Memphis Mad Dogs
Encyclopedia
The Memphis Mad Dogs were a Canadian football
team that played the 1995 season
in the Canadian Football League
. The Mad Dogs were part of a failed attempt to expand the CFL into the United States
.
The team's ownership group included Fred Smith
, founder of FedEx
.
) that tried to get a National Football League
team into Memphis in 1993. The Memphis Hound Dogs
, as the proposed team was to be called, was one of five teams to be considered, but was passed over in favor of the Carolina Panthers
and Jacksonville Jaguars
. Smith, after briefly considering a proposed "new league" backed by CBS
, then turned to the CFL to launch the franchise, and with Presley's estate no longer involved, the team's name was changed from the "Hound Dogs" to the "Mad Dogs."
as their head coach, who was familiar to Memphis pro football fans as he was the head coach of one of the city's previous pro football teams, the Memphis Showboats
of the USFL. Rodgers also had previous coaching experience with the Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets
and the UCLA
Bruins
at the university level. The team's mascot was a black Labrador retriever
named Alien, who was known for charging the field and retrieving the kicking tee following each kickoff.
The Mad Dogs tried to copy Baltimore Stallions
' blueprint by getting staff and players who had previous CFL experience. To be in accordance with the CFL blueprint for possible success, the Mad Dogs hired former CFL coach Adam Rita
to become their new offensive coordinator. Rita was mostly known for coaching the Toronto Argonauts
and the Edmonton Eskimos
to Grey Cup
championships in 1991 and 1993. The Mad Dogs then signed veteran QB Damon Allen
, who won the Grey Cup
with the Eskimos in 1987 and 1993 (with Adam Rita), earning Grey Cup MVP honors in both years. Other notable players on offense included Eddie Brown
(SB), Joe Horn
(WR) and former NFL kicker, Donald Igwebuike
.
However, the offense was only able to score a total of 346 points, last in the CFL behind the Ottawa Rough Riders
. On a positive note, the Mad Dogs were known for their strong defensive work that was rated second, behind Edmonton, in the CFL for giving up the least number of points with 364, due in large part to the strong defensive play of Tim Cofield
and Rodney Harding
. One of the reasons for poor offense and great defense was the size of the field which was narrower and shorter than all other CFL fields including those other US fields which were not regulation. The Liberty Bowl was forced to lay down astro turf to widen and lengthen the field which was odd with the natural grass in the middle.
Memphis ended the 1995 CFL season
with a 9–9–0 regular season record, which placed them in fourth place of the Southern Division, causing them to miss the play-offs in their only season of existence in the CFL.
was doomed to failure from the start.
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
was not as well suited to the Canadian game as most U.S. stadiums because the stands were very close to the field of play and the field was not even close to regulation length – the end zones were only nine yards long at the middle of the end zone and 7 yards at the sidelines instead (CFL rules dictate a 20-yard end zone and no other stadium had less than 15).
The team drew fairly well at the gate until the start of the United States college football
season. At this point, attendance levels dropped drastically below the 10,000 mark due to many Memphians driving across Interstate 40
to watch Tennessee
football, as well as other local teams Ole Miss
and the University of Memphis. The CFL traditionally plays on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, when college and high school football teams traditionally play in the United States. The team's attendance ended up averaging around 14,550 by the end of the season. Had the CFL set up the schedule to accommodate the scheduling conflicts, the Mad Dogs may have been a viable franchise, but the CFL decided not to go that route and folded the Mad Dogs, along with most of the other American CFL franchises, after the 1995 season.
Tim Cofield became the only Mad Dogs player to win the James P. McCaffrey Trophy
as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the South Division.
Another problem was the promotional efforts of the CFL itself. The league positioned itself directly against the NFL when it attempted to move south of the border. The CFL adopted the marketing slogan, "Longer, Wider, Faster" to appeal to the American football market.
before moving to their permanent home in Nashville
and becoming the Titans. In 2001, Memphis would host the XFL
's Memphis Maniax
and the AF2
's Memphis Xplorers
. The Xplorers would last for six seasons. Memphis would also have success in other professional sports, landing another Canadian export with the relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies
in 2001, which became the Memphis Grizzlies
that have been playing there ever since.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
team that played the 1995 season
1995 CFL season
The 1995 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 42nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 38th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1995:...
in 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....
