Los Angeles Express
Encyclopedia
The Los Angeles Express was a team in the United States Football League
based in Los Angeles, California
. Playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, the Express competed in all three of the USFL seasons played, 1983-1985.
were awarded a USFL franchise for San Diego when the league announced its formation in 1982. However, the city refused to grant the team a lease to play at Jack Murphy Stadium
under pressure from the stadium's existing tenants—baseball's Padres
, the NFL
's Chargers
, and the NASL
's Sockers. The only other outdoor facility available in the area was Balboa Stadium
, the original home of the Chargers. However, it was a relatively antiquated facility (built in 1915) that hadn't had a major tenant since the Chargers moved into the Murph in 1967, and was now largely used by high school teams. This was an untenable situation for a team that was aspiring to be part of a major sports league.
With only eight months before the season was to start, Harmon and Daniels decided to move to Los Angeles with the league's blessing—in the process, forcing Jim Joseph, second owner of the Los Angeles USFL franchise, to move his team to Phoenix
as the Arizona Wranglers
.
, and actually matched the Los Angeles Rams' offer for him. However, Dickerson signed with the Rams, apparently because family members were skeptical about the USFL. They also signed Dan Marino
, who made some appearances on behalf of the Express before signing with the Miami Dolphins
.
Despite losing two defensive backs to knee injuries, the Express finished fifth in the league in total defense. However, a patchwork offensive line limited the team's offensive firepower; they finished last in rushing (Herschel Walker
rushed for 72 more yards than the entire Express team). They finished one game out of the playoffs.
as general manager. John Hadl was hired to coach the team. Klosterman spent an enormous amount of money assembled an impressive stable of young talent, capped off by the signing of Steve Young
, a quarterback who had played at the namesake university of his lineal ancestor, Brigham Young University
. Agent Leigh Steinberg
negotiated for Young what was then reported to be the largest professional sports contract ever signed up until that point—a 10-year deal worth over $
40 million. The payments were actually to be in the form of an annuity set up to pay him $1 million annually for the next 42 years, so the value of the contract was considerably less than stated.
The team struggled to compete with the popularity of the Rams and the Los Angeles Raiders, who had just won the Super Bowl
. Despite the all-star lineup, Southern Californians viewed the Express largely with indifference. They only drew 15,000 people per game—4,000 fewer than they drew a year earlier. On three occasions, the team drew crowds of fewer than 11,000 people. The crowds looked even smaller than that due to the cavernous size of the Coliseum, which seated almost 95,000 people at the time and was far too big for an NFL team (the Raiders had trouble filling it even in their Super Bowl year), let alone a USFL team.
In spite of its overwhelming talent and one of the league's highest payrolls, the young team struggled with adjusting to the pro game and injuries, only finishing two games over 500 at 10-8. However, this tied the Wranglers for first place in the Pacific Division. The Express won the division title on a tiebreaker, and got to play the Michigan Panthers
who had limped into the playoffs with a 4-8 record in their last 12 games since losing star WR Anthony Carter for the season, while Arizona got Jim Kelly
's red hot 13-5 Houston Gamblers
. The playoff game against the Panthers drew only 7,900 fans. As it turned out, that game was the longest in professional history—a three-overtime, 93 minute and 33 second marathon won by the Express 27-21.
The Wranglers had managed to upset the Gamblers 17-16 on a late rally. The Express should have hosted the conference championship game, but were forced to play in Arizona because the Coliseum was being readied for the 1984 Summer Olympics
. They lost to the Wranglers, 35-23.
The league couldn't fold the team because of a clause in its television contract with ABC
requiring the league to have teams in the nation's three largest markets. While ABC hadn't concerned itself with the demise of the Chicago Blitz
after the 1984 season, the league's owners feared that ABC would pull its contract if the Express were shut down—an action that would have probably killed the league. Potential buyers were scared off by the prospect of having to assume the burden of huge player contracts.
