▁reign ing ▁He is man ▁winner ▁in ▁the ▁fol d ▁would ▁l end ▁the ▁league ▁instant ▁cred ibility . ▁ ▁Other ▁marque e ▁stars ▁to ▁sign ▁with ▁the ▁league ▁were ▁Craig ▁James , ▁Anthony ▁Carter ▁and ▁Kel vin ▁Bry ant ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁some ▁familiar ▁NFL ▁v ets ▁like ▁Ch uck ▁F us ina ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁NFL ▁v et ▁l aden ▁Chicago ▁Bl itz , ▁like ▁Greg ▁Land ry , ▁showed ▁that ▁the ▁up start ▁league ▁was ▁a ▁cred ible ▁ch allen ger ▁to ▁the ▁NFL . ▁The ▁league ▁also ▁made ▁a ▁serious ▁run ▁at ▁some ▁other ▁stars , ▁such ▁as ▁Eric ▁Dick erson ▁and ▁Dan ▁Mar ino . ▁ ▁The ▁purs uit ▁of ▁top - level ▁talent ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁double - ed ged ▁sword . ▁While ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁many ▁blue - ch ip ▁stars ▁proved ▁the ▁league ▁could ▁put ▁a ▁compet itive ▁product ▁on ▁the ▁field , ▁many ▁teams ▁wild ly ▁exceed ed ▁the ▁league ' s ▁player ▁sal ary ▁cap ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁put ▁more ▁compet itive ▁teams ▁on ▁the ▁field . ▁For ▁instance , ▁the ▁Michigan ▁Pan thers ▁reported ly ▁lost ▁$ 6 ▁million — three ▁times ▁what ▁D ixon ▁suggested ▁a ▁team ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁lose ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁season — even ▁as ▁they ▁became ▁the ▁league ' s ▁first ▁champions . ▁The ▁desire ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁other ▁loaded ▁US FL ▁teams ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁league ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁approaching ▁NFL ▁cal iber ▁led ▁to ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁teams ▁exceed ing