List of professional sports teams in Illinois
Former professional sports teams
Table:
Club

Sport

League

Seasons

Note

Bloomington Edge

Football

United Indoor Football
Indoor Football League
Champions Professional Indoor Football League
X-League Indoor Football
Champions Indoor Football

2006–2018

Was known as the Bloomington Extreme from 2006 to 2011

Chicago Blaze

Ice hockey

All American Hockey League

2009

Chicago Blitz

Football

United States Football League

1983–1984

Chicago Bruisers

Football

Arena Football League

1987–1989

Chicago Cardinals

Football

National Football League

1898–1959

Moved to St. Louis, Missouri and became the St. Louis Cardinals, moved again to Tempe, Arizona and are now the Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Condors

Basketball

American Basketball League

1998

Chicago Cougars

Ice Hockey

World Hockey Association

1972–1975

Chicago Enforcers

Football

XFL

2001

Chicago Express

Ice hockey

ECHL

2010–2011

Chicago Fire

American football

World Football League

1974

Chicago Fire Premier

Soccer

USL Premier Development League

2001–2016

Chicago Hounds

Ice hockey

United Hockey League

2006–2007

Chicago Hustle

Basketball

Women's Professional Basketball League

1978–1981

Chicago Machine

Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse

2006–2010

Chicago Mustangs

Soccer

North American Soccer League

1967–1968

Chicago Packers/Chicago Zephyrs

Basketball

National Basketball Association

1961–1962 (Packers)
1962–1963 (Zephyrs)

Moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Bullets, moved again to Washington, D.C. and are now the Washington Wizards

Chicago Power

Soccer

American Indoor Soccer Association (1988–1990)
National Professional Soccer League (1990–1996)

1988–1996

Chicago Rockstars

Basketball

American Basketball Association

2006–2007

Chicago Rush

Football

Arena Football League

2001–2008, 2010–2013

Chicago Shamrox

Lacrosse

National Lacrosse League

2006–2008

With reference to the given table and the background passages listed below.

State the answer to the question: The short-lived American football league that included the Hawaiians , had an Illinois team that was owned by what man who was the first to purchase a franchise in the sport ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

The Bloomington Edge are a professional indoor football team based in Bloomington , Illinois . While it was in operation , the team hosted home games at Grossinger Motors Arena . Originally named the Bloomington Extreme , the team was a member of United Indoor Football ( UIF ) , and joined the Indoor Football League ( IFL ) in 2009 during the UIF and Intense Football League merger . They left the IFL for the Champions Professional Indoor Football League ( CPIFL ) in 2013 , and in 2015 the CPIFL merged with the Lone Star Football League ( LSFL ) to create Champions Indoor Football ( CIF ) , where Bloomington did not follow and joined X-League Indoor Football ( X-League ) . Following the 2015 season the Edge joined the CIF . The Edge then announced it had rejoined the IFL for the 2018 season , but a court ruling prevented the team from joining the league until 2019 , however , they were not included in that season 's schedule . An ownership group headed by Shane Wells announced they had bought the Edge and planned on joining the American Arena League for the 2020 season , but lost out on the lease to the arena to another tenant .
United Indoor Football ( UIF ) was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005 . Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League , including one expansion ( the Dayton Warbirds , which never played a game in UIF ) and two from arenafootball2 ( af2 ) took their franchises and formed their own league . The league was based in Omaha , Nebraska . On July 22 , 2008 , it was announced that the UIF would be merging with the Intense Football League 2009 season . The merged league is known as the newest incarnation of the Indoor Football League .
The Indoor Football League ( IFL ) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football . It has the largest number of currently active teams among indoor football leagues . The league has operated continuously under the same name and corporate structure longer than any other current indoor football league . IFL players earn a minimum of US $ 200 per game played ( before taxes ) . The season is typically 14 games long , plus playoffs of two or more rounds .
The Champions Professional Indoor Football League ( CPIFL ) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region . The league began play in February 2013 . In August 2014 , the CPIFL and Lone Star Football League ( LSFL ) completed a merger to form Champions Indoor Football ( CIF ) and began play in 2015 .
X-League Indoor Football ( X-League ) was a professional indoor football league that began play in 2014 . The league was co-chaired by Michael Mink and Kacee Smith . On September 19 , 2015 , the league announced a merger with the future North American Indoor Football but later stated the merger would not go forward as announced and disbanded .
Champions Indoor Football ( CIF ) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League ( CPIFL ) and Lone Star Football League ( LSFL ) , plus one team from the Indoor Football League and two expansion teams . Players are paid $ 75 - $ 300 per game before taxes with no other benefits .
The Chicago Blaze was a professional hockey team based in Rolling Meadows , Illinois . The team was part of the All American Hockey League and began playing in the 2008-2009 AAHL season . The Blaze played their home games at West Meadows Ice Arena in Rolling Meadows , Illinois . The Blaze were coached by Steve Pronger , a former assistant coach for the Flint Generals .
The All American Hockey League ( AAHL ) was a lower level professional ice hockey league with teams in the Midwestern United States . The league suspended operations for the 2011-12 season and subsequently folded .
The Chicago Blitz was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s . They played at Soldier Field in Chicago , Illinois .
The United States Football League ( USFL ) was an American football league that played for three seasons , 1983 through 1985 . The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons . The 1986 season was scheduled to be played in the autumn/winter , directly competing against the long-established National Football League ( NFL ) . However , the USFL ceased operations before that season was scheduled to begin . The ideas behind the USFL were conceived in 1965 by New Orleans businessman David Dixon , who saw a market for a professional football league that would play in the summer , when the National Football League and college football were in their off-season . Dixon had been a key player in the construction of the Louisiana Superdome and the expansion of the NFL into New Orleans in 1967 . He developed The Dixon Plan - a blueprint for the USFL based upon securing NFL-caliber stadiums in top TV markets , securing a national TV broadcast contract , and controlling spending - and found investors willing to buy in . Though the original franchise owners and founders of the USFL had promised to abide by the general guidelines set out by Dixon 's plan , problems arose before the teams took the field , with some franchises facing financial problems and instability from the beginning . Due to pressure from the NFL , some franchises had difficulty securing leases in stadiums that were also used by NFL teams , forcing them to scramble to find alternate venues in their chosen city or hurriedly move to a new market . The USFL had no hard salary cap , and because of this , some teams quickly escalated player payrolls to unsustainable levels despite pledges to keep costs under control . While a handful of USFL franchises abided by the Dixon Plan and were relatively stable , others suffered repeated financial crises , and there were many franchise relocations , mergers , and ownership changes during the league 's short existence ; however , none of its teams actually folded during any given season . These problems were worsened as some owners began engaging in bidding wars for star players against NFL teams and each other , forcing other owners to do the same or face a competitive disadvantage .
The Chicago Bruisers were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont , Illinois . They were founded in 1987 as a charter member of the Arena Football League ( AFL ) . They played their home games at Rosemont Horizon .
The Arena Football League ( AFL ) was a professional indoor American football league in the United States . It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster , making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America , after the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) and the National Football League ( NFL ) . The AFL played a proprietary code known as arena football , a form of indoor American football played on a 66-by-28 yard field ( about a quarter of the surface area of an NFL field ) , with rules encouraging offensive performance , resulting in a faster-paced and higher-scoring game . The sport was invented in the early 1980s and patented by Foster , a former executive of the United States Football League ( USFL ) and the NFL . From 2000 to 2009 , the AFL had its own developmental league , the af2 . The AFL played 22 seasons from 1987 to 2008 ; internal issues caused the league to cancel its 2009 season , though the af2 did play . Later that year both the AFL and af2 were dissolved and reorganized as a new corporation comprising teams from both leagues , and the AFL returned in 2010 . The league 's average game attendance after returning in 2010 was approximately 9,500 . The league historically had a nationwide footprint , and was recognized as the most prominent professional indoor football league in North America , offering higher payment , more widespread media exposure , and a longer history than competing leagues . From a high of 19 teams in 2007 , the league contracted to a low of four teams in 2018 , all in the northeastern United States . There were six teams playing in 2019 , the league 's final season . On October 29 , 2019 , league commissioner Randall Boe confirmed reports that the league had discontinued operating teams in local markets for the 2020 season .
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago , Illinois as the Chicago Cardinals from 1920 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis , Missouri for the 1960 season .
The National Football League ( NFL ) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams , divided equally between the National Football Conference ( NFC ) and the American Football Conference ( AFC ) . The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America and the highest professional level of American football in the world . The NFL 's 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December , with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week . Following the conclusion of the regular season , six teams from each conference ( four division winners and two wild card teams ) advance to the playoffs , a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl , which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC . The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association ( APFA ) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season . After initially determining champions through end-of-season standings , a playoff system was implemented in 1933 that culminated with the NFL Championship Game until 1966 . Following an agreement to merge the NFL with the American Football League ( AFL ) , the Super Bowl was first held in 1967 to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues and has remained as the final game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970 . Today , the NFL has the highest average attendance ( 67,591 ) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States . The Super Bowl is also among the biggest club sporting events in the world , with the individual games accounting for many of the most watched television programs in American history and all occupying the Nielsen 's Top 5 tally of the all-time most watched U.S. television broadcasts by 2015 . The Green Bay Packers hold the most combined NFL championships with 13 , winning nine titles before the Super Bowl era and four Super Bowls afterwards . Since the creation of the Super Bowl , the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots both have the most championship titles at six .
The Chicago Condors were a very short-lived member of the American Basketball League ( ABL ) . Their hometown was much larger than usual for the ABL , which mainly targeted mid-market cities , and initial team merchandising was successful . The team appeared to have a solid base . General manager Allison Hodges was the wife of former Chicago Bulls star Craig Hodges , and former Bulls assistant Jim Cleamons was head coach . In the ABL expansion draft leading up to the team 's first season , the Condors selected Tausha Mills , Ashley Berggren , Ryneldi Becenti , Cathy Boswell , E.C . Hill , Anita Kaplan , Dana Wilkerson , they later added Joanne McCarthy and Beverly Williams to their roster . Only 12 games into their first season , the team was forced to disband when , on December 22 , 1998 , the ABL suddenly went bankrupt .
The American Basketball League , often abbreviated to the ABL of 1996 was the first independent professional basketball league for women in the United States . At the same time the ABL was being formed , the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) was creating the Women 's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ) . The ABL began league competition in the Fall of 1996 , while the WNBA launched its first game in June 1997 . Both organizations came into existence during a surge in popularity for women 's basketball in the United States that followed the perfect 35-0 national championship season for the Connecticut Huskies in 1995 and the undefeated , gold medal-winning performance of the United States Women 's basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics . The ABL lasted two full seasons : 1996-97 and 1997-98 . The Atlanta Glory and Long Beach Stingrays folded prior to the start of the 1998-99 season , and were replaced by two expansion teams , the Chicago Condors and Nashville Noise . On December 22 , 1998 ; with almost no warning , the ABL declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy and suspended operations . Each team had played between 12 and 15 games of the 1998-99 season . The ABL got off the ground before the WNBA , and at least early on its quality of play was higher than the rival league . This was partly due to the league 's signing of a majority of players from the 1996 USA women 's national team . Although the WNBA was bankrolled by the NBA , the ABL offered higher salaries . The two leagues did n't compete directly ; the ABL played during the winter while the WNBA played during the summer .
The Chicago Cougars were a franchise in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1975 . The Cougars played their home games in the International Amphitheatre . During the 1974 Avco Cup Finals against Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros , the team 's two home games were played at the Randhurst Twin Ice Arena in suburban Mount Prospect . This was because a presentation of Peter Pan starring gymnast Cathy Rigby was booked into the Amphitheatre when the National Hockey League 's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association 's Chicago Bulls had both entered their own playoffs , making the Chicago Stadium unavailable for either the Cougars and Peter Pan . Just prior to their third season , the team was sold to Cougars players Ralph Backstrom and Dave Dryden , and player-coach Pat Stapleton after the original owners , Walter and Jordon Kaiser , were unable to secure funds to build a new arena . The land for the arena , originally named the O'Hare Sports Arena , was sold to the village of Rosemont and became the Rosemont Horizon ( now the Allstate Arena ) . This building is the now the home of the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League . They were placed in the Western Division for their first season ( 1972-73 ) and transferred to the Eastern Division for their final two seasons ( 1973-74 and 1974-75 ) when the Philadelphia Blazers moved to Vancouver . The Cougars were the first North American major professional hockey team to feature player numbers on the front of their jersey in the upper right corner . The next professional team to try it was the NHL 's Buffalo Sabres in 2006 , the only current NHL team to feature front numbers ( the San Jose Sharks used these numbers as well from 2007-2015 ) .
The World Hockey Association ( French : Association mondiale de hockey ) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979 . It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League ( NHL ) since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926 . Although the WHA was not the first league since that time to attempt to challenge the NHL 's supremacy , it was by far the most successful in the modern era . The WHA tried to capitalize on the lack of hockey teams in a number of major American cities and mid-level Canadian cities , and also hoped to attract the best players by paying more than NHL owners would . The WHA successfully challenged the NHL 's reserve clause , which bound players to their NHL teams even without a valid contract , allowing players in both leagues greater freedom of movement . Sixty-seven players jumped from the NHL to the WHA in the first year , led by star forward Bobby Hull , whose ten-year , $ 2.75 million contract was a record at the time . The WHA also took the initiative to sign European players . The WHA had an acrimonious relationship with the NHL , resulting in numerous legal battles , as well as competition for control of players and markets . In spite of this , merger talks began almost immediately , as the WHA was constantly unstable , with franchises occasionally relocating or folding in the middle of the season . NHL owners voted down a 1977 plan to merge six WHA teams ( the Edmonton Oilers , New England Whalers , Quebec Nordiques , Cincinnati Stingers , Houston Aeros , and Winnipeg Jets ) into the NHL before a 1979 merger was approved . As a result , the WHA ceased operations , and four teams joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season : the Edmonton Oilers , New England Whalers , Quebec Nordiques , and Winnipeg Jets . Of these four teams , two of the three Canadian teams - the Nordiques and Jets - eventually moved south to Denver and Phoenix , respectively , although the NHL would return to Winnipeg with the 2011 relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers , who would rename themselves the Winnipeg Jets upon their relocation .
The Chicago Enforcers were a short-lived American football team based at Soldier Field in Chicago , Illinois . This team was part of the failed XFL begun by Vince McMahon of WWE and by NBC , a major television network in the United States . NBC dropped the XFL after the first season in 2001 due to dismal ratings , and the dissolution of the league was announced shortly afterwards . The team name references mob enforcers , alluding to Chicago 's history of mafia influence . Their fight song would later become famous as the entrance music for professional wrestler Brock Lesnar , who had signed a contract with WWE but was yet to debut . The Chicago Enforcers name is currently used by the Chicago Police Department for their works team in the National Public Safety Football League .
The original XFL was a professional American football league that played its only season in 2001 . The XFL was operated as a joint venture between the World Wrestling Federation ( now the WWE ) and NBC . The XFL was conceived as an outdoor football league that would begin play immediately after the National Football League season ended to take advantage of lingering public desire to watch football after the NFL and college football seasons had concluded . It was promoted as having fewer rules to encourage rougher play than other major leagues . The league had eight teams in two divisions , including major markets and some not directly served by the NFL , such as Birmingham , Las Vegas , Memphis , and Orlando . The XFL operated as a single entity with all teams owned by the league , in contrast to most major professional leagues , which use a franchise model with individual owners . Co-owner NBC served as the main carrier of XFL games , along with UPN and TNN . The presentation of XFL games featured sports entertainment elements inspired by professional wrestling , including heat and kayfabe , suggestively-dressed cheerleaders , and occasional usage of WWF personalities ( such as Jesse Ventura , Jim Ross , and Jerry Lawler ) as part of on-air commentary crews alongside sportscasters and veteran football players . Despite the wrestling influence , the games and their outcomes were legitimate . The first night of play brought higher television viewership than NBC had projected , but ratings quickly nosedived . The league developed a negative reputation due to its connections to professional wrestling and the WWF , the overall quality of play , and a presentation that differed starkly from network football telecasts of the era ( albeit featuring on-air innovations that would later become commonplace in football telecasts , such as aerial skycams and on-player microphones ) . Once , a double-overtime game caused the late-night show Saturday Night Live to be delayed until after midnight on the east coast .
The Chicago Express were a professional ice hockey team located in Hoffman Estates , Illinois , serving the Chicago market . The Express were a member of the North Division of the ECHL 's Eastern Conference . The team played its home games at the Sears Centre . The Express were owned by Craig Drecktrah , who formerly owned the United Hockey League 's Chicago Hounds and Rockford IceHogs . It was announced on July 13 , 2011 that the Express would be affiliated with the NHL 's Columbus Blue Jackets and the AHL 's Springfield Falcons . On April 6 , 2012 , it was announced that the Chicago Express would cease operations due to poor attendance numbers and lack of support . The Express finished last in the league for average attendance with 2,508 . On some nights , the Express , which also had AHL and NHL competition in the same market , was struggling to get 1,000 spectators at its games .
The ECHL ( formerly the East Coast Hockey League ) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton , New Jersey , with teams scattered across the United States and two franchises in Canada . It is a tier below the American Hockey League . The ECHL and the AHL are the only minor leagues recognized by the collective bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players ' Association , meaning any player signed to an entry-level NHL contract and designated for assignment must report to a club in either the ECHL or the AHL . Additionally , the league 's players are represented by the Professional Hockey Players ' Association in negotiations with the ECHL itself . Some 662 players have played at least one game in the NHL after appearing in the ECHL . For the 2019-20 season , 25 of 31 National Hockey League teams have affiliations with an ECHL team with the Anaheim Ducks , Columbus Blue Jackets , Florida Panthers , Los Angeles Kings , Montreal Canadiens , and San Jose Sharks having no official affiliations . The ECHL has one independent team in the Norfolk Admirals . However , unaffiliated NHL teams do sometimes lend contracted players to ECHL teams for development and increased playing time . The league 's regular season begins in October and ends in April . The current ECHL champion is the Newfoundland Growlers , a 2018-19 expansion team that won the title in its inaugural season .
The Chicago Fire was an American football team in the short-lived World Football League for one season , 1974 . The team was founded in late October 1973 , with building magnate Thomas Origer becoming the first owner to purchase a WFL franchise , for around $ 400,000 . Chicago was also the first franchise to sign a player , former Notre Dame and Chicago Bears wide receiver Jim Seymour , and then added quarterback Virgil Carter , who also had played for the NFL 's Bears as well as the Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers . Another notable Fire player was punter Chuck Ramsey , who would later go on to play with the New York Jets . The team played at Soldier Field . It was coached by Jim Spavital , former coach of the Canadian Football League 's Winnipeg Blue Bombers . The Fire started out well , winning seven of the first 10 games and boasting some of the largest crowds in the league . However , a rash of injuries triggered an 11-game losing streak . Origer was so fed up by the team 's collapse that he forfeited the team 's final game . At the end of the season , he pulled out of the league and the Fire disbanded . Another team , the Chicago Winds ' , replaced the Fire in 1975 WFL play , though the new team was evicted from the second WFL after just five games . Another team known as the Chicago Fire , led by running back Billy Marek , played in the American Football Association in the 1980s .
The World Football League ( WFL ) was a short-lived American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975 . Although the league 's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage , the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team - the Hawaiians - in Honolulu , Hawaii . The league folded midway through its second season , in 1975 . A new minor football league began play as the World Football League in 2008 after acquiring the rights to its trademarks and intellectual property ; it folded in 2011 .
Chicago Fire U-23 Is an American soccer team based in Chicago , Illinois , United States . Founded in 2001 , the team plays in the USL League Two , And the team also played in the Premier Development League ( PDL ) , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid , in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference . The team played its home games at the artificial turf practice field adjacent to Toyota Park in Bridgeview , Illinois . The team 's colors were red and white . Until 2005 they were known as the Chicago Fire Reserves . From the 2008 season , the team was usually referred to as Chicago Fire PDL , although the official name of the team did not change .
USL League Two ( USL2 ) , formerly the Premier Development League ( PDL ) , is a development soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada , forming part of the United States soccer league system . The league featured 72 teams in 2019 , split into eleven regional divisions within four conferences . Unofficially , it is considered to be the fourth tier of competition , behind Major League Soccer , USL Championship , and USL League One . USL League Two is headquartered in Tampa , Florida . Flint City Bucks are the current champions having defeated Reading United AC 1-0 in extra time in the 2019 USL League Two Championship game on August 3 , 2019 .
The Chicago Hounds were a professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League for the 2006-07 UHL season . They played their home games at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates , Illinois . The Hounds franchise was officially a relocation of the Richmond RiverDogs franchise , which played in Richmond , Virginia for three seasons from 2003-2006 . Their only coach was former Fort Wayne Komets coach , Greg Puhalski , who came in as the head coach with the most wins in UHL history . The Hounds got off to an inauspicious start , as their first home game was canceled due to bad ice at the brand new Sears Centre . The game was supposed to start at 7:30pm Central Time , but the decision to cancel was not announced until 9pm . Several fans were alleged to have thrown rubber pucks for the Chuck-A-Puck promotion in the direction of UHL commissioner Richard Brosal , who was the one that made the official announcement to the fans . On June 6 , 2007 , Hounds owner Craig Drecktrah ceased the team 's operations , saying his inability to negotiate a reasonable lease with the Sears Centre brought him to this decision . Drecktrah said the Sears Centre wanted him to take mostly weekdays , leaving the more desirable weekend dates for the other tenants . He also said the building management wanted to triple the cost of his lease . The team attempted to resume play in the IHL for the 2008-09 season , however Drecktrah was unable to secure a venue in the Chicago area . In the summer of 2010 , it was announced that Drecktrah would be bringing an ECHL team , the Chicago Express , to the Sears Centre , which competed in the 2011-12 season before ceasing operations .
The United Hockey League ( UHL ) , originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010 , was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States and Canada . The league was headquartered in Rochester , Michigan , and , in its last year , consisted of seven teams . It folded in 2010 , with most of its teams joining the Central Hockey League . The Central Hockey League teams still operating in 2014 were then added to ECHL . The only former CoHL/UHL/IHL teams still active as of 2018 are the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings .
The Chicago Hustle was a team in the Women 's Professional Basketball League ( WBL ) from 1978-1981 . The team 's colors were red and blue .
The Women 's Professional Basketball League ( abbreviated WBL ) was a professional women 's basketball league in the United States . The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981 . The league was the first professional women 's basketball league in the United States .
The Dallas Rattlers were a professional men 's field lacrosse team as a member of Major League Lacrosse ( MLL ) based in Frisco , Texas starting in 2018 . The franchise was a charter member of the MLL , operating as the Rochester Rattlers in Rochester , New York , from 2001 to 2008 and 2011 to 2017 . After the 2008 season , the team was dissolved . The Rattlers ' staff and roster was transferred to the new Toronto Nationals franchise , but the history , colors , and name of the Rattlers franchise remained in Rochester so that they could be used for a future MLL team . After a two-year absence , the Chicago Machine moved to Rochester to play the 2011 season under the Rattlers name . On November 16 , 2017 , the franchise announced that it was relocating to Frisco , a northern suburb of Dallas , and would be known as the Dallas Rattlers . The team is owned by Jim Davis , founder and chairman of New Balance . The league suspended the Rattlers for the 2020 season while retaining the rights to the team branding to possibly return at a later date .
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball . It is the oldest organized sport in North America , with its origins in a tribal game played by eastern Woodlands indigenous peoples and by some Plains Indians tribes in what is now the United States of America and Canada . The game was extensively modified reducing the violence by European colonizers to create its current collegiate and professional form . The modern sport is governed by World Lacrosse and is the only international sport organization to recognize First Nations bands and Native American tribes as sovereign nations . The organization hosts the World Lacrosse Championship for men , the Women 's Lacrosse World Cup , the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship for box lacrosse , and the Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships for both men and women . Each is held every four years . Lacrosse at the Summer Olympics has been contested at two editions of the Summer Olympic Games , 1904 and 1908 . It was also held as a demonstration event at the 1928 , 1932 , and 1948 Summer Olympics . Players use the head of the lacrosse stick to carry , pass , catch , and shoot the ball into the goal . The sport has four versions that have different sticks , fields , rules and equipment : field lacrosse , women 's lacrosse , box lacrosse and intercrosse . The men 's games , field lacrosse ( outdoor ) and box lacrosse ( indoor ) , are contact sports and all players wear protective gear : helmet , gloves , shoulder pads , and elbow pads . The women 's game is played outdoors and does not allow body contact but does allow stick to stick contact .
Major League Lacrosse ( MLL ) is a men 's field lacrosse league consisting of six active teams in the United States . The league 's inaugural season was in 2001 . Teams play 16 regular-season games from late May to late September , with a four-team playoff for the championship trophy , the Steinfeld Trophy . MLL averaged 3,619 spectators per game during the 2018 season , down from a peak of 6,417 in 2011 . As a semi-professional league , MLL players earn annual salaries in the $ 10,000- $ 25,000 range . Players and staff generally hold other jobs and the league does not provide health insurance coverage . The current champion is the Chesapeake Bayhawks , who defeated the Denver Outlaws 10-9 in the 2019 Championship Game at Dick 's Sporting Goods Park in Denver , Colorado .
The Chicago Mustangs were an American professional soccer team based out of Chicago , Illinois that was a charter member of the United Soccer Association in 1967 . The league was made up of teams imported whole from foreign leagues . The Chicago club was actually Cagliari Calcio from Italy . The franchise was owned by Arthur Allyn Jr. , the owner of Artnell Corporation and Major League Baseball 's Chicago White Sox . The Mustangs shared Allyn-owned Comiskey Park with the White Sox for its home matches . They drew just 25,237 paid admissions over the course of 6 home games . Following the 1967 season , the USA merged with the National Professional Soccer League ( NPSL ) to form the North American Soccer League ( NASL ) with the teams from the former USA having to create their rosters from scratch . Chicago left the NASL after one season . After 1968 , the Mustangs became a semi-pro team and eventually became a B-Team/feeder team to the Chicago Sting .
The North American Soccer League ( NASL ) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984 . It was the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States . The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year , 1984 . The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983 . The league 's popularity peaked in the late 1970s . The league averaged over 13,000 fans per game in each season from 1977 to 1983 , and the league 's matches were broadcast on network television from 1975 to 1980 . The league 's most prominent team was the New York Cosmos . During the mid-to-late 1970s , the Cosmos signed a number of the world 's best players - Pelé , Franz Beckenbauer , Carlos Alberto - and the Cosmos averaged over 28,000 fans for each season from 1977 to 1982 while having three seasons of the average attendance topping 40,000 spectators per game . Other internationally well-known players in the league included Giorgio Chinaglia , Johan Cruyff , Johan Neeskens , Gerd Müller , George Best , and Rodney Marsh . The league additionally sanctioned indoor soccer in various tournament forms in 1971 , 1975 , 1976 , 1978 , 1979 and 1983 , and in a season format in 1979-80 , 1980-81 , 1981-82 and 1983-84 .
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington , D.C . The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Southeast Division . The team plays its home games at the Capital One Arena , in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington , D.C . The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers based in Chicago , Illinois , and were renamed to Chicago Zephyrs the following season . In 1963 , they relocated to Baltimore , Maryland , and became the Baltimore Bullets , taking the name from a previous team of the same name . In 1973 , the team changed its name to the Capital Bullets to reflect their move to the Washington metropolitan area , and then to Washington Bullets in the following season . In 1997 , they rebranded themselves as the Wizards . The Wizards have appeared in four NBA Finals , and won in 1978 . They have had a total of 28 playoff appearances , won four conference titles ( 1971 , 1975 , 1978 , 1979 ) , and seven division titles ( 1971 , 1972 , 1973 , 1974 , 1975 , 1979 , 2017 ) . Their best season came in 1975 with a record of 60-22 . Wes Unseld is the only player in franchise history to become the MVP ( 1969 ) , and win the Finals MVP award ( 1978 ) . Four players ( Walt Bellamy , Terry Dischinger , Earl Monroe and Wes Unseld ) have won the Rookie of the Year award .
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington , D.C . The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Southeast Division . The team plays its home games at the Capital One Arena , in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington , D.C . The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers based in Chicago , Illinois , and were renamed to Chicago Zephyrs the following season . In 1963 , they relocated to Baltimore , Maryland , and became the Baltimore Bullets , taking the name from a previous team of the same name . In 1973 , the team changed its name to the Capital Bullets to reflect their move to the Washington metropolitan area , and then to Washington Bullets in the following season . In 1997 , they rebranded themselves as the Wizards . The Wizards have appeared in four NBA Finals , and won in 1978 . They have had a total of 28 playoff appearances , won four conference titles ( 1971 , 1975 , 1978 , 1979 ) , and seven division titles ( 1971 , 1972 , 1973 , 1974 , 1975 , 1979 , 2017 ) . Their best season came in 1975 with a record of 60-22 . Wes Unseld is the only player in franchise history to become the MVP ( 1969 ) , and win the Finals MVP award ( 1978 ) . Four players ( Walt Bellamy , Terry Dischinger , Earl Monroe and Wes Unseld ) have won the Rookie of the Year award .
The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is a men 's professional basketball league in North America , composed of 30 teams ( 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada ) . It is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada , and is widely considered to be the premier men 's professional basketball league in the world . [ better source needed ] The league was founded in New York City on June 6 , 1946 , as the Basketball Association of America ( BAA ) . It changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3 , 1949 , after merging with the competing National Basketball League ( NBL ) . The NBA 's regular season runs from October to April , with each team playing 82 games . Its playoffs extend into June . NBA players are the world 's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player . The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball ( USAB ) , which is recognized by FIBA ( also known as the International Basketball Federation ) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States . The league 's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices in Midtown Manhattan , while its NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus , New Jersey .
The Chicago Power were an indoor soccer club based in Chicago , Illinois that competed in the American Indoor Soccer Association and National Professional Soccer League . After the 1995-96 season , the team was sold to Peter Pocklington , moved and became the Edmonton Drillers .
The National Professional Soccer League was a professional indoor soccer league in the US and Canada . It was originally called the American Indoor Soccer Association .
The National Professional Soccer League was a professional indoor soccer league in the US and Canada . It was originally called the American Indoor Soccer Association .
The American Basketball Association ( ABA ) is an American semi-professional men 's basketball minor league that was founded in 1999 . The ABA has teams based in the United States and previously had international teams based in Canada and Mexico . In the past , there were traveling teams from countries such as Australia and Japan who played in the ABA . Additionally , there were players from other countries that were on a U.S. team to showcase other talented athletes in the country . The current ABA bears no relation to the original American Basketball Association ( 1967-1976 ) that was considered a major league , and merged with the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) in 1976 .
The Chicago Rush were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont , Illinois . The team played at the Allstate Arena from 2001 to 2013 . They were a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League ( AFL ) . Founded in 2001 , the team qualified for the playoffs 11 out of 12 seasons and won one AFL championship , ArenaBowl XX in 2006 . During their history , the Rush won five divisional titles and competed in the AFL Conference Championship six times , including four consecutive appearances from 2004 to 2007 . They also had the largest market in the AFL . After the 2013 season , the Rush announced that their operations were suspended and are currently not part of the Arena Football League . The team 's roster was liquidated in a dispersal draft .
The Chicago Shamrox were an American professional lacrosse team that played in the National Lacrosse League ( NLL ) in the 2007 and 2008 NLL seasons . Home matches were played at the Sears Centre in northwest suburban Hoffman Estates , Illinois . The team 's ownership group was headed by Kevin Loughery Jr. , the son of former NBA head coach Kevin Loughery . The new franchise was announced on February 16 , 2006 , and the name Shamrox was chosen in May 2006 . During their inaugural season in 2007 , the Shamrox finished the season 6-10 and tied for fourth place in the NLL East Division with the Toronto Rock and Philadelphia Wings . But , due to their record inside the division , the Shamrox lost the playoff tiebreaker to the Rock and missed the playoffs . On December 12 , 2008 , the Chicago Shamrox franchise closed their doors indefinitely . For the weeks and months before , owner Kevin Loughery Jr. had been trying to find a new ownership group . When the new group was n't found , the team ceased operations 15 days before the opening night against the Rochester Knighthawks The team suspended operations until further notice .
The National Lacrosse League ( NLL ) is a men 's professional box lacrosse league in North America . Headquartered in Conshohocken , Pennsylvania , the NLL currently has thirteen teams : eight in the United States and five in Canada . The NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide , behind only the NHL and NBA . Unlike other box lacrosse leagues which play in the summer , the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring , from December to June . Each year , the playoff teams battle for the National Lacrosse League Cup . The NLL has averaged between 8,900 and 10,700 spectators per game each year since 2004 .