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NFL History 1980
- 1989
1980
Pittsburgh
defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 in Super
Bowl XIV at Pasadena to become the first team
to win four Super Bowls, January 20.
The
game was viewed in a record 35,330,000 homes.
The
AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, won 37-27 by the NFC, was played before
48,060 fans at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It
was the first time in the 30-year history of the Pro
Bowl that the game was played in a non-NFL city.
Rules
changes placed greater restrictions on contact in the
area of the head, neck, and face. Under the heading
of "personal foul," players were prohibited from directly
striking, swinging, or clubbing on the head, neck, or
face. Starting in 1980, a penalty could be called for
such contact whether or not the initial contact was
made below the neck area.
CBS,
with a record bid of $12 million, won the national radio
rights to 26 NFL regular-season games, including Monday
Night Football, and all 10 postseason games for the
1980-83 seasons.
The
Los Angeles Rams moved their home games to Anaheim Stadium
in nearby Orange County, California.
The
Oakland Raiders joined the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission's
antitrust suit against the NFL. The suit contended the
league violated antitrust laws in declining to approve
a proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles.
NFL
regular-season attendance of nearly 13.4 million set
a record for the third year in a row. The average paid
attendance for the 224-game 1980 regular season was
59,787, the highest in the league's 61-year history.
NFL games in 1980 were played before 92.4 percent of
total stadium capacity.
Television
ratings in 1980 were the second-best in NFL history,
trailing only the combined ratings of the 1976 season.
All three networks posted gains, and NBC's 15.0 rating
was its best ever. CBS and ABC had their best ratings
since 1977, with 15.3 and 20.8 ratings, respectively.
CBS Radio reported a record audience of 7 million for
Monday night and special games.
1981
Oakland defeated Philadelphia 27-10 in Super Bowl
XV at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, to become
the first wild-card team to win a Super Bowl, January
25.
Edgar
F. Kaiser, Jr., purchased the Denver Broncos from Gerald
and Allan Phipps, February 26.
The
owners adopted a disaster plan for re-stocking a team
should the club be involved in a fatal accident, March
20.
The
owners awarded Super Bowl XVIII to Tampa, to be played
in Tampa Stadium on January 22, 1984, June 3.
A
CBS-New York Times poll showed that 48 percent of sports
fans preferred football to 31 percent for baseball.
The
NFL teams hosted 167 representatives from 44 predominantly
black colleges during training camps for a total of
289 days. The program was adopted for renewal during
each training camp period.
NFL
regular-season attendance-13.6 million for an average
of 60,745-set a record for the fourth year in a row.
It also was the first time the per-game average exceeded
60,000. NFL games in 1981 were played before 93.8 percent
of total stadium capacity.
ABC
and CBS set all-time rating highs. ABC finished with
a 21.7 rating and CBS with a 17.5 rating. NBC was down
slightly to 13.9.
1982
San Francisco defeated Cincinnati 26-21 in Super
Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome, in the first Super
Bowl held in the North, January 24. The CBS telecast
achieved the highest rating of any televised sports
event ever, 49.1 with a 73.0 share. The game was viewed
by a record 110.2 million fans. CBS Radio reported a
record 14 million listeners for the game.
The
NFL signed a five-year contract with the three television
networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) to televise all NFL regular-season
and postseason games starting with the 1982 season.
The
owners awarded the 1983, 1984, and 1985 AFC-NFC Pro
Bowls to Honolulu's Aloha Stadium.
A
jury ruled against the NFL in the antitrust trial brought
by the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission and the Oakland
Raiders, May 7. The verdict cleared the way for the
Raiders to move to Los Angeles, where they defeated
Green Bay 24-3 in their first preseason game, August
29.
The
1982 season was reduced from a 16-game schedule to nine
as the result of a 57-day players' strike.
The
strike was called by the NFLPA at midnight on Monday,
September 20, following the Green Bay at New York Giants
game. Play resumed November 21-22 following ratification
of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by NFL owners,
November 17 in New York.
Under
the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was to run
through the 1986 season, the NFL draft was extended
through 1992 and the veteran free-agent system was left
basically unchanged. A minimum salary schedule for years
of experience was established; training camp and postseason
pay were increased; players' medical, insurance, and
retirement benefits were increased; and a severance-pay
system was introduced to aid in career transition, a
first in professional sports.
