Chicago
WFL
Fire
- 1974
Origer went to the CFL to get his head coach, Jim Spavital whose high-powered
offenses were entertaining and known throughout the Canadian League. In a
coincidental turn of events, Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Virgil Carter
became available. In a dispute related to medical care, Carter’s NFL contract
was voided and Origer signed him. Spavital then hired Carter’s former BYU head
coach Tommy Hudspeth as his backfield coach. While not a “known name”, Hudspeth
was respected in football circles and in 1976-77 served as the Detroit Lions
Head Coach. Former Jets’ offensive line Coach Joe Spencer and ex-Bronco and
Florida State quarterback Steve Tensi were the better-known members of a mostly
anonymous staff. In Carter, the Fire had a proven quarterback. He had played out
his option with the Bengals over the dispute that involved the solicitation of
second medical opinions and Carter jumped to the WFL. Complementing his passing
ability, the Fire brought in Cyril Pinder, a former All Big 10 running back from
Illinois who had kicked around the NFL for six years with the Eagles, Bears, and
Cowboys. The Fire then added another local who they felt would boost gate
receipts. Although little known by the general public outside of the Chicago
area, Mark Kellar was born in Chicago, attended Irving Crown HS and at Northern
Illinois University, led the entire NCAA in rushing his senior year. At 6’ and
225 pounds, he was recognized as a legitimate pro prospect and was drafted in
the sixth round by the Vikings. The Fire arguably entered the WFL season with
the league’s best backfield. Even the replacements were two steps above decent.
When Carter was lost to injury, former Florida State top gun Bill Cappleman
stepped in adequately and when he went down, Bubba Wyche who had become
available with the demise of the Wheels, filled in well. Leroy Kelly, former
Browns star took Kellar’s place after he was injured. In addition to Pinder and
Kellar, the offensive firepower included receivers Jack Dolbin and James Scott.
Dolbin was a little known wide receiver out of Wake Forest and at 5’10” and 180
pounds, did not attract any NFL offers. Having toiled with the 1970 Pottstown
Firebirds, he was giving football one more effort. Scott left Trinity Valley
(TX) Community College for a chance in pro football, knowing he wasn’t eligible
for the NFL draft until the following year. Both players proved to be excellent
finds as Dolbin became a contributing member of the Super Bowl Broncos during
1975-79. He later became a respected Chiropractor in the Philadelphia area and
his son played well for Villanova. Scott was in fact drafted by the Jets in
1975, based primarily on his play in the WFL and was a star for the Bears from
1976-83. Former Notre Dame great Jim Seymour rounded out the receiving corps. Unfortunately, the Fire
defense was a collection of no-name players, some young, some old but none
outstanding. They were desperate enough to bring Dick Evey into camp, either as
a nostalgic gesture to Chicago fans or because they felt he could still play.
Evey was an All American at Tennessee and the Bears number one draft choice way
back in 1964. He was a solid player through 1969 but had already finished his
NFL career with the Rams (1970) and the Lions (1971). Middle linebacker Ron
Porter was expected to be one of the leading lights after playing out his option
with the 1973 Vikings’ Super Bowl team. The six-year NFL veteran had been
productive with the Eagles and teamed at linebacker with another former Bear,
Rudy Kuchenberg. Joining the Fire in mid-season after being released by the
Patriots was Ralph “Sticks” Anderson who had been the quarterback on Coach Joe
Kerbel’s powerhouse teams of the late 1960s at West Texas State that featured
future NFL backs Eugene “Mercury” Morris, the great Dolphin, powerful Duane
Thomas of the Cowboys, and Rocky Thompson of the Giants. “Sticks” was a
defensive back as the Steelers fifth round draft choice in 1971 and played two
seasons before being traded to the Patriots. He was a welcomed addition to the
Fire although he did not help a very porous defense. The per game average yield
of 31.1 points per game was the WFL high so no matter how good their offense was
on any given day, it usually wasn’t good enough. Their fast start was negated by
injuries, a succession of losses and a subsequent drop in attendance. A bit of
front office disorganization did not help. One home game had been moved from the
originally announced date, to the following evening. Unfortunately, the
relatively few fans who were inclined to attend a Fire home game were not told
of the switch, and there are long time WFL fans in Chicago who still insist that
no public notification had ever been made by the club. Needless to say, the
brave souls who traveled to Solider Field for the game against the Stars were
turned away by a lone security detail who explained to the disbelieving fans
that the game would be played the following evening.
Spavital delivered his
exciting offense but giving up almost 200 points more than the next worst
defense in the league was not a recipe for success. Although Origer had pledged
to carry on, the end of the World Football League’s inaugural season also marked
his end as a professional sports franchise owner. If his ownership is remembered
at all it could be for his refusal to travel to Philadelphia for the Fire’s
final game of the season, resulting in forfeit. The 1975 Chicago entry to the
New World Football League would be led by insurance magnate Gene Pullano, not
Tom Origer. Head Coach Spavital would bolt for a place on Charlie Winner’s New
York Jets’ coaching staff. However, the Fire left a legacy that included a
number of future NFL players and one of the all-time great pro helmets. The
blazing fire over the ear hole of the bright red helmet has remained a favorite
of collectors, set off by what was the period's standard gray facemask. The
bright red jerseys trimmed in black and white and the alternate white trimmed
with red and black had a very classic look. Many thought that the overall
appearance of the uniform resembled that of the NFL Atlanta Falcons but the Fire
ensemble was actually a lot more eye-catching, primarily because of the terrific
helmet design which has been featured on the HELMET HUT WFL site for some time.
A great looking uniform, a terrific helmet design, and an explosive offense just
weren’t enough to insure success for the Chicago Fire.
If interested in any of these or more WFL helmets please click on the photos below.
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