Columbus Destroyers
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| Columbus Destroyers | ||
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| Conference | National | |
| Division | Eastern | |
| Year founded | 1999 | |
| Home arena | Nationwide Arena | |
| City, State | Columbus, Ohio | |
| Wild card titles | 2: 2000, 2002 |
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| Division titles | none | |
| Conference titles | none | |
| ArenaBowl championships | none | |
The Columbus Destroyers are an Arena Football League team, founded in Buffalo, New York in 1999 and, since 2004, play in Columbus, Ohio.
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[edit] 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 (NBC had blacked out all of their games in 2003), 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.
[edit] Columbus Destoyers (2004 - Present)
The Buffalo Destroyers moved to Columbus after the 2003 Arena Football League season. They play their home games in the downtown Nationwide Arena, which they share with the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Destroyers were sold to John H. McConnell, founder of Worthington Industries and majority owner of the Blue Jackets, and accountant Jim Renacci. Also having a stake in the team is NFL wide receiver and former Ohio State football standout Joey Galloway. Mark Hamister, who owned the team during the Buffalo tenure, stayed on as a minority owner, but would eventually sell his share.
The Columbus Destroyers, over their first two years, would often market people with the team who are also associated with the Ohio State football program, rather than the team itself. In the 2004 season, it relied heavily on head coach, former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce, and front office worker Chris Spielman. In the 2005 season, Spielman became head coach of the team and much of the Destroyers merchandise beared his name. However, as the 2006 season approached, the team appeared to have dropped marketing Ohio State personalities, instead promoting the Destroyers playing "Fast-forward football".
The Destroyers franchise, after playing 2 full seasons, have been better-received in Columbus then they were in Buffalo, as attendance remains one of the highest in the AFL, despite the little success they have had, and they are regularly covered in the media.
As of the conclusion of the 2005 season, the Destroyers hold the dubious statistic of having had a different leading passer, rusher, and receiver in every year of their existence.
The Destroyers compete in the Eastern Division of the AFL.
[edit] Season-by-season
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Destroyers | |||||
| 1999 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 4th NC Eastern | -- |
| 2000 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3rd NC Eastern | Lost Week 1 (Arizona Rattlers) |
| 2001 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 3rd NC Eastern | -- |
| 2002 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2nd NC Eastern | Lost Week 1 (Orlando Predators) |
| 2003 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4th NC Eastern | -- |
| Columbus Destroyers | |||||
| 2004 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 4th NC Eastern | -- |
| 2005 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 4th NC Eastern | -- |
| 2006 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 4th NC Eastern | -- |
| 2007 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Totals | 39 | 83 | 0 | (including playoffs) | |
[edit] Head coaches
- 1999-2000: Dave Whinham, 1-17
- 2000-2002: Ray Bentley, 17-21
- 2003: Ron Selesky, 5-11
- 2004: Earle Bruce, 6-10
- 2005: Chris Spielman, 2-14
- 2006- : Doug Kay, 8-8
[edit] Notable players
- Carl Bond - OS
- Cecil Doggette - DS
- John Kaleo - QB
- Ken Kocher - OL/DL
- Mike Kinkella - QB
[edit] External links
| Arena Football League | |||
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| American Conference | National Conference | ||
| Central Division Chicago Rush |
Western Division Arizona Rattlers |
Eastern Division Columbus Destroyers |
Southern Division Austin Wranglers |
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