History of the Arena Football League in Pittsburgh

Last updated

Outside of the NFL, the city was represented by the Pittsburgh Americans of the second American Football League in 1936 and 1937. It was also briefly represented by the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League, in 1984, and the Pittsburgh Gladiators (now the Tampa Bay Storm), of the Arena Football League from 1987 until 1990. A second Arena Football League team, the Pittsburgh Power, played in the Consol Energy Center from 2011 until 2014. [1]

Pittsburgh Gladiators (1987–90)

When arena football was first announced in 1986, Jim Foster targeted Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for an inaugural franchise due to the great football tradition of the area. [2] The franchise was originally known as the Pittsburgh Gladiators, and was one of the original four AFL teams formed in 1987. The team was named by Robert Ninehouser whose entry for the team name was selected in 1987. They originally played their home games at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. On June 19, 1987, the Gladiators defeated the Washington Commandos 48–46 in the first ever AFL regular season game. [3] The Gladiators participated in ArenaBowls I [4] and III, [5] losing both. [6]

Pittsburgh Power (2011–14)

Prior to the announcement of Pittsburgh's 2011 expansion team, the city was the home to the Pittsburgh Gladiators, one of the four original franchises of the Arena Football League in 1987. The AFL's very first league game, not counting the playtest games at the Rockford MetroCenter and the Rosemont Horizon, was played in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena between the Gladiators and Washington Commandos. The Gladiators would go on to lose ArenaBowl I to the Denver Dynamite, 45–16, that season in a game played at the Civic Arena. Two years later, the team lost ArenaBowl III, held at Joe Louis Arena, to the Detroit Drive by a score of 39–26.

The following season was the Gladiators' fourth and last in Pittsburgh after co-owner Bob Greis decided to move the franchise to Tampa, Florida. The team was renamed the Tampa Bay Storm. Greis, who had several business interests in Florida, sold the franchise a few years later. During the Storms' first year in Tampa, the team defeated the Detroit Drive, 48–42, to win ArenaBowl V. The Storm remained in Tampa and reached the playoffs in each of their next 15 seasons, winning four more AFL titles.

In 2011, Jerry Kurz, the commissioner of the Arena Football League, stated to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the Gladiators move to Tampa had nothing to do with the attendance for the games. He instead stated that the issues that prompted the team to relocate had more to do with the lack of additional accouterments at the Civic Arena, such as updated luxury suites. [7]

The current AFL policy is to give expansion teams in markets previously served by AFL teams the same name as their predecessor, since the league owns almost all rights to all team names in the league's history. However, because the unrelated Cleveland Gladiators already use the "Gladiators" name, that required the adoption of a new franchise name. Incidentally, the Power's logo is a thunderbolt, the same as a previous Cleveland AFL team, Cleveland Thunderbolts. [8]

The team was originally rumored to be called the Pittsburgh River Wizards, according to sports blog Inside Pittsburgh Sports and by Pittsburgh-area radio host Mark Madden. The team name was changed to the Power before the official announcement by the team. [9]

The Power played their first game in franchise history on March 11, 2011 at Consol Energy Center in front of 13,904 fans. They lost to the Philadelphia Soul in overtime by a score of 58–52. [10] Despite this loss, the Power led the East Division with a 7–4 record at the end of week 13. However, they lost five of their final seven games, falling to 9–9 at the end of the season and finishing second in the division.

On March 9, 2012, the entire Pittsburgh Power roster was released prior to its opening game against the Orlando Predators due to a labor disagreement between the owners and the players' union. However, with the aid of a few replacements, the team managed to win 40–26. [11] Following the victory, 22 of the 24 released players were offered their jobs back (quarterback Kyle Rowley and kicker Taylor Rowan being the lone exceptions), with 18 immediately accepting and returning to the team. Neil Purvis signed a contract a few days later, bringing the total to 19. Defensive backs Josh Lay and Tyrrell Herbert and offensive lineman Dan Jones elected not to re-sign with the Power and were consequentially placed on the League Suspension list. Jones was traded to the Kansas City Command on May 2, 2012.

On June 8, the Power were scheduled to face the Cleveland Gladiators at Quicken Loans Arena. However, due to yet another labor dispute, the Gladiators failed to field enough players and forfeited, making the Power the first team in Arena Football League history to win in this manner. [12] [13]

With a 5–13 record, the Power failed to qualify for the playoffs with a last place finish in the division.

