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In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
| Houston Gamblers | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Folded | 1986 |
| Headquartered | Astrodome in Houston, Texas |
| Colors | Black, Gambler Red, Gray, White, Yellow-Gold |
| Personnel | |
| Owners | 1984 Alvin Lubetkin, Bernard Lerner, Dr. Jerry Argovitz, Fred Gerson 1985 Alvin Lubetkin, Dr. Jerry Argovitz, Jay Roulier |
| Head coach | 1984–1985 Jack Pardee (23-15) |
| Team history | |
| |
| Home fields | |
| |
| League / conference affiliations | |
United States Football League (1984–1985)
| |
| Championships | |
| Division championships: 1 1984 | |
| Playoff appearances (2) | |
| 1984, 1985 | |
The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons. They were noteworthy for introducing former Middletown (Ohio) High School football coach Glenn "Tiger" Ellison's Run & Shoot offense to the world of pro football.
Run & Shoot advocate and chief refiner Darell "Mouse" Davis was hired by the progressive Pardee to install the offense as the team's Offensive Coordinator. (Davis was a former head coach at Portland State University where he developed the St. Louis Cardinals' future two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Neil Lomax.) Led by former Miami Hurricanes QB Jim Kelly (who snubbed the NFL's Buffalo Bills to play in the USFL) the Gamblers wrecked secondaries across the USFL, getting national media attention in demolishing the league's single-season scoring record (the Gamblers scored 618 points in 1984; the 1983 USFL record was 456). Kelly became the USFL's answer to the NFL's Dan Marino, and the league's second superstar player (after Herschel Walker).
The Gamblers also got the attention of a few NFL teams. The run & shoot offense would be adopted as the base set for the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Oilers. All three teams were in the upper half of the league in scoring while using the run & shoot. In spite of this fact, the offense was widely discredited as a gimmick in the NFL when none of the three teams won a Super Bowl. Even after those teams moved away from the run & shoot as their base sets, the influence of Mouse Davis and Jim Kelly left a lasting impact on the league. In the 1970s most teams ran the 2-back "pro-set" as their base offense with fixed routes. Today, almost all NFL teams incorporate extensive packages of 4-WR sets and option routes for WRs depending on coverages faced, innovations that are the basis of the run & shoot.
The Gamblers appeared in the playoffs in each of their two seasons, but suffered narrow first-round defeats both times. In 1984, the expansion Gamblers finished the regular season with the best record in the Western conference and were the favorites in the West to go to the championship game. They held a 16–3 lead over George Allen's star laden Arizona Wranglers with just 7 minutes remaining before falling 17–16 in a furious Wrangler comeback. The Wranglers would go on to play in the 1984 Championship Game.
Following the August 22, 1984 USFL owners meeting in which the majority of owners decided to move to playing in the fall, things started to crumble for the league, especially for teams in cities with existing NFL teams, like the Gamblers. Kelly, one of the more public faces of the USFL, voiced the concerns of many fans when he called the schedule switch "100 percent" wrong, saying, "It's the worst thing they could have done."
The Run N' Shoot attack of the Gamblers grew even stronger in 1985. Davis left to become head coach of the Denver Gold and was succeeded by special-teams coach John Jenkins. Jenkins's version of the Run N' Shoot brought more complexity and excitement to the Gamblers. In the first game of the season against the L.A. Express, down 31–13 with 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Gamblers became the first professional football team to use a no-huddle offense before a two-minute drill. The no-huddle would later become Kelly's base offense with the Buffalo Bills. The so-called "hurry-up offense" allowed the Gamblers to come back to win the game 34–33, which Sports Illustrated dubbed "The Greatest Game Never Seen" because it was not televised. In the first 5 games in 1985, Jim Kelly had one of the hottest starts in professional football history. In Week 4, the Gamblers beat Mouse Davis's Denver Gold 36–17 in the first pro game to match two Run N' Shoot offenses. After this game Jim Kelly was on pace to throw for 7,434 yards and 78 touchdowns. But Kelly suffered a leg injury that sidelined him for the last six games of the season. However, if you combine Kelly's and backup quarterback Todd Dillon's stats together, they threw for a combined 6,118 yards (professional American-football record). The Gamblers offense set another record: for the first time ever in professional football, a team had 3 receivers each catch over 1,000 yards: Clarence Verdin, Gerald McNeil, and Richard Johnson. The Gamblers made the playoffs with a 10–8 record and again lost in a nailbiter to an excellent team, the 13–5 veteran, Cliff Stoudt/Joe Cribbs/Jim Smith-led Birmingham Stallions, 22–20.
As it turned out, that would be the last game the Gamblers would ever play. While the Gamblers had been a solid draw the year before, area fans were not about to abandon the Houston Oilers. Attendance dropped by almost 9,000 from 1984. The resulting financial problems were so severe that at one point, the Gamblers had trouble making payroll. They needed an advance from the league just to go to the playoffs. Although owner Jerry Argovitz had ultimately supported moving to the fall, he and his partners knew they could not even begin to compete with the Oilers and decided to get out.
