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May 26, 2003 "Moose has supplied me with Arena Football League Team
Starting Year Histories" Myk Aussie
Arizona Rattlers - 1992
Buffalo Destroyers - 1999
Carolina Cobras - 1999
Chicago Rush - 2001
Colorado Crush - 2003
Dallas Desperados - 2002
Detroit Fury - 2001
Georgia Force - 2002
Grand Rapids Rampage - 1998
Indiana Firebirds - 1990
Las Vegas Gladiators - 1997
Los Angeles Avengers - 1999
New York Dragons - 1995
Orlando Predators - 1991
San Jose Sabercats - 1995
Tampa Bay Storm - 1987
**Pls. Note: The Firebirds were in Albany form 1990 through the 2000 season.
The Gladiators were in New Jersey as the Red Dogs from 1997 through 2000. They
became the New Jersey Gladiators in 2001.
They moved to Las Vegas in 2003. The Dragons were in Portland from 1997 through
1999. The franchise started as the Memphis Pharoes in 1995. In 2000
the Iowa Barnstormers were merged with the Dragons & the franchise was sold
to the New York Islanders ownership & re-named. The Storm were the Pittsburgh
Gladiators from 1987 through 1990. They relocated in 1991.** " Moose
Feb 20,
2003 "Arena Footy History by Moose Me Nth American Footy Expert"
Subject: Arena Football
History
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 13:54:22 -0500
By:
Rich Salzer
Myk Aussie.com I know
your footy fans enjoyed reading this on the old MYKwebWORLD. Here's the details
again.
On Feb. 11th, 1981, James
F. Foster, Jr. & a colleague from the NFL, who is no longer in football went
to the Major Indoor Soccer League All-star game @ Madison Square Garden in New
York City. At that time Foster was the Promotions Manager for the entire NFL. As
they sat & watched the
game on their lunch' hour', Foster turned to his colleague & said, "If
they can play soccer indoors, why not football?". His colleague turned to
him & said, "Well, how would you do it?". Foster reached under his
seat for his briefcase & opening it found only a manila envelope to write
on. Foster proceeded to sketch out a hockey rink surrounded by padded walls. He
came up w/ 30' x 32' rebound nets to keep the ball in play.
They would be no punting
indoors. Nine, eight or seven men per side (He later decided on 8), w/ 6 playing
offence, defense & special teams. A running time clock only to be stopped
for injuries or in the final 1 minute of each half. 24 men to a squad like in
hockey. (A 20 man active roster & a 4 man practice squad. Only the QB, WR(or
in Arena parlence, Offensive Specialist), CBs & Ks wouldn't play both sides
of the ball. The teams would play in the NFL's off season, kind of a NFL/NHL
hybrid, w/ only one substitution per quarter per position. The line(s) would
rotate per quarters like in hockey. Four points for a drop kick FG, 2 pts. for a
drop kick extra point. Foster approached NBC about the idea 1st in 1982, upon
leaving the NFL to further develop the game.
But w/ the start of the United States Football League, announced in Jun. '82,
Foster shelved the idea & took the job of ast. General Manager of the new
Chicago Blitz. NBC liked the idea & was ready to proceed to put something
together on it but the USFL threw the timetable off. In 1984 the
Chicago Blitz & the Arizona Wranglers swapped franchises & owners.
Foster then became the Wranglers General Manager. When the USFL sued the NFL for
monopolization of American Pro
Football in '85 & announced that they would move to the fall to compete w/
the NFL starting in the fall of '86, Foster left the USFL for good.
Foster further developed the game as the NFL V. USFL case came up in court. On
April 26th, '86 Foster hired two semi-Pro teams: the Chicago Politicians &
the Rockford Metroes to play an exhibition game in the Rosemont Horizon Arena
(now Allstate Arena, home of the Ar.FL Chicago Rush). He gave away 8200 tickets
for anyone to watch the exhibition game.
In Aug. '86 the Circuit District Court of New York found the NFL & it's then
Commissioner Pete Rozelle guilty of monopolization of Pro Football in America
because it had all three (then) major Networks locked up(ABC, NBC,CBS) w/ it's
games. But when the judge asked the Forewoman of the jury, Miriam Sanchez what
kind of judgment the courts should give the USFL, she said, "I dunno, 1
$dollar?", ostensibly kidding. It backfired on the young Spring/Summer
league. The judge slammed his gaval down & in the anti-trust case, the
settlement is automatically trebled. The
USFL got $3. Plus $7,000,000.00 in court costs. Easy for the NFL to pay to be
rid of it's only competition. But not enough for the USFL to continue to keep
playing. On Aug. 7th, '86 all the players became free agents.
All along the USFL had been shrinking from 18 teams, to 14 & then finally 8.
Many of these former USFL players would become Ar.FLers, both coaches &
players. One was Mike Hohensee, now coach of the Chicago Rush, who threw the
first league TD, as a Chicago QB. Another original QB, Mike Hold, now coaches
Carolina. The league's 2nd exhibition game was played on Feb. 26th, '87 &
the league officially kicked off on Jun. 19th, '87 w/ 4 teams: Washington, D.C.,
Chicago, Pittsburgh (still in the league today, as the Tampa Bay Storm) &
Denver. The Denver Dynamite, w/ QBs Marty Mornhinweg (former Detroit Lions
coach) & John Fourcade, former New Orlean Saint playoff QB, won Arena Bowl
I.
Since then the league has grown to 48 teams; 16 in Arena League & 32 more
AAA teams in Arenafootball2, w/ more on the way. The minor league feeder team
system was also 1st thought of by Jim Foster for Medium & Small sized
markets, in 1981. The game was officially patented as a
competition free game in 1990. The 1st network to officially broadcast games was
ESPN. Since then, ESPN2, ABC & TNN have also been broadcast partners. Now
things have come full circle. On Jun 1st of '02 NBC acquired 49.9% interest of
Arenaball & is broadcasting the games Sun(s), on regular
T.V.
Many teams are now owned by NFL,NHL,NBA,AHL & leagues. The next step for the
league as it continues to be the fastest growing sport in the world is to become
the 5th Major Pro Sport. The tickets are affordable, the seating the best in the
world for football & the weather is never a
factor indoors. Recently during an overtime game in the Denver Pepsi Center,
L.A. QB Tony Graziani joking told the ref, as he won the coin toss, "We'll
kickoff w/ the wind. I'll leave on that note" Moose Salzer
"Thanks Moose a
great description on the history of this great relatively new footy code"
Myk Aussie
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