. The Mad Dogs were part of a failed attempt to expand the CFL 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...
.
The team's ownership group included Fred Smith
Frederick W. Smith
Fred Sidney Smith III , or Fred Smith, is the founder, chairman, president, and CEO of FedEx, originally known as Federal Express, the first overnight express delivery company in the world, and the largest in the United States...
, founder of FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
.
Franchise history
Prior to the Mad Dogs, Fred Smith was part of an ownership group (along with such entities as the estate of Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
) that tried to get a 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 into Memphis in 1993. The Memphis Hound Dogs
Memphis Hound Dogs
For the professional basketball team, click on Memphis Houn'DawgsThe Memphis Hound Dogs were a proposed NFL team in the mid-1990s. William Dunavant, Paul Tudor Jones, Fred Smith and Elvis Presley Enterprises were the members of the potential ownership group.In 1993, the NFL invited potential...
, as the proposed team was to be called, was one of five teams to be considered, but was passed over in favor of the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Smith, after briefly considering a proposed "new league" backed by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, then turned to the CFL to launch the franchise, and with Presley's estate no longer involved, the team's name was changed from the "Hound Dogs" to the "Mad Dogs."
On the field
The Mad Dogs hired Pepper RodgersPepper Rodgers
Franklin C. "Pepper" Rodgers is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head coach at the University of Kansas , University of California, Los Angeles , and the Georgia Institute of Technology , compiling a career college football record of...
as their head coach, who was familiar to Memphis pro football fans as he was the head coach of one of the city's previous pro football teams, the Memphis Showboats
Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats were a franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders...
of the USFL. Rodgers also had previous coaching experience with the Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
and the UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
at the university level. The team's mascot was a black Labrador retriever
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
named Alien, who was known for charging the field and retrieving the kicking tee following each kickoff.
The Mad Dogs tried to copy 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...
' blueprint by getting staff and players who had previous CFL experience. To be in accordance with the CFL blueprint for possible success, the Mad Dogs hired former CFL coach Adam Rita
Adam Rita
Adam Rita is a Canadian Football League executive who has served as the head coach of Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and BC Lions and as general manager of the Lions and Argonauts....
to become their new offensive coordinator. Rita was mostly known for coaching the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
and the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
to 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...
championships in 1991 and 1993. The Mad Dogs then signed veteran QB Damon Allen
Damon Allen
Damon Allen is a former professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts. He is currently second in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal...
, who won 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...
with the Eskimos in 1987 and 1993 (with Adam Rita), earning Grey Cup MVP honors in both years. Other notable players on offense included Eddie Brown
Eddie Brown (Canadian football)
"Downtown" Eddie Brown was a slotback in the Canadian Football League between 1990 & 2002. In all, Brown played with eight CFL teams, and appeared in two Grey Cup championships with the Edmonton Eskimos, winning one in 1993.In 1995 he played for the Memphis Mad Dogs...
(SB), Joe Horn
Joe Horn
Joseph Horn is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and also played for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
(WR) and former NFL kicker, Donald Igwebuike
Donald Igwebuike
Donald Amechi Igwebuike is a former Nigerian kicker of American football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . He is the fourth place all-time scorer for the Buccaneers with 416 overall points...
.
However, the offense was only able to score a total of 346 points, last in the CFL behind the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
. On a positive note, the Mad Dogs were known for their strong defensive work that was rated second, behind Edmonton, in the CFL for giving up the least number of points with 364, due in large part to the strong defensive play of Tim Cofield
Tim Cofield
Tim Cofield is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for four seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets. He later played six seasons in the Canadian Football League as a defensive end for four different teams....
and Rodney Harding
Rodney Harding
Rodney Harding was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League.Harding played college football at Oklahoma State University. He had a 12 year career in the Canadian Football League from 1985 to 1996, and he played mainly with the Toronto Argonauts, but ended his career with seasons at the...
. One of the reasons for poor offense and great defense was the size of the field which was narrower and shorter than all other CFL fields including those other US fields which were not regulation. The Liberty Bowl was forced to lay down astro turf to widen and lengthen the field which was odd with the natural grass in the middle.
Memphis ended the 1995 CFL season
1995 CFL season
The 1995 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 42nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 38th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1995:...
with a 9–9–0 regular season record, which placed them in fourth place of the Southern Division, causing them to miss the play-offs in their only season of existence in the CFL.
