Florida Bobcats
Encyclopedia
The Florida Bobcats are a defunct Arena Football League
team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.
AFL season only. The team was originally supposed to play in Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Wings .
season. For the 1993
season the team was relocated to Miami
and renamed the "Hooters
" in an unusual marketing
arrangement with the Florida-based restaurant
chain which was ordinarily more noted for its buxom waitresses than feats of athletic prowess. Naturally, the team adopted the restaurant's owlish logo and trademark colors as its own for three years, until this unusual arrangement terminated after the completion of the 1995
season. Desirous of staying in the general South Florida area, the team relocated to West Palm Beach
as the Florida Bobcats. Subsequent linking of team names with products was to occur, notably the AFL's own New Jersey Red Dogs
and the Toronto Phantoms
(named for Phantom Industries, a manufacturer of women's hosiery), and the Detroit Neon
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
. Originally the team was to be named the Miami Toros or Miami Bulls, with a similar logo for each name having been created.
to 2001
. When the Miami Hooters team discontinued its connection with the Hooters Restaurant chain after the 1995
season was completed, it developed both a new identity (the Bobcats) and a new color scheme involving teal and black as opposed to the former orange and brown associated with the restaurants. It also moved north to West Palm Beach
in an attempt to reduce overhead. This proved to be a mixed blessing at best, however, as the relatively tiny seating capacity
of the West Palm Beach Auditorium
(ca. 4000) made profitable operations essentially impossible. In the 1997
and 1998
seasons the team played a total of five official league games (and several exhibition games as well) at what were charitably called "neutral sites", lesser venues in what were at best secondary markets, where, however, even a less-than-capacity crowd could result in greater revenues from ticket sales than would a home game sellout — were there to be one. This development led to them being referred to by some of the league's pundits as "America's Team", a not-unironic comparison to what was then the National Football League
's premier organization, the Dallas Cowboys
. This situation was used to an advantage by the league to determine support for the sport in parts of the country where it had previously had little exposure, and should be credited at least in part for the development of the sport's minor league
, af2
.
In 1999
the Bobcats moved into the far more spacious confines of the National Car Rental Center, now the BankAtlantic Center
, also home to the Florida Panthers
of the National Hockey League
. They remained there until the team was folded after the completion of the 2001
season. One of the notable facts about this team is that they were quarterbacked through the majority of their existence by Fred McNair
, the original "Air McNair" and older brother of 2003
NFL co-MVP
Steve McNair
. An attempt was made in the 2001 season to sell the team to various prospective owners, including Mark Cuban who later bought the Dallas Mavericks, but nothing came of the deal. The team subsequently folded having the distinction of holding the AFL record for the lowest single-game attendance for a regular season game when they drew 1,154 fans against the Los Angeles Avengers on May 3, 2001.
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.
Sacramento Attack (1992)
The Sacramento Attack was an Arena Football League team that competed under that name in the 19921992 in sports
1992 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup* Men's overall season champion: Paul Accola, Switzerland* Women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria-American football:...
AFL season only. The team was originally supposed to play in Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Wings .
Miami Hooters (1993-1995)
The Miami Hooters were a relocation of the Sacramento Attack Arena Football League team which had competed in the 19921992 in sports
1992 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup* Men's overall season champion: Paul Accola, Switzerland* Women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria-American football:...
season. For the 1993
1993 in sports
1993 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Anita Wachter, Austria-American football:...
season the team was relocated to Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and renamed the "Hooters
Hooters
Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
" in an unusual marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
arrangement with the Florida-based restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
chain which was ordinarily more noted for its buxom waitresses than feats of athletic prowess. Naturally, the team adopted the restaurant's owlish logo and trademark colors as its own for three years, until this unusual arrangement terminated after the completion of the 1995
1995 in sports
1995 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Alberto Tomba, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland-American football:...
season. Desirous of staying in the general South Florida area, the team relocated to West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
as the Florida Bobcats. Subsequent linking of team names with products was to occur, notably the AFL's own New Jersey Red Dogs
Las Vegas Gladiators
The Cleveland Gladiators are an arena football franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio which plays in the Arena Football League. The team is part of the East division of the AFL's American Conference. The Gladiators play all of their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they share with the NBA's...
and the Toronto Phantoms
Toronto Phantoms
The Toronto Phantoms was the final name of a team in the Arena Football League, that also operated in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.-New York CityHawks :The team began in 1997 as the New York CityHawks...
(named for Phantom Industries, a manufacturer of women's hosiery), and the Detroit Neon
Detroit Safari
The Detroit Safari was a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League that played at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Their owners, the Palace Sports Group were awarded a franchise on November 4, 1993. Their star player and unofficial coach was experienced indoor player Andy Chapman...
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008)
The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league was a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL had replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. According to MISL.net, the league has ceased operations as of May 31, 2008...
. Originally the team was to be named the Miami Toros or Miami Bulls, with a similar logo for each name having been created.
Florida Bobcats (1996-2001)
The Florida Bobcats were an Arena Football League team from 19961996 in sports
1996 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany-American football:...
to 2001
2001 in sports
2001 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
. When the Miami Hooters team discontinued its connection with the Hooters Restaurant chain after the 1995
1995 in sports
1995 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Alberto Tomba, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Vreni Schneider, Switzerland-American football:...
season was completed, it developed both a new identity (the Bobcats) and a new color scheme involving teal and black as opposed to the former orange and brown associated with the restaurants. It also moved north to West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
in an attempt to reduce overhead. This proved to be a mixed blessing at best, however, as the relatively tiny seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of the West Palm Beach Auditorium
West Palm Beach Auditorium
The West Palm Beach Auditorium was a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was built in 1965, at the intersection of North Congress Avenue and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard. It was home to the West Palm Beach Blaze ice hockey team and Florida Bobcats arena football team. It...
(ca. 4000) made profitable operations essentially impossible. In the 1997
1997 in sports
1997 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France** Women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden-American football:...
and 1998
1998 in sports
1998 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany-American football:...
seasons the team played a total of five official league games (and several exhibition games as well) at what were charitably called "neutral sites", lesser venues in what were at best secondary markets, where, however, even a less-than-capacity crowd could result in greater revenues from ticket sales than would a home game sellout — were there to be one. This development led to them being referred to by some of the league's pundits as "America's Team", a not-unironic comparison to what was then the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's premier organization, the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. This situation was used to an advantage by the league to determine support for the sport in parts of the country where it had previously had little exposure, and should be credited at least in part for the development of the sport's minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
, af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
.
In 1999
1999 in sports
1999 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austria-American football:...
the Bobcats moved into the far more spacious confines of the National Car Rental Center, now the BankAtlantic Center
BankAtlantic Center
The BankAtlantic Center is an indoor arena located in Sunrise, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and adjacent to the popular Sawgrass Mills Mall.The arena features 70 suites & 2,623 club seats.The arena is directly accessible from the Sawgrass Expressway...
, also home to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. They remained there until the team was folded after the completion of the 2001
2001 in sports
2001 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
season. One of the notable facts about this team is that they were quarterbacked through the majority of their existence by Fred McNair
Fred McNair (American football)
Fred McNair is a former American football quarterback in the Arena Football League. He played college football at Alcorn State....
, the original "Air McNair" and older brother of 2003
2003 in sports
2003 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season championship: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season championship: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
NFL co-MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
. An attempt was made in the 2001 season to sell the team to various prospective owners, including Mark Cuban who later bought the Dallas Mavericks, but nothing came of the deal. The team subsequently folded having the distinction of holding the AFL record for the lowest single-game attendance for a regular season game when they drew 1,154 fans against the Los Angeles Avengers on May 3, 2001.