The six remaining teams were albany, atlantic city, baltimore, columbus. Nov 27, 2019 the arena football league was one of the longestrunning indoor football leagues in the country, beginning in 1987. Denver dynamite arena football american football database. Nov 30, 2019 originally founded by nfl employee jim foster in 1987, the arena football league kicked off its inaugural season with four teams located in pittsburgh, denver, washington and, chicago. Oct 22, 2012 denver dynamite coach tim marcum has a word with lineman charles harris during the denver dynamites first season in 1987, as the team went on to win the determined leagues first arenabowl. Thats more than other nfl alternatives, like the xfl.
The teamss logo was a bundle of dynamite sticks with a. Denver dynamite coach tim marcum has a word with lineman charles harris during the denver dynamites first season in 1987, as the team went on to win the determined leagues first arenabowl. But the arena football league or arenaball as its more widely known appears to have found its own niche and is here to stay for a while. It was unable to find a solution to achieve financial viability. The 1987 season was the arena football leagues 1st, and 4 teams competed in the league that year.
The 50yard indoor war on the floor, which first arrived in 1987, announced wednesday that it will file for chapter 7. Game type conference nonconference all location home away neutral all. Team history arizona rattlers indoor football league. The team began play in 1987 as the pittsburgh gladiators, one of the afls four charter franchises, and the only one still operating. The first season was modest but arena football had an espn contract for that first campaign, which helped fosters strange little league gain a modest measure of national attention. It took six years for foster to fully develop the concept and launch the league in 1987. The chicago bruisers, denver dynamite, pittsburgh gladiators and washington commandos comprised the fourteam league that ran a schedule from june 19 to august 1. They relocated to tampa in 1991 and adopted their current. Although the arena football league has seen its share of teams cease operations during its 22 year run 19872008, it has also seen some teams succeed. Below are historical helmet designs for th afls teams. They play their home games in the amalie arena formerly the tampa bay times forum in downtown tampa.
Afl 1987 chicago bruisers at pittsburgh gladiators cflvideo1964. Arena football league files for bankruptcy, ceases. It was played on august 1, 1987 at the civic arena in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. Coming into the game, with both teams finishing their seasons at 42, the gladiators hosted the arenabowl due to their high attendance during the. Test your knowledge on this sports quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. The gladiators were one of four charter teams created along with the afl in 1987. Whit taylor passed for four touchdowns, three to gary mullen, as the denver dynamite defeated the pittsburgh gladiators, 4516, saturday night to win the first arena football league championship game. The pittsburgh franchise became the tampa bay storm in 1991 they were the only franchise. The first season was modest but arena football had an espn contract for that first. All teams were owned by the league, a move foster hoped would curtail highpriced bidding for players.
The afl launched in 1987 and continued for 22 seasons before canceling its 2009 season. Arena football league closes shop after 30plus years. Its full of almostimpossibletobelieve records recorded since the leagues inception in 1987. The pittsburgh gladiators of the arena football league ended the 1987 season with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses, finishing first in the arena league, and compiled a postseason mark of 01. Pittsburgh gladiators arena football league wiki fandom. The following is a list of arena football league afl teams. The afl was a professional indoor american football league based in the united states the afl started play with the 1987 season, featuring the chicago bruisers, the denver dynamite, the pittsburgh gladiators and the washington commandos. It will be their first season in the indoor football league. Arena football league shuts down, files for bankruptcy after 3 decades the afl launched in 1987 and continued for 22 seasons before canceling its 2009 season. Here we have media guides from the virtually countless franchises of the original arena football league 19872008. Hoping that 2018 will be the year that the record of the first arenaball season will. For the professional arena soccer league paslpro soccer club, see denver dynamite soccer. Arena football league to shut down following bankruptcy. Its never been smooth sailing for the afl bankruptcy cancelled the 2009 season but the league had been able to endure since 1987.
Arena football league shuts down, files for bankruptcy. Arenafan is the premier community site for fans of the arena football league. Here is the 62087 matchup between the denver dynamite and the chicago bruisers. The league muddled along in fits and starts through the rest of the 1980s and most of the 1990s. The following 8 pages are in this category, out of 8 total. The afl drew an impressive average of 11,000 fans per game and tv coverage on espn. Founded in 1992 as an expansion team, the rattlers became the arena football leagues thirdoldest franchise, until this season, where it followed the iowa barnstormers and the spokane shock now spokane empire to the ifl. The franchise played in the inaugural fourteam demonstration season of 1987 and winning the first arenabowl that year. By 2018, the league had shrunk to four teams, with a. The audio drops out at times this was transferred from a very old tape but still. It is played indoors on a smaller field than american football, resulting in a fasterpaced and higherscoring game.
