Kansas City Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Kansas City Command (formerly the Kansas City Brigade) is a professional arena football
team in the Arena Football League
. The team was founded before the 2006
season. Former Kansas City Chiefs
Strong safety Kevin Porter
served as head coach. The team's new head coach starting in 2011 is Danton Barto, he has coached the AFL's Las Vegas Gladiators
, af2's Memphis Xplorers
and Manchester Wolves
, and the IFL's Arkansas Diamonds
.
The team played at Kemper Arena
in Kansas City, Missouri
and later moved to the Sprint Center
in downtown Kansas City for the 2008 AFL season. The team is owned by a Kansas City local, Chris Likens. One of the most notable co-owners is former Kansas City Chiefs
star Neil Smith. Captain Max Runway was named the mascot of the team in June 2007.
would suspend operations for the 2006 AFL season due to Hurricane Katrina
, the AFL awarded an expansion franchise to Kansas City. On November 21, 2005, the AFL announced that the team would be called the Kansas City Brigade. A stealth bomber, modeled after the B-2 Spirit
s stationed at nearby Whiteman Air Force Base
, would represent the team for its logo. Kevin Porter
was named the team's first head coach. They would be placed in the National Conference Southern Division
, where they would take New Orleans' spot for the year.
. On April 9, 2006, after losing six-straight games, the Brigade finally managed their second win, defeating the Los Angeles Avengers
62–45 at home. On April 22, 2006, the Brigade recorded their first road win in franchise history against the Nashville Kats
, winning 58–52. By the end of the 2006 season, the Brigade finished with a record of 3–13, placing them fifth in the National Conference Southern Division.
returning to the league's National Conference Southern in 2007, the Brigade switched conferences and divisions, as they moved to the American Conference Central
.
On March 4, 2007, in their home-opener, the Brigade defeated the defending Arena Bowl champion
Chicago Rush
54–41. The game was broadcast nationally on ABC
. The win marked the first time in franchise history that the Brigade were above .500 for the season.
On June 8, the Brigade clinched their first-ever playoff berth with a 47–34 victory over the Columbus Destroyers
.
The Brigade finished the regular season with a 10–6 record. While earning the American Conference's #3 seed, the Brigade hosted their first playoff game on June 30, a wild-card matchup, with the American Conference's #6 seed, the Colorado Crush
. Unfortunately for the Brigade, they were plagued by injuries and the Crush won 49–42, despite Colorado coming into the game with a 4-game losing streak.
saw the longest field goal in franchise history (58 yards by Peter Martinez).
Former Dallas Cowboys
quarterback
, Quincy Carter
, was named the starter on June 3, 2008. Carter lost all three of his starts. Quarterback D. Bryant was named to the AFL's 2008 All-Rookie Team.
in the heart of Kansas City. The Command went 0–3 to start the 2011 AFL season but bounced back with a win in their first home game against National Conference Central Division rival Iowa Barnstormers. .
Kansas City will have two Friday night games broadcast live on NFL Network. The first against Chicago on April 22nd and another against Utah June 24th
JJ Raterink has lead the Command into the season as Quarterback. He studied business at the University of Wyoming and has 2 years AFL experience under his arm. His top targets thus far have been Bret Smith from the University of Tennessee and Steven Savoy from the University of Utah .
The Command is currently part of the AFL's National Conference in the Central Division with the Chicago Rush
, Dallas Vigilantes
, Iowa Barnstormers
, and Tulsa Talons
.
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team in the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. The team was founded before the 2006
2006 Kansas City Brigade season
The 2006 Kansas City Brigade season was the opening season for the franchise. After the announcement that the New Orleans VooDoo would suspend operations for the 2006 AFL season due to Hurricane Katrina, the AFL awarded an expansion franchise to Kansas City. Kevin Porter was the team's first head...
season. Former Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
Strong safety Kevin Porter
Kevin Porter (American football)
Kevin Porter is a college athletics administrator and former American football player and coach in the United States. He played defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets in the National Football League...
served as head coach. The team's new head coach starting in 2011 is Danton Barto, he has coached the AFL's Las Vegas Gladiators
Las Vegas Gladiators
The Cleveland Gladiators are an arena football franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio which plays in the Arena Football League. The team is part of the East division of the AFL's American Conference. The Gladiators play all of their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they share with the NBA's...
, af2's Memphis Xplorers
Memphis Xplorers
The Memphis Xplorers were a professional arena football team. They were a 2001 expansion member of the af2. They played their home games at DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi ....
and Manchester Wolves
Manchester Wolves
The Manchester Wolves were a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, which folded at the end of the 2009 season along with the rest of the league...
