San Antonio Force Arena Football

San Antonio Force

Arena Football League (1992)

Tombstone

Born: October 1, 1991 – AFL expansion franchise11992 Arena Football Media Guide
Folded: November 5, 19922SPORTS BRIEFS. “San Antonio Arena team folds”. The Odessa American (Odessa, TX). November 6, 1992

First Game: May 30, 1992 (L 36-34 @ Cleveland Thunderbolts)
Last Game: August 1, 1992 (L 62-27 vs. Detroit Drive)

Arena Bowl Championships: None

Arena

HemisFair Arena (14,276)31992 Arena Football Media Guide
Opened: 1968
Demolished: 1995

Marketing

Team Colors: Silver, Black & Red41992 Arena Football Media Guide

Television:

  • 1992: KSAT-12 (Four road games)

Television Broadcasters:

  • 1992:  Dave Barnett (play-by-play) & Greg Simmons (color)

Radio:

  • 1992: WOAI (1200 AM) – English & KSAH (720 AM) – Spanish

Radio Broadcasters:

  • 1992: Jay Howard (WOAI – English)
  • 1992: Armando Quintero (KSAH – Spanish)


Dance Team:
The Silver Dancers

Mascot: The Coyote (on loan from the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs)

Ownership

Attendance

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Source: 1999 Arena Football League Record & Fact Book (re-built from individual game summaries)

 

FORCE FAVES

San Antonio Force
Logo T-Shirt

Did the Force deserve better? This Arena Football entry lasted barely two months in 1992. But the ingredients seemed to be there. An NBA owner well on his way toward eventual billionaire status. Consistently solid crowds, at least on paper. A bad team, for sure, but not incompetent by expansion year standards. (The Force would win two of their five home games at HemisFair Arena).
The Force ended up just another One-Year Wonder, but this is one where you have to wonder what could have been.
This design is available from American Retro Apparel in several colors and in sizes small through XXXL today!
 
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Background

The San Antonio Force were a One-Year Wonder in the Arena Football League, competing in the 1992 season only. Team owner Red McCombs also owned the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA at the time and the Force shared HemisFair Arena with the Spurs during the spring of 1992.

Former San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints head coach Dick Nolan served as the Force’s Head Coach and General Manager.

The team was not particular good. The Force managed to win their home opener 43-29 over the Arizona Rattlers before 11,308 fans on June 6, 1992. But they won only one other game all season and finished last in their division with a 2-8 record.

50-0 Shutout

The Force is infamous among the ever-dwindling core of indoor football obsessives for absorbing the only shutout loss in the 30+ year history of the Arena Football League. On June 13, 1992 the Force travelled to Florida to play the Orlando Predators in the third game of the regular season. The Predators administered a 50-0 beating to the Force, thanks in part to a league-record six missed field goals by Force kicker Matt Frantz.

1992 San Antonio Force Program from the Arena Football League
San Antonio Force vs. Dallas Texans Souvenir Program. July 18, 1992

Demise & Aftermath

The Force drew relatively well in San Antonio. All five of the team’s home dates at HemisFair Arena between June and August 1992 drew announced crowds between 11,000 and 13,000 fans. But the team folded in November 1992, citing a lack of suitable dates at either HemisFair or the soon-to-open Alamodome.

Force owner Red McCombs sold the San Antonio Spurs in 1993. In 1998 he bought the Minnesota Vikings for $250 million and owned the NFL franchise until 2005.

The Arena Football League came back to San Antonio in 2012 with the debut of the San Antonio Talons. The Talons played at the Alamodome from 2012 to 2014.

 

Trivia

The San Antonio Force became the first Arena Football League team to broadcast all of their games live in Spanish in 1992. Veteran broadcaster Armando Quintero, who called Spanish-language Dallas Cowboys (NFL) and San Antonio Spurs (NBA) games for many years, handled the Force broadcasts on KSAH (720 AM).

 

San Antonio Force Shop

The Stadium Store

Hemisfair arena
san antonio T-Shirt

San Antonio’s downtown arena was built (and named for) the 1968 World’s Fair. The San Antonio Spurs arrived five years and HemisFair acquired a reputation as one of the NBA’s loudest buildings during the late 1970’s and 1980’s. The Spurs left for the Alamodome in ’93 and HemisFair was torn down two years later.
Available today in sizes Small through 5XL from at 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!

 

 

 

In Memoriam

Force Head Coach & General Manager Dick Nolan passed on November 11, 2007 at age 75. New York Times obituary.

 

Downloads

1992 San Antonio Force Results & Attendance

1992 San Antonio Force Results & Attendance

 

Links

Force’s 50-0 Loss 20 Years Ago Stands Alone“, Richard Oliver, San Antonio Express-News, June 17, 2012

Arena Football League Media Guides

Arena Football League Programs

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