Excellent video! The World Football League is an interesting footnote in the history of professional football.

And Zonk made a grand total of $50k in 1974. All the Dolphins had to do was pay the man.

Came for the football, stayed for the music.

Those Fran bombs to Gilliam brings back some memories. That's all we wanted to see. Throw deep to 42. Calvin Hill leaving left a problem for the Cowboys. How to fill those shoes. Thanks to some wheeling and dealing they got Preston Pearson and of course Tony Dorsett a couple years later.

😯Damn! That hit that Kiick took at 2:58. I thought at the very least his left knee was done.

Homer Jones is memorable for two things. He invented the spike after a touchdown; and of his 10 TDs in 1970, the first of that season was the first touchdown scored on Monday NIght Football.

Being 26, I have never heard of that football league! Fascinating as always! I was wondering when you would post again! God bless you 🙏, Joey in Cleveland

Another great trip down Memory Lane. Good job thinking tot shot the helmet logos - some I remember, some I do both. Watching your videos makers me feel like I still have my hair. Thanks

Great subject for a video. I was a very disappointed kid when I heard that the Dolphins stars were going to leave the team. I'm sure it must have had some psychological impact on their 1974 season. Kiick was indeed winding down in 1973, but he was still 4th on the team in yards from scrimmage. Never knew that Stabler had signed. Wow, that would have made a huge difference had he bolted.

Homer Jones was the first player to spike the ball after a touchdown! 😊😊😊😊😊

I remember reading the Rolling Stone story on Miami vs Minnesota that Hunter S. Thompson did and pretty much wrote that quite a few Dolphin players were going to defect to the WFL. The players were very unhappy with how much they were being paid and you cant blame them after all the success the Dolphins had. Glad you did this video Mark the WFL had a big impact on how the 70's turned out in the end, especially the end of the Dolphins legacy.

My Uncle John Harvey RIP played with the Larry Csonka Jim Kiick and Danny White with the Memphis Grizzlies as I remember. ! He just passed away 2 weeks ago and Thomas Henderson spoke at his funeral. Danny White was quoted saying that John Harvey was the best RB he had ever seen.

I love your friggin channel

"Very " unique" historical"comp"..."Mark"...."enjoyed" the "visual"memorabilia"...."including"team names"...."logos".."where "they played...."stadium " capacity" dropping "good" info"all along the" watchtower"!!🔥🔥

Great job again. great site.

Another nicely crafted video. The sideline snap of Stabler at Alabama.

Awesome look at the raiding this league did to try to keep pace in with the hecnfl as much as possible

Thanks for sharing.

I was just starting to get interested in pro football as a 7 year old in 1974 so I remember the heavy promotion for this league at the time and have still retained some fascination for it. In fact, the first football game I recall ever watching on TV was a WFL game. Great video as always! 🤪👍

I watched the WFL as a kid......being a Raider fan myself, I agree with the Stabler comment

How strange was that single bar facemask for the Shark’s player? I wonder if Namath had signed with the Chicago Winds if that might have gotten Eddie Einhorn’s network, TVS to televise more games? Perhaps the league lasts another season or two. Probably would not have mattered, these teams were so under funded aside from John Bassett and his Memphis club. Great research on so many guys who had been retired but came back for a last chance in the sun. Nice to hear some of those names again. Excellent work Mr. Gardner.

I honestly don’t remember the WFL. But how could I when I was so wrapped up in the Steelers winning their first Super Bowl, in the ‘ 74 / 75 season ? 😆.

I remember actually going to a California Sun game at Anaheim Stadium. The Big A as it was called then. I loved the Rams but my dad did not and he had the car keys! People today would fall over but back then the NFL blacked out all NFL home games if they were not sold out 72hrs before kickoff! So I'd watch them 7x a year and listen to them 7x a year!! I followed USC and UCLA extensively so when the Sun drafted Kermit Washington, and James McAlister (UCLA starting backfield) Booker Brown USC OT and even Dick Witcher ( SF 49er TE for 10yrs) I was interested. Being 9 helped with that too! I remember Kick, Czonka, and Warfield ALL got pillaged from the Dolphins just a year or so removed from an unbeaten SB year! It was crazy. The uniforms were insane, thank God dad splurged for a colored Zenith TV! I believe the Sun also acquired Anthony Davis at some point as well?? This league seemed doomed from the start. Players demanding cash only payments, guys boycotting games over issues getting paid. Plus they played during baseball season! Back in the 70's we had baseball, basketball, and football season. They were defined and regimented. Our entire neighborhood would play tackle football from Sept-January, then Basketball from Jan-April, and baseball from April-Sept. I'd trade a dozen tomorrows for just one of these yesterdays!!!

