Toronto Phantoms
Encyclopedia
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.
, several of which make their nests on ledges high up on New York
's skyscrapers.
Despite the failure of the New York Knights
in 1988
, the AFL decided once again to make an effort to establish a team in the nation's largest media market, and granted a franchise to the New York CityHawks prior to the 1997 season
. The major circumstance that differentiated this situation from that of the Knights was that the CityHawks were owned by Madison Square Garden
, while the Knights had been tenants at the Garden.
, located just across the Hudson River
from New York City. Among the ownership of the new New Jersey Red Dogs
were several ex-NFL players, most notably former New York Giant
Joe Morris
.
In response to the AFL's placing a team in New Jersey, the Garden requested a team of their own for the Garden. This request was granted by the League with only months to go before the beginning of the 1997 season, while the New Jersey team had been granted several months earlier. The CityHawks thus had only half the preparation time that the Red Dogs had going into both teams' initial season of 1997.
, who had coached the Tampa Bay Storm
to the league championship by winning ArenaBowl VII
in 1993
. Meanwhile, the cross-river Red Dogs, under Head Coach John Hufnagel
, had charged out of the gate, winning 8 of their first 9 games, and setting a (then) league record by scoring 91 points in one game against the Texas Terror
(a record which was surpassed in 2001
when the New York Dragons
scored 99 against the Carolina Cobras
). To illustrate the contrasting fortunes of the two teams: during the weekend of games that included June 20–21, the Red Dogs scored 91 points against Texas; the CityHawks scored only nine points in a loss to Tampa Bay.
In 1998, the CityHawks replaced Kuharich with veteran NCAA
coach Chuck Shelton
, who was taking his first Arena Football job. However, the team fared almost as poorly as they had done the first season, winning only 3 of 14 games.
ranged from nonexistent (at best) to derisive (at worst). On one occasion, then-Garden President Dave Checketts
appeared as a guest on all-sports radio
station WFAN
, and he attempted to turn the conversation, which had been about the NBA
's New York Knicks
, towards the subject of the CityHawks. Upon hearing this suggestion, hosts Mike Francesa
and Chris Russo
laughed openly at Checketts, and refused to let him continue speaking about the CityHawks. The hosts did not stop their on-air mockery until Checketts returned to the subject of the Knicks.
However, Checketts and the Garden management were themselves largely responsible for the CityHawks' status as laughingstocks. First, they had applied for the team with very little time remaining for preparation before the opening of the 1997 season. Then, in their second season, they replaced a career AFL coach with a coach who had no experience with the Arena game.
on television
or radio, nor in the local newspapers. Indeed, both the unwillingness to promote the club and the inattention to the on-field product can be attributed to the same cause: the debut in 1997 of the WNBA
and the Garden's team, the New York Liberty
. The Garden's management put extraordinary effort into promoting the new basketball team, blanketing the media with ads for it immediately from its inception. In comparison, Garden management put very little effort into promoting, or even running, the team.
for the 1999
season, would be renamed the New England Sea Wolves, and would play at the Hartford Civic Center
, an arena also managed (although not owned) by Garden management.
Mike Perez, kicker Mike Black, defensive specialist/kick returner Ron Carpenter, and all-around threat Connell Maynor. Maynor, a very interesting case, was primarily a quarterback by trade, but played wide receiver
/linebacker
for the CityHawks. One week in 1997, he won the award for the league's top "ironman" (player who plays both on offense
and defense
, as six of eight players must do in Arena Football). As a quarterback, Maynor would later lead the Orlando Predators
to a league championship by winning ArenaBowl XIV
.
In addition, the CityHawks were the first AFL team to have different helmets for home and road games. In 1997, they wore their gold helmets at home, with black jerseys and gold pants; and wore the reverse on the road: black helmets, gold jerseys, black pants. In 1998, they adopted a one-color scheme, dressing in all black at home, and in all gold on the road.
