The Barcelona Dragons were among the three European teams when the NFL started the World League of American Football in the spring of 1990. The NFL had such hopes for European growth that it lured away Mike Lynn from the Vikings to take over the league for its second season in 1991.
OK, maybe it was the heat he was taking for the Herschel Walker trade disaster that caused Lynn to bail out as Vikings CEO and replace himself with Roger Headrick, but Remarkable Mike did share big dreams with Commissioner Paul Tagliabue for building a football market in Europe.