Washington Commandos

History

Inaugural season (1987)

Main article: 1987 Washington Commandos season

The Commandos had the honor of playing in the first AFL regular season game on June 19, 1987, losing to the Pittsburgh Gladiators 48–46 at the Civic Arena. The Commandos picked up their first win in franchise history the following week, when they defeated the Denver Dynamite, by a score of 36–20 in their home opener. The Commandos finished the season with a 2–4 record, a disappointment, but the team was in every game except one, losing three games by a total of six points.

Move to Maryland (1989)

Main article: 1989 Maryland Commandos season

After a one-year hiatus, the Commandos returned to play in 1989 and operated as the "Maryland Commandos", playing their only home game that year at the same venue as in 1987, Landover's Capital Centre. The team went 0–4 in the abbreviated 'travelin' season of 1989. The Commandos coaching staff consisted of Ray Willsey, Mike Hohensee, Mike Dailey, and Jerry Kurz. Hohensee, Dailey, and Kurz would all become members of the Arena Football Hall of Fame.

Return to Virginia (1990)

Main article: 1990 Washington Commandos season

The team returned to the Washington name for their final season in 1990. They were coached by Hohensee, who had been promoted from his assistant position. The Commandos started the season 0–3.

In 1987 and 1989, the team played its home games at the Capital Centre (later known as USAir Arena) in Landover, Maryland. For the 1990 season, the team was based at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Return of the AFL in Washington

In 1999, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder announced that he would bring an expansion team to DC to be called the Washington Warriors. (At the time, there was speculation in the media that Snyder actually wanted to change the name of the Redskins to the Warriors, due to the controversy over the NFL's team monicker.) But after a ten-year wait and the AFL's canceling its season in 2009, that never materialized.

In 2016, it was announced that Ted Leonsis of Monumental Sports, owner of the NBA's Washington Wizards, WNBA's Washington Mystics and the NHL's Washington Capitals was launching an expansion franchise that would play at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC in 2017. The Washington Valor played from 2017 until 2019, when the league was suspended.

Notable players

Arena Football League Hall of Famers

All-Arena players

The following Commandos players were named to All-Arena Teams:

• QB Rich Ingold (1)
• WR/DB Dwayne Dixon (1), Lenny Taylor (1), Chris Armstrong (1)
• OL/DL Jon Roehlk (1), Michael Witteck (1), Chuck Harris (2)
• K Dale Castro (1)

Head coaches

Season-by-season results

References

References

1. (June 21, 1987). "Arena Football Debuts". The New York Times.
2. Gary Tuma. (June 20, 1987). "Gladiators smashing in 48-46 win". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
3. (June 29, 1987). "Commandos win home-opener". The Free Lance-Star.
4. (July 24, 1987). "Commandos 52, Gladiators 31". www.apnewsarchive.com.
5. Kevin James Shay. (September 3, 2013). "Arena Football League considering putting team at proposed Shady Grove venue". Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net.
6. Tom Boggie. (June 9, 1990). "Firebirds Host Commandos In Arena Football Opener". The Daily Gazette.
7. David Fink. (June 23, 1990). "Barretta leads Glads over Commandos". Pittsburgh Post=Gazette.
8. "ArenaFan Online : Washington Commandos - Team History - 1990". ArenaFan.
9. [http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/the_sportspages/2002/05/are_you_ready_for_the_washington_warriors.html Are You Ready for the Washington Warriors?], Bryan Curtis, Slate.com, May 6, 2002
10. [http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/08/05/cheap-seats-daily-washington-warriors-wont-ever-play-in-the-afl/ Cheap Seats Daily: Washington Warriors Won't Ever Play in the AFL?], Dave McKenna, ''Washington City Paper'', August 5, 2009
11. [http://wtop.com/sports/2016/02/leonsis-close-to-securing-arena-football-league-team-for-d-c/ Leonsis close to securing Arena Football League team for D.C.], WTOP Radio website, February 10, 2016
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