The New England Sea Wolves were in Hartford for two seasons, and were coached by Mike Hohensee
, the former Albany Firebirds
coach who has been the head coach of the Chicago Rush
since that team's inception in 2001. In 2000, the Sea Wolves posted the first winning record in franchise history (8-6). That season also saw the debut of offensive specialist Damian Harrell
, who went on to blossom after the team moved on to Toronto, and has continued his fine career into the 2006
season with several outstanding years for the Colorado Crush
.
The team did little better financially in New England than it had in New York, and was sold to new owners, who relocated it to Toronto after the 2000
season.
market. The team was purchased by a group led by TD Securities Inc. investment banker, Rob Godfrey. The majority share of the team, owned by Rogers Communications
, played the 2001
and 2002
Arena seasons in Toronto
, and were then disbanded.
All home games were played at the Air Canada Centre
, also the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs
of the National Hockey League
, the Toronto Raptors
of the National Basketball Association
, and the Toronto Rock
of the National Lacrosse League
. The team's primary rival was the Buffalo Destroyers, located 80 miles south in Buffalo.
The Phantoms' logo included a Grim Reaper character whose scythe carried the word "Toronto" with the word "Phantoms" appearing over it. The name came from The Phantom of the Opera
, the Andrew Lloyd Webber
musical that played at the Canon Theatre
(then Pantages Theatre) in Toronto for nine years. (It has also been suggested that Phantom Industries, a women's hosiery company, was also an inspiration for the name.)
In 2001
, the Phantoms posted a reasonable 8-6 record, winning the AFL Eastern Division Championship, and making the playoffs. They would beat the New York Dragons
in the first round of the playoffs; however, they would lose to the Nashville Kats
in the second round.
In 2002
, they went 5-9, missing the playoffs. Following the season, Rogers announced that they were suspending operations of the franchise. The Phantoms drew an average of just 6,976 fans per game over their two seasons at Air Canada Centre
. Six years later, Rogers entered into a five-year sharing agreement
with Ralph Wilson to lease Wilson's Buffalo Bills
to Rogers for an annual regular season game in exchange for cash.
Among the notable Phantoms players were Offensive Specialist Damian Harrell, fullback
/linebacker
Jermaine Younger, as well as defensive back/wide receiver Ty Law (unrelated to the NFL player of the same name
). During their time in Toronto, these players were not widely recognized in an already congested sports market.
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...
, that also operated in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.
New York CityHawks (1997-1998)
The team began in 1997 as the New York CityHawks. Their name was a reference to the peregrine falconPeregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, several of which make their nests on ledges high up on New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's skyscrapers.
Despite the failure of the New York Knights
New York Knights
The New York Knights were an Arena Football League team based in New York City. They played in the league for one season, 1988. They played their home games at Madison Square Garden. After going 2-10 overall in their only season the team ceased operations...
in 1988
1988 Arena Football League season
The 1988 Arena Football League season was the 2nd season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Detroit Drive, who defeated the Chicago Bruisers in ArenaBowl II.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
, the AFL decided once again to make an effort to establish a team in the nation's largest media market, and granted a franchise to the New York CityHawks prior to the 1997 season
1997 Arena Football League season
The 1997 Arena Football League season was the 11th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Arizona Rattlers, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl XI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
. The major circumstance that differentiated this situation from that of the Knights was that the CityHawks were owned by Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, while the Knights had been tenants at the Garden.
Background
The Arena Football League had intended to re-enter the New York market in 1997 by putting an expansion team in the New Jersey MeadowlandsMeadowlands Sports Complex
The MetLife Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...
, located just across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
from New York City. Among the ownership of the new 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...
were several ex-NFL players, most notably former New York Giant
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Joe Morris
Joe Morris (American football)
Joseph Edward Morris is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants from 1982 to 1988. Initially noted for his diminutive stature — 5' 7", Morris was a key member of the Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI in 1987...
.
In response to the AFL's placing a team in New Jersey, the Garden requested a team of their own for the Garden. This request was granted by the League with only months to go before the beginning of the 1997 season, while the New Jersey team had been granted several months earlier. The CityHawks thus had only half the preparation time that the Red Dogs had going into both teams' initial season of 1997.
