Chicago Winds, who attempted to sign legendary quarterback Joe Namath. But Namath stayed in the NFL, and the Winds were disbanded after just five games (including one game at Soldier Field that drew a crowd of 3,470). The World Football League followed suit a few months later, passing into history. In 1981, another Chicago Fire club played in the minor-league American Football Association. Led by running back Billy Marek, the new Fire also played at Soldier Field, albeit in front of small crowds: the biggest attendance of the year was estimated at 8,500. Chicago did have a successful season on the field, winning the AFA's Western Division with a 8-4 record. In the playoffs, Chicago knocked off Jacksonville, 24-17, in front of 5,000 at Soldier Field, then played in the league championship game, a 29-21 road loss to the West Virginia Rockets on August 30, 1981. They even managed to get one of their games on local television: WGN-TV, scrambling for summer sports programming during the baseball strike, broadcast a Fire game from Soldier Field on June 27, 1981. (Although ratings were higher than that of the Chicago Sting soccer team on WGN, station officials declined to carry any more Fire games.) Financial losses, and the formation of the bigger-budget USFL in 1982, put the Fire out for good. Chicago's current professional soccer team, founded in 1997, also is named the Fire. Schedule and results 1974 regular season See also Chicago Winds 1974 World Football League season References "Head coach WFL", Football Digest, August 1974 issue External links Chicago Fire on FunWhileItLasted.net 1974 Chicago Fire stats & results at ultimate70s.com Fire (football) Defunct American football teams American football teams established in 1973 American football teams in Illinois American football teams disestablished in 1975 1973 establishments in Illinois 1975 disestablishments in Illinois