On March 23, the Power opened the 2013 season against the Utah Blaze. The Power were still in the playoff hunt through Week 10 with a 3-6 record, but a 7-game losing streak lost the Power their chance at a playoff spot.

With a 4–14 record, the Power failed to qualify for the playoffs with a last place finish in the division. [14]

During the off-season following the 2013 season, the Power made drastic changes to their roster. In addition to reassigning nearly every player from the previous season's roster, the team acquired quarterback Tommy Grady and wide receiver Aaron Lesué in the Utah Blaze dispersal draft. The Power also traded their franchise leader in nearly every receiving category, Mike Washington, to the Spokane Shock for quarterback Arvell Nelson. Near the end of the off-season, the team acquired wide receiver Prechae Rodriguez in a trade with the Orlando Predators. By the time of the season opener, the Power's 24-man roster contained only four players who had played with the team in 2013 (Curtis Young, Brandon Freeman, Sergio Gilliam and Julian Rauch).

At 3–3, the Power returned home to face the Philadelphia Soul, whom they had never defeated at Consol Energy Center. The Power set a new record against the Soul for points scored at home (65) in what would become their first of 12 consecutive wins to conclude the regular season. During this streak, the Power set new team records for wins in a season (15), consecutive wins (12), consecutive home wins (8) and consecutive road wins (6). The Power clinched their first winning season on June 14 against the Soul and their first playoff berth on June 20 against the Iowa Barnstormers.

Related Research Articles

Arena Football League Professional American arena football league

The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in 1987 season making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America after the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) until the AFL closed in 2019.

The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. that played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators, the franchise was one of the original four that launched the Arena Football League for its inaugural, 1987 season. The club was relocated to Tampa for the 1991 season, being the last of the original teams to either fold or leave its market. After 26 years in the Tampa market, the team ceased operations in December, 2017.

Philadelphia Soul Arena football team

The Philadelphia Soul were a professional arena football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and competed in the Arena Football League (AFL). The Soul made five ArenaBowl appearances, winning their first appearance and losing their next two appearances. The Soul won in their fourth appearance, against the Rattlers in 2016, winning 56–42. They also won in their fifth appearance in 2017 against the Tampa Bay Storm, winning 44–40.

Cleveland Gladiators Arena football team

The Cleveland Gladiators were an arena football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The Gladiators played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they shared with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. The franchise was originally based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and then later in Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Cleveland for the 2008 AFL season. The Gladiators qualified for the playoffs eight times in their history, reaching the ArenaBowl in 2014.

ArenaBowl Annual league championship game

The ArenaBowl was the championship game of the Arena Football League. Originally hosted at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena based on home attendance during the inaugural 1987 season, save four years (2005–2008) the game was hosted by the team with the higher seed based on regular season performance. In 2005–2006 the league staged the game in Las Vegas, and in 2007–2008 New Orleans hosted the event. For the series final two games, regular season home attendance between the competing teams determined which would host.

The 1987 Arena Football League season was the first season, also known as the "demonstration season", of the Arena Football League (AFL). The league champions were the Denver Dynamite, who defeated the Pittsburgh Gladiators in ArenaBowl I.

Larry Brackins American football player (born 1982)

Larry Brackins is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pearl River Community College. Brackins has also been a member of the New York Jets, New York Sentinels, Philadelphia Soul, Dallas Vigilantes, Orlando Predators and Cleveland Gladiators.

Pittsburgh Power Arena football team

The Pittsburgh Power were a professional arena football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The team belonged to the East Division of the American Conference (AC) in the Arena Football League (AFL). Founded in 2011, the Power was the youngest franchise in the AC. The team played its home games at the Consol Energy Center, which they shared with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. The Power shared the same color scheme as Pittsburgh's other professional sports teams, the Penguins, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League, and the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.

The 2011 Arena Football League season was the 24th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 11, 2011 and ended on July 23, 2011. The Jacksonville Sharks, in their second year of existence, defeated the Arizona Rattlers 73–70 in ArenaBowl XXIV on August 12, 2011 to conclude the playoffs.

The 2011 Pittsburgh Power season was the first season for the franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by Chris Siegfried and played their home games at Consol Energy Center. In their inaugural season, the Power finished 9–9, missing the playoffs.

2012 Arena Football League season Sports season

The 2012 Arena Football League season was the 25th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 9, 2012 with a game between the Pittsburgh Power and the Orlando Predators and ended on July 22, 2012 with a game between the Utah Blaze and Philadelphia Soul. The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul by a 72–54 score in ArenaBowl XXV on August 10, 2012 to conclude the playoffs.

