Rockford Metros
Encyclopedia
The Rockford Metros was an Arena football
team formed by Arena Football League
founder Jim Foster for the purposes of playing a "test game" in Rockford, Illinois
in the spring of 1986
at the MetroCentre
. The team was named after the MetroCentre itself. Players were taken from different semi-pro leagues in the area or those who just finished their final years of college football. They defeated the Chicago Politicians
, despite Rich Salzer's two
TDs, 30-18. The test was successful, as the Arena Football League began operation the next spring with four teams and operated continuously until 2008; a successor operation bought the rights to the game and its trademarks in bankruptcy
proceedings and continues to play as of 2011.
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team formed by Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
founder Jim Foster for the purposes of playing a "test game" in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
in the spring of 1986
1986 in sports
1986 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup –** Men's overall season champion: Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg** Women's overall season champion: Maria Walliser, Switzerland-American football:...
at the MetroCentre
Rockford MetroCentre
The BMO Harris Bank Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Rockford, Illinois. It is currently home to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs hockey team...
. The team was named after the MetroCentre itself. Players were taken from different semi-pro leagues in the area or those who just finished their final years of college football. They defeated the Chicago Politicians
Chicago Politicians
The Chicago Politicians was a team formed in 1986 by Arena Football League founder Jim Foster to play an initial "test game" in Rockford, Illinois at the MetroCentre. They were defeated by the Rockford Metros, 30-18...
, despite Rich Salzer's two
TDs, 30-18. The test was successful, as the Arena Football League began operation the next spring with four teams and operated continuously until 2008; a successor operation bought the rights to the game and its trademarks in bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
proceedings and continues to play as of 2011.