- year , ▁$ 5 ▁million ▁deal ). ▁In ▁January , ▁The ▁Bl itz ▁tender ed ▁an ▁offer ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁largest ▁contract ▁in ▁football ▁– ▁$ 2 ▁million ▁a ▁year ▁for ▁three ▁years — to ▁B ears ▁running ▁back ▁Walter ▁Pay ton . ▁ ▁Pay ton ▁ad vised ▁he ▁would ▁consider ▁the ▁offer , ▁but ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁r ushed ▁by ▁the ▁Bl itz . ▁ ▁The ▁Bl itz ' s ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁season ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁start ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁and ▁they ▁had ▁little ▁success ▁s elling ▁season ▁tick ets . ▁ ▁The ▁Bl itz ▁needed ▁Pay ton ▁to ▁sign ▁quickly ▁to ▁help ▁season ▁ticket ▁sales , ▁so ▁they ▁had ▁put ▁a ▁dead line ▁on ▁the ▁offer ▁of ▁February ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁ ▁Before ▁he ▁made ▁up ▁his ▁mind , ▁the ▁Bl itz ▁with d rew ▁the ▁offer ▁real izing ▁they ▁simply ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁fin ances . ▁With ▁a ▁less ▁tal ented ▁team ▁and ▁no ▁big ▁names ▁to ▁ex cite ▁the ▁fans , ▁Chicago ' s ▁season ▁ticket ▁sales ▁predict ably ▁flat lined , ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁Hoff man ▁s inking ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁money ▁into ▁advert ising . ▁Just ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁season , ▁a ▁fr ustr ated ▁Hoff man ▁walked ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Bl itz , ▁leaving ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁the ▁minor ity ▁own ers . ▁The ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Express ▁were ▁sold ▁to ▁J