Primetime44 posted: 1800's 1870 Universities across the country attempt to ban or regulate football after a player from Eastern Methodist Tech is killed during a rough and tumble game, leading to a reconsideration of safety issues. Black days, but the scandal passes and the game is better for the changes.
Primetime44 posted:1970's 1970 Los Angeles Lightning owner Hal Davison requests a new stadium for his League, but uncooperative voters defeat his measure, and he takes the team to Tempe as the Arizona Outlaws.
Primetime44 posted:1980's 1984 Tragedy strikes twice when Detroit Devil linebacker Chris DeAngelo finds himself near two deaths in two different games. Dallas Aztec running back Pete Washington is fatally injured in a freak accident in game 2 of their Division II season, and dies on the way to the hospital. Then later that season DeAngelo is nearby when Las Vegas quarterback Kyle Foster suffers an injury in game 7. The Vegas DA, precipitously misjudging the coincidence, pushes for manslaughter charges. The Detroit DA quickly follows. DeAngelo is arrested and news editorials begin to wonder if the sport of football is too violent. 1985 A more subdued football league watches the trial of Chris DeAngelo unfolds. Found guilty on two counts of manslaughter, the verdict is overturned by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and later the Supreme Court. Amidst all of the controversy, The Baltimore Bearcats, lead by rookie QB sensation John Preston, defeat the Kansas City Crossfire to win the League championship. 1986 The Supreme Court declares the deaths of running back Pete Washington and quarterback Kyle Foster "Tragic accidents brought on by the realities of professional sports rather than the actions of any single player." DeAngelo does his time and pays his debt to society. 1987 Chicago Marauder Coach Koswolski runs into problems with his management and decides to part company with the team. The next two coaches each last a single season.
Primetime44 posted:1960's 1960 Commissioner Kent ends the practice of "Ironman" football, with players playing both offense and defense. The move proves healthy for the League as it extends the careers of the players. The Western League implements this rule change the following year. 1962 Chuck "Skullcrusher" Koswolski of the New York Shamrocks shows wearing a helmet has its advantages, deliver five skull fractures and seven concussions on opposing players in a single season by spearing them with his helmeted head. More than 70% of the players in both leagues begin wearing helmets by the start of their next seasons. 1964 Commissioner Kent proposes allowing substitutions due to fatigue. Previously substitutions were only allowed for incapacitating injuries, also known as the "stretcher rule." Team owners reject the proposal as it would force them to expand the rosters of their teams. This is the first major policy defeat for Kent since he became Commissioner. 1965 In what is dubbed an "exhibition game" the Eastern and Western Leagues play one another for the first time. The visiting Los Angeles Lightning lose to the New York Shamrocks in Brooklyn, New York. The televised game receives the highest ratings ever for a football game. Commissioners Kent and Coleman begin talking about future collaborations. 1966 The Kansas City Crossfire defeat the Minnesota Reapers 23-10 in the second cross-league exhibition game. Ratings surpass the previous year. The commissioners agree that the next year's exhibition game will be between the two league champion teams. 1967 Tragedy strikes the Eastern League when the Eastern champion New York Shamrocks, after defeating the Western champion Sacramento Cyclones in the annual exhibition game, are killed in a crash during their return flight. Only three players, who skipped the game due to injuries, survive. The event is burned into the memories of every New Yorker and football fans around the country when the NY Herald runs a front page photo of the burning wreckage with the headline "NY NIGHTMARE!!!" The caption would later become associated with one of the most storied franchises in the League. 1968 In the wake of the Shamrock tragedy, the Eastern League starts its 1968 season short one team. The remaining five teams wear black armbands with the letters NY in white. The Detroit Devils win the Eastern Championship in a game played in the NY Shamrock's old stadium.
Primetime44 posted:1970's 1970 Los Angeles Lightning owner Hal Davison requests a new stadium for his League, but uncooperative voters defeat his measure, and he takes the team to Tempe as the Arizona Outlaws. 1972 Baltimore Bearcat receiver Lawrence Saunders burns his draft card during a nationally televised interview. The next day, Saunders is arrested on the field at a Bearcat's home game vs. the Washington Redhawks in the middle of the third quarter. The Redhawks come from behind to overtake the Bearcats and win the game. Bearcats' owner Antonio Gerasi attempts to get the game results overturned and goes on to sue the federal government. He is unsuccessful, but when Saunders is killed in action in Vietnam six months later, it sparks a wave of anti-war protests. 1974 In what is billed as "The Hottest Battle of the Cold War", the USSR sends a team of football players to compete in an exhibition game against an All Star squad of Eastern and Western League players. In one of the bloodiest matches ever played, the USA wins 21-6 but suffers career ending injuries to three of their star players. In spite of the final score, both sides declare "victory" and the costly experiment is never repeated. 1975 As the number of East/West exhibition games continues to grow, fans begin clamoring for a merger. Little did they know that talks were already underway. The announcement of the merging of the Eastern and Western Leagues into a single league is greeted with resounding approval by the fans. The two five team leagues decide to bring back the two division system from the early 40's with assignments to Divisions I and II based on the final standings of both leagues at the end of the 1975 season. 1976 The Eastern and Western Leagues merge and become known simply as "The League" once again. Division I features The Washington Redhawks, Dallas Aztecs, Chicago Marauders, Kansas City Crossfire and Detroit Devils. Division II features the Las Vegas Aces, Baltimore Bearcats, Arizona Outlaws, Minnesota Reapers and Sacramento Cyclones. The Washington Redhawks win the first combined League championship. The Detroit Devils become the first team bumped down to Division II and are replaced by Division II winners the Baltimore Bearcats. 1977 The Kansas City Crossfire wins the Division I championship in an upset victory over the previous year's champion Washington Redhawks. After the game the League announces plans to add two additional teams, including a new team for New York, who has been without their beloved sport of football since the NY Shamrocks tragedy a decade earlier. 1978 The League proposes the name Crusaders for the expansion New York team, but the city rejects it out of hand. Drawing on the famous headline from the 1967 tragedy, they declare the new franchise to be the New York Nightmare. The League sees the marketing potential and allows it. The name Crusaders instead goes to the expansion team in Cincinnati. A coin toss places New York in Division I and Cincinnati in Division II for the start of the next season. 1979 The New York Nightmare open their first season playing in the old Shamrock Stadium while cutting edge architect Dieter Haas begins work on the controversial masterpiece that will be the team's new home. The Nightmare finish in a surprising second place, losing the Division I championship game to Chicago.
