbarger- at the 14. But three plays netted only one
yard against the tough Americans defense.
Hawaii moved in front with
the second half kick. But again it needed the help. This
time it came in the form of a pass interference call on
a play in which Gerald Williams intercepted the ball.
But the officials gave it back to the visitors at the
Birmingham seven, first and goal. The score came three
plays later as Johnson dived in from the one.
Reed got the call after an
exchange of punts and on third down pitched to Jenkins
32 yards downfield in the end zone, then tossed to Ted
Powell for the action point. Birmingham was in control
for good at 15-11.
Hawaii punted on the
opening play of the fourth quarter and Reed, Profit and
company used up 7:26 in driving 94 yards in 19 plays for
a touchdown. Reed got the points on a three yard run
around right end. But, he was dropped trying to go
around the left side
for the point after
Hawaii was allowed only
six plays during the final quarter. That was what was
needed to score after a 35-yard kickoff return. The TD
came on a 17-yard pass, Johnson to Vin Clements. Norris
Weese passed for the point.
Four and a half minutes
were left when Birmingham
put the ball back into play
and 11 plays- to the Hawaii 21- ate that up. Charlie
Harroway and Paul Robinson, who had 63 and 60 yards
rushing in the game, did more of the running in the last
series. Harroway had also scored the team's initial
touchdown on a two yard run following Jenkins' brilliant
punt return in the first quarter. The second half saw
Birmingham run 40 plays to only 18 by the island
visitors. Net yardage for the game was 427 to but 200.
“We had such a good week
of practice that I
wasn't worried about
losing our momentum. I really thought we were the best
football team." Gotta said after it was over. But he
also pointed out that Hawaii was well prepared and
played that way "Like I said, it was just a super effort
on all our people."
Florida Blazers vs.
Memphis Southmen
MEMPHIS (UPI) - The broke Florida Blazers made good
on the promise of their coach, defeating the Memphis
Southmen Friday night and earning the right to meet
Birmingham in the World Football League's first World
Bowl.
The WFL championship game will be played in
Birmingham Thursday night.
"We're going to take it out on Memphis," Coach Jack
Pardee said earlier in the week after a deal fell
through that was supposed to give his players their
first pay checks since the middle of September.
With 3:06 left to play in the nationally televised
game before 9,692 chilled fans in Memphis Memorial
Stadium, Pardee's promise looked as wet as the field
soaked by a driving rain in the second half.
The Southmen, champs of the WFL regular season, led
15-11 and had just forced a Florida punt, sacking
reserve quarterback Buddy Palazzo deep in his own
territory.
But David Thomas dropped Dave Strock's punt and
Luther Palmer recovered for Florida at the Memphis 22.
Four plays later, rookie running back Richard James from
Cincinnati ran four yards on a sweep around right end
for the touchdown that set the final score at 18-15 with
1:13 remaining.
The Blazers' heroics were not yet over, however, as
the Southmen drove downfield and Bob Etter tried a
40-yard field goal with time expiring. Louis Ross
blocked the kick and the league's Eastern Division
winners were World Bowl bound.
"Everybody knows a football game is not won or lost
by one play," Memphis Coach John McVay said of the
fumble, "It takes 60 minutes."
For 30 minutes Friday night the Southmen dominated.
They scored twice in the first 10 minutes- first on a
one-yard run by J.J. Jennings and again on a 45-yard
pass from John Huarte to Ed Marshall- and missed another
score in the second period when Miller Farr intercepted
Huarte's pass in the end zone.
During the first two quarters, Memphis gained 232
yards and held Florida to 91. Huarte completed 9-of-13
passes for 129 yards and Jennings gained 84 yards on 13
carries.
For the next 30 minutes, Florida controlled the game.
The Blazers gained 180 yards
by holding the Southmen to 88. Tommy Reamon, the
league's leading regular season rusher, had 51 yards in
the first half, but pushed his total to 126 yards and 25
carries by the end of the game.
Palazzo, who replaced an injured Bob Davis late in
the second half, completed 3-of-6
passes for 47 yards.
