Best of... Defunct Football Franchises (and name changes)
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by user Manny Stiles
This is just a list of defunct professional football franchises, names no longer used and other peculiarities.
This is not for historical reference, not a complete list but merely a fun list of pro football team names. This list was work compared to the baseball list.
There was league after league that tried to make in football. All but two and a half (NFL, AFL and the two best teams from the AAFC) couldn't cut it. It goes to show that a lot of leagues tried but were squashed by the Almighty NFL. It makes you realize how BIG a deal the AFL-NFL merger really was.
I found this link to the Pro Football Hall of Fame that explains how each of the existing NFL teams decided on their names if you were curious.
Football Division
I included the NFL, AAFC, all of the variations of the AFL, the USFL, Continental Football League, World League of American Football and just for fun, the XFL. But not Arena Football League, or CFL. I had to draw a line somewhere. That line is on a different sized field. Besides this is long enough...
I only listed franchises from North America. (Sorry, other six continents!)
What the...? Division
Team names that defy logical reasoning or simply have had time pass them by...
- Akron Pros
- Birmingham Vulcans
- Boston/New Orleans/Portland Breakers
- Boston Shamrocks
- Brooklyn Horsemen
- Chicago Fire (not plural!)
- Chicago Enforcers
- Columbus Bullies (two-time early AFL champs, 1940,1941)
- Columbus Panhandles
- Dallas Steers (the original name of the Cowboys, good idea changing that)
- Dayton Triangles (originators of the first triangle offense)
- Denver Gold (not plural!)
- Detroit Heralds
- Detroit Wheels
- Duluth Kelleys
- Evansville Crimson Giants
- Kenosha Maroons
- Los Angeles Dons
- Los Angeles Xtreme
- Louisville Brecks
- Minneapolis Marines
- Minneapolis Red Jackets
- Muncie Flyers
- Newark Demons
- New York/New Jersey Hitmen
- New York Brickleys Giants
- New York Stars
- Philadelphia Bell (not plural!)
- Pittsburgh Americans (as opposed to the Pittsburgh Illegal Aliens?)
- Pittsburgh Maulers
- Pottsville Maroons (Gone, but always remembered, also from the same town as my personal favorite)
- Racine Legion (later became the Racine Tornadoes)
- Rochester Jeffersons (they're moving on up)
- Rock Island Independents
- San Francisco Demons
- St Louis All-Stars (how many were actually All-Stars?)
- St Louis Gunners
- Staten Island Stapletons (no relation to Maureen)
- Toledo Maroons
- Tonawanda Kardex - The story of the franchise I named my fantasy football team after
- Washington Federals
You Don't Remember Them As THIS... (because you're not 102 years old)
Funny story; My Grandmom IS 102 years old, but she doesn't remember these franchises either.. (her memory is fine, she doesn't like football)
- Arizona Cardinals - Team that WASN'T named after the bird that doesn't migrate has migrated twice.
- Chicago Cardinals, then
- St Louis Cardinals before relocating to...
- Arizona as the Phoenix Cardinals, later to rename as Arizona Cardinals
- Chicago Bears
- Originally the Decatur Staleys, named after the Staley Starch Company
- moved to Chicago to become the Chicago Staleys
- George Halas came in and said "uhhhh... No!", Bears it was.
- Detroit Lions
- Started as the Portsmouth (OH) Spartans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Started as the Boston Yanks, but moved to New York to become the...
- New York Bulldogs who changed their name to...
- New York Yankees, who were sold to become the...
- Dallas Texans, who played one season, most of it bankrupt and in Hershey, PA, folded after the season but then...
- were reinstated the next season, moved to Baltimore and in the still of the night,
- ended up in Indianapolis
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Originally the Pittsburgh Pirates,
- during WWII,
- in 1943, combined with the Philadelphia Eagles to become the Phil-Pitt Steagles
- in 1944, combined with the Chicago Cardinals to become just Card-Pitt
- renamed Pittsburgh Steelers after the war.
- Oakland Raiders -
- Originally were going to play as an AFL team in Minnesota, but when the NFL started the Twin Cities Vikings, the AFL went to Oakland (later exacted revenge on the Vikings), and then...
- moved to become the Los Angeles Raiders, got homesick and went back to the...
- Oakland Raiders
- St. Louis Rams - Go West, young man... I mean East!
- started as the Cleveland Rams
- were the first team to relocate west of the Rocky Mountains, became the Los Angeles Rams in 1946, then
- became the first team to move east of the Rocky Mountains, became the St Louis Rams, but you knew that.
- Washington Redskins
- Originally the Boston Braves,
- Changed their name to Boston Redskins and then...
- went to Washington
- Tennessee Titans
- original AFL team started as Houston Oilers,
- moved to Memphis to become the Tennessee Oilers, then
- moved to Nashville to become the Tennessee Titans
- not to be confused with the New York Titans, who became the New York Jets
Sounds Familiar, But Not Quite... Division
These are college and pro nicknames you recognize in conjunction with locations you don't associate the names with directly...
