Sports in Kansas City
Past teams
Table:
Club

Sport

Years of Operation

League

Venue

Fate

FC Kansas City

Women's soccer

2013–2017

National Women's Soccer League

Children's Mercy Victory Field

Folded and roster transferred to Utah Royals FC

Kansas City Athletics

Baseball

1955–1967

Major League Baseball

Municipal Stadium

Moved to Oakland

Kansas City Attack/Comets

Indoor soccer

1991–2005

National Professional Soccer League (1991–2001);
Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2005)

Municipal Auditorium, Kemper Arena

Suspended operations for 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons

Kansas City Blades

Ice hockey

1990–2001

International Hockey League

Kemper Arena

League folded

Kansas City Blues

Baseball

1898–1900

Western League

Became the Washington Senators, now Minnesota Twins

Kansas City Blues

Baseball

1902–1954

American Association (20th Century)

Blues Stadium

Moved to Colorado, now the New Orleans Baby Cakes (PCL)

Kansas City Blues/Cowboys

Football

1924–1926

National Football League

Team folded

Kansas City Comets

Indoor soccer

1981–1991

Major Indoor Soccer League

Kemper Arena

Team folded

Kansas City Command

Arena football

2006–2012

Arena Football League

Kemper Arena, Sprint Center

Team folded

Kansas City Cowboys

Baseball

1884

Union Association

Association Park

League folded; team moved to the minor league Western League

Kansas City Cowboys

Baseball

1886

National League (1886)

Association Park

Team folded; players sold to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys

Kansas City Cowboys

Baseball

1888–1889

American Association (1888–89)

Exposition Park

Team folded

Kansas City Explorers

Tennis

1993–2012

World TeamTennis

Barney Allis Plaza

Moved to Irving, Texas, and became the Texas Wild

Kansas City Kings

Basketball

1972–1985

National Basketball Association

Municipal Auditorium, Kemper Arena

Moved to Sacramento

Kansas City Knights

Basketball

2000–2005

American Basketball Association

Kemper Arena, Hale Arena

Suspended operations for 2005–06 season

Kansas City Maroons

Baseball

Kansas City Monarchs

Baseball

1920–1955

Negro National League (1920–1930),
Negro American League (1930–1955)

Blues Stadium

Became full-time barnstorming team until 1965

Kansas City Mustangs

Women's basketball

1992–1996

WABA-Kansas Crusaders (1992–1994),
Women's American Basketball Association (1995–1996)

Municipal Auditorium

League folded

Kansas City Outlaws

Ice hockey

2004–2005

United Hockey League

Kemper Arena

Team folded

Kansas City Packers

Baseball

Consulting the table and the article excerpts listed.

Give the answer to the question: What was the win-loss percentage of the Kansas City team that was earliest to form ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

FC Kansas City was an American professional women 's soccer club based in Kansas City , Missouri . The team was one of the eight founding clubs of the National Women 's Soccer League in 2012 , and began play in 2013 . They were two-time NWSL champions , having won titles in 2014 and 2015 . After the 2017 season , the NWSL re-acquired owner Elam Baer 's membership interest and subsequently ceased the team 's operations .
Women 's association football , usually known as women 's football or women 's soccer , is a team sport , similar to associated football , played by women only . It is played at the professional level in numerous countries throughout the world and 176 national teams participate internationally . The history of women 's football has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels . Women 's football has faced many struggles throughout its history . Although its first golden age occurred in the United Kingdom in the early 1920s , with matches attracting large crowds ( one match achieved over 50,000 spectators ) , The Football Association initiated a ban in 1921 that disallowed women 's football games from taking place on the grounds used by its member clubs . This ban remained in effect until July 1971 . The inaugural FIFA Women 's World Cup was held in China in 1991 . Since then , the sport has gained in popularity . The 2015 FIFA Women 's World Cup Final in Canada was the most watched soccer game in United States history and over 1.12 billion people worldwide watched the 2019 FIFA Women 's World Cup in France .
The National Women 's Soccer League ( NWSL ) is a professional women 's soccer league owned by the teams , and under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation . At the top of the United States league system , it represents the sport 's highest level in the United States . The NWSL was established in 2012 as a successor to Women 's Professional Soccer ( 2007-2012 ) , which was itself the successor to Women 's United Soccer Association ( 2001-2003 ) . The league began play in 2013 with eight teams , four of which were former members of Women 's Professional Soccer ( Chicago Red Stars , Boston Breakers , Sky Blue FC , Western New York Flash ) . With the addition of three expansion teams in Houston ( 2014 ) , Orlando ( 2016 ) , Salt Lake City ( 2018 ) and the loss of FC Kansas City and Boston Breakers , it now has nine teams throughout the United States . Since the league 's inaugural 2013 season , four clubs have been crowned NWSL Champions , awarded to the playoff winner , and four clubs have claimed the NWSL Shield , awarded to the team in first place at the end of the regular season . The current champions are the North Carolina Courage . The current shield winners are also the Courage , who in 2018 became the first team to claim both the NWSL Championship and the NWSL Shield in the same season and repeated the feat in 2019 .
Swope Soccer Village is a soccer complex located within Swope Park in Kansas City , Missouri , first dedicated in 2007 with further renovations completed in 2014 . The facility is a public-private partnership between the City of Kansas City 's parks department and Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer , with field reservations managed by the Heartland Soccer Association , a local youth soccer organization . Children 's Mercy Victory Field is the home venue of the Swope Park Rangers of the United Soccer League , as well as Sporting Kansas City 's five youth academy teams .
Utah Royals FC is an American women 's professional soccer club based in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy , Utah , which plays in the National Women 's Soccer League , the top flight of American women 's soccer . The club was established on December 1 , 2017 , and began their first professional season in 2018 .
The history of the Athletics Major League Baseball franchise spans the period from 1901 to the present day , having begun as a charter member franchise in the new American League in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1955 for 13 seasons and then to its current home on the San Francisco Bay in Oakland , California , in 1968 .
Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two opposing teams who take turns batting and fielding . The game proceeds when a player on the fielding team , called the pitcher , throws a ball which a player on the batting team tries to hit with a bat . The objective of the offensive team ( batting team ) is to hit the ball into the field of play , allowing its players to run the bases , having them advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called runs . The objective of the defensive team ( fielding team ) is to prevent batters from becoming runners , and to prevent runners ' advance around the bases . A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate ( the place where the player started as a batter ) . The team that scores the most runs by the end of the game is the winner . The first objective of the batting team is to have a player reach first base safely . A player on the batting team who reaches first base without being called out can attempt to advance to subsequent bases as a runner , either immediately or during teammates ' turns batting . The fielding team tries to prevent runs by getting batters or runners out , which forces them out of the field of play . Both the pitcher and fielders have methods of getting the batting team 's players out . The opposing teams switch back and forth between batting and fielding ; the batting team 's turn to bat is over once the fielding team records three outs . One turn batting for each team constitutes an inning .
Major League Baseball ( MLB ) is a professional baseball organization . It is the oldest of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada . A total of 30 teams play in Major League Baseball : 15 teams in the National League ( NL ) and 15 in the American League ( AL ) . The NL and AL were formed as separate legal entities in 1876 and 1901 , respectively . Beginning in 1903 , the two leagues cooperated but remained legally separate entities . In 2000 the leagues merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball . MLB also oversees Minor League Baseball , which comprises 256 teams affiliated with the major league clubs . MLB and the World Baseball Softball Confederation jointly manage the international World Baseball Classic tournament . Baseball 's first openly all-professional team was the Cincinnati Red Stockings founded in 1869 . Before that , some teams had secretly paid some players . The first few decades of professional baseball were characterized by rivalries between leagues and by players who often jumped from one team or league to another . The period before 1920 is known as the dead-ball era , during which players would rarely hit home runs .
