 | |
| Established | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1975 |
| Based in | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Home field | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium |
| Head coach | John McVay |
| General manager | Leo Cahill |
| Owner(s) | John F. Bassett |
| League | World Football League |
| Division | Central (1974) Eastern (1975) |
| Colours | Burnt Orange and Brown |
| Nickname(s) | Grizzlies |
TheMemphis Southmen, also known as theMemphis Grizzlies, were anAmerican football team based inMemphis, Tennessee. They played in theWorld Football League (WFL), which operated in1974 and1975. They played their home games atLiberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
The team was originally slated to be based inToronto, Canada, with the nickname of theNorthmen. However, whenCanadian Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau announced that no U.S.-based professional football league would be allowed in Canada in competition with theCanadian Football League under theCanadian Football Act, a change in venue and nickname was announced.[1][2][3] From the beginning, Memphians disliked "Southmen" and the team was informally known as the Memphis Grizzlies. The name appeared to come from thelogo, a representation of a bear backed by the sun.
The "Grizzlies" were owned byJohn F. Bassett. A multi-millionaire, Bassett gave the league instant credibility by signing three stars from theNational Football League'sMiami Dolphins for the 1975 season: running backsLarry Csonka andJim Kiick, and wide receiverPaul Warfield. A Grizzlies quarterback wasDanny White, who later became a quarterback and punter with theDallas Cowboys from 1976 to 1988.John McVay was introduced as the head coach of the Grizzlies before the 1974 season. After his tenure with the Grizzlies, McVay would later serve as Vice-President and General Manager of theSan Francisco 49ers for nineteen years, from 1980 to 1999. During this period, McVay presided over five Super Bowl-winning seasons and was named NFL Executive of the Year in 1989.
The Southmen's home opener against theDetroit Wheels drew 30,122 fans, includingElvis Presley, a professed football fanatic. Country superstarCharlie Rich sang the national anthem. After Rich took his seat next to Elvis afterward, Presley commented, "That's a tough song to sing, ain't it?" Rich replied, "It ain't no 'Behind Closed Doors'."
Even before theMiami Trio arrived, the 1974 Southmen found two durable running backs inJ. J. Jennings and John Harvey, and they finished with the league's best record at 17–3. They lost in the semifinals to the Orlando-basedFlorida Blazers, 18–15.
In 1975, Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Paul Warfield finally came to Memphis (now officially dubbed the Grizzlies), but even they couldn't save the league, which folded during the middle of its second season. The 1975 Grizzlies finished 7–4; in their last WFL game, they were shut out by theBirmingham Vulcans, 21–0.
Memphis eventually not only received another professional sports team via a relocation from Canada, but one that wasofficially called the Grizzlies – theVancouver Grizzlies of theNational Basketball Association would move to Memphis in 2001. The NBA Grizzlies are the only major professional sports team to keep its nickname after moving from Canada to the United States.
In 2004, Mississippi's Johnny Wofford produced a DVD honouring the 1974–75 Southmen/Grizzlies. It included pictures from the 2004 30-year reunion conference.
The Southmen were one of the stronger and better-supported WFL franchises. With the wealth of Bassett, by far the richest owner in the WFL, behind them, the Southmen would have almost certainly been a viable venture had the WFL's overall management been more financially sound. After the WFL folded, Bassett applied for membership in theNFL as an expansion team. Over 40,000 deposits for season tickets were collected in this effort, which included a December 1975telethon dubbed the "NFL-a-Thon" on Memphistelevision stationWMC-TV Channel 5. To their dismay, the NFL refused to accept the team. McVay and many of the Southmen moved on to join theNew York Giants, where in what has been described as "the closest approximation to a meeting between the champions of the WFL and the NFL", the Southmen reinforcements helped the Giants defeat the defending Super Bowl championPittsburgh Steelers 17–0 in a 1976 preseason matchup.[4]
Still, there were fans who would not quit. A lawsuit,Mid-South Grizzlies v. NFL, tried to force the league to accept the Grizzlies. It was not settled until 1984, by which time Bassett owned theTampa Bay Bandits of theUnited States Football League and the case was rendered moot.
