Hello Philadelphia Bell & WFL friends...

Introduce Yourself

Posts: 1
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 8:24 pm
PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2011 10:52 pm
Hi everyone from the land of liberty and freedom,

My name is Chuck Gardner, who has been a World Football League enthusiast since I was a young lad of seventeen. Back in 1985, 10 years after the WFL passed away, but never forgotten at least with us WFLers, I was in Art class one day rummaging through a ton of old Sport Magazines (I wish I had taken more when I had the chance, heh-heh) I came upon a strange Game World program that said on the upper right corner: "Stars vs. Portland Storm."

I was like, "what the heck is that???" "Stars versus who???"

When I was 12, in 1980 folks, I collected baseball & football cards like most boys do at that ripe age and I was always mystified whenever I saw a card of, say Chuck Ramsey then a Jet, and Calvin Hill at the twilight of his career with the Browns and seeing "Chicago WFL" and "Hawaiians WFL." respectively on the back of the card. I initially thought it was a typo or that the NFL had briefly flirted with a minor league outfit. How wrong I was.

When I asked my art teacher about the Game World program, he (can't remember his name, sorry) told me it was from an old pro football league called the World Football League and it had a team in New York for half-a-season before they moved (he didn't remember where). He saw a couple of games, the other might have been Jacksonville or Houston, I don't know. I didn't ask him. Oh well.

From what I remember, he couldn't see much action after the first quarter because the lighting at Downing Stadium on Randalls Island was too poor. The fans were into the game as it was pretty noisy.

At that point, the WFL piqued my interest which turned into an obsession and a healthy and fascinating journey (perhaps my best trip, literally, was going to Birmingham, Alabama, meeting fellow WFL enthusiast, Greg Allred, and going to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and seeing in person, that Holy Grail: the World Bowl 1974 championship trophy, ahhhh, what a treasure.). I don't mind fussing over that brief World, even after most of my friends and girlfriends, past and present, think I'm nuts. I don't care what they or anyone else thinks. I love the WFL and I am happy that it happened although I wish it had been successful and not the colossal failure it turned out to be, unfortunately.

I was just six years old at the time the New York Stars played and I didn't get into pro football, NFL that is, until 1977. By then the gold and orange palomino had passed into history.

Since then, I got to email and reply to some great WFL fans. Perhaps the greatest fan of all is Richie Franklin, who I believe wholeheartedly is the number one WFL fan. I wish I had attended those Charlotte Hornets' reunions and the other WFL reunions, but fate and timing was not on my side.

I also got to email with some of the nicest people on the planet, including Richie, Greg Allred, Jim Cusano, Bob Rush of those amazing Florida Blazers (the real World Bowl MVP's in my opinion), and King Corcoran's son Jimmy, and former Memphis Southmen/Hawaiians and CFL great, Dick Thornton. Truly lovely people. If I forgot any other WFLers, please forgive me. At 43, I've been a busy bee and my memory is not as sharp as it was in my teens and twenties (lol).

Thank you Bob Cooper and The Philadelphia Bell and Richie for letting me join this wonderful site. I will do my very best to stay on top and keep this site fun, positive and engaging. Thank you again WFL fans, players, coaches and other survivors of the league that sought to be a global pro gridiron. It might not have turned out that way, but the memories of those golden days and diamond nights (ala Ray Manzarek of the Doors lyric from Full Circle, the post-Morrison final album, Get Up and Dance) of the WFL, circa 1974-1975, will live on for all eternity.

With fondness sincerity,

Chuck Gardner
WFL fan for life

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