Limbo teams
Limbo Teams: The Dallas Texans
By Stephen Turk
Naming a team can be a tough endeavor. Previous posts here have dealt with the various processes that take place in giving a team an identity. Some names, however, just don’t seem to work out, as if the name itself dooms the team to failure. It seems kind of silly, but it isn’t totally without merit, those in the sports world are a superstitious bunch. The Texans seems to be one such name.
There is a current team, the Houston Texans, who entered the NFL in a recent expansion. They have struggled in their years of existence, and I can only hope for Houston fans that these current Texans fare better than the Texans of old. › Continue reading
Limbo Teams: The Baltimore Colts, Part II
By Stephen Turk
In the ring of honor at the Baltimore Ravens stadium, are the names of all hall of fame Baltimore Colts. Having never played in Indianapolis or for the Ravens franchise, they are in team limbo, and belong to no one but the fans who loved them.
After 1954, firmly rooted in Baltimore, the Colts began their ascent toward greatness. The Baltimore Colts got good the way any team does. They had some smart drafting, some good trades, and a measure of luck. The team had a couple of solid holdovers from the Dallas Texans days, including future hall of famers Art Donovan and Gino Marchetti. In 1956 Lenny Moore, another future hall of famer, was drafted in the first round. A solid team was being built, but clearly the greatest move of all was acquiring Johnny Unitas.
Unitas had been cut by his native Pittsburgh after being picked in the ninth round, and was relegated to playing semi-pro ball before going to a tryout for the Baltimore Colts in 1956. He was signed, and played in the fourth game of the season when the starter went down. He was terrible. › Continue reading
Limbo Teams: The Baltimore Colts, Part I
By Stephen Turk
What is a team in limbo? When a team goes defunct, either through moving or folding entirely, the former team is gone for all intents and purposes. But when considering the historical value of a defunct team, there is a whole story there. There are front office decisions for a team that doesn’t exist any more, there are records set and statistics recorded for a nonexistent entity, there are photos of a team that doesn’t play anymore. It’s in this way that a team becomes a limbo team; a team that exists in memories and stats, but not in the present day. › Continue reading