Off the field
Pepper Rodgers was known around the football world as a likable man. However, he often made uncomplimentary remarks about the Canadian Football League, which also showed signs that the CFL expansion plan to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was doomed to failure from the start.
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is a football stadium, located at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team...
was not as well suited to the Canadian game as most U.S. stadiums because the stands were very close to the field of play and the field was not even close to regulation length – the end zones were only nine yards long at the middle of the end zone and 7 yards at the sidelines instead (CFL rules dictate a 20-yard end zone and no other stadium had less than 15).
The team drew fairly well at the gate until the start of the United States college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season. At this point, attendance levels dropped drastically below the 10,000 mark due to many Memphians driving across Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
to watch Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
football, as well as other local teams Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
and the University of Memphis. The CFL traditionally plays on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, when college and high school football teams traditionally play in the United States. The team's attendance ended up averaging around 14,550 by the end of the season. Had the CFL set up the schedule to accommodate the scheduling conflicts, the Mad Dogs may have been a viable franchise, but the CFL decided not to go that route and folded the Mad Dogs, along with most of the other American CFL franchises, after the 1995 season.
Tim Cofield became the only Mad Dogs player to win the James P. McCaffrey Trophy
James P. McCaffrey Trophy
The James P. McCaffrey Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, awarded to the outstanding defensive player in the East Division. Each team in the East division nominates a candidate, from which the winner is chosen...
as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the South Division.
In the end
Because they had lost money and had low attendance, the Memphis Mad Dogs were forced to fold after the 1995 season, marking the end of the franchise and the CFL's unfortunate three years south of the border.Another problem was the promotional efforts of the CFL itself. The league positioned itself directly against the NFL when it attempted to move south of the border. The CFL adopted the marketing slogan, "Longer, Wider, Faster" to appeal to the American football market.
After the Mad Dogs
The city of Memphis would go on to host several more professional football franchises. The first was a brief hosting of the Tennessee OilersTennessee 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...
before moving to their permanent home in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and becoming the Titans. In 2001, Memphis would host the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
's Memphis Maniax
Memphis Maniax
The Memphis Maniax was an American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The team was part of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States...
and 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...
'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 ....
. The Xplorers would last for six seasons. Memphis would also have success in other professional sports, landing another Canadian export with the relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies
Vancouver Grizzlies
The Vancouver Grizzlies were a professional basketball team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's...
in 2001, which became the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
that have been playing there ever since.
Players of note
- Joe HornJoe HornJoseph Horn is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and also played for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
, wide receiver - Eddie BrownEddie Brown (Canadian football)"Downtown" Eddie Brown was a slotback in the Canadian Football League between 1990 & 2002. In all, Brown played with eight CFL teams, and appeared in two Grey Cup championships with the Edmonton Eskimos, winning one in 1993.In 1995 he played for the Memphis Mad Dogs...
- Donald IgwebuikeDonald IgwebuikeDonald Amechi Igwebuike is a former Nigerian kicker of American football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . He is the fourth place all-time scorer for the Buccaneers with 416 overall points...
- Damon AllenDamon AllenDamon Allen is a former professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts. He is currently second in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal...
, quarterback - Gary Anderson (running back)Gary Anderson (running back)Gary Wayne Anderson is a former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League, the United States Football League and the Canadian Football League from 1983 to 1995.-USFL:...
See also
- CFL USA all time records and statisticsCFL USA all time records and statisticsCFL USA all time records and statisticsThis list combines the statistics and records of the seven CFL American teams from 1993 to 1995: Baltimore Stallions, Birmingham Barracudas, Las Vegas Posse, Memphis Mad Dogs, Sacramento Gold Miners, San Antonio Texans, and the Shreveport Pirates...
- Comparison of Canadian and American footballComparison of Canadian and American footballAmerican and Canadian football are very similar, as both have their origins in rugby football, but there are some key differences.-History:Football was introduced to North America in Canada by the British Army garrison in Montreal, which played a series of games with McGill University...
- 1995 CFL season1995 CFL seasonThe 1995 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 42nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 38th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1995:...
External links
- Memphis Mad Dogs team profile, including game results
- Pepper Rodgers official site