Florida scored on a 25-yard field goal by Strock to
end its first second half drive and added its first
touchdown later in the period on a 21-yard burst up the
middle by Reamon.
“We were mad and hungry," Pardee said. "We played
that way."
World Bowl
Birmingham American
22, Florida Blazers 21
Cartoon by Jack Barrett, St.
Petersburg Times
Sport Illustrated
World Bowl In Crisis
Joe Marshall
 The
battered WFL made it to the end of a long, disheartening
season when the Americans' stirring 22-21 win over the
Blazers took everybody's mind off the league's fiscal
problems- for the moment, anyway
This one was not for all the money. In fact, it was
for very little money. World Bowl I was brought to you
live last week from Birmingham, Ala., courtesy of the
Internal Revenue Service. The IRS, it seems, had decided
that a piece of the pie was better than no pie at all,
so it allowed the hometown Americans, who had owed the
Federal Government as much as $237,000 in back taxes, to
play the game at Birmingham's Legion Field in return for
a share of the gate. The Americans seized the
opportunity to score a thrilling 22-21 win over the
Florida Blazers. For their efforts they were rewarded
with the World Bowl trophy, championship rings they had
extorted from their owner and a 60% share of whatever is
left of the gate after the IRS and several other
creditors pick it over.
Sizing up the two teams before the World Bowl, it was
hard to think in terms of their on-field success. After
all, no player on either squad had received a regular
paycheck for weeks, although Florida perhaps had an edge
in experience here since it had gone without money twice
as long as Birmingham. Both teams had discussed possible
franchise shifts. Both were looking for new financing.
Both had popular coaches, Birmingham's Jack Gotta and
Florida's Jack Pardee, who had dipped into their own
pockets to give to the company store. Gotta had bought
his team a pregame meal. Pardee and his assistants took
turns supplying toilet paper for their clubhouse.
Clearly, the game was a toss-up.
Florida had become the sentimental favorite because
of its greater deprivation. Pardee, who may very well be
a head coach in the NFL next season, should be named the
coach of all time for keeping the Blazers within sight
of a championship or, for that matter, for keeping them
within sight. The Florida ownership last paid its
players and coaches on Sept. 6, and some of those checks
bounced. Rumors were continually circulating about
franchise moves and the possibility of fresh supplies of
money. The managing general partner sued the owner. The
owner sued the managing general partner.
Matters came to a head during the playoffs, when it
was announced that the often-postponed sale of the team
to a group headed by businessman Robert Prentice finally
had been consummated. The players were even given a peek
at a $1.5-million check that supposedly would solve all
their financial woes. Shortly thereafter news came that
the sale had been delayed again. It became public
knowledge that the purchasing group's spokesman, Coleman
Taylor, was a convicted felon, recently paroled after
serving almost a year on charges of transporting a
stolen car across a state line. A few days before their
semifinal game against the Memphis Southmen, one of the
few solidly financed teams in the WFL and the hot
favorite to win the World Bowl, the Blazer players had
to accept the reality that they were not going to be
paid then, and probably never.
"The players have been dumped on by the league and by
the Blazer ownership," said Quarterback Bob Davis.
"We're mad now." Linebacker Larry Ely said, "We want to
win the World Bowl and take the World Bowl trophy and
shove it back at the WFL." In the playoff Memphis took a
quick 15-0 lead and held it through the half, but
Florida persisted and eventually won 18-15 to go on to
Birmingham.
The World Bowl was originally scheduled to take place
the Friday after Thanksgiving as the culmination of a
four-team tournament. For a brief time the field grew to
six teams, then to eight, which was highly democratic
since it appeared that only nine franchises were going
to be playing at the end of the season. Then, amid cries
to abolish the playoffs altogether and declare Memphis
the champion, the format was reduced to three teams-
Eastern Division winner Florida, Central Division winner
Memphis and Central Division runner-up Birmingham. This
was not greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm by Western
Division champion Southern California. There was another
recasting to include the Sun and the other second-place
clubs, Hawaii in the West and Charlotte in the East,
only somehow Philadelphia, which finished third in the
East, qualified instead of Charlotte. It was suggested
that the playoff teams had been chosen by placing
collect calls to all the clubs and admitting those that
accepted them.
