USFL Fragments: '92 Transactions and Notes: The Return of the King

The end of the '91 season saw a liquidation of coaches, as Houston, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and San Antonio saw new hires among flagging performances and high drama. Houston and Pittsburgh proved notable as–for the first time in pro sports history–both coaches in the previous season's championship game were dumped or, in more urban parlance, "got got." Pressured by his investors, George Bush Jr. fired Mouse Davis (58-59-1, playoff record of 5-4) after a 4-9 start; offensive coordinator June Jones took over and went 2-3 the rest of the way; earning the job for '92 partly because of a cheap contract.

The defending champs heading into '91, Joe Haering (66-64-3, playoff record of 6-5) got the axe partly due to a 5-13 season but also due to an opportunity for Ed DeBartalo Sr. to stick it to the Rooneys, a one-time friendship now ugly. The Steelers planned on pursuing Cleveland Browns' 3-time Super Bowl champion defensive coordinator Bill Cowher after Chuck Noll's swan song '91, going so far as to guaranteeing him the job. The notoriously cheap Art Modell broke off talks in '90 over a request for new vending machines. A $1 million a year open-ended  contract, Dan Marino on offense, and a healthy snack vending machine in his office at the new facility in Monroeville aided in the jump. 

Stan Chera fired Walt Michaels (78-53-1, playoff record 7-5, '87 title) after a "too-slow" 2-4 start and demands from Kelly; interim chief Craig Morton–promoted to OC in '91 after a pretty good '90 as QB coach–would extend that losing streak another four games before recovering. Sitting at 3-10, the Generals would turn it around–Craig's laid back style proving endearing–and win four of their last five to make it to the playoffs on a 7-11 finish. Like Cowher, Chera tapped Bill Belichick out of a blood feud with the Miras. A defensive genius if also a drip, Bill was passed over for the Giants job after '90. Belichick's poor relationship with GM George Young and a low-ball offer from Art Modell contributed to a shift to Spring. Bill was in the Soviet Union teaching proper defensive techniques and strategy at State Order of Lenin Institute of Physical Education (SCLOPIE)--a fellowship he's held every off-season since '88–when Stan called with his offer.a

San Antonio seemed primed for the title–Pete Axthelm, Dr. Z, and Frank Deford had them coming out of the West in '91–but Marty Ball deflated again, though someone stuck a knife in this time. Sitting at 9-4, the Slingers would suddenly slide, losing three straight and falling out of the division hunt at 9-7. What seemed weird was Schottenheimer's nonchalance; he prattled on about the Gleem to his players and press at the Tuesday press conference and never returned (57-49, playoff record 3-4).

The San Antonio Express that Wednesday would reveal that Schotts had secretly secured a deal in January with Kansas City Chiefs President Carl Peterson to take the helm that fall; Chiefs' draft and trade decisions were made partly based on secret communiques between Marty and Carl via intermediaries. Peterson had already established a scouting department focused on the USFL in '89–given his previous experience in the league–but Schottenheimer contributed assessments on key acquisitions and bids based on the Gunslingers direct competition. Tipped about the story, he resigned via fax and recommended Marc Trestman–his OC–coach the last two games.

Humiliated, The Directory–the nickname of the swath of Dentists, plastic surgeons, corporate lawyers, horse veterinarians, military contractors, energy traders, Earl Campbell's financial managers, and retired Air Force colonels who comprised San Antonio ownership–hired Tom Landry to serve as President and General Manager that Thursday, the offer reportedly worth $3 million a year "until he gets bored." Tom accepted on Friday and was in Alamo Stadium's press box on Saturday. The Gunslingers won their final two games but were quickly dispatched by Oklahoma in the Wild Card. 

Fans and shareholders expecting him to be Cincinnatus–abandon the plow, pick up the sword–were disappointed when The Fedora instead hired Craig Morton (44-64, playoff record 3-3). Tom's praise of his former back-up pivot as a "skilled, intuitive leader of men" gave no solace. The press pestered Tom so much that he finally sniped back, pointing out that his new head coach "at least made the title game unlike your last one."

***

Oklahoma traded two territorial picks (Terry Ray, signed), the rights to Kelvin Martin (acquired in '87), the rights to Rickey Dixon ('88 territorial pick) and a 1st round Open Draft pick to Houston for territorial rights to David Klingler. Klingler signed a 4-year deal w/ $7 million total compensation ($2.5 million signing bonus, $2.5 million salary guaranteed, $2 million performance-based incentives). The signing drew controversy until Dave's 612-7-4 performance in a 57-57 draw with Arizona at the Tokyo exhibition in January. A week later, against San Antonio at historic Koshien Stadium in Osaka, head coach Bobby Collins was pressured to bench both Todd Hammel and Mike Gundy after two short possessions in favor of Klingler, who sloshed through a rainy, muddy field to a standing ovation. In just three quarters of work, Davey firebombed 522-4-1 in a 37-19 win opposite five different Gunslinger quarterbacks. The excitement led to a scramble to better incorporate the Outlaws into the national television schedule; usually left to the Saturday Night Dead Zone–regional cable coverage and maybe a look-in from Craig Kilborn on SportsChannel's Saturday Night Springball–the Outlaws find themselves on ABC at least three times in '92 and are the league opener Friday night on ESPN.