After two close losses to start the season, the injury bug bit the team hard, decimating the roster. At that point, the season turned into a complete fiasco. The Express would lose seven more games before they notched a win. The nine-game losing streak was the second-longest in league history, behind only the Wranglers' 10-game losing streak in 1983. One of those games was a 51-0 thrashing by the Denver Gold
--the largest margin of defeat in league history. The other owners had decided to run the Express on a shoestring budget until another owner could be found, and were resistant to allow more money for signing replacements. Even with these measures, the Express nearly missed one game when the bus driver's check bounced and he refused to drive them to the Coliseum. Young and other players chipped in enough money to make up the difference, and the driver took them to the game. Young had to play this game at running back because the Express didn't have any healthy running backs. The young Express players suspected that either the league or the team wouldn't be around for the planned move to the fall in 1986. With this in mind, they played tentatively, fearing injuries that might diminish their future NFL prospects.
Attendance continued to plummet; they only drew 8,500 fans per game. League Commissioner Harry Usher
was under fire to find an owner and "fix" the Express problem. Desperate for a solution, the commissioner had the team try a smaller stadium for its final home game—Shephard Stadium on the campus of Los Angeles Pierce College
, a junior college
in the San Fernando Valley
. The stadium was expanded to 16,000-person capacity for the game. Usher and the league owners hoped if the game did well they might have some ammunition to land a potential owner, but the game was still not a sellout as only 8,200 actually attended to see Young and the Express lose 21-10 to Doug Williams and the Arizona Outlaws
. While this was double what the Express had drawn for their previous two home games at the Coliseum, the experiment was so embarrassing that Usher nearly lost his job. The team's final record was 3-15, dead last in the league.
Unable to find a new owner for the Express, the league announced the team would suspend operations for the 1986 season. However, many of the very issues that plagued the Express in 1985 made it very likely the team would not have returned even if the league had succeeded in winning a large payoff from the NFL to finance a move to the fall. Additionally, the Express would have had to compete against two NFL teams.
career in the NFL, and still receiving $1,000,000 a year from an annuity purchased by a team in a league that hasn't played a down of football in a quarter-century. Presumably, the annuity will continue to pay him until 2026.
|1983 || 8 || 10 || 0 || 2nd Pacific || --
|-
|1984 || 10 || 8 || 0 || 1st WC Pacific || Won Quarterfinal (Michigan
)
Lost Semifinal (Arizona
)
|-
|1985 || 3 || 15 || 0 || 7th WC || --
|-
!Totals || 22 || 34 || 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...
based in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, the Express competed in all three of the USFL seasons played, 1983-1985.
Pre-history
Cable television pioneers Alan Harmon and Bill DanielsBill Daniels
Robert W. "Bill" Daniels was a pioneer in the cable television industry, commonly known as the "Father of Cable Television". He was an owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and a founder of the United States Football League ....
were awarded a USFL franchise for San Diego when the league announced its formation in 1982. However, the city refused to grant the team a lease to play at Jack Murphy Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
under pressure from the stadium's existing tenants—baseball's Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
's Sockers. The only other outdoor facility available in the area was Balboa Stadium
Balboa Stadium
Balboa Stadium is a football and soccer stadium located in San Diego, California. The original stadium was built in 1914 as part of the many buildings erected for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition located in Balboa Park. Originally called City Stadium, and designed by the Quayle Brothers...
, the original home of the Chargers. However, it was a relatively antiquated facility (built in 1915) that hadn't had a major tenant since the Chargers moved into the Murph in 1967, and was now largely used by high school teams. This was an untenable situation for a team that was aspiring to be part of a major sports league.
With only eight months before the season was to start, Harmon and Daniels decided to move to Los Angeles with the league's blessing—in the process, forcing Jim Joseph, second owner of the Los Angeles USFL franchise, to move his team to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
as the Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
.
1983 Season
The Express made a serious run at Eric DickersonEric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former professional running back in the National Football League who in his career played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.-College career:...
