CLEVELAND GLADIATORS	COLUMBUS DESTROYERS	DALLAS DESPERADOS

NEW YORK DRAGONS	PHILADELPHIA SOUL

Comments

The following AFL teams were using new helmet designs in 2007: Las Vegas,Columbus, Grand Rapids , and New York. Two teams have discontinued operations since the 2007 season ended: Austin and Nashville, while the team known as the Las Vegas Gladiators in 2007 has been moved to Cleveland for 2008. Shown above is the new divisional alignment for 2008 announced by the league on October 17, 2007.

The Chicago Rush will reportedly be using either black or silver helmets during some games in 2008, based supposedly on the results of a poll conducted at the team's web site.

An earlier report indicating that the Tampa Bay Storm would be using a new helmet design in 2008 has been retracted.

The set of historical Arena League helmets shown at this web site is in a fairly advanced set of completion, but there are still several others that I have not yet been able to add to the site, despite having requested for several years the necessary information to complete these. Please take literally the comments in the "historical helmets" section below as to what I need in order to add these other helmets to the web site.

Historical Helmets (currently active teams)

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS / BUFFALO DESTROYERS

1999 - 2003	2004	2005 - 2006
BUFFALO DESTROYERS	COLUMBUS DESTROYERS	COLUMBUS DESTROYERS

2007 -
COLUMBUS DESTROYERS

GEORGIA FORCE / NASHVILLE KATS

1997 only(?)	1998? - 2001	2002 (approx. 1st eight games)
NASHVILLE KATS	NASHVILLE KATS	GEORGIA FORCE

2002 - 2003	February 8, 2004; February 22, 2004	2004 -
GEORGIA FORCE	GEORGIA FORCE	GEORGIA FORCE
*see note 1 below	*see note 2 below

*1 The Force switched from blue facemasks to black ones by at least the ninth game of the 2002 season, and possibly earlier.

*2 The team announced just prior to the 2004 season that a pair of stripes would be worn on the helmets for two games in 2004; following are excerpts from the announcement: "(February 3, 2004) – Force Owner Virgil Williams and Force Advisory Board Chairman and current University of Georgia Athletic Director Vince Dooley announced today that the Force will be adding “V Stripes” to the team's helmet for the Force's first two home games. The Force's new all black helmets, which were unveiled last week at a press conference by Governor Sonny Perdue, will sport red and gold “V Stripes” running down the middle of the helmet. The “V Stripes” are a symbolic gesture by the team in support of UGA and Georgia Tech. In addition, the “V Stripes” will represent the two strongest influences in the Force organization, Virgil Williams and Vince Dooley, as well as the Force's ultimate goal- Victory". During the February 8 game, the red stripe was worn on the left sides of the helmets, and the gold one on the right sides.

GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE

1998 - 1999	2000 - 2006	2007 -

CLEVELAND GLADIATORS / LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS / NEW JERSEY GLADIATORS / NEW JERSEY RED DOGS

1997? - ?	2001 - 2006	2007
NEW JERSEY RED DOGS	NEW JERSEY GLADIATORS/ LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS	LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS

2008 -
CLEVELAND GLADIATORS

There may have been some other helmet design variations for this team during the period when it was known as the Red Dogs - supposedly the logo was slightly different during the last year or two, and a switch to black facemasks is reported to have occurred by at least the 2000 season. Also, some sources indicate that the red color was changed to maroon during the Red Dogs' last couple of years. Photographs of any of these alleged other variations would be greatly appreciated (not photographs of mini-helmets, please).

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS

2001 - 2002	2003 -

NEW ORLEANS VOODOO

2004 - 2005; 2007 -

The team did not play in 2006 due to repercussions from Hurricane Katrina.

