- 1983
- 1984
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Blitz Team Formation
The Blitz was one of the twelve charter franchises of the USFL. The owner was originally slated to be J. Walter Duncan, an Oklahoma oil magnate who had grown up in Chicago. However, league founder David Dixon persuaded Duncan to take on ownership of the New York City franchise–what became the New Jersey Generals–after its original owner, Donald Trump, pulled ... -
Franchise Swap with Arizona
As it turned out, Arizona Wranglers owner Jim Joseph had lost almost as much money as Diethrich and was looking to sell the Wranglers. Diethrich was willing to take over in Arizona, provided that he keeps Allen and the NFL veteran-loaded roster that he had assembled a year earlier. Joseph readily agreed. Soon afterward, Diethrich found a buyer for the ...
History of the Blitz
The Chicago Blitz was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.
The Blitz was one of the twelve charter franchises of the USFL. The owner was originally slated to be J. Walter Duncan, an Oklahoma oil magnate who had grown up in Chicago. However, league founder David Dixon persuaded Duncan to take on ownership of the New York City franchise–what became the New Jersey Generals–after its original owner, Donald Trump, pulled out.
With Duncan's withdrawal, legendary NFL coach George Allen and Southern California developer Bill Harris applied for the vacant Chicago franchise. A search for capital led them to renowned heart surgeon Dr. Ted Diethrich, who had originally expressed interest in a franchise for his hometown of Phoenix. Allen and Diethrich had been friends since the 1970s when Diethrich gave a talk on heart disease to Allen's Washington Redskins. However, he agreed to join Allen and Harris' group in return for controlling interest. Diethrich served as president, with Harris as executive vice president and Allen as chairman of the board and head coach.
Established
1983
City
Chicago
League History
1983 – 1984 / United States Football League
Team History
1983 – 1984 / Chicago Blitz
Nickname
Blitz – Blitz the QB, a strategy used by a defensive unit in which they will have a player other than a member of the defensive line attempt to pressure the quarterback.
Original USFL Team
Yes
Final USFL Team
No
Team’s Final Outlook
This resulted in one of the most unusual transactions in sports history. Diethrich sold the Blitz to fellow surgeon James Hoffman, then bought the Wranglers from Joseph. Hoffman and Diethrich then engineered a swap of assets in which George Allen, the Blitz coaching staff and most of the Blitz players moved to Phoenix while most of the Wranglers roster moved to Chicago.
Championship
USFL Championship 0
Stadium
1983 – 1984 / Soldier Field
Owner
1984 / Dr. James Hoffman and United States Football League
1983 / Dr. Ted Diethrich
Coaches
1984 / Marv Levy (5 wins – 13 losses)
1983 / George Allen (12 wins – 7 losses)
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Accomplishments
1983 / Divisional Championship Game (vs Philadelphia Stars 38 – 44 OT)
Averaged 18,133 in 1983 and 7,455 in 1984 fans (65,720 seat stadium)
*Blue is this team’s history