Despite
the players' strike, the average paid attendance in
1982 was 58,472, the fifth-highest in league history.
The
owners awarded the sites of two Super Bowls, December
14: Super Bowl XIX, to be played on January 20, 1985,
to Stanford University Stadium in Stanford, California,
with San Francisco as host team; and Super Bowl XX,
to be played on January 26, 1986, to the Louisiana Superdome
in New Orleans.
1983
Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted
a format of 16 teams competing in a Super Bowl Tournament
for the 1982 playoffs. The NFC's number-one seed, Washington,
defeated the AFC's number-two seed, Miami, 27-17 in
Super Bowl XVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, January
30.
Super
Bowl XVII was the second-highest rated live television
program of all time, giving the NFL a sweep of the top
10 live programs in television history. The game was
viewed in more than 40 million homes, the largest ever
for a live telecast.
Halas,
the owner of the Bears and the last surviving member
of the NFL's second organizational meeting, died at
88, October 31.
1984
The Los Angeles Raiders defeated Washington 38-9
in Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium, January 22. The
game achieved a 46.4 rating and 71.0 share.
An
11-man group headed by H.R. (Bum) Bright purchased the
Dallas Cowboys from Clint Murchison, Jr., March 20.
Club president Tex Schramm was designated as managing
general partner.
Patrick
Bowlen purchased a majority interest in the Denver Broncos
from Edgar Kaiser, Jr., March 21.
The
Colts relocated to Indianapolis, March 28. Their new
home became the Hoosier Dome.
The
owners awarded two Super Bowl sites at their May 23-25
meetings: Super Bowl XXI, to be played on January 25,
1987, to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena; and Super Bowl XXII,
to be played on January 31, 1988, to San Diego Jack
Murphy Stadium.
The
New York Jets moved their home games to Giants Stadium
in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Alex
G. Spanos purchased a majority interest in the San Diego
Chargers from Eugene V. Klein, August 28.
Houston
defeated Pittsburgh 23-20 to mark the one-hundredth
overtime game in regular-season play since overtime
was adopted in 1974, December 2.
On
the field, many all-time records were set: Dan Marino
of Miami passed for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns; Eric
Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams rushed for 2,105 yards;
Art Monk of Washington caught 106 passes; and Walter
Payton of Chicago broke Jim Brown's career rushing mark,
finishing the season with 13,309 yards.
According
to a CBS Sports/New York Times survey, 53 percent of
the nation's sports fans said they most enjoyed watching
football, compared to 18 percent for baseball, December
2-4.
NFL
paid attendance exceeded 13 million for the fifth consecutive
complete regular season when 13,398,112, an average
of 59,813, attended games. The figure was the second-highest
in league history. Teams averaged 42.4 points per game,
the second-highest total since the 1970 merger.
1985
San Francisco defeated Miami 38-16 in Super Bowl
XIX at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California, January
20. The game was viewed on television by more people
than any other live event in history. President Ronald
Reagan, who took his second oath of office before tossing
the coin for the game, was one of 115,936,000 viewers.
The game drew a 46.4 rating and a 63.0 share. In addition,
6 million people watched the Super Bowl in the United
Kingdom and a similar number in Italy. Super Bowl XIX
had a direct economic impact of $113.5 million on the
San Francisco Bay area.
NBC
Radio and the NFL entered into a two-year agreement
granting NBC the radio rights to a 37-game package in
each of the 1985-86 seasons, March 6. The package included
27 regular-season games and 10 postseason games.
The
owners awarded two Super Bowl sites at their annual
meeting, March 10-15: Super Bowl XXIII, to be played
on January 22, 1989, to the proposed Dolphins Stadium
in Miami; and Super Bowl XXIV, to be played on January
28, 1990, to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
Norman
Braman, in partnership with Edward Leibowitz, bought
the Philadelphia Eagles from Leonard Tose, April 29.
Bruce
Smith, a Virginia Tech defensive lineman selected by
Buffalo, was the first player chosen in the fiftieth
NFL draft, April 30.
A
group headed by Tom Benson, Jr., was approved to purchase
the New Orleans Saints from John W. Mecom, Jr., June
3.
