Sports - Defunct Sports Teams, Retro Leagues

The Philadelphia Bell were a franchise in the World Football League which began play in 1974. The Bell folded, along with the rest of the league, halfway through the 1975 campaign.

From the Miracle at Richfield to today's team, the Force is strong in Believeland.

The Cleveland Rockers played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA but were folded despite putting competitive teams on the court and drawing a respectable number of fans...

The Pittsburgh Triangles were a charter franchise in World Team Tennis formed in 1973. The Triangles won the 1975 WTT championship but folded after the 1976 season. Their home court as the Civic Arena. In 1977, the Cleveland Nets split their home games between...

The Chicago Fire were a charter member of the World Football League in 1974. The team started off well, posting a 7-2 record in the first half of the season and drawing an average of 34,000 fans to Soldier Field. However, after a 10-game...

The New Orleans VooDoo played in the Arena Football League starting in 2004. After Hurricane Katrina damaged their home arena in 2005, the team suspended operations. They returned in 2007 for two seasons before folding. The franchise was revived in 2010 when the Bossier-Shreveport...

The Detroit Drive was formed in 1988, joining the Arena Football League for that circuit's second season. The team played in the Motor City's Joe Louis Arena through the 1993 season, winning four AFL championships. The team moved to Worcester, MA in 1994 and...

The Seattle SeaDogs played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) from 1995 to 1997.

The Pittsburgh Spirit were one the 6 original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) teams in 1978. They took the 1980/1981 season off but returned for 5 more seasons, folding in 1986.

The Pittsburgh Stingers played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) for two seasons, 1994 and 1995.

The Kansas City Outlaws played in the United Hockey League (UHL) during the 2004/2005 season. They are so far the last pro hockey team to call the city home.

The original Philadelphia Fury competed in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980, succeeding the Philadelphia Atoms who folded in 1976. The current incarnation competes in the National Independent Soccer Association, using the same logo and colors.

The Indiana Twisters were a professional indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) in 1996 and 1997. The team featured the first player owner in modern sports history when co-owner Rodney Goins suited up for the team. The franchise...

The Stingers were Cincinnati's only major league hockey team. The team played at Riverfront Coliseum (now U.S. Bank Arena) from 1975 to 1979, and they were members of the World Hockey Association (WHA). When the WHA merged with the National Hockey League in 1979,...

Cincinnati's third foray into the American Hockey League, following the Mohawks in the '50s and the Swords in the early '70s, the Mighty Ducks played at the Cincinnati Gardens from 1997 to 2005.

Cleveland City Stars played in the United Soccer League (USL) from 2007 through 2009. Their home field was Bedford High School's football stadium.

The Indianapolis Capitals played in the American Hockey League from 1939 to 1952. They won the league championship, the Calder Cup, in 1942 and 1950.

The Chicago Winds of the ??World Football League??were the 1975 successor to the Chicago Fire who disbanded following the 1974 season, despite drawing some of the league's biggest crowds. In May of 1975, the new team tried to sign the legendary Joe Namath, even...

The San Jose Rhinos played in a league known as Roller Hockey International from 1993 to 1999, when the league ceased operations. The Rhinos won the league championship in 1995.

The Buffalo Stallions joined the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) for that circuit's second season. They played 5 seasons in the MISL, and at the height of their popularity, drew close to 10,000 fans a game. They folded in 1984.

The Los Angeles Lazers joined the MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) ??in 1982 after spending four seasons as the Philadelphia Fever. They were owned by sports mogul Jerry Buss who also owned basketball's Los Angeles Lakers, hockey's Los Angeles Kings, as well as all...

The Phoenix Inferno joined the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 1980. In 1983 new ownership renamed them the Pride. They folded after that season.

Previously known as the Memphis Americans, the team re-located to Las Vegas for the Major Indoor Soccer League's 1984/85 season. They folded at the conclusion of that season.

The Memphis Americans played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1981 to 1984 at the Mid-South Coliseum. They began in 1979 as the Hartford Hellions. In 1984 they became the Las Vegas Americans for one season, before folding in the spring...

After a few seasons in the West Coast Hockey League, the Fresno Falcons opted for a new logo and color scheme in 1998, before changing logos again in 2003.

As Squints from the movie "The Sandlot" might put it, live and die Pittsburgh FOR-EV-ER!

As Squints said it best in The Sandlot, live and die Cleveland FOR-EV-ER!

An alternate logo for the Indianapolis Ice who played in the IHL from 1988 to 1999 and the CHL from 1999 to 2004.

The Indianapolis ABCs of the Negro National League became The Cleveland Buckeyes in 1927 and halfway through the season changed their name to the Cleveland Hornets. They only lasted one season though. An unrelated Cleveland Buckeyes team joined the Negro American League in 1942.

The Pittsburgh Shamrocks played in the International Hockey League for one season, 1935-36. The Duquesne Gardens was their home ice. After the team folded, the Detroit Olympics relocated to Pittsburgh. The new owners merged that club with the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets of the Eastern...