, and actually matched the Los Angeles Rams' offer for him. However, Dickerson signed with the Rams, apparently because family members were skeptical about the USFL. They also signed Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, who made some appearances on behalf of the Express before signing with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Despite losing two defensive backs to knee injuries, the Express finished fifth in the league in total defense. However, a patchwork offensive line limited the team's offensive firepower; they finished last in rushing (Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
rushed for 72 more yards than the entire Express team). They finished one game out of the playoffs.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Game site | Record | TV Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun. Mar. 6, 1983 | New Jersey Generals New Jersey Generals The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition... |
W 20-15 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 1-0 | ABC 3:00pm EDT | 32,008 |
| 2 | Mon. Mar. 14, 1983 | Washington Federals | W 20-3 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 2-0 | ESPN 9:00pm EDT | 22,453 |
| 3 | Sat. Mar. 19, 1983 | at Arizona Wranglers Arizona Wranglers The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:... |
L 14-21 | Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass... |
2-1 | No Tv 9:30pm EDT | 29,335 |
| 4 | Sun. Mar. 27, 1983 | at Chicago Blitz Chicago Blitz The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :... |
L 14-20 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
2-2 | ABC 1:30pm EDT | 10,936 |
| 5 | Sun. Apr. 3, 1983 | 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:... |
W 10-7 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 3-2 | ABC 4:00pm EDT | 17,139 |
| 6 | Sun. Apr. 10, 1983 | Philadelphia Stars Philadelphia Stars Philadelphia Stars may refer to:* Philadelphia Stars , a baseball team in the Negro Leagues from 1933 to 1952* Philadelphia Stars , a football team in the USFL in 1983-84, after which they became the Baltimore Stars for their final season in 1985... |
L 3-17 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 3-3 | ABC 4:00pm EDT | 18,671 |
| 7 | Mon. Apr. 18, 1983 | at 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.... |
W 18-13 | Tampa Stadium | 4-3 | ESPN 9:00pm EDT | 32,223 |
| 8 | Sat. Apr. 23, 1983 | at Michigan Panthers Michigan Panthers The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982.... |
L 24-34 | Pontiac 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... |
4-4 | ESPN 8:00pm EDT | 13,184 |
| 9 | Sun. May. 1, 1983 | Chicago Blitz Chicago Blitz The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :... |
L 17-38 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 4-5 | ABC 4:00pm EDT | 21,123 |
| 10 | Sat. May. 7, 1983 | Boston Breakers Boston Breakers Boston Breakers are an American professional soccer club based in Boston, Massachusetts which participate in Women's Professional Soccer. They replace the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's United Soccer Association, as the Boston area's professional women's soccer team... |
W 23-20 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 5-5 | ESPN 7:00pm EDT | 16,307 |
| 11 | Sat. May. 14, 1983 | at 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... |
L 20-35 | Legion Field Legion Field Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak... |
5-6 | ESPN 8:00pm EDT | 42,212 |
| 12 | Sun. May. 22, 1983 | at 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... |
W 14-10 | 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... |
6-6 | ABC 3:00pm EDT | 32,963 |
| 13 | Sun. May. 29, 1983 | at 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:... |
L 10-20 | Oakland-Alameda Coliseum | 6-7 | ABC 4:00pm EDT | 28,967 |
| 14 | Sun. Jun. 5, 1983 | Arizona Wranglers Arizona Wranglers The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:... |
W 17-13 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 7-7 | ABC 4:00pm EDT | 13,826 |
| 15 | Sun. Jun. 12, 1983 | Michigan Panthers Michigan Panthers The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982.... |
L 17-42 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 7-8 | ABC 4:00pm EDT | 16,023 |
| 16 | Fri. Jun. 17, 1983 | at New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
L 13-20 | Giants Stadium Giants Stadium Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to... |
7-9 | No TV 8:00pm EDT | 31,807 |
| 17 | Sun. Jun. 26, 1983 | at Washington Federals | L 21-28 | RFK Stadium | 7-10 | ABC 1:30pm EDT | 9,792 |
| 18 | Sun. Jul. 3, 1983 | 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... |
W 21-14 | LA Memorial Coliseum | 8-10 | ABC 4:00pm EDT | 11,471 |
1984 Season
Billionaire investor and vacuum cleaner salesman J. William Oldenburg bought the team and hired veteran executive Don KlostermanDon Klosterman
Donald Clement Klosterman was one of professional football's most accomplished executives, building teams in three different leagues after a serious accident ended his playing career as a quarterback and left his legs partially paralyzed...
as general manager. John Hadl was hired to coach the team. Klosterman spent an enormous amount of money assembled an impressive stable of young talent, capped off by the signing of Steve Young
Steve Young
Steve Young is an American football quarterback.Steve Young may also refer to:*Steve Young , country music singer, songwriter and guitarist*Steve Young , industrial rock music songwriter and guitarist...
, a quarterback who had played at the namesake university of his lineal ancestor, Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. Agent Leigh Steinberg
Leigh Steinberg
Leigh William Steinberg is an American sports agent and sports lawyer. His client list has included Steve Bartkowski, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Kordell Stewart, Jeff George, Ben Roethlisberger, Myron Rolle, Matt Leinart, Mark Brunell, Ricky Williams,...
negotiated for Young what was then reported to be the largest professional sports contract ever signed up until that point—a 10-year deal worth over $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
40 million. The payments were actually to be in the form of an annuity set up to pay him $1 million annually for the next 42 years, so the value of the contract was considerably less than stated.
The team struggled to compete with the popularity of the Rams and the Los Angeles Raiders, who had just won the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
. Despite the all-star lineup, Southern Californians viewed the Express largely with indifference. They only drew 15,000 people per game—4,000 fewer than they drew a year earlier. On three occasions, the team drew crowds of fewer than 11,000 people. The crowds looked even smaller than that due to the cavernous size of the Coliseum, which seated almost 95,000 people at the time and was far too big for an NFL team (the Raiders had trouble filling it even in their Super Bowl year), let alone a USFL team.
In spite of its overwhelming talent and one of the league's highest payrolls, the young team struggled with adjusting to the pro game and injuries, only finishing two games over 500 at 10-8. However, this tied the Wranglers for first place in the Pacific Division. The Express won the division title on a tiebreaker, and got to play the Michigan Panthers
Michigan Panthers
The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982....
who had limped into the playoffs with a 4-8 record in their last 12 games since losing star WR Anthony Carter for the season, while Arizona got Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
's red hot 13-5 Houston Gamblers
Houston Gamblers
The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons...
. The playoff game against the Panthers drew only 7,900 fans. As it turned out, that game was the longest in professional history—a three-overtime, 93 minute and 33 second marathon won by the Express 27-21.
The Wranglers had managed to upset the Gamblers 17-16 on a late rally. The Express should have hosted the conference championship game, but were forced to play in Arizona because the Coliseum was being readied for the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. They lost to the Wranglers, 35-23.
Offseason disaster
The bubble burst for the Express in 1985. Largely due to poor attendance, Oldenburg had lost a reported $15 million on the team in 1984 despite their significant improvement on the field that year. The league got a rude shock midway through the season when several of Oldenburg's financial dealings in other areas caught up with him. He had tried to sell the team after the 1984 season, but was delayed when a savings and loan sued him for breach of contract. He was eventually cleared to sell the team, but by that time he couldn't find a buyer. Oldenburg turned the team over to the league.The league couldn't fold the team because of a clause in its television contract with ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
requiring the league to have teams in the nation's three largest markets. While ABC hadn't concerned itself with the demise of the Chicago Blitz
Chicago Blitz
The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :...
after the 1984 season, the league's owners feared that ABC would pull its contract if the Express were shut down—an action that would have probably killed the league. Potential buyers were scared off by the prospect of having to assume the burden of huge player contracts.
