- Utah Blaze
AFL team
name =Utah Blaze
color1 =#e60
color2 =#333
logo =UtahBlaze.png
division =Western
founded =2006
arena =Delta Field atEnergySolutions Arena
location =Salt Lake City, Utah
coach =TBD
wild card titles =3:
2006,2007 & 2008
division titles =none
conference titles =none
ArenaBowl championships =none
owner =John and Robert Garff,
Brett Hopkins
uniform =
Arena Football League team based inSalt Lake City ,Utah . They began play as a 2006 expansion team.History
The Utah Blaze began play on
January 28 , 2006, playing theSan Jose SaberCats on the road. The team is coached by longtimeArizona Rattlers coachDanny White and plays its home games at theEnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, home of theNational Basketball Association 'sUtah Jazz . The team is owned byautomobile businessmen John Garff, Robert Garff, and Brett Hopkins.On Saturday, February 11, 2006, the Blaze lost to the
New York Dragons 84-81 in the second highest scoring game in the history of the Arena Football League. The Blaze's performance was also the second highest score for a losing team in the AFL's 20-year history.In their first season, the Blaze had the highest average attendance in the Arena Football League, with 15,498 fans per game. They narrowly edged out Philadelphia's 15,463. Prior to the 2006 season, the Blaze had said EnergySolutions Arena held 13,000 fans due to poor sight lines in most of the building. After 16,705 people attended the home opener, that figure was changed to near 15,000. The Blaze topped that figure 5 of the 8 games their first season.
Despite a losing record of 7-9, the Blaze got into the playoffs as an AC Wildcard (the conference's #6 seed). Unfortunately, the newly formed Blaze were given the boot as they lost to the
Arizona Rattlers with a final score of 57-34.The team's mascot is a dalmatian named "Chief". The Blaze were winners of the league "Commissioners Award" in 2006 and won the prestigious "Support Staff of the Year Award" in back-to-back seasons (2006-2007), an award that goes to the league's best training and equipment staff (led by Head Trainer Kevin Semans and Head Equipment Manager Darin Featherstone). [ [http://www.utahblaze.com/?DB_OEM_ID=3500&switch=chief UtahBlaze.com - Fuel The Fire] ]
eason-by-season
-
2006 || 7 || 9 || 0 || 3rd AC Western || Lost Wild Card (Arizona)
-
2007 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AC Western || Lost Wild Card (Los Angeles)
-
2008 || 6 || 10 || 0 || 3rd AC Western || Lost Wild Card (Colorado)
-!Totals || 21 || 30 || 0
colspan="2"| (including playoffs)Retired Numbers
#3
Justin Skaggs - WR/LB -March 29 ,2008 (died of brain tumor in 2007)AFL Hall of Famers
* Danny White
Roster
"(Current as of
2008-05-30 )"Coaches
"(Current as of
2008-06-30 )"Arena Football Hall of Famers associated with the Utah Blaze
*
Danny White , Head Coach 2006 - 2008.ee also
Arena Football League American Football Notes
External links
* [http://www.utahblaze.com Official website]
* [http://www.blazenation.com Official Fan Club website]
* [http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=clubhouse&team=112 Utah Blaze at ArenaFan]
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