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Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats were an American football franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps the most prominent players on the Showboats' roster during their two seasons of existence were future Pro Football Hall of Fame member Reggie White and future professional wrestler "The Total Package" Lex Luger. History Memphis food manufacturer Logan Young was awarded an expansion franchise for Memphis on July 17, 1983. However, soon after hiring Memphis native and former college coach Pepper Rodgers as head coach and signing a lease to play in the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, he discovered that most of his assets were tied up in a trust fund that he couldn't access. Ultimately, he was forced to take on limited partners, then sell controlling interest to cotton magnate William Dunavant, remaining as team president. Despite White's p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United Football League (2024)
The United Football League (UFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football high level Minor league football (gridiron), minor league in the United States. The league was created following the merger of the latest incarnations of the XFL (2020–2023), XFL and United States Football League (2022–2023), United States Football League (USFL); it started play in March 2024. It comprises eight teams, all of which were members of the XFL or USFL prior to the UFL's creation, concentrated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Southern United States. Background 2020–2021 In 2017, Vince McMahon, who had previously launched the XFL (2001), XFL in 2001 as a partnership with NBC Sports, registered a trademark for the United Football League name. An unrelated United Football League (2009–2012), United Football League, founded by Bill Hambrecht, had played four abbreviated seasons from UFL Premiere Season, 2009 to 2012 UFL season, 2012. McMahon ultimat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Denver Gold
The Denver Gold was an American football franchise in the United States Football League (USFL) from 1983 to 1985. The Gold played their home games at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado; and were co-tenants in the spring with the Triple-A Denver Zephyrs baseball team (Denver Bears prior to 1984). History Holding fast to the USFL's original blueprint When the USFL first organized, league officials identified Denver as a critical market. However, they had a difficult time finding an owner. Ultimately, the league's first operations chief, John Ralston, got in touch with local real estate magnate Ron Blanding, an old friend from his days as head coach of the National Football League's Denver Broncos. After some pleading, Blanding agreed to sign on. Blanding was easily the poorest owner in the league. He held fast to USFL founder David Dixon's original blueprint for the league, keeping tight controls on expenses (including player salaries) while heavily marketing the team i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Memphis Maniax
The Memphis Maniax were an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The team was part of the XFL (2001), XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. Home games were played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. History The team's name and logo were designed to lead the team's fans into calling the team "The Ax", a shortened form of the word "maniacs". The Maniax Director of Player Personnel was Steve Ortmayer, who had become respected in the pro football world for helping to build the Super Bowl XVIII-champion Los Angeles Raiders. Steve Ehrhart, who had managed both the Memphis Showboats and Memphis Mad Dogs, returned as general manager for the Maniax. The head coach was Kippy Brown. At slightly over 20,000 fans per game, the Maniax were in the lower half of league average attendance; this figure was higher than the Mad Dogs had drawn, and comparable to that of the NFL's 1997 Tennessee Oilers se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Memphis Mad Dogs
The Memphis Mad Dogs were a Canadian football team that played the 1995 CFL season, 1995 season in the Canadian Football League. The Mad Dogs were part of a failed attempt to CFL USA, expand the CFL into the United States. They played at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The team's principal owner was Frederick W. Smith, Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. History Prior to the Mad Dogs, Smith fronted an ownership group (along with such entities as former Memphis Showboats owner William Dunavant and the estate of Elvis Presley) that tried to get a National Football League team into Memphis in 1993. The Memphis Hound Dogs, as the proposed team was to be called, was one of five teams to be considered, but was passed over in favor of the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Smith, after briefly considering a proposed "new league" backed by CBS, then turned to the CFL. The league was very impressed with Smith; his group was the richest in CFL history at the time. It seriously consi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at EverBank Stadium. Founded alongside the Carolina Panthers in 1995 NFL season, 1995 as an expansion team, the Jaguars competed in the AFC North, AFC Central until they were moved to the AFC South in 2002. The franchise is owned by Shahid Khan, who bought the team from its original majority owner Wayne Weaver in 2012. The Jaguars saw early success during their second through fifth seasons, which saw them make the playoff each year, win two division titles, and appear in two AFC Championship Games. They are the youngest NFL expansion team to appear in a conference championship (by their second season in 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season, 1996, along with the Panthers) and clinch their conference's top seed (by their f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The team is headquartered in Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte, which also serves as the team's Home (sports), home field. The Panthers are supported throughout the Carolinas; although the team has played its home games in Charlotte since 1996, it played its home games at Memorial Stadium (Clemson), Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, during its first season in 1995. The Panthers were announced as the league's 29th franchise in 1993 and began play in 1995 under founding owner Jerry Richardson. The Panthers played well in their first two years, finishing in 1995 (an all-time best record for an NFL expansion team's first season) and 12–4 the following year, winning the NFC West before ultimately losing to the eventual Super ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Memphis Hound Dogs
