Week 2 - 1985: Los Angeles Express vs Portland Breakers

Week 2 - Saturday, March 2, 1985

Attendance: 25,232,

TV: ESPN

Buford Jordan bulled for 100 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown on a four-yard run early in the fourth quarter as Portland made it’s home debut a success in downing Los Angeles 14-10. A crowd of 25,232 watched the USFL’s first Portland performance.

Los Angeles Express

Years of existence: 1983-1985

Owner: Bill Daniels, Alan Harmon (1983), J. William Oldenburg (1984)

Stadium: Los Angeles Coliseum (92,516)

Overall Regular Season Record: 21-33 (.389)

Overall Playoff Record: 1-1

Yearly Standings and Average Home Attendances

1983: 8-10 (19,002)

1984: 10-8 (15,361)

1985: 3-15 (8,415)

Of all the teams in the USFL, this one probably caused more headaches for the league than any other. By the end of the 1985 season, the Express were playing in front of intimate gatherings at the huge Los Angeles Coliseum. It got so bad that the Express ended up playing their final home game at Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley. The game drew 8,200 spectators, about double what the Express had drawn the previous two home games.

Prior to the 1984 season, J. William Oldenburg bought the team, and he and general manager Don Klosterman assembled one of the greatest crops of young talent around. Tops on the list was BYU quarterback Steve Young, who signed a whopping $40 million lifetime contract. Young had the benefit of three great young offensive linemen in Mark Adickes, Gary Ruether, and Gary Zimmerman. New coach John Hadl oversaw the talented bunch to a playoff berth and all the way to the Western Conference final. They fell to the Arizona Wranglers, 35-23, but put up a great fight. The future of the Express looked very bright.

Unfortunately, it all unraveled. First, the people of Los Angeles didn't care at all about the team no matter how exciting they might be. Second, some of Oldenburg's financial dealings caught up with him, and he had to surrender the team to the league. The Express were suddenly ownerless. Third, injuries hit the team hard. The Express stumbled through their final year, barely finishing. Without any money to replace injured players and several others playing not to get hurt, the Express sunk to the bottom of the league. It got so bad Young had to play one game at running back. Not many people in Los Angeles even knew the team died, and Young bought out the rest of his huge contract so he could jump to the NFL.

Portland Breakers

Years of existence: 1983-1985

Owner: George Matthews, Randy Vataha (1983), Joseph Canizaro (1984-84)

Stadium: Nickerson Field (20,535) 1983, Superdome (69,658) 1984, Civic Stadium (32,500) 1985

Overall Regular Season Record: 25-29 (.463)

Overall Playoff Record: 0-0

Yearly Standings and Average Home Attendances

1983: 11-7 (12,817)

1984: 8-10 (30,557)

1985: 6-12 (19,919)

Once the USFL announced its move the fall, the Breakers had to leave their new home and continued their trek westward, landing in Portland, Oregon. The year 1985 was not a year Breakers' fans would like to remember. The offense was last in the league with just 275 points. Jordan led the way with 817 yards, but the passing game struggled under Matt Robinson and Doug Woodward following the retirement of Walton. It was a testament to the team's character and Coury's determination that the team made it as far as it did.

Source: http://www.oursportscentral.com/usfl/index.php

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