The Topeka ScareCrows played in the second iteration of the Central Hockey League (CHL) from 1998-2001. After the team folded, a junior team was organized under the same name. They skated until 2003.
Charlotte’s football Hornets were members of the World Football League for parts of two seasons in 1974 and 1975. The team began play in July 1974 as the New York Stars, but bombed in the Big Apple, lost its owner, and fled to Charlotte in October. The Hornets’ second season in 1975 was also abbreviated, as the entire WFL folded in October 1975 before completing its regular season schedule.
The Homestead Grays are one of the best known teams to have played in the Negro Leagues, though they were an independent team for much of their existence.
This was a good 1970’s NHL expansion team! No, really. The Atlanta Flames had a winning record in five of their eight seasons as the NHL’s only Deep South outpost. They made the playoffs six out of those eight years. They had a core of outstanding young players and a future Hall-of-Fame executive in the GM chair. But the collective memory of the Atlanta Flames is that they weren’t very good because they were God-awful in the playoffs (objectively true) and Southerners hate ice hockey (possibly true, definitely a well-worn trope).
The Denver Zephyrs were formerly known as the Denver Bears from 1955 until 1983. In 1984, they adopted the Zephyrs nickname, which they kept when they moved to New Orleans in 1993 as the Major League Colorado Rockies set up shop in the Mile High City.
For a remarkable three-year period between 2004 and 2006 this amateur women’s soccer club that played in a 1,500-seat community college field in the Trenton suburbs managed to sign up a jaw-dropping roster of top players from all over the world. The Wildcats ran roughshod over the USL’s W-League during these years with only one North American women’s club – the Vancouver Whitecaps – able to stay on the field with them.
Arena Football League (2006-2008) Born: September 2004 – AFL expansion franchise Folded: August 4, 2009 First Game: January 28, 2006 (W 48-35 @ San Jose SaberCats) Last Game: June 28, 2008 (L 49-44 vs. Colorado Crush) Arena Bowl Championships: None EnergySolutions Arena Opened: 1991 Team Colors: Owners: John Garff, Robert Garff &
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:
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