Great topic Mark. As a kid I mostly remember the big names from the Dolphins and a few others (I’m sure Stabler’s proposed WFL move was for money but also to stick it to Al Davis) and also how ugly the WFL logos and uniforms were! Thanks for that wealth of interesting information on the other players as well as the stadiums….strange times indeed!

The Memphis Southmen were originally called the Toronto Northmen but the Canadian Government kiboshed the franchise. The government under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (Justin's Dad) imposed the 'Canadian Football Act' that prevented any American Rules Football club to play in Canada, especially Toronto. According to Wikipedia, the bill was never put into law when the Canadian owner decided to move the team to Memphis. The Southmen were also unofficially known as the Memphis Grizzlies. That wasn't the last time Memphis inherited a sports team known as the Grizzlies (Thanks Vancouver!). 0:13 - There are those Motel 6 mattresses being use to protect the players at Metropolitan Stadium (or as I like to call the place today, THE MALL). Hearing George Mira being mentioned reminds me of one of the famous blunders in the NFL. He was the 49ers QB who connects with a future QB in Billy Kilmer. The ball was fumbled and everyone knows what Jim Marshall did if you have seen it on NFL Films. Never knew the Detroit Wheels (wonder if Mitch Ryder had a say in the team name) played in Ypsilanti, MI which is a suburb of Ann Arbor. When I think of JFK Stadium in Philly, I think of the Live Aid concert in 1985 or Rolling Stones concerts too. See both Rough Riders (Ottawa) and Roughriders (Saskatchewan) represented. According to the NFL Films documentary about the WFL, Grey Cup winning QB Rick Cassata (who? I was born in 1971.) signed a contract to play in the WFL with The Hawaiians. I assume that was why Ottawa was uncompetitive until Tom Clements arrived to lead the Rough Riders to a Grey Cup victory over the other Roughriders in 1976.

I remember watching a few games as a kid. I have a Southern California Sun press guide.

Great video

The Memphis Southmen were better known as the Memphis Grizzlies, long before the NBA team existed.

The league was seeking notoriety by signing all of those name players, even the ones who had not played for several years. People knew the names of John Gilliam, Ted Kwalick, Craig Morton, Gary Collins, Daryl Lamonica, Homer Jones and George Sauer. The issue was whether they could last long enough for those players to join the league and make an impact, which did not happen.

The New York Stars had five players from the Jets Super Bowl III team along with their coach, Babe Parilli. Matt Snell was one of their radio announcers.

The WFL New York Stars played at Downing Stadium - which was mostly a soccer venue - I remember the New York Cosmos with Pelé played there in ‘75 to much fanfare. They’d get a lot of Latin fans there since it was on Randall’s Island adjacent to the South Bronx. It was pretty run down even then.

Sucked the heart out of that Dolphins dynasty.

The Homer Jones signing did make sense as it was a big name that played in New York to play In New York again.

In this part of the video I remember years ago when I worked for a temp company and I had a volunteer van and a construction crew needed 8 men so I took them to the company and one of them was a very big black man and we started talking and he said that he was on the WFL team in Hawaii and that was in 1974,one year before I went into the Army, so this video reminds me of that time but they went belly up,now you have a new league called the UFL,all of them are exNFL players looking to go back to the NFL,2nd or 3rd string backup player's as they once players for the NFL,and you might be surprised as I am not surprised but they need forget those days. Days.

It seems the USFL was the last upstart to seriously suck NFL star players away.

Can’t leave out HOFer Leroy Kelly who played for the Chicago Fire

Kind of like LIV but without the money.

A great video. I don't know. much about the WFL.

they tried to grow natural grass in the Astro Dome .it didn't go so well . is it still standing in Houston ?

Strange that Gary Davidson was a part of both the ABA and WHA, both of which, even with troubles, were able to survive for a time at least long enough to merge with the established leagues would run this league so poorly. I'm thinking that his friend and business partner Dennis Murphy was the real brains of the pair. Also, I'm old enough to remember the WFL but unlike the WHA and ABA I can't remember watching a single WFL game even though I was in the Philadelphia Bell area. NFL Films did a great Lost Treasures on this league. It really needs a deep dive into how not to start a rebel league.