The 2012 Cleveland Gladiators season was the 13th season for the franchise in the Arena Football League, and the fourth while in Cleveland. The team was coached by Steve Thonn and played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena. The Gladiators finished the season with an 8–10 record and did not qualify for the playoffs. In this season, the Gladiators became the first team in the history of the league to forfeit a game. They did so on June 8 when the players went on strike prior to a matchup against the Pittsburgh Power in week 14.

The 2012 Pittsburgh Power season was the second season for the franchise in the Arena Football League. The team played their home games at Consol Energy Center. After a 2–8 start, head coach Chris Siegfried was fired and replaced by defensive coordinator Derek Stingley. The Power finished the season 5–13 and did not qualify for the playoffs.

The 2013 Arena Football League season was the 26th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 23, 2013, with a five-game slate, the first of which to kick off being between the Utah Blaze and the Pittsburgh Power, and ended on July 27, 2013, with the Utah Blaze and Cleveland Gladiators as the last game to kick off. The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul by a 48–39 score in ArenaBowl XXVI to conclude the league's playoffs.

The 2013 Orlando Predators season was the 22nd season for the franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by Doug Plank and played their home games at Amway Center. Despite losing their first five games, the Predators recovered enough to qualify for the playoffs. However, they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Soul by a score of 59–55 in the conference semifinals.

The 2013 Pittsburgh Power season was the third season for the franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by Derek Stingley and played their home games at the Consol Energy Center.

2014 Cleveland Gladiators season

The 2014 Cleveland Gladiators season was the 15th season for the franchise in the Arena Football League, and their fifth while in Cleveland. The team was coached by Steve Thonn and plays their home games at Quicken Loans Arena. By finishing the regular season with a 17–1 record, the Gladiators set a league record for wins in a single season.

Shane Austin is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at University of Hawai'i. Austin went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and signed with the Everett Raptors of the Indoor Football League (IFL) after the draft. After starting the Raptors final games of the season, Austin was able to gain the attention of the Pittsburgh Power of the AFL. Austin was named the starting quarterback for the Power, but a broken hand caused him to miss two months of the season. Austin then was assigned to the Cleveland Gladiators where he was named the backup to Chris Dieker. With Dieker struggling for the Gladiators, Austin was given the opportunity to start and lead the Gladiators to a 14–1 record as a starter and a berth in ArenaBowl XXVII. The Gladiators lost to Arizona Rattlers in the ArenaBowl, but Austin was named Second Team All-Arena.

ArenaBowl XXVII Annual league championship game

ArenaBowl XXVII was the 27th edition of the championship in the Arena Football League. The National Conference champion Arizona Rattlers defeated the American Conference champion Cleveland Gladiators, 72–32. The game was played on August 23, 2014 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the Gladiators.

References

  1. ↑ Rossi, Rob (August 20, 2010). "Pittsburgh Power unveiled as arena football expansion team". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Arena football: a whole new indoor ball game". Gettysburg Times. May 16, 1986. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  3. ↑ Gary Tuma (June 20, 1987). "Gladiators smashing in 48-46 win". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Glads wilt in 'Bowl'". Pittsburgh Post=Gazette. August 3, 1987. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Drive Arena Bowl Champs". The Argus-Press. August 18, 1989. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Arena Football League Championship : Taylor Leads Dynamite, 45-16". Los Angeles Times . August 2, 1987. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  7. ↑ DiPaola, Jerry (February 24, 2011). "Indoor football returns to the City of Champions". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Shelly (August 20, 2010). "New arena football team called Pittsburgh Power". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Expansion Arena Football League team to be announced on Friday". Inside Pittsburgh Sports. August 19, 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  10. ↑ "AFL Box Score: Philadelphia Soul @ Pittsburgh Power (Mar 11, 2011)". Arenafan.com. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  11. ↑ Chase, Chris (March 12, 2012). "Entire Arena Football team cut during pregame meal at Olive Garden". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Cleveland forfeits matchup against Pittsburgh". ArenaFan.com. June 8, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  13. ↑ Manoloff, Dennis (June 8, 2012). "Cleveland Gladiators players' strike causes forfeit loss to Pittsburgh Power". The Plain Dealer . Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Power end rough season on losing note". www.triblive.com. Trib Total Media, Inc. July 27, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.