Primetime44 posted:1980's 1980 The Chicago Marauders repeat as League champions, sparking comparisons to legendary Chicago teams of the 1940's. Meanwhile, the charismatic mayor of San Diego, Arthur Rand, announces his intention to buy a professional football franchise. Financial backers line up behind him while the football world nervously wonders who the target of the acquisition will be. 1981 From first to worst. Two time Division I Champions Chicago come in dead last and are unceremoniously bumped down to Division II. Arthur Rand makes the owner of the financially strapped, Division II bottom dwelling Sacramento Cyclones an offer he can't refuse. As die hard loyalists in Sacramento protest, the team makes the trip down to San Diego. 1982 The New York Nightmare's stadium is revealed to America and the world. The towering neo-gothic structure seems half stadium and half cathedral. Ashes from the downed NY Shamrock crash site are said to have been liberally sprinkled under the foundation. Fans and city officials declare it a modern masterpiece. Every game sells out and the Nightmare win the Division I championship for the first time. 1983 Chicago Marauder Coach Larry Simms is tragically killed by an unknown gunman in the Windy City. It takes months to find a replacement, but when they do, it's a tough as nails defensive-minded coach on the rise: Chuck "Skullcrusher" Koswolski. 1984 Tragedy strikes twice when Detroit Devil linebacker Chris DeAngelo finds himself near two deaths in two different games. Dallas Aztec running back Pete Washington is fatally injured in a freak accident in game 2 of their Division II season, and dies on the way to the hospital. Then later that season DeAngelo is nearby when Las Vegas quarterback Kyle Foster suffers an injury in game 7. The Vegas DA, precipitously misjudging the coincidence, pushes for manslaughter charges. The Detroit DA quickly follows. DeAngelo is arrested and news editorials begin to wonder if the sport of football is too violent. 1985 A more subdued football league watches the trial of Chris DeAngelo unfolds. Found guilty on two counts of manslaughter, the verdict is overturned by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and later the Supreme Court. Amidst all of the controversy, The Baltimore Bearcats, lead by rookie QB sensation John Preston, defeat the Kansas City Crossfire to win the League championship. 1986 The Supreme Court declares the deaths of running back Pete Washington and quarterback Kyle Foster "Tragic accidents brought on by the realities of professional sports rather than the actions of any single player." DeAngelo does his time and pays his debt to society. 1987 Chicago Marauder Coach Koswolski runs into problems with his management and decides to part company with the team. The next two coaches each last a single season. 1989 Las Vegas Aces cornerback Deacon Taylor tragically collapses and dies while walking to the huddle. The autopsy shows that he died from cardiac failure brought on by overuse of steroids. Drug use in football is suddenly in the public eye and the public is not pleased.
sportsecyclopedia posted: 1984: Little did anyone know on December 18th 1983 the Colts had played their final game in Baltimore. Almost after the season ending win at Memorial Stadium; Colts owner Robert Irsay began talking to other cities about moving the club. On February 13th he toured the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. The Colts also spoke to officials in Phoenix, as the Maryland legislature tried to use eminent domain laws to force the franchise to remain in Maryland. On March 28th Phoenix dropped out of the bidding, at Irsay called up officials in Indiana saying he was on the way. However, he kept the move secret until just after midnight when by cover of darkness on a cold snowy night he used Mayflower moving trucks to pack up the Colts offices, and relocate them in Indianapolis. By the time anyone realized what had happened it was too late to stop. The NFL feeling they could not win in court did not fight the move, as Maryland put up a futile fight before the Colts agreed to support Baltimore getting an expansion team. The city of Baltimore would fail in several attempts at landing a NFL franchise, and even entered the CFL, before landing a new NFL franchise named the Ravens in 1996. However, the Irsay family would not relinquish the name Colts, as they once promised. Many Colt legends were angered by the move including legendary QB Johnny Unitas who refused to acknowledge the franchise for the rest of his life.
Primetime44 posted:2000's 2000 Bruno Bataglia joins the Baltimore Bearcats, and a uniquely talented player finds his team. The longest game in League history is played between the Chicago Marauders and the Arizona Outlaws. With the score tied at 14 at the end of regulation, the two teams batter each other for six more quarters in an astonishing saga. Neither team recovers from the epic battle and they both finish near the bottom of Division III that year. 2002 New York Nightmare Rookie sensation Quentin Sands is named defensive player of the year, the first time a rookie defenseman has received the honor. Riding a wave of popularity, Sands renegotiates his contract. Between his salary and endorsement deals, Sands propels himself to number seven on the list of highest paid sports and entertainment personalities in America. Quentin Sands jerseys move past those of Aztec star QB Julius Williams as the most popular. 2004 Superstar Quentin Sands propels the New York Nightmare back into Division I, and they're made favorites for this year for the League championship.
Kanga-Kucha posted:DUDES, I COULD SERIOUSLY KISS YOU ALL RIGHT NOW!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TO GET THE LEAGUES HISTORY!!! now if you guys don't mind, I'll take this info, and make a wikpidia page out of it, if that's ok.
