Tag: Bob Gries

Tampa Bay Action

The Tampa Bay Action were a failed entry in Billie Jean King’s World Team Tennis promotion that lasted only one season during the summer of 1992. In fact, the entirety of the Action’s existence was seven home matches held at the 3,000-seat Tampa Bay Convention Center over the course of two-and-a-half weeks in July 1992. The highlights of the Action’s brief run were the appearances by aging superstars such as Martina Navratilova and Jimmy Connors who came to town on the rosters of opposing WTT clubs. The Action’s top player was Mikael Pernfors of Sweden, a 1986 French Open singles finalist.

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Pittsburgh Gladiators Arena Football League

Pittsburgh Gladiators

The Pittsburgh Gladiators were one of four founding members of the Arena Football League in 1987. The novelty of 50-yard indoor football caught some traction in the Steel City in the summer of ’87. All four of the Glads’ home games in the summer of 1987 drew strong crowds, culminating when Pittsburgh hosted Arena Bowl I at the Civic Arena before 13,232 and an ESPN national TV audience on August 1, 1987.

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Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football League

Tampa Bay Storm

The Tampa Bay Storm were arguably the greatest franchise in the 30-year history of the Arena Football League(s). The Storm played for 26 seasons and won 5 Arena Bowl titles. For many years the team was among the most popular box office attractions in the AFL. The Storm’s fierce “War on I-4” rivalry with the Orlando Predators lasted a quarter century from 1991 until 2016 and drew large crowds in both cities.

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