, and the IFL's Arkansas Diamonds
Arkansas Diamonds
The Arkansas Diamonds were a soccer club based in Little Rock, Arkansas that competed in the SISL and USISL. The team was first owned by Samir Haj a youth club coach based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The franchise struggled for funding as it first played outdoor at Scott Field in Little Rock and...
.
The team played at Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena is a 19,500 seat indoor arena, in Kansas City, Missouri.It is named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr., a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $3.2 million, from his estate for the arena...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and later moved to the Sprint Center
Sprint Center
Sprint Center is a large, multi-use indoor arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The building is located at 14th Street and Grand Boulevard, on the east side of the Power & Light District...
in downtown Kansas City for the 2008 AFL season. The team is owned by a Kansas City local, Chris Likens. One of the most notable co-owners is former Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
star Neil Smith. Captain Max Runway was named the mascot of the team in June 2007.
History
After the announcement that the New Orleans VooDooNew Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....
would suspend operations for the 2006 AFL season due to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, the AFL awarded an expansion franchise to Kansas City. On November 21, 2005, the AFL announced that the team would be called the Kansas City Brigade. A stealth bomber, modeled after the B-2 Spirit
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...
s stationed at nearby Whiteman Air Force Base
Whiteman Air Force Base
Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately south of Knob Noster, Missouri; east-southeast of Kansas City, Missouri....
, would represent the team for its logo. Kevin Porter
Kevin Porter (American football)
Kevin Porter is a college athletics administrator and former American football player and coach in the United States. He played defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets in the National Football League...
was named the team's first head coach. They would be placed in the National Conference Southern Division
Southern Division (AFL)
The Southern Division is one of four divisions of the Arena Football League. It's also one of two divisions within the "American Conference", although they have been part of the "National Conference" from 1995 through 2008. The Southern Division has been marked for its entire existence as being the...
, where they would take New Orleans' spot for the year.
2006 season
On February 19, 2006, after losing their very first three games of their inaugural season, the Brigade finally had their first victory 45–24 at home against the Columbus DestroyersColumbus Destroyers
The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They folded along with the original incarnation of the AFL following the 2008 season, after a total of...
. On April 9, 2006, after losing six-straight games, the Brigade finally managed their second win, defeating the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
62–45 at home. On April 22, 2006, the Brigade recorded their first road win in franchise history against the Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
, winning 58–52. By the end of the 2006 season, the Brigade finished with a record of 3–13, placing them fifth in the National Conference Southern Division.
2007 season
With the New Orleans VooDooNew Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....
returning to the league's National Conference Southern in 2007, the Brigade switched conferences and divisions, as they moved to the American Conference Central
Central Division (AFL)
The Central Division is one of four divisions that make up the Arena Football League. It's also one of two divisions that make up the "American Conference", now part of the "National Conference". The division was first formed in 1995 when expansion teams were formed and put into the current...
.
On March 4, 2007, in their home-opener, the Brigade defeated the defending Arena Bowl champion
ArenaBowl XX
ArenaBowl XX, held on Sunday, June 11, 2006, was played to determine the championship of the 2006 season of the Arena Football League. For the second consecutive year, the game was played at the neutral site of the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It pitted the National Conference...
Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
54–41. The game was broadcast nationally on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
. The win marked the first time in franchise history that the Brigade were above .500 for the season.
On June 8, the Brigade clinched their first-ever playoff berth with a 47–34 victory over the Columbus Destroyers
Columbus Destroyers
The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They folded along with the original incarnation of the AFL following the 2008 season, after a total of...
.
The Brigade finished the regular season with a 10–6 record. While earning the American Conference's #3 seed, the Brigade hosted their first playoff game on June 30, a wild-card matchup, with the American Conference's #6 seed, the Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush were an Arena Football League team that began play as a 2003 expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009...
. Unfortunately for the Brigade, they were plagued by injuries and the Crush won 49–42, despite Colorado coming into the game with a 4-game losing streak.
2008 season
The 2008 season2008 Kansas City Brigade season
The 2008 Kansas City Brigade season is the third season for the franchise, second in the American Conference's Central Division. After starting the season with 6 consecutive losses, the Brigade finished the season with a 3-13 record, however still the worst record in the American...
saw the longest field goal in franchise history (58 yards by Peter Martinez).
