Philadelphia Bell

Last updated
Philadelphia Bell
Philadelphia Bell Helmet Logo 1975.svg
WFL Philadelphia Bell Logo.svg
Established1974
FoldedOctober 1975
Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Home field JFK Stadium (1974)
Franklin Field (1975)
Head coach Ron Waller (1974)
Willie Wood (1975)
Owner(s) John B. Kelly Jr.
John Bosacco
League World Football League
DivisionEastern
ColoursBlue & Gold   

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 in 1974 at JFK Stadium in South Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell. In 1975 the team decided to stop playing at JFK and moved its games to Franklin Field. [1]

Contents

Formation

The Bell was one of just two WFL teams that maintained the same ownership in both 1974 and 1975 (the other being Canadian millionaire John Bassett's Memphis Southmen). The group was headed by John B. Kelly Jr., a respected business and sportsman in Philadelphia and part of the well-known Kelly family, which included his sister Grace Kelly, movie star-turned-Princess of Monaco. The major money contributor behind the ownership group was John Bosacco, who came forward during the first season and took over the operations of the franchise. Bosacco believed that the WFL could survive and was instrumental in the removal of Gary Davidson as commissioner following the 1974 season.

1974 season

Led by head coach Ron Waller, the Bell appeared to be the most popular team in the fledgling league, announcing crowds of 55,534 for the home opener and 64,719 for the second home game (which was nationally televised as syndicated programming by TVS). These figures meant that, at least on the surface, the Bell were outdrawing the NFL's Eagles, who averaged 59,206 fans for their seven home games the previous autumn. [2]

However, when the Bell paid city taxes on the ticket sales two weeks later, it emerged that they had inflated the gate on a scale previously unprecedented in professional sports. The story was broken in the Philadelphia Inquirer on August 4, 1974, by columnist Frank Dolson. [3] In an apparent attempt to pique interest, the Bell had sold block tickets to several area businesses at a discount, and in turn, many of these businesses had given away the tickets for free or at reduced prices. The actual paid attendance for the home opener had been only 13,855 (rather than 55,534); and for the second game a mere 6,200 (less than 10% of the announced "64,719"). Even worse, the WFL's administrative vice president. Ted Palmquist, admitted to the Philadelphia Daily News that the league was aware of the inflating of attendance. [4] "Papergate" (as it was dubbed by the press) [5] made both the Bell and the WFL look foolish, and proved to be a debacle from which neither recovered.

After the scandal broke, attendance fell through the floor and never recovered. The Bell drew a total of only 62,126 fans— less than the supposed crowd for their second home game— for their last seven home games combined; if only paid fans for their first two games are included, the Bell drew a paltry average of 9,131 fans per game for the season. The nadir came on October 16, 1974, when only 750 fans found their way to JFK for a Wednesday night game played in a torrential downpour. [6]

On the field, the Bell were mediocre: they were led by flashy quarterback King Corcoran, who had spent most of his career in the minor leagues due to his refusal to accept a backup QB slot (Corcoran had even played under Coach Waller with the Pottstown Firebirds of the recently closed Atlantic Coast Football League). Philadelphia managed only a 9–11 mark in 1974, one game behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final playoff spot - the Bell were actually 8–11 on the field, but were awarded a win by forfeit when the Chicago Fire dissolved before they could travel to Philadelphia for the season finale.

However, at the request of WFL officials, they advanced to the playoffs anyway in place of Charlotte as the Florida Blazers could sell only 1,000 advance tickets for the first round matchup in Orlando, which was nowhere near enough for the financially troubled Hornets (who had moved from New York City in mid-season) to cover their hotel and travel expenses. The Bell, in contrast, were somewhat better financed, and could cover these expenses. They traveled to Orlando, where they lost to the Blazers, 18-3, in front of less than 10,000 fans.

Season results [7]

WeekDayDateOpponentResultAttendance
1WednesdayJuly 10, 1974 Portland Storm W 33–855,534
2WednesdayJuly 17, 1974at Houston Texans L 0–1126,227
3ThursdayJuly 25, 1974 New York Stars L 15–1764,719
4WednesdayJuly 31, 1974at Portland Storm W 25–713,757
5WednesdayAugust 7, 1974 Memphis Southmen W 46–1512,396
6WednesdayAugust 14, 1974at Chicago Fire L 29–3227,607
7WednesdayAugust 21, 1974 Southern California Sun L 28–3114,600
8WednesdayAugust 28, 1974 Detroit Wheels W 27–2315,100
9MondaySeptember 2, 1974at New York Stars L 16–246,132
10ThursdaySeptember 5, 1974at Jacksonville Sharks L 30–3417,851
11WednesdaySeptember 11, 1974 Jacksonville Sharks W 41–22 (OT)7,230
12WednesdaySeptember 18, 1974at Florida Blazers L 21–2410,417
13WednesdaySeptember 25, 1974at Hawaiians W 21–1614,497
14WednesdayOctober 2, 1974 Florida Blazers L 7–307,150
15WednesdayOctober 9, 1974 Hawaiians L 22–254,900
16WednesdayOctober 16, 1974 Shreveport Steamer L 25–30750
17WednesdayOctober 23, 1974at Southern California Sun W 45–7N/A
18WednesdayOctober 30, 1974 Chicago Fire W 37–3112,500
19WednesdayNovember 6, 1974at Birmingham Americans L 23–2622,963
20WednesdayNovember 13, 1974 Chicago Fire W 2–0 (forfeit)cancelled

