40 years ago today: Csonka, Kiick, Warfield shock Dolphins, NFL by jumping to WFL

[DKphin]

Some would say that people would be talking about a Dolphins dynasty rather than a Steelers dynasty of the 70's if Csonka, Warfield and Kiick would have stayed.

Sports Illustrated

Free agency and the salary cap have made it difficult to keep Super Bowl champs intact in today’s NFL.
But in the era before free agency and the cap, the Dolphins were still gutted in their glory days thanks to a fledgling football league that didn’t even last two seasons.
On March 31, 1974 — just two months after Miami won its second consecutive Super Bowl title — star fullback Larry Csonka, receiver Paul Warfield and tailback Jim Kiick — shocked the football world by announcing they had signed a package deal with the Toronto Northmen of the new World Football League. The deal paid the players a combined $3 million over three years. It was an unheard amount of money at the time.
Dolphins owner Joe Robbie said he was “torpedoed” and that the players’ agents had tried to get Robbie to put $3 million in a bank account to keep them in Miami. Robbie refused. Dolphins coach Don Shula said he was “disappointed, shocked, sick.” Many teammates, however, applauded the move and thought it might lead to larger contracts in the NFL.

- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...s-nfl-by-jumping-to-wfl/#sthash.TJnMCIO3.dpuf.

 

[dolpns13]

Career suicide right there.

 

[doughbraz54]

Makes ya wonder how many super bowls we could have won during that time. Who knows.

 

[JTC111]

And that's why Csonka shouldn't have been in the discussion back when we were talking about a Dolphins' Mt. Rushmore. I don't begrudge them leaving for the money. Hell, I'd have left too if someone were willing to back a Brink's truck up to my front door. But you don't get to leave AND maintain the same legacy as if you had stayed.

Career suicide right there.

How? The move set them up financially which is what their career was meant to do.

 

[johngarryvo]

NFL plotted against our team.. they didn't want a Dolphins Dynasty.. better an old guard franchise, rather than the upstart expansion from "Perfectville"

 

[JTC111]

NFL plotted against our team.. they didn't want a Dolphins Dynasty.. better an old guard franchise, rather than the upstart expansion from "Perfectville"

Are you being facetious or paranoid?

 

[Bumpus]

And that's why Csonka shouldn't have been in the discussion back when we were talking about a Dolphins' Mt. Rushmore. I don't begrudge them leaving for the money. Hell, I'd have left too if someone were willing to back a Brink's truck up to my front door. But you don't get to leave AND maintain the same legacy as if you had stayed.


How? The move set them up financially which is what their career was meant to do.

He's still on my Dolphins Mt. Rushmore.

Hell, I even named my dog after him.

---------- Post added at 03:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:39 PM ----------

NFL plotted against our team.. they didn't want a Dolphins Dynasty.. better an old guard franchise, rather than the upstart expansion from "Perfectville"

Really?!?

 

[Roman529]

Yep, we would have owned the entire 1970's if not for this, and the Steelers would have won four SB's that decade. What a shame. By the way, did Sport's Illustrated photoshop just recreate the first pose? In the other SI picture, Csonka is flipping the bird at the camera.

View attachment 12345

 

[Wishfishin]

I remember reading about it in The Herald. Tough thing to handle as a 14 year old crazed Dolphins fan.

 

[utahphinsfan]

NFL plotted against our team.. they didn't want a Dolphins Dynasty.. better an old guard franchise, rather than the upstart expansion from "Perfectville"

Agreed. When in doubt, putzburgh still gets the calls. Have y'all forgotten 10/24/10 & how close the phins were to being hosed on 12/8/13?

 

[Mr. Day]

I missed those days…I was only 1.

 

[PBay Fin Fan]

It still pisses me off. Robbie should have paid them, but I am sure he was pressured by owners not to as NFL players were making peanuts at the time.

 

[dlockz]

And that's why Csonka shouldn't have been in the discussion back when we were talking about a Dolphins' Mt. Rushmore. I don't begrudge them leaving for the money. Hell, I'd have left too if someone were willing to back a Brink's truck up to my front door. But you don't get to leave AND maintain the same legacy as if you had stayed.


How? The move set them up financially which is what their career was meant to do.

In Czonka's defense we were notoriously cheap with him twice in his career. In retrospect football wise it hurt his career but you have to do whats best for your family and the NFL was greatly underpaying at this time

 

[dlockz]

In 1970 the minimum salary for rookies was 9,000. 10,000 FOR VETS.
In reality the NFL was not ready to match these types of salaries in those days because it would have made their salaries so much higher than everyone else.
It was a great deal for these players since these were personal service contracts that would be paid regardless if league failed or not.
even with these signings they had a better record the previous year. THe CFL used to poach players much like the WFL but now they are a minor league that doesn't really compete at all with NFL for top talent.
They basically get the locals and guys that are fringe nfl roster players or guys that could not make rosters

 

[Ben Had]

If it wasnt for the the start of this new league the fins would have won several more super bowls in a row...