Tombstone
Born: September 27, 2004 – AF2 expansion franchise12007 Mahoning Valley Thunder Media Guide
Folded: September 9, 2009
First Game: March 31, 2007 (W 48-40 vs. Tri-Cities Fever)
Last Game: July 25, 2009 (L 63-43 vs. Green Bay Blizzard)
ArenaCup Championships: None
Arena
Chevrolet Centre (5,700)22007 Mahoning Valley Thunder Media Guide
Opened: 2005
Marketing
Team Colors:
Dance Team: The Storm Chasers
Mascot: Boomer (the Sabertooth Tiger)
Ownership
Owners: Michael Slyk, Timothy Chesney & Jon Saadey
Background
The Mahoning Valley Thunder were a Youngstown, Ohio-based indoor football team that competed in Arena Football 2 (AF2) for that league’s final three seasons from 2007 until 2009.
AF2 officials originally awarded the team as an expansion franchise in September 2004 with a planned spring 2006 launch at the $42 million Youngstown Convocation Center, slated to open in late 2005. But protracted lease negotations dragged on for 19 months. The two sides finally reached a deal in April 2006, the same month that the team originally planned to take the field. The Mahoning Valley Thunder finally kicked off in March 2007 at the no-longer new downtown Arena, now known as the Chevrolet Centre.
On The Carpet
The Thunder played to diminishing returns over the course of three seasons and never posted a winning record. The team’s debut season was its best, posting a competitive record of 7-9. But the 2008 Thunder squad went 3-13. The 2009 squad was even worse, bottoming out with a 2-14 record, tied for the worst performance in the sprawling 25-team AF2.
Demise
The sport of Arena Football entered an existential crisis in late 2008. The big market Arena Football League (AFL) cancelled its 2009 season and eventually declared bankruptcy later that same year.
The AF2, which was a separate entity but affiliated with the AFL as a small market developmental league, did play its 2009 season. But after the AFL entered bankruptcy in August, the AF2 splintered in September 2009. Some owners were reportedly fearful of being drawn into the AFL bankruptcy proceeding.3Johnson, Dan. “Stormers hope to land in top tier of redefined league”. The Register (Des Moines, IA). September 10, 2009 Other soon-to-be-former AF2 owners organized to buy up the AFL’s assets in bankruptcy and re-launch a new, scaled-down version of the Arena Football League in the spring of 2010.
But many AF2 franchises simply closed their amidst this turmoil. The Mahoning Valley Thunder ceased operations on September 9th, 2009.
Mahoning Valley Thunder Video
The Thunder host the Tri-Cities Fever from Washington state in their debut game at the Chevrolet Centre. March 31st, 2007.
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