- Akron Indians
- Alabama Hawks
- Baltimore Stars
- Boston Bears
- Boston Bulldogs
- Boston Patriots
- Boston Redskins
- Boston Yanks
- Brooklyn Tigers
- Brooklyn Lions
- Brooklyn Tigers
- Buffalo All-Americans
- Buffalo Indians
- Buffalo Rangers
- Buffalo Tigers
- Charleston Rockets
- Chicago Hornets
- Chicago Owls
- Chicago Rockets
- Chicago Tigers
- Cincinnati Celts
- Cleveland Bulldogs
- Cleveland Indians
- Cleveland Panthers
- Cleveland Rams
- Cleveland Tigers
- Columbus Tigers
- Dallas Rockets
- Dallas Texans
- Detroit Panthers
- Detroit Wolverines
- Frankford Yellow Jackets
- Ft Worth Braves
- Hartford Blues
- Houston Oilers
- Indianpolis Capitols
- Jacksonville Bulls
- Jacksonville Sharks
- Kansas City Blues
- Kansas City Cowboys
- Los Angeles Buccaneers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Raiders
- Los Angeles Rams
- Los Angeles Wildcats (never actually played a game in Los Angeles)
- Las Vegas Cowboys
- Miami Seahawks
- Michigan Panthers
- Milwaukee Badgers
- Milwaukee Chiefs
- Montreal Beavers
- Newark Bears
- New Jersey Generals (similar to Washington Generals)
- New York Americans
- New York Bulldogs
- New York Stars
- New York Titans
- Oorang Indians (you know you're curious)
- Orlando Panthers
- Philadelphia Quakers
- Philadelphia Stars
- Phoenix Cardinals
- Portsmouth Spartans (maybe they were just Michigan State fans?)
- Quad Cities Raiders
- Rochester Braves
- Sacramento Buccaneers
- Seattle Rangers
- Spokane Shockers (Go Witchita State!)
- Syracuse Braves
- Texarkana Titans
- Twin Cities Vikings
- Victoria Steelers
REAL Original Name Division
Football teams LOVED to name themselves after baseball teams back in the day. Weird enough, some basketball teams named themselves after old football teams!
- Boston Braves
- Brooklyn Dodgers
- Buffalo Bisons (they were a pro baseball team)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Cincinnati Reds
- Cleveland Indians
- Dallas Texans
- Detroit Tigers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New York Yanks
- New York Yankees
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- St Louis Cardinals
- Washington Senators
THAT city had a professional football franchise???
Yes, they did! Cities/Areas that sported pro football franchises that may never again...
- Akron Pros, Indians
- Alabama Hawks
- Arkansas Diamonds
- Birmingham Stallions, Americans, Vulcans, Fire, Thunderbolts
- Canton Bulldogs (Jim Thorpe's old team)
- Charleston Rockets
- Columbus Panhandles, Tigers, Bullies
- Dayton Triangles
- Decatur Staleys (Not to be condused with Duce or Dawn)
- Duluth Kelleys, Eskimos
- Eugene Bombers
- Evansville Crimson Giants
- Florida Blazers
- Frankford Yellow Jackets (from NE Philly)
- Ft Worth Braves
- Hammond Pros
- Hartford Blues, Charter Oaks
- Hawaii Warriors, The Hawaiians
- Kenosha Maroons
- Las Vegas Cowboys, Outlaws
- Long Beach Admirals
- Louisville Brecks, Colonels
- Memphis Showboats, Southmen, Grizzlies, Maniax
- Mexico Golden Aztecs
- Michigan Arrows
- Montreal Beavers, Machine
- Muncie Flyers
- Newark Tornadoes, Demons, Bears
- Norfolk Neptunes
- Ohio Glory
- Ohio Valley Ironmen (played in Wheeling WV)
- Oklahoma Bandits
- Oklahoma City Plainsmen
- Omaha Mustangs
- Oorang Indians
- Orange Tornadoes
- Orange County (CA) Ramblers
- Orlando Renegades, Panthers, Thunder, Rage
- Portland Breakers, Loggers, Storm, Thunder
- Portsmouth Spartans
- Pottsville Maroons
- Providence Steam Roller (not pluralized!)
- Quad Cities Raiders
- Racine Legion, Tornadoes
- Raliegh-Durham Skyhawks
- Richmond Rebels
- Rochester Jeffersons, Braves, Tigers
- Rock Island Independents
- Sacramento Buccaneers, Surge
- San Antonio Gunslingers, Toros, Wings, Riders
- San Jose Apaches (coached by Bill Walsh)
- Shreveport Steamer (not pluralized)
- Springfield Acorns
- Spokane Shockers
- Southern California Sun
- Staten Island Stapletons
- Syracuse Braves
- Texarkana Titans
- Toledo Maroons
- Tonawanda Kardex
- Tri-City/Midland (MI) Apollos
- Toronto Rifles
- Tulsa Thunderbirds
- Victoria Steelers
- West Texas/Odessa-Midland Rufneks (dig that spelling!)
- Wheeling Ironmen
Defunct Team Names That Went Away and Came Back
- Baltimore Colts
- Buffalo Bills (from the AAFC to the AFL)
- Cincinnati Bengals (from the original AFL in 1937, the next AFL in 1940 to the final AFL in 1968)
- Cleveland Browns (AAFC to Baltimore, then reincarnated)
- Dallas Texans (in NFL, moved to Baltimore Colts, Resurrected by AFL and moved to the Kansas City Chiefs)
- Houston Texans (WFL to NFL)
- New York Giants
links that helped me
Up next... Basketball!
