But attendance had bottomed out by then (as low as 295 for one game), and new owner John Tuschuman moved the team to South Dakota before the end of the third season. Bandits players and coaches from last season are relocating to Memphis. He died in May 1986. Thats why I think the casual fan will love it, said former Bucs kicker Martin Gramatica, who coaches both Strikers teams. Eric Truvillion lead the receivers with 1,044 yards on 70 catches and nine touchdowns. Bandits players and coaches from last season now will represent the Memphis Showboats, a franchise in the original USFL (in existence from 1983-1985) that is re-joining the league for 2023. The Tampa Bay Bandits' majority owner were Canadian businessman John Bassett (who was still in litigation against the NFL over his previous Memphis . . Fox Sports, which has a minority equity stake in the company that owns the new USFL, will serve as the leagues official broadcast partner. Note: You are reading this message either because you do not have a standards-compliant browser, or because you can not see our css files. 7 John Reaves QB 9 Zenon Andrusyshyn K-P 12 Mike Kelley QB 15 Jimmy Jordan QB 20 Tim Groves FS 21 Greg Boone RB 22 Leon Williams CB 23 George Ragsdale RB 25 Alvin Bailey SS 26 Roy Eppes S 28 Doug Beaudoin SS 29 Sam Platt RB 32 (27) Glen Edwards FS 32 Carl Franks RB 33 Jeff George CB 34 Willie Wilder RB 35 Richard . Sign up for the Bucs RedZone newsletter to get updates and analysis on the latest team and NFL news from Bucs beat writer Joey Knight. At the same time, co-owner Steve Arky's wealth was raided by the Securities and Exchange Commission on fraud charges, triggering the savings and loan crisis; Arky committed suicide not long after. With the USFL failing to win the necessary money from its antitrust lawsuit to continue operating, and suddenly without one of its most financially successful franchises, the league suspended operations the same day, never returning to play. The Breakers (2-0) will play the Birmingham Stallions in a matchup of unbeaten teams later in the day at 8 p.m. However, to gain a competitive advantage and draw attention to their teams, some owners attempted to sign more high-profile players to free agent contracts, sometimes engaging in bidding wars against more financially powerful NFL teams. He last coached in the NFL in 2018 as the offensive coordinator for Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns. The Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League ended the 1983 season with a record of 11 wins and 7 losses, finishing third in the USFL's Central Division. DeSantis strategy includes flooding zone with news, targeting conservative media, Energetic Dave Canales excited about new Bucs offense, calling plays and QB Kyle Trask, Bucs coaches believe they acquired a bit of Luck in drafting Gators QB Kyle Trask. Kansas City, accumulating a 19-26 record during that span, struggling to find offensive consistency with Matt Cassel at quarterback. Fox News Flash top headlines for April 24. While he had been by far the richest owner in the WFL, he realized that he would be one of the poorest owners in the USFL. [1] Bassett had a part-time home in the Tampa Bay Area, and when the USFL announced its twelve charter franchises in May 1982, Bassett was introduced as the majority owner of the as-yet unnamed team in Tampa along with Miami attorney Steve Arky. Always among the league leaders in attendance, the Bandits employed a daring, risky offense featuring trick plays and gimmickry. In the inaugural draft's unique format, each round is dedicated . That's when the XFL is currently slated to make its comeback after . The Bandits were a charter member of the USFL and was the only franchise to have the same principal owner (John F. Bassett), head coach (Steve Spurrier), and home field (Tampa Stadium) during the league's three seasons of play (19831985). To the contrary, Tampa Bay just might lead the nation in fledgling sports franchises. 0 Rate. ET at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. Let's analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Bandits vs. As a senior, he passed for 1,779 yards with 29 touchdowns against four interceptions. Todd Haley, who led the Bandits to a 4-6 record last spring, will coach Memphis. [5], Also building interest was the hiring of Steve Spurrier as head coach and offensive coordinator in November 1982. 3:58 p.m. Five, in our opinion, have especially flourished. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound QB has an athletic frame with excellent size and better football speed than his 40-yard dash of 4.77 suggests, getting to top speed quickly with his long strides that make him a legitimate dual-threat nightmare for defenders. 1) De'Andre Johnson, New Jersey Generals 2) Brady White, Tampa Bay Bandits 3) J'Mar Davis-Smith, Birmingham Stallions [15] He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020. Tampa Bay Bandits quarterback John Reaves (7), under pressure from Arizona Wranglers end Karl Lorch (71), gets off a pass in the first half on March 3, 1984, at Tampa Stadium. Read More Tampa Bay Bandits quarterback Jordan Ta'amu (10) throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Maulers during the first half of a USFL football game Monday, April 18, 2022, in Birmingham, Ala . Jonathan Adams #9 of New Orleans Breakers misses the ball as Christian Campbell #7 of Tampa Bay Bandits defends in the second quarter of the game at Protective Stadium on April 24, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Getty photo / Bettmann contributor). Our main criteria for these rankings: on-field (or on-court) success, popularity and longevity. 1985: 10-8 (45,220) The Tampa Bay Bandits were one of the USFL's most entertaining teams, and the fans of Tampa embraced them. Bassett was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and staffers suspected that his illness was impairing his judgment. Market data provided by Factset. Tampa Stadium hosts the first Bandits game (FOX 13 / file). Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. [29] As his condition worsened, Bassett decided to sell the team. Launched originally to serve as more of a complement to the NFL than a direct competitor, the USFL helped change professional football in its short lifespan. Void in ONT. The Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team in the United States Football League (USFL) which was based in Tampa, Florida. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. [29][34], Rushing Yards: 1206 (1985), Gary Anderson, Receiving Yards: 1146 (1983), Danny Buggs, This article is about the first edition of the USFL. or redistributed. Spurrier was well known in the area as a Heisman Trophy-winning college star for the University of Florida Gators and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first starting quarterback, and had most recently spent three seasons as a record-setting offensive coordinator at Duke University before accepting his first head coaching job with the Bandits. He signed a contract with the team on November 4, 2019. The most popular franchise during the USFL's original three-year run back in the 1980s will be one of several teams in the new version of the football league, set to launch in the spring. Neutral Media. White was intercepted by Mike Stevens in the fourth quarter, and he finished the game completing just 3 of 10 passes for 34 yards and one interception. The Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League ended the 1985 season with a record of 10 wins and 8 losses, finishing fifth in the USFL's Eastern Conference. Linebacker Terrill Hanks is questionable with a hamstring . (Photo by Jamie Squire/USFL/Getty Images). Only 9,932 showed up at Raymond James Stadium for the Mutinys final game, a 2-1 loss to Columbus on Sept. 4, 2001, to cap a 4-21-2 season. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. He played at UConn during his college years and then spent five seasons in the NFL with three different teams. [3][4][5][6] Reynolds was prominently involved in the Bandits' early marketing campaigns, and the cover of the team's first media guide featured a photo of the actor wearing a Bandits jacket and trucker hat. [23], Ta'amu was signed to a reserve/future contract on January 12, 2021. The Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers will form the North Division. Initially, each team carried a 38-man active roster and a 7-man practice squad, but the rosters were increased to 40 active players and 50 total in May, 2022. . The Tampa Bay Bandits were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021. [9] Also, their memorabilia outsold that of the Buccaneers in the Tampa Bay area. Though technically an amateur team (wink, wink), were including the Bombers on this list because for decades they were the areas marquee sports entity. [22], On December 16, 2020, Ta'amu was signed to the Detroit Lions' practice squad. This came with the announcement of the creation of the Memphis Showboats. Ta'amu played at the New Mexico Military Institute for two seasons, passing for 3,014 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook. NFL. Believing that the USFL was on far stronger financial ground than the WFL ever had been, he agreed to sign on. Another key factor in the Bandits' success was the fact that there was no Major League Baseball team in Tampa at the time (the Tampa Bay Devil Rays would not debut for another decade), meaning that unlike other USFL teams, they did not have to compete with a baseball team for spectators. For the present day USFL, see, Last edited on 25 September 2022, at 13:11, "It's Spurrier: Bandits Hand over the Reins", "From Bandits to Seminoles, Burt Reynolds left a rich Tampa sports legacy", "Famed actor Burt Reynolds had many football, sports connections", The Miami News - Google News Archive Search, "Bandits Tabbed Spurrier for Plenty of Reasons", Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search, Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen- from TBO.com Sports, statscrew.com 1983 Tampa Bay Bandits Game-by-Game Results Retrieved December 30, 2018, usflsite.com 1983 USFL Season Retrieved December 30, 2018, profootballarchives.com 1983 Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL) Retrieved December 30, 2018, "Tampa Bay Bandits - USFL (United States Football League)", "1984 Tampa Bay Bandits Statistics - USFL (United States Football League)", statscrew.com 1984 Tampa Bay Bandits Game-by-Game Results Retrieved December 31, 2018, usflsite.com 1984 USFL Season Retrieved December 31, 2018, profootballarchives.com 1984 Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL) Retrieved December 31, 2018, statscrew.com 1985 Tampa Bay Bandits Game-by-Game Results Retrieved December 31, 2018, usflsite.com 1985 USFL Season Retrieved December 31, 2018, profootballarchives.com 1985 Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL) Retrieved December 30, 2018, "5 things to know about Donald Trump's foray into doomed USFL", "By its own hand, USFL will fall into oblivion", "Bassett will pull Bandits out of USFL" - St. Pete Times: April 30, 1985, "Miami lawyer kills himself in wake of ESM", Bandits lose possessions after bizarre legal action, Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search, Ocala Star-Banner - Google News Archive Search, Anonymous, "A merger of USFL teams in Jacksonville, Orlando and," upi.com, July 6, 1985. The Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League is currently playing the 2022 season with a record of 4 wins and 6 losses, placing them third in the USFL's South Division. Todd Haley, the longtime NFL coach who has been coaching high school ball in Florida, will be not only the USFL team's coach, but also their general manager. By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer. The Bandits were also successful off the field. SCORES; Day Date Opponent Score Location Venue Attendance; Sun: 3/6/1983: H: Boston Breakers Nine of the players are questionable due to illness, including starting quarterback J'Mar Smith. The team also got a former second-round NFL Draft pick in Obi Melifonwu, a safety. Share. ('92), bullpen coach for the Tampa Bay Rays (2003-05) and catching/bullpen coach for the Philadelphia Phillies (2016-17). We now go to their biggest competitors for the title, per preseason odds: the Tampa . 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