On the field
The CityHawks played poorly, winning only two of 14 games during their first season, despite being led by Head Coach Lary KuharichLary Kuharich
Joseph Lawrence Kuharich, Jr. is an American football coach currently serving as the Offensive Coordinator of the Arena Football League's Columbus Destroyers...
, who had coached the Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm are an Arena Football League team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa....
to the league championship by winning ArenaBowl VII
ArenaBowl VII
ArenaBowl '93 was the Arena Football League's seventh Arena Bowl. The game featured the #3 Tampa Bay Storm of the National Conference against the #1 Detroit Drive of the American Conference...
in 1993
1993 Arena Football League season
The 1993 Arena Football League season was the 7th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Detroit Drive in ArenaBowl VII...
. Meanwhile, the cross-river Red Dogs, under Head Coach John Hufnagel
John Hufnagel
John Coleman Hufnagel is a Canadian football coach and former pro quarterback. He is currently the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League...
, had charged out of the gate, winning 8 of their first 9 games, and setting a (then) league record by scoring 91 points in one game against the Texas Terror
Texas Terror
Texas Terror may refer to:*Texas Terror - a 1935 western film starring John Wayne*Texas Terror - A franchise in the Arena Football League in the late 1990s....
(a record which was surpassed in 2001
2001 Arena Football League season
The 2001 Arena Football League season was the 15th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Grand Rapids Rampage, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
when the New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
scored 99 against the Carolina Cobras
Carolina Cobras
Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Cobras, who played in the 1988 AFL season.The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League...
). To illustrate the contrasting fortunes of the two teams: during the weekend of games that included June 20–21, the Red Dogs scored 91 points against Texas; the CityHawks scored only nine points in a loss to Tampa Bay.
In 1998, the CityHawks replaced Kuharich with veteran NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
coach Chuck Shelton
Chuck Shelton
-External links:* *...
, who was taking his first Arena Football job. However, the team fared almost as poorly as they had done the first season, winning only 3 of 14 games.
Attendance and media coverage
The team drew very few fans its two seasons at the Garden, and the coverage in the New York mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
ranged from nonexistent (at best) to derisive (at worst). On one occasion, then-Garden President Dave Checketts
Dave Checketts
David W. Checketts is an American businessman, founder and chairman SCP Worldwide, sits on the board of JetBlue Airways, and is the owner of the soccer club Real Salt Lake.- Career :...
appeared as a guest on all-sports radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
, and he attempted to turn the conversation, which had been about the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, towards the subject of the CityHawks. Upon hearing this suggestion, hosts Mike Francesa
Mike Francesa
Michael Patrick "Mike" Francesa, Jr. is an American radio talk show host and television commentator. He is primarily known in his former role co-hosting the popular Mike and the Mad Dog show on WFAN in New York City...
and Chris Russo
Chris Russo
Christopher Michael Russo , known as the "Mad Dog," is an American sports radio personality who is best known as the former co-host of the widely popular Mike and the Mad Dog sports radio show with Mike Francesa, which was broadcast on WFAN in New York City and simulcast on the YES Network...
laughed openly at Checketts, and refused to let him continue speaking about the CityHawks. The hosts did not stop their on-air mockery until Checketts returned to the subject of the Knicks.
However, Checketts and the Garden management were themselves largely responsible for the CityHawks' status as laughingstocks. First, they had applied for the team with very little time remaining for preparation before the opening of the 1997 season. Then, in their second season, they replaced a career AFL coach with a coach who had no experience with the Arena game.
The WNBA factor
But, the biggest failing on the part of Garden management was the lack of promotion—no billboards, no adsAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
or radio, nor in the local newspapers. Indeed, both the unwillingness to promote the club and the inattention to the on-field product can be attributed to the same cause: the debut in 1997 of the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
and the Garden's team, the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
. The Garden's management put extraordinary effort into promoting the new basketball team, blanketing the media with ads for it immediately from its inception. In comparison, Garden management put very little effort into promoting, or even running, the team.
