Macon Knights
Encyclopedia
The Macon Knights were a professional arena football
team, playing in the af2
league. They were a 2001
expansion member of af2. They played their home games at Macon Coliseum
. The Knights were owned and operated by Beverly Olson. The Knights were formerly coached by Derek Stingley
, who was a Defensive Specialist with the Albany Firebirds in the original Arena Football League. And he also is the son of former New England Patriots
' wide receiver
Darryl Stingley
.
to coach the upstart team. Porter, an alumnus of Auburn University
, and the Kansas City Chiefs
was also an arena football veteran. Under his leadership, the inaugural team made the playoffs and was named "Expansion Franchise of the Year" by the league. He went on to coach the New Orleans VooDoo
and Kansas City Brigade
of the AFL.
Two seasons later, Porter led the Knights to the ArenaCup
, af2's championship game, where the Knights lost to the Tulsa Talons
58–40. Afterwards, he left for the parent AFL and a number of his players followed.
Porter was replaced by AFL veteran Mike Hold. Despite his success with other franchises, Hold did not have as good a fortune in Macon. In 2005, after a bad start, Hold was replaced by Derek Stingley.
Stingley took a club that had fallen to 2–5 and, by season's end, managed to get them into the playoffs. The Knights however, lost to the Louisville Fire
in the opening round.
After the 2006 season, the team announced they would be shutting down operations. However, on October 10, 2008, the Macon Telegraph reported that an investor is "deeply interested" in relaunching the Knights franchise in Macon, as early as 2009, but no later than 2010.
|2001
|| 10 || 6 || 0 || 2nd AC Southeast || Lost Week 1 || Quad City
80, Macon 55
|-
|2002
|| 13 || 3 || 0 || 1st AC Eastern || Won Week 1
Lost Week 2 || Macon 57, Augusta
41
Florida 44, Macon 28
|-
|2003
|| 10 || 6 || 0 || 3rd AC Southern || Won Week 1
Won Week 2
Won AC Championship
Lost ArenaCup
IV || Macon 42, Florida 16
Macon 59, Albany
47
Macon 51, Tennessee Valley
48
Tulsa
58, Macon 40
|-
|2004
|| 3 || 13 || 0 || 4th AC Southern || --
|-
|2005
|| 8 || 8 || 0 || 2nd AC Southern || Lost Week 1 || Louisville
55, Macon 54
|-
|2006
|| 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AC Southern || --
|-
!Totals || 56 || 48 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
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, playing in the af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
league. They were a 2001
2001 af2 season
The 2001 AF2 season was the second season of the AF2. The league champions were the Quad City Steamwheelers, who defended their title with a victory over the Richmond Speed in ArenaCup II...
expansion member of af2. They played their home games at Macon Coliseum
Macon Coliseum
The Macon Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena and convention center in Macon, Georgia, United States. It was home to the Macon Whoopee and Macon Trax ice hockey teams and also the Macon Knights arena football team until 2006. It is currently home to the Georgia Gwizzlies, a basketball team that plays...
. The Knights were owned and operated by Beverly Olson. The Knights were formerly coached by Derek Stingley
Derek Stingley
Derek Stingley is a former arena football Head Coach for the New Orleans Voodoo of AFL. He also had an eight year career as a defensive specialist for the Albany Firebirds. He played college baseball at Triton College...
, who was a Defensive Specialist with the Albany Firebirds in the original Arena Football League. And he also is the son of former New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
' wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Darryl Stingley
Darryl Stingley
Darryl Floyd Stingley was an American professional football wide receiver whose career was cut short by an injury. He played his entire career with the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He died from heart disease and pneumonia complicated by quadriplegia.-Early life:Stingley...
.
History
The franchise was created in 2001, the second year of the af2. Olson's first successful move as owner operator was to bring in local football star Kevin PorterKevin 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...
to coach the upstart team. Porter, an alumnus of Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, and the 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...
was also an arena football veteran. Under his leadership, the inaugural team made the playoffs and was named "Expansion Franchise of the Year" by the league. He went on to coach the New Orleans VooDoo
New 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....
and Kansas City Brigade
Kansas City Brigade
The Kansas City Command 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...
of the AFL.
Two seasons later, Porter led the Knights to the ArenaCup
ArenaCup
The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San...
, af2's championship game, where the Knights lost to the 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...
58–40. Afterwards, he left for the parent AFL and a number of his players followed.
Porter was replaced by AFL veteran Mike Hold. Despite his success with other franchises, Hold did not have as good a fortune in Macon. In 2005, after a bad start, Hold was replaced by Derek Stingley.
Stingley took a club that had fallen to 2–5 and, by season's end, managed to get them into the playoffs. The Knights however, lost to the Louisville Fire
Louisville Fire
The Louisville Fire was an arena football team that played its home games at the Brown-Forman Field in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. They were a 2001 expansion team of the af2. Their owner/operator was former Pro Bowl lineman and Louisville native Will Wolford. The team was somewhat...
in the opening round.
After the 2006 season, the team announced they would be shutting down operations. However, on October 10, 2008, the Macon Telegraph reported that an investor is "deeply interested" in relaunching the Knights franchise in Macon, as early as 2009, but no later than 2010.
Season-by-season
|-|2001
2001 af2 season
The 2001 AF2 season was the second season of the AF2. The league champions were the Quad City Steamwheelers, who defended their title with a victory over the Richmond Speed in ArenaCup II...
|| 10 || 6 || 0 || 2nd AC Southeast || Lost Week 1 || Quad City
Quad City Steamwheelers
The Quad City Steamwheelers were a professional arena football team. They were a charter member of the af2. They play their home games at i wireless Center in Moline, Illinois....
80, Macon 55
|-
|2002
2002 af2 season
The 2002 AF2 season was the third season of the AF2. The league champions were the Peoria Pirates, who defeated the Florida Firecats in ArenaCup III. This is also the first time that both conferences have the same division name...
|| 13 || 3 || 0 || 1st AC Eastern || Won Week 1
Lost Week 2 || Macon 57, Augusta
Augusta Stallions
The Augusta Stallions were one of the 15 original teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference, before switching to the Southeast Division in 2001, and then the Eastern Division in 2002. In their first year, Augusta went 13-3, made the playoffs, and...
41
Florida 44, Macon 28
|-
|2003
2003 af2 season
The 2003 AF2 season was the fourth season of the AF2. The league champions were the Tulsa Talons, who defeated the Macon Knights in Arena Cup IV...
|| 10 || 6 || 0 || 3rd AC Southern || Won Week 1
Won Week 2
Won AC Championship
Lost ArenaCup
ArenaCup
The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San...
IV || Macon 42, Florida 16
Macon 59, Albany
Albany Conquest
The Albany Firebirds are a professional arena football team of the af2 based in Albany, New York. Albany was granted an expansion team in 2002 and began play as the Albany Conquest. The Firebirds play their home games at the Times Union Center...
47
Macon 51, Tennessee Valley
Tennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
48
Tulsa
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...
58, Macon 40
|-
|2004
2004 af2 season
The 2004 AF2 season was the fifth season the AF2. The league champions were the Florida Firecats, who defeated the Peoria Pirates in Arena Cup V.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth* Purple indicates division champion...
|| 3 || 13 || 0 || 4th AC Southern || --
|-
|2005
2005 af2 season
The 2005 AF2 season was the sixth season of the AF2. The league champions were the Memphis Xplorers, who defeated the Louisville Fire in Arena Cup VI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth* Purple indicates division champion...
|| 8 || 8 || 0 || 2nd AC Southern || Lost Week 1 || Louisville
Louisville Fire
The Louisville Fire was an arena football team that played its home games at the Brown-Forman Field in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. They were a 2001 expansion team of the af2. Their owner/operator was former Pro Bowl lineman and Louisville native Will Wolford. The team was somewhat...
55, Macon 54
|-
|2006
2006 af2 season
The 2006 AF2 season was the seventh season of the AF2, the Arena Football League's minor league. The league champions were the Spokane Shock who capped off an impressive inaugural season with a win over the Green Bay Blizzard in Arena Cup VII.-Standings:...
|| 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AC Southern || --
|-
!Totals || 56 || 48 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)