Arena Football League (1992-1993)
Tombstone
Born: October 11, 1991 – AFL expansion franchise11992 Arena Football Media Guide
Folded: October 28, 1993
First Game: May 30, 1992 (W 37-34 vs. Detroit Drive)
Last Game: July 31, 1993 (W 50-43 vs. Dallas Texans)
Arena Bowl Championships: None
Arena
Riverfront Coliseum (15,500)21992 Arena Football Media Guide
Opened: 1975
Marketing
Team Colors: Green, Yellow & White31992 Arena Football Media Guide
Ownership
Owner: Ted Gregory
Attendance
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Source: 1999 Arena Football League Official Guide & Record Book (rebuilt from game summaries)
Our Favorite Stuff
Cincinnati Rockers
Arena Football T-Shirt
The Rockers were Cincy’s first Arena Football team, roaming the floor at Riverfront Coliseum during the summers of 1992 and 1993. The team chose its identity from 1,800 suggestions to a Name The Team contest held at owner Ted Gregory’s Montgomery Inn BBQ restaurants in suburban and downtown Cincinnati in the fall of 1991.
This shirt is available today in sizes Small through 4XL from Cincinnati’s own Old School Shirts!
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
Short-lived entry in the Arena Football League active for two summers in 1992 and 1993.
Unusual among Arena Football teams of the era, the Cincinnati Rockers employed ex-NFL quarterbacks in both of their campaigns. The starter in 1992 was gambling casualty Art Schlichter, twice banned from the NFL by Commissioner Pete Rozelle. Schlichter found a revival of sorts in the Arena League, winning Most Valuable Player honors in 1990 as the signal caller for the league champion Detroit Drive. Schlichter was one of the highest paid players in the AFL in 1992, but that still only meant a salary of $40,000 annually. The Rockers thrived at first with Schlichter under center in 1992. The team went 7-3 and made the playoffs as Schlichter passed for 45 touchdowns. But late in the season Schlichter was arrested for passing a bad check. Schlichter left the team after the 1992 season and never played another down of professional football. He spent much of the next decade in prison.
NFL Refugees
The Rockers tried to rebuild in 1993 around former NFL journeyman Blair Kiel at quarterback. Unlike Schlichter, Kiel struggled to pick up the indoor game. He ended up splitting time with Brent Pease, a former replacement QB for the Houston Oilers during the 1987 NFL strike. But Pease couldn’t rally the Rockers either. The franchise regressed to a league-worst 2-10 record, matched only by the Rockers’ in-state rival, the Cleveland Thunderbolts.
Other former NFL notables who played for the Rockers included former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ira Hillary and ex-New England Patriots running back Tony Collins.
Demise
After a promising start at the box office in 1992, the Rockers’ attendance crashed through the floor in 1993. Owner Ted Gregory, the late Cincinnati rib baron, shuttered the faltering club in late 1993. Gregory later sold off the inactive franchise certificate to Connecticut investors and the ex-Rockers franchise became the Hartford-based Connecticut Coyotes in 1995.
Cincinnati Rockers Shop
Our Favorite Stuff
Arena Football League
1987-2002 Logo T-Shirt
This logo tee from Old School Shirts reps the original Arena Football League logo, used for the league’s first 16 seasons as the circuit grew from four to sixteen franchises. The design includes uprights to imply one of the most unique innovations of the indoor game – the taut netting surrounding narrowed uprights that ricocheted kickoffs and missed field goals back into live play. Curiously, the netting wasn’t incorporated into the graphic which seems like a missed opportunity.
This design is also available as a Hooded or Crewneck Sweatshirt from Old School Shirts today!
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Cincinnati Rockers Video
Rockers inaugural game at the Riverfront Coliseum on May 30, 1992. Art Schlichter leads the Rockers to a 37-34 upset over his former team, the Detroit Drive before 13,317 fans.
In Memoriam
Former Rockers owner Ted Gregory passed away on December 2, 2001 at age 78.
Ex-Rockers quarterback Blair Kiel died of a heart attack on April 8, 2012. Kiel was 50 years old. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel obituary.
Links
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