Spotlight

1966 Waterbury Orbits program from the Atlantic Coast Football League

Waterbury Orbits

The Waterbury Orbits were a minor league football outfit that played in 1966 and 1967 in the Atlantic Coast Football League during the mid-1960’s. Notable players included the cult legend minor league quarterback Jim “King” Corcoran, who blew through town in 1967, and gargantuan defensive lineman Wayne Coleman (’66) who went on to become the pro wrestling legend Superstar Billy Graham in the late 1970’s. The team moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1968.

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Honoring the Negro Leagues

Cleveland Buckeyes

Cleveland Buckeyes (1942-1950)

The Cleveland Buckeyes started as the Cincinnati-Cleveland Buckeyes in 1942, before settling permanently in Northern Ohio in 1943. The club won two league titles as well as a Negro World Series championship.

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Retro Hockey

Ralph Backstrom on the cover of a 1975-76 Denver Spurs program from the World Hockey Association

Denver Spurs

The Denver Spurs started in the Western Hockey League in 1968. When that circuit folded, they joined the Central Hockey League in 1974. The following year, they joined the World Hockey Association, but moved to Ottawa halfway through the season.

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baseball History

1998 Atlantic City Surf baseball program from the Atlantic League

Atlantic City Surf

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

Eric Wynalda of the San Jose Clash on the cover of a 1997 Major League Soccer Freekick souvenir program

San Jose Clash

Major League Soccer (1996-1999) Born: June 15, 1994 – MLS founding franchise Re-Branded: October 27, 1999 (San Jose Earthquakes) First Game: April 6, 1996 (W 1-0 vs. D.C. United) Last Game: October 6, 1999 (W1-0 vs Kansas City Wizards) MLS Cup Championships: None (during Clash era) Stadium: Spartan Stadium (26,000) Team Colors: Cloudy Jade,

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Arena Football

Cincinnati Jungle Kats Arena Football 2

Cincinnati Jungle Kats

The fourth time was not the charm for the Arena Football brand in Cincinnati. Celebrity ownership in the form of Cincinnati Reds slugger Ken Griffey Jr. and former All-Pro defensive lineman Sam Adams of the Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t enough to make the Cincinnati Jungle Kats succeed where the Rockers (1992-1993), the Swarm (2003) and the Marshals (2005-2006) failed before them. Like all three of their predecessors, the Jungle Kats played at U.S. Bank Arena (formerly the Riverfront Coliseum).

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Las Vegas Posse Canadian Football League

Las Vegas Posse

Canadian Football League (1994) Born: July 26, 1993 – CFL expansion franchise Folded: April 1995 First Game: July 8, 1994 (W 32-26 @ Sacramento Gold Miners) Last Game: November 5, 1994 (L 51-10 @ Edmonton Eskimos) Grey Cup Championships: None Sam Boyd Stadium (31,000) Opened: 1971 Team Colors: Desert Sand, Black & White Owner: Nick

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