Before he was ever in politics, President-Elect Donald Trump was an aggressive businessman and real estate magnate. One of his ventures during the 1980s was a dive into the sports world via team ownership in the United States Football League, an endeavor that would up having a similar fate as many of his other investments.
Donald Trump Buys New Jersey Generals In 1985
Trump bought in during the league’s second season. He purchased the New Jersey Generals franchise in 1985 after a failed bid to buy the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, and his stay in the USFL featured plenty of ups and downs before ending abruptly after just a few years.
One of the most notable moves was his acquisition of quarterback Doug Flutie. Trump and the Generals lured the reigning Heisman Trophy winner to play in the upstart league by making him the highest paid pro football player. The 5-year, $7 million deal broke records, as well as Trump’s pockets. Citing the interest and eyeballs that Flutie brought to the league, the Generals owner requested that fellow USFL owners help foot the bill on his contract. They declined.
But the USFL as a whole didn’t last long, and Trump had a hand in the league’s ultimate demise.
USFL’s Lawsuit Against The NFL Spearheaded By Trump
The USFL, predictably, spent the entirety of its existence competing with the NFL. Whether it was bidding against the established league for talented players or disputes over television broadcast stipulations, there always seemed to be a rift between the two sides.
Matters came to a head after the 1986 season, when the USFL decided to file a lawsuit against the NFL, spearheaded by Donald Trump. They claimed that the NFL has established a monopoly, mostly in respect to broadcasting rights. Wanting to move their schedule from the spring to fall in order to compete with the NFL, the USFL sought $567 million in damages, which they hoped would void the television contracts between the big league and the major networks.
And while Trump and his league were technically handed down a favorable verdict in the case, the effects were ultimately devastating for the USFL. The NFL’s lawyers decided to hone in on Trump during the proceedings, revealing lies and already-known “secrets” about his motivations to being a team owner. According to one of the jurors in the case, Donald Trump was “not believable in anything he said,” and that he came off as “arrogant and unlikeable.”
USFL “Wins” Trial, But With A Major Stipulation
So there was plenty of surprise that came with the joy of learning that the USFL had won its suit. There was jubilation in the league’s camp, which came as a surprise given how the proceedings went.
But hearts sunk, and so did the USFL, when the damages were awarded. While they were technically victorious in their efforts, the jury found that many of the issues that the league faced were due to their own mismanagement, and they would receive fewer than the requested $567 million in the settlement.
Instead, they were awarded damages totaling $1. Thanks to antitrust laws, the award payout was tripled. That meant that Trump and the United States Football League walked away with a grand total of $3.
According to the same aforementioned juror, Trump was “extremely arrogant and I thought that he was obviously trying to play the game. He wanted an NFL franchise … the USFL was a cheap way in.”
The USFL was eventually awarded $5.5 million from the NFL in lawyers fees, which was far too little a return for a league that was said to be nearly $160 million in debt. Following the 1985 season, the United States Football League was disbanded for good, and history remembers Donald Trump and his actions as being one of the main reasons for the failure.
