The Georgia Force was the name of three separate versions of Arena Football League (AFL) teams based in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area of Georgia , United States .
42-654: The first incarnation of the Force resulted from the relocation of the original Nashville Kats franchise in 2001 and beginning play in 2002 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, then relocated to The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia in 2003, then back to Philips Arena in 2005. Following the termination of operations of the Arena Football League on August 4, 2009, Georgia Force officials quickly followed with
84-556: A poll . However, following the 2007 season, the Force announced they were returning to the Gwinnett Center in 2008 after signing a 10-year lease. The Georgia Force's strongest rival in the Arena Football League was the New Orleans VooDoo, owned by then New Orleans Saints owner, Tom Benson. The rivalry was a natural extension of the long-held Atlanta Falcons/New Orleans Saints rivalry. The 2005 season was, by far,
126-456: A 51-48 win. Marshall was named both Offensive Player of the Game and Ironman of the Game, with six catches for 111 yards and one touchdown in addition to three rushing touchdowns. Ahmad Hawkins earned Defensive Player of the Game honors by registering the game's lone interception. Colorado coach Mike Dailey earned his second championship ring while Georgia's first-year head coach Doug Plank ,
168-410: A deal with Adams during the summer of 2004. Following the new agreement, Adams announced that the expansion Kats would begin play for the 2005 season and would return to the arena the original team called home. While the majority of the new team was owned by Adams, country music singer Tim McGraw was brought in as a minority investor. McGraw, his wife Faith Hill , and their children were often seen on
210-581: A high-tech runner named G-Force , but was later changed to a blue, cuddly monster named Blu . The second incarnation of the Force relocated from Huntsville, Alabama , where they played one season in the first AFL revival as the Alabama Vipers , a former AF2 franchise. They played two seasons in Gwinnett County before folding a second time. In November 2023, the AFL announced the return of
252-509: A losing 2007 season. The rechristened Force played the 2002 season at Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta - home to the Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks. In 2003 and 2004, the team relocated to Duluth, a suburb of Atlanta, and the brand new Arena at Gwinnett Center . After the team's sale to Falcons owner Arthur Blank, a strong supporter of the downtown area and economy, the team returned to Philips Arena in 2005. The team name
294-440: A release that indicated that they, too, were ceasing operations. The franchise was last owned by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank . In 2010, the Alabama Vipers announced they would leave Huntsville, and would move to suburban Atlanta as the second incarnation of the Force for the 2011 AFL season, once again playing home games at Arena at Gwinnett Center . That team was owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings. Following
336-555: A third incarnation of the Georgia Force was announced as a member of the reconstituted Arena Football League beginning play in 2024. This franchise was originally slated to play home games at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta, although this never came to fruition. Being unable to secure a home venue, the league scheduled the franchise as a traveling team playing every game in 2024 as
378-521: A visitor. However, this was short-lived, as the Georgia Force folded in May 2024, just two weeks into the season. The team began as the first Nashville Kats team from 1997 to 2001 . The original Kats played in the Nashville Arena (later known as Gaylord Entertainment Center, now known as Bridgestone Arena ) in downtown Nashville and were initially coached by Eddie Khayat in 1997 and 1998. Khayat
420-643: Is the name of three separate franchises in the Arena Football League all located in Nashville, Tennessee . The original incarnation of the Kats launched in 1997 and were the first tenant of Bridgestone Arena (then known as Nashville Arena). The Kats were first coached by Eddie Khayat , who won AFL Coach of the Year honors in 1997. After two seasons, Khayat was succeeded by Pat Sperduto , who coached
462-622: The Albany Firebirds , Orlando Predators and Wilkes-Barre . Shortly after switching leagues, head coach Dean Cokinos quietly left the team with no explanation. During the schedule revival, Jeff Fisher announced the search for a new head coach. On October 18, 2024, Nashville Arena Sports, LLC, owners of the Kats, filed a lawsuit in Chancery Court For Davidson County, Tennessee , against chairman Chuck McDowell seeking an alleged delinquent payment which
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#1732780050453504-725: The Georgia Force . The Public Address Announcer for the Nashville Kats from 1999 to 2001 was Chip Hoback. Hoback went on to announce the Georgia Force games at the Gwinnett Center. Shortly after the original team's departure from Nashville, Bud Adams , the owner of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League , purchased the rights to an expansion franchise in Nashville (along with
