Portland Forest Dragons

Arena Football League (1997-1999)

Tombstone

Born: August 25, 1996 – The Memphis Pharaohs relocate to Portland, OR
Moved: November 1999 (Oklahoma Wranglers)

First Game: May 4, 1997 (W 45-41 vs. Milwaukee Mustangs)
Last Game: August 1, 1999 (W 55-35 @ Arizona Rattlers)

Arena Bowl Championships: None

Arena

The Rose Garden (18,800)¹
Opened: 1995

Marketing

Team Colors: Black, Silver & Teal Green²

Radio:

1997: KUPL (970 AM)

Radio Broadcasters:

1997: ?

Ownership

Owners: Kevin Hunter, Dr. J.T. Davis, Ed Gatlin & Jon K. Thompson

Best Seller

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Background

This transient Arena Football League franchise made its way through Memphis, Portland and Oklahoma City from 1995 to 2001. During their three-year run in Oregon from 1997 to 1999, the Forest Dragons played a spring/summer schedule at The Rose Garden, home of the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers.

The team’s stay in Portland was uninspiring. The Forest Dragons had back-to-back last place seasons in 1997 (2-12) and 1998 (4-10). The team improved marginally to 7-7 for their final campaign in 1999, but missed the playoffs once again.

Discovery of Oronde Gasden

The Forest Dragons top player was Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Oronde Gadsden. The 26-year old joined the team in 1998 after several years of kicking around NFL practice squads and NFL Europe. He won AFL Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 1998 with 93 receptions for 1,335 yards and 37 touchdowns, plus 3 interceptions and another score on the defensive side of the ball. Gadsden used his Arena League success to score a contract with the Miami Dolphins, where caught 227 passes and 22 touchdowns between 1998 and 2003.

Move to Oklahoma City & Aftermath

The Forest Dragons left town in November 1999 to move to Oklahoma City. The team finally folded two years later following the 2001 season.

Arena Football returned to Portland in 2014 with the Portland Thunder (2014-2015) and Portland Steel (2016) franchises.

Sports Marketing guru Jon Spoelstra, a long-time Portland Trailblazers executive, consulted for the Forest Dragons during their start up in 1997. His influential 2001 book Marketing Outrageously provided a behind-the-curtain look the Dragons’ marketing and ticket sales efforts.