Dallas Rattlers
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Dallas Rattlers

The Dallas Rattlers were a professional men's field lacrosse team as a member of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex starting in 2018. The franchise was a charter member of the MLL, operating as the Rochester Rattlers in Rochester, New York, from 2001 to 2008 and 2011 to 2017.

After the 2008 season, the team was dissolved. The Rattlers' staff and roster was transferred to the new Toronto Nationals franchise, but the history, colors, and name of the Rattlers franchise remained in Rochester so that they could be used for a future MLL team. After a two-year absence, the Chicago Machine moved to Rochester to play the 2011 season under the Rattlers name.

On November 16, 2017, the franchise announced that it was relocating to Frisco, a northern suburb of Dallas, and would be known as the Dallas Rattlers. The team is owned by Jim Davis, founder and chairman of New Balance.

The league suspended the Rattlers for the 2020 season while retaining the rights to the team branding to possibly return at a later date. Most of the players and team staff were transferred to the expansion Connecticut Hammerheads.

In 2001 and 2002 the team played home games at Frontier Field. They played at Bishop Kearney Field from 2003 to 2005, and moved into the new PAETEC Park in 2006. In April 2015, negotiations between the Rattlers and Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester fell through, resulting in the team moving its home field to Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium on the campus of SUNY Brockport. They returned to the city of Rochester for the 2016 season, using Wegmans Stadium at the Aquinas Institute as their home field. In 2017, they announced a return to the city's professional soccer stadium, now under new ownership and known as Marina Auto Stadium.

The Rattlers made the playoffs in 2001 and 2005 as a wildcard. They were the National Division champions in 2004. On June 16, 2007, the Rochester Rattlers won a 27–26 (in overtime) game over the Denver Outlaws in the highest scoring game in MLL history at INVESCO Field at Mile High.

In 2008, the Rattlers won their first and only MLL championship by defeating the Philadelphia Barrage 16–15 in overtime in the semifinals and the Denver Outlaws 16–6 in the championship game.

After the 2008 season, the team was dissolved and the rights to the team were sold to a Toronto, Ontario-based group on February 19, 2009. The Rattlers' staff and roster was transferred to the new Toronto franchise, named the Toronto Nationals; however, the Rattlers' history, team colors, and name remained in Rochester, thus allowing the Chicago Machine to be re-branded as the Rochester Rattlers in time for the 2011 season.

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