Detroit Wheels
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Wheels were an American football
team, a charter member of the ill-fated World Football League
.
The Wheels were founded December 13, 1973 by ten investors, whose number eventually grew to 33, including singer Marvin Gaye
, Motown Records vice-president Esther Edwards, and Little Caesars
founder (and future Red Wings
and Tigers
owner) Mike Ilitch
. Detroit attorney and philanthropist Louis Lee was named team president. Sonny Grandelius
, a former star running back at Michigan State
, was named general manager.
However, even by WFL standards, the Wheels were severely undercapitalized. The owners didn't appear to make an initial capital investment; instead, team expenses were seemingly paid out-of-pocket as they arose. They initially refused to spend more than $10,000 per player. Most of their draft picks were unwilling to play under such conditions; the Wheels signed only three of their 33 draft picks, forcing them to hold open tryouts. None of the men who tried out made the team.
They then had trouble finding a place to play. Their first choice was Tiger Stadium, home of the NFL's Detroit Lions
. However, they were unable to get a lease due to pressure from the Lions. The Silverdome
hadn't been built yet, and the University of Michigan
, home of cavernous Michigan Stadium
, also said no (despite Lee being a Michigan alumnus). Finally, the Wheels signed a deal to play at Eastern Michigan University
's Rynearson Stadium
in Ypsilanti, Michigan
, 37 miles from downtown Detroit. The club even hired EMU's head coach, Dan Boisture
, to helm the Wheels.
), but little in the way of protection (Wyche was sacked eleven times in one game) or receivers. Only 10,631 people attended their first home game, and their final home game drew an announced crowd of 6,351 fans (though actual attendance was closer to 2,000). A home game against the Portland Storm
was moved to London, Ontario
(the Storm owner was from London, and needed the money to survive). The Wheels lost in front an announced crowd of 5,105.
As the losses piled up, the team's ramshackle financial structure became more problematic. Boisture and Grandelius badly wanted to put together a serious football organization, but the owners refused all requests for more money. For one home game, there weren't any programs available because the printer hadn't been paid. Several practices had to be canceled when the cleaning bill went unpaid, leaving the team without uniforms. They couldn't pay their phone bill, and they were unable to reserve hotel rooms or fly to away games without advance payment. Players were forced to share food and rent due to several missed paydays, and several players ended up sharing a house. The situation prompted Wyche to write to league president Gary Davidson and beg the league office to intervene.
The low point came during the Wheels' eighth game, against the Philadelphia Bell
. When the players arrived at John F. Kennedy Stadium
, they discovered that they didn't have any medical supplies or tape. Wheels' players refused to take the field until a Johnson & Johnson
salesman donated enough tape that the Wheels were able to play. They lost, 27-23.
After losing their first ten games the Wheels got their only win, 15-14 over the Florida Blazers at Orlando
. Soon afterward, the league took control of the team and began searching for a new home. Their first choice was Shreveport, but the Houston Texans moved there and became the Steamer
. They then tried to move to Louisville
, but talks collapsed. John DeLorean tried to buy the team in hopes of keeping it in Detroit, but he backed out at the last minute. The next choice was Charlotte
, where former New England Patriots
general manager Upton Bell
was hoping to put together financing for a WFL team. Although impressed with Wyche, he was unable to come to an agreement, and instead opted to buy the New York Stars and move them to Charlotte as the Hornets
.
On September 24, the Wheels faced the Stars in Downing Stadium
, losing 37-7 in what proved to be the Stars' last game before moving to Charlotte
.
After a 14-11 loss to Shreveport, the league folded the Wheels (and the equally struggling Jacksonville Sharks
). While the franchise officially folded on October 7, players and coaches had been taking their uniforms and personal items home with them for some days before then to keep them from being seized. The Wheels franchise was the only one not reissued when the World Football League returned in 1975.
The Wheels finished their lone season with the WFL's worst record at 1-13, and the worst luck as well: eight of Detroit's losses came by less than a touchdown, and they held fourth-quarter leads in seven contests. Playing in the tough Central Division with the league's two best teams, Memphis (17-3) and Birmingham (15-5), made things even more difficult for the hapless Wheels.