Playoffs

GameDayDateOpponentResultAttendance
Quarter-finalsThursdayNovember 21, 1974at Florida Blazers L 3–189,712

1975 season

Despite the Papergate fiasco, the Bell were reckoned as one of the WFL's stronger franchises and at least had the potential to have been successful had the league been better run. Bosacco was one of only three owners, along with the Memphis Southmen's John F. Bassett and The Hawaiians' Sam Battisone, thought to be capable of fielding a team in 1975; those three teams had been the only ones to meet payroll every week of the 1974 season. [8]

As the 1975 season got underway, Coach Waller was replaced during training camp at Glassboro State University by future NFL Hall of Famer Willie Wood, [9] making him the first African-American head coach of a modern pro football team.

Even on TV, the Bell couldn't get any respect. On August 29, 1975, WTAF aired a sports doubleheader, featuring a Philadelphia Wings lacrosse match followed by the Bell's game against the Southern California Sun in Anaheim. The football game was scheduled for 10:30 pm EDT, but since the Wings game ran long, viewers missed the beginning. Bell fans would miss the end of the contest, too: WTAF abruptly cut the broadcast off with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, pleading a "prior commitment". The station then signed off for the night at 1:30 am; the game (won by the Sun, 58-39) didn't end until 2:06 am. (According to a Philadelphia Daily News story, "keeping the final six minutes of the game on TV could have cost the Bell an estimated $5,000 in telephone line charges," so the broadcast, which the club was evidently paying for, was cut off at the three-hour mark.) [10]

The Bell had a record of 4–7 in 1975 at the time of the league's dissolution. Attendance remained anemic, with the team's best-attended game at Franklin Field drawing barely 5,000 fans. After only 1,293 fans attended the Bell's October 18 contest, both the team and the WFL folded for good.

Vince Papale, the inspiration for the 2006 film Invincible , played wide receiver for the Bell for two seasons prior to his three years with the Philadelphia Eagles. [11] [12] Both Papale and King Corcoran had recently played in the Seaboard Football League, the minor league that was active at the time in the area.

Season results [13]

WeekDayDateOpponentResultAttendance
1SaturdayAugust 2, 1975 Hawaiians W 21–153,266
2SaturdayAugust 9, 1975at Birmingham Vulcans L 17–2321,000
3SaturdayAugust 16, 1975at Shreveport Steamer L 3–1012,016
4SaturdayAugust 23, 1975 Memphis Grizzlies W 22–185,051
5SaturdayAugust 29, 1975at Southern California Sun L 39–5817,811
6SaturdaySeptember 6, 1975at Charlotte Hornets L 0–1010,564
7SaturdaySeptember 13, 1975 Portland Thunder L 10–254,710
8SaturdaySeptember 20, 1975at Jacksonville Express L 10–1610,296
9SaturdayOctober 4, 1975 San Antonio Wings W 42–382,357
10SaturdayOctober 11, 1975at Hawaiians L 13–1410,789
11SaturdayOctober 18, 1975 Charlotte Hornets W 18–101,293

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Football League</span> Former American football league (1974–1975)

The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 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 league folded midway through its second season, in 1975. A new minor football league began play as the World Football League in 2008 after acquiring the rights to its trademarks and intellectual property; it folded in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memphis Southmen</span> Former American football team in the World Football League

The Memphis Southmen, also known as the Memphis Grizzlies, were an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They played in the World Football League (WFL), which operated in 1974 and 1975. They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

The Charlotte Hornets were an American football team in the short-lived professional World Football League. Despite their brief existence, the Hornets were North Carolina's first attempt at a major league football team, predating the Carolina Panthers by two decades. They were relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, from New York City in the middle of the 1974 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)</span>

The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida which competed in the World Football League in 1974. The Sharks folded during the 1974 season due to financial difficulties, and were succeeded by the Jacksonville Express which also folded when the league ceased operations during the 1975 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Americans</span> American football team

The Birmingham Americans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the four-team Central Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Americans, founded in late December 1973, played in the upstart league's inaugural season in 1974. The team was owned by William "Bill" Putnam, doing business as Alabama Football, Inc.

