World Bowl (WFL)
The World Bowl, also known as World Bowl 1, was the American football championship game of the short-lived World Football League. The Birmingham Americans defeated the Florida Blazers 22–21 on Thursday, December 5, 1974 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.George Mira, quarterback for Birmingham was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). It was televised on TVS Television Network.
Original plans for the World Bowl had the 1974 championship scheduled for November 29, the day after Thanksgiving 1974 at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. However, the WFL decided to expand its playoff field from four to six games, pushing the championship back a week; furthermore, the host Jacksonville Sharks folded during the season, leading to the league moving the game to the home stadium of the higher seeded playoff team (in this case, Birmingham). A cash prize of $10,000 was brought onto Legion Field for the league's season MVP award, which was split between three players. However, after the ceremonies, the locker room of the champion Americans was raided and all team assets, including uniforms, were seized to collect on the team's debts.
World Bowl
The World Bowl was the American football Championship game of NFL Europe, similar to the Super Bowl of the National Football League.
The World Bowl trophy itself was a globe made of glass measuring 35.5 cm (14 inches) in diameter and weighing 18.6 kg (41 lbs).
Overview
When NFL Europe was founded in 1991 as the World League of American Football (WLAF), with teams in North America and Europe as well as expansion plans for Asia, the name World Bowl was appropriate. It was kept after 1995 when the league limited itself exclusively to Europe. From 1995 to 1997, the World Bowl venue was decided by the standings after 5 weeks of the 10-week season. All venues before, and since, were predetermined before the season. The 2002 World Bowl was hosted in Rhein Fire home town of Düsseldorf as a farewell to the old Rheinstadion. After the new LTU arena was completed, the 2005 World Bowl was hosted there again. It would return in 2006, as a first ever back to back WB site. As Fortuna Düsseldorf spent much of this time in lower tiers of the German soccer pyramid, Düsseldorf was the rare NFL Europe city in which American football held an arguably competitive position. 9 World Bowls were played on Saturday and 6 World Bowls were played on Sunday (1991, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000).
World Bowl '98
World Bowl '98 (also referred to as World Bowl VI) was the sixth championship game of the NFL Europe League. It was held at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, June 14, 1998. The game was between the Frankfurt Galaxy, who finished the season in first place with a record of 7–3, and the second-placed Rhein Fire, which finished with a 7–3 record as well. 47,846 spectators were in attendance, the largest World Bowl crowd since 1991, when the Fire captured its first league title by defeating the Galaxy 34–10. Rhein's quarterback Jim Arellanes, filling in for injured Mike Quinn, earned MVP honors in his first start by completing 12 of 18 passing attempts for 263 yards and three touchdowns.
Background
The Fire won the first meeting 31–14 in Frankfurt, while the Galaxy took the second meeting 20–17 (overtime) in Düsseldorf.
Game summary
World Bowl '92
World Bowl '92 (also referred to as World Bowl II) was the second championship game of the World League of American Football (WLAF), played on Saturday, June 6, 1992 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 43,789 witnessed the matchup between the Sacramento Surge and the Orlando Thunder.
The Surge won the game, 21–17, behind quarterback David Archer's MVP performance (22 completions of 33 attempts for 286 yards, two touchdowns and one interception). The game would be the only World Bowl involving two North American-based WLAF teams, as well as the only World Bowl played on North American soil. It would also be the last game either team would play, and the last WLAF game until 1995 as the league sought to restructure.
Background
The Surge and Thunder finished with identical 8–2 records, the best win-loss record in the league. Orlando, the winner of the North American East division, easily handled the Birmingham Fire 45–7 in the playoff semifinal round, while North American West champion Sacramento defeated the Barcelona Dragons, 17–15.
Podcasts:
