The Federals' marketing efforts were crippled by the Redskins' Super Bowl victory only 36 days before the Federals′ first game. Washington-area fans largely viewed the Federals with indifference, and the Federals averaged only 13,800 fans per game in 1983 in a 56,000-seat stadium. Revenue from ticket sales amounted to no more than a third of the $2.6 million projected before the season. Even after taking on several investors who had initially tried to get a USFL franchise for Cleveland, the Federals were still starved for capital. Years later, Bernhard said that he had seriously underestimated the expenses associated with pro football.