▁the ▁D ixon ▁Plan ' s ▁team ▁sal ary ▁cap ▁amount ▁within ▁the ▁league ' s ▁first ▁ 6 – 1 8 ▁months . ▁ ▁D ixon ▁ur ged ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁league ▁to ▁reduce ▁sp ending . ▁ ▁R ather ▁than ▁backing ▁off ▁sp ending , ▁recomm itting ▁to ▁a ▁fir mer ▁sal ary ▁cap , ▁and ▁dispers ing ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁contract s ▁to ▁expansion ▁teams ▁to ▁alle vi ate ▁the ▁problem , ▁the ▁league ▁sought ▁other ▁options ▁to ▁take ▁on ▁re venue ▁to ▁cover ▁increased ▁costs ▁over run s . ▁ ▁These ▁actions ▁magn ified ▁the ▁problem . ▁ ▁The ▁league ▁added ▁six ▁more ▁teams ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁four ▁initially ▁en vision ed ▁by ▁D ixon , ▁to ▁pocket ▁two ▁more ▁expansion ▁fe es . ▁This ▁put ▁more ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁TV ▁deal , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁designed ▁to ▁support ▁an ▁ 1 8 ▁team ▁league . ▁A ▁fr ustr ated ▁D ixon ▁sold ▁his ▁st ake ▁and ▁got ▁out . ▁ ▁Additionally , ▁the ▁league ▁was ▁so ▁determined ▁to ▁appear ▁to ▁put ▁a ▁cred ible ▁product ▁on ▁the ▁field ▁that ▁on ▁some ▁occasions , ▁it ▁set ▁aside ▁its ▁own ▁v et ting ▁procedures – all ▁of ▁which ▁back f ired ▁dis astr ously . ▁When ▁Di eth rich ▁sold ▁the ▁Bl itz ▁to ▁Hoff man ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁clear ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁his ▁purchase ▁of ▁the ▁W r ang lers ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁season , ▁they ▁didn