Baltimore Blackbirds
The Baltimore Blackbirds were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They played the 2007 season as an expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, at the 1st Mariner Arena.[1][2][3]
| Baltimore Blackbirds | |
|---|---|
| Established 2007 Folded 2007 Played in Baltimore, Maryland at the 1st Mariner Arena | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
| American Indoor Football Association (2007) | |
| Team colors | Black, Red, White |
| Personnel | |
| General manager | John Wolfe |
| Head coach | Chris Simpson |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Home arena(s) | |
| |
History
The team was originally going to be a member of the Eastern Indoor Football League, but left for the AIFA soon after the "League Showcase/Jamboree" held inside the Mahoning Valley HitMen's "ThunderDome".
The Blackbirds played a predominant road schedule (eight away games, five at home), finishing with a record of 1–12. The team suffered severe financial problems, which resulted in players and coaches not receiving paychecks from their last two games for several months. Simpson resigned as head coach on August 3, 2007, expressing doubt about the future of the team. Three days later the AIFA moved to expel the Blackbirds from the league for breach of contract resulting from the Blackbirds negotiations with other leagues.
The arena lease was held by the league who opted to replace them with a new team which brought about the creation of the Baltimore Mariners.
Season-by-season
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 7th Southern | -- |
2007 season schedule
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 10 | Reading Express | Away | Lost 6-78 |
| March 16 | Lakeland Thunderbolts | Away | Lost 14-69 |
| March 24 | Mississippi Mudcats | Away | Lost 20-80 |
| March 31 | Carolina Speed | Home | Lost 25-48 |
| April 6 | Canton Legends | Away | Lost 2-38 |
| April 14 | Montgomery Bears | Home | Lost 22-51 |
| April 21 | Florence Phantoms | Away | Lost 40-65 |
| April 29 | Gulf Coast Raiders | Home | Won 44-10 |
| May 5 | Carolina Speed | Away | Lost 32-52 |
| May 12 | Montgomery Bears | Away | Lost 11-58 |
| May 21 | Reading Express | Home | Lost 32-58 |
| May 25 | Tallahassee Titans | Away | Lost 40-73 |
| June 1 | Johnstown Riverhawks | Home | Lost 17-19 |
References
- ^ Capital Gazette (29 August 2014). "Anne Arundel County's new football coaches scramble to get teams on good footing - Capital Gazette". capitalgazette.com.
- ^ "Baltimore Riots Cause Second White Sox-Orioles Game To Be Postponed - Hartford Courant". courant.com. Associated Press. 28 April 2015.
- ^ "Joe Maese - Ex-Raven Maese goes from football field to fire station - tribunedigital-baltimoresun". tribunedigital-baltimoresun.
External links
- Website down as of 9/19/07