# Your favorite "extinct" franchise **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 15, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031 "2015-03-15T04:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/1 "2015-03-15T04:26:34Z")
Even though I don’t live in New England or follow hockey that much, I always had a soft spot for the Hartford Whalers (who moved to North Carolina in the nineties). Why? [Their goofy mascot](https://bristolkids.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/pucky.jpg), the fact their arena was in a shopping mall, suiting up a 51-year old Gordie How, and [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJtiepwpKFw). What other now nonexistent franchises did you enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/2 "2015-03-15T04:41:20Z")
“Onward and upward, St. Louis Browns. We who are your fans will never let you down– We know you’ll rise to play another game And once again recapture your old fame…” Are we downhearted? No! We’re Brownhearted! Plus which I used to go see the Chicago Cougars of the old WHA. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/3 "2015-03-15T14:11:58Z")
The Providence Steam Roller, 1928 NFL champions, had the coolest name ever for a football team. And they played in a bicycle velodrome. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/4 "2015-03-15T17:24:44Z")
The [Oorang Indians](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oorang_Indians), a NFL team developed solely to advertise dogs. To the owner’s credit, the team was actually made up American Indians. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/5 "2015-03-15T17:44:08Z")
Cause we’re the Houston Oilers Houston Oilers Houston Oilers #1 Yeah, I know they simply moved, but then they changed names, and now Houston has another NFL franchise in the city. Pastorini, Earl Campbell, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Bum Phillips… Those were the days. Moon years were pretty cool, too. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/6 "2015-03-15T20:03:50Z")
The Macon Whoopee(s) just for the name. There were three different franchises actually. The Macon Whoopees were in the Southern Hockey League in 1973-4, but disbanded part way through the season. The second no-s version played in the Central Hockey League from 1996-2001. This team’s mascot was a whooping crane and a bee (birds and bees). When this team folded, the East Coast Hockey League team in Tallahassee moved in and took the no-s name. A later team named the Macon Trax played from 2002-5 in three different leagues. And next year the Macon Mayhem are scheduled to start in the Southern Professional Hockey League. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/7 "2015-03-15T20:19:09Z")
The Cleveland Spiders. The Sacramento Solons. The Continental League’s stillborn NYC team, the Turncoats. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/8 "2015-03-15T21:31:35Z")
The Seattle Pilots. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/9 "2015-03-15T22:02:06Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The Cleveland Spiders. Especially their terrific 1899 season. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/10 "2015-03-15T22:16:04Z")
The St. Louis Spirits of the old American Basketball Association. The team itself was mostly an undisciplined bunch, but it had Bob Costas (in his first job) as its announcer, and most importantly, its owners made what was maybe [the most lopsided deal in the history of sports](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_and_Daniel_Silna) when they agreed to fold the team and go quietly into the night. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/11 "2015-03-15T22:22:31Z")
Buffalo Braves basketball team. The first professional sports game I ever saw and I got an autograph! ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/12 "2015-03-15T22:44:23Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The St. Louis Spirits of the old American Basketball Association. The team itself was mostly an undisciplined bunch, but it had Bob Costas (in his first job) as its announcer, and most importantly, its owners made what was maybe [the most lopsided deal in the history of sports](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_and_Daniel_Silna) when they agreed to fold the team and go quietly into the night. Weren’t they officially called “The Spirits of St. Louis”? There was a minor league baseball team known for a while as the “Swing of the Quad Cities.” What a bizarre name. I believe they’ve gone back to the Quad Cities River Bandits or something more traditional. ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/13 "2015-03-15T22:57:14Z")
Seattle Totems. After the games a bunch of kids would go down to where the players exited to plead with them to throw us their sticks. I somehow got in the way of my brother retrieving one that was thrown and snatched away by some other kid. He still hasn’t forgiven me. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/14 "2015-03-15T22:58:04Z")
The Dayton Gems. It’s the best name for a team from that city. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/15 "2015-03-15T22:59:18Z")
Duplicate. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/16 "2015-03-15T23:55:23Z")
The Seattle SuperSonics. The NBA is _dead_ to me. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/17 "2015-03-16T01:41:43Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The Providence Steam Roller, 1928 NFL champions, had the coolest name ever for a football team. And they played in a bicycle velodrome. Personally, I would give that award to the Akron Zips. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/18 "2015-03-16T04:13:50Z")
I was a big fan of the LA Rams in my childhood. I was less than pleased by their decision to move to Saint Louis. My favorite outside of my geographical area is probably the Montreal Expos. They had a really zany mascot, cool uniforms, and a dreadful stadium. Their 1994 team was fantastic and the fact that they didn’t get to play in the playoffs was a travesty. Just another reason to hate the '94 strike… ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/19 "2015-03-16T11:11:51Z")
The Quebec Nordiques. I just loved the name. A friend of mine in college and I used to go to a sports bar that has one of the big satellite dishes and I’d always ask the bartender to put on the Nordiques. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031/20 "2015-03-16T12:20:00Z")
The Pittsburgh Condors played basketball when I was a kid. They tried so hard to draw fans, mostly through giveaways for kids (who would be accompanied by their parents, hopefully). I’d go to games with my friends, no adults along. We’d get free tickets, get a free TShirt or similar. Our folks would pack us bags of sandwiches and pop. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-extinct-franchise/715031.md?page=2)