Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Chicago Blitz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s.
Contents |
The Blitz were coached by two of the National Football League's all-time winningest coaches: George Allen and Marv Levy. Allen, the former Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins head coach, became the Blitz's first coach in 1983, a year after unsuccessfully pursuing the vacant head coaching position with the Chicago Bears. (Bears owner George Halas, still holding a grudge from Allen's defection to the Rams in 1965, rejected Allen's overtures and hired Mike Ditka instead.)
After Allen was included in the trade to the Wranglers, the Blitz's new coach was Marv Levy, a Chicago native, who would go on to four American Football Conference titles with the Buffalo Bills.
The Blitz had a number of players who had played in the National Football League or would go on to play there. Some of them were Vince Evans, Tim Spencer, Trumaine Johnson, Greg Landry, Vagas Ferguson, Larry Canada and Kevin Long.
Chicago's USFL team in 1983 was one of the league's strongest teams. However between the 1983 and 1984 seasons, the Blitz's owner, Dr. Ted Diethrich, traded teams with the owner of the Arizona Wranglers which had been a weak team in 1983. Diethrich lived in Phoenix and wanted to move closer to his business interests. The "new Blitz" were not nearly as successful as the 1983 team. While the USFL was active, the league considered the 1983 and 1984 Blitz the same "franchise" even though all the players were different.
With attendance falling through the floor, new owner Eddie Einhorn announced the Blitz would sit out the 1985 season.
Rushing Yards: 1157 (1983), Tim Spencer
Receiving Yards: 1327 (1983), Trumaine Johnson
Passing Yards: 2624 (1984), Vince Evans
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 2nd Central | Lost Divisional (Philadelphia) |
| 1984 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 5th WC Central | - |
| Totals | 17 | 20 | 0 | (including playoffs) | |
| United States Football League |
| Arizona Wranglers (1983-84) | Birmingham Stallions (1983-85) | Boston/New Orleans/Portland Breakers (1983-85) | Chicago Blitz (1983-84) | Denver Gold (1983-85) | Los Angeles Express (1983-85) | Michigan Panthers (1983-84) | New Jersey Generals (1983-85) | Oakland Invaders (1983-85) | Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (1983-85) | Tampa Bay Bandits (1983-85) | Washington Federals/Orlando Renegades (1983-85) | Houston Gamblers (1984-85) | Jacksonville Bulls (1984-85) | Memphis Showboats (1984-85) | Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws (1984-85) | Pittsburgh Maulers (1984) | San Antonio Gunslingers (1984-85) |