Former Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, Quincy Carter
Quincy Carter
Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
, was named the starter on June 3, 2008. Carter lost all three of his starts. Quarterback D. Bryant was named to the AFL's 2008 All-Rookie Team.
2011 season
Kansas City returned for the 2011 AFL season and renamed the Kansas City Command . The logo and color scheme remain the same and home games are still played at the Sprint CenterSprint Center
Sprint Center is a large, multi-use indoor arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The building is located at 14th Street and Grand Boulevard, on the east side of the Power & Light District...
in the heart of Kansas City. The Command went 0–3 to start the 2011 AFL season but bounced back with a win in their first home game against National Conference Central Division rival Iowa Barnstormers. .
Kansas City will have two Friday night games broadcast live on NFL Network. The first against Chicago on April 22nd and another against Utah June 24th
JJ Raterink has lead the Command into the season as Quarterback. He studied business at the University of Wyoming and has 2 years AFL experience under his arm. His top targets thus far have been Bret Smith from the University of Tennessee and Steven Savoy from the University of Utah .
The Command is currently part of the AFL's National Conference in the Central Division with the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
, Dallas Vigilantes
Dallas Vigilantes
The Dallas Vigilantes were an Arena Football League team based in Dallas, Texas. Like its AFL predecessor, the Dallas Desperados, the Vigilantes played at the American Airlines Center. The Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks began play in the 2010 season, the first after the league's...
, Iowa Barnstormers
Iowa Barnstormers
The Iowa Barnstormers are an arena football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 following the organization's restructuring...
, and Tulsa Talons
Tulsa Talons
The San Antonio Talons are a professional arena football franchise in San Antonio, Texas that plays in the Arena Football League.The Talons began in 2000 in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the Tulsa Talons, a charter member of the defunct minor league Arena Football 2, also known as af2...
.
Coaches
| Head coach Head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches... |
Tenure | Regular season record (W–L) |
Post season record (W–L) |
Most recent coaching staff |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Porter Kevin Porter (American football) Kevin Porter is a college athletics administrator and former American football player and coach in the United States. He played defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets in the National Football League... |
2006 2006 Kansas City Brigade season The 2006 Kansas City Brigade season was the opening season for the franchise. After the announcement that the New Orleans VooDoo would suspend operations for the 2006 AFL season due to Hurricane Katrina, the AFL awarded an expansion franchise to Kansas City. Kevin Porter was the team's first head... –2008 2008 Kansas City Brigade season The 2008 Kansas City Brigade season is the third season for the franchise, second in the American Conference's Central Division. After starting the season with 6 consecutive losses, the Brigade finished the season with a 3-13 record, however still the worst record in the American... |
16–32 | 0–1 | OC Offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... : Ricky Fogge DC Defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... : Vacant DL Coach: Otis Moore OL coach: Travis Crusenberry |
Notable players
- Charles Frederick - WR - 2007 AFL Co-Rookie of the Year
- Quincy CarterQuincy CarterLavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
- QB - Michael Horacek - WR
- Chris AveryChris AveryChris Avery is a professional arena football fullback / linebacker whom is a free agent in the Arena Football League...
- FB/LB - John Fitzgerald - QB
- Boo WilliamsBoo WilliamsEddie Lee "Boo" Williams is a professional arena football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints in 2001. He played college football at Arkansas....
- WR - Raymond PhilyawRaymond PhilyawRaymond Philyaw is an arena football quarterback who currently plays for the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings in the Arena Football League league...
- QB - B. J. Cohen - DL
- Kenny McEntyreKenny McEntyreKenny McEntyre is a retired arena football defensive specialist in the Arena Football League. He is most known as a member of the Orlando Predators...
- DB - Michael BishopMichael Bishop (football player)Michael Paul Bishop is a professional football quarterback who is currently on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Practice Squad. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots....
- QB - Chris SandersChris Sanders (quarterback)Christopher Sanders was formerly an American football quarterback in the Arena Football League for the Dallas Desperados, among other teams. He played college football at Tennessee-Chattanooga.-Early life:...
- QB - Aaron BooneAaron Boone (American football)Aaron Rostenbach Boone is an Arena football Wide Receiver / Defensive Back who is currently a free agent of the Arena Football League. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003, by the Dallas Cowboys...
- WR - Rich Ranglin - OL - 2011 Spalding AFL- Offensive Lineman Of The Year
Retired numbers
- #90 Neil Smith, team co-owner and former NFLNational Football LeagueThe 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...
Defensive endDefensive endDefensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
.