The Birmingham Vulcans! Was a fun league...just didn't prepare for the salaries

How about king corcoran of the Philadelphia bell threw 32 tds !! And one of the most interesting characters ever

Kiick wasn't wearing down so much as he was being replaced by Mercury Morris.

Look at the Dolphins they lost Csonka, Kiick and Warfield. That basically ended their great 70's run.

The last Portland Storm picture is Ben Davidson

Wearing my 74 Sonny Jorgensen for this one …

One of the controversies occurred when the Philadelphia team drew 64,000 to their opener, only to discover 90% of the tickets were given away.

Still have that SI issue that talks about it.....jeez, I'm old.

Great stuff ! People forget how great Warfield was...he was ALWAYS open ! The Dolphins didn't throw the ball much ( when you have Csonka, Morris and Kiick in the backfield why would you ? ) if Warfield played in THIS era he'd have averaged 100+ catches, 1,500+ yards and 15+ TD's for his career. Interesting note on John Gilliam. He scored the first TD in Saints history. He took the opening kickoff, in their opening game back for a TD....unfortunately...things went downhill FAST, for a LONG time after that !

I saw the NFL Hawaiians play at the old Honolulu stadium, a game in which, unfortunately, Calvin Hill’s career came to an end with a knee injury 😢

Never knew Stabler signed a futures contract with WFL. That might have started the beef between him and Al Davis!

we had bumper stickers made up which said "Bench Csonka Kiick and Warfield!" which became very popular. However the local Miami Herald roasted us and said we werent true fans. BS! The truth was that Joe Robbie was a brutal cheapskate who wouldnt pay them anything close to what they were worth. They were actually supposed to play fif the Toronto Northmen but the CFL managed to get an injunction prevdnting the WFL from moving in.

Jim Kick and Ken Stabler were Party Animals .''Hell Raisers ''🍺

Why isn’t Gary Collins in the HOF? Dude was a baller straight up!

Okay never saw this league, know about them from a lot of football books I read. I think I tried watching one of their games on KZfaq, it was interesting.

Not sure who financed the WFL. I liked Summer Pro football. I remember Jacksonville had full attendance at their stadium. People loved their football there. They had a cool name and logo, Sharks.

“Traded” from Orlando to Jim Garrett’s Houston team the night of John Matuszak’s WFL “debut”. Woke up the next morning to fly to Hawaii. Normally two buses are positioned outside the stadium…Rookies and Veterans. NOT this team! 3 Buses! Rookies, Veterans and OPEN BAR! Joe Robb, Don Brumn and Jim Kanicki…Bus#3! Bloody Mary’s all the way to Hawaii!

The Snake, could you imagine if he would have played for them in 76....no Raiders SB that year. I wonder by signing that future contract started the riff with Al Davis, that eventually traded him to the Oilers.

🎉🎉🎉

I've never seen any footages from the WFL!?

I was 12 years old at the time but don’t remember the WFL. Thanks for the video

I always wondered if the Dolphins would've won more Super Bowls if the WFL hadn't come along. Did the WFL contribute to the Steelers winning 4 SB'S?

You have made some truly top notch videos. But I think that you could have better indicated the subject matter in this one particular video regarding the WFL in a much better and clearer way. The majority of your stuff is great. But you have had a few lemons in there every once in awhile. I believe in what you are doing and I truly appreciate you as a pro football historian. But I am hoping that you will learn to "get to the point" quicker and not take the scenic route every so often. All things said and considered, please keep up the good, great and outstanding work. If I didn't care about your videos then I would not be so passionate about them.

i think he said the wfl lasted 5 or 6 games . So why don't we have any video or movie film of those wfl games in this video ?!

I guess I don't have to say what you just said i was too young to understand at the time. Pittsburgh was good, but if miami stays intact, maybe they win another one, but 3 straight Super Bowl appearances. I don't think that's ever been done. Before If Jake Scott does. Not get hurt in that game. I believe they might have won. I think they're starting DB got hurt, too. That really hurt on that final drive

Miami was probably smart not to give Csonka,Warfield and especially Kiick big money. All 3 had seen better days and Miami actually scored more pts and had more yds in 1975 than they did in 1974.

The "Waffle" or (A)WFULL league went about it all wrong. Billionaires who thought they could compete with the established NFL by "buying" talent. I remember the league being a joke....a money grab. The USFL "Useful" went about it more logically but could not compete. Although the Denver Gold actually made money (I think the only team that did). I think a "Minor League" for the NFL that played eight or ten games with free agents signed from a pool could work to develope players. The NFL made an attempt at it with NFL Europe. Oh well I never paid any attention to "all" the various leagues but I did enjoy your highlights. One of my favorites former Bengal and Eagle Bill Bergy....what a thumper. Thanks for the memories brother, you're appreciated

Imagine if Franco Harris, rocky blier and Lynn Swann were removed from Steelers after their 2nd SB win…..do they win two more in 78 and 79? Probably not. Who knows about the dolphins fortunes in 74 and 75 if those 3 stars did not sign with WFL….

The “Sea of Hands” ended the Dolphins Dynasty and was supposed to start the Raiders Dynasty but then along came the Steelers. I still believe Oakland had the better team but they seemed to catch the worst breaks when they played the Steelers in the Playoffs. The Raiders ended both the Dolphins and Steelers chances for a 3-Peat. Stabler led Oakland to 5 straight AFC championships games.

Even Vince McMahon's nuttiest notions weren't as bad as the WFL. BTW Gary Davidson is still alive at nearly 90.

His parents wanted to name him Good, but after having him they named him Fair Hooker! 😮😮😮😮😮😮😂😂😂😂😂

What about Ben Davidson?

Wonder if any of the WFL players were paid their whole contracts.

Ted kwalick was going to be a gr8 Tight End , but another career ruined by the WFL.

One thing I found irritating when I was younger,was the people who were bandwagon jumpers! I became a Viking fan in 1968 largely because I lived in Minot North Dakota and the Vikings were the closest thing to a hometown team . Especially kids in my school,oh my favorite team is Miami then it was Pittsburgh! Etc etc it's not a big deal now,but in those days it was annoying!

" Chip"Glass 😅

🇺🇸👍

I got to see the the Birmingham Americans play the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field 8-29-1974. I was 10 and don't remember much about the game except that the Fire lost 22-8. I wasn't even a football fan until two years later.

I love talking failed sports leagues and I have a huge collection of Original USFL stuff with only a couple of WFL items because they are rare and expensive. And while this is long and may only interest me I’m going to share it anyway. Both the WFL and original USFL were destroyed by different but under the circumstances correct tactical moves. The WFL moved the first game up by a year because both the NFL and CFL players were threatening to go on strike but didn’t and that year lost was to be used for multiple fan meet and greets all over the television markets of each team and season ticket sales drives helping the teams build cash reserves to help them through the inevitable financial struggles which were made worse by these idiots not instituting some sort of salary cap and then throwing money around like they were Joe Biden desperately trying to buy votes. The USFL learned from the WFL which makes sense since a couple of the WFL owners not bankrupted by it bought USFL franchises and job 1 was setting a salary cap which at $2 million a team (which included the average of long term “personal services” contracts like Steve Young’s 10 year $40 million with the LA Express)but is basically the amount of change found in between couch cushions at Patrick Mahomes house today was still considerable amount money 40 years ago. The tactical maneuver that doomed them was switching to the fall to go head to head with the NFL which is entirely blamed on Trump which is ridiculous considering the owners of the Denver Gold and Tampa Bay Bandits were the only ones making money and were the driving force behind the move but Trump agreed with it so he was the very famous face of it. The reason they made the move was because of what happened with both the ABA (which was founded by Gary Davidson who was the WFL founder as well) and AFL who went head to head with the NBA and NFL and both leagues got sick of losing players TV and gate revenue and merged and what’s also never talked about is how is the USFL announced only half the 14 teams that played in 85 were coming back in 86 and that number was very optimistic and it’s likely that only 3 would come back and surprise surprise those teams were Denver Tampa and New Jersey. If you say Denver nor Tampa can support 2 teams you’re right but both franchises would move to cities that didn’t have NFL teams with St Louis and Jacksonville Portland and Baltimore, obviously a couple of those cities had USFL but the ownership groups didn’t have the money the NFL would require and with NFL teams and not USFL teams the fan base would be larger and more likely to grow.

You talk about players that the WFL took, then you show those players on the teams they USED to play for. Inane.

I don't watch the NFL anymore but God I hated the WFL and USFL. Spoilers!

Robbie was a cheap ass

This video is too convoluted and superfluous. I didn't even make it halfway through before I got too frustrated and impatient with this video. GET TO THE BLEEPING POINT !!!!! You indicated a video about the 1974 WFL season and instead presented a video of 1973 NFL highlights. I appreciate your creative efforts. But I hope that you will improve the quality of your videos. Good luck to you in all of your future creative endeavors.

my bad I thought this was a video about the wfl not the Miami dolphin highlight reel...