The Memphis Hound Dogs were a proposed NFL team in the early-1990s. Former Memphis Showboats owner William Dunavant, Paul Tudor Jones, Fred Smith and Elvis Presley Enterprises were the members of the potential ownership group. In 1993, the NFL invited potential owners from five finalists to make a presentation, after which two teams would be selected as expansion teams. Along with representatives from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Cougars, Baltimore Bombers and St. Louis Stallions, the potential franchise owners gave a presentation to NFL owners in hopes of attracting an NFL team. Carolina (later renamed the Panthers) and Jacksonville were chosen to become expansion teams and started in 1995. After the NFL bid failed, Smith continued his desire to form a football team and contacted the Canadian Football League, then expanding into the United States, who gave him an expansion franchise that would be known as the similarly named Memphis Mad Dogs (the name change is p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play their home games at Nissan Stadium (Nashville), Nissan Stadium; the team will move to a New Nissan Stadium, new stadium which will be completed in 2027. Originally known as the Houston Oilers, the team was founded in 1959 by Houston oil tycoon Bud Adams, who remained the owner until his death in 2013. The team began play in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 in Houston, Texas, as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). The Houston Oilers won the first two AFL championships along with four division titles, and joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The Houston Oilers made playoff appearances from 1978 Houston Oilers season, 1978 to 1980 Houston Oilers season, 1980 and from 1987 Houston Oilers season, 1987 to 1993 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) and won two AFL championships before joining the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger of the late 1960s. The Houston Oilers competed in the AFL's AFC East, East division—along with the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets and the Boston Patriots—until the merger, when they joined the newly formed AFC Central. The team played home games at Jeppesen Stadium and Rice Stadium (Rice University), Rice Stadium during its first eight seasons, and thereafter at the Astrodome. The Houston Oilers were the first champions of the American Football League, winning the 1960 American Football League Championship Game, 1960 and 1961 American Football League Championship Game, 1961 championships, but never won another. The Houston Oi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and five in the West Division (CFL), West Division. The CFL is the highest professional level of Canadian football in the world. The league is headquartered in Toronto. The CFL was officially established on January 19, 1958, upon the merger between the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union or "Big Four" (founded in 1907) and the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) (founded in March 1936). The Big Four was renamed the Eastern Football Conference in 1960, while the WIFU was renamed the Western Football Conference in 1961. , the league features a 21-week season (sport), regular season in which each team plays 18 games with 3 bye (sports), bye weeks. The season traditionally runs from mid-June to early November. Following the regular seas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie Finley
Charles Oscar Finley (February 22, 1918 – February 19, 1996), nicknamed "Charlie O" or "Charley O", was an American businessman who owned Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968. He is also known as a short-lived owner of the National Hockey League's California Golden Seals and the American Basketball Association's Memphis Tams. Early life Finley was born in Ensley, Birmingham, Alabama, attended Ensley High School but was further raised in Gary, Indiana, and later lived in La Porte, east of Chicago. Finley made his fortune in the insurance business, being among the first to write group medical insurance policies for those in the medical profession. Finley showed a penchant for flair and inventive business practices. Sometimes, when wooing prospective customers, Finley would drive the client through the richest section of Gary. Pointing out a large mansion, Finley would ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Memphis Southmen
The Memphis Southmen, also known as the Memphis Grizzlies, were an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They played in the World Football League (WFL), which operated in 1974 in sports, 1974 and 1975 in sports, 1975. They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. From North to South The team was originally slated to be based in Toronto, Canada, with the nickname of the Northmen. However, when Prime Minister of Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announced that no U.S.-based professional football league would be allowed in Canada in competition with the Canadian Football League under the Canadian Football Act, a change in venue and nickname was announced. From the beginning, Memphians disliked "Southmen" and the team was informally known as the Memphis Grizzlies. The name appeared to come from the logo, a representation of a bear backed by the sun. The "Grizzlies" were owned by John F. Bassett. A multi-millionaire, Bassett gave the league ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
