I miss having games at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo. I only got to see the Sabres at the Aud during an open practice in early 1996, but at four years old you don't expect music during the practice. I was louder than at games now and now there's no music ast Sabres open practices. Other than that, I was at the circus the year before - I never liked circus but wasn't afraid of anything in them. The noise that day caused my dad and I to leave the morning skate after five minutes. Looking back at that moment, I wish I got to either stay a little longer or have been a little older that year. But the late 90s and early 2000s were good to go to any kind of game at then Marine Midland Arena.
Since the Bandits of the NLL are the best franchise in the area, it's fitting that the Aud was an integral part of their early years. As the Thieves won the championships in 1992 and 1993, Bob "Buff" McCready started the 92 season 0-3 when he resigned and Les Bartley (who was the team scout) was promoted he would become one of the best coaches in league history. The Bandits finished the 92 with a 5-0 record, then winning all three playoff games. The 93 championship capped off what is to this day the only perfect season in league history, which was in the middle of a 24 game winning streak that would end mid-season the following season.
Between the 92 and 96, the Bandits and Philadelphia Wings would face each other in four of the next five championship matches, with Buffalo losing in the semifinal to Philly in the 95 postseason and Philly losing to the original Boston Blazes in 97. In the 95 semifinal, the NLL's "attendance rule" was in effect as Philadelphia (who had the better record) did not host because Buffalo drew better crowds that season. The latter half of championships saw the Wings take 94, preventing a three-peat and giving themselves three total titles. The 96 final was just the opposite, as the Theives won that final under the guidance of hall of fame bound Pat O'Toole. His nemesis of the 97 finals, soon to be all-star goalie and now general manager of the Bandits Steve Dietrich was inducted last month.
Following 97, Bartley along with then Bandit Jim Veltman went to the expansion Ontario Raiders now the Toronto Rock. Bartley would continue to win championships - three as a coach, two as general manager (after resigning from coaching due to his fight with colon cancer). The day after the Rock won their fifth champinoship in seven seasons in Toronto, Bartley lost his battle with cancer and the coach of the year award was later renamed in his honor. Bartley's teams advanced to the championship match in all but two seasons during his coaching career.
Since 96, the Bandits have made the championship game three times. Buffalo also have only missed the playoffs in three seasons (99, 01, & 02). Under Darris Kilgour (03-present), the team has never missed the playoffs but had their first sub .500 season. Kilgour joined from the Washington Power from the 2002 season, just befor thier move out west to Denver, becoming the Colorado Mammoth. Kilgour also surpassed the league wins record in 2011 which was held by Les Bartley
*Note: Only I call the team "the Thieves" as it hasn't caught on yet with others.
That reminds me, nobody knows what happened to the other sports after we lost our teams. after the Destroyers were dealt off to Columbus (OH), I was inactive for half the season, then I saw the AFL on NBC game of the week and a game was in Philadelphia who had Tony Graziani at quarterback. I knew of Graziani during his tenure with the LA Avengers. It was Tony G. who made me switch allances. Oddly enough, Philly was the new divisional rivals of the relocated Destroyers. Philly would go on tow win the final championship in 2008 of the original era of the AFL. They would go on to lose the 2012 final last week to Arizona, who had lost the last five finals they played, including 2011 to Jacksonville.
As far as indoor soccer, St. Louis was my second favorite team in the NPSL, but they folded with the league too. Because the remaining six teams in the new MISL (02-08) were all rivals to Buffalo. So I then remained impartial until the new St. Louis Steamers emerged two years after their former leauge (the World Indoor Soccer League) also folded in 2001. St. Louis was inactive until joining the MISL for the 03-04 season after two WISL seasons (00 & 01). The Steamers would fold after 05-06. Then, I became of fan of the Detroit Ignition for th 06-07 season, their inaugural year. The following season I became a fan of the expansion New Jersey Ironmen in the event of Detroit folding, so that made them my second team. The the league folded after that season, and the teams dispersed into three
separate leagues.
Detroit and New Jersey were two of four teams to create the new, short-lived Xtreme Soccer League. Meanwhile I would follow the MISL's California/Stockton Cougars into the Professional Arena Soccer League - Pro until they folded following the end of the 09-10 season and were absorbed by the Turlock Express. My new team would be the 2011 expansion Anaheim Bolts. After the MISL folded, I turned to the Blizzard rivals of the Philadelphia Kixx as the Monterrey LaRaza were the only MISL teams to join the then National Indoor Soccer League. The following season of the NISL saw the league name change to become the third MISL as well as Milwaukee joining the new mISL form the XSL. That was the last season for the Kixx, so I took two new expansion teams as number one and two. The Missouri Comets were the first and the Syracuse Silver Knights followed which immediately created a rivalry with the newly formed Rochester Lancers.
If you prefer, some arenas have multi-filed layouts as with outdoor turf stadiums. I have accomodated for that here. Detroit and Buffalo each had one for a while, though I am remiss as to other arenas with them. If you'd like a vintage template, recolor the turf to a medium between green and light green.
I know that was a lot of info to take in, but I am putting as much as I can into related posts before I leave for my Boston tip on Wednesday. Posts for the remainder of the week will be automated. That's because we leave early in the morning tomorrow. Have fun this week!
-Ricky
Since the Bandits of the NLL are the best franchise in the area, it's fitting that the Aud was an integral part of their early years. As the Thieves won the championships in 1992 and 1993, Bob "Buff" McCready started the 92 season 0-3 when he resigned and Les Bartley (who was the team scout) was promoted he would become one of the best coaches in league history. The Bandits finished the 92 with a 5-0 record, then winning all three playoff games. The 93 championship capped off what is to this day the only perfect season in league history, which was in the middle of a 24 game winning streak that would end mid-season the following season.
Between the 92 and 96, the Bandits and Philadelphia Wings would face each other in four of the next five championship matches, with Buffalo losing in the semifinal to Philly in the 95 postseason and Philly losing to the original Boston Blazes in 97. In the 95 semifinal, the NLL's "attendance rule" was in effect as Philadelphia (who had the better record) did not host because Buffalo drew better crowds that season. The latter half of championships saw the Wings take 94, preventing a three-peat and giving themselves three total titles. The 96 final was just the opposite, as the Theives won that final under the guidance of hall of fame bound Pat O'Toole. His nemesis of the 97 finals, soon to be all-star goalie and now general manager of the Bandits Steve Dietrich was inducted last month.
Following 97, Bartley along with then Bandit Jim Veltman went to the expansion Ontario Raiders now the Toronto Rock. Bartley would continue to win championships - three as a coach, two as general manager (after resigning from coaching due to his fight with colon cancer). The day after the Rock won their fifth champinoship in seven seasons in Toronto, Bartley lost his battle with cancer and the coach of the year award was later renamed in his honor. Bartley's teams advanced to the championship match in all but two seasons during his coaching career.
Since 96, the Bandits have made the championship game three times. Buffalo also have only missed the playoffs in three seasons (99, 01, & 02). Under Darris Kilgour (03-present), the team has never missed the playoffs but had their first sub .500 season. Kilgour joined from the Washington Power from the 2002 season, just befor thier move out west to Denver, becoming the Colorado Mammoth. Kilgour also surpassed the league wins record in 2011 which was held by Les Bartley
*Note: Only I call the team "the Thieves" as it hasn't caught on yet with others.
That reminds me, nobody knows what happened to the other sports after we lost our teams. after the Destroyers were dealt off to Columbus (OH), I was inactive for half the season, then I saw the AFL on NBC game of the week and a game was in Philadelphia who had Tony Graziani at quarterback. I knew of Graziani during his tenure with the LA Avengers. It was Tony G. who made me switch allances. Oddly enough, Philly was the new divisional rivals of the relocated Destroyers. Philly would go on tow win the final championship in 2008 of the original era of the AFL. They would go on to lose the 2012 final last week to Arizona, who had lost the last five finals they played, including 2011 to Jacksonville.
As far as indoor soccer, St. Louis was my second favorite team in the NPSL, but they folded with the league too. Because the remaining six teams in the new MISL (02-08) were all rivals to Buffalo. So I then remained impartial until the new St. Louis Steamers emerged two years after their former leauge (the World Indoor Soccer League) also folded in 2001. St. Louis was inactive until joining the MISL for the 03-04 season after two WISL seasons (00 & 01). The Steamers would fold after 05-06. Then, I became of fan of the Detroit Ignition for th 06-07 season, their inaugural year. The following season I became a fan of the expansion New Jersey Ironmen in the event of Detroit folding, so that made them my second team. The the league folded after that season, and the teams dispersed into three
separate leagues.
Detroit and New Jersey were two of four teams to create the new, short-lived Xtreme Soccer League. Meanwhile I would follow the MISL's California/Stockton Cougars into the Professional Arena Soccer League - Pro until they folded following the end of the 09-10 season and were absorbed by the Turlock Express. My new team would be the 2011 expansion Anaheim Bolts. After the MISL folded, I turned to the Blizzard rivals of the Philadelphia Kixx as the Monterrey LaRaza were the only MISL teams to join the then National Indoor Soccer League. The following season of the NISL saw the league name change to become the third MISL as well as Milwaukee joining the new mISL form the XSL. That was the last season for the Kixx, so I took two new expansion teams as number one and two. The Missouri Comets were the first and the Syracuse Silver Knights followed which immediately created a rivalry with the newly formed Rochester Lancers.
If you prefer, some arenas have multi-filed layouts as with outdoor turf stadiums. I have accomodated for that here. Detroit and Buffalo each had one for a while, though I am remiss as to other arenas with them. If you'd like a vintage template, recolor the turf to a medium between green and light green.
I know that was a lot of info to take in, but I am putting as much as I can into related posts before I leave for my Boston tip on Wednesday. Posts for the remainder of the week will be automated. That's because we leave early in the morning tomorrow. Have fun this week!
-Ricky
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