Stan Hansen
, the professional wrestler, had a brief stint as a player with the Wheels. Nevertheless, he was promoted as a "former star" of the team when wrestling in a promotion in his hometown of Amarillo, Texas
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, a charter member of the ill-fated World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
.
The Wheels were founded December 13, 1973 by ten investors, whose number eventually grew to 33, including singer Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Motown Records vice-president Esther Edwards, and Little Caesars
Little Caesars
Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States. The Little Caesars headquarters is located in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.-History:...
founder (and future Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
owner) Mike Ilitch
Mike Ilitch
Michael "Mike" Ilitch Sr. is an American entrepreneur and owner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. In addition to his sports ownerships, he is the founder and owner of Little Caesars Pizza since 1959, which has become an international fast food franchise...
. Detroit attorney and philanthropist Louis Lee was named team president. Sonny Grandelius
Sonny Grandelius
Everett John "Sonny" Grandelius was an American football player, coach, announcer, and executive. He served as the head coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1959 to 1961, compiling a record of 20–11...
, a former star running back at Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, was named general manager.
However, even by WFL standards, the Wheels were severely undercapitalized. The owners didn't appear to make an initial capital investment; instead, team expenses were seemingly paid out-of-pocket as they arose. They initially refused to spend more than $10,000 per player. Most of their draft picks were unwilling to play under such conditions; the Wheels signed only three of their 33 draft picks, forcing them to hold open tryouts. None of the men who tried out made the team.
They then had trouble finding a place to play. Their first choice was Tiger Stadium, home of the NFL's Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. However, they were unable to get a lease due to pressure from the Lions. The Silverdome
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
hadn't been built yet, and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, home of cavernous Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
, also said no (despite Lee being a Michigan alumnus). Finally, the Wheels signed a deal to play at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
's Rynearson Stadium
Rynearson Stadium
Rynearson Stadium is a stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Eastern Michigan University Eagles. It held its first game on September 27, 1969 when EMU upset the University of Akron, 10-3. Currently, the stadium has seating for...
in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
, 37 miles from downtown Detroit. The club even hired EMU's head coach, Dan Boisture
Dan Boisture
Daniel P. Boisture, Jr. was an American football coach. He was the head coach of the Eastern Michigan Eagles football team from 1967 to 1973, compiling a record of 83-38-5....
, to helm the Wheels.
1974 season
Things weren't encouraging on the field, either. The Wheels had a decent quarterback in Bubba Wyche (brother of former NFL quarterback and head coach Sam WycheSam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
), but little in the way of protection (Wyche was sacked eleven times in one game) or receivers. Only 10,631 people attended their first home game, and their final home game drew an announced crowd of 6,351 fans (though actual attendance was closer to 2,000). A home game against the Portland Storm
Portland Storm
The Portland Storm were an American football team based out of Portland, Oregon, playing in the World Football League. When the World Football League was created in October 1973, the Storm was the original New York franchise. When the Boston Bulls merged with New York to become the New York...
was moved to London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
(the Storm owner was from London, and needed the money to survive). The Wheels lost in front an announced crowd of 5,105.
As the losses piled up, the team's ramshackle financial structure became more problematic. Boisture and Grandelius badly wanted to put together a serious football organization, but the owners refused all requests for more money. For one home game, there weren't any programs available because the printer hadn't been paid. Several practices had to be canceled when the cleaning bill went unpaid, leaving the team without uniforms. They couldn't pay their phone bill, and they were unable to reserve hotel rooms or fly to away games without advance payment. Players were forced to share food and rent due to several missed paydays, and several players ended up sharing a house. The situation prompted Wyche to write to league president Gary Davidson and beg the league office to intervene.
The low point came during the Wheels' eighth game, against the Philadelphia Bell
Philadelphia Bell
The Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell....
. When the players arrived at John F. Kennedy Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, they discovered that they didn't have any medical supplies or tape. Wheels' players refused to take the field until a Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
salesman donated enough tape that the Wheels were able to play. They lost, 27-23.
