1982 1987 Concordes Team Formation The CFL was long-prepared for the Alouettes’ demise. Among potential suitors for the troubled franchise was Montreal businessman and Montreal Expos founder Charles Bronfman. Bronfman had made it clear to the league that he would not deal with Skalbania, but would be willing to establish what would technically be an expansion team if the Alouettes ceased operations. On May 14, …
Memphis Mad Dogs Team History
1995 1996 Mad Dogs Team Formation Prior to the Mad Dogs, Smith fronted an ownership group (along with such entities as former Memphis Showboats owner William Dunavantand the estate of Elvis Presley) that tried to get a National Football League team into Memphis in 1993. The Memphis Hound Dogs, as the proposed team was to be called, was one of five teams to be considered, but was …
Las Vegas Posse Team History
1994 1995 Posse Team Formation When the Posse started the 1994 season it was clear that CFL football would not last in Las Vegas. They were owned by a publicly held corporation whose public face was Cleveland, Ohio-based Nick Mileti (whose other sports holdings included the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and the AHL’s Cleveland Barons), a man who took little direct involvement in team operations. The team played …
Baltimore Stallions Team History
1993 1995 1986 Baltimore Stallions Team Formation Soon after the expansion effort failed, an entrepreneur and former Washington Redskins assistant Jim Speros was granted a CFL expansion franchise for Baltimore that would play in Memorial Stadium, the Colts’ old home. Attempting to capitalize on the city’s love for its long-lost Baltimore Colts, Speros adopted a color scheme that added silver …
Birmingham Barracudas Team History
1995 1996 Barracudas Team Formation Insurance tycoon, former high school football coach, and motivational speaker Art Williams was awarded a CFL expansion franchise in Birmingham. He wanted a nickname for the team that would “scare the spit out of people,” and chose Barracudas. The Barracudas hired an experienced head coach in Jack Pardee, who had coached at the college level with …
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Team History
1950 1953 – 1957 1963 – 1965 – 1967 1972 – 1986 – 1999 Tiger-Cats Team Formation The Tigers and Wildcats amalgamated in 1950 to form the Hamilton Tiger-Cats that would compete in the IRFU. Under the guidance of prominent and distinguished local leaders such as Ralph “Super-Duper” Cooper and F.M. Gibson, it was decided that the two teams should …
Ottawa Redblacks Team History
2010 2016 Redblacks Team Formation On November 12 and 13, the council held a public debate to discuss what should be done with the area at Lansdowne Park. Guest speakers included CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon and former Rough Riders Jock Climie and Mark Kosmos, who presented their case as to why the Lansdowne Live group was an important contributor to the city of Ottawa. …
Montreal Alouettes Team History
1946 1949 – 1970 – 1974 – 1977 1981 1996 2002 – 2009 – 2010 Alouettes Team Formation Canadian football has a long history in Montreal, dating to the 1850s. The Alouettes were first formed in 1946 by Canadian Football Hall of Famer Lew Hayman along with businessmen Eric Cradock and Léo Dandurand. They named themselves after “Alouette”, a work song about plucking the feathers from a skylark, which …