Detroit Wheels
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| Established | December 1973 |
|---|---|
| Folded | September 1974 |
| Based in | Ypsilanti, Michigan |
| Home field | Rynearson Stadium |
| Head coach | Dan Boisture |
| General manager | Sonny Grandelius |
| Owner(s) | Louis Lee (team president), et al. |
| League | World Football League |
| Division | Central |
| Colours | Red, gold and black |
The Detroit Wheels were an American football team, a charter member of the ill-fated World Football League.
The Wheels were founded December 13, 1973 by ten investors, whose number eventually grew to 33, including singer Marvin Gaye, Motown Records vice-president Esther Edwards, Milford Fabricating owner Edward Nishon and Little Caesars founder Mike Ilitch—who would later own the Red Wings and Tigers. Detroit attorney and philanthropist Louis Lee was named team president, while Sonny Grandelius, a former star running back at Michigan State, was the team's general manager.
However, it soon became clear that the Wheels were severely under-capitalized, even by WFL standards. The owners didn't appear to make an initial capital investment; instead, team expenses were seemingly paid out-of-pocket as they arose. In the WFL player draft, Detroit selected such future stars as Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Rick Middleton and Randy Grossman. Unfortunately, the Wheels initially refused to spend more than $10,000 per player, and thus wound up signing only three of their 33 draft picks. Desperate for players, the Wheels were forced to hold open tryouts;, but none of the men who tried out made the team.
They also had trouble finding a place to play. Their first choice was Tiger Stadium, home of the NFL's Detroit Lions and Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers. However, they were unable to get a lease due to pressure from the Lions (also, much of the WFL season coincided with baseball's). The Silverdome hadn't been built yet, University of Detroit Stadium (home of the Continental Football League's Michigan Arrows) had been demolished three years prior, and the University of Michigan, home of cavernous Michigan Stadium, also said no (despite Lee being a Michigan alumnus). Finally, the Wheels signed a deal to play at Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan, 37 miles from downtown Detroit; Rynearson had no lighting at the time, and the Wheels had to install their own (the lights remain on the stadium to this day). The club even hired EMU's head coach, Dan Boisture, to helm the Wheels.
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