The Chicago Bruisers were a charter member of the Arena Football League, playing in the four-team "demonstration season" of 1987. They played their home games in the former Rosemont Horizon, now the Allstate Arena. They were an outgrowth of the Chicago Politicians, a team put together by Jim Foster to play an exhibition game to prove the feasibility of the sport the previous year. The team logo depicted a bulldog. The Bruisers, like the Pittsburgh Gladiators but unlike the other two charter teams, the Denver Dynamite and the Washington Commandos, returned to play in the 1988 season. However, they were disbanded after competing in the 1989 season.

The Arena Football League was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league.  Attendance at AFL games in 2004 averaged about 12,000 people per game. The Arena Football League also maintains a minor league called af2.

The AFL was founded by Jim Foster, a former NFL and USFL executive. In fact, he had a contract in hand in 1983 to play an exhibition game on NBC, 20 years before the first regular season games appeared on that network. He abandoned the plan, though, when the USFL was formed, and did not return to his newly created sport until 1986, when he staged a "test game" in Rockford, Illinois between the Rockford Metros and the Chicago Politicians. 

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE (1987 - PRESENT) 

  HISTORY  

1981
James F. Foster attends indoor soccer game at Madison Square Garden, Feb. 11, 1981, and diagrams outline of miniature football field over hockey rink on manila envelope; from the diagram, sport of Arena Football is conceived.

1986
First "test game" between Rockford Metros and Chicago Politicians April 26, 1986 in Rockford, Ill.

1987
"Showcase game" between Chicago Bruisers and Miami Vise staged Feb. 26, 1987 at Rosemont Horizon before 8,257 spectators; inaugural four-team league -- Chicago Bruisers, Pittsburgh Gladiators, Denver Dynamite and Washington Commandos -- becomes official June 19, 1987; Led by QB Whit Taylor and head coach Tim Marcum, Dynamite defeats Gladiators, 45-16, and becomes league's first-ever champions (13,232 fans at Pittsburgh Civic Arena and live ESPN audience); league's average attendance is 11,279 per game.  

1988
Chicago Bruisers and Los Angeles Cobras plays to league's only tie game (37-37), as neither team scores in 7-minute overtime (under current rules, overtime is 15 minutes, with sudden death coming after each team has at least one possession); Detroit Drive, owned by Little Caesar's Pizza mogul and Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, claim first of 4 championships; George LaFrance makes debut with Detroit, and goes on to become league's career leader in 6 statistical categories.  

1989
Detroit Drive and Chicago Bruisers competes in league's first-ever European exhibition game -- Arenaball Transatlantic Challenge -- in London, Nov. 18, 1989.  

1990
Albany Firebirds enters league, April 19, 1990, and is currently longest-running team in its original city; U.S. Patent Office issues patent No. 4,911,433 for Arena Football Game System, making it only sports league in history to play patented, rival-free game; Foster and partners at Gridiron Enterprises make decision to sell licenses to investors in major markets, and enables private ownership of teams; following 1990 season, Detroit Drive and Dallas Texans competes in Paris, France before 14,257 spectators.  

1991
Phoenix Suns' owner Jerry Colangelo awarded expansion team Sept. 11, 1991 (Rattlers began play in 1992); former Dallas Cowboy great Danny White named Rattlers' head coach Oct. 10, 1991; Orlando Predators join league; Pittsburgh Gladiators becomes Tampa Bay Storm; Storm sets then-all-time attendance record vs. Denver (24,445) July 13, 1991 at the ThunderDome; league attendance reaches all-time high 12,813 per game.  

1992
Predators record league's only shutout June 13, 1992 vs. San Antonio Force (50-0); in that game, San Antonio's Matt Franz misses 6 field goals; before sell-out crowd of 15,505 on June 13, 1992, expansion Rattlers defeat Sacramento Attack, 51-36, in first-ever-sporting event in America West Arena; Aug. 15, 1992 vs. Tampa Bay, Predators begins streak of 25 consecutive sell-outs (1992-1995); June 19, 1992 at Orlando Arena, Barry Wagner catches 2 TD passes, winning two-point conversion, recovers on-sides kick and makes game-saving tackle ñ all in final 60 seconds ñ to give Orlando 50-49 win over Detroit in game that's been called "The Miracle Minute" (teams combine for 3 TDs, 2 two-point conversions, 3 turnovers, safety, 7 different possessions, and successfully recovered on-sides kick in final 46 seconds).  

