capitalization requirements. Puliano asked for time to find more investors. However, on September 2, the league's owners voted 10-1 to expel Chicago from the league, with only the Winds themselves voting to continue. The owners were still reeling from the experience of the previous season, which saw many of the teams so badly underfinanced that they couldn't meet basic expenses. For this reason (and the fact that the other owners were no doubt ticked-off at the Winds' inability to sign Namath and indirectly costing them their national TV contract), they were not willing to give the Winds a second chance. A team folding in mid-season was not unusual for the WFL (the Jacksonville Sharks and Detroit Wheels had died 14 games into a 20-game regular season in 1974), so the league was prepared. The Winds' game against the Southern California Sun was canceled. Since there were 11 teams, one had a bye each week; with Chicago out, the bye team simply took the Winds' place in the schedule. John Gilliam was selected by the Philadelphia Bell in a dispersal draft, but returned to the NFL Minnesota Vikings instead, much to the WFL's chagrin. Even this arrangement didn't last long. Due in part to the loss of national television revenue, the entire WFL only survived the Winds by a month, folding on October 22. External links Chicago Winds on FunWhileItLasted.net References Defunct American football teams Winds American football teams in Illinois