CityHawks fly away
The Garden announced that the club would be transferred to Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
for the 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:...
season, would be renamed the New England Sea Wolves, and would play at the Hartford Civic Center
Hartford Civic Center
The XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, is a multi-purpose arena and convention center located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, USA. It is owned by the City of Hartford and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group under contract with the Connecticut Development Authority...
, an arena also managed (although not owned) by Garden management.
Legacy
The CityHawks had several individual players of outstanding quality, most notably quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Mike Perez, kicker Mike Black, defensive specialist/kick returner Ron Carpenter, and all-around threat Connell Maynor. Maynor, a very interesting case, was primarily a quarterback by trade, but played 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...
/linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the CityHawks. One week in 1997, he won the award for the league's top "ironman" (player who plays both on offense
Offense (sports)
In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
and defense
Defense (sport)
In many team sports, defense or defence is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is defense...
, as six of eight players must do in Arena Football). As a quarterback, Maynor would later lead the Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
to a league championship by winning ArenaBowl XIV
ArenaBowl XIV
ArenaBowl XIV is widely hailed as one of the most exciting games in ArenaBowl history, ranking alongside classics such as ArenaBowl XVIII and ArenaBowl XIX. Featuring two teams from the Arena Football League's Southern Division, the game went as a Southern Division game might be expected to: a...
.
In addition, the CityHawks were the first AFL team to have different helmets for home and road games. In 1997, they wore their gold helmets at home, with black jerseys and gold pants; and wore the reverse on the road: black helmets, gold jerseys, black pants. In 1998, they adopted a one-color scheme, dressing in all black at home, and in all gold on the road.
New England Sea Wolves (1999-2000)
Mike Hohensee
Michael Louis Hohensee is an American Arena Football League coach who is regarded as one of the best coaches in the history of the AFL. He was hired to guide the Soul's resumption of play after a two-year hiatus starting in 2011. He resigned on July 27, 2011...
, the former Albany Firebirds
Indiana Firebirds
The Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League.The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball...
coach who has been the head coach of the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
since that team's inception in 2001. In 2000, the Sea Wolves posted the first winning record in franchise history (8-6). That season also saw the debut of offensive specialist Damian Harrell
Damian Harrell
Damian Deron Harrell is an arena football wide receiver who is currently a free agent in the Arena Football League. He played college football at Florida State University....
, who went on to blossom after the team moved on to Toronto, and has continued his fine career into the 2006
2006 Arena Football League season
The 2006 Arena Football League season was the 20th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Chicago Rush, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XX....
season with several outstanding years for the Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush were an Arena Football League team that began play as a 2003 expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009...
.
The team did little better financially in New England than it had in New York, and was sold to new owners, who relocated it to Toronto after the 2000
2000 in sports
2000 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: Renate Götschl, Austria-American football:...
season.
Toronto Phantoms (2001-2002)
The Toronto Phantoms marked an abortive attempt by the Arena Football League to enter the CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
market. The team was purchased by a group led by TD Securities Inc. investment banker, Rob Godfrey. The majority share of the team, owned by Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
, played the 2001
2001 Arena Football League season
The 2001 Arena Football League season was the 15th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Grand Rapids Rampage, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
and 2002
2002 Arena Football League season
The 2002 Arena Football League season was the 16th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI...
Arena seasons in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and were then disbanded.
All home games were played at the Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre
The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
, also the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
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...
, the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, and the Toronto Rock
Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock is a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The Rock of the late 1990s / early 2000s has been called a dynasty, having won five NLL championships in seven years. From 1999 to 2003, the Rock appeared in an NLL-record...
of the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
. The team's primary rival was the Buffalo Destroyers, located 80 miles south in Buffalo.
The Phantoms' logo included a Grim Reaper character whose scythe carried the word "Toronto" with the word "Phantoms" appearing over it. The name came from The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
, the Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
musical that played at the Canon Theatre
Canon Theatre
-History:The Canon Theatre began as the Pantages Theatre in 1920 as a combination vaudeville and motion picture house. Designed by the great theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was the largest cinema in Canada and one of the most elegant.The Pantages was built by the Canadian motion picture...
