Houston Thunderbears
Encyclopedia
The Houston ThunderBears were a team in the Arena Football League that operated from 1996-2001. The team was based in Houston, Texas
. Home games were played at the Compaq Center. The team was known as the Texas Terror their first two years in existence before changing the name to the Thunderbears. Plagued with attendance problems through the majority of their existence, the team folded in 2001.
The Texas Terror was a franchise in the Arena Football League. The Terror played in the 1996
and 1997
Arena seasons. Their home games were played at the Summit also at that time home to the Houston Rockets
of the NBA
. The Terror's logo
appeared to be a stylized representation of Frankenstein's monster
holding a football.
The 1996 season was an unmitigated disaster, with the Terror notching only one win, coming against another first-year team, the ill-fated Minnesota Fighting Pike
. The 1997 season was considerably better with a record of 6-8, but the attendance was abysmal, especially given the size of the Houston market. After the season, the decision was made to remake the franchise and scrap both the existing logo and team name, and the team was renamed the Houston ThunderBears.
franchise (1996
–1997
) of the Arena Football League under a new name, logo
, and color scheme. The team still played its home games at the Compaq Center. 1998
, the first year as the ThunderBears, was the high-water mark in team history, in which they recorded their only winning season and sole playoff appearance (a loss to Arizona
). The two subsequent seasons saw a decline in both on-field performance and attendance. For the 2001
season, then owner Leslie Alexander
(owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets
), sold the franchise back to the Arena Football League. Although still called the Houston ThunderBears, the team played none of its home games in Houston. The league decided to use them as a showcase team to stimulate interest in new markets. Four AFL/af2 franchises (Utah Blaze
, Fresno Frenzy
, Central Valley Coyotes
, and Lubbock Renegades
) emerged from some of the markets that the ThunderBears played in. The team was ultimately contracted along with three other AFL franchises in the 2001-2002 offseason.
| colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="#32127A" | Texas Terror
|-
|1996 || 1 || 13 || 0 || 4th NC Southern || --
|-
|1997 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AC Central || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="#191970" | Houston Thunderbears
|-
|1998 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 1st AC Central || Lost Week 1 (Arizona
50-36)
|-
|1999 || 4 || 10 || 0 || 4th AC Central || --
|-
|2000 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 4th AC Central || --
|-
|2001 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 4th AC Western || --
|-
!Totals || 25 || 60 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
|}
Rodney Blackshear Wide Receive/Defensive Back 1996-2000
Anthony Stortz, Tight End, Defensive End, 1998
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Home games were played at the Compaq Center. The team was known as the Texas Terror their first two years in existence before changing the name to the Thunderbears. Plagued with attendance problems through the majority of their existence, the team folded in 2001.
Texas Terror (1996-1997)
1996 Arena Football League season
The 1996 Arena Football League season was the 10th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl X. The AFL finally stabilized its scheduled number of games. It expanded to a 14-game season, which would remain...
and 1997
1997 Arena Football League season
The 1997 Arena Football League season was the 11th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Arizona Rattlers, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl XI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
Arena seasons. Their home games were played at the Summit also at that time home to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The Terror's logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
appeared to be a stylized representation of Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
holding a football.
The 1996 season was an unmitigated disaster, with the Terror notching only one win, coming against another first-year team, the ill-fated Minnesota Fighting Pike
Minnesota Fighting Pike
The Minnesota Fighting Pike were an American football team that played one season in the Arena Football League. The team played at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
. The 1997 season was considerably better with a record of 6-8, but the attendance was abysmal, especially given the size of the Houston market. After the season, the decision was made to remake the franchise and scrap both the existing logo and team name, and the team was renamed the Houston ThunderBears.
Houston ThunderBears (1998-2001)
The Houston ThunderBears were a continuation of the Texas TerrorTexas Terror
Texas Terror may refer to:*Texas Terror - a 1935 western film starring John Wayne*Texas Terror - A franchise in the Arena Football League in the late 1990s....
franchise (1996
1996 Arena Football League season
The 1996 Arena Football League season was the 10th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl X. The AFL finally stabilized its scheduled number of games. It expanded to a 14-game season, which would remain...