The
NFL owners adopted a resolution calling for a series
of overseas preseason games, beginning in 1986, with
one game to be played in England/Europe and/or one game
in Japan each year. The game would be a fifth preseason
game for the clubs involved and all arrangements and
selection of the clubs would be under the control of
the Commissioner, May 23.
The
league-wide conversion to videotape from movie film
for coach-ing study was approved.
Commissioner
Rozelle was authorized to extend the commitment to Honolulu's
Aloha Stadium for the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl for 1988, 1989,
and 1990, October 15.
The
NFL set a single-weekend paid attendance record when
902,657 tickets were sold for the weekend of October
27-28.
A
Louis Harris poll in December revealed that pro football
remained the sport most followed by Americans. Fifty-nine
percent of those surveyed followed pro football, compared
with 54 percent who followed baseball.
The
Chicago-Miami Monday game had the highest rating, 29.6,
and share, 46.0, of any prime-time game in NFL history,
December 2. The game was viewed in more than 25 million
homes.
The
NFL showed a ratings increase on all three networks
for the season, gaining 4 percent on NBC, 10 on CBS,
and 16 on ABC.
1986
Chicago defeated New England 46-10 in Super Bowl
XX at the Louisiana Superdome, January 26. The Patriots
had earned the right to play the Bears by becoming the
first wild-card team to win three consecutive games
on the road. The NBC telecast replaced the final episode
of M*A*S*H as the most-viewed television program in
history, with an audience of 127 million viewers, according
to A.C. Nielsen figures. In addition to drawing a 48.3
rating and a 70 percent share in the United States,
Super Bowl XX was televised to 59 foreign countries
and beamed via satellite to the QE II. An estimated
300 million Chinese viewed a tape delay of the game
in March. NBC Radio figures indicated an audience of
10 million for the game.
Super
Bowl XX injected more than $100 million into the New
Orleans-area economy, and fans spent $250 per day and
a record $17.69 per person on game day.
The
owners adopted limited use of instant replay as an officiating
aid, prohibited players from wearing or otherwise displaying
equipment, apparel, or other items that carry commercial
names, names of organizations, or personal messages
of any type, March 11.
After
an 11-week trial, a jury in U.S. District Court in New
York awarded the United States Football League one dollar
in its $1.7 billion antitrust suit against the NFL.
The jury rejected all of the USFL's television-related
claims, which were the self-proclaimed heart of the
USFL's case, July 29.
Chicago
defeated Dallas 17-6 at Wembley Stadium in London in
the first American Bowl. The game drew a sellout crowd
of 82,699 and the NBC national telecast in this country
produced a 12.4 rating and 36 percent share, making
it the second-highest-rated daytime preseason game and
highest daytime preseason television audience ever with
10.65-million viewers, August 3.
Monday
Night Football became the longest-running prime-time
series in the history of the ABC network.
Instant
replay was used to reverse two plays in 31 preseason
games. During the regular season, 374 plays were closely
reviewed by replay officials, leading to 38 reversals
in 224 games. Eighteen plays were closely reviewed by
instant replay in 10 post-season games with three reversals.
1987
The New York Giants defeated Denver 39-20 in Super
Bowl XXI and captured their first NFL title since 1956.
The game, played in Pasadena's Rose Bowl, drew a sellout
crowd of 101,063. According to A.C. Nielsen figures,
the CBS broadcast of the game was viewed in the U.S.
on television by 122.64-million people, making the telecast
the second most-watched television show of all-time
behind Super Bowl XX. The game was watched live or on
tape in 55 foreign countries and NBC Radio's broadcast
of the game was heard by a record 10.1 million people.
The
NFL set an all-time paid atten-dance mark of 17,304,463
for all games, including preseason, regular-season,
and postseason. Average regular-season game attendance
(60,663) exceeded the 60,000 figure for only the second
time in league history.
New
three-year TV contracts with ABC, CBS, and NBC were
announced for 1987-89 at the NFL annual meeting in Maui,
Hawaii, March 15. Commissioner Rozelle and Broadcast
Committee Chairman Art Modell also announced a three-year
contract with ESPN to televise 13 prime-time games each
season. The ESPN contract was the first with a cable
network. However, NFL games on ESPN also were scheduled
for regular television in the city of the visiting team
and in the home city if the game was sold out 72 hours
in advance.
