Related Research Articles
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons were founded on June 30, 1965, and joined the NFL in 1966 as an expansion team, after the NFL offered then-owner Rankin Smith a franchise to keep him from joining the rival American Football League (AFL).
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the 1926, 1936 and 1940 leagues, and the later All-America Football Conference.
The Orange Tornadoes and Newark Tornadoes were two manifestations of a long-lived professional American football franchise that existed in some form from 1887 to 1941 and from 1958 to 1970, having played in the American Amateur Football Union from 1888 to 1895, the National Football League from 1929 to 1930, the American Association from 1936 to 1941, the Atlantic Coast Football League from 1963 to 1964 and 1970, and the Continental Football League from 1965 to 1969. The team was based for most of its history in Orange, New Jersey, with many of its later years in Newark. Its last five seasons of existence were as the Orlando Panthers, when the team was based in Orlando, Florida. The NFL franchise was sold back to the league in October 1930. The team had four head coaches in its two years in the NFL – Jack Depler in Orange, and Jack Fish, Al McGall and Andy Salata in Newark.
The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It owed its name, at least in part, to the Continental League, a proposed third Major League Baseball organization that influenced MLB significantly, although they never played a game.
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the first season in which the Super Bowl was played, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, making a bye necessary each week for one team.
The Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.
Kenneth Athol Wilson was a minor league hockey general manager and owner for forty years. He was born in Craik, Saskatchewan. His career as a manager spanned sixteen years in the International Hockey League, five years in the Continental Hockey League and single seasons each in the National Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Eastern Hockey League. Wilson was known for identifying young talent; his players won league-wide Rookie of the Year awards seven times.
Gary Marshall Barnes was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears, and the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers.
In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country. Currently, there are multiple professional football leagues in North America: the three best known are the National Football League (NFL) and the XFL In the U.S, and The Canadian Football League (CFL) in Canada. American football leagues have existed in Europe since the late 1970s, with competitive leagues all over Europe hiring American Imports to strengthen rosters. The Austrian Football League and German Football League top division are known as the best leagues in Europe. The Japan X-League is also a strong league that has a long history since 1971. The NFL has existed continuously since being so named in 1922.
The Orlando Panthers were a professional American football team based in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1958 as the Franklin Miners, the team spent its first four years in the Eastern Football Conference, then three further years in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) before moving to the Continental Football League (COFL) in 1965. The franchise moved from Newark, New Jersey to Orlando in 1966 and found success on the field as the Panthers. However, while the team won the COFL championship twice they were plagued by financial difficulties. The team jumped back to the ACFL in 1970 but were suspended by the league after the season.
The Seaboard Football League was an American football minor league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded during the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent.
The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) is a 16-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2010. As of 2022, all teams are within New York (state). All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility. Each team plays an eight-week, 48 game schedule from June to August with playoffs in early August.
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a football team that played one season in the minor Continental Football League in 1966. They were not related to the former National Football League or All-America Football Conference clubs of that name.
The Bridgeport Jets were a minor league American football team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They began play in the Atlantic Coast Football League in 1966 as the Waterbury Orbits. The Orbits, already officially affiliated with the New York Jets of the American Football League, became the Bridgeport Jets in 1968. After relocating from Waterbury, the Jets played their homes games in John F. Kennedy Stadium.
The Wilmington Renegades were a minor league American football team based in Wilmington, Delaware. They joined the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) as the Wilmington Clippers on February 20, 1966. Most of the team's ownership and management carried over from another Wilmington football franchise, the Wilmington Comets of the North American Football League. The team's first signing was Dick Christy, former running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Boston Patriots, and New York Jets.
Tom Kennedy was an American football quarterback. He played for the New York Giants in 1966.
Riley D. Morris was an American football linebacker and defensive end who played three seasons in the American Football League (AFL) for the Oakland Raiders and five seasons in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) for the Boston/New Bedford Sweepers, Waterbury Orbits and Quincy Giants. He played college football at Florida A&M.
The Atlanta Spartans were a minor league American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They played just one season in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) in 1964 and played their home games at Ponce de Leon Park.
The Lowell Giants were a minor league American football team based in Lowell, Massachusetts. They played three seasons in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) from 1966 to 1968 and played their home games at Cawley Memorial Stadium. Ken MacAfee coached the team from 1966 to 1967 before being replaced by Ross O'Hanley, who coached the team in 1968 and 1969. In 1969, the team moved to Quincy, Massachusetts and was renamed to the Quincy Giants. The team folded after the 1969 season. During its existence, the Giants were affiliated with the Boston Patriots.
References
- ↑ "1965 Mohawk Valley Falcons (ACFL)".
- ↑ "Mohawk Valley Falcons disbanded by ACFL". The Oneonta Star . March 15, 1966. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
 | This American football team article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |