Misplaced Pages

#755244

51-472: The team's principal owner was Fred Smith , founder of FedEx . Prior to the Mad Dogs, Smith fronted an ownership group (along with such entities as former Memphis Showboats owner William Dunavant and the estate of Elvis Presley ) that tried to get a National Football League team into Memphis in 1993. The Memphis Hound Dogs , as the proposed team was to be called, was one of five teams to be considered, but

102-636: A 9–9–0 regular season record, which placed them fourth in the South Division and one game out of the playoffs. Pepper Rodgers was known around the football world as a likable man. However, he often made uncomplimentary remarks about the Canadian Football League, which also showed signs that the CFL's foray into the United States was doomed to failure from the start. The team drew relatively well during

153-408: A Canadian field onto the playing surface, the end zones became half-grass/half-Astroturf pentagons that were only nine yards long in the middle and seven yards long at the sidelines. CFL rules call for a 20-yard end zone, and no other stadium had end zones shorter than 15 yards. The stands jutted into the corners of the end zones, creating a clear safety hazard. Memphis ended the 1995 CFL season with

204-555: A minority share of the Washington Commanders , an American football franchise belonging to the National Football League . The three owned a total of 40% of the team until 2021, when they sold their stake to majority owner Dan Snyder following discontentment with Snyder. Smith also owns or co-owns several other entertainment companies, such as Alcon Entertainment . In 2000, Smith made an appearance as himself in

255-562: A quarterback and punter with the Dallas Cowboys from 1976 to 1988. John McVay was introduced as the head coach of the Grizzlies before the 1974 season. After his tenure with the Grizzlies, McVay would later serve as Vice-President and General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers for nineteen years, from 1980 to 1999. During this period, McVay presided over five Super Bowl-winning seasons and

306-626: A teen. In 1962, Smith entered Yale University for pursuing economics. According to some sources, he wrote a paper for an economics class, outlining overnight delivery service, on which he received a “C”. In fact, in an interview, he said he doesn't remember the grade. Additionally, Smith became a member and eventually the president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) fraternity and the Skull and Bones secret society. He received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1966. In his college years, he

357-635: Is a high level executive at FedEx. Memphis Southmen The Memphis Southmen , also known as the Memphis Grizzlies , were an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee . They played in the World Football League (WFL), which operated in 1974 and 1975 . They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium . The team was originally slated to be based in Toronto , Canada, with

408-515: Is the founder and chairman of FedEx Corporation , the world's largest transportation company. Smith stepped down as CEO in June 2022 and was succeeded by Raj Subramaniam . He is considered one of the most successful transportation entrepreneurs in the world. He had an estimated net worth of $ 5.3 billion as of June 2023. Frederick Smith was born in Marks, Mississippi , the son of James Frederick "Fred" Smith,

459-599: The Memphis Showboats in the United Football League . Memphis would also have success in other professional sports, landing another Canadian export with the relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies in 2001, which became the Memphis Grizzlies that have been playing there ever since. Frederick W. Smith Frederick Wallace Smith (born August 11, 1944) is an American business magnate and investor. He

510-597: The Miami Trio arrived, the 1974 Southmen found two durable running backs in J. J. Jennings and John Harvey, and they finished with the league's best record at 17–3. They lost in the semifinals to the Orlando-based Florida Blazers , 18–15. In 1975, Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Paul Warfield finally came to Memphis (now officially dubbed the Grizzlies), but even they couldn't save the league, which folded during

561-617: The Tom Hanks movie Cast Away , when Hanks's character is welcomed back, which was filmed on location at FedEx's home facilities in Memphis, Tennessee. As a DKE Fraternity Brother of George W. Bush while at Yale, there was some speculation after Bush's 2000 election that Smith might be appointed to the Bush Cabinet as Defense Secretary . While Smith was Bush's first choice for the position, he declined for medical reasons — Donald Rumsfeld

SECTION 10

#1732858657756

612-660: The USFL ; the Mad Dogs had also hired Steve Erhart, the Showboats' general manager, in the same capacity. Erhart had been trying since 1987 to get the CFL to expand into the United States. The team's mascot was a black Labrador retriever named Alien, who was known for charging the field and retrieving the kicking tee following each kickoff. The Mad Dogs tried to copy the Baltimore Stallions ' blueprint by getting staff and players who had previous CFL experience. As part of that blueprint,

663-413: The logo , a representation of a bear backed by the sun. The "Grizzlies" were owned by John F. Bassett . A multi-millionaire, Bassett gave the league instant credibility by signing three stars from the National Football League 's Miami Dolphins for the 1975 season: running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick , and wide receiver Paul Warfield . A Grizzlies quarterback was Danny White , who later became

714-552: The 1998 season at Vanderbilt. The Memphis Pharaohs played two seasons in the Arena Football League , their first concurrent with the Mad Dogs, in 1995 and 1996. In 2001, Memphis would host the XFL 's Memphis Maniax . in 2019, the AAF 's Memphis Express and the 2000s AF2 's Memphis Xplorers . The Xplorers would last for six seasons. Currently Memphis is home to a second incarnation of

765-588: The CFL itself. The league positioned itself directly against the NFL when it attempted to move south of the border. The CFL adopted the marketing slogan, "Longer, Wider, Faster" to appeal to the American football market. Rodgers had expressed frustration in the efforts to market the Mad Dogs and Canadian football to the Mid-South. The city of Memphis would go on to host several more professional football franchises. The most notable

816-620: The Mad Dogs folded at the December 1995 CFL meetings. By February 1996, the Barracudas, Texans and Shreveport Pirates had also folded while the Stallions had reconstituted themselves as the third incarnation of the Montreal Alouettes , ending the CFL's three-year experiment south of the border. Besides financial and attendance problems, the Mad Dogs were hobbled by the promotional efforts of

867-729: The Mad Dogs hired former CFL coach Adam Rita to become their new offensive coordinator. Rita had coached the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos to Grey Cup championships in 1991 and 1993. The Mad Dogs then signed veteran QB Damon Allen , who won the Grey Cup with the Eskimos in 1987 and 1993 (the latter with Rita), earning Grey Cup MVP honors in both years. Other notable players on offense included Eddie Brown (SB), Joe Horn (WR) and former NFL kicker Donald Igwebuike . However,

918-481: The Mad Dogs, the Oilers proved to be an attendance disaster in Memphis. Due to Memphians' unwillingness to support a lame-duck team and Nashvillians' reluctance to travel on Interstate 40 to see "their" team play, Oilers games didn't draw much more than the Mad Dogs had drawn even on a good day and often drew more opponents' fans than Oilers fans. The Oilers backed out of the Memphis arrangement after only one season and played

969-596: The Marines' left flank. Unhesitatingly rushing through the intense hostile fire to the position of heaviest contact, Lieutenant Smith fearlessly removed several casualties from the hazardous area and, shouting words of encouragement to his men, directed their fire upon the advancing enemy soldiers, successfully repulsing the hostile attack. Moving boldly across the fire-swept terrain to an elevated area, he calmly disregarded repeated North Vietnamese attempts to direct upon him as he skillfully adjusted artillery fire and air strikes upon

1020-679: The NFL refused to accept the team. McVay and many of the Southmen moved on to join the New York Giants , where in what has been described as "the closest approximation to a meeting between the champions of the WFL and the NFL", the Southmen reinforcements helped the Giants defeat the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 17–0 in a 1976 preseason matchup. Still, there were fans who would not quit. A lawsuit, Mid-South Grizzlies v. NFL , tried to force

