▁league ' s ▁best ▁record ▁and ▁made ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁title ▁game , ▁this ▁time ▁defe ating ▁Di eth rich ' s ▁W r ang lers , ▁ 2 3 – 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 4 – 1 9 8 5 ▁off - season ▁The ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Express , ▁J . ▁William ▁Old enburg , ▁stopped ▁pay ing ▁the ▁team ' s ▁b ills ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁season ▁after ▁media ▁and ▁federal ▁investig ations ▁revealed ▁he ▁had ▁li ed ▁about ▁his ▁net ▁worth . ▁News ▁of ▁his ▁financial ▁troubles ▁sent ▁a ▁collect ive ▁sh iver ▁through ▁the ▁league ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁season . ▁With ▁Chicago ▁already ▁gone , ▁the ▁potential ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁Express ▁might ▁have ▁put ▁the ▁league ' s ▁contract ▁with ▁ABC ▁in ▁je op ard y . ▁ ▁Se ek ing ▁a ▁larger ▁market , ▁a ▁larger ▁stad ium , ▁and ▁to ▁share ▁exp enses , ▁the ▁Out la ws ▁sought ▁to ▁merge ▁with ▁the ▁Oak land ▁Inv aders , ▁but ▁Oak land ▁Inv aders ▁owner ▁T ad ▁Ta ube ▁walked ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁deal ▁rather ▁than ▁give ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁Out la ws ▁part - owner ▁and ▁general ▁manager ▁William ▁T ath am ▁Jr . ▁ ▁We iser ▁pulled ▁the ▁plug ▁on ▁his ▁deal ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁Feder als ▁and ▁move ▁them ▁to ▁Miami . ▁Band its ▁minor ity ▁owner ▁Donald ▁Disney ▁stepped ▁in ▁ 5 ▁days ▁later ▁and ▁bought ▁the ▁Feder als