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{{Short description|American football team (1975)}} |
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'''San Antonio Wings''' came from the ashes of the old Florida Blazers in the ]. The Blazers had played the 1974 season in ] and was coached by Jack Pardee, a star linebacker who had played for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, and Chicago Bears. Pardee brought the Blazers one point away from winning the World Bowl championship. He relocated to Chicago to become head coach of the Chicago Bears while the Blazers were relocated to ] and were renamed the Wings before the WFL 1975 season. |
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{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}} |
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{{Infobox American football team |
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| name = San Antonio Wings |
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| logo =San Antonio Wings Logo.png |
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| helmet = |
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| uniform = |
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| established = January 1975 |
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| suspended = |
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| folded = October 1975 |
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| location = ], ] |
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| field = ] (25,000) |
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| colours = Sky Blue & Cloud Silver<br>{{color box|#0072CE}} {{color box|#8D9093}} |
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| nickname = |
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| coach = ] |
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| manager = Duncan McCauley |
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| owner = Norman Bevan |
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| mascot = |
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| league = ] |
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| division = Western |
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| league_champ_type = ] wins |
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| league_champs = |
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| div_champs = |
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| website = |
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}} |
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The '''San Antonio Wings''' were an American football team who played a single season in the ] in 1975. The team started as the ] in 1974, then moved to ] in 1975, becoming the San Antonio Wings. |
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==History== |
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The old Blazers, who had played their home games in ] at what was then the ]. Its 1975 San Antonio Wings would play their games at ]. |
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The Florida Blazers never drew well, leading team owner ] to openly discuss moving the team to ] in the middle of the 1974 season. The players and coaches were not paid for three months. Shortly after the Blazers' defeat in the ], Loudd was arrested on tax evasion<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SLISAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5154,2866866&dq=rommie+loudd|title=Orlando Boss Faces Charges|date=December 23, 1974|work=Spokane Daily Chronicle|accessdate=June 13, 2009}}</ref> and cocaine trafficking charges.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/611396872.html?dids=611396872:611396872&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Mar+11%2C+1975&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Ex-GM+in+WFL+charged+in+drug+ring&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021003522/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/611396872.html?dids=611396872:611396872&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Mar+11,+1975&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Ex-GM+in+WFL+charged+in+drug+ring&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |title=Ex-GM in WFL charged in drug ring |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=March 11, 1975 |accessdate=June 12, 2009}}</ref> He was convicted on the latter charge and served three years in prison.<ref name="newspapers6749">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kB8MAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c10DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6749,3101628&dq=rommie+loudd|title=State Drops Charges Against Jailed Loudd|date=July 20, 1976|work=St. Petersburg Times|accessdate=June 13, 2009}}</ref> He was also sentenced to two years in prison for possession and distribution of cocaine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/957456852.html?dids=957456852:957456852&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Mar+09%2C+1976&author=&pub=The+Hartford+Courant&desc=Loudd+Gets+Two+Years+For+Cocaine+Possession&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021003536/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/957456852.html?dids=957456852:957456852&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Mar+09,+1976&author=&pub=The+Hartford+Courant&desc=Loudd+Gets+Two+Years+For+Cocaine+Possession&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |title=Loudd Gets Two Years For Cocaine Possession |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=March 9, 1976 |accessdate=June 12, 2009}}</ref> |
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The Blazers were one of two teams, the other being the ], to outright fold after 1974 with no direct replacement in their markets in 1975 (not counting teams that moved midseason). Only one ] would be added, with Norman Bevan buying the franchise rights and establishing a team in San Antonio. |
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Before the 1974 season had even started, the franchise had originally been planned to play as the ] area WFL team. E. Joseph Wheeler bought the rights to the Washington, D.C. territory he first called the team the Capitols, then briefly the Americans, before finally naming the franchise Washington Ambassadors had been owned by E. Joseph Wheeler. But from the start, Wheeler had a tough time trying to obtain a lease at R.F.K. Stadium, home of the NFL Washington Redskins, circa 1974. He investigated other cities, including Annapolis, or Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia. In mid-April 1974, Wheeler moved the club out of the Capitol to Norfolk. He renamed the team the Virginia Ambassadors. |
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The new Wings were restocked with an ] but retained 16 former Blazers, including running back ] and tight end Luther Palmer. ], a linebacker on the 1974 Blazers, retired but joined the Wings' coaching staff. The team's head coach was ], a former head coach at ] and a former NFL assistant coach; Blazers coach Jack Pardee, who wanted nothing more to do with the WFL, returned to the NFL during the offseason. |
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{{Amfootball-stub}} |
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Quarterback ], a relic from the old ] who had spent most of the early 1970s bouncing around NFL ]s, led the ] in passing in 1975. The Wings held their home games at ], which seated 25,000. San Antonio finished with a 7-6 record (winning all seven home games and losing all six road games) before the league folded on October 22, 1975. |
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] |
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] |
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===1975 regular season<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wflfootball.tripod.com/1975/results.html| title=1975 World Football League Results| accessdate=2015-11-11}}</ref>=== |
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] |
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{| cellpadding=5 style="border:1px solid #BBB" |
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|- |
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| '''Key''': || style="background: #CCFFCC;" | '''Win''' || style="background: #FFCCCC;" | '''Loss''' || style="background: #CCCCCC;" | '''Bye''' |
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|} |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Week |
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! Day |
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! Date |
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! Opponent |
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! Result |
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! Attendance |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |
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!1 |
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|Saturday |
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|July 26, 1975 |
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|] |
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|'''W''' 27–10 |
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|12,375 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |
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!2 |
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|Saturday |
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|August 2, 1975 |
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|] |
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|'''W''' 19–3 |
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|10,411 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |
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!3 |
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|Saturday |
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|August 9, 1975 |
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|] |
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|'''W''' 54–22 |
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|21,000 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |
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!4 |
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|Saturday |
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|August 16, 1975 |
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|at ] |
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|'''L''' 20–27 |
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|8,447 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |
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!5 |
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|Saturday |
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|August 23, 1975 |
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|at ] |
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|'''L''' 19–26 |
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|16,133 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |
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!6 |
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|Saturday |
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|August 30, 1975 |
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|] |
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|'''W''' 22–0 |
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|12,197 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |
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!7 |
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|Saturday |
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|September 6, 1975 |
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|] |
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|'''W''' 30–8 |
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|10,470 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |
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!8 |
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|Saturday |
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|September 13, 1975 |
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|at ] |
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|'''L''' 24–33 |
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|12,500 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |
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!9 |
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|Sunday |
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|September 21, 1975 |
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|] |
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|'''W''' 30–11 |
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|10,871 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |
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!10 |
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|Sunday |
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|September 28, 1975 |
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|] |
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|'''W''' 25–17 |
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|16,283 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |
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!11 |
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|Saturday |
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|October 4, 1975 |
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|at ] |
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|'''L''' 38–42 |
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|2,357 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |
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!12 |
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|Sunday |
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|October 12, 1975 |
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|at ] |
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|'''L''' 25–28 |
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|3,818 |
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|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |
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!13 |
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|Sunday |
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|October 19, 1975 |
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|at ] |
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|'''L''' 31–41 |
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|8,500 |
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|---- |
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|} |
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==See also== |
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* ] |
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* ] |
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==References== |
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<references/> |
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==External links== |
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* at WorldFootballLeague.org |
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* |
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* |
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{{WFL}} |
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