1071-443: The United States - largely to avoid competing on television (both in its native country and the U.S.) with the National Football League . Smith realized that the Mad Dogs could not hope to draw respectable crowds if they had to go head-to-head with high school games on Fridays and Tennessee Volunteers and Ole Miss Rebels football on Saturdays. The Birmingham Barracudas , also based in a high school and college football hotbed, faced

SECTION 20

#1732858657756

1122-486: The WFL, behind them, the Southmen would have almost certainly been a viable venture had the WFL's overall management been more financially sound. After the WFL folded, Bassett applied for membership in the NFL as an expansion team. Over 40,000 deposits for season tickets were collected in this effort, which included a December 1975 telethon dubbed the "NFL-a-Thon" on Memphis television station WMC-TV Channel 5. To their dismay,

1173-878: The back seat of the OV-10 . He served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War , and was honorably discharged in 1969 with the rank of captain, having received the Silver Star , the Bronze Star , and two Purple Hearts . His Silver Star citation reads: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Frederick Wallace Smith, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Commanding Officer of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines , 1st Marine Division in connection with operations against

1224-813: The capture of two hostile soldiers as well as numerous documents and valuable items of equipment. By his courage, aggressive leadership and unfaltering devotion to duty at great personal risk, Lieutenant Smith upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service." In 1970, Smith purchased the controlling interest in an aircraft maintenance company, Ark Aviation Sales, and by 1971 turned its focus to trading used jets. On June 18, 1971, Smith founded Federal Express with his $ 4 million inheritance (approximately $ 29.8 million in 2023 dollars) and raised $ 91 million (approximately $ 690 million in 2023 dollars) in venture capital. In 1973,

1275-436: The central location to exchange materials. In the early days of FedEx, Smith had to go to great lengths to keep the company afloat. In one instance, after a crucial business loan was denied, he took the company's last $ 5,000 to Las Vegas and won $ 27,000 gambling on blackjack to cover the company's $ 24,000 fuel bill. It kept FedEx alive for one more week. In 2003 Smith, along with Robert Rothman and Dwight Schar , purchased

1326-423: The company began offering service to 25 cities, shipping small packages and documents in a fleet of 14 Dassault Falcon 20 (DA-20) jets. His focus was on developing an integrated air-ground system. Smith developed FedEx on the business idea of a shipment version of a bank clearing house where one bank clearing house was located in the middle of the representative banks and all their representatives would be sent to

1377-666: The controlling share (60%) of the St. Louis Rams from Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez. In 2009, Smith earned a total compensation of $ 7,740,658, which included a base salary of $ 1,355,028, a cash bonus of $ 0, stocks granted of $ 0, options granted of $ 5,079,191, and other compensation totaling $ 1,306,439. In March 2014, Fortune Magazine ranked him 26th among the list of the "World's 50 Greatest Leaders". In March 2022, Smith announced that he would step down as CEO and become executive chairman. He named long-time FedEx executive Raj Subramaniam as his successor. On January 31, 1975, Fred Smith

1428-612: The enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 27 May 1968, while conducting a search and destroy operation, Company K became heavily engaged with a North Vietnamese Army battalion occupying well-entrenched emplacements on Goi Noi Island in Quang Nam Province. As Lieutenant Smith led his men in an aggressive assault upon the enemy positions, the North Vietnamese force launched a determined counterattack, supported by mortars, on

1479-414: The first two months of the season. While the crowds were not nearly as large as those the Showboats or Southmen had drawn, they were still comparable to those for the established CFL franchises. However, the Mad Dogs had their legs cut out from under them by quirks in the CFL schedule. The CFL traditionally plays on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays — the same days as high school and college football games in

1530-462: The forgery charge. The same evening of his forgery indictment Smith was involved in a fatal hit and run in which he killed a 54-year-old handyman named George C. Sturghill. Smith was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash and driving with an expired license. He was released on a $ 250 bond. All charges were later dismissed. This was not the first time Smith was involved in a fatal car crash. During his first summer break from Yale, Smith