(then Pantages Theatre) in Toronto for nine years. (It has also been suggested that Phantom Industries, a women's hosiery company, was also an inspiration for the name.)
In 2001
2001 Toronto Phantoms season
The 2001 Toronto Phantoms season is the 5th season for the franchise, their first season in Toronto. The Phantoms finished the regular season with a 8-6 record, and beat the New York Dragons in the Wild Card round of the playoffs before falling to the Nashville Kats in the...
, the Phantoms posted a reasonable 8-6 record, winning the AFL Eastern Division Championship, and making the playoffs. They would beat the New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
in the first round of the playoffs; however, they would lose to the Nashville Kats
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
in the second round.
In 2002
2002 Toronto Phantoms season
The 2002 Toronto Phantoms season is the 6th season for the franchise, their second season in Toronto. The Phantoms finished the regular season with a 5-9 record, and missed the playoffs.-Standings:-Regular season schedule:-External links:...
, they went 5-9, missing the playoffs. Following the season, Rogers announced that they were suspending operations of the franchise. The Phantoms drew an average of just 6,976 fans per game over their two seasons at Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre
The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
. Six years later, Rogers entered into a five-year sharing agreement
National Football League in Toronto
The National Football League has long been rumoured to be considering placing one of its franchises in Canada's largest city, Toronto, Ontario....
with Ralph Wilson to lease Wilson's Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to Rogers for an annual regular season game in exchange for cash.
Among the notable Phantoms players were Offensive Specialist Damian Harrell, fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
/linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Jermaine Younger, as well as defensive back/wide receiver Ty Law (unrelated to the NFL player of the same name
Ty Law
Tajuan "Ty" Law is a retired football cornerback of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 23rd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
). During their time in Toronto, these players were not widely recognized in an already congested sports market.
Head coaches
- Lary KuharichLary KuharichJoseph Lawrence Kuharich, Jr. is an American football coach currently serving as the Offensive Coordinator of the Arena Football League's Columbus Destroyers...
-- 1997 (2-12) - Chuck SheltonChuck Shelton-External links:* *...
-- 1998 (3-11) - Mike HohenseeMike HohenseeMichael Louis Hohensee is an American Arena Football League coach who is regarded as one of the best coaches in the history of the AFL. He was hired to guide the Soul's resumption of play after a two-year hiatus starting in 2011. He resigned on July 27, 2011...
-- 1999-2000 (13-15) - Mark Stoute—2001-2002 (13-15)
Notable players
- Tommy Henry, Defensive Specialist [former CFL Grey Cup winning DB]
- Damian HarrellDamian HarrellDamian Deron Harrell is an arena football wide receiver who is currently a free agent in the Arena Football League. He played college football at Florida State University....
OS - Ty Law WR/DB
- Jeff Cummings, Offensive / Defensive Lineman [former CFL Grey Cup DL}
- Pat O'HaraPat O'HaraPatrick O'Hara is an arena football coach and retired quarterback. He is currently the head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 10th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
QB - Chad SalisburyChad SalisburyChad Thomas Salisbury is a former Arena Football League quarterback. He is currently the Quarterbacks and Wide receivers coach for the Los Angeles Avengers.-High school and college careers:...
QB - Jemaine Younger FB/LB
- Chris BellChris BellChris Bell may refer to:*Chris Bell , singer-songwriter and guitarist of the band Big Star*Chris Bell , former Congressman and 2006 candidate for Governor of Texas...
OL/DL - Steve KonopkaSteve KonopkaSteve Konopka is a former tight end/defensive tackle in the Arena Football League. He played most recently for the Utah Blaze.-High school years:...
OL/DL - Jerry Belizaire RB/LB
Media
- The Cityhawks, Sea Wolves, and Phantoms all appeared on the game EA Sports Arena Football as hidden bonus teams.