Kansas City Municipal Stadium was an American baseball and football stadium in the central United States , located in Kansas City , Missouri . It was located at the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and E. 22nd Street . Municipal Stadium hosted both the minor-league Kansas City Blues of the American Association and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro leagues from 1923 to 1954 . The stadium was almost completely rebuilt prior to the 1955 baseball season when the Kansas City Athletics moved to Kansas City from Philadelphia . The A 's played from 1955 to 1967 , the Kansas City Royals from 1969 to 1972 , the Kansas City Chiefs ( American Football League and National Football League ) from 1963 to 1971 and the Kansas City Spurs ( North American Soccer League ) from 1968-1969 . The stadium hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1960 ( first game ) . In the final football game ever played there , Municipal Stadium was the site of the longest NFL game in history , a playoff game between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day 1971 ; the Chiefs moved to the new Arrowhead Stadium in 1972 . Jackie Robinson played at the stadium for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 until he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers .
The Oakland Athletics , often referred to as the A 's , are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland , California . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) West division . The team plays its home games at the Oakland Coliseum . They have won nine World Series championships . One of the American League 's eight charter franchises , the team was founded in Philadelphia in 1901 as the Philadelphia Athletics . They won three World Series championships from 1910 to 1913 and back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930 . The team 's owner and manager for its first 50 years was Connie Mack and Hall of Fame players included Chief Bender , Frank Home Run Baker , Jimmie Foxx , and Lefty Grove . The team left Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1955 and became the Kansas City Athletics before moving to Oakland in 1968 . They won three consecutive World Championships between 1972 and 1974 , led by players including Vida Blue , Catfish Hunter , Reggie Jackson , ace reliever Rollie Fingers , and colorful owner Charlie O. Finley . After being sold by Finley to Walter A. Haas Jr. , the team won three consecutive pennants and the 1989 World Series behind the Bash Brothers , Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire , as well as Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley , Rickey Henderson and manager Tony La Russa . From 1901 to 2019 , the Athletics ' overall win-loss record is 9,028-9,452 ( .489 ) .
The Kansas City Attack , previously the Atlanta Attack and later known as the Kansas City Comets , were an indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City , Missouri . In its various incarnations the franchise played in the National Professional Soccer League from 1989-2001 and the second Major Indoor Soccer League from 2001-2005 . They played their home games at the Municipal Auditorium and later Kemper Arena .
Indoor soccer or arena soccer ( known internationally as indoor football , minifootball , fast football , floorball or showball ) , is a game derived from association football adapted for play in a walled indoor arena . Indoor soccer , as it is most often known in the United States and Canada , was originally developed in these two countries as a way to play soccer during the winter months , when snow would make outdoor play difficult . In those countries , gymnasiums are adapted for indoor soccer play . In other countries the game is played in either indoor or outdoor arenas surrounded by walls , and is referred to by different names ( such as fast football ( futbol rapido ) in Mexico , showbol in South America , and indoor football ( futbol indoor ) in Spain ) . Indoor soccer has different regulations from other versions of association football designed for indoor play , such as futsal and five-a-side football . Unlike futsal , which is played on wooden or ceramic surfaces , indoor soccer is played on synthetic turf ( or , in the case of the British Masters Football variety , synthetic carpet ) . Indoor soccer courts are either delimited by walls or lines , and there are no player throw-ins . FIFA , the international body that oversees international association football competitions , does not sanction the synthetic turf version of indoor soccer , having developed its own code of indoor football ( which they refer to as futsal ) . Indoor soccer is most popular in the United States , Canada , and Mexico , with several amateur , collegiate and professional leagues functioning . While internationally less popular than futsal , indoor soccer is also played at the league level in many countries outside North America . The World Minifootball Federation ( WMF ) is the governing body of indoor soccer at the international level , having replaced the International Fast Football Federation ( FIFRA ) . The term minifootball , which was originally coined in Europe , has been adopted by the WMF as a standard international name for the sport .
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 Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional indoor soccer league in the United States . 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 ceased operations as of May 31 , 2008 . We are considering structural changes that will bring us greater efficiencies , while also allowing long term growth and expansion of the League , said John Hantz , former Chairman of the MISL , and Owner/Operator of the Detroit Ignition . All the teams from MISL went to the new indoor leagues : NISL , PASL and the XSL . The NISL and XSL used the same playing rules as the MISL .
Municipal Auditorium is a multi-purpose facility located in Kansas City , Missouri . It opened in 1936 and features Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architecture and architectural details .
The Hy-Vee Arena , previously known as Kemper Arena , is an indoor arena located in Kansas City , Missouri . Prior to conversion to a youth sports facility , Kemper Arena was previously a 19,500-seat professional sports arena . It has hosted NCAA Final Four basketball games , professional basketball and hockey teams , professional wrestling events , the 1976 Republican National Convention , concerts , and is the ongoing host of the American Royal livestock show . It was originally named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr. , a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $ 3.2 million from his estate for the arena . In 2016 , it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its revolutionary design by Helmut Jahn .
The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League ( IHL ) from 1990 until 2001 , when the IHL folded . The Blades were based in Kansas City , Missouri , at Kemper Arena .
Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice , usually in a rink , in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent 's net to score goals . The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical , with teams usually fielding six players at a time : one goaltender , and five players who skate the span of the ice trying to control the puck and score goals against the opposing team . Ice hockey is most popular in Canada , central and eastern Europe , the Nordic countries , Russia , and the United States . Ice hockey is the official national winter sport of Canada . In addition , ice hockey is the most popular winter sport in Belarus , Croatia , the Czech Republic , Finland , Latvia , Russia , Slovakia , Sweden , and Switzerland . North America 's National Hockey League ( NHL ) is the highest level for men 's ice hockey and the strongest professional ice hockey league in the world . The Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) is the highest league in Russia and much of Eastern Europe . The International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) is the formal governing body for international ice hockey , with the IIHF managing international tournaments and maintaining the IIHF World Ranking . Worldwide , there are ice hockey federations in 76 countries . In Canada , the United States , Nordic countries , and some other European countries the sport is known simply as hockey ; the name ice hockey is used in places where hockey more often refers to the more popular field hockey , such as countries in South America , Asia , Africa , Australasia , and some European countries including the United Kingdom , Ireland and the Netherlands . Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in the United Kingdom and elsewhere . These games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules were developed , such as shinny and ice polo .
The International Hockey League ( IHL ) was a minor professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001 . The IHL served as the National Hockey League 's alternate farm system to the American Hockey League ( AHL ) . After 56 years of operation , financial instability led to the league 's demise . Six of the surviving seven teams merged into the AHL in 2001 .
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis , Minnesota . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) Central division . The team is named after the Twin Cities area comprising Minneapolis and St. Paul . The franchise was founded in Washington , D.C. in 1901 as the Washington Senators . The team relocated to Minnesota and was renamed the Minnesota Twins at the start of the 1961 season . The Twins played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome from 1982 to 2009 . The team played its inaugural game at Target Field on April 12 , 2010 . The franchise won the World Series in 1924 as the Senators , and in 1987 and 1991 as the Twins . Through the 2019 season , the team has fielded 19 American League batting champions . The team has hosted five All-Star Games : 1937 and 1956 in Washington , D.C. ; and 1965 , 1985 , and 2014 in Minneapolis-St. Paul .
The Western League of Professional Baseball Clubs , also called the Western League , was a minor league baseball league founded on February 11 , 1885 , and focused in the Midwestern United States . After several failures and reorganizations , the most notable version of the league was organized by Ban Johnson on November 20 , 1893 . In 1900 , the league was renamed the American League , and declared its major league status in 1901 against the older National League of 1876 , which was centered in the American Northeast states .
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis , Minnesota . They compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the American League ( AL ) Central division . The team is named after the Twin Cities area comprising Minneapolis and St. Paul . The franchise was founded in Washington , D.C. in 1901 as the Washington Senators . The team relocated to Minnesota and was renamed the Minnesota Twins at the start of the 1961 season . The Twins played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome from 1982 to 2009 . The team played its inaugural game at Target Field on April 12 , 2010 . The franchise won the World Series in 1924 as the Senators , and in 1987 and 1991 as the Twins . Through the 2019 season , the team has fielded 19 American League batting champions . The team has hosted five All-Star Games : 1937 and 1956 in Washington , D.C. ; and 1965 , 1985 , and 2014 in Minneapolis-St. Paul .
The Kansas City Blues were a minor league baseball team located in Kansas City , Missouri , in the Midwestern United States . The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association . The Blues did not field particularly competitive teams until 1918 , when they won the AA pennant . The team won again in 1923 , and again in 1929 . They won the Junior World Series championship both years , defeating the Baltimore Orioles ( minor league ) and the Rochester Red Wings of the International League , respectively , in best-of-nine series . In 1935 , the Blues became a farm club of the Pittsburgh Pirates . In 1936 they became an affiliate of the New York Yankees . They won the AA championships five times in the 1930s and 1940s . They defeated the Newark Bears ( International League ) , another Yankees farm club , in the 1938 Junior World Series . When the American League Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City in 1955 , the Blues moved to Denver , Colorado , and became the Denver Bears . The 1923 , 1929 , and 1939 Blues were recognized as being among the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time .
The American Association ( AA ) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated primarily in the Midwestern and South Central United States from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 . It was classified as a Triple-A league , which is one grade below Major League Baseball , for most of its existence . A league champion was determined at the end of every season . The Louisville Colonels won 15 American Association titles , the most in the league 's history , followed by the Indianapolis Indians ( 12 ) and the Columbus Senators/Red Birds ( 10 ) . Intermittently throughout its history , the American Association champion would compete against the champion of the International League , which operated in the Eastern U.S. , to determine an overall Triple-A champion . On rare occasions , the champion of the West Coast-based Pacific Coast League also participated . The first such meetings were called the Little World Series . Later , the teams would also compete in the Junior World Series , Triple-A World Series , and Triple-A Classic . Additional interleague play consisted of the regular season 's Triple-A Alliance and Triple-A All-Star Game .
The New Orleans Baby Cakes ( formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs ) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League ( PCL ) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins . They were located in Metairie , Louisiana , a suburb of New Orleans , and played their home games at the Shrine on Airline . The team began play in 1993 as a member of the Triple-A American Association ( AA ) when the Denver Zephyrs relocated to Metairie . They joined the PCL in 1998 . New Orleans has qualified for the postseason on three occasions and has won the PCL championship twice as the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros ( 1998 and 2001 ) . At the end of the 2019 season , the team relocated to Wichita , Kansas where they became known as the Wichita Wind Surge . The city of New Orleans hopes to bring in a Double-A Southern League team to carry on the Baby Cakes identity .
The Pacific Coast League ( PCL ) is a Minor League Baseball league operating in the Western , Midwestern , and Southeastern United States . Along with the International League and the Mexican League , it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level , which is one grade below Major League Baseball . It is officially named the Pacific Coast League of Professional Baseball Clubs , Inc. Its headquarters are in Round Rock , Texas . Upon its founding in 1903 , the Pacific Coast League fielded six teams from the Pacific States of California , Oregon , and Washington . Today , the league is composed of 16 teams across 11 states stretching from Sacramento , California , to Nashville , Tennessee , and from Tacoma , Washington , to San Antonio , Texas . The PCL was one of the premier regional baseball leagues in the first half of the 20th century . Although it was never recognized as a true major league , to which it aspired , its quality of play was considered very high . A number of top stars of the era , including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams , were products of the league . In 1958 , with the arrival of major league teams on the west coast and the availability of televised major league games , the PCL 's modern era began with each team signing Player Development Contracts to become farm teams of major league clubs . A league champion is determined at the end of every season . The San Francisco Seals won 14 Pacific Coast League titles , the most in the league 's history , followed by the Los Angeles Angels ( 12 ) and the Albuquerque Dukes and Portland Beavers ( 8 ) . After the season , the PCL champion plays in the Triple-A National Championship Game against the International League champion to determine an overall champion of Triple-A baseball .
The Kansas City Cowboys were a National Football League team based in Kansas City , Missouri . The team was founded as the Kansas City Blues in 1924 , and as the Kansas City Cowboys in 1925 and 1926 . The Blues competed as a traveling team , playing all of their NFL games in other cities ' stadiums in their only year under that name . LeRoy Andrews acted as the team 's player-coach .
American football , referred to as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron , [ nb 1 ] is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end . The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or passing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball , aims to stop the offense 's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves . The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs or plays ; if they fail , they turn over the football to the defense , but if they succeed , they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team 's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent 's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of a game wins . American football evolved in the United States , originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football match was played on November 6 , 1869 , between two college teams , Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time . A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the Father of American Football , established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams , and the concept of downs . Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone and specified the size and shape of the football . The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game ( although their rules were developed independently from that of Camp 's ) . Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football . The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football .
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 Kansas City Comets were a professional indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City , Missouri . They played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League ( MISL ; later the Major Soccer League ) from 1979-1991 , when they folded . They played their home games in Kemper Arena . The team originated as the Detroit Lightning , which joined the MISL as an expansion team in the 1979-1980 season . After a year in Detroit the team relocated to San Francisco , California , becoming the San Francisco Fog . They moved to Kansas City in 1981 , where they remained for ten years . In Kansas City the team went to the league playoffs seven times , advancing to the division finals three times .
The Major Indoor Soccer League , known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League , was an indoor soccer league in the United States that played matches from fall 1978 to spring 1992 .
The Kansas City Command ( formerly the Kansas City Brigade ) were a professional arena football team that played in the Arena Football League ( AFL ) . The team was founded before the 2006 season . Former Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Kevin Porter served as head coach . The team 's new head coach in 2011 was Danton Barto ; he also coached the AFL 's Las Vegas Gladiators , af2 's Memphis Xplorers and Manchester Wolves , and the IFL 's Arkansas Diamonds . The team played at Kemper Arena in Kansas City , Missouri and later moved to the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City for the 2008 AFL season . The team was owned by a Kansas City local , Chris Likens . One of the most notable co-owners is former Kansas City Chiefs star Neil Smith . Captain Max Runway was named the mascot of the team in June 2007 .
Arena football is a variety of eight-man gridiron football . The game is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian football , designed to fit in the same surface area as a standard North American ice hockey rink , resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game that can be played on the floors of indoor arenas . The sport was invented in 1981 , and patented in 1987 , by Jim Foster , a former executive of the National Football League and the United States Football League . The name is trademarked by Gridiron Enterprises and had a proprietary format until its patent expired in 2007 . Three leagues have played under arena football rules : the Arena Football League , which played 32 seasons in two separate runs from 1987 to 2008 and 2010 to 2019 ; arenafootball2 , the AFL 's erstwhile developmental league , which played 10 seasons from 2000 through 2009 ; and the China Arena Football League , which began play in 2016 but is not directly affiliated with the AFL . The CAFL , which operates on a heavily abbreviated schedule solely in China , is the only currently active league playing by arena rules . Through the late 1990s , the Arena Football League was the only league playing any variant of the sport designed for indoor play . A clarification limiting the scope of its patent allowed for competing indoor American football leagues to use the same size field and most other aspects of the game . Arena football is distinguished from the other indoor leagues by its use of large rebound nets attached to the side of each goalpost , which keep any missed field goal or overthrown ball in the field of play and allow the ball to remain live ; the rebound nets were the only part of the patent that was upheld until it expired .
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 .
Sprint Center is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City , Missouri . It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District . The arena 's naming rights partner is Sprint Corporation , which is headquartered in nearby Overland Park , Kansas . Sprint Center opened on October 10 , 2007 , and a concert by Elton John held three days later was the arena 's first event . The center is owned by the city of Kansas , Missouri . The arena seats over 19,000 people and has 72 suites . Sprint Center has effectively replaced Kemper Arena , which was built in 1974 just a few miles away in the southern portion of the West Bottoms neighborhood . Additionally , the College Basketball Experience , which includes the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame , is connected to and directly north of Sprint Center . Sprint Center hosted the Big 12 Men 's Basketball Tournament in 2008 and has done so every year since 2010 . It also hosted the first and second rounds of the 2009 and 2013 NCAA Men 's Tournaments , as well as the regional rounds of the 2017 NCAA Men 's Tournament and the 2010 NCAA Women 's Tournament ; it is also scheduled to host a 2019 NCAA Men 's Division I regional . The arena also was the home of the former Kansas City Command of the Arena Football League ( AFL ) . The city of Kansas City has entered into discussions with the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) about possible expansion or relocation of a professional hockey and/or basketball franchise for the arena ; however , neither the NHL nor the NBA have yet to approve a team to play in the Sprint Center .
The Kansas City Cowboys ( also Unions and Kaycees ) were a baseball team in the Union Association during its only season , 1884 . Referred to as the Cowboys mostly by historians , they had no official nickname during their short life and were most frequently referred to by local press of the day as the Unions and by the press of other cities as the Kaycees . They were the first professional baseball team to represent Kansas City as well as the city 's first major league team . They began play as a replacement for the Altoona Mountain City , which collapsed in May , and played out the remainder of the season . Despite a 16-63 ( .203 WL percentage ) finish , the franchise was one of only two ( the St. Louis club being the other ) in the league to make a profit . In contemporary newspaper reports , the team had Altoona 's record ( 6-19 ) combined with their own and were considered to have finished last in an eight-team league . The Unions disbanded shortly after the Union Association voted to dissolve .
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884 . St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season . Chicago moved to Pittsburgh in late August , and four teams folded during the season and were replaced . Seven of the twelve teams who were in the league at some point during the season did not play a full schedule . There was also a minor league called the Union Association that operated from 1911 through 1914 .
The Kansas City Cowboys were a National League baseball team that played one season in 1886 . They played at Association Park and finished with a 30-91 record . They finished in seventh place , ahead of another new team , the Washington Nationals . They were not connected to the Union Association Cowboys . The Cowboys were admitted to the National League on a trial basis for the 1886 season . The team went out of business in February , 1887 , having been forced to sell its players back to the league for $ 6,000 . They were replaced in the league by the Pittsburgh Alleghenys , which moved to the league from the American Association .
The Kansas City Cowboys were a National League baseball team that played one season in 1886 . They played at Association Park and finished with a 30-91 record . They finished in seventh place , ahead of another new team , the Washington Nationals . They were not connected to the Union Association Cowboys . The Cowboys were admitted to the National League on a trial basis for the 1886 season . The team went out of business in February , 1887 , having been forced to sell its players back to the league for $ 6,000 . They were replaced in the league by the Pittsburgh Alleghenys , which moved to the league from the American Association .
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs , known simply as the National League ( NL ) , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball ( MLB ) in the United States and Canada , and the world 's oldest current professional team sports league . Founded on February 2 , 1876 , to replace the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players ( NAPBBP ) of 1871-1875 ( often called simply the National Association ) , the NL is sometimes called the Senior Circuit , in contrast to MLB 's other league , the American League , which was founded 25 years later and is called the Junior Circuit . Both leagues currently have 15 teams . After two years of conflict in a baseball war of 1901-1902 , the two eight-team leagues agreed in a peace pact to recognize each other as major leagues , draft rules regarding player contracts , prohibiting raiding , regulating relationships with minor leagues and lower level clubs , and with each establishing a team in the nation 's largest metropolis of New York City , and the league champions of 1903 arranged to compete against each other in the new professional baseball championship tournament with the inaugural World Series that Fall of 1903 , succeeding earlier similar national series in previous decades since the 1880s . After the 1904 champions failed to reach a similar agreement , the two leagues also formalized the new World Series tournament beginning in 1905 as an arrangement between the leagues themselves . National League teams have won 49 of the 115 World Series championships contested from 1903 to 2019 .
The following is a history of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball .
The Kansas City Cowboys were a professional baseball team based in Kansas City , Missouri for two seasons from 1888 to 1889 in the American Association . They were the third , and last incarnation of this franchise name , following the Kansas City Cowboys of the Union Association in 1884 and the Kansas City Cowboys of the National League in 1886 . The franchise initially used Association Park as their home field in 1888 , then moved to Exposition Park for last game that season , and all of 1889 . The team began the 1888 season with part-time outfielder , Dave Rowe , as their player-manager . On April 18 , they suffered a 10-3 loss to Tony Mullane and the Cincinnati Reds in their first game , however , they collected their first win the next day . Although they had a win-loss record of 43-89 in their initial season , finishing last out of the league 's eight teams , and went through two managerial changes , there were a couple of bright moments ; on June 6 , Henry Porter threw a no-hitter , and on June 13 , Sam Barkley hit for the cycle . The franchise 's only future Hall of Fame player , Slidin ' Billy Hamilton , began his career as a part-time outfielder in 1888 , and was their starting right fielder in 1889 . Bill Watkins , who had finished the 1888 season as the team 's manager , stayed in that role for the full 1889 season , and guided them to an improved win-loss record of 55-82 , with two ties , finishing seventh among the league 's eight teams .
The American Association ( AA ) was a professional baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from 1882 to 1891 . Together with the National League ( NL ) , founded in 1876 , the AA participated in an early version of the World Series [ a ] seven times versus the champion of the NL in an interleague championship playoff tournament . At the end of its run , several AA franchises joined the NL . After 1891 , the NL existed alone , with each season 's champions being awarded the prized Temple Cup ( 1894-1897 ) . During its existence , the AA was often simply referred to as the Association in the media , in contrast to the NL , which was sometimes called the League .
Exposition Park is a former baseball ground located in Kansas City , Missouri , USA . The ground was home to the Kansas City Cowboys of the American Association for the 1888 and 1889 seasons . It was located at 15th & Montgall from 1888 to 1902 in the 18th and Vine-Downtown East , Kansas City neighborhood . It was on the grounds of the Kansas City exposition park which had opened in 1886 between 12th and 15th Street on Kansas Street - the center piece of which was an 80,000 square foot building modeled on The Crystal Palace until it was destroyed in 1901 in a fire that had occurred just a week after plans were announced to dismantle it . The first football game between Kansas and Missouri was played here on October 31 , 1891 ( Kansas beat Missouri 22-8 before a crowd of about 3,000 ) . It was site of one of the first night games when the Kansas City Blues played the Sioux City Cornhuskers on August 28 , 1894 -- - an event in which the players dressed in costume . The Cornhuskers were bought by Charles Comiskey following the 1894 season and eventually became the Chicago White Sox . The stadium was also home to other Kansas City teams :
The Kansas City Explorers were a World TeamTennis team that played at the Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City , Missouri , USA . The team also played in Kemper Arena from 1993 until 2001 . Following the 2012 season , it was announced that the Explorers would be moving to Irving , Texas and renamed the Texas Wild ) . The move followed the team 's twentieth season in Kansas City . In 2015 , the Wild moved to Citrus Heights , California and was renamed the California Dream .
Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent ( singles ) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles ) . Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent 's court . The object of the game is to maneuver the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return . The player who is unable to return the ball will not gain a point , while the opposite player will . Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages . The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket , including wheelchair users . The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham , England , in the late 19th century as lawn tennis . It had close connections both to various field ( lawn ) games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport today called real tennis . During most of the 19th century , in fact , the term tennis referred to real tennis , not lawn tennis . The rules of modern tennis have changed little since the 1890s . Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times , and the adoption of the tiebreak in the 1970s . A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point-challenge system , which allows a player to contest the line call of a point , a system known as Hawk-Eye .
World TeamTennis ( WTT ) is a mixed-gender professional tennis league played with a team format in the United States , which was founded in 1973 . Originally played on a no-line court , each match consists of five sets . Each set features a different configuration ( men 's singles , men 's doubles , women 's singles , women 's doubles , and mixed doubles ) . Prior to each match , coaches decide the order in which the sets will be played . Each player on a team usually plays in at least one of the five sets . Scoring is no-advantage ; there is no requirement to win a game by two scores ; at deuce , whoever scores the next point wins the game . The first team to reach five games wins each set . A nine-point tiebreaker is played if a set reaches four-all . One point is awarded for each game won . If necessary , extended play and a supertiebreaker are played to determine the winner of the match . The league 's season normally takes place in the summer months . Players from the ATP and WTA take a break from their tour schedules to partake in World TeamTennis .
The Barney Allis Plaza is a park located in Downtown Kansas City , Missouri at the intersection of 12th Street and Wyandotte . It is named after the prominent Kansas City hotelier , and owner of the Standard Theater , Barney Allis ( 1886-1962 ) . From April 11 2006 until 2011 , it was the home of the Kansas City Explorers , Kansas City 's World TeamTennis . The Kansas City Sports Walk of Stars can be found on the edge of this park . The Walk was constructed in 1991 , and the first three polished granite slabs bore the names of inductees George Brett , Len Dawson and Tom Watson . The Walk is officially recognized by the city , and has used its common-law trademark since 1993 . The park is sandwiched in between the Municipal Auditorium and the Marriott Hotel , just down the road from the Library District . The Kansas City Convention Center is also located to the West of the plaza .
The Texas Wild was a World TeamTennis team that played at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving , Texas , USA . The team was known as the Kansas City Explorers from 1993 until the 2012 season , before moving to Texas . With WTT 's contraction of the Las Vegas Neon in 2014 , the Wild became the oldest franchise currently operating in the league . Following the 2014 season , rumors circulated that the Wild may relocate due to poor attendance . In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in January 2015 , Wild owner Jeff Launius would not confirm that the team would play the 2015 season in Irving . He said , Im working on several options for 2015 , none of which I am ready to reveal at this time . On February 23 , 2015 , WTT announced that a new ownership group had taken control of the Wild and moved the team to Citrus Heights , California , renaming it the California Dream .
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento , California . The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . The Kings are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento . The team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center . Their best seasons to date in the city were in the early 2000s , including the 2001-02 season when they had the best record in the NBA at 61-21 ( a winning percentage of .744 ) . The Sacramento Kings are the latest and current version of one of the oldest continuously operating professional basketball franchises in the nation . They originated in Rochester , New York , as the Rochester Seagrams ( a semi-professional team ) in 1923 , hosting a number of teams there over the next 20 years . They joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the renamed Rochester Royals , winning that league 's championship in their first season , 1945-46 . They later jumped with three other NBL teams to the Basketball Association of America , forerunner of the NBA , in 1948 . As the Royals , the team was often successful on the court , winning the NBA championship in 1951 . The team , however , found it increasingly difficult to turn a profit in the comparatively small market of Rochester and relocated to Cincinnati in 1957 , becoming the Cincinnati Royals . In 1972 the team relocated again , this time to Kansas City , Missouri , and was renamed the Kansas City-Omaha Kings because it initially split its home games between Kansas City and Omaha , Nebraska .
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams , most commonly of five players each , opposing one another on a rectangular court , compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball ( approximately 9.4 inches ( 24 cm ) in diameter ) through the defender 's hoop ( a basket 18 inches ( 46 cm ) in diameter mounted 10 feet ( 3.048 m ) high to a backboard at each end of the court ) while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop . A field goal is worth two points , unless made from behind the three-point line , when it is worth three . After a foul , timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul is given one or more one-point free throws . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins , but if regulation play expires with the score tied , an additional period of play ( overtime ) is mandated . Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running ( dribbling ) or by passing it to a teammate , both of which require considerable skill . On offense , players may use a variety of shots - the lay-up , the jump shot , or a dunk ; on defense , they may steal the ball from a dribbler , intercept passes , or block shots ; either offense or defense may collect a rebound , that is , a missed shot that bounces from rim or backboard . It is a violation to lift or drag one 's pivot foot without dribbling the ball , to carry it , or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling . The five players on each side at a time fall into five playing positions the tallest player is usually the center , the tallest and strongest is the power forward , a slightly shorter but more agile player is the small forward , and the shortest players or the best ball handlers are the shooting guard and the point guard , who implements the coach 's game plan by managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays ( player positioning ) . Informally , players may play three-on-three , two-on-two , and one-on-one . Invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher James Naismith in Springfield , Massachusetts , United States , basketball has evolved to become one of the world 's most popular and widely viewed sports . The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity , salaries , talent , and level of competition . Outside North America , the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the EuroLeague and the Basketball Champions League Americas .
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 Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento , California . The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . The Kings are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento . The team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center . Their best seasons to date in the city were in the early 2000s , including the 2001-02 season when they had the best record in the NBA at 61-21 ( a winning percentage of .744 ) . The Sacramento Kings are the latest and current version of one of the oldest continuously operating professional basketball franchises in the nation . They originated in Rochester , New York , as the Rochester Seagrams ( a semi-professional team ) in 1923 , hosting a number of teams there over the next 20 years . They joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the renamed Rochester Royals , winning that league 's championship in their first season , 1945-46 . They later jumped with three other NBL teams to the Basketball Association of America , forerunner of the NBA , in 1948 . As the Royals , the team was often successful on the court , winning the NBA championship in 1951 . The team , however , found it increasingly difficult to turn a profit in the comparatively small market of Rochester and relocated to Cincinnati in 1957 , becoming the Cincinnati Royals . In 1972 the team relocated again , this time to Kansas City , Missouri , and was renamed the Kansas City-Omaha Kings because it initially split its home games between Kansas City and Omaha , Nebraska .
The Kansas City Knights was the name of an American Basketball Association minor league basketball team based in Kansas City , Missouri . They have not played since the 2004-05 season .
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 .
Hale Arena is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Kansas City , Missouri . It was built in 1992 and was home to the former Kansas City Knights basketball team after they moved from Kemper Arena in 2003 . It was named in honor of H. D. Joe Hale and his wife Joyce for their financial contribution . Hale Arena is home of the American Royal rodeo .
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball 's Negro Leagues . Operating in Kansas City , Missouri and owned by J. L. Wilkinson , they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930 . J. L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time of the establishment of the team . In 1930 , the Monarchs became the first professional baseball team to use a portable lighting system which was transported from game to game in trucks to play games at night , five years before any major league team did . The Monarchs won ten league championships before integration , and triumphed in the first Negro League World Series in 1924 . The Monarchs had only one season in which they did not have a winning record . The team produced more major league players than any other Negro League franchise . It was disbanded in 1965 .
The Negro National League ( NNL ) was one of the several Negro leagues which were established during the period in the United States in which organized baseball was segregated .
The Negro American League was one of the several Negro leagues created during the time organized American baseball was segregated . The league was established in 1937 , and disbanded after its 1962 season .
The Women 's American Basketball Association ( WABA ) is a name used by four professional women 's basketball leagues in the United States . None as yet have been able to maintain long-term success .
Women 's basketball was developed in the late 1800s in tandem with its men 's counterpart . It became popular , spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women 's colleges . From 1895 until 1970 , the term women 's basketball was also used to refer to netball , which evolved in parallel with modern women 's basketball . It is mostly popular in America . The FIBA Women 's Basketball World Cup and Women 's Olympic Basketball Tournament feature top national teams from continental championships . The main North American league is the WNBA ( NCAA Women 's Division I Basketball Championship is also popular ) , whereas strongest European clubs participate in the EuroLeague Women .
The Kansas City Outlaws were a professional ice hockey team which played in the United Hockey League ( UHL ) for the 2004-2005 season . They played their home games at Kemper Arena in Kansas City , Missouri .
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 .