Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?

In 1983 the United States Football League started with 12 teams and averaged 25,000 fans a game. So what happened? Academy Award nominated director Mike Tollin, who used to be a USFL employee answers that question with his documentary, part of ESPN's 30 for 30.

The USFL started expanding due to their success, but one owner was not happy with what the founders were doing. The USFL played football in the spring and Donald Trump, owner of the New York Generals wanted to move the USFL to the fall so they can compete with the NFL. John Bassett, owner of the Tampa Bay Bandits did not support the idea and got the owners on his side. But not Donald Trump on the five owners who were going to be bankrupt.

John Bassett suffered a brain tumor. As he started to weaken, Trump got more powerful. He convinced the owners and the USFL was headed for fall football in 1986. Trump was not done though; he sued the NFL for monopolizing professional football for 1.32 billion dollars. The USFL won the case but not the money. The NFL lawyers told the jury that Trump did not need the money and he wasn't looking out for his league. The jury agreed and the NFL only had to pay the USFL one dollar.

So, who killed the USFL? Donald Trump and his greed. In the three year existence Trump only cared about promoting himself, he hurt the league by doing that and the anti - trust lawsuit he lunched killed them for good.