Baltimore Colts relocation controversy
Encyclopedia
The Baltimore Colts
relocation controversy was the decision by then-Colts owner Robert Irsay
to move the National Football League
team from Baltimore
, Maryland
to Indianapolis
, Indiana
completely unannounced and in the wee hours of March 29, 1984 after years of fighting over a new stadium to replace the inadequate Memorial Stadium
. Twenty-six years after the move, it is still bitter to many Baltimore natives, and would have a lasting impact on the NFL, including another controversial relocation
twelve years later.
, Memorial Stadium was considered inadequate for both the Colts and Major League Baseball
's Baltimore Orioles
. In May 1969, the city of Baltimore announced it would seek a “substantial” increase in Memorial Stadium
rental fees from Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom
and the team itself. Rosenbloom had already called Memorial Stadium “antiquated” and had threatened to move all Colts home games out of the stadium unless improvements were made. Rosenbloom even considered using $12–20 million of his own money to help fund the building of a new football only stadium on land in adjoining Baltimore County. By November 1971, Rosenbloom announced that the Colts would not return to Memorial Stadium
when their lease ran out following the 1972 season and that he was not interested in negotiating with the city anymore. He wanted out of Baltimore for a few reasons — Team revenue, problems with Baltimore Orioles
ownership relating to Memorial Stadium and food sales/parking fees, a running feud with the Baltimore press, and his new wife's
desire to move to the West Coast. Will Keland, a real estate investor was originally slated to buy the Colts from Rosenbloom. However, Keland could not generate enough funds necessary to purchase the team. But his golfing buddy, Robert Irsay
who originally was only slated to own 1 percent of the team, did have the money available and he moved in to make the purchase. On July 13, 1972, Robert Irsay became the owner of the Colts. Under the terms of the arrangement, Irsay bought the Los Angeles Rams for $19 million, then traded them to Rosenbloom for the Colts and $3 million in cash. The players for each team remained in their respective cities.
In 1971, Baltimore mayor William Donald Schaefer
and the state's governor, Marvin Mandel
, created a stadium committee to examine the city's stadium needs. Their report was a blow to Memorial Stadium. Some of the problems mentioned: 10,000 of the stadium's seats had views that were "less than desirable"; 20,000 seats were out-dated bench seats that had no back support; 7,000 so called seats were actually poorly constructed temporary bleachers that were installed for football games only. Also, there was not enough office space adequate enough for the front offices of either the Orioles or Colts, much less both teams combined. Both teams had to share locker rooms, the upper deck of Memorial Stadium did not circle the field, ending instead at the 50-yard line, thousands of potential seats (and added revenue) were missing. Any expansion plans for the stadium had usually mentioned less attractive (and less expensive) end-zone seats, not upper deck seating. And the number of bathroom facilities in Memorial Stadium was deemed inadequate.
But the proposal did not receive support to pass the Maryland legislature, in spite of assurances that contributions from taxpayers would be limited strictly to city and state loans. And on February 27, 1974, Maryland's Governor Mandel pulled the plug on the idea. Orioles owner Jerold Hoffberger
was blunt: "I will bow to the will of the people. They have told us what they want to tell us. First, they don't want a new park and second, they don't want a club." Robert Irsay
was willing to wait. "Its not a matter of saying that there will be no stadium. Its a matter of getting the facts together so everybody is happy when they build the stadium. I'm a patient man. I think the people of Baltimore
are going to see those new stadiums in New Orleans
and Seattle
opening in a year or two around the country, and they are going to realize they need a stadium ... for conventions and other things besides football."
But Hyman Pressman, Baltimore's comptroller, was against using any public funds to build a new stadium. During the 1974 elections, Pressman had an amendment to the city's charter placed on the fall ballot. Known as Question P, the amendment called for declaring "the 33rd Street stadium as a memorial to war veterans and prohibiting use of city funds for construction of any other stadium." The measure passed 56 percent to 44 percent, and the same political motivations that had been used to upgrade the then Baltimore Stadium (Originally built in 1922) in the late-40s and rename it Memorial Stadium, effectively destroyed any chance of a new, modern sports complex being built in Baltimore.
, Arizona
in 1976 and then Indianapolis
, Indiana
in 1977 about the possibility of relocating his team to one of those cities. In 1976, he acknowledged publicly that he had received an "attractive offer" to move the franchise to Phoenix, Arizona. Then in 1977 said "I like Baltimore and want to stay there, but when are we going to find out something about our stadium? I'm getting offers from towns like Indianapolis
to build me a new stadium and give me other inducements to move there. I dont want to but I'd like to see some action in Baltimore". In 1979, Hoffberger sold the Orioles to Washington D.C. attorney Edward Bennett Williams
, who declared 1980 to be a trial year for the fans of Baltimore. He then went on to explain his concerns with Memorial Stadium, saying it had "inadequate parking and inadequate access and egress. Frankly, I dont know if those problems will ever be solvable at that location,". Irsay began shopping the Colts around in earnest, talking first to officials from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Commission, Memphis
, Tennessee
and Jacksonville
, Florida
where he visited the Gator Bowl packed with 50,000 cheering fans trying to convince him that Jacksonville would be the best home for the Colts. That same year Irsay presented Maryland's Governor Harry Hughes
with a request for $25 million in renovation to the 64,124 seat Memorial Stadium
. Irsay's request for $25 million in improvements was decreased to $23 million by the Maryland legislature. The plan added more seats (but none of the revenue-generating skyboxes), improving the plumbing and would've given both teams better office space. The plans approval was contingent on both the Colts and Baltimore Orioles
signing long term leases. The Orioles challenged the requested football improvements and refused to sign anything more than a one year lease. Irsay also refused to sign long term. As a result, the funds and improvements never came.
) began. Deputy Mayor David Frick, who would later lead the negotiations with the Colts and then go on to become chairman of the Indiana state commission that would oversee construction of the RCA Dome
's replacement, Lucas Oil Stadium
, would say that the RCA Dome was a key to changing the city's image. "Sports was an element in our game plan to change the image of the city back in the late 1970s, early 1980s,".
In February 1983, after relations between Irsay and the city of Baltimore had deteriorated significantly, Baltimore Mayor Schaefer asked the Maryland General Assembly to approve $15 million for renovation to Memorial Stadium
. The legislature did not approve the request until the following spring, after the Colts' lease had expired, and only half of that $15 million would go towards improvements that the Colts were seeking (The other half for the Orioles'). However, Baltimore reportedly did offer Irsay a $15 million loan at 6.5%, a guarantee of at least 43,000 tickets sold per game for six years, and the purchase of the team's Owings Mills
training facility for $4 million.
, Phoenix
, Indianapolis
, Birmingham
, Jacksonville
and Memphis
) eventually narrowing the list of cities to two, Phoenix and Indianapolis. In January 1984, Baltimore's mayor Schaefer stated "We're not going to build a new stadium. We do not have the bonding capacity. We dont have the voters or taxpayer who can support a $60 million stadium. One-third of the people in Baltimore pay taxes. Unless private enterprise builds it, we wont build it." The Phoenix Metropolitan Sports Foundation, headed by real estate developer Eddie Lynch, along with Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt
and other top Arizona officials, had secretly met with Irsay early in January 1984. Preliminary talks seemed promising. Phoenix
was offering a below market rate $15,000,000.00 loan and rent free use of the 71,000 seat Sun Devil Stadium
on the campus of Arizona State University
. (Sun Devil Stadium would later serve as the home to the Arizona Cardinals
from 1988-2005 after the team moved there from St. Louis, Missouri
; that team has since moved into University of Phoenix Stadium
within that market.) A second meeting was scheduled between Irsay and the Phoenix group. But when word of a second scheduled meeting leaked out and was reported by the media on the Friday before the Super Bowl
, Irsay canceled. Meanwhile, Indianapolis and local real estate developer Robert Welch
, were lobbying the NFL to bring an expansion team to the city, with Welch as team owner. Welch also had personal discussions with New Orleans Saints
owner John Mecom about buying the team and moving it to Indianapolis.
In January 1984, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle
announced that expansion had been put on hold. As a result of that announcement, Indiana Pacers
' owner Herb Simon contacted Colts officials in order to take negotiations between the club and Indianapolis to the next level. Mayor Hudnut then assigned deputy mayor David Frick to begin secret negotiations with Colts counsel Michael Chernoff. On February 13, Colts representatives came to town to look at the Hoosier Dome construction. Colts owner Robert Irsay visited on February 23. "He [Irsay] was visibly moved," former deputy mayor Dave Frick said commenting on Irsay's reaction to entering the brand new domed stadium. "Emotionally, he was making the move." Meanwhile in Baltimore, the situation worsened. Eventually, the Maryland
legislature intervened and on March 27, the Maryland Senate passed legislation giving the city of Baltimore the right to seize ownership of the team by eminent domain
(An idea first floated in a memo written by Baltimore mayoral aide Mark Wasserman). Robert Irsay said that his move was "a direct result" of the eminent domain bill and Colts counsel Michael Chernoff would say of the move by the Maryland legislature "They not only threw down the gauntlet, but they put a gun to his head and cocked it and asked, 'Want to see if it's loaded?' They forced him to make a decision that day".
, and 15 trucks were dispatched to the team's Owings Mills, Maryland training complex at 2:00 AM on March 29 because it was feared the franchise would be seized early the following morning. Workers loaded all of the team's belongings and the trucks left for Indianapolis. By 10:00 AM, the Colts were completely gone from Baltimore. Later that day the Maryland House of Delegates also passed the Eminent Domain
bill by a vote of 103-19 and the legislation taking control of the Colts was sent to Maryland Governor Harry Hughes
and signed.
Departing Maryland, each of the Mayflower trucks took a slightly different route on the way to Indianapolis. This was done to confuse the Maryland State Police
, who could've been called on to put a stop to the move. Once each van was at the Indiana state line, it was met by Indiana State Police
, who escorted each van to the Colts new home in Indianapolis. Later John Moag, Jr., chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, stated in sworn testimony before the U.S. Senate subcommittee responsible for the Fan Freedom and Community Protection Act: "It was the failure of our local (Baltimore) and state elected officials in Maryland to provide the Colts with a firm proposal for a new stadium that led Mr. Irsay to accept an offer from Indianapolis to play in a new dome in that city."
Baltimore's Mayor Schaefer, who had been promised a call by Irsay if the team was to move (but never received one), appeared on the front page of the Baltimore Sun in tears. After the Colts left, and in spite of his earlier stance that the city of Baltimore would not build a new stadium, he placed the building of a new stadium at the top of his legislative agenda.