–1997
1997 Arena Football League season
The 1997 Arena Football League season was the 11th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Arizona Rattlers, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl XI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
) of the Arena Football League under a new name, logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
, and color scheme. The team still played its home games at the Compaq Center. 1998
1998 Arena Football League season
The 1998 Arena Football League season was the 12th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Orlando Predators, who defeated the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XII.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
, the first year as the ThunderBears, was the high-water mark in team history, in which they recorded their only winning season and sole playoff appearance (a loss to Arizona
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
). The two subsequent seasons saw a decline in both on-field performance and attendance. For the 2001
2001 Arena Football League season
The 2001 Arena Football League season was the 15th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Grand Rapids Rampage, who defeated the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XV.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
season, then owner Leslie Alexander
Leslie Alexander
Leslie Lee Alexander is a former stock trader from New Jersey who owns the National Basketball Association team Houston Rockets. He started trading options and bonds for a Wall Street firm before he broke off to form his own investment company, The Alexander Group, in 1980...
(owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
), sold the franchise back to the Arena Football League. Although still called the Houston ThunderBears, the team played none of its home games in Houston. The league decided to use them as a showcase team to stimulate interest in new markets. Four AFL/af2 franchises (Utah Blaze
Utah Blaze
The Utah Blaze is a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competes in the West division of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the EnergySolutions Arena.-The original Utah Blaze :...
, Fresno Frenzy
Fresno Frenzy
The Fresno Frenzy were an expansion af2 team for the 2002 season. Fresno was joined by the Albany Conquest, Bakersfield Blitz, Cape Fear Wildcats, Hawaiian Islanders, Mobile Wizards, Mohegan Wolves, New Haven Ninjas, San Diego Riptide & the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers...
, Central Valley Coyotes
Central Valley Coyotes
The Central Valley Coyotes are a professional arena football team and were a charter member of Arena Football 1. The team currently is not in a league...
, and Lubbock Renegades
Lubbock Renegades
The Lubbock Renegades were an expansion member of the af2. The team played its home games at the City Bank Coliseum, which was the former home of the IFL/NIFL team, the Lubbock Lone Stars/Gunslingers. The team was owned by Doug McGregor, Rick Dykes, and Bart Reagor. It was coached by former Texas...
) emerged from some of the markets that the ThunderBears played in. The team was ultimately contracted along with three other AFL franchises in the 2001-2002 offseason.
Season-by-season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="#32127A" | Texas Terror
|-
|1996 || 1 || 13 || 0 || 4th NC Southern || --
|-
|1997 || 6 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AC Central || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="#191970" | Houston Thunderbears
|-
|1998 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 1st AC Central || Lost Week 1 (Arizona
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
50-36)
|-
|1999 || 4 || 10 || 0 || 4th AC Central || --
|-
|2000 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 4th AC Central || --
|-
|2001 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 4th AC Western || --
|-
!Totals || 25 || 60 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
|}
Notable players
- Mike Hold, Quarterback/Running Back/Wide Receiver, 1998–2000
- Davren Zbierajewski, Offensive Specialist/Tight End/Wide Receiver, 1996–2000
- Terrence MeltonTerrence MeltonTerrence Lee Melton is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Houston Thunderbears as a street free agent in 2000...
, Fullback/Linebacker 2000-2001 - Wilky Bazile, Offensive Line/Defensive Line 2001
- Terence Davis, Wide Receiver/Linebacker 1998-2001
- Clint DolezelClint DolezelClint Dolezel is Offensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Soul, an Indoor Football team belonging to the Arena Football League . As an AFL player, he was originally signed by the Milwaukee Mustangs...
, Quarterback 1998-1999 - Robert HallRobert HallThe Rev. Robert Hall was an English Baptist minister.He was born at Arnesby near Leicester, where his father, Robert Hall was pastor of a Baptist congregation. Robert was the youngest of a family of fourteen...
, Quarterback/Offensive Specialist 1999-2000 - Todd HammelTodd HammelTodd Layne Hammel is an Arena Football League quarterback for the Utah Blaze. He has played for 10 teams since his AFL career began in 1992.-High school career:...
, Quarterback 2001 - Larry JonesLarry JonesLarry Jones is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the NBA and ABA, from 1964 to 1974....
, Defensive Specialist 1999; 2000–2001 - Thomas McGaughey, Wide Receiver/Linebacker 1998
- Sedrick Robinson, Wide Receiver/Linebacker 2001
- Vincent Diamond, Offensive Line/Denfensive Line 1996
Rodney Blackshear Wide Receive/Defensive Back 1996-2000
Anthony Stortz, Tight End, Defensive End, 1998