After briefly entertaining an offer to move to New York City, they agreed to sell controlling interest to real estate magnate and future Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Just days later, Ross announced he was merging the Gamblers with the New Jersey Generals. Although the Generals were the surviving team, Ross would be a full partner with Generals owner Donald Trump, and Argovitz became the merged team's president. However, Ross backed out of the merger after discovering the Gamblers' debt load was larger than he anticipated. Trump reimbursed Ross for his interest and became sole owner.[1] However, Trump retained the Gamblers' player contracts, so the deal was still widely reported as a merger. Trump immediately hired Pardee as coach. With an offense boasting Kelly and Walker, observers dubbed the new Generals the USFL's "dream team." Kelly was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in a Generals uniform. That season however would never be played.[2]
The most notable players on the team were Kelly, future Washington Redskins wide receiver Ricky Sanders, future Detroit Lions wide receiver Richard Johnson, future Indianapolis Colts kick returner Clarence Verdin, and future Cleveland Browns wide receiver Gerald McNeil. Todd Fowler, the featured running back on the team, was also notable as the first USFL player the rival NFL signed away from the league in 1985 (by the Dallas Cowboys).
The Gamblers were well known for a 7-Eleven promotion in which two huge dice were dropped onto the field from the roof of the Astrodome.[3]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preseason | ||||||||
| 1 | Bye | |||||||
| 2 | February 4 | vs. San Antonio Gunslingers | W 19–17 | 1–0 | Harlingen, Texas | |||
| 3 | February 11 | at Jacksonville Bulls | W 34–22 | 2–0 | Gator Bowl Stadium | 24,680 | ||
| 4 | February 18 | vs. Oklahoma Outlaws | W 34–7 | 3–0 | Lewis Field Stillwater, Oklahoma |
6,120 | ||
| Regular season | ||||||||
| 1 | February 26 | at Tampa Bay Bandits | L 17–20 | 0–1 | Tampa Stadium | 42,915 | ||
| 2 | March 5 | at San Antonio Gunslingers | W 35–7 | 1–1 | Alamo Stadium | 10,023 | ||
| 3 | March 11 | at Chicago Blitz | W 45–36 | 2–1 | Soldier Field | 7,808 | ||
| 4 | March 18 | New Jersey Generals | W 32–25 | 3–1 | Houston Astrodome | 35,532 | ||
| 5 | March 26 | Michigan Panthers | L 34–52 | 3–2 | Houston Astrodome | 38,754 | ||
| 6 | March 31 | at Oklahoma Outlaws | L 28–31 (OT) | 3–3 | Skelly Stadium | 17,266 | ||
| 7 | April 9 | Washington Federals | W 31–13 | 4–3 | Houston Astrodome | 16,710 | ||
| 8 | April 16 | at Oakland Invaders | W 35–27 | 5–3 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 18,320 | ||
| 9 | April 21 | Arizona Wranglers | W 37–24 | 6–3 | Houston Astrodome | 23,117 | ||
| 10 | April 30 | Los Angeles Express | L 24–27 (OT) | 6–4 | Houston Astrodome | 30,727 | ||
| 11 | May 6 | at Michigan Panthers | L 28–31 (OT) | 6–5 | Pontiac Silverdome | 29,068 | ||
| 12 | May 12 | at Pittsburgh Maulers | W 47–26 | 7–5 | Three Rivers Stadium | 24,880 | ||
| 13 | May 20 | Oklahoma Outlaws | W 31–12 | 8–5 | Houston Astrodome | 31,142 | ||
| 14 | May 25 | at Jacksonville Bulls | W 54–7 | 9–5 | Gator Bowl Stadium | 31,638 | ||
| 15 | June 3 | at Denver Gold | W 36–20 | 10–5 | Mile High Stadium | 50,057 | ||
| 16 | June 10 | Chicago Blitz | W 38–13 | 11–5 | Houston Astrodome | 24,243m | ||
| 17 | June 18 | San Antonio Gunslingers | W 29–26 | 12–5 | Houston Astrodome | 30,184 | ||
| 18 | June 25 | Memphis Showboats | W 37–3 | 13–5 | Houston Astrodome | 22,963 | ||
| Postseason | ||||||||
| Divisional | July 1 | Arizona Wranglers | L 16–17 | 0–1 | Houston Astrodome | 32,713 | ||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preseason | ||||||||
| 1 | Bye | |||||||
| 2 | February 9 | vs. San Antonio Gunslingers | W 28–21 | 1–0 | McAllen, Texas | |||
| 3 | February 16 | at Birmingham Stallions | W 20–10 | 2–0 | Legion Field | |||
| Regular season | ||||||||
| 1 | February 24 | at Los Angeles Express | W 34–33 | 1–0 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 18,828 | ||
| 2 | March 3 | at Tampa Bay Bandits | W 50–28 | 2–0 | Tampa Stadium | 42,291 | ||
| 3 | March 10 | at Oakland Invaders | W 42–7 | 3–0 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 16,037 | ||
| 4 | March 18 | Denver Gold | W 36–17 | 4–0 | Houston Astrodome | 33,747 | ||
| 5 | March 24 | Portland Breakers | W 27–20 | 5–0 | Houston Astrodome | 22,031 | ||
| 6 | March 31 | Baltimore Stars | L 14–27 | 5–1 | Houston Astrodome | 24,166 | ||
| 7 | April 7 | at New Jersey Generals | L 25–31 | 5–2 | Giants Stadium | 34,573 | ||
