- Los Angeles Avengers
AFL team
name =Los Angeles Avengers
color1 =#008
color2 =#d00
logo =LosAngelesAvengers.png
conference =American
division =Western
founded =2000
arena =Staples Center
location =Los Angeles, California
coach =Pat O'Hara
wild card titles =4:
2002, 2003, 2004, 2007
division titles =1:
2005
conference titles =none
ArenaBowl championships =none
owner =Casey Wasserman
uniform =
The Los Angeles Avengers is anArena Football League (AFL) team based inLos Angeles, California and they began play as a 2000 expansion team.History
The Los Angeles Avengers play their home games at the
Staples Center , which is also the current home to theLos Angeles Kings of theNational Hockey League , theLos Angeles Lakers andLos Angeles Clippers of theNational Basketball Association , theLos Angeles Sparks of theWomen's National Basketball Association , and theLos Angeles D-Fenders of theNBA Development League . The team began play in the 2000 season. The Avengers compete in the Western Division of the American Conference. Since its inception in 2000, the Avengers have competed in postseason play five times. The Avengers earned American Conference wildcard playoff berths in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2007, and won the American Conference Western Division Championship in 2005.The Avengers franchise is owned by
Casey Wasserman , grandson of the late MCA headLew Wasserman .On April 10, 2005, Avengers defensive lineman
Al Lucas was injured attempting to make a tackle and later died at a nearby hospital. It is the only fatality in the history of the AFL. There is also an award in the AFL named after him.The Avengers official mascot is a superhero-like character named TD. [ [http://www.laavengers.com/fans/kids/ LA Avengers: Kids] ]
Memorable Avengers' highlights
* On Sunday,
March 30 ,2003 , in a Week 9 road game against theOrlando Predators , the Avengers trailed 63-58 late in the game. However, L.A. managed to recover an onside kick and on the very last play of the game, QuarterbackTony Graziani threw a 32-yard TD pass that flinged off the rebound net and was caught by WR/LBGreg Hopkins , giving the Avengers a 64-63 win. On the Arena Football League's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown, this is at #19. Greg Hopkins now coaches special teams for the Avengers where he forces his players to do push-ups if they do not know the answers to his questions. [ [http://www.arenafootball.com/mediaPlayer/video.dbml?DB_MENU_ID=&SPSID=38064&SPID=3172&DB_OEM_ID=3500&CLIP_ID=25766&CLIP_FILE_ID=29255&CONTENT_TYPE=ONDEMAND http://www.arenafootball.com/mediaPlayer/video.dbml?DB_MENU_ID=&SPSID=38064&SPID=3172&DB_OEM_ID=3500&CLIP_ID=25766&CLIP_FILE_ID=29255&CONTENT_TYPE=ONDEMAND] ]eason-by-season
-
2000 || 3 || 11 || 0 || 4th AC Western || --
-
2001 || 5 || 9 || 0 || 3rd AC Western || --
-
2002 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 3rd AC Western || Lost Week 1 (Tampa Bay)
-
2003 || 11 || 5 || 0 || 2nd AC Western || Lost Quarterfinals (Arizona)
-
2004 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AC Western || Lost Week 1 (Arizona)
-
2005 || 10 || 6 || 0 || 1st AC Western || Lost Week 1 (Chicago)
-
2006 || 5 || 11 || 0 || 5th AC Western || --
-
2007 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 2nd AC Western || Won Wild Card (Utah)
Lost Divisional (Chicago)
-
2008 || 5 || 11 || 0 || 4th AC Western || --
-!Totals || 63 || 77 || 0
colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
###@@@KEYEND@@@###Past players
*
Antoine Burns - WR/LB
*Chris Butterfield - OL/DL
*Shannon Culver -WR/LB
*Anthony Derricks - DS
*Jim Druckenmiller - QB
* Chad Dukes - FB/LB
*Mark Estelle - DS
*Tony Graziani - QB
*Darius Hadley - DS
*Travis Hannah - WR
*Greg Hopkins - WR/LB
* Chris Jackson - OS
*Lenzie Jackson - WR/DB
*John Kaleo - QB
*Greg Krause - OL
*Tony Locke - WR/DB
*Al Lucas - OL/DL (died of a spinal cord injury)
*Brian Mann - QB
*Reggie Rhodes - DL/OL
*Ryan Riddle - DE
*Ricky Sharpe - WR/DB
*Kevin Ingram - WR/DB
*Lonnie Ford - FB
* David Davis - KRetired numbers
* #76
Al Lucas –June 17 ,2007
* #82Greg Hopkins –June 17 ,2007 References
External links
* [http://www.laavengers.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=clubhouse&team=44 Los Angeles Avengers at ArenaFan]
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