546-679: The Orlando Predators and assistant to his brother Jon , then head coach of the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers , which played in the AFL off-season. Khayat was succeeded as Kats' head coach by Pat Sperduto for the balance of the team's time in Nashville (including the second incarnation of the team). The Kats were the league's Organization of the Year for their inaugural year of 1997, and were in the playoffs for every season of their relatively brief existence. The team's success in
588-665: The 2005 season (the first season of the revived team). The team was not mentioned as a possible addition to the resurrected AFL in 2010, though fans have been clamoring for a return of the Kats in some form to the renamed Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. In 2014, a new indoor football team began play at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium as the Nashville Venom in the Professional Indoor Football League , bringing
630-414: The 2012 season, the franchise folded citing, "The market never responded to our extensive marketing and sales campaign," said team president Corey Remillard. "With all of the outreach, marketing, community and public relations that we put forward, it would have been impossible to not know that we were playing here, and the city simply did not respond. Atlanta is simply not a football town." In November 2023,
672-515: The Force franchise, this time as an expansion team under the ownership of Southern Indoor Sports Management Company with no ties to the first two franchises. They played at the Georgia State Convocation Center at Georgia State University in Atlanta. The Georgia Force quietly revealed that they would be coached by AFL Hall of Famer Durwood Roquemore for the 2024 AFL Season. On May 10, 2024, Force quarterback Justin Arth, who had been financing some of
714-708: The Force's appearances in ArenaBowls XIV and XV as the Nashville Kats , as those games are attributed to the new Kats franchise), the Crush claimed the Foster ArenaBowl Trophy in just their third year of existence. The Crush got out to a 7–0 lead on the first of four touchdowns by Willis Marshall and added a Clay Rush field goal to extend the lead to 10–0 before the Force got on the scoreboard. The teams then traded touchdowns throughout
756-526: The Kats identity). Initially, Adams was unable to negotiate a lease with the Nashville Predators to return the team to then- Gaylord Entertainment Center (now called Bridgestone Arena and formerly Nashville Arena) on terms he deemed to be adequately favorable. Because Nashville Municipal Auditorium and Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym , the only other sizable indoor venues in Nashville, were unsuitable for arena football (Municipal Auditorium's floor
798-554: The excitement of professional indoor football back to Music City. Although this team won the championship of its league in its initial season as a member, it vanished (along with the league as a whole) after the 2015 season. On November 1, 2023, the revival of the Arena Football League announced the return of the Nashville Kats and new ownership structure. The team is co-owned by Tamara Dadd Alan, Founding Partner and CEO; Nancy Eckert, Founding Partner and COO/General Counsel; and Chuck McDowell, largest individual stakeholder and Chairman of
840-463: The first row of sideline seats along the south endzone. As a tie-in with McGraw, the PA system played his hit " I Like It, I Love It " following a Kats touchdown. The second incarnation of the Nashville Kats began play in 2005 at the then- Gaylord Entertainment Center , the home of the original Kats team. When the Kats were revived, they reclaimed the history of the original Kats from the Georgia Force. This
882-583: The franchise for nearly $ 10 million in December 2001, and moved the team to Atlanta after the team's previous owners failed to negotiate a favorable lease with the arena's primary tenant and manager, the National Hockey League 's Nashville Predators . The Kats would return to Nashville as an expansion team in 2005 (in a situation similar to the National Football League 's Cleveland Browns ). The second Nashville Kats team would fold after
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#1732780050453924-501: The franchise in December 2001 to Virgil Williams, an Atlanta businessman, for nearly $ 10 million. The team's departure from the Nashville market was not related to lack of success neither on the field, nor at the box office, where they were a superior draw to several ongoing Arena football teams, but rather their inability to negotiate a favorable lease with the Predators. Following the move to Atlanta, this team would be rechristened
966-470: The franchise. Jeff Fisher , former Tennessee Titans Head Coach, is a partner and President of Football Operations for the organization (also now-commissioner of the league). Sports talk host Greg Pogue also serves as Partner and Vice President of Community Relations. The team played at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, with one game at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville . They made it to
