This is the logo of the Columbus Riverdragons, a former minor league basketball team that played in the NBA Developmental League from 2001 through 2005. Based in Columbus, Georgia, the franchise played there until 2005, when it was sold and moved to Austin, Texas.
Logo of the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league baseball team that is a member of the Class A New York-Penn League. They were founded in 1986 and play in a ballpark located just off the Coney Island boardwalk, where the legendary Cyclone roller coaster was once located. The Cyclones have won 8 division titles in their existence, and 2 league titles. In 2001, the Cyclones were named co-champions, along with the Williamsport Crosscutters, when their playoff series was forced to be cancelled due to the attacks on September 11th.
Logo of a long-standing minor league hockey team, the Rochester Americans. The Amerks came into existence in 1956 , joining the American Hockey League when one of its’ franchises, the Pittsburgh Hornets, was forced to suspend operations. They have been a highly successful AHL franchise over the years, winning 6 Calder Cup titles and making it to the Cup finals 10 other times. The team has produced a lot of head coaches who’ve gone on to coach in the NHL, including Billy Reay, Joe Crozier, Don Cherry, Mike Keenan, Jim Shoenfeld and John Tortorella. The greatest Amerk player is unquestionably Jody Gage, who had a long career with the team and holds all of the team scoring records. Known as “Mr. Amerk”, Gage is currently the team’s general manager.
Logo of the National Football League’s Chicago Bears, used from 1954 until 1973. Under owner, coach and founder George “Papa Bear” Halas, the Bears enhanced their rough and tumble “Monsters of The Midway” image in this era, playing tough defense and a physical style. The Bears won the NFL title in 1963, riding the league’s most dominant defense that was coached by George Allen to a title game win over the New York Giants. The Bears have more members (26) in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any other franchise, and from this era Mike Ditka, Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus are all considered by many to be the best at their positions in league history.
Logo of the Virginia Squires basketball team, a member of the old American Basketball Association. Like a lot of the old ABA teams, the Squires were nomadic, starting out as the Oakland Oaks in 1967 before moving to Washington, DC and becoming the Caps in 1969. At that time, the owner of the NBA’s Baltimore Bullets decided to move his team to Washington, so the Caps owner decided to make his team a regional franchise in the DC area, moving to Virginia and becoming the Squires. Former NBA star Rick Barry came with the team from Oakland, but was traded in 1970 when the team was strapped for cash. For a short period of time in the 1972-73 season, the Squires had the distinction of having 2 players on their roster who would go on to become superstars in the NBA – Julius “Dr. J” Erving and George “The Ice Man” Gervin.
Logo of a minor league baseball team, the old Louisville Redbirds, who were a Triple A franchise that existed from 1982 until 1998. The team name came from their affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals, and they were an immediate hit with Kentucky baseball fans, becoming the first minor league franchise to draw over a million fans in their second season. They played in the old American Association, but moved to the International League when the AA folded in 1998. Four of the Redbirds players went on to play key roles with the Cardinals – Willie McGee, Andy Van Slyke, Vince Coleman and Terry Pendleton.
Logo of an old minor league hockey team, the Springfield Indians. Based in Springfield, Massachussets, the Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League and existed in the league for 60 years, from 1924 until 1994, with some brief interruptions over the years. This logo was used from 1936 until 1967, when they became affiliated with the expansion Los Angeles Kings NHL franchise and became the Springfield Kings. The franchise won 7 Calder Cup championships, and 12 former members of the team are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, including Punch Imlach, Eddie Shore, Gump Worsley, Billy Smith and Brian Kilrea.
This is an “alternate” logo of the National Football League’s St. Louis Cardinals, incorporating the city’s Gateway Arch, used starting in 1966 when the Arch first opened. The Cardinals moved from Chicago to St.Louis after the 1960 season, and played there until 1987 when owner Bill Bidwell moved them to Arizona. They had exciting teams during their stay in St. Louis but never won any championships. Coach Don Coryell, known for his “Air Coryell” offense in later years in San Diego, coached the Cardinals in St. Louis. Some notable players from the St. Louis years are Jim Hart, Dan Dierdorf, Sonny Randle, Bobby Joe Conrad, Jackie Smith, Larry Wilson, Roger Wehrli, Ernie MacMillan, John David Crow, Roy Green, Terry Metcalf and Conrad Dobler.
Logo of the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns, used from the team’s first season in 1968 until 1992. The Suns have been a pretty successful franchise, owning the fourth best winning percentage of all time, but in their four decades of existence have never won an NBA title. When the Suns entered the league in ’68 along with Milwaukee as an expansion team, then NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy was against the move, calling Phoenix “too hot, too small and too far away” to be a successful market. Some of the Suns’ star players from their early years include the Van Arsdale brothers, Tom and Dick, Alvan Adams, Ricky Sobers, Paul Westphal and Garfield Heard.
Here is another logo of Triple A minor league baseball team, the Portland Beavers. the Beavers were a charter member of the Pacific Coast League in 1903. The Beavers’ franchise has faded from existence and been brought back to life several times over the years, most recently in 2000 when this logo was put into use. The Albuquerque Dukes were sold and moved to Portland that year and renamed the Beavers, and were affiliated with the San Diego Padres. The Beavers were the minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians for most of the 1960s, and some of their alumni from that era are Luis Tiant, “Sudden Sam” McDowell and Lou Piniella.