The Columbus Chill played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1991 to 1999. They’re success paved the way for Columbus to be awarded an an NHL team, though the Chill are still fondly remembered by the city’s hockey fans.
Columbus Horizon owner Eli Jacobson was a glutton for punishment. The insurance man spent nearly a decade as an investor in the Continental Basketball Association – an eternity by CBA conventions. He owned teams in Pensacola, Columbus and Shreveport between the mid-80’s and mid-90’s. Jacobson’s teams were consistently terrible. Hen enjoyed two winning seasons out of ten and finished in last place five times. Jacobson stayed in Columbus, Ohio for the longest stretch of his CBA adventure – five seasons and four last place finishes between 1989 and 1994.
North American Basketball League (1966-1968) Born: 1966 Died: 1968 First Game: Last Game: NABL Championships: Ohio State Fairgrounds Coliseum Team Colors: Owner: Louis A. Mitchell,
The Columbus Capitals were a short-lived entry in the low-budget American Indoor Soccer Association. The league played out of minor league hockey arenas in the upper Midwest at the time. The Caps played at the Ohio Center and the Fairground Coliseum for two winter seasons from 1984 to 1986. Yugoslav-born forward Lesh Shkreli, a veteran of the American outdoor minor leagues, led the AISA in scoring during the inaugural 1984-85 season and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Not just a One-Year Wonder, but a winless One-Year Wonder. The Columbus Thunderbolts lasted for just a single season in the Arena Football League in the summer of 1991. Along the way, they compiled a record of 0-10 under Head Coach Dave Whinham despite signing two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Major Harris at quarterback.
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