Jacksonville Sharks

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The Jacksonville Sharks were a team that competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a second major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football League. The team played seven home games at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville. The nickname "Sharks" was roundly criticized by Jacksonville City Council as emphasizing an aspect of the local fauna that was best left unpublicized. The Sharks roster was a mixture of rookies, Mike Townsend, Eddie McAshan, and Reggie Oliver and grizzled veterans, Ike Lassiter, John Stofa, and Drew Buie to name a few. The Sharks front office claimed to have sold 18,000 season tickets, and had drawn 59,112 for its opener against the New York Stars and another 46,000 against the Southern California Sun. But a few weeks into its maiden season, the Jacksonville club admitted giving away some 44,000 tickets. Six weeks into the season, and a few days after its owner, Fran Monaco, borrowed $27,000 from Asher, he fired him. Asher was replaced by Charlie Tate, but soon after the franchise fell into dire straits. The players, unpaid for several weeks, nearly caused a mutiny by threatening not to fly to Anaheim to play the Sun. The Commissioner of the league, Gary Davidson, paid them $65,000 in escrow. By September, the WFL removed Fran Monaco as owner of the Sharks and the WFL took over the debt-ridden franchise, September 20, and nearly three weeks later pulled the plug on the debt-ridden 4-10 franchise after 14 games.

1974 Game Scores Results:

1, Jacksonville Sharks 14, New York Stars 7 @ Jacksonville 2, Chicago Fire 25, Jacksonville Sharks 22 @ Chicago 3, Southern California Sun 22, Jacksonville Sharks 19 @ Jacksonville 4, New York Stars 24, Jacksonville Sharks 16 @ New York 5, Jacksonville Sharks 21, The Hawaiians 14 @ Jacksonville 6, Florida Blazers 33, Jacksonville Sharks 26 7, Birmingham Americans 15, Jacksonville Sharks 14 8, Jacksonville Sharks 14, The Hawaiians 8 @ Honolulu 9, Memphis Southmen 16, Jacksonville Sharks 13 @ Jacksonville 10, Jacksonville Sharks 34, Philadelphia Bell 30 @ Jacksonville 11, Philadelphia Bell 41, Jacksonville Sharks 22 (OT) @ Philadelphia 12, Portland Storm 19, Jacksonville Sharks 17 @ Jacksonville 13, Southern California Sun 57, Jacksonville Sharks 7 @ Anaheim 14, Memphis Southmen 47, Jacksonville Sharks 19 @ Memphis 15, vs. Florida Blazers @ Jacksonville (Cancelled) 16, vs. Portland Storm @ Portland (Cancelled) 17, vs. Birmingham Americans @ Birmingham (Cancelled) 18, vs. Detroit Wheels @ Jacksonville (Cancelled) 19, vs. Houston Texans @ Houston (Cancelled) 20, vs. Chicago Fire @ Jacksonville (Cancelled)

A second WFL team, the Jacksonville Express, was attempted in 1975. The Express added some depth to its offense by acquiring quarterback George Mira, who guided the 1974 Birmingham Americans to a World Bowl championship, and signed running back Tommy Reamon, who survived the payless Florida Blazers on "McDonald's vouchers" all the way to the championship, only to lose by a point to Birmingham, 22-21. Charlie Durkee, place kicker for the Houston Texans-Shreveport Steamer, in 1974, and teammate, Don Brumm, came aboard as members of the Express. Several former Sharks returned, including Ron Coppenbarger, Alfred Haywood, and Kay Stephenson-retired from playing but retained as the team's player personnel director. Head coach Charlie Tate, who replaced Bud Asher as head coach of the defunct Sharks, was retained to lead the Express on the sidelines. Although they were an improvement over the Sharks on the field, a 6-3 Summer Season record and 6-5 overall, the Express as well as the league folded just past mid-season on October 22, 1975.

Game Scores: Results: Exhibition.Jacksonville Express @ Chicago Winds - Express win. Jacksonville Express vs Hawaiians - Express win.

Game Scores: Regular Season: W - L August 2,1975 - Express @ Memphis Southmen - 26-27 0 - 1 August 16,1975 - Express vs Birmingham Vulcans - 22-11 1 - 1 August 23,1975 - Express vs San Antonio Wings - 26-19 2 - 1 August 30,1975 - Express vs Charlotte Hornets - 14-33 2 - 2 September 6,1975 - Express @ Shreveport Steamers - 22-15 3 - 2 September 13,1975- Express @ Hawaiians - 15-33 3 - 3 September 20,1975- Express vs Philadelphia Bell - 16-10 4 - 3 September 27,1975- Express vs Birmingham Vulcans - 26-18 5 - 3 October 4,1975 - Express vs Portand Thunder - ???? October 12,1975 - Express @ Charlotte Hornets - ???? October 19,1975 - Express @ Portland Thunder - ???? October 26,1975 - Express @ San Antonio Wings - ???? November 1,1975 - Express vs Southern Cal Sun - ???? November 9,1975 - Express @ Birmingham Vulcans - ???? November 16,1975 - Express @ Southern Cal Sun - ???? November 22,1975 - Express @ Philadelphia Bell - ???? December 6,1975 - Express vs Philadelphia Bell - ???? December 13,1975 - Express @ Memphis Southmen - ????

World Football League

Birmingham Americans (1974) | Birmingham Vulcans (1975) | Charlotte Stars (1974) | Charlotte Hornets (1974-75) | Chicago Fire (1974) | Chicago Winds (1975) | Detroit Wheels (1974) | Florida Blazers (1974) | The Hawaiians (1974-75) | Houston Texans (1974) | Jacksonville Sharks (1974) | Jacksonville Express (1975) | Memphis Southmen (1974-75) | New York Stars (1974) | Philadelphia Bell (1974-75) | Portland Storm (1974) | Portland Thunder (1975) | San Antonio Wings (1975) | Shreveport Steamer (1974-75) | Southern California Sun (1974-75)