 Philadelphia
lost in the first round to Florida. Three of Southern
California's best players, Kermit Johnson, James
McAlister and Booker Brown, neglected to show for the
Sun's game with the Hawaiians, claiming that missed
payroll dates had voided their contracts. The Sun lost
32-14. The Hawaiians then lost to the Americans, Florida
upset Memphis, and so the World Bowl game came to
Birmingham. Three days before the game, the Birmingham
players announced that they would not play and walked
out of practice, demanding five weeks of unpaid wages. A
day later they relented and went back to work when
Birmingham Owner Bill Putnam promised them they would
receive championship rings if they won.
The way the game started, Putnam did not seem in any
danger of having to visit a jeweler. Florida took the
opening kickoff and marched 51 yards to the Birmingham
five. Tommy Reamon, the marvelously elusive runner who
is the league's leading rusher, swept right and dived
over a pack of bodies into the end zone. At some point
he fumbled the ball. It appeared that he had it until he
hit the ground, which meant a touchdown, but the
officials ruled that he had lost control before crossing
the goal line. The play was ruled a touchback and
Birmingham took over at its 20. That seemed to take all
the starch out of Florida. Commenting on the play later,
Blazer Linebacker Billy Hobbs said, "The WFL officiating
is even worse than not getting paid."
Birmingham scored twice in the second quarter and
again at the start of the second half for a 22-0 lead (video).
After the second touchdown Gotta replaced starting
Quarterback George Mira with his alternate, 6'4",
225-pound Matthew Reed, for the WFL's action point after
touchdown. A touchdown is worth seven points; the action
point, which cannot be kicked, is worth one. Reed rolled
right and ran straight at Defensive Back Miller Farr,
who was waiting at the goal line. Farr had a better
chance of receiving a paycheck than he had of stopping
Reed, who plowed through him for the point, a vitally
important one, as it turned out.
The score remained 22-0 until the start of the fourth
quarter. If the Blazers had accepted their fate, had
quickly run out the last 15 minutes of a three-month
nightmare and had gone off in search of gainful
employment, who could have blamed them? But on the
opening play of the final quarter, Davis, running from a
blitzing linebacker, lobbed a ball down the right
sideline to Reamon who scampered to the end zone to
complete a 39-yard play. Davis tried to throw to Wide
Receiver Matt Maslowski for the action point but the
pass was batted down.
Then, midway through the quarter the Blazers moved 73
yards to a second touchdown, Davis picking up the last
40 on a play-action pass to Tight End Greg Latta. This
time Florida tried an option to the left on the action
point, but Middle Linebacker Warren Capone stopped
Running Back Cliff McClain short of the goal line,
leaving the Blazers a touchdown and a point behind.
With 4 ½ minutes left the Blazers forced the
Americans to punt. Rod Foster, who played his collegiate
football at Harvard, fielded the ball at the Florida 24,
ran immediately into a gaggle of tacklers, spun
completely around and somehow slipped away to sprint 76
yards for the score. Now one point behind, the Blazers
went to their strength for the action point, sending
Reamon on a simple sweep to the right. Again Capone,
with help from Randy Lee and Larry Estes, made the stop.
Still, 4:14 remained. Pardee elected to try a
semi-onside kick, past the first line of defenders but
short of the second. It failed, and Birmingham took over
at the Florida 48.
The crowd was down on Mira now, even though he would
be named World Bowl MVP, and was yelling for big Reed.
Gotta put him in. At the two-minute warning the
Americans faced a third and nine at the Florida 37. Reed
faded to pass and was about to be sacked when he broke
free up the middle. Several Blazers had a shot at him
but, as on the action point, he proved too strong and
dragged tacklers to the 25 for a first down. That was
the coup de grace. The Americans played out the clock to
win their 13th game without a loss at Legion Field.