1993
Milwaukee awarded expansion team for 1994; Tampa Bay averages league-record 20,469 fans for 13-game schedule (previous best was Tampa Bay's 20,092 for 11-game schedule in 1992); June 19, 1993 at ThunderDome, Storm breaks their single-game attendance record with 28,746 fans vs. Orlando (Storm lost that game, 46-45); Predators, Rattlers sell-out entire home slate; Aug. 28, 1993 marks first all-star game played in Des Moines, Iowa before crowd of 7,189; game benefited victims of floodwaters that ravaged city during that year (National Conference defeats American Conference, 61-41).  

1994
Only 40-39 loss to Tampa Bay in final game prevents Predators from becoming seventh team in history of professional football to go undefeated and untied in regular season; Arizona becomes lowest seed ever to win league title, climbing from third seed to upset Orlando, 36-31, in ArenaBowl VIII; San Jose awarded expansion team Dec. 7, 1994 (SaberCats began play in 1995); first-year Mustangs average 14,232 fans despite 0-12 season; Des Moines, Iowa awarded expansion team Aug. 15, 1994 (Barnstormers began play in 1995).  

1995
Tim Marcum named head coach of Storm, and would go on to win back-to-back titles in 1995 and 1996; Iowa becomes first true expansion team to win first-round playoff game following defeat of Rattlers, Aug. 12, 1995; Sept. 1, 1995 before playoff record crowd of 25,087, Storm claim third championship in 5 seasons following 48-35 win over Orlando; Predators' Barry Wagner becomes first player to claim both Ironman of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards.  

1996
League's 10th anniversary; total attendance since 1987 tops 5 million and surpasses one million for season; ESPN's telecast of ArenaBowl X between Tampa Bay and Iowa viewed in 1,037,582 households; Aug. 8, 1996, Orlando defeats Anaheim, 50-44, in OT in league's longest game (68 min., 45 sec.); May 18, 1996, San Jose's Aaron Mills matches pro football record with 63-yard FG vs. Florida; Mustangs completes greatest single season turnaround in league history, improving by 6 wins (4-8 to 10-4); Storm QB Jay Gruden becomes league's first 15,000-yard career passer; Albany's Eddie Brown becomes the first player to surpass 3,000 all-purpose yards in a season.  

1997
Teams in Nashville, New York, New Jersey and Portland make debut in 1997; ESPN Chilton Sports Poll (June 1997) reveals that more than 40 million people know about Arena Football League and 50 million have watched the game on television; in consecutive seasons; more than one million fans attend games; Rattlers lead 14-team attendance circuit with 15,980 per game and defeat Iowa in ArenaBowl XI before team record 17,436; five clubs average more than 50 points per game, league's per game combined point total is all-time high 91.0 per game; first-class of Arena Football Hall of Fame inducted; first annual Hall of Fame Founder's Game played in Des Moines, where Iowa defeats Tampa Bay, 48-27 (April 20); Red Dogs set professional football record with 91 points vs. Texas (June 20); Buffalo, N.Y. awarded expansion team for 1999 season (Aug. 24).  

1998
League draws more than one million fans for third straight season, with Rattlers leading the circuit in consecutive seasons (15,785 per game); league shatters previous mark of 91.6 combined points per game, scoring 97.4 in 1998 (9,541), including record 111.1 in Week 13; AFL Board of Directors approves application of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson to place a team in New Orleans (June 3); Benson is first NFL owner to apply for and purchase an AFL membership; NFL bylaws previously prohibited NFL owners from investing in other football leagues or teams, but an amendment to NFL rules was adopted May 22, 1998, allowing exception for AFL teams in NFL club's own market; ArenaBowl XII -- Orlando claims first championship with 62-31 win over Tampa Bay before 17,222 fans at Ice Palace -- makes national network debut on ABC's Wide World of Sports, earning a 1.6 rating (Aug. 23); ESPN Chilton Sports poll (June 1998) reveals that more than 72 million Americans are fans of the Arena Football League; in addition, ESPN Chilton Sports poll shows that Arena Football was named as one of the "hottest new sports" that has emerged in the United States over last 10 years; AFL completes its purchase of worldwide patent, trademark and copyrights from Gridiron Enterprises, Inc. (Aug. 13); Tinactin( signs on as premier national sponsor (July 16); Milwaukee QB Todd Hammel surpassed Jay Gruden as Arena Football's career passing leader (June 6); San Jose's Steve Papin becomes the second player to gain over 3,000 all-purpose yards in a season and surpasses Albany's Eddie Brown as the all-time leader in all-purpose yards in a season; Texas Terror re-named Houston ThunderBears; Grand Rapids Rampage begins play; Portland Forest Dragons WR/LB Oronde Gadsden signs with the NFL's Miami Dolphins (Aug. 3); Los Angeles awarded team for 2000 season in The STAPLES Center (Nov. 19); League signs letter of intent with Ways and Means productions for the development of a motion picture about the Arena Football League (Dec. 3).  

