History of sports in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne, Indiana is the current home of seven minor league sports franchises. These include the Fort Wayne Fever of soccer's Premier Development League, the Fort Wayne Flash of the National Women's Football Association, the Fort Wayne Flyers of the Minor League Football Association, the Allen County Explosion, who were semi-pro champions in 2002 & 2003 of the Midwest Football League, the Fort Wayne Freedom of the Continental Indoor Football League, the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, and the Fort Wayne TinCaps of baseball's Midwest League.

Fort Wayne has also been home to three former professional sports franchises. These include the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons (now in Detroit), the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and the Fort Wayne Kekiongas of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (an early predecessor to the current MLB).

History

Fort Wayne has also been home to a few sports firsts; the first major league baseball game was played May 4, 1871, between the Fort Wayne Kekiongas and the Cleveland Forest Citys. It was rained-out in the top of the ninth inning, with the Kekiongas ahead 2-0, though the Kekiongas franchise in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was sold midway through the first season. [ [http://www.retrosheet.org/1stGame.htm Retrosheet.org - First Game] . Retrieved on 2008-05-16.] Another first, on June 2, 1883, Fort Wayne hosted the Quincy Professionals for one of the first lighted baseball games ever recorded. [Miklich, Eric [http://www.19cbaseball.com/field-10.html Night Baseball in the 19th Century] . Retrieved on 2008-05-16.] Also, Fort Wayne has been credited for being the birthplace of the NBA when Fort Wayne Pistons owner Fred Zollner brokered the merger of the BAA and the NBL in 1949 from his kitchen table. [cite web | title=Storming The Fort (wayne) | publisher="Sports Illustrated" | url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1106979/index.htm | accessdate=2008-05-16]

Fort Wayne hosted two NBA Finals Games in 1955 and 1956, as well as the third city to host the NBA All-Star Game in 1953. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCJ/is_5_29/ai_83446830 NBA All-Star Games - Names and Numbers] , "Basketball Digest", March, 2002. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.] The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was also venue to the 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Volleyball Championship matches, in addition to hosting the 2000, 2001, and 2002 Mid-Continent Conference Men's Basketball Tournaments. Fort Wayne also annually hosts the U.S.S.S.A. National and Boys State Championships, held at Spiece Fieldhouse. [ [http://www.gymratsbasketball.com/usssa_national_tournament.php U.S.S.S.A. National Tournament] . Retrieved on 2008-05-16.]

There is also a presence of intercollegiate sports in Fort Wayne. IPFW joined the NCAA's Division I Summit League in 2007. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2922050 Summit League gains new teams, seeks rise in standing among mid-majors] , Associated Press. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.]

Recently, Fort Wayne was rated the "Best Place in the Country for Minor League Sports" in a 2007 issue of "Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal". [cite web | title=Fort Wayne's #1 | publisher="Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal" | url=http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.printArticle&articleId=55963 | accessdate=2008-05-16] [ [http://visitfortwayne.com/Visitors/Information/fun-facts.aspx Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau] . Retrieved on 2008-05-08.]

On November 22 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers with a final score of 19 to 18 in the lowest scoring game in NBA history. [ [http://nbahoopsonline.com/History/NBAdateline.html NBA Dateline] . Retrieved on 2008-02-02.]

Current sports teams

Former sports teams

Notable natives and former residents

* Jason Baker, professional football player, NFL Carolina Panthers
* Lloy Ball, professional volleyball player, Olympic gold medalist, 2008 Summer Olympics
* Roosevelt Barnes, professional football player, NFL Detroit Lions
* DaMarcus Beasley, professional soccer player, Rangers FC of the Scottish Premier League, U.S. national team, MLS Chicago Fire
* Jamar Beasley, professional soccer player, MLS New England Revolution, Chicago Fire
* Will Billingsley, professional football player, NFL Miami Dolphins
* Adam Bobay, martial artist, UFC
* Rob Bowen, professional baseball player, MLB Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs
* Johnny Bright, professional football player, CFL Edmonton Eskimos, field at Drake University named for him
* Rob Brooks, professional BMX racer in 1980-90's
* Vaughn Dunbar, professional football player, NFL New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars
* Eric England, professional football player, NFL Phoenix Cardinals
* Trai Essex, professional football player, NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XL champion
* Bill Everitt, professional baseball player, MLB Chicago Colts/Orphans, Washington Senators
* Jason Fabini, professional football player, NFL Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Washington Redskins
* Jon Fitch, martial artist, UFC
* James Hardy, professional football player, NFL Buffalo Bills
* Butch Henline, former professional baseball player, MLB New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Brooklyn Robins, Chicago White Sox
* Robert Howe, martial artist
* Henry James, former professional basketball player, NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks
* Billy Kratzert, former professional golfer, sportcaster
* Selwyn Lymon, professional football player, NFL Miami Dolphins
* Kyle Macy, former professional basketball player, NBA Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, sportscaster
* Bobby Milton, basketball player, manager of Harlem Globetrotters
* Matt Painter, head coach of Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team
* Bernard Pollard, professional football player, NFL Kansas City Chiefs
* Bill Roberts, former professional basketball player, NBA
* Emil Sitko, former professional football player, NFL San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Cardinals
* Art Smith, aviator, invented "loop the loop"
* Lamar Smith, former professional football player, NFL Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers
* Anthony Spencer, professional football player, NFL Dallas Cowboys
* Mark Virts, diver, participated in boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics led by President Jimmy Carter
* Matt Vogel, swimmer, two-time Olympic gold medalist, 1976 Summer Olympics
* Eric Wedge, professional baseball player, MLB Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, manager of Cleveland Indians
* Sharon Wichman, swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, 1968 Summer Olympics
* Rod Woodson, professional football player, NFL Pittsburgh Steelers and future Pro Football Hall of Famer
* Justin Wynn, professional football player, NFL Miami Dolphins

References