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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Toronto Rifles
October 30, 2011 3 Comments
The Toronto Rifles were a short-lived professional football team that played at Maple Leafs Stadium and Varsity Stadium from 1965 to 1967. The club originally formed in Montreal in 1964 and played one season there as the Quebec Rifles before moving to Toronto. Unlike teams of the rival Canadian Football League, the Rifles were members of the largely American-based Continental Football League and played by the considerably different American football rules. The financially troubled Rifles folded just two games into their third season in September 1967.
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
San Jose Grizzlies
March 13, 2021 No Comments
The San Jose Grizzlies were a short-lived indoor soccer entry that competed in the summer-season Continental Indoor Soccer League in 1994 and 1995.
Two decades earlier, Grizzlies owner Milan Mandaric founded the Bay Area’s popular San Jose Earthquakes soccer team in the North American Soccer League. Serbian-American indoor star Preki arrived for the Grizzlies’ second and final season and won the CISL’s MVP award in 1995. It was the future Soccer Hall of Famer’s final season of indoor soccer before embarking on his equally legendary outdoor career with the U.S. Men’s National Team and in Major League Soccer in 1996.
Arena Football
Orlando Predators (1991-2016)
October 16, 2016 1 Comment
Arena Football League (1991-2016) Born: February 7, 1991 – Arena Football League expansion franchise Folded: October 12, 2016 First Game: June 1, 1991 (W 51-38 vs. Tampa Bay Storm) Last Game: August 6, 2016 (L 69-68 vs. Jacksonville Sharks) Arena Bowl Champions: 1998 & 2000 1991-2010: Orlando Arena (16,613) 2011-2013: Amway Center 2014:
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.
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.