Will Birmingham play in the North American Football League?
March 5, 1987
Charles O. Finley announces his plan for a new professional football league. The
North American Football League would be created by merging the Canadian Football
League with nine new teams located in the United States. Finley named Birmingham,
New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Memphis, Phoenix, Jacksonville, and
Dallas-Fort Worth as potential candidates for the U.S. franchises.
| |
 |
| |
Charles O. Finley |
| |
|
Finley, a native of Birmingham, plans to own the Chicago team and will name them
the Indians. He owned the Southern League's
Birmingham Athletics and is a former owner of Major League Baseball's
Oakland Athletics. Some of the other owners could be former owners of
United States Football League teams.
With U.S. and Canadian divisions, an interlocking schedule could be played with
possibly a Canadian-U.S. showdown for the championship. The season could run
from late June to late November to avoid viewer competition with the National
Football League.
"I'm confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that if we get a TV contract, the
Canadian Football League will be very happy, extremely happy, to get in bed with
us," Finley said.
However, the CFL officials dismiss the merger talk, but concede that anything is
possible for the right amount of money. CFL spokesman John Laboni said, "Right
now the idea of a merger is a dead issue. But if Finley came up with a $20
million (television) contract and offered it to us, we'd have to take a good
look at it." The current CFL commissioner says the CFL "intends to operate in
its present format and if any expansion takes place, it will occur within the
boundaries of Canada."
The CFL's former television contract, which provided $11 million yearly, has
expired and this year's agreement is expected to bring in less than $4 million.
"We have already done our homework. We know what the Canadian Football League
needs. We know what their TV contract is worth now; peanuts. If we went out and
put a lucrative TV contract in front of them, what do you think they would do?
I'll tell you what they'd do. They'd be kissing both sides of my cheeks," Finley
said.
However, Finley has already approached ABC, the USA Network, Turner Broadcasting
System, and Fox Network. None have expressed much interest at this point. Jim
Zrake, USA Network's vice-president of production said, "I don't think too many
of our subscribers are interested in seeing two Canadian teams playing under
Canadian rules."
April 13, 1987
Finley is confident that Birmingham will be the home of a North American
Football League franchise. "Birmingham's going to be in a third pro football
league. You can believe that," Finley said. No local ownership has been found
but Finley claims to have had talks with potential owners.
Some details have been changed, however, such as the idea to merge with the CFL.
Plans still call for a 1988 inaugural season. When asked why the NAFL will
succeed where the
United States Football League just failed, Finley said, "It didn't have
Charlie Finley in back of it. That's the big thing. This league will. I didn't
spend 20 years in baseball and win five division championships in a row and
three World Championships in a row without learning something. I wasn't in hockey three years
without learning anything. I wasn't in basketball two years without learning
anything. I'm the only individual who ever owned three professional sports teams at
one time; hockey, baseball, and basketball. I'm in the process of developing
this league. You'll hear more about it. We'll have individual owners with deep
pockets. They'll have staying power." Finley has owned the Athletics, the
National Hockey League's California Golden Seals and the American Basketball
Association's Memphis Tams.
Epilogue
In 2004, former United States Football League executive director Steve Ehrhart was reported
as saying the National Football League was one reason the NAFL never came about.
"We talked about it some years ago, and actually Charlie Finley came down to
visit with me three or four times and we talked about it. But the NFL got wind of that,
and that’s one reason I think they started the
World League of American Football. In those first few years, they played in
the spring, and they used the international component. Now, I think there was a
window, but I’m not sure that we can do it. We tried to get the CFL (Canadian
Football League) to grow up and become a North American football league, but
that didn’t really take. The Arena teams have filled some of the void. Ten years
ago I was very bullish about it. But now I’m not sure any network is willing to
stand up and take the chance of angering the NFL.”
Contact Gene Crowley
Last update: May 14, 2020