Indianapolis Mayor Hudnut held a press conference March 29 to announce an agreement had been reached and the team was on its way to Indianapolis. The deal was sealed March 30 with approval by the Capital Improvement Board, which operated the Hoosier Dome. Two days later, 20,000 new Colts fans cheered as Mayor Hudnut proclaimed March 29, 1984, "one of the greatest days in the history of this city."
that the Colts won in Super Bowl V
.
The United States Football League
reacted promptly to the move. The league's 1984
champions, the Philadelphia Stars
, relocated to Baltimore for the 1985 season
to capitalize on the departure of the Colts. Unfortunately for the Stars, the Colts, despite abandoning Memorial Stadium, were still able to block the Stars from using it, forcing the team to move to Byrd Stadium
, roughly halfway between Baltimore and Washington, DC. The rechristened "Baltimore Stars" won the 1985 championship as well. Had the USFL played its proposed fall season in 1986, Baltimore, by virtue of not being up against an NFL team in its market, would have been a part of it, but the league suspended operations and ultimately folded before the season could take place.
Representatives of Baltimore and the Colts organization reached a settlement in March 1986 in which all lawsuits regarding the relocation were dismissed, and the Colts would endorse a new NFL team for Baltimore. Unfortunately, the Irsay family refused to adhere to the deal and during the 1993 NFL expansion the Irsays endorsed Jacksonville and Carolina for expansion franchises. Because of the manner in which the Irsay family treated the City of Baltimore, all of the Hall of Fame Baltimore Colts chose to cut all ties to the relocated Colts team . Most notable and vocal among them was Johnny Unitas
, who declared himself solely as a player for the Baltimore Colts until the day he died, with his estate defending that stance to this day . However, the NFL officially recognizes his achievements and records as the history of the Colts organization and as such are attributed to the current Colts organization and not any subsequent NFL team in Baltimore.
One aspect that would remain in Baltimore would be the Baltimore Colts Marching Band
. According to an ESPN
documentary directed by Baltimore
native Barry Levinson
called "The Band That Wouldn't Die", band leaders got advance warning that the team was being moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis overnight and were able to remove their equipment from team headquarters before the moving vans arrived. At the time of the move, the band's uniforms were being dry-cleaned. Band President John Ziemann contacted the owner of the dry cleaners, who was sympathetic, told Ziemann where the uniforms were and offered to let Ziemann take the company van "for a walk." Ziemann and some associates then hid the uniforms in a nearby cemetery until the wife of then-Colts owner Robert Irsay
said they could keep them. From 1984 until the NFL returned to Baltimore in 1996, the band stayed together, playing at football halftime shows and marching in parades, eventually becoming well known as "Baltimore's Pro-Football Musical Ambassadors". The band remained an all-volunteer band as it is today and supported itself. At one point, John Ziemann pawned his wife's wedding ring for the money to buy new equipment.
When the Canadian Football League
decided to expand into the United States
, Baltimore was a natural selection for an American CFL team, as the city was much closer to Canada than the other expansion teams' markets. The Baltimore Stallions
were originally named the Baltimore CFL Colts, but an injunction by the NFL forced the name change to Stallions. After coming in second place its first year and winning the Grey Cup
the next, the team moved to Montreal
and became the current incarnation of the Montreal Alouettes
when the NFL returned to Baltimore.
Ironically, the city of Baltimore would return to the NFL in a very similar manner that left Baltimore. On November 6, 1995, Cleveland Browns
owner Art Modell
announced his intention to move the Browns to Baltimore
for the 1996 NFL season
. Like most other sports teams relocations including the relocation of the Colts, Modell had intended on keeping the Browns name, colors, history, trophies, archives, and other artifacts with him to Baltimore for the rechristened Baltimore Browns. However, subsequent lawsuits by the City of Cleveland led to a settlement that allowed Modell have a new team but move the current contracts of players and personnel to Baltimore while the Browns would officially suspend operations until the 1999 NFL season
, in which the Browns would return as an expansion team
, as the Browns' name, colors, history, records, awards and archives would remain in Cleveland (the last NFL team to completely suspend operations temporarily, coincidentally, was also a Cleveland team at the time: the Rams
, who suspended operations for one year in 1943 because of World War II, later moved to Los Angeles
and now are based in St. Louis). The team would subsequently become the Baltimore Ravens
, and would later adopt the Colts Marching Band, which in 1998 was renamed Baltimore's Marching Ravens
. While both the NFL and the Colts consider the Colts' Baltimore years as part of their history, the Ravens unofficially claim the 1953-1983 Colts years as their own, and retired Baltimore Colts players have adopted the Ravens as their team.
The Colts' final game in Baltimore was played on December 18, 1983 against the Houston Oilers
. The Colts won 20-10. The Oilers would thirteen years later, play their final game before moving to Tennessee
against the Baltimore Ravens at Memorial Stadium (the now-Tennessee Titans
are currently one of the Colts' division rivals). The Colts would not play another game in Baltimore until 1998. Since then, the Colts have played in Baltimore several more times during the regular season (most recently in 2009
). The teams have had two playoff matchups during that time, one in Baltimore (2006) and one in Indianapolis (2009), where in the 2006-07 playoffs
, the Ravens
hosted the Colts
in an AFC Divisional Playoff game (2006) and Colts hosted Ravens in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game. The Colts won the 2006 game en route to their first Super Bowl
win since moving to Indianapolis. The current rivalry between the two teams is one-sided in favor of the Colts (who lead the series 9-2, all-time), meaning much more to the fans and players of the city of Baltimore . In Indianapolis, a game against the Ravens is viewed as nothing more than a non-divisional game. When the Colts play a game in Baltimore the name Colts is not used. The Colts are introduced as the Indianapolis professional football team and referred to as Indy on the stadium scoreboards.