1985 Season
As bad as the situation with the Blitz had been for the league in 1984, the Express were even worse in 1985. Not only did the Express' roster costs dwarf Chicago's due to the large contracts, but the league had contracted in the off-season and there were only 13 other teams to contribute to supporting the Express.After two close losses to start the season, the injury bug bit the team hard, decimating the roster. At that point, the season turned into a complete fiasco. The Express would lose seven more games before they notched a win. The nine-game losing streak was the second-longest in league history, behind only the Wranglers' 10-game losing streak in 1983. One of those games was a 51-0 thrashing by 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...
--the largest margin of defeat in league history. The other owners had decided to run the Express on a shoestring budget until another owner could be found, and were resistant to allow more money for signing replacements. Even with these measures, the Express nearly missed one game when the bus driver's check bounced and he refused to drive them to the Coliseum. Young and other players chipped in enough money to make up the difference, and the driver took them to the game. Young had to play this game at running back because the Express didn't have any healthy running backs. The young Express players suspected that either the league or the team wouldn't be around for the planned move to the fall in 1986. With this in mind, they played tentatively, fearing injuries that might diminish their future NFL prospects.
Attendance continued to plummet; they only drew 8,500 fans per game. League Commissioner 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...
was under fire to find an owner and "fix" the Express problem. Desperate for a solution, the commissioner had the team try a smaller stadium for its final home game—Shephard Stadium on the campus of Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Pierce College, also known as Pierce College, Pierce, is a community college that serves more than 23,000 students in the northern Chalk Hills of Woodland Hills, a community within the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.The college began with 70 students...
, a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. The stadium was expanded to 16,000-person capacity for the game. Usher and the league owners hoped if the game did well they might have some ammunition to land a potential owner, but the game was still not a sellout as only 8,200 actually attended to see Young and the Express lose 21-10 to Doug Williams and the Arizona Outlaws
Arizona Outlaws
The Arizona Outlaws were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They were owned by Fresno banker and real estate agent William Tatham, Sr., who had briefly owned the Portland Thunder of the World Football League.- 1984 Oklahoma...
. While this was double what the Express had drawn for their previous two home games at the Coliseum, the experiment was so embarrassing that Usher nearly lost his job. The team's final record was 3-15, dead last in the league.
Unable to find a new owner for the Express, the league announced the team would suspend operations for the 1986 season. However, many of the very issues that plagued the Express in 1985 made it very likely the team would not have returned even if the league had succeeded in winning a large payoff from the NFL to finance a move to the fall. Additionally, the Express would have had to compete against two NFL teams.
Aftermath
After trying all season, Steve Young was finally able to buy his way out of the USFL. He went on to a Hall of FamePro 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...
career in the NFL, and still receiving $1,000,000 a year from an annuity purchased by a team in a league that hasn't played a down of football in a quarter-century. Presumably, the annuity will continue to pay him until 2026.
Single season leaders
- Rushing Yards: 830 (1984), Kevin Nelson
- Receiving Yards: 889 (1984), Jojo Townsell
- Passing Yards: 2361 (1984), Steve Young
Season-by-season
|-|1983 || 8 || 10 || 0 || 2nd Pacific || --
|-
|1984 || 10 || 8 || 0 || 1st WC Pacific || Won Quarterfinal (Michigan
Michigan Panthers
The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982....
)
Lost Semifinal (Arizona
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
)
|-
|1985 || 3 || 15 || 0 || 7th WC || --
|-
!Totals || 22 || 34 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
Trivia
- One last-ditch marketing move by the Express just before the league folded was a solicitiation to students at USCUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(located adjacent to the Coliseum) of season passes for $100.
- The Chief Operating OfficerChief operating officerA Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
of the Express was former NFL star Fred "Curly" Morrison.
- The "LAX" pun from the team's pseudo-initials would later be utilized by the Los Angeles XtremeLos Angeles XtremeThe Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. The team played its home games in the Los Angeles...
of the XFLXFLThe XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
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- While playing for the Express, Steve Young became the first quarterback in professional football history to pass for 300+ yards and rush for 100+ yards in a single game.