Detroit Cougars / Detroit Falcons (1926-1932)
February 6, 2026 No Comments
The Detroit Cougars were established when the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) relocated to Michigan and joined the National Hockey League (NHL).
Spotlight
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Portland Breakers
March 8, 2013 3 Comments
The Breakers of the United States Football League landed in Portland, Oregon in November 1984. This nomadic franchise drifted through three different cities during the USFL’s three-year existence as a springtime football league from 1983 to 1985. The club started out in Boston, Massachusetts in 1983, played at New Orleans’ Louisiana Superdome in the spring of 1984 and finished up at Portland’s Civic Stadium.
Honoring the Negro Leagues
Seattle Steelheads
April 21, 2025 No Comments
The Seattle Steelheads were members of the West Coast Negro Baseball Association (WCNBA) in that circuit’s only season, 1946. The team was actually the Harlem Globetrotters baseball club and returned to barnstorming when the WCNBA ceased operations.
Retro Hockey
San Francisco Seals (1961-1967)
January 22, 2026 No Comments
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.
baseball History
Omaha Royals / Omaha Golden Spikes
March 23, 2018 1 Comment
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.
Soccer Indoor and outdoor
Philadelphia Atoms
November 25, 2020 No Comments
The Philadelphia Atoms won the North American Soccer League championship in the debut season of 1973. In doing so, they became the first American pro soccer club to earn the cover of Sports Illustrated. After that charmed first season, though, the Atoms’ fortunes fizzled out and the club was out of business by the end of 1976.
Arena Football
Fort Worth Cavalry
July 6, 2013 No Comments
The Fort Worth Cavalry were a failed Arena Football League franchise now residing in our One-Year Wonders file. After one star-crossed season in Fort Worth, the team crossed the border into Mexico just in time for that country’s late 1994 financial meltdown and vanished without a trace.
Los Angeles Stars (1968-1970)
October 20, 2014 1 Comment
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.
Birmingham Barracudas
November 23, 2017 No Comments
Canadian Football League (1995) Born: January 11, 1995 – CFL expansion franchise Folded: February 1996 First Game: July 4, 1995 (W 38-10 @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers) Last Game: November 5, 1995 (L 52-9 @ San Antonio Texans) Grey Cup Championships: None Legion Field (75,017) Opened: 1927 Team Colors: Teal, Blue, Burnt Orange & Black Owner: