Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
I can't see how this doesn't fail catastrophically. It's going to be an embarrassment.
When was the last time a professional sports team in North America suspended operations mid-season?
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Apart from that women's hockey League, the last major North American sports team to fold were the Houston Comets of the WNBA in 2008.
The last NHL team to fold were the New York/Brooklyn Americans in '42 due to the war hurting the talent pool and competition with the Rangers. The WHA folded two teams in 79 following its merger with the NHL, the Birmingham Bulls and the Cincinnati Stingers. The year prior (78) the Indianapolis Racers and Houston Aeros folded due to struggling attendance and the year before that (77) The Calgary Cowboys, Minnesota Fighting Saints, San Diego Mariners and Phoenix Roadrunners folded. The WHA was a rocky place to be a hockey fan.
In pro baseball, way back in 1915, an attempted third major league, the Federal League, folded after being unable to compete with the NL and AL that would later merge to become the MLB. Of the 9 teams in the FL, only one city would not receive another Major League team, Newark, NJ. Then host of the Newark Peppers. No AL or NL or MLB teams have since gone defunct, merely being relocated. #Expos
In pro basketball the NBAs Baltimore Bullets folded in 1954 due to absolutely atrocious performance going 3-11. They actually folded after playing only 14 of the 70+ games on their schedule. So this I believe is the actual answer.
The NFLs Dallas Texans folded after their first season in 1952, again due to absolute dog#### performance. Going 1-11. Their one win, was because the other team only played second stringers to rest the actual players and even then they only won with a last second TD. The AFL never had a team fold and I believe every AFL team survived into the NFL.