Defunct American Sports Leagues Quiz

Answer: All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League

In the film 'A League of Their Own', the Tom Hanks character was loosely based on major league hall-of-famer Jimmie Foxx, who managed the Fort Wayne Daisies. The Geena Davis character, Dottie Hinson, was modeled after actual player Dottie Kamenshek (who was touted as a men's major league level ball player by several talent scouts).

Much of the situations in the film mirrored what occurred in real life, for example the charm school scene. The All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League lasted from 1943 to 1954.

Answer: False

No team golf league has ever existed (though the non-starting 'National Professional Golf League played one season in 1972 - singles competition only). However, between the years 1974 and 1978 there did exist a team tennis league called World Team Tennis. Indeed, some of the big stars of the day did participate, including Jimmy Connors, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert (not Lloyd, yet) and Bjorn Borg. The league included a total of 19 teams in its short history, which included a number of franchise moves, etc. The most intriguing team was the 'Soviets', a touring team of players from the Soviet Union. The following website gives a pictorial view of each team's logo:

http://www.fortunecity.com/wembley/stamford/576/wtt/

Answer: False

Indeed, not! The ABA was a rival league with essentially the same talent level as the NBA. Players such as Julius Erving, George Gervin, Rick Barry and Moses Malone spent portions of their professional basketball careers playing in the ABA, which allowed for three-point baskets and emplyed red-white-and blue balls. Four ABA teams, the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and New York/New Jersey Nets, merged into the NBA when the ABA went defunct in 1976.

The greatest ABA moment came in 1971 when the Utah Stars, led by Zelmo Beatty, Willie Wise and Ron Boone, won the ABA championship.

Answer: Cleveland Browns

The American Football League existed from 1960 to 1969. Other teams from the AFL included: New York Jets, Houston Oilers, Boston Patriots (later New England), Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The first interleague championship game, which you sometimes hear referred to as the 'Superbowl', was played after the 1966 season and was won by the Green Bay Packers over the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 35-10.

When the two leagues finally merged after the 1969 season, the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers all shifted over to the AFC.

Answer: Los Angeles

In the only XFL championship game the Los Angeles Xtreme won handily over the San Francisco Demons by a score of 38-6. The league began with high television ratings, but they quickly fell off as football fans had difficult time swallowing the wrestling style interviews and announcing team, and more importantly, the low quality of play. The league was also known for its 'extreme' team names (for example, the Demons and the Hitmen). This reminds me of a top ten list from David Letterman show, the 'Top Ten Rejected XFL Team Names'. They are as follows (borrowed from the Late Show archive - pay special attention to #2):

10. Florida Felons
9. Dallas Deadbeat Dads
8. Richmond 'Roid Rage
7. Las Vegas Lapdancerz
6. Washington Major-League Ass*****
5. Seattle Sex Offenders
4. Philadelphia Parole Violators
3. Cleveland Carjackers
2. Detroit Guys-Who-Will-Have-To-Go-Back-To-Their-Jobs-As
-Security-Guards-When-The-League-Folds-In-About-A-Month
1. New York/New Jersey Ass Wranglers

Answer: Barry Sanders

The USFL (United States Football League) lasted from 1983 to 1986. Though playing in the Spring (and hence gunning for a separate television audience), the league directly challenged the NFL's supremacy by offering large contracts to some very big football names. Some other USFL names include: Gary Anderson, Bobby Hebert, Kelvin Bryant, Doug Flutie, Anthony Carter and Reggie White. Donald Trump was a team owner. Jim Mora, Steve Spurrier and Marv Levy all served as coaches.
Barry Sanders played his entire career in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.

Answer: American Basketball League

The ABL lasted from 1996 until 1998, and differed from the WNBA in a myriad of ways. The ABL used the same-sized balls as the NBA, had a more distant three point line and played during the NBA season. Players such as Kate Starbird and Teresa Edwards played for ABL teams, but the league lost its challenge for supremacy in the women's basketball world when the NBA essentially endorsed (and financially backed) the WNBA.

Answer: Cosmos

NASL Played games beginning in 1968 (arising from the merger of the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League after the 1967 season). The Cosmos were not an original team, they first appeared in 1971. The first NASL team in New York was called the Generals. Pelé joined the Cosmos in 1975 and helped create a great stir of excitement for soccer in the United States.

At its height, the league included 24 teams, including several from Canada. The teams also played a number of exhibition games against overseas teams, the results of some included in official league standings.

Answer: Isiah Thomas

Founded in 1978, the CBA served as a minor league for the NBA, though there were no official links between NBA teams and the CBA franchises. Some very good NBA players, for example Anthony Mason and Mario Elie, played for fair stretches in the CBA before attaining NBA success. Isiah Thomas imagined a situation wherein the CBA would officially link itself as a developmental league for the NBA, but the NBA had other ideas, creating a developmental league of its own (and thus putting the CBA out of business). Thomas was forced to divest himself of the league when he became coach of the Indiana Pacers.

Answer: False

From 1914-1915, the Federal League played major league level baseball in nine cities (Chicago, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Newark, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Kansas City). Players such as Three-Finger Brown, Joe Tinker, Benny Kauf, Dutch Zwilling and Hal Chase all played for Federal League teams.

The Federal League sued Major League Baseball in 1915, and a peace settlement was ultimately brokered thanks to the work of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis (the Federal League was disbanded, with the teams and players absorbed by MLB - the owners were compensated as well). Major League Baseball has enjoyed anti-trust exempt status ever since, and no significant challenges were made for the rest of the 20th century.