1581-714: The founder of the Toddle House restaurant chain and the Smith Motor Coach Company (renamed the Dixie Greyhound Lines after The Greyhound Corporation bought a controlling interest in 1931). The elder Smith died when his son was only 4, and the boy was raised by his mother and uncles. Smith was crippled by bone disease as a small boy but regained his health by age 10. He attended elementary school at Presbyterian Day School in Memphis and high school at Memphis University School , and became an amateur pilot as

Memphis Mad Dogs - Misplaced Pages Continue

1632-561: The hostile positions to within fifty meters of his own location and continued to direct the movement of his unit. Accurately assessing the confusion that supporting arms was causing among the enemy soldiers, he raced across the fire-swept terrain to the right flank of his company and led an enveloping attack on the hostile unit's weakest point, routing the North Vietnamese unit and inflicting numerous casualties. His aggressive tactics and calm presence of min [sic] under fire inspired all who observed him and were instrumental in his unit accounting for

1683-602: The league to accept the Grizzlies. It was not settled until 1984, by which time Bassett owned the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League and the case was rendered moot. Long after Presley's death in 1977, his estate was involved in an attempt to bring the NFL to Memphis; the Memphis Hound Dogs proposal ultimately lost (professional football would eventually come to the city in 1995 in

1734-557: The middle of its second season. The 1975 Grizzlies finished 7–4; in their last WFL game, they were shut out by the Birmingham Vulcans , 21–0. Memphis eventually not only received another professional sports team via a relocation from Canada, but one that was officially called the Grizzlies – the Vancouver Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association would move to Memphis in 2001. The NBA Grizzlies are

1785-737: The nickname of the Northmen . However, when Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announced that no U.S.-based professional football league would be allowed in Canada in competition with the Canadian Football League under the Canadian Football Act , a change in venue and nickname was announced. From the beginning, Memphians disliked "Southmen" and the team was informally known as the Memphis Grizzlies. The name appeared to come from

1836-473: The offense was only able to score a total of 346 points, last in the CFL behind the Ottawa Rough Riders . On a positive note, the Mad Dogs were known for their strong defense that was rated second, behind Edmonton, in the CFL for giving up the fewest points with 364, due in large part to the strong defensive play of Tim Cofield and Rodney Harding . One of the reasons for poor offense and great defense

1887-400: The only major professional sports team to keep its nickname after moving from Canada to the United States. In 2004, Mississippi's Johnny Wofford produced a DVD honouring the 1974–75 Southmen/Grizzlies. It included pictures from the 2004 30-year reunion conference. The Southmen were one of the stronger and better-supported WFL franchises. With the wealth of Bassett, by far the richest owner in

1938-424: The same problem. With this in mind, Smith and Barracudas owner Art Williams persuaded the CFL to let their teams play late-season home games on Sundays. They apparently believed that attempting to compete with NFL broadcasts in markets that did not support any one NFL team in particular was the more sensible risk to take. It did not work; several late season games in Memphis drew crowds of fewer than 10,000, dropping

1989-553: The team's average attendance to around 14,550 by the end of the season. As early as September, Smith was blaming community indifference and outright hostility from the media for the team's steep decline at the gate. Tim Cofield became the only Mad Dogs player to win the James P. McCaffrey Trophy as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the South Division. Due to massive losses and the late-season attendance collapse,

2040-495: Was a friend and DKE fraternity brother of future U.S. president George W. Bush . Smith was also friends with future U.S. Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry ; the two shared an enthusiasm for aviation and were flying partners. After graduation, Smith was commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps , serving for three years (from 1966 to 1969) as a platoon leader and a forward air controller (FAC) in South Vietnam , flying in

2091-663: Was also awarded the 2008 Bower Award for Business Leadership from The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the 2011 recipient of the Tony Jannus Award for distinguished contributions to commercial aviation. While CEO of FedEx in 2008, Smith earned a total compensation of $ 10,434,589, which included a base salary of $ 1,430,466, a cash bonus of $ 2,705,000, stocks granted of $ 0, and options granted of $ 5,461,575. In June 2009, Smith expressed interest in purchasing