Although Baltimore is still bitter by the situation, most of the rest of the NFL had long since moved on. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
, whose father Archie Manning
was playing for the Minnesota Vikings
at the time of the move, said in an interview for America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions
after the Colts won Super Bowl XLI
when focusing on the playoff game against the Ravens that he was eight years old when the Colts moved, that none of the current players had any connection to the former Baltimore team, and that Baltimore needs to move on.
The last Baltimore Colt who was active in the NFL—though he never suited up for the Colts—was John Elway
, who infamously spurned the Colts after they selected him with the first overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft
and subsequently traded his right to the Denver Broncos
one week after the draft. Elway retired after winning back-to-back Super Bowls with the Broncos following the 1998 NFL season
. It can be said that Elway spurning the Colts was another reason that led to the Colts moving the following year. Punter Rohn Stark
was the last active Baltimore Colt who actually played for the team while in Baltimore, retiring after the 1997 NFL season
.
Since the formation of the Ravens, both teams have won the Super Bowl
. The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV
, while the Colts won Super Bowl XLI
and played in Super Bowl XLIV
.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
relocation controversy was the decision by then-Colts owner Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay , was an American professional football team owner. He owned the National Football League's Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise and, briefly, the former Los Angeles Rams.-Biography:...
to move the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
team from Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
completely unannounced and in the wee hours of March 29, 1984 after years of fighting over a new stadium to replace the inadequate Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. Twenty-six years after the move, it is still bitter to many Baltimore natives, and would have a lasting impact on the NFL, including another controversial relocation
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...
twelve years later.
Actions leading up to the move
Despite being successful since arriving in Baltimore for the 1953 NFL season1953 NFL season
The 1953 NFL season was the 34th regular season of the National Football League. The names of the American and National conferences were changed to the Eastern and Western conferences....
, Memorial Stadium was considered inadequate for both the Colts and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In May 1969, the city of Baltimore announced it would seek a “substantial” increase in Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium may refer to:In Canada:* Memorial Stadium , St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; former home of the St. John's Maple LeafsIn the United Kingdom:...
rental fees from Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom was an American entrepreneur and former owner of two professional football teams, the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams....
and the team itself. Rosenbloom had already called Memorial Stadium “antiquated” and had threatened to move all Colts home games out of the stadium unless improvements were made. Rosenbloom even considered using $12–20 million of his own money to help fund the building of a new football only stadium on land in adjoining Baltimore County. By November 1971, Rosenbloom announced that the Colts would not return to Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
when their lease ran out following the 1972 season and that he was not interested in negotiating with the city anymore. He wanted out of Baltimore for a few reasons — Team revenue, problems with Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
ownership relating to Memorial Stadium and food sales/parking fees, a running feud with the Baltimore press, and his new wife's
Georgia Frontiere
Georgia Frontiere was the majority owner and chairman of the St. Louis Rams football team and the most prominent female owner in a league historically dominated by males....
desire to move to the West Coast. Will Keland, a real estate investor was originally slated to buy the Colts from Rosenbloom. However, Keland could not generate enough funds necessary to purchase the team. But his golfing buddy, Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay , was an American professional football team owner. He owned the National Football League's Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise and, briefly, the former Los Angeles Rams.-Biography:...
who originally was only slated to own 1 percent of the team, did have the money available and he moved in to make the purchase. On July 13, 1972, Robert Irsay became the owner of the Colts. Under the terms of the arrangement, Irsay bought the Los Angeles Rams for $19 million, then traded them to Rosenbloom for the Colts and $3 million in cash. The players for each team remained in their respective cities.
In 1971, Baltimore mayor William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer was an American politician who served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. A Democrat, he was mayor of Baltimore from 1971 to 1987, the 58th Governor of Maryland from January 21, 1987 to January 18, 1995, and the Comptroller of...
and the state's governor, Marvin Mandel
Marvin Mandel
Marvin Mandel , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 56th Governor of Maryland in the United States from January 7, 1969, to January 17, 1979. He was Maryland's first, and, to date, only Jewish governor.- Early life :...
, created a stadium committee to examine the city's stadium needs. Their report was a blow to Memorial Stadium. Some of the problems mentioned: 10,000 of the stadium's seats had views that were "less than desirable"; 20,000 seats were out-dated bench seats that had no back support; 7,000 so called seats were actually poorly constructed temporary bleachers that were installed for football games only. Also, there was not enough office space adequate enough for the front offices of either the Orioles or Colts, much less both teams combined. Both teams had to share locker rooms, the upper deck of Memorial Stadium did not circle the field, ending instead at the 50-yard line, thousands of potential seats (and added revenue) were missing. Any expansion plans for the stadium had usually mentioned less attractive (and less expensive) end-zone seats, not upper deck seating. And the number of bathroom facilities in Memorial Stadium was deemed inadequate.