Owners
also voted to continue in effect for one year the instant
replay system used during the 1986 season.
A
special payment program was adopted to benefit nearly
1,000 former NFL players who participated in the League
before the current Bert Bell NFL Pension Plan was created
and made retroactive to the 1959 season. Players covered
by the new program spent at least five years in the
League and played all or part of their career prior
to 1959. Each vested player would receive $60 per month
for each year of service in the League for life.
Possible
sites for Super Bowl XXV were reduced to five locations
by the NFL Super Bowl XXV Site Selection Committee:
Anaheim Stadium, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Joe
Robbie Stadium, San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, and Tampa
Stadium.
NFL
and CBS Radio jointly announced agreement granting CBS
the radio rights to a 40-game package in each of the
next three NFL seasons, 1987-89, April 7.
NFL
owners awarded Super Bowl XXV, to be played on January
27, 1991, to Tampa Stadium, May 20.
Over
400 former NFL players from the pre-1959 era received
first payments from NFL owners, July 1.
The
NFL's debut on ESPN produced the two highest-rated and
most-watched sports programs in basic cable history.
The Chicago at Miami game on August 16 drew an 8.9 rating
in 3.81 million homes.
Those
records fell two weeks later when the Los Angeles Raiders
at Dallas game achieved a 10.2 cable rating in 4.36
million homes.
Fifty-eight
preseason games drew a record paid attendance of 3,116,870.
The
1987 season was reduced from a 16-game season to 15
as the result of a 24-day players' strike. The strike
was called by the NFLPA on Tuesday, September 22, following
the New England at New York Jets game. Games scheduled
for the third weekend were canceled but the games of
weeks four, five, and six were played with replacement
teams. Striking players returned for the seventh week
of the season, October 25.
In
a three-team deal involving 10 players and/or draft
choices, the Los Angeles Rams traded running back Eric
Dickerson to the Indianapolis Colts for six draft choices
and two players. Buffalo obtained the rights to linebacker
Cornelius Bennett from Indianapolis, sending Greg Bell
and three draft choices to the Rams. The Colts added
Owen Gill and three draft choices of their own to complete
the deal with the Rams, October 31.
The
Chicago at Minnesota game became the highest-rated and
most-watched sports program in basic cable history when
it drew a 14.4 cable rating in 6.5 million homes, December
6.
Instant
replay was used to reverse eight plays in 52 preseason
games. During the strike-shortened 210-game regular
season, 490 plays were closely reviewed by replay officials,
leading to 57 reversals. Eighteen plays were closely
reviewed by instant replay in 10 postseason games, with
three reversals.
1988
Washington defeated Denver 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII
to earn its second victory this decade in the NFL Championship
Game. The game, played for the first time in San Diego
Jack Murphy Stadium, drew a sellout crowd of 73,302.
According to A.C. Nielsen figures, the ABC broadcast
of the game was viewed in the U.S. on television by
115,000,000 people. The game was seen live or on tape
in 60 foreign countries, including the People's Republic
of China, and CBS's radio broadcast of the game was
heard by 13.7 million people.
A
total of 811 players shared in the postseason pool of
$16.9 million, the most ever distributed in a single
season.
In
a unanimous 3-0 decision, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
in New York upheld the verdict of the jury that in July,
1986, had awarded the United States Football League
one dollar in its $1.7 billion antitrust suit against
the NFL. In a 91-page opinion, Judge Ralph K. Winter
said the USFL sought through court decree the success
it failed to gain among football fans, March 10.
By
a 23-5 margin, owners voted to continue the instant
replay system for the third consecutive season with
the Instant Replay Official to be assigned to a regular
seven-man, on-the-field crew. At the NFL annual meeting
in Phoenix, Arizona, a 45-second clock was also approved
to replace the 30-second clock. For a normal sequence
of plays, the interval between plays was changed to
45 seconds from the time the ball is signaled dead until
it is snapped on the succeeding play.
NFL
owners approved the transfer of the Cardinals' franchise
from St. Louis to Phoenix; approved two sup-plemental
drafts each year-one prior to training camp and one
prior to the regular season; and voted to initiate an
annual series of games in Japan/Asia as early as the
1989 preseason, March 14-18.
The
NFL Annual Selection Meeting returned to a separate
two-day format and for the first time originated on
a Sunday. ESPN drew a 3.6 rating during their seven-hour
coverage of the draft, which was viewed in 1.6 million
homes, April 24-25.
Art
Rooney, founder and owner of the Steelers, died at 87,
August 25.
Johnny
Grier became the first African-American referee in NFL
history, September 4.
Paid
and average attendance of 934,271 and 66,734 at 14 games
on October 16-17 set single weekend records.
Commissioner
Rozelle announced that two teams would play a preseason
game as part of the American Bowl series on August 6,
1989, in the Korakuen Tokyo Dome in Japan, December
16.
NFL
regular-season paid attendance of 13,535,335 and the
average of 60,427 was the third highest all-time. Buffalo
set an NFL team single-season, in-house attendance mark
of 622,793.
1989
San Francisco defeated Cincinnati 20-16 in Super
Bowl XXIII. The game, played for the first time at Joe
Robbie Stadium in Miami, was attended by a sellout crowd
of 75,129. NBC's telecast of the game was watched by
an estimated 110,780,000 viewers, according to A.C.
Nielsen, making it the sixth most-watched program in
television history. The game was seen live or on tape
in 60 foreign countries, including an estimated 300
million in China. The CBS Radio broadcast of the game
was heard by 11.2 million people.
Commissioner
Rozelle announced his retirement, pending the naming
of a successor, March 22 at the NFL annual meeting in
Palm Desert, California.
Following
the announcement, AFC president Lamar Hunt and NFC president
Wellington Mara announced the formation of a six-man
search committee composed of Art Modell, Robert Parins,
Dan Rooney, and Ralph Wilson. Hunt and Mara served as
co-chairmen.
By
a 24-4 margin, owners voted to continue the instant
replay system for the fourth straight season. A strengthened
policy regarding anabolic steroids and masking agents
was announced by Commissioner Rozelle. NFL clubs called
for strong disciplinary measures in cases of feigned
injuries and adopted a joint proposal by the Long-Range
Planning and Finance committees regarding player personnel
rules, March 19-23.
Two
hundred twenty-nine unconditional free agents signed
with new teams under management's Plan B system, April
1.
Jerry
Jones purchased a majority interest in the Dallas Cowboys
from H.R. (Bum) Bright, April 18.
Tex
Schramm was named president of the new World League
of American Football to work with a six-man committee
of Dan Rooney, chairman; Norman Braman, Lamar Hunt,
Victor Kiam, Mike Lynn, and Bill Walsh, April 18.
NFL
and CBS Radio jointly announced agreement extending
CBS's radio rights to an annual 40-game package through
the 1994 season, April 18.
NFL
owners awarded Super Bowl XXVI, to be played on January
26, 1992, to Minneapolis, May 24.
As
of opening day, September 10, of the 229 Plan B free
agents, 111 were active and 23 others were on teams'
reserve lists. Ninety-two others were waived and three
retired.
Art
Shell was named head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders
making him the NFL's first black head coach since Fritz
Pollard coached the Akron Pros in 1921, October 3.
The
site of the New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers
game scheduled for Candlestick Park on October 22 was
switched to Stanford Stadium in the aftermath of the
Bay Area Earthquake of October 17. The change was announced
on October 19.
Paul
Tagliabue became the seventh chief executive of the
NFL on October 26 when he was chosen to succeed Commissioner
Pete Rozelle on the sixth ballot of a three-day meeting
in Cleveland, Ohio.
In
all, 12 ballots were required to select Tagliabue. Two
were conducted at a meeting in Chicago on July 6, and
four at a meeting in Dallas on October 10-11. On the
twelfth ballot, with Seattle absent, Tagliabue received
more than the 19 affirmative votes required for election
from among the 27 clubs present.
The
transfer from Commissioner Rozelle to Commissioner Tagliabue
took place at 12:01 A.M. on Sunday, November 5.
NFL
Charities donated $1 million through United Way to benefit
Bay Area earthquake victims, November 6.
NFL
paid attendance of 17,399,538 was the highest total
in league history. This included a total of 13,625,662
for an average of 60,829-both NFL records-for the 224-game
regular season.
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