he would shut the team down if they didn't return. On one occasion, an arbitrator threatened to release 30 players from their contracts if Manges didn't make good on their bounced checks. On another, several players threatened to sit out a June 9 game against the Los Angeles Express unless they were paid. After a month of missed paydays, Bates threatened to quit unless the players were paid by the team's contest against the Oakland Invaders. The money never arrived, and Bates walked out, forcing Steinke to take over for the last six games of the season. In June, Manges simply stopped paying the franchise's bills. The players and coaches played the last four games of the season without being paid. Not surprisingly, the Gunslingers barely survived the season. Due in large part to a nonexistent rushing attack (their leading rusher, George Works, only ran for a total of 452 yards), they finished with the second-worst record in the league. Attendance crashed to 11,721, the second-worst in the league. Shortly after the season, after another missed payroll, the entire roster was put on waivers. Aftermath A month after the season, Commissioner Harry Usher had seen enough. He ordered Manges to make restitution for the team's debts in 15 days, or lose the franchise. When this didn't occur, the Gunslingers became the only USFL franchise to be revoked. The dubious distinction was, to an extent, academic. The USFL, which had been planning to move to a fall schedule in 1986, ultimately folded without playing another game. The Gunslingers' holding company, South Texas Sports, was auctioned off to pay more than $650,000 of debts to former players. The players also sued Manges to recover back pay, but that suit collapsed when Manges filed for bankruptcy. At least some of the players still hadn't been paid at the time of a 1998 reunion, and no players or staff members that were owed back wages had been paid at the time of Manges's death in 2010. Average home attendance 1984: (15,444) 1985: (11,721) Game results 1984 Sources 1985 Sources Rosters 1984 NO. NAME (POS) - GP/GS 5. MIKE-MAYER, Nick (K) - 18/0 7. NEUHEISEL, Rick (QB) - 16/16 8. WHITE, Alvin (QB) - 3/0 9. HARTLEY, Ken (P) - 15/0 10. FORD, Mike (QB) - 2/1 11. TORCHIO, Lloyd J. (QB) - 3/0 14. MORTENSEN, Fred (QB) - IA/2G 16. DOUGLASS, Karl (QB) -