After losing their first ten games the Wheels got their only win, 15-14 over the Florida Blazers at Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. Soon afterward, the league took control of the team and began searching for a new home. Their first choice was Shreveport, but the Houston Texans moved there and became the Steamer
Shreveport Steamer
The Shreveport Steamer were a professional American football team in the World Football League. The franchise began the 1974 season in Houston, Texas, as the Houston Texans, who are in no way related to the current NFL team of the same name, playing their home games at the Houston Astrodome...
. They then tried to move to Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, but talks collapsed. John DeLorean tried to buy the team in hopes of keeping it in Detroit, but he backed out at the last minute. The next choice was Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, where former New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
general manager Upton Bell
Upton Bell
Upton Bell is a former American football executive. Upton is currently a talk show host and commentator at WCRN Talk AM 830 in Worcester, Massachusetts...
was hoping to put together financing for a WFL team. Although impressed with Wyche, he was unable to come to an agreement, and instead opted to buy the New York Stars and move them to Charlotte as the Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (WFL)
The Charlotte Hornets were an American football team in the short-lived World Football League. They were relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, from New York City in the middle of the 1974 season.-History:...
.
On September 24, the Wheels faced the Stars in Downing Stadium
Downing Stadium
Downing Stadium, previously known as Triborough Stadium and Randall's Island Stadium, was a 22,000-seat stadium in New York City. It was renamed Downing Stadium in 1955 after John J...
, losing 37-7 in what proved to be the Stars' last game before moving to Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
.
After a 14-11 loss to Shreveport, the league folded the Wheels (and the equally struggling Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
). While the franchise officially folded on October 7, players and coaches had been taking their uniforms and personal items home with them for some days before then to keep them from being seized. The Wheels franchise was the only one not reissued when the World Football League returned in 1975.
The Wheels finished their lone season with the WFL's worst record at 1-13, and the worst luck as well: eight of Detroit's losses came by less than a touchdown, and they held fourth-quarter leads in seven contests. Playing in the tough Central Division with the league's two best teams, Memphis (17-3) and Birmingham (15-5), made things even more difficult for the hapless Wheels.
Stan Hansen
Stan Hansen
John Stanley Hansen, Jr. is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Stan Hansen. As a wrestler, Hansen was well known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributes to poor eyesight, as he is nearly blind without glasses...
, the professional wrestler, had a brief stint as a player with the Wheels. Nevertheless, he was promoted as a "former star" of the team when wrestling in a promotion in his hometown of Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
.
1974 schedule and results
- Wed 10 July: Memphis 34, Detroit 15 (at Memphis; attendance 30,122)
- Wed 17 July: Florida 18, Detroit 15 (at Ypsilanti; 10,631)
- Sun 21 July: Hawaii 36, Detroit 16 (at Honolulu; 10,080)
- Wed 31 July: Birmingham 21, Detroit 18 (at Ypsilanti; 14,614)
- Wed 7 August: Birmingham 28, Detroit 22 (at Birmingham; 40,637)
- Wed 14 August: Memphis 37, Detroit 7 (at Ypsilanti; 14,424)
- Thu 22 August: Chicago 35, Detroit 22 (at Ypsilanti; 10,300)
- Wed 28 August: Philadelphia 27, Detroit 23 (at Philadelphia; 15,100)
- Mon 2 September: Portland 18, Detroit 7 (at London, Ontario; 5,105)
- Fri 6 September: Southern California 10, Detroit 7 (at Ypsilanti; 6,351)
- Wed 11 September: Detroit 15, Florida 14 (at Orlando; 11,511)
- Wed 18 September: Southern California 29, Detroit 24 (at Anaheim; 22,143)
- Tue 24 September: New York 37, Detroit 7 (at New York; 4,220)
- Wed 2 October: Shreveport 14, Detroit 11 (at Shreveport, LA; 22,012) [originally scheduled for Ypsilanti against the Houston Texans]
- Wed 9 October: Detroit at Chicago (cancelled)
- Wed 16 October: Hawaii at Detroit (cancelled)
- Wed 23 October: Detroit at Houston (cancelled)
- Wed 30 October: Detroit at Jacksonville (cancelled)
- Wed 6 November: New York at Detroit (cancelled)
- Wed 13 November: Philadelphia at Detroit (cancelled)