Baltodome project
Maryland's planners came up with an ambitious project. Nicknamed the Baltodome, the original plan was to create a facility near the city's Inner Harbor known as Camden Yards. The new stadium would host 70,000 fans for football games, 55,000 for baseball and 20,000 as an arena for hockey or basketball. For an estimated $78 million, the city would build a facility that would have kept all parties happy; Orioles owner Hoffberger, Colts owner Irsay, the Stadium Complex Authority (whose Chairman Edmond Rovner reiterated in 1972 that "A major consideration in Mr. Irsay's trading of franchises, was the city's firm commitment to proceed with these plans."), Baltimore Mayor Schaefer and the state's governor, Marvin Mandel.But the proposal did not receive support to pass the Maryland legislature, in spite of assurances that contributions from taxpayers would be limited strictly to city and state loans. And on February 27, 1974, Maryland's Governor Mandel pulled the plug on the idea. Orioles owner Jerold Hoffberger
Jerold Hoffberger
Jerold Charles 'Jerry' Hoffberger was an American businessman. He was president of the National Brewing Company from 1946 to 1973. He was also part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League from 1954 to 1965, and majority owner from 1965 to 1979.-Biography:Hoffberger was a lifelong...
was blunt: "I will bow to the will of the people. They have told us what they want to tell us. First, they don't want a new park and second, they don't want a club." Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay , was an American professional football team owner. He owned the National Football League's Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise and, briefly, the former Los Angeles Rams.-Biography:...
was willing to wait. "Its not a matter of saying that there will be no stadium. Its a matter of getting the facts together so everybody is happy when they build the stadium. I'm a patient man. I think the people of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
are going to see those new stadiums in New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
and Seattle
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
opening in a year or two around the country, and they are going to realize they need a stadium ... for conventions and other things besides football."
But Hyman Pressman, Baltimore's comptroller, was against using any public funds to build a new stadium. During the 1974 elections, Pressman had an amendment to the city's charter placed on the fall ballot. Known as Question P, the amendment called for declaring "the 33rd Street stadium as a memorial to war veterans and prohibiting use of city funds for construction of any other stadium." The measure passed 56 percent to 44 percent, and the same political motivations that had been used to upgrade the then Baltimore Stadium (Originally built in 1922) in the late-40s and rename it Memorial Stadium, effectively destroyed any chance of a new, modern sports complex being built in Baltimore.
1975–1980
Although the Colts made the playoffs for three straight years from 1975–77, there had still been no progress made on a new park for the team. Robert Irsay first spoke with PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in 1976 and then Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in 1977 about the possibility of relocating his team to one of those cities. In 1976, he acknowledged publicly that he had received an "attractive offer" to move the franchise to Phoenix, Arizona. Then in 1977 said "I like Baltimore and want to stay there, but when are we going to find out something about our stadium? I'm getting offers from towns like Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
to build me a new stadium and give me other inducements to move there. I dont want to but I'd like to see some action in Baltimore". In 1979, Hoffberger sold the Orioles to Washington D.C. attorney Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams was a Washington, D.C. trial attorney who founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly and owned several professional sports teams...
, who declared 1980 to be a trial year for the fans of Baltimore. He then went on to explain his concerns with Memorial Stadium, saying it had "inadequate parking and inadequate access and egress. Frankly, I dont know if those problems will ever be solvable at that location,". Irsay began shopping the Colts around in earnest, talking first to officials from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
Commission, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
where he visited the Gator Bowl packed with 50,000 cheering fans trying to convince him that Jacksonville would be the best home for the Colts. That same year Irsay presented Maryland's Governor Harry Hughes
Harry Hughes
Harry Roe Hughes , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 57th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1979 to 1987.-Early life and family:...
with a request for $25 million in renovation to the 64,124 seat Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. Irsay's request for $25 million in improvements was decreased to $23 million by the Maryland legislature. The plan added more seats (but none of the revenue-generating skyboxes), improving the plumbing and would've given both teams better office space. The plans approval was contingent on both the Colts and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
signing long term leases. The Orioles challenged the requested football improvements and refused to sign anything more than a one year lease. Irsay also refused to sign long term. As a result, the funds and improvements never came.
Relocation to Indianapolis
Under the administration of Mayor Richard Lugar and then continuing with William Hudnut, Indianapolis was making a serious effort to reinvent itself into a 'Great American City'. In 1979, Indianapolis community leaders created the Indiana Sports Corp. in order to attract major sports events to central Indiana. The next year, Indianapolis Mayor William Hudnut appointed a committee to study the feasibility of building a new stadium that could serve primarily as a boon to the city's convention business and, secondarily, as a lure for an NFL team.Construction of the Hoosier Dome begins
In 1982, construction on the Hoosier Dome (later renamed the RCA DomeRCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
) began. Deputy Mayor David Frick, who would later lead the negotiations with the Colts and then go on to become chairman of the Indiana state commission that would oversee construction of the RCA Dome
RCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
's replacement, Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
, would say that the RCA Dome was a key to changing the city's image. "Sports was an element in our game plan to change the image of the city back in the late 1970s, early 1980s,".