| 8 | April 14 | Los Angeles Express | L 17–18 | 5–3 | Houston Astrodome | 20,193 | ||
| 9 | April 21 | at Arizona Outlaws | W 33–17 | 6–3 | Sun Devil Stadium | 16,640 | ||
| 10 | April 28 | at San Antonio Gunslingers | W 38–29 | 7–3 | Alamo Stadium | 9,723 | ||
| 11 | May 6 | at Portland Breakers | W 45–7 | 8–3 | Civic Stadium | 18,457 | ||
| 12 | May 12 | at Memphis Showboats | L 15–17 | 8–4 | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | 27,325 | ||
| 13 | May 20 | Jacksonville Bulls | L 17–20 | 8–5 | Houston Astrodome | 17,127 | ||
| 14 | May 26 | Arizona Outlaws | W 41–20 | 9–5 | Houston Astrodome | 12,696 | ||
| 15 | June 3 | Birmingham Stallions | L 27–29 | 9–6 | Houston Astrodome | 13,202 | ||
| 16 | June 9 | at Denver Gold | L 13–16 | 9–7 | Mile High Stadium | 12,553 | ||
| 17 | June 17 | San Antonio Gunslingers | W 49–21 | 10–7 | Houston Astrodome | 11,780 | ||
| 18 | June 24 | Oakland Invaders | L 21–31 | 10–8 | Houston Astrodome | 15,797 | ||
| Playoffs | ||||||||
| Quarterfinal | June 29 | at Birmingham Stallions | L 20–22 | 0–1 | Legion Field | 18,500 | ||
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1st in Western | Lost in Quarterfinals (Arizona) |
| 1985 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 3rd in Western | Lost in Quarterfinals (Birmingham) |
| Totals | 23 | 13 | 0 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons. They were noteworthy for introducing former Middletown (Ohio) High School football coach Glenn "Tiger" Ellison's Run & Shoot offense to the world of pro football.
The 2026 Houston Gamblers season was the third season for the Houston Gamblers, marking their first season under the Gamblers name in the UFL after spending the past two seasons as the Houston Roughnecks. In the aftermath of their Week 7 home loss to the expansion team Orlando Storm, the Gamblers failed to improve from their 5–5 record from last season, and failed to match this record 2 weeks later. Much like last year, the Gamblers started out slow as their record throughout the first four games of the season was 1–3, but they managed to complete a 3–3 turnaround to finish one game shy of last year's win total. This was because they had to go through a quarterback carousel throughout the first three weeks of the season, where they started three quarterbacks in three straight games. Houston went 2–3 both at home and on the road, which ultimately cost them a trip to the playoffs. The biggest lowlight of the season came in Week 3 against the defending UFL champions DC Defenders, where they lost by the score of 45–7, which is the biggest loss in UFL history. Following their Week 9 home loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks, the Gamblers were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth consecutive season and secured their first losing record since going 1–9 as the Roughnecks in 2024. However, one of the few bright spots of the season included a season sweep over their longtime rival the Birmingham Stallions, with their second win in the series eliminating the latter from playoff contention.
The 2022 Houston Gamblers season was the first season for the Houston Gamblers as a professional American football franchise. They played as charter members of the United States Football League, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2022 season. The Gamblers technically played as a traveling team (since the entirety of the regular season was played at Protective Stadium and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama) and were led by head coach Kevin Sumlin.
The Houston Gamblers were a professional American football team based in Houston. The Gamblers competed in the United Football League (UFL). The team was owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The team was a founding member of the USFL, as the Houston Gamblers in 2022, named after the 1980s USFL team of the same name. Though named after the city of Houston, the 2020s Gamblers never played there under that brand, instead playing its home games as the guest of other USFL teams in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022 and Memphis, Tennessee in 2023. When the USFL and XFL merged to form the UFL in 2024, the Gamblers took over the branding of the original Houston Roughnecks that had played the 2023 season in the XFL and played in Houston at Rice Stadium. The team played at TDECU Stadium (the home of the 2020 and 2023 Roughnecks) during the 2025 season. The team returned to the Gamblers name ahead of the 2026 UFL season, coinciding with a move to Shell Energy Stadium, but folded after that season.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.