Three leagues have played under arena football rules. Merry christmas, happy holidays and happy new year to all the 1987 afl fans. Eight redskins connections to the arena football league. The 1987 arena football league season was the first season, also known as the demonstration season, of the arena football league afl. However, it did not return for the leagues second season. In february, 2017, the rattlers will kick off their 25th season.
The league went bankrupt in 2009 but then returned. Washington has waited more than a quartercentury for an afl team ever since the washington commandos folded after the 1990 season. It returned as arena football one, a rebranding that promoted a more modest. The first game in arena football league history was played on june 19, 1987, between the gladiators and commandos at pittsburgh civic arena in front of 12,117 fans. Arena football league shuts down, files for bankruptcy after 3. The 1988 arena football league season was the second season of the arena football league. This is a place for those who started arenaball to share their memories. Rare early game in the history of the arena football league. Sep 15, 2009 although the arena football league has seen its share of teams cease operations during its 22 year run 1987 2008, it has also seen some teams succeed. Every week during the season, well send you an email to your inbox with scores, this weeks schedule, top performers, fantasy drops and adds, new debuts and interesting tidbits. Afl had operated each year from 1987 through 2019, with the exception of 2009. Arena football league team rosters, statistics and results. This led to foster creating the original arena football league and starting play in june of 1987.
Denver dynamite exploded in arena leagues first season. Arena football league finally folds profootballtalk. Can you name the four arena football teams that participated in the leagues inaugural season. The 1987 arena football league season was the first season, also known as the demonstration season, of the arena football league. Arena football league 19872019 fun while it lasted. Jim foster founded the arena football league in 1987, and it enjoyed a fair amount of success at various times. Arena football league teams 1987 quiz by chargingtiger. The franchise was restarted in 1989, however, and operated for three subsequent seasons, ceasing operation after the 1991 campaign. Apr 12, 2018 as the baltimore brigade open their second season, the arena football league is down to four teams, its fewest since its inaugural 1987 season. Nov 27, 2019 jim foster founded the arena football league in 1987, and it enjoyed a fair amount of success at various times.
Arena league shuts down operations for all six teams. Arena football league files for bankruptcy, will cease. Its also available for hockey, basketball and baseball. Arena football league media guides fun while it lasted. This article is about the former arena football league franchise. News, scores, standings, statistics, games and more. The arena football league played its inaugural season in 1987 with four teams to introduce the sport to the american public. The arena football league afl is an indoor american football league founded in 1987 by jim foster. The game was deliberately not televised so that it could be analyzed and any follies and failures would not be subject to national public scrutiny. The league, which played its first season in 1987 and had six teams in 2019, had suspended local operations in october. The sport was invented in the early 1980s and patented by foster, a former executive of the united states football league and the national football league. Wells fargo center hosted the philadelphia soul, who joined the afl in 2004 and won arenabowls in. The denver dynamite were a charter member of the arena football league. The cafl, which operates on a heavily abbreviated schedule solely in china, is the only currently active league playing by ar.
The league champions were the detroit drive, who defeated the chicago bruisers in arenabowl ii standings. Pages in category 1987 arena football league season. The pittsburgh gladiators are the former title of a franchise primarily recognized by the arena football league. Denver dynamite football was a flash in the pan for venerable. Nine absurd arena football league records and nfl comparisons. Oct 30, 2019 the arena football league was initially founded in 1987, but financial issues forced it to suspend operations in 2009. The arena football league was initially founded in 1987, but financial issues forced it to suspend operations in 2009.
In second arena football league season, brigade will. Previous season next season 1987 nfl awards 1987 nfl draft 1987 cfl draft playoff. Arena football league begins 5th season upi archives. Arena bowl 87 or arena bowl i was the arena football leagues first championship game. Nov 28, 2019 its never been smooth sailing for the afl bankruptcy cancelled the 2009 season but the league had been able to endure since 1987. Take a look at the arena football league record book. Afl 1987 chicago bruisers at pittsburgh gladiators youtube. Arena football league shuts down, files for bankruptcy after. Just look up and count the arenabowl championship banners 1994, 1997, 2012, 20 hanging from the rafters of talking stick resort arena in downtown phoenix. Arena football league declares bankruptcy, shuts down. The arena football league announced on october 29, 2019 that it would suspend operations.
Eastern division w l t pct pf pa hw hl ht pct aw al at pct. The arena football league was one of the longestrunning indoor football leagues in the country, beginning in 1987. They played their home games at mcnichols sports arena. Originally founded by nfl employee jim foster in 1987, the arena football league kicked off its inaugural season with four teams located in pittsburgh, denver, washington and, chicago. Previous season next season 1987 nfl awards 1987 nfl draft 1987 cfl draft playoff team national football league. The team played all of its home games at the mcnichols sports arena. Arena football league files for bankruptcy, ceases operations.