European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 b the stars and stripes Friday March 20, 1992 a Bailey helps Olaf Bridge Atlantic Friday March 20, 1992 by Rob Staggenborg staff writer Frankfurt Germany a Joe Bailey sat in the vip room at Wald stadium drafting a hurried report on a few sheets of torn out notebook paper. His Burberry Topcoat drooped from his shoulders his wire framed glasses Slid Down his nose. There were no secretaries scarring about Only harried Public relations types. Outside the weather was testy but about 10,000 Frankfurt Galaxy fans drank ate and Sang at a huge tailgate party. Bailey the chief operating officer of the world league of american football smiled. He help realizing that in some Small Way he was responsible for this. A these three markets Over Here a he said referring to Olaf franchises in Frankfurt Londoiro and Barcelona a Are just remarkable markets. Its quite amazing How Well they be done. See its hard for the . Media to get a feeling of this thing when they Haven to actually experienced a world league game in Europe. I brought my 16-year-old kid with me on this trip and he believe the atmosphere yeah every once in a while life deals you that Ace. In Bailey Scase it translates into three full houses a in London a Wembley Barcelona a month Pic and Frankfurt a Wald stadiums. Bailey came to the league is one of Tex Schramme a hands but after Texas vision of globalized football was Cut Short by his resignation Bailey inherited the no. 2 spot behind Minnesota Viking general manager Mike Lynn. It was Lynn who put Texas dream into action just months before the scheduled Kickoff. Lynn resigned in the of season a for personal reasons a Bailey said. Lynn was a partner in the Minnesota Vikings ownership Circle and with litigation about that ownership looming he resigned the world league Job. A Mike had so much going on with trying to sell a his share of the Vikings that he just had no time for the world league a Bailey said adding the split was amicable but sad. The world league of american football enters its second full season this weekend. European division games include the new York new Jersey knights travelling to London to take on the world league titlist monarchs sunday at 6 . Frankfurt travels to Barcelona runner up to London last year with a game at month Pic saturday at 6 . Last season european teams dominated the league compiling an aggregate 24-6 record and Drevy an average of 35,000 fans. The world bowl held at Wembley last june Drew 61,000 fans under 1,000 fewer than the first super bowl Drew. During the nil owners meetings last year the owners entered into a preliminary vote to suspend world league operations for 1992. Bailey and european coordinator Bruce Dworshak lobbied to continue Given the Strong attendance in Europe and Large european fan bases. After much debate the nil voted to extend the world leagues life de. Spite the financial losses in All 10 world league franchises. A my feeling during All this was that to Eye a vote to proceed a Bailey said. A i Felt ultimately the shareholders would have to go Forward was because of those teams outside the United states. If we Hadnot had the Success that we had outside of the United states then i done to think wed be playing right now. But because of the overwhelming reception we be had in Europe it made it an awfully promising Bailey a Confidence in the league is unwavering. He even uses the a be a word a expansion a when he Speaks of the future. Last season the Raleigh Durham franchise went 0-10 and was hard pressed to draw More than 1,000 fans to its final Home games. The franchise since folded with a new team in Columbus Ohio filling out the 10 team league. Ticket sales in Europe have boomed and even in new York new Jersey where Public relations director Gary Croke said nearly 20,000 season tickets have been sold. But franchises like Orlando he reported have Only sold 150 season tickets thus far. Given this Bailey said the league is in no hurry to expand but he does expect to add four teams by 1994. A if you take a look at the other leagues in the United states and How they be handled expansion. They expanded very rapidly then turned around and downsized. But we Are committed to expanding by two in 1993 and two More in 1994. That a a minimum. I can to Tell you where they re going to be obviously but we will certainly focus on the United states. But clearly by 1994 we want to get the european division up to four teams. Right now we be covered three countries. Do we want to go into other countries or do we want to Start doubling up within these countries do we want teams in Frankfurt and say Berlin London and say Birmingham a when we go up with the number of team sin a 100 percent certain we will go up to a total of 12 games per team a in other words six Home games for each other issues Are pressing though. Raising for a amps Kart weasel chief operating officer Joe Bailey credits a a remarkable european Success for saving world leagues �?T92 season. Salaries which Are controlled by the league and allocated by position is one decision Bailey faces next year. World league quarterbacks make a base salary of $25,000. A one thing the ill conceived defunct professional Spring football league did was show that starting a league was not the easiest thing to do. It showed you better have financial stability before you enter into this. The single biggest expense Are players salaries and we have to be Able to control expenses. We will definitely definitely increase salaries and benefits when we have the financial Security and ability to do Galaxy starts corrections with opener in Barcelona Scott Erney gets thrown in with Doug Flutie As a a Good a Abas Barcelona a Jack Bicknell has coached. As by Rob Staggenborg staff writer Frankfurt Germany a yes Frankfurt Galaxy coach Jack Elway admitted his team did get thumped pretty Good in sundays 28-9 exhibition loss but the Galaxy is far from hoisting the White Flag. Frankfurt travels to Barcelona for its world league of american football season opener saturday with a 6 . Kickoff in month Pic stadium. Returning for another season is the Core of Elway a line backing squad. Kevin Wolfolk Pat Moorer and yep Paul a Are Back and Lyneil Mayo and Willie Don Wright make their Galaxy debuts this weekend. Mayo registered a pair of sacks in sundays exhibition loss to the new York new Jersey knights and Wright a 6-4, 239-Pound stack of muscle had a pair of Solo tackles and a sack in the game. A a there a a lot of telent on this team a said Wright who spent the past nil season on the Phoenix cardinals practice roster. A i think we re going to have a Good rotation at linebacker. We be got some Good linebackers coming Back so it la be hard to break into the starting lineup. As Long As i get some Good playing time which in a sure i will with Only five linebackers in a four linebacker still be Happy. A Elway a defense was ranked first against the pass last year where it held opponents to 153.9 Yards a game and sacked opposing quarterbacks 42 times for a total loss of 318 Yards. Gone from that defense Are Chris Williams who signed with Phoenix last year Chris Alexander who was injured and released in training Camp and Mike Teeter and defensive end Mark Mraz who both decided to forgo a second world league season. Still Elway a not fretting. A defensively this is a very talented group of Youn Monarch suspended London apr Jon Horton one of the top receivers in the world league of american football has been banned for the season. Horton who helped the London monarchs to the Olaf championship last year a has been suspended for cause and is ineligible to participate in any practice or play for the remainder of the 1992 season a the league said thursday. Neither the league the team nor Horton would specify the reason for the suspension. Men a he said of his new look defense. A a we re fortunate this year in that we have some versatility in terms of some players being Able to play More than one position. We saw a lot of Good things sunday. Everything that Wasny to so Good is correctable. There Are a lot of Bright spots Barcelona returns quarterback Scott Erney who led the dragons to a 21-0 world bowl loss last season. Erney suffered a knee injury in that game but dragons officials say he a completely recovered. A the is As Good As any quarterback i have Ever coached a said dragon coach Jack Bicknell who coached Heisman trophy Winner Doug Flutie at Boston College. Also returning to Barcelona ranks is running Back Paul Palmer who missed six of seven games last year with a hamstring injury. The Galaxy 7-3 last season beat the dragons 10-3 in their Only previous meeting
