Tombstone
Born: 1984 TeamTennis expansion franchise
Folded: Postseason 1985
First Game: July 10, 1984 (W 26-21 vs. St. Louis Eagles @ Los Angeles, CA)
Last Game: August 11, 1985 (W 25-24 vs. St. Louis Slims @ San Antonio, TX)
TeamTennis Champions: 1984 and 1985
Arena
1984: The Forum (Los Angeles, CA)
Opened: 1967
1985: San Diego Sports Arena
Opened: 1966
Marketing
Team Colors: Red & Cream
Ownership
Owner: Maury Ornest
WTT Wear
World Team Tennis
Logo T-Shirt
World Team Tennis has been around in one form or another for nearly fifty years now, but this chill logo tee from our partners at Old School Shirts pays tribute to the original league and its mid-70’s glory days when Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Bjorn Borg and Ilie Nastase suited up for their WTT clubs in between Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows.
Also available in women’s scoop neck and women’s racerback tank styles!
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Background
The San Diego Buds were a co-ed pro tennis team that existed for two seasons in World Team Tennis in the summers of 1984 and 1985. The 1984 “season”, in fact, was just a single weekend tournament held at The Forum in Los Angeles. The league devised the format to squeeze a reminder of its existence into the narrow spaces around Wimbledon, the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and the U.S. Open. The San Diego Buds won the tournament and were named the 1984 champions of TeamTennis without ever appearing in San Diego itself.
1985 was more conventional, with TeamTennis playing an expanded schedule and the Buds taking up residence in the San Diego Sports Arena for seven home dates. Maury Ornest, son of the St. Louis Blues hockey team owner Harry Ornest, owned the Buds in 1985, while his father controlled TeamTennis’ St. Louis Slims franchise. Son defeated father in the championship match, when the Buds defeated the Slims 25-24 to capture their second straight league title.
After the 1985 season the Ornest family lost interest in the TeamTennis concept and folded both the San Diego and St. Louis franchises.
Links
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