Bergamo Lions
Encyclopedia
The Bergamo Lions is an American football
team from Bergamo
, Italy
. They won the Eurobowl
in 2000, 2001 and 2002, while losing to the Chrysler Vikings in the finals of 2004 and 2005. In Italy they have been unbeaten since 1998. In 1995, the Lions were a part of the Football League of Europe
.
They have occasionally paid for Canadian football
and American football
players to play for the team but most Italian-born players are unpaid. One example is former Kansas City Chiefs
and Toronto Argonauts
wide receiver
Jeris McIntyre
. The Lions have also recruited American coaches, including former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger
as their offensive line coach.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team from Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They won the Eurobowl
Eurobowl
The Eurobowl is both the final game and the trophy of the European Football League , a European American football contest.-Eurobowls:-Champions:...
in 2000, 2001 and 2002, while losing to the Chrysler Vikings in the finals of 2004 and 2005. In Italy they have been unbeaten since 1998. In 1995, the Lions were a part of the Football League of Europe
Football League of Europe
The Football League of Europe was an European semi-professional American football league. It was founded in 1994, renamed 1995 in American Football League of Europe and dissolved after the 1995 season...
.
They have occasionally paid for Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
and American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
players to play for the team but most Italian-born players are unpaid. One example is former Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Jeris McIntyre
Jeris McIntyre
Jeris McIntyre is an American football wide receiver who was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 6th round of the 2004 NFL Draft. McIntyre played college football for the Auburn Tigers. On July 19, 2004, McIntyre signed a three-year contract with Kansas City. After being relegated to the...
. The Lions have also recruited American coaches, including former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger
Brian Baldinger
Brian David "The Facemask Fingerer" Baldinger is a former professional American football player and former color commentator for National Football League telecasts on the Fox network. He also covers Atlanta Falcons preseason games as an analyst on WXIA-TV with Randy Waters...
as their offensive line coach.
Championships
- 12 Super Bowl Italiano (Italian championshipItalian Football LeagueItalian Football League is an American football league in Italy.-History:It was founded in 2008, taking over previous league's significance...
): 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. - 3 EurobowlEurobowlThe Eurobowl is both the final game and the trophy of the European Football League , a European American football contest.-Eurobowls:-Champions:...
(European championshipEuropean Football LeagueThe European Football League is a European Cup style tournament for European American Football teams affiliated to EFAF...
): 2000, 2001, 2002. - 1 Champions League: 2000.