 Out
of frustration, the Blazers ended the game with a fight
on almost every one of the last few plays. And after the
gun sounded Florida Cornerback Billy Hayes raced toward
the Blazer dressing room under the end-zone stands with
the game ball. Birmingham Tackle Paul Costa chased him,
and several players from both teams chased the two of
them. A shoving match started underneath the stands.
Here were all these players who hadn't been paid in
weeks fighting over a football. The Blazers got it into
their dressing room to finish the skirmish.
No matter. The Americans secured another and,
speaking for the whole team, Linebacker Ross Brupbacher
said, "The game ball goes to the city of Birmingham. I
hope they bring us back here next year to play with it."
Next year, of course, there will have to be a great
deal more money available if the WFL is to be in
Birmingham or any other city. On the day before the
World Bowl, Oakland Quarterback Kenny Stabler, who last
spring signed to play with the Americans beginning in
1976, filed suit to void the contract because Birmingham
had failed to make $30,000 in bonus payments on
schedule. The day after the game, sheriff's deputies
confiscated Birmingham's uniforms on behalf of a
creditor, and there were plans afoot to confiscate the
Americans' office furniture, too.
That was typical of the situation in most league
cities. After a successful first part of the season the
teams ran out of money and credibility. Houston moved to
Shreveport. New York moved to Charlotte. Detroit listed
122 debts in filing for bankruptcy. Not one of the five
teams that came to Shreveport to play was able to pay
its hotel bill. Jacksonville went out of business, and
some of its players were talking of filing
fraud-and-deceit suits against the team's former owner
and the WFL. The IRS filed a lien against the Sharks'
holdings and those of the Portland Storm. Alan R.
Miller, executive director of the WFL Players
Association, estimated that something between $4 million
and $7 million in compensation was still owed by the
various franchises to their players. The figure of $20
million in total debt around the league seemed
reasonable.
The WFL was supposed to present a $10,000 purse to
the league MVP at half-time of the World Bowl. Three
rookie pros- Reamon, Running Back J. J. Jennings of
Memphis and Quarterback Tony Adams of Southern
California- tied for the award, and got $3,333.33 each.
Some said the winners would have a choice of taking a
WFL check in that amount or a WFL franchise. To spare
itself the ridicule that checks would inspire the league
got the cash and arranged for armed Wells Fargo guards
to bring the money to the field.
Toward the end of the season only three teams,
Memphis, Philadelphia and Hawaii, were able to meet
their payrolls, and their owners, John Bassett, John
Bosacco and Sam Battistone, were considered the only men
in the league capable of fielding teams in 1975. "At
this point the league has no credibility," said Bassett.
As if to confirm that, Eddie Einhorn, the president of
TVS, which televises WFL games, reported that he had
been unable to sell a single additional minute of
advertising time after the league started having its
troubles.
In the pursuit of credibility, the more substantial
owners took over control of the league from its founder
and first commissioner, Gary Davidson, who resigned in
November. The new WFL president, Chris Hemmeter, a part
owner of the Hawaiians who will divest himself of that
interest in January, has come up with a revolutionary
plan to put the league on solid financial footing.
Hemmeter says he thought of his plan while in the
shower. At least he wasn't taking a bath.
Hemmeter suggests that future WFL owners invest
enough money initially to ensure their team's survival
through five years of minimal support. He suggests that
travel costs, officiating costs and stadium rentals be
paid in advance. Most radically, he proposes that a
player be signed for a percentage of the team's income;
if an owner wants to give a player an amount beyond that
percentage, the money must be put in escrow. To
guarantee that all teams are complying with these rules,
their books will be reviewed by a league comptroller
every two weeks.
"The only thing that's going to cure the World
Football League is dollars," says Hemmeter. "Equity
dollars, not debt dollars. We can't solve our problems
by borrowing. Our first step is to provide the proper
environment for investment. Right now the credibility of
the league stinks, but under this plan we have a
credible business deal." Because there are only three
stable franchises at the moment, Hemmeter will merely
ask interested owners to put money in escrow for their
purchases until there are enough solid investors to
reestablish the league.
The critical period is the next 90 days. It is a long
shot. If the league cannot find investors, World Bowl I
will be the one World Bowl.
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