Denver Gold
| Denver Gold | |
|---|---|
 
|
|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Folded | 1985 |
| Based in | Denver, CO, United States |
| Home field | Mile High Stadium |
| League | USFL |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Pacific Division |
| Team History | Denver Gold (1983–1985) |
| Team colors |
Black, Old Gold, White (1983, 1984) |
| Head coaches | 1983 Red Miller (4-7) 1983 Charley Armey (interim) (0-1) 1983-4 Craig Morton (12-12) 1985 Mouse Davis (11-8) |
| Owner(s) | 1983-1984 Ron Blanding 1984–1985 Doug Spedding |
Black, Old Gold, White (1983, 1984)
Black, Gold, White (1985)
The Denver Gold was a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second major professional football league in the United States, playing a springtime season, from 1983 to 1985. The Gold played their home games at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado.
The team's original owner, Denver real estate mogul Ron Blanding, held fast to the USFL's original blueprint, keeping tight controls on expenses (including player salaries) while heavily marketing the team in the Rockies. The strategy paid off, as the Gold led the league in attendance during its inaugural season.
The Gold attempted to utilize some of the goodwill established by the rival NFL's Denver Broncos by involving former Broncos players and coaches in the Gold organization. The Gold's original coach was Red Miller, who led the Broncos to their first-ever Super Bowl. He was fired in the middle of the season and replaced by popular ex-Broncos quarterback Craig Morton. Despite one of the toughest defenses in the league, a weak offense kept the Gold out of the playoffs in 1983. Blanding, however, was more satisfied with the fact that he actually turned a profit.
After finishing the 1983 season making a small profit, the Gold went into the 1984 campaign with a bare-bones payroll. They did not sign any significant free agents or college draft picks and traded away two of their three starting linebackers during training camp. Unwilling to join the other teams in reckless spending, however, Blanding sold the Gold to auto dealer Doug Spedding for $10 million in April 1984. By some accounts, Blanding was the only USFL owner who got a net positive return on his investment.
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