Spotlight

Illustration of Washington Federals running back Craig James on the cover of a 1983 United States Football League program

Washington Federals

The Washington Federals were a dreadful early 1980’s entry in the otherwise fondly remembered United States Football League. The Feds went 7-29 over two seasons of play and were famously compared to “a group of untrained gerbils” by exasperated team owner Berl Bernhard. After two seasons in the nation’s capital, the club was sold and packed off to Orlando prior to the USFL’s third and final season in 1985.

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Honoring the Negro Leagues

Seattle Steelheads barnstorming poster

Seattle Steelheads

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.

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Retro Hockey

San Francisco Seals program 1965

San Francisco Seals (1961-1967)

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.

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baseball History

1983 Omaha Royals baseball program from the American Association

Omaha Royals / Omaha Golden Spikes

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.

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Soccer Indoor and outdoor

Pro Soccer

Houston Pro Soccer…Then & Now

Houston Pro Soccer Yesterday The Houston Chronicle published photos of the nearly complete $95 million BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston.  BBVA opens on May 12th when its primary tenant, the Houston Dynamo, plays D.C. United in a Major League Soccer match.  BBVA is simply the latest in a string of increasingly

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Arena Football

Texas Terror Arena Football

Texas Terror

The Texas Terror were an Arena Football League based in Houston that played two seasons in 1996 and 1997. The team was owned by the management of the Houston Rockets and, like their NBA parent, played at the Compaq Center (formerly the Houston Summit). After a dreadful sophomore season in 1997 that saw the team’s attendance plummet by over 50%, ownership abandoned the “Terror” identity and re-branded the team as the Houston ThunderBears in 1998. The ThunderBears eventually went out of business in 2001, closing the book on this indoor football franchise.

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Los Angeles Stars American Basketball Association

Los Angeles Stars (1968-1970)

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.

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San Antonio Texans Canadian Football League

San Antonio Texans

The San Antonio Texans were a One-Year Wonder in the Canadian Football League, playing a single season at the Alamodome in the autumn of 1995. The franchise had a twisty backstory, dating back to the formation of the NFL-backed World League of American Football (WLAF) in 1990.

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