The Blitz were one of the charter members of the USFL. The ownership group was headed by renowned heart surgeon Dr. Ted Diethrich, with legendary coach George Allen and Southern California developer Bill Harris as minority partners. Diethrich served as president, with Harris as executive vice president and Allen as chairman of the board and head coach.
Allen had been out of coaching since 1977; he had been a candidate for the vacant head coaching position with the Chicago Bears a year earlier, but Bears owner George Halas had never forgiven Allen for defecting to the Rams in 1965. Allen immediately became the "face" of the new team, and set about putting together the best 40-man roster he could find. The result was a team that was the early favorite to be the new league's first champion.
They finished in a tie for the Central Division title, but were awarded a wild card berth due to being swept by the eventual champion Michigan Panthers. In the playoffs, they blew a 21-point lead over the Philadelphia Stars, losing 44-38 in overtime..... Read more
Years Played in USFL: 1983, 1984.
Club Owner(s): Dr. Ted Diethrich and George Allen (1983); Dr. James Hoffman (1984)
Playing Site: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois.
Head Coach(es): George Allen (1983); Marv Levy (1984).
Overall Record: 17-20-0 (17-19-0 regular season)
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