1999
In an historic day for football at all levels (Feb. 8), NFL agrees to exclusive option to purchase an equity interest in Arena Football League; option can be exercised over next 3 years and would give NFL a minority ownership interest (up to 49.9%) in the AFL and voice in operation of the league (exercising the option is subject to approval of NFL owners)... ESPN will broadcast 11 live Monday Night games, while ABC will televise ArenaBowl XIII Aug. 21, 1999; Commissioner Baker awarded 5-year contract extension, through 2004 season; AFL Board of Directors approves creation of Triple A football league -- arenafootball2 -- for 1999 season, as part of Baker's five-year strategic plan, Arena Football 2000; League unveils Fans' Bill of Rights; 15 teams draw over one million fans for fourth consecutive season; AFL Board of Directors approves an application to a group including former NFL great Walter Payton to begin play in Chicago in 2001 (July 29); Board also approves application for team in Raleigh (July 30) to begin play in 2000 and to a group led by former NFL veteran QB and current ESPN broadcaster Ron Jaworski and former AFL Commissioner Jim Drucker to begin play no later than the 2002 season in a city to be determined; Albany Firebirds, celebrating 10-year anniversary, wins ArenaBowl XIII over the defending champion Orlando Predators, 59-48, to claim first title in team history; ABC Sports broadcasts championship game live for second consecutive season (Aug. 21); Houston's Clint Dolezel (May 14), Nashville's Andy Kelly (June 18) and Albany's Mike Pawlawski (June 26) tie a league-record with 10 TD passes in a single game; Dolezel throws for a league-high 479 yards (May 14); Orlando's Barry Wagner becomes first player to achieve 200 career receiving TDs and surpass the 9,000 yard receiving mark; New York CityHawks, owned by Madison Square Garden, Corp., relocate to Hartford, CT (known as New England Sea Wolves); expansion Buffalo Destroyers begin play; Midway Home Entertainment signs an exclusive four-year contract to develop AFL-licensed football titles for multiple platforms and will release game prior to the 2000 season (Aug. 31); Fan Guides enters into a three-year partnership with the AFL to publish AFL Fan Guides, a free game-day booklet for every fan (Sept. 2); former Iowa Barnstormer and current St. Louis Ram QB Kurt Warner becomes the first NFL quarterback in 50 years to throw three scoring passes in each of his first three starts (Oct. 3); led Rams to team-record 13 wins while being named to the NFL Pro Bowl in first season as starting QB; threw team-record 41 TDs, joining Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino as the only players in NFL history to pass for 40 or more TDs in a single season; earned Associated Press NFL MVP honors; Board of Directors approves move of Portland Forest Dragons to Oklahoma City for upcoming 2000 season, with a fans contest to name the team (Nov. 17); AFL announces multi-year television contract with CBS Cable's TNN, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports effective with the 2000 season. TNN to show Game of the Week during 14 week regular season with playoffs on TNN, ESPN, ESPN2 and ArenaBowl XIV on ABC Sports for third consecutive season; Detroit, under the ownership of Palace Sports & Entertainment and Detroit Lions Chairman, William Clay Ford Jr., announce they have been approved for an AFL team to begin play in the 2000 season, making Ford first NFL owner to field an AFL team (Dec. 1); Washington Redskin owners Daniel Snyder and Fred Drasner awarded team to begin play in D.C. in 2003 season (Dec. 3); SFX Sports joins AFL in two-year deal to act as league's marketing representative by providing national sponsorship development, ticket sales initiatives and promotional marketing (Dec. 14); AFL unveils 2000 schedule, featuring 14-week, 126-game schedule with an all-time high 18 teams, and expanded playoff format to 12 teams (Dec. 22).  

2000
Mary Ellen Garling named Executive Director of arenafootball2, becoming the first ever female to head up a professional or semi pro football league; Robert Banks, Director of Football Operations and Team Services, and Matthew Eres, Director of Communications/Sponsor Relations, join the arenafootball2 staff; The arenafootball2 League Office announces they will launch their inaugural season with 15 teams located primarily in the southeast; The season will commence with a "Kickoff 2000" game between the Tennessee Valley Vipers and the Birmingham Steeldogs; af2 unveils 2000 schedule, featuring an 18-week, 120-game schedule, all culminating with the ArenaCup on August 12; af2 launches their official league website at www.af2.com.