In February 1983, after relations between Irsay and the city of Baltimore had deteriorated significantly, Baltimore Mayor Schaefer asked the Maryland General Assembly to approve $15 million for renovation to Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. The legislature did not approve the request until the following spring, after the Colts' lease had expired, and only half of that $15 million would go towards improvements that the Colts were seeking (The other half for the Orioles'). However, Baltimore reportedly did offer Irsay a $15 million loan at 6.5%, a guarantee of at least 43,000 tickets sold per game for six years, and the purchase of the team's Owings Mills
Owings Mills, Maryland
Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 20,193 at the 2000 census. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus for the Baltimore Metro Subway and to Owings Mills Mall....
training facility for $4 million.
Negotiations with Phoenix
On March 2, 1983 NFL owners voted to give Irsay permission to move his franchise to the city of his choosing. Irsay continued discussions with several cities hungry for an NFL franchise (New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
) eventually narrowing the list of cities to two, Phoenix and Indianapolis. In January 1984, Baltimore's mayor Schaefer stated "We're not going to build a new stadium. We do not have the bonding capacity. We dont have the voters or taxpayer who can support a $60 million stadium. One-third of the people in Baltimore pay taxes. Unless private enterprise builds it, we wont build it." The Phoenix Metropolitan Sports Foundation, headed by real estate developer Eddie Lynch, along with Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Edward Babbitt , a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior and as the 16th governor of Arizona, from 1978 to 1987.-Biography:...
and other top Arizona officials, had secretly met with Irsay early in January 1984. Preliminary talks seemed promising. Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
was offering a below market rate $15,000,000.00 loan and rent free use of the 71,000 seat Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
on the campus of Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. (Sun Devil Stadium would later serve as the home to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1988-2005 after the team moved there from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
; that team has since moved into University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
within that market.) A second meeting was scheduled between Irsay and the Phoenix group. But when word of a second scheduled meeting leaked out and was reported by the media on the Friday before the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, Irsay canceled. Meanwhile, Indianapolis and local real estate developer Robert Welch
Robert Welch
Robert Welch may refer to:*Robert Stanley Welch , politician in Ontario, Canada*Robert W. Welch, Jr. , American anti-communist and co-founder of the John Birch Society*Robert Welch , British designer and silversmith...
, were lobbying the NFL to bring an expansion team to the city, with Welch as team owner. Welch also had personal discussions with New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
owner John Mecom about buying the team and moving it to Indianapolis.
In January 1984, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....
announced that expansion had been put on hold. As a result of that announcement, Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
' owner Herb Simon contacted Colts officials in order to take negotiations between the club and Indianapolis to the next level. Mayor Hudnut then assigned deputy mayor David Frick to begin secret negotiations with Colts counsel Michael Chernoff. On February 13, Colts representatives came to town to look at the Hoosier Dome construction. Colts owner Robert Irsay visited on February 23. "He [Irsay] was visibly moved," former deputy mayor Dave Frick said commenting on Irsay's reaction to entering the brand new domed stadium. "Emotionally, he was making the move." Meanwhile in Baltimore, the situation worsened. Eventually, the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
legislature intervened and on March 27, the Maryland Senate passed legislation giving the city of Baltimore the right to seize ownership of the team by eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
(An idea first floated in a memo written by Baltimore mayoral aide Mark Wasserman). Robert Irsay said that his move was "a direct result" of the eminent domain bill and Colts counsel Michael Chernoff would say of the move by the Maryland legislature "They not only threw down the gauntlet, but they put a gun to his head and cocked it and asked, 'Want to see if it's loaded?' They forced him to make a decision that day".
March 29, 1984
On March 28, 1984, Phoenix businessmen withdrew their offer citing the recent legislative moves in Maryland and Irsay called the Indianapolis Mayor that afternoon and began serious negotiations in order to move the team before the Maryland legislature's other chamber could pass similar legislation. The city of Indianapolis offered the Colts owner a $12,500,000 loan, a $4,000,000 training complex, and the use of the brand new $77.5 million, 57,980 seat Hoosier Dome. After Irsay agreed to the deal, the Indianapolis Mayor called John B. Smith, his friend, neighbor and chief executive officer of Mayflower TransitMayflower Transit
Mayflower Transit, LLC is a moving company, now part of UniGroup, Inc. Founded in 1927, it is the nation's oldest van line and has the most recognized name in moving.- History :...
, and 15 trucks were dispatched to the team's Owings Mills, Maryland training complex at 2:00 AM on March 29 because it was feared the franchise would be seized early the following morning. Workers loaded all of the team's belongings and the trucks left for Indianapolis. By 10:00 AM, the Colts were completely gone from Baltimore. Later that day the Maryland House of Delegates also passed the Eminent Domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
bill by a vote of 103-19 and the legislation taking control of the Colts was sent to Maryland Governor Harry Hughes
Harry Hughes
Harry Roe Hughes , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 57th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1979 to 1987.-Early life and family:...
and signed.
Departing Maryland, each of the Mayflower trucks took a slightly different route on the way to Indianapolis. This was done to confuse the Maryland State Police
Maryland State Police
The Maryland State Police is the official state police force of the state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.-Organizational structure:...
, who could've been called on to put a stop to the move. Once each van was at the Indiana state line, it was met by Indiana State Police
Indiana State Police
The Indiana State Police is the statewide law enforcement agency for the state of Indiana. Indiana was the 12th state to offer protection to its citizens with a state police force.-History:...