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, playing their home games at the Houston Astrodome. Toward the end of the season, the team relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, and became the Shreveport Steamer. They played at the 30,000-seat State Fair Stadium, now named Independence Stadium. Larry King, of future CNN fame, was one of their broadcasters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Vulcans</span>

The Birmingham Vulcans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the five-team Eastern Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Vulcans, founded in March 1975, played in the upstart league's second and final season in 1975. The team was owned by a group of Birmingham businessmen with Ferd Weil as team president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia)</span> Formerly an open-air stadium in Philadelphia

John F. Kennedy Stadium, formerly Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Sesquicentennial Stadium, was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Designed by the architectural firm of Simon & Simon in a classic 1920s style with a horseshoe seating design that surrounded a track and football field, at its peak the facility seated in excess of 102,000 people. Bleachers were later added at the open (North) end. The shape of the stadium resembles the horseshoe configuration of Harvard Stadium built in 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Winds</span> Former American football team

The Chicago Winds was the World Football League's ill-fated 1975 successor to the Chicago Fire. The team was so named because Chicago was nicknamed "The Windy City." The Winds played at Soldier Field and the team was assigned to the WFL's Western Division for 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Wheels</span> Defunct World Football League (WFL) team

The Detroit Wheels were an American football team, a charter member of the defunct World Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Thunder (WFL)</span>

The Portland Thunder was an American football team in the World Football League based out of Portland, Oregon. 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 Stars, the original New York entry's draft picks were eventually relocated to Portland. They were the first major league football team based in Portland. They played at then Civic Stadium, now known as Providence Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Papale</span> American football player (born 1946)

Vincent Francis Papale is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver. He played three seasons with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, primarily on special teams, following two seasons with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League (WFL). Papale's story was the inspiration behind the 2006 film Invincible.

<i>Invincible</i> (2006 film) 2006 film by Ericson Core

Invincible is a 2006 American biographical sports drama film directed by Ericson Core. It is based on the nonfictional story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978 with the help of his coach, Dick Vermeil. The film was released in the United States on August 25, 2006.

The 1976 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 44th in the National Football League (NFL). The Eagles were led by first-year head coach Dick Vermeil. The Eagles matched their 4–10 record from the previous season and failed to reach the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season. It was also the 10th straight season for Philadelphia in which they did not end the season with an above .500 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Corcoran</span> American football player (1943–2009)

James Sean Patrick "King" Corcoran was an American football quarterback who had a ten-year career as a journeyman in the Atlantic Coast Football League, Seaboard Football League, Midwest Football League, World Football League, and briefly in the American Football League. Corcoran played college football, mostly as a back-up, for the Maryland Terrapins. He gained notoriety for his flamboyant dress and playboy lifestyle, which earned him the reputation of being a "poor man's Joe Namath".

The Seaboard Football League was an American football minor league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded during the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent.

The 1974 World Football League season was the first season of the World Football League.

The 1975 World Football League season was the second and last season of the World Football League. The 1975 season was to be an 18-game season over a twenty-week schedule.

The 1974 WFL pro draft was the first professional draft of the World Football League (WFL). It supplemented its collegiate draft and included players from the NFL and CFL. It consisted of 480 selections in 40 rounds. Although it was expected that most of the NFL players drafted would have no intention of signing with the new league, the WFL still wanted to have the prominent NFL players future rights assigned, preventing WFL teams from competing in the signing for the same players.

James Henry "J. J." Jennings is a former American football tailback and fullback.

References

  1. ↑ Goodtimes, Johnny (July 23, 2015). "The Philadelphia Bell, Papergate, and Possibly the Most Disastrous Pro League Ever" . Retrieved 2016-10-04.
  2. ↑ [https://www.retroseasons.com/teams/philadelphia-eagles/1973/overview/ "Philadelphia Eagles 1973 Season Recap"
  3. ↑ "Bell's Attendance Isn't What It's Cracked Up to Be", by Frank Dolson, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 4, 1974, p.E-1
  4. ↑ "WFL Knew Bell Used Pads on Crowds", by Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News, August 5, 1974, p.56
  5. ↑ "Will Paper-Gate Topple President", by Frank Dolson, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 6, 1974, p.C-1 ("Washington has its Watergate. Now Philadelphia has its Paper—Gate...")
  6. ↑ "750 See Steamer Crack Bell, 30-25", by Don McKee, Philadelphia Inquirer, October 17, 1974, p.D-1
  7. ↑ "1974 World Football League Game Results" . Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  8. ↑ Marshall, Joe. World Bowl in crisis. Sports Illustrated , 1974-12-16.
  9. ↑ "WFL Head Coach", Football Digest, August 1974 issue
  10. ↑ Jasner, Phil. Wood: Bell Picture to Improve. Philadelphia Daily News, September 2, 1975, p.67
  11. ↑ Vince Papale website
  12. ↑ # 83 Vince Papale of the Bell grabs a pass
  13. ↑ "1975 World Football League Results" . Retrieved 2015-11-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.