WFL 1973: A Big Idea and a Lot of Questions

This article collects articles from the fall of 1973, when the World Football League was first announced. News clippings highlight the uncertainty of the newly-proposed league. Would it find a foothold, or even take the field, as it challenged the NFL? Thirteen years earlier the American Football League had found a market for more football, particularly in growing cities like Denver, Oakland, and San Diego that were left out of the NFL profile. They would battle for players, television coverage, and respect for 7 years before the NFL and AFL agreed to a merger. Now, the WFL, only 3 years after Joe Namath's upset win by the Jets helped truly join the AFL and NFL, would take its shot at finding space in the American sports scene. These articles, and those to follow, will outline how the league came to be, it's missteps, false starts, and resilience. We start with Sport Magazine and the initial announcement of the league as yet another Gary Davidson "crazy idea".

Just a reminder that this is an alternative history of the WFL. It will diverge (early and often) from the reality of the league's 1.5 years of play. Don't be surprised if some facts and events are altered, and, of course, all the "articles" posted here are ficticious. This is purely an exercise in "what ifs" and "what could have beens". So, my apologies in advance if I delete something about the WFL that you love, or if my vision feels too fanciful. It's a passion project, and a hobby, not an attempt at academically rigorous historical analysis.

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