Hockey’s San Francisco Seals were a popular entry in the minor Western Hockey League (WHL) in the 1960s. The team won two championships before being “promoted” to the NHL in 1966 for the 1967-68 season.
The Vulcans were the second of two Birmingham franchises that took part in the World Football League, a short-lived rival to the NFL that played parts of two seasons in 1974 and 1975. The Birmingham Americans were the first (and only) champions of the WFL in 1974 and drew strong crowds to Legion Field. But financial problems sunk the club immediately following the season. New owners organized the Vulcans for the 1975 season but the team played only a dozen games before the World Football League went belly up in October 1975.
The Cleveland Buckeyes started as the Cincinnati-Cleveland Buckeyes in 1942, before settling permanently in Northern Ohio in 1943. The club won two league titles as well as a Negro World Series championship.
The Chicago Cougars were charter members of the WHA in 1972. The team played three seasons in the Windy City before folding in 1975. They are perhaps best remembered as the team that was displaced by Peter Pan.
Omaha, Nebraska has hosted the top farm club of the Kansas City Royals since the Major League club’s inception in 1969. Initially known as the Omaha Royals, the Class AAA club won four league championships of the American Association, including back-to-back titles in their first two seasons in 1969 and 1970. The Royals survived the closure of the American Association, joining the Pacific Coast League in 1998. From 1999 until 2001, the team was briefly known as the “Golden Spikes” before returning to the Royals nickname. In 2011, the club re-branded as the Omaha Storm Chasers while simultaneously moving into the new $36M Werner Park.
United Soccer League (2018) Born: November 15, 2017 – Re-branded from Harrisburg CIty Islanders Ceased Operations (professional club): Late 2018 First Match: March 24, 2018 (L 1-0 @ Charleston Battery) Last Match: October 13, 2018 (T 0-0 vs. Toronto FC II) USL Championships: None FNB Field Opened: 1987 Team Colors: Blue,
Arena Football League (1992-1993) Born: October 11, 1991 – AFL expansion franchise Folded: October 28, 1993 First Game: May 30, 1992 (W 37-34 vs. Detroit Drive) Last Game: July 31, 1993 (W 50-43 vs. Dallas Texans) Arena Bowl Championships: None Riverfront Coliseum (15,500) Opened: 1975 Team Colors: Green, Yellow & White Owner: Ted Gregory
The Los Angeles Stars basketball team was a short-lived effort by the American Basketball Association to plant its flag in L.A. during the early years of its rivalry with the National Basketball Association. The Stars labored in the shadows of the NBA’s Lakers and never established a substantial following. Coached by Hall-of-Famer (and future Lakers coach) Bill Sharman, the Stars did enjoy a thrilling Cinderella playoff run at the end of their second and final season in L.A.
In the spring of 1982, the Canadian Football League’s venerable Montreal Alouettes franchise collapsed under a mountain of debt. Seeking a clean slate for new ownership, league officials folded the Alouettes on May 13, 1982 and awarded a new Montreal expansion club to Seagram’s liquor baron and Montreal Expos founder Charles Bronfman the next day. The club embarked on a star-crossed four year voyage under the new name “Concordes”, drawing inspiration from the iconic supersonic transatlantic jets of the era.
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