Washington introduced black jerseys in October, which they will wear in a "limited number" of home games in '92, largely Friday and Saturday night contests. A team rep claims season ticket sales are up from 22,000 to 26,200 on the announcement. The Feds' surprise signing of prospect Eugene Chung to a 3-year, $3.5 million deal drew harsh criticism from a beat writer for the right-wing Washington Times, who refered to the club as "The Rainbow Coalition" for its "liberal array of HBCU scrubs and bleeding heart Charlottesville progeny"--referring to several recent Cavaliers, including new starting QB Shawn Moore, who recovered successfully from a Cuban-Soviet "velvet glove" procedure to his throwing hand that builds a flexible "skeletal array" of plastic over the bone rather than using screws. The writer was fired after Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Times owner. President Bush praised the signing and "aesthetic experimentation" as "yet more examples of American Free Enterprise ingenuity and dynamic thinking."  Unable to provide "hard numbers," the League office did claim the jersey is "the fastest selling item in our catalog's history," surpassing a set of team figures produced by Playmobil.

Boston followed Washington's lead, introducing neon-green jerseys–also to be worn three times this year–and a new helmet, which retains the team's distinctive wave logo but adds a bright green streak; the shades of blue in the original helmet are also inverted. There was some worry that austere Northern New Englanders would recoil, but team President Robert Dillboy The Younger–Brainfather of the aesthetic update–claimed brisk Christmas sales through an exclusive deal with Ames. 

San Antonio scuttled a decision to change their uniforms to teal and burgundy with a stylized six-shooter painted on a white helmet vaguely in the style of Florida State's iconic spears. The Express News reported in October–shortly after the unveiling–that team offices received hundreds of calls, a pipe-bomb, and "white powder in large yellow envelopes, the return addressed all marked only by skulls." General comments consisted of "don't take our ugly cowboy away." In November, Team President Tom Landry assured fans the club will not change the logo or colors. League offices reported that merchandise sales were strong in the Francophone world, where the Gunslingers are referred as the "Lucky Lukes" in the sports press: the cowboy strikes a resemblance to a popular comic book character there. This, however, did not prevent the bombing of Everson Design Group, the firm who produced the prototype and which had been working on a redesign of the New England Patriots' logo.

***

The Bush Administration announced their intention to explore Communist infiltration of professional football, particularly free use of Soviet and Bloc-developed technology–everything from the East Germano-Libyan developed Cosmo Green turf in use at Alamo Stadium, Skelly in Tulsa, and the Astrodome, to sports medicine developments, like the "Regina" or "Guevara" procedure on knees. Some viewed this as theater, throwing some red meat at Birchers crying foul since '84. The prospect of insurgency runs by Ross Perot and Merlin Olsen–who is seriously considering an offer from the newly formed People Party– and the collapse of a string of CIA-backed coups in Czechoslovakia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and the Soviet Union itself have also been cited as a "concern" by more acceptable conservative media. USFL commissioner Grover Debs says the league will comply with requests to talk regard any investigation. The now seven-year-old administration's "charm" offensive  under Vasiliy Morenov has been generally positive,especially in the Midwest and Rust Belt, places that have benefited from development partnerships with Soviet industries or the Soviet-created International Friendship Fund, part of the 13th 5-year plan, begun in '91. 

***

The BC Lions completed the first ever successful contract transaction with a USFL team, bucking nearly a decade of contract raids and jumps. The Orange and Black send away the contracts of imports Ray Ethridge (Los Angeles), Lyneil Mayo, and all-star Jim Vlope (both Oakland) for $350,000 USD. The Looney's collapse due to World Historic events of the previous two 

years–"The Saudi Situation" (known in the Eastern Bloc and Non-aligned states as "The Liberation of Kuwait and Final Union of the Arab Socialist Homelands"), the successful Soviet Reconstruction of Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine after a new round of purges by Premier Vasili Morenov, the sabotage of new tar sand operations from indigenous and left-wing ecogroups, and The True Canadian Act of 1991, which halves import players and encourages "the further development of big strong Canadian boys"--are cited as contributing factors to the sales. The move opens talks of an Import Exchange Market between the two leagues, further isolating the NFL, who scuttled talks of a developmental and investment deal with 3-down football in 1989.

***

Brent Musberger–who called games last year–will run ABC's Studio Show alongside Irv Cross after Jim Lampley's departure for HBO. The network paid CBS $10 million for the rights to Brent's signature "You're Looking Live…" but were rebuffed on acquiring NFL Today's original score. The program will be called USFL Today. Joining Muss and Cross will be Dick Vermeil, who did color with Brent last year, and Suzy Kolber, a national newcomer.

***

Raycom and Black Entertainment Television (BET) have announced a trial agreement that will see the two companies share resources and national Saturday night broadcasts on the latter's network. Production will feature Raycom crews and BET's Charlie Neal, and Lem Barney, who call HBCU games during the fall. BET agreed to broadcast Saturday night Birmingham and Washington games live, as both clubs feature African American starting quarterbacks (Reggie Slack and Shawn Moore); Raycom holds regional rights to the Stars, Feds, and Stallions, which they syndicate to cable and independent stations primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Deep South, though independent stations in the west have purchased packages to bolster local programming options. They've proven to be so popular in Orem, Salt Lake City, and Casper, Wyoming that Zaxby's–a major sponsor–has entered into a franchise deal with former house rep Dick Cheney; the deal survived the conservative politician's assassination by a 19-year-old claiming sympathy to the Red-Green "Nasserist" revolt in Saudi Arabia. Raycom hopes the BET agreement will give the company a greater national footprint and a guaranteed revenue stream beyond piecemeal deals. The league approved the move after talks with BET for a Saturday afternoon Game of the Week brokedown over cost; the cable network has produced a weekly USFL magazine format and recap show called Our League since '87. Sportschannel has expressed frustration over a request to delay live look-ins by 5 minutes on their Saturday Night Springball broadcast.