Recent from talks
Columbus Wardogs
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Columbus Wardogs
The Columbus Wardogs were an arena football team in af2 that played their home games in the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia, from 2001 through 2004. The franchise was relocated as the Mississippi Headhunters for the 2006 season, but did not play any games.
In 1998, Columbus Civic Center general manager Tony Ford contacted the Arena Football League about expanding into Columbus but was informed that the market was too small. In 2000, the Arena Football League launched its developmental league known as af2 which featured franchises in smaller cities. On May 3, 2000, af2 commissioner Mary Ellen Garling toured the Columbus Civic Center and announced she hoped the league could expand into Columbus for the 2001 season.[citation needed]
In October, an ownership group, which included Primerica executive Ed Randle as majority owner and Mike Sammond, a former Columbus sportscaster with WRBL TV who helped launch the league's Birmingham Steeldogs a year earlier, were approved and granted an af2 expansion franchise for the city. The Columbus Civic Center hosted a press conference on October 30, 2000, to formally announce the new franchise. The following month, Nashville Kats assistant coach Joe Campbell was introduced as the team's first head coach. The Wardogs' name and logo were unveiled in November. The team's name was in recognition of the nearby major college football schools of Auburn University (War Eagle battle cry) and the University of Georgia (Bulldogs), while also honoring the nearby army post of Fort Benning, a main training ground for military war dogs.[citation needed]
Before the season, the team hired longtime Auburn football announcer Jim Fyffe as the team's radio play-by-play announcer. The team also introduced Scout, a German Shepherd mix rescued from the Muscogee County Humane Society, as the team's official mascot.
The Wardogs played their first game on April 7, 2001, losing at home 43–20 to the Baton Rouge Blaze. After losing their first seven games, head coach Joe Campbell was fired and replaced by an assistant coach to finish out the season. Campbell's Wardogs were outscored 404–193 in his brief tenure, including a 94–44 loss to Charleston during the second week of the season. The Wardogs finished their inaugural season winless with an 0–16 record. Following the season, Iowa Barnstormers offensive coordinator Pete Constanza was hired as the Wardogs' new head coach.
Before the season, local business executive Tripp Amos, grandson of Bill Amos, one of the founders of Columbus-based insurance company Aflac, became a minority owner of the team.
After losing their first game of the 2002 season on the road, the Wardogs claimed their first franchise victory the following week on April 20 at home with a 19–14 win over the Jacksonville Tomcats. On May 18, the Wardogs defeated the Louisville Fire 34–31 to mark the first road win in franchise history. The Wardogs finished their second season with an overall record of 4–12. Following the season, Constanza left to become the head coach of the Albany Conquest. In December, the team named former NFL quarterback John Fourcade as the new head coach.
The Wardogs opened the 2003 season with two straight wins, beating the Memphis Xplorers 26–25 on the final play of the game and then defeating Rochester 47–32 the following week. Despite the quick start, Columbus won only two more games and finished the season with a 4–12 record.
Hub AI
Columbus Wardogs AI simulator
(@Columbus Wardogs_simulator)
Columbus Wardogs
The Columbus Wardogs were an arena football team in af2 that played their home games in the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia, from 2001 through 2004. The franchise was relocated as the Mississippi Headhunters for the 2006 season, but did not play any games.
In 1998, Columbus Civic Center general manager Tony Ford contacted the Arena Football League about expanding into Columbus but was informed that the market was too small. In 2000, the Arena Football League launched its developmental league known as af2 which featured franchises in smaller cities. On May 3, 2000, af2 commissioner Mary Ellen Garling toured the Columbus Civic Center and announced she hoped the league could expand into Columbus for the 2001 season.[citation needed]
In October, an ownership group, which included Primerica executive Ed Randle as majority owner and Mike Sammond, a former Columbus sportscaster with WRBL TV who helped launch the league's Birmingham Steeldogs a year earlier, were approved and granted an af2 expansion franchise for the city. The Columbus Civic Center hosted a press conference on October 30, 2000, to formally announce the new franchise. The following month, Nashville Kats assistant coach Joe Campbell was introduced as the team's first head coach. The Wardogs' name and logo were unveiled in November. The team's name was in recognition of the nearby major college football schools of Auburn University (War Eagle battle cry) and the University of Georgia (Bulldogs), while also honoring the nearby army post of Fort Benning, a main training ground for military war dogs.[citation needed]
Before the season, the team hired longtime Auburn football announcer Jim Fyffe as the team's radio play-by-play announcer. The team also introduced Scout, a German Shepherd mix rescued from the Muscogee County Humane Society, as the team's official mascot.
The Wardogs played their first game on April 7, 2001, losing at home 43–20 to the Baton Rouge Blaze. After losing their first seven games, head coach Joe Campbell was fired and replaced by an assistant coach to finish out the season. Campbell's Wardogs were outscored 404–193 in his brief tenure, including a 94–44 loss to Charleston during the second week of the season. The Wardogs finished their inaugural season winless with an 0–16 record. Following the season, Iowa Barnstormers offensive coordinator Pete Constanza was hired as the Wardogs' new head coach.
Before the season, local business executive Tripp Amos, grandson of Bill Amos, one of the founders of Columbus-based insurance company Aflac, became a minority owner of the team.
After losing their first game of the 2002 season on the road, the Wardogs claimed their first franchise victory the following week on April 20 at home with a 19–14 win over the Jacksonville Tomcats. On May 18, the Wardogs defeated the Louisville Fire 34–31 to mark the first road win in franchise history. The Wardogs finished their second season with an overall record of 4–12. Following the season, Constanza left to become the head coach of the Albany Conquest. In December, the team named former NFL quarterback John Fourcade as the new head coach.
The Wardogs opened the 2003 season with two straight wins, beating the Memphis Xplorers 26–25 on the final play of the game and then defeating Rochester 47–32 the following week. Despite the quick start, Columbus won only two more games and finished the season with a 4–12 record.