, who escorted each van to the Colts new home in Indianapolis. Later John Moag, Jr., chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, stated in sworn testimony before the U.S. Senate subcommittee responsible for the Fan Freedom and Community Protection Act: "It was the failure of our local (Baltimore) and state elected officials in Maryland to provide the Colts with a firm proposal for a new stadium that led Mr. Irsay to accept an offer from Indianapolis to play in a new dome in that city."
Baltimore's Mayor Schaefer, who had been promised a call by Irsay if the team was to move (but never received one), appeared on the front page of the Baltimore Sun in tears. After the Colts left, and in spite of his earlier stance that the city of Baltimore would not build a new stadium, he placed the building of a new stadium at the top of his legislative agenda.
Indianapolis Mayor Hudnut held a press conference March 29 to announce an agreement had been reached and the team was on its way to Indianapolis. The deal was sealed March 30 with approval by the Capital Improvement Board, which operated the Hoosier Dome. Two days later, 20,000 new Colts fans cheered as Mayor Hudnut proclaimed March 29, 1984, "one of the greatest days in the history of this city."
Aftermath
Understandably, Colts fans in Baltimore were heartbroken. In elections that year, city voters repealed Question P by a measure of 62 percent to 38 percent. However, the amendment's author Hyman Pressman remained as an elected City Comptroller for 28 years (7 terms in a row) until retiring in 1991. The team's move triggered a flurry of legal activity, which ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court and bills were filed in both the U.S. House and Senate seeking to block the move. In December 1985, a U.S. District Court judge threw out the lawsuit which sought to return the team to Maryland, though the city of Baltimore was allowed to keep the Vince Lombardi TrophyVince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
that the Colts won in Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1970 regular season...
.
The United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
reacted promptly to the move. The league's 1984
1984 USFL season
-Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild Card-Playoffs:Home team in CAPITALSConference Semifinals* PHILADELPHIA 28, New Jersey 7...
champions, the Philadelphia Stars
Philadelphia Stars
Philadelphia Stars may refer to:* Philadelphia Stars , a baseball team in the Negro Leagues from 1933 to 1952* Philadelphia Stars , a football team in the USFL in 1983-84, after which they became the Baltimore Stars for their final season in 1985...
, relocated to Baltimore for the 1985 season
1985 USFL season
The 1985 USFL season was the third and final season of the United States Football League.-Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild Card-Playoffs:...
to capitalize on the departure of the Colts. Unfortunately for the Stars, the Colts, despite abandoning Memorial Stadium, were still able to block the Stars from using it, forcing the team to move to Byrd Stadium
Byrd Stadium
Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium , is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. It is the home of the Maryland Terrapins football and lacrosse teams, which compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, roughly halfway between Baltimore and Washington, DC. The rechristened "Baltimore Stars" won the 1985 championship as well. Had the USFL played its proposed fall season in 1986, Baltimore, by virtue of not being up against an NFL team in its market, would have been a part of it, but the league suspended operations and ultimately folded before the season could take place.
Representatives of Baltimore and the Colts organization reached a settlement in March 1986 in which all lawsuits regarding the relocation were dismissed, and the Colts would endorse a new NFL team for Baltimore. Unfortunately, the Irsay family refused to adhere to the deal and during the 1993 NFL expansion the Irsays endorsed Jacksonville and Carolina for expansion franchises. Because of the manner in which the Irsay family treated the City of Baltimore, all of the Hall of Fame Baltimore Colts chose to cut all ties to the relocated Colts team . Most notable and vocal among them was Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
, who declared himself solely as a player for the Baltimore Colts until the day he died, with his estate defending that stance to this day . However, the NFL officially recognizes his achievements and records as the history of the Colts organization and as such are attributed to the current Colts organization and not any subsequent NFL team in Baltimore.
One aspect that would remain in Baltimore would be the Baltimore Colts Marching Band
Baltimore's Marching Ravens
Baltimore's Marching Ravens are the official marching band of the Baltimore Ravens football team. They were founded as the Baltimore Colts' Marching Band on September 7, 1947 and have continuously operated ever since even though the original Colts disbanded in 1950, leaving Baltimore without a...
. According to an ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
documentary directed by Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
native Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
called "The Band That Wouldn't Die", band leaders got advance warning that the team was being moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis overnight and were able to remove their equipment from team headquarters before the moving vans arrived. At the time of the move, the band's uniforms were being dry-cleaned. Band President John Ziemann contacted the owner of the dry cleaners, who was sympathetic, told Ziemann where the uniforms were and offered to let Ziemann take the company van "for a walk." Ziemann and some associates then hid the uniforms in a nearby cemetery until the wife of then-Colts owner Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay , was an American professional football team owner. He owned the National Football League's Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise and, briefly, the former Los Angeles Rams.-Biography:...
said they could keep them. From 1984 until the NFL returned to Baltimore in 1996, the band stayed together, playing at football halftime shows and marching in parades, eventually becoming well known as "Baltimore's Pro-Football Musical Ambassadors". The band remained an all-volunteer band as it is today and supported itself. At one point, John Ziemann pawned his wife's wedding ring for the money to buy new equipment.
When the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
decided to expand into the United States
CFL USA
The term CFL USA refers to the abortive expansion of the Canadian Football League into the United States in the early-to-mid 1990s. The 1993 CFL season saw the addition of the first American team to the league, the Sacramento Gold Miners...
, Baltimore was a natural selection for an American CFL team, as the city was much closer to Canada than the other expansion teams' markets. The Baltimore Stallions
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
were originally named the Baltimore CFL Colts, but an injunction by the NFL forced the name change to Stallions. After coming in second place its first year and winning the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
the next, the team moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and became the current incarnation of the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
when the NFL returned to Baltimore.
Ironically, the city of Baltimore would return to the NFL in a very similar manner that left Baltimore. On November 6, 1995, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
announced his intention to move the Browns to Baltimore
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...
for the 1996 NFL season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
. Like most other sports teams relocations including the relocation of the Colts, Modell had intended on keeping the Browns name, colors, history, trophies, archives, and other artifacts with him to Baltimore for the rechristened Baltimore Browns. However, subsequent lawsuits by the City of Cleveland led to a settlement that allowed Modell have a new team but move the current contracts of players and personnel to Baltimore while the Browns would officially suspend operations until the 1999 NFL season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, in which the Browns would return as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
, as the Browns' name, colors, history, records, awards and archives would remain in Cleveland (the last NFL team to completely suspend operations temporarily, coincidentally, was also a Cleveland team at the time: the Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, who suspended operations for one year in 1943 because of World War II, later moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and now are based in St. Louis). The team would subsequently become the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, and would later adopt the Colts Marching Band, which in 1998 was renamed Baltimore's Marching Ravens
Baltimore's Marching Ravens
Baltimore's Marching Ravens are the official marching band of the Baltimore Ravens football team. They were founded as the Baltimore Colts' Marching Band on September 7, 1947 and have continuously operated ever since even though the original Colts disbanded in 1950, leaving Baltimore without a...
. While both the NFL and the Colts consider the Colts' Baltimore years as part of their history, the Ravens unofficially claim the 1953-1983 Colts years as their own, and retired Baltimore Colts players have adopted the Ravens as their team.
The Colts' final game in Baltimore was played on December 18, 1983 against the Houston Oilers
1983 Houston Oilers season
The 1983 Houston Oilers season was the 24th season the team was with the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 1–8, winning two games, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
. The Colts won 20-10. The Oilers would thirteen years later, play their final game before moving to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
against the Baltimore Ravens at Memorial Stadium (the now-Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
are currently one of the Colts' division rivals). The Colts would not play another game in Baltimore until 1998. Since then, the Colts have played in Baltimore several more times during the regular season (most recently in 2009
2009 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2009 Indianapolis Colts season was the 57th season for the team in the National Football League and the 26th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not have Tony Dungy on their coaching staff, due to his retirement from coaching...
). The teams have had two playoff matchups during that time, one in Baltimore (2006) and one in Indianapolis (2009), where in the 2006-07 playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2006-07
The National Football League playoffs for the 2006 season began on January 6, 2007 and led up to Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.-AFC: Indianapolis Colts 23, Kansas City Chiefs 8:...
, the Ravens
2006 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2006 Baltimore Ravens season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record in 2005. The Ravens, for the first time in franchise history, started 4–0. The Ravens' ended the regular season with a team-best 13–3 record. The Ravens clinched the AFC North title, 1st-round bye...
hosted the Colts
2006 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2006 Indianapolis Colts season was the 54th season for the team in the National Football League and 23rd in Indianapolis. The 2006 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their regular season record of 14–2 from the 2005 season, and advance farther into the playoffs....
in an AFC Divisional Playoff game (2006) and Colts hosted Ravens in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game. The Colts won the 2006 game en route to their first Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
win since moving to Indianapolis. The current rivalry between the two teams is one-sided in favor of the Colts (who lead the series 9-2, all-time), meaning much more to the fans and players of the city of Baltimore . In Indianapolis, a game against the Ravens is viewed as nothing more than a non-divisional game. When the Colts play a game in Baltimore the name Colts is not used. The Colts are introduced as the Indianapolis professional football team and referred to as Indy on the stadium scoreboards.
Although Baltimore is still bitter by the situation, most of the rest of the NFL had long since moved on. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, whose father Archie Manning
Archie Manning
Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, playing for the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, then for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings...
was playing for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
at the time of the move, said in an interview for America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions
America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions
America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions is an annual documentary series created by NFL Films . Its 45 installments profile the first 45 winning teams of the National Football League's annual Super Bowl championship game; each episode chronicles an individual team.A spin-off debuted on September...
after the Colts won Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
when focusing on the playoff game against the Ravens that he was eight years old when the Colts moved, that none of the current players had any connection to the former Baltimore team, and that Baltimore needs to move on.
The last Baltimore Colt who was active in the NFL—though he never suited up for the Colts—was John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
, who infamously spurned the Colts after they selected him with the first overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
and subsequently traded his right to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
one week after the draft. Elway retired after winning back-to-back Super Bowls with the Broncos following the 1998 NFL season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. It can be said that Elway spurning the Colts was another reason that led to the Colts moving the following year. Punter Rohn Stark
Rohn Stark
Rohn Taylor Stark is a former American football punter who played 16 seasons in the National Football League, 13 of those with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts...
was the last active Baltimore Colt who actually played for the team while in Baltimore, retiring after the 1997 NFL season
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
.
Since the formation of the Ravens, both teams have won the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
, while the Colts won Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
and played in Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
.