Memphis Showboats
Encyclopedia
The Memphis Showboats were a franchise in the United States Football League
. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders
. Perhaps the most prominent player on the Showboats' roster during their two seasons of existence was future Pro Football Hall of Fame
member Reggie White
.
was awarded an expansion franchise for Memphis in July 1983. However, soon after hiring Memphis native and former college coach Pepper Rodgers
as head coach and signing a lease to play in the Liberty Bowl
, he discovered that most of his assets were tied up in a trust fund. Ultimately, he was forced to take on limited partners, then sell controlling interest to cotton magnate William Dunavant
, remaining as team president.
Despite White's play, the Showboats finished fourth in the Southern Division and missed the playoffs. Like the rest of the division, they were left far behind by the Birmingham Stallions
and Tampa Bay Bandits
. However, they were a runaway hit at the box office, and were one of the few teams whose crowds actually grew as the season progressed.
The Showboats broke through in 1985, finishing fourth in the East and earning a playoff berth. They should have traveled to Denver's Mile High Stadium
to face the Denver Gold
. However, the Gold's local support had practically vanished after the USFL announced it was moving to the fall. ABC Sports
did not want the embarrassment of showing a half-empty stadium. It forced Harry Usher
to give Memphis home-field advantage in the first round, since the Showboats had been among the league's attendance leaders once again. The Showboats thrashed the Gold 48-7 before losing to the Oakland Invaders
28-19 in the semifinals.
The Showboats seemed to have had a realistic chance to have been a viable business if the overall management of the USFL had been more realistic and financially sound. Indeed, the Showboats' stellar attendance figures made Dunavant a supporter of the USFL's move to the fall, believing that they would be very attractive to the NFL in the event of a merger. As it was, they ceased to exist, along with all other USFL franchises, when the league failed to collect significant damages in its 1986 anti-trust suit against the NFL.
In the SpongeBob SquarePants
episode "Band Geeks", the band led by Squidward Tentacles
plays at the "Bubble Bowl", during which clips of a Memphis Showboats game are shown.
A player from the Memphis Showboats appeared as a contestant on Press Your Luck
in 1985.
|1984 || 7 || 11 || 0 || 4th EC Southern || --
|-
|1985 || 11 || 7 || 0 || 3rd EC || Won Quarterfinal (Denver
)
Lost Semifinal (Oakland
)
|-
!Totals || 19 || 19 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
. Perhaps the most prominent player on the Showboats' roster during their two seasons of existence was future Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
member Reggie White
Reggie White
Reginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player. He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history...
.
History
Memphis businessman Logan YoungLogan Young
Logan Young was a Memphis, Tennessee businessman and a booster for the University of Alabama football program. In 2005, Young was found guilty in federal court for charges relating to his role in a scheme to pay a high school football coach $150,000 to help recruit a player to Alabama.- Personal...
was awarded an expansion franchise for Memphis in July 1983. However, soon after hiring Memphis native and former college coach Pepper Rodgers
Pepper Rodgers
Franklin C. "Pepper" Rodgers is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head coach at the University of Kansas , University of California, Los Angeles , and the Georgia Institute of Technology , compiling a career college football record of...
as head coach and signing a lease to play in the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is a football stadium, located at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team...
, he discovered that most of his assets were tied up in a trust fund. Ultimately, he was forced to take on limited partners, then sell controlling interest to cotton magnate William Dunavant
William Dunavant
William Dunavant, better known as Billy Dunavant is one of the leaders in the cotton industry. -Early life:Billy Dunavant was born on December 19, 1932 to William and Dorothy Dunavant. He was educated first at the McCallie School in Chattanooga, then at Vanderbilt University, and finally received...
, remaining as team president.
Despite White's play, the Showboats finished fourth in the Southern Division and missed the playoffs. Like the rest of the division, they were left far behind by the Birmingham Stallions
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field...
and Tampa Bay Bandits
Tampa Bay Bandits
The Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League . They were a charter member of the USFL and folded along with the league after the 1985 season....
. However, they were a runaway hit at the box office, and were one of the few teams whose crowds actually grew as the season progressed.
The Showboats broke through in 1985, finishing fourth in the East and earning a playoff berth. They should have traveled to Denver's Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the...
to face the Denver Gold
Denver Gold
The Denver Gold was a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second major professional football league in the United States, playing a springtime season, from 1983 to 1985...
. However, the Gold's local support had practically vanished after the USFL announced it was moving to the fall. ABC Sports
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
did not want the embarrassment of showing a half-empty stadium. It forced Harry Usher
Harry Usher
Harry Lester Usher was an American attorney who was the second and last commissioner of the United States Football League . He was also the executive vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee , which oversaw the business operations of the 1984 Summer Olympics...
to give Memphis home-field advantage in the first round, since the Showboats had been among the league's attendance leaders once again. The Showboats thrashed the Gold 48-7 before losing to the Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
28-19 in the semifinals.
The Showboats seemed to have had a realistic chance to have been a viable business if the overall management of the USFL had been more realistic and financially sound. Indeed, the Showboats' stellar attendance figures made Dunavant a supporter of the USFL's move to the fall, believing that they would be very attractive to the NFL in the event of a merger. As it was, they ceased to exist, along with all other USFL franchises, when the league failed to collect significant damages in its 1986 anti-trust suit against the NFL.
In the SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
episode "Band Geeks", the band led by Squidward Tentacles
Squidward Tentacles
Squidward Quincy Tentacles is a fictional character on the television cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Rodger Bumpass. The character is an octopus, as his name would not imply Squidward appears in 270 episodes of the series, second only to Spongebob's 305.-Personality:Unlike...
plays at the "Bubble Bowl", during which clips of a Memphis Showboats game are shown.
A player from the Memphis Showboats appeared as a contestant on Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
in 1985.
Single season leaders
- Rushing Yards: 789 (1985), Tim Spencer
- Receiving Yards: 1143 (1985), Greg Moser
- Passing Yards: 2128 (1985), Mike Kelley
Season-by-season
|-|1984 || 7 || 11 || 0 || 4th EC Southern || --
|-
|1985 || 11 || 7 || 0 || 3rd EC || Won Quarterfinal (Denver
Denver Gold
The Denver Gold was a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second major professional football league in the United States, playing a springtime season, from 1983 to 1985...
)
Lost Semifinal (Oakland
Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
)
|-
!Totals || 19 || 19 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
External links
- http://www.remembertheusfl.8m.com/teams/memphis.html
- http://www.usfl.info