Category:Columbus Destroyers History
[edit] Buffalo Destroyers (1999-2003)
The Buffalo Destroyers began play during the 1999 AFL season, playing their home games at HSBC Arena, and were owned by Buffalo-area businessman Mark Hamister. The team was founded, in part, because of fears that a lease expiration could have led to the demise or relocation of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, the city's largest sports franchise. Those fears were unfounded as a multiyear lease deal to keep the Bills in Western New York was signed shortly thereafter and is still in effect. The name "destroyer" came from a naming contest and alluded to the naval ship of the same name, one of which sits outside the HSBC Arena in the nearby Buffalo Naval and Serviceman's Park.
The Destroyers were initially successful in regards to high attendance, but a lack of winning early on caused attendance to decline, something the team never recovered from. The first head coach, Dave Whinham, was fired in the middle of the Destroyers' second season after an abyssmal 1-17 record. Former Bills player Ray Bentley was selected as his replacement and remains the most successful coach in Destroyers history; however, even he couldn't lead the Destroyers to a winning season. The closest he came was in 2002, when his team started 6-3... but would end the season on an 0-5 skid to just barely miss the playoffs. Bentley abruptly resigned after that season, and Ron Selesky, a respected personnel man was hired to replace him. Selesky's record, however, was a lackluster 5-11.
After the 2003 season concluded, talks of a re-location began, as the Destroyers had lost USD 5 million over 5 years, went nearly unnoticed by the media, and low attendance that reflected a lack of support for the team. At the time, Hamister was also in the running, along with partner Todd Berman, to buy the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, but a deal for a state incentive package fell through and the team was instead sold to Rochester-area entrepreneur and politician B. Thomas Golisano. Shortly after the Sabres deal fell through, in September 2003, Hamister announced that he was relocating the Destroyers to Columbus, Ohio for the 2004 season.