Long after Presley's death in 1977, his estate was involved in an attempt to bring the NFL to Memphis; theMemphis Hound Dogs proposal ultimately lost (professional football would eventually come to the city in 1995 in the form of theCanadian Football League'sMad Dogs, which Presley's estate had no involvement with; the team folded after that single season).
The NFL'sTennessee Oilers (newly relocated from Houston) played their1997 season in Memphis before making their permanent home in Nashville.
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| Key: | Win | Loss | Bye |
| Week[5] | Day | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wednesday | July 10, 1974 | Detroit Wheels | W 34–15 | 30,122 |
| 2 | Thursday | July 18, 1974 | Portland Storm | W 16–8 | 31,088 |
| 3 | Wednesday | July 24, 1974 | atBirmingham Americans | L 33–58 | 61,319 |
| 4 | Thursday | August 1, 1974 | Southern California Sun | W 25–15 | 25,175 |
| 5 | Wednesday | August 7, 1974 | atPhiladelphia Bell | L 15–46 | 12,396 |
| 6 | Wednesday | August 14, 1974 | atDetroit Wheels | W 37–7 | 14,424 |
| 7 | Wednesday | August 21, 1974 | Hawaiians | W 60–8 | 25,123 |
| 8 | Wednesday | August 28, 1974 | atFlorida Blazers | W 26–18 | 15,746 |
| 9 | Monday | September 2, 1974 | atJacksonville Sharks | W 16–13 | 22,169 |
| 10 | Saturday | September 7, 1974 | Houston Texans | W 45–0 | 15,291 |
| 11 | Wednesday | September 11, 1974 | Birmingham Americans | W 46–7 | 30,675 |
| 12 | Wednesday | September 18, 1974 | atChicago Fire | W 25–7 | 26,678 |
| 13 | Wednesday | September 25, 1974 | atShreveport Steamer | W 17–3 | 21,357 |
| 14 | Wednesday | October 2, 1974 | Jacksonville Sharks | W 47–19 | 15,016 |
| 15 | Wednesday | October 9, 1974 | atCharlotte Hornets | W 27–23 | 25,133 |
| 16 | Wednesday | October 16, 1974 | Florida Blazers | W 25–15 | 15,334 |
| 17 | Thursday | October 24, 1974 | atPortland Storm | L 25–26 | 13,228 |
| 18 | Wednesday | October 30, 1974 | atHawaiians | W 33–31 | 20,544 |
| 19 | Thursday | November 7, 1974 | Chicago Fire | W 49–24 | 14,085 |
| 20 | Wednesday | November 13, 1974 | Charlotte Hornets | W 28–22 | 13,339 |
| Game | Day | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinals | BYE | ||||
| Semifinals | Friday | November 29, 1974 | Florida Blazers | L 15–18 | 9,692 |
| Week[6] | Day | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday | August 2, 1975 | Jacksonville Express | W 27–26 | 25,166 |
| 2 | Sunday | August 9, 1975 | Charlotte Hornets | W 23–11 | 19,729 |
| 3 | Sunday | August 23, 1975 | atPhiladelphia Bell | L 18–22 | 5,051 |
| 4 | Sunday | August 30, 1975 | Chicago Winds | W 31–7 | 21,515 |
| 5 | Sunday | September 7, 1975 | Hawaiians | W 37–17 | 15,132 |
| 6 | Sunday | September 14, 1975 | Shreveport Steamer | W 34–23 | 18,003 |
| 7 | Sunday | September 21, 1975 | atPortland Thunder | W 16–3 | 14,818 |
| 8 | Sunday | September 28, 1975 | atSan Antonio Wings | L 17–25 | 16,283 |
| 9 | Sunday | October 5, 1975 | Southern California Sun | W 37–33 | 18,129 |
| 10 | Sunday | October 12, 1975 | Birmingham Vulcans | L 14–18 | 20,192 |
| 11 | Sunday | October 19, 1975 | atBirmingham Vulcans | L 0–21[7] | 35,000 |