Memphis Mad Dogs - Misplaced Pages Continue

2142-472: Was back in Memphis driving out to a lake with friends when he lost control of the car he was driving, causing the vehicle to flip and killing the passenger in the front seat. The cause of the crash was never determined. Smith has ten children, including photographer Windland Smith Rice , film producer Molly Smith and former Atlanta Falcons head coach and currently Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith . His eldest son, Richard W. Smith,

2193-597: Was deemed too small even for temporary use. The state's largest stadium, Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, seated over 102,000 people, far too large to sell out in time to avoid local blackouts. If successful, it could have set Memphis up to make another bid on the expansion franchise that was to be awarded in the wake of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy (what eventually became the Houston Texans ). However, like

2244-401: Was granted an expansion franchise for 1995. With Presley's estate no longer involved, the team eschewed "Hound Dogs" in favor of "Mad Dogs," ostensibly through a name-the-team contest. The Mad Dogs hired Pepper Rodgers as their first head coach. Rodgers was familiar to Memphis pro football fans as he was the head coach of one of the city's previous pro football team, the Memphis Showboats of

2295-424: Was indicted for forgery by a federal grand jury. The suit was filed by Smith's two half-sisters. The lawsuit alleged Smith had forged documents to obtain a $ 2 million bank loan and he and executives of his family's trust fund had sold stock from the fund for a loss of $ 14 million. A warrant for Smith's arrest was issued for which Smith posted bond with federal authorities in Memphis. Smith was later found not guilty on

2346-775: Was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame and also awarded the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1998. He was inducted into the SMEI Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame in 2000 . His other awards include "CEO of the Year 2004" by Chief Executive Magazine and the 2008 Kellogg Award for Distinguished Leadership, presented by the Kellogg School of Management on May 29, 2008. He

2397-469: Was named NFL Executive of the Year in 1989. The Southmen's home opener against the Detroit Wheels drew 30,122 fans, including Elvis Presley , a professed football fanatic. Country superstar Charlie Rich sang the national anthem. After Rich took his seat next to Elvis afterward, Presley commented, "That's a tough song to sing, ain't it?" Rich replied, "It ain't no ' Behind Closed Doors '." Even before

2448-460: Was named instead. Although Smith was friends with both 2004 major candidates, John Kerry and George W. Bush , Smith chose to endorse Bush's re-election in 2004. When Bush decided to replace Rumsfeld, Smith was offered the position again, but he declined in order to spend time with his terminally ill daughter. Smith was a supporter of Senator John McCain 's 2008 Presidential bid, and was named national co-chairman of his campaign committee. Smith

2499-564: Was passed over in favor of the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars . Smith, after briefly considering a proposed "new league" backed by CBS , then turned to the CFL. The league was very impressed with Smith; his group was the richest in CFL history at the time. It seriously considered selling either the Hamilton Tiger-Cats or Calgary Stampeders to Smith. After those teams resolved their ownership situations, Smith's group

2550-509: Was the Liberty Bowl's hosting of the NFL's Tennessee Oilers for the 1997 season. The plan was for the Oilers, who were to be based in Nashville once a new stadium was ready, to play two full seasons in Memphis because the city had the state's only stadium that was ideally sized for the NFL at the time. The largest stadium in Nashville at the time, Vanderbilt Stadium , seated only 41,000 people and

2601-506: Was the size of the field. The Liberty Bowl was not as well suited to the Canadian game, as the stands were very close to the field of play, making it difficult to reconfigure the field to CFL standards. As a result, even with the addition of AstroTurf cutouts to widen and lengthen the field, it was still narrower and shorter than all other CFL fields, including other US fields which were not regulation. In order to shoehorn even an approximation of

SECTION 50

#1732858657756
#755244