Spotlight

Chicago Feds opening day ad

Chicago Whales – Chicago Chifeds (1913-1915)

May 22, 2026 No Comments

The Chicago Whales were established in 1913 as the Chicago Feds in 1913, charter members of the Federal League (FL). The FL was an attempt to start a third major league to compete with the established American and National Leagues. The circuit was done after three seasons, the last two as a major league. The most recognizable piece of the league’s legacy is Wrigley Field, opened as Weeghman Field, the Whale’s home in 1915, later taken over by the NL Cubs.

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historic Football

1970 San Antonio Toros program from the Texas Football League

San Antonio Toros

September 24, 2023 4 Comments

The San Antonio Toros were a powerhouse minor league football squad of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Between 1967 and 1971 the Toros won five consecutive league titles, thanks to a unusually stable core of returning players that came back to the Toros year after year. The Toros disappeared from the scene in 1975 after getting displaced by the San Antonio Wings of the more ambitious World Football League.

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Honoring the Negro Leagues

Cleveland Buckeyes

Baltimore Elite Giants (1938-1951)

February 27, 2026 No Comments

The Baltimore Elite Giants got their start in Nashville, before moving to Columbus, Ohio for one year, then to Washington, D.C. They moved down the road in Baltimore in 1938 and played there until 1950, before spending their final season back in Tennessee.

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Retro Hockey

Winnipeg Jets program

Winnipeg Jets (1972-1996)

March 6, 2025 2 Comments

The original Winnipeg Jets were charter members of the WHA in 1972. They moved to the NHL in 1979, along with three other WHA squads. In 1995, they were sold and moved to Phoenix for the 1996-97 hockey season. The name was revived when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Manitoba in 2011 and assumed the Jets name but not their history.

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baseball History

1998 Atlantic City Surf baseball program from the Atlantic League

Atlantic City Surf

December 31, 2017 2 Comments

The Atlantic City Surf were one of the six original franchises in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Atlantic League was (and remains) the most ambitious league to arise out of the independent baseball boom of the 1990’s. The Surf played at the Sandcastle, a 5,900-seat ballpark built on the grounds of Atlantic City’s municipal airport, Bader Field. The stadium was built with $11.5 million in Casino Reinvestment Development Authority funds and $3 million in taxpayer bonds.

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Soccer Indoor and outdoor

National Women's Soccer League Logo

National Women’s Soccer League Heats Up

December 19, 2012 20 Comments

Soccer League As I draft this column, I’m sitting in the athletic center at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts administering the final exam for my Sports Promotions & Marketing course (SM 203).  I taught two sections of the course as a guest instructor this semester and it was a blast.

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Arena Football

Florida Bobcats Arena Football League

Florida Bobcats

May 11, 2013 1 Comment

The Florida Bobcats were a hard luck Arena Football League outfit that wandered in the wilderness for a decade in the notorious pro sports graveyard of Southern Florida.  Ownership squabbles and building problems plagued the franchise throughout its existence. The team was also reliably terrible in competition, posting ten straight losing seasons.

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Pro Basketball

1970-71 Sporting News American Basketball Association Guide

American Basketball Association (1967-1976)

March 25, 2012 No Comments

The American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed in 1967 as a competitor to the established National Basketball Association (NBA). It started with 11 teams, and within a few years was angling for a merger with the older league. In 1976, the NBA took in four ABA teams, while three other surviving teams disbanded.

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Canadian Football League

Ottawa Rough Riders Canadian Football League

Ottawa Rough Riders

July 3, 2020 5 Comments

The history of the Ottawa Rough Riders Canadian football team stretches back to 1876 with the formation of an amateur rugby side known as the Ottawa Football Club. The team folded in 1996 after 120 years.

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