NEW YORK DRAGONS / IOWA BARNSTORMERS

1995 (game #1)	1995 - 2000	2007
IOWA BARNSTORMERS	IOWA BARNSTORMERS	NEW YORK DRAGONS

2001 - 2006; 2008 -
NEW YORK DRAGONS

ORLANDO PREDATORS

1991 - 1997	1998 - 2000	2001 - 2002

2003 -

During their first seven years, the Predators used a helmet decal featuring the team's name in red letters together with a "claw" and "slash marks"; this decal was worn on black helmet shells. Below is a copy of what I think is very close to being the correct logo for this helmet (thanks Dave J.), but I do not presently have a photograph of one of these helmets. I would greatly appreciate a clear photograph of one of Orlando's 1991-1997 helmets!

TAMPA BAY STORM / PITTSBURGH GLADIATORS

1987 - 1990	1991 - 1992	1993 - 1994
PITTSBURGH GLADIATORS	TAMPA BAY STORM	TAMPA BAY STORM

1995 -
TAMPA BAY STORM

Of the league's original four franchises, this is the only one still in existence. The team was based in Pittsburgh and known as the Gladiators from 1987 through 1990.

Historical Helmets (defunct teams)

ANAHEIM PIRANHAS / LAS VEGAS STING

1995 - 1996	1997 - 1998
LAS VEGAS STING	ANAHEIM PIRANHAS

AUSTIN WRANGLERS

2004	2005 - 2007

CAROLINA COBRAS

2003 (game #1)	2000 - 2003	2004

CHARLOTTE RAGE

1992 - 1993?	1994? - 1996

The Rage used white helmets during their first couple of years (at least 1992 and 1993); I would appreciate some clear photographs of the white helmet, especially ones clearly showing the stripe sequence.

CHICAGO BRUISERS

c.1989?

The Bruisers may have also at some point used a helmet design similar to this one, but without any stripes (photographs would be appreciated). In one (or two?) of the earliest AFL exhibition games, the Bruisers used white helmets with a black or blue "B" on the sides; I would appreciate some color photographs from this game (or games).

CINCINNATI ROCKERS

1992	1993

In 1993, the Rockers used green helmets with a logo similar to the one used in 1992; a clear photograph of the green helmet would be appreciated (not a photograph of a mini-helmet, please).

CLEVELAND THUNDERBOLTS / COLUMBUS THUNDERBOLTS

1991 - 1994

The franchise was based in Columbus, OH for its first year (1991) before moving to Cleveland. This is the only helmet design that I am aware of the team having used.

CONNECTICUT COYOTES

1995	1996

DALLAS TEXANS

1990 - ?	? - 1993
*see note 1 below

This team lasted for four years, 1990 through 1993. At least two helmet designs were used, the earlier one with white shells and the later one with red, but I am not sure when the switch was made.

There may have been some slight variations of these designs. One visitor to this site has reported that there were "tails" extending back from the logos on both the red and white helmets, though there are quite clearly absent from the white helmets in videotape of the 1990 Arena Bowl game. I would appreciate any photographs showing the alleged "tails" on an actual helmet (please do not send photographs of mini-helmets).

*1 The stripe sequence on this helmet runs (from left to right) blue-white-red (at least during the 1990 Arena Bowl game).

DENVER DYNAMITE

1987 - ?	? - 1991

One of the league's four original teams, the Dynamite played in 1987 and from 1989 through 1991. The team may have had one or two other helmet variations besides those shown here.

DETROIT FURY

2001 - 2004

The stripe sequence on the Fury helmets may have been different or absent during the first year or two of the team's existence.

FLORIDA BOBCATS / MIAMI HOOTERS / SACRAMENTO ATTACK

1992	1993 - 1994	1995
SACRAMENTO ATTACK	MIAMI HOOTERS	MIAMI HOOTERS

1996 - 1998	1999	2000 - 2001
FLORIDA BOBCATS	FLORIDA BOBCATS	FLORIDA BOBCATS

FORT WORTH CAVALRY

1994

HOUSTON THUNDERBEARS / TEXAS TERROR

1996 - 1997	1998 - 2001
TEXAS TERROR	HOUSTON THUNDERBEARS

This franchise was based in Houston through the first five years of its existence; in 2001, the league assumed ownership of the team and made it play a schedule consisting entirely of road games. The team was one of four teams disbanded in late 2001 when the league contracted.

INDIANA FIREBIRDS / ALBANY FIREBIRDS

1991 - 1997	1998 - 2004

This team's earlier helmet design (shown in the photo here, and apparently used 1991-1997, and possibly 1990, also) featured a very unusual black and orange decal that apparently represented some combination of a stylized bird and some flames; a copy of this helmet decal would be greatly appreciated. For some reason, people keep sending me the logo below, apparently thinking this is the one used on the helmet, but it most certainly is not!

LOS ANGELES COBRAS

1988

MASSACHUSETTS MARAUDERS / DETROIT DRIVE

1988 - 1993	1994
DETROIT DRIVE	MASSACHUSETTS MARAUDERS

The Detroit Drive were the dominant team during the league's early years, appearing in six straight Arena Bowl games and winning four of them. For the 1994 season, the team moved to Worcester, MA and was renamed the Massachusetts Marauders; I would appreciate a clear photograph of the Marauders' helmet design (not a photograph of a mini-helmet, please). I do have a copy of the logo that I think was used on the team's helmets, which were silver or gray with (I think) maroon faceguards.

MILWAUKEE MUSTANGS

1994 - 2001

MINNESOTA FIGHTING PIKE

1996

NASHVILLE KATS

2005 - 2007

NEW ENGLAND STEAMROLLERS

1988

NEW ORLEANS NIGHT

1991 - 1992

NEW YORK KNIGHTS

1988

The only photograph that I have ever seen of a New York Knights helmet is from the team's first-ever regular season game at the Los Angeles Cobras; there are no stripes on the Knights' helmets during this game, but the team supposedly had a blue stripe on its helmets during all of their other games. A photograph of the helmet with the stripe would be appreciated (not a picture of a mini-helmet, please!).

OKLAHOMA WRANGLERS / PORTLAND FOREST DRAGONS / MEMPHIS PHARAOHS

1995 - 1996	1997	1998 - 1999
MEMPHIS PHARAOHS	PORTLAND FOREST DRAGONS	PORTLAND FOREST DRAGONS

2000 - 2001
OKLAHOMA WRANGLERS

ROCKFORD METROS

April 26, 1986

The "Rockford Metros" were one of the two teams that played in the first exhibition game of the Arena brand of football in 1986 (the other team was the "Chicago Politicians"). I have never seen any photographs from this game, and it is possible that the two teams did not even have logos or "helmet designs". I would appreciate any information about what these teams wore during their one game.

SAN ANTONIO FORCE

1992

The San Antonio Force used silver helmets with a rather bland logo consisting of the team's name. I would appreciate a clear photograph of one of the actual helmets (not a photograph of a mini-helmet, please). I have received a copy of the alleged helmet logo itself.

ST. LOUIS STAMPEDE

1995 - 1996

TORONTO PHANTOMS / NEW ENGLAND SEA WOLVES / NEW YORK CITYHAWKS

1997 - 1998	1997 - 1998	1999 - 2000
NEW YORK CITYHAWKS	NEW YORK CITYHAWKS	NEW ENGLAND SEA WOLVES

2000	2001 - 2002
NEW ENGLAND SEA WOLVES	TORONTO PHANTOMS

While this team was known as the New York Cityhawks, both the gold and black helmets were used in both 1997 and 1998. I have game footage confirming that the team used the gold helmets for a home game in 1997 vs Florida and a road game in 1998 vs Grand Rapids, and that the black helmets were used for a road game in 1997 vs New Jersey. I do not know what scheme was in place during these two years with regards to the usage of the two helmet designs, but it may have been a home-and-away scheme that was reversed in the second year.

WASHINGTON COMMANDOS

1987; 1989-1990

This team used the name Maryland Commandos during the 1989 season only. The team may have used another helmet design besides the one shown above at some point in its history; I would appreciate any photographs showing such a design. I received a report that the team used gold helmets briefly, but no supporting evidence was provided. The team did not play in 1988.