▁Original ▁own ers ▁Alan ▁Harm on ▁and ▁Bill ▁Daniel s ▁sold ▁the ▁Express ▁to ▁mort g age ▁bank er ▁J . ▁William ▁Old enburg ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁season . ▁S way ed ▁by ▁Old enburg ' s ▁apparent ▁net ▁worth ▁of ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁million , ▁the ▁US FL ▁took ▁his ▁word ▁as ▁evidence ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁solid ▁owner ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁marque e ▁franch ises . ▁However , ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁investig ations ▁by ▁the ▁F BI , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁and ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁made ▁waves ▁by ▁signing ▁a ▁ro ster ▁of ▁high - pr iced ▁young ▁talent ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁even ▁a ▁fraction ▁of ▁the ▁money ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁team . ▁He ▁ab rupt ly ▁walked ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁team ▁during ▁the ▁play offs . ▁G amb lers ▁minor ity ▁owner ▁Jay ▁Rou lier ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁team ▁in ▁October , ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁pushed ▁out ▁just ▁months ▁later ▁when ▁it ▁emer ged ▁that ▁he ▁too ▁had ▁li ed ▁about ▁his ▁net ▁worth . ▁The ▁league ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁run ▁the ▁team ▁on ▁a ▁sho est ring ▁that ▁season . ▁▁ ▁With ▁the ▁new ▁wave ▁of ▁teams , ▁more ▁college ▁stars ▁like ▁Marcus ▁Dup ree , ▁Mike ▁Ro z ier , ▁Reg gie ▁White , ▁Jim ▁Kelly , ▁Steve ▁Young ▁and ▁other ▁young ▁stars ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁signed ▁high ▁doll ar ▁contract s ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁US FL ▁teams ▁in