Tampa Bay Storm Prologue


While watching the Major Indoor Soccer League all-star game at Madison Square Garden on February 11, 1981, Jim Foster thought "If they can play soccer indoors, why not football?" In five minutes, he had drawn a sketch for an indoor game of football on the back of a manila envelope. That outline was remarkably close to the game of today. Realizing the difficulty of punting indoors, and inspired by the fact the NFL was using nets to catch point after touchdown attempts, the drawing included nets on each side of the goal posts. When he came up with the idea of the fifty yard field, it lead to the 50 percent rule where everything would be half the size of outdoor football. That night he also conceived of eight players on a side, playing both offense and defense, as a way to cut roster sizes and reduce costs.

Jim Foster played football at the University of Iowa and was a minor league football executive of the year before becoming a promotions manager for National Football League Properties. By early 1982, he had plans in motion to develop indoor football. However, when the United States Football League announced it would play spring football beginning in 1983, those plans were put on hold. Foster ended up working for Arizona and Chicago of the USFL, but when the league voted to go to a fall season, Foster left to pursue the concept of arena football.

photo On April 26, 1986, a test game took place at the Rockford (Illinois) Metro Center. The Rockford Metros and the Chicago Politicians, comprised of semi-pro and minor league players sworn to secrecy, helped develop the rules for indoor football. After that game, Darrel "Mouse" Davis, arena football's Director of Football Operations, tweaked the rules and formations. Famous for the the "Run and Shoot" offense, Davis created the high scoring game of today. After the ESPN cable TV network showed interest in a video tape of that game, a second trial game took place. On February 26, 1987, the Chicago Bruisers and Miami Vise played before 8,527 fans at the Rosemont Horizon near Chicago. ESPN televised this "Showcase Game" and the favorable response lead to the first season for the Arena Football League.

The Chicago Bruisers, Denver Dynamite, Pittsburgh Gladiators and Washington (DC) Commandos played a six game schedule in that first "Preview Season." On June 19, 1987 the first regular season game took place in Pittsburgh before 12,117 fans. The Gladiators topped the visiting Commandos 48-46. Denver, behind Coach of the Year Tim Marcum, won the first Arena Bowl championship over Pittsburgh 45-16. The following season, the schedule length doubled to twelve games and the league added a couple of teams. While the Detroit Drive won the first of four league titles, the AFL almost went out of business. The financial structure of the league could not handle the rapid growth and changes were necessary for survival. Five teams, playing a four game schedule, did manage to salvage a 1989 season. In an attempt to broaden the indoor game's appeal, games were played at five non-league cities in what was billed as a "Touring Season."

Pittsburgh Gladiators
Before moving to Tampa Bay, the Storm franchise played in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Gladiators were one of the four original Arena Football League teams, so the Pittsburgh/Tampa Bay franchise is the only one photoexisting from the league’s inaugural season in 1987.

The Gladiators never won the championship, but did compete in the Arena Bowl twice during those four years. Pittsburgh hosted the first-ever Arena Bowl, but lost to Denver 45-16. In 1989 the Gladiators lost in Detroit to the Drive in Arena Bowl III 39-26. Ironically, both of those losses came to teams coached by Tim Marcum.

On March 27, 1990 the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent for the Arena Football Game system. As the only sports league in history able to play a patented game, the league decided to sell licenses. This enabled private ownership of teams and six new owners bought franchises. The six-team AFL played an eight game schedule in 1990.

On November 16, 1990, Pittsburgh Gladiators owner Bob Gries, citing lackluster attendance and operating losses, announced he would move the franchise to the Tampa Bay area for the 1991 season. The Gries family had owned 48 percent of the Cleveland Browns since 1946 and Bob Gries sat on the Browns Board of Directors. At a press conference in St. Petersburg, held on November 20, Gries spoke of playing home games at the Florida Suncoast Dome. "I had the chance to take this team anywhere in the country. I checked out Portland, Atlanta and Charlotte, and this was by far the number one site. There are no negatives. I think we can do 20,000 here."

photo A "Name the Team" contest was held and a couple of factors contributed to the selection. One reason was the Tampa Bay area's weather extremes. Also, at that time, the Persian Gulf War was in full swing and Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base served as a headquarters for Operation Desert Storm. On March 12, 1991, the announcement was made and the team became the Tampa Bay Storm. The team colors would be red, white and blue.



Related Links
Arena Bowl Results


Back to Tampa Bay Storm History Page
Back to Tampa Bay Storm Main Menu
Back to Home Page


Copyright Information