| Dentist
turned sports agent Dr. Jerry Argovitz was involved in
the USFL well before becoming an owner, having
represented a number of players who had either
negotiated with or signed USFL contracts in 1983.
When USFL founder David Dixon announced that he'd rather
sell his franchise rights rather than field a team, he
had an immediate buyer in Argovitz and Bernard Lerner,
with whom Argovitz was a partner. The sale was
approved by USFL owners on May 5, 1983 and an
announcement that Houston would be getting a USFL
franchise was made on May 11.
By
the time the Gamblers took the field however, Lerner had
taken a back seat and Argovitz was in charge of the
franchise's day-to-day operations. Argovitz and
his partners would lure Jim Kelly away from the NFL,
putting together a team that won the Central Division
title in its inaugural year and made the playoffs in
1985. The USFL's plan to play in the fall in 1986
essentially killed the Gamblers, however. Not
wanting to compete with the NFL's Oilers, the Gamblers
were merged into the New Jersey Generals.
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Dr. JERRY ARGOVITZ
Majority Owner
Houston Gamblers |
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