1008-574: The half for Georgia, but it was not enough to offset the Colorado attack, as Dutton threw two touchdowns to Damian Harrell and another to Marshall With 18 seconds remaining, Nagy threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Chris Jackson , tying the game at 48. However, the Crush quickly moved into field goal range, and kicker Rush converted his third field goal of the day, this one from 20 yards out as time expired, giving Colorado its first ArenaBowl title with
1050-632: The most successful in team history. With new team management under Arthur Blank, and under the direction of head coach and Chicago Bears legend Doug Plank, season highlights included a conference-best 11–5 record, and undefeated home record (8–0), a division title, a National Conference Championship, and a trip to ArenaBowl XIX . They fell in the ArenaBowl to the Colorado Crush, 51–48. The team would also win back to back Southern Division titles in 2007 and 2008. The Force's official mascot used to be
1092-418: The players' meals through his private coaching business, indicated that the Force had abruptly folded after two games and that his teammates were facing eviction by the end of the week, prompting him to launch a fundraising drive to pay for his teammates' return home. In an extended interview with Front Office Sports, Arth indicated that Roquemore informed the team on May 9 that the league had run out of money and
1134-472: The playoffs led to consecutive appearances in the ArenaBowl (XIV and XV ) each of the original team's final two seasons, although they were unable to win the AFL's championship in either appearance. After being unable to reach favorable agreements with arena management which was controlled by the venue's primary tenant, the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League , majority owner Mark Bloom sold
1176-512: The remainder of the first half, with the Crush leading 24–20 at the break. The first half was especially notable for being the first time in ArenaBowl history in which neither team threw a passing touchdown. Crush quarterback John Dutton , the MVP of ArenaBowl XVI , and Force signal-caller Matt Nagy would soon change that, however, as the two combined for seven passing touchdowns in the second half. Rookie Derek Lee caught three touchdown passes in
1218-573: The road, it took until week 8 for the franchise to record another victory. But after that, the Kats won their next five games, and finished the season with a 6–9–1 record. The 41–41 tie at the Dallas Desperados on April 8 was only the second in AFL history, and prompted the League to change its overtime rules to eliminate ties before the start of the 2006 season. Nashville finished the 2006 regular season with an 8–8 record; good enough to earn
1260-471: The semi-finals for ArenaBowl XXXIII , only to lose to the eventual champion Billings Outlaws 35-32. On September 4, 2024, the Kats, along with the other seven surviving members of the collapsed AFL, joined the newly-formed Arena Football One . Jeff Fisher was named permanent commissioner of the new league while maintaining his position with the Kats. They will play in the East Division along with
1302-500: The team a playoff berth. The Kats lost in the opening round to the Chicago Rush . The Kats finished the 2007 season with a 7–9 record and just missed the playoffs after a Utah Blaze win in the final week of the season. On October 10, 2007, after months of speculation, owner Bud Adams decided to shut down operations. While ticket sales had been good initially, the team struggled at the box office following its poor performance in
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1344-587: The team colors of the Tennessee Titans. New team uniforms also adopted the Tennessee Titans color scheme, going from the dark blue/silver/white combination of the original team to a new scheme including "Titans" light blue/red/white. The new team also introduced a new in-arena mascot named Kool Kat , a cat clad in a jersey and shorts that often performed daredevil stunts during breaks in the game. Sperduto also returned as head coach. The new Kats' first season started horrendously. After an opening victory on
1386-673: The team to back-to-back appearances in ArenaBowl XIV and ArenaBowl XV . Despite on-field success, unfavorable lease conditions led to the sale of the team and relocation to Atlanta in December 2001, then becoming the original Georgia Force . The second incarnation of the Kats joined the league as an expansion team in 2005, again coached by Sperduto and again playing at Bridgestone Arena (during this period known as Gaylord Entertainment Center, briefly renamed Nashville Arena, and then named Sommet Center). This second incarnation played three seasons before folding in 2007. The third incarnation of
1428-506: The team, coached by Dean Cokinos , began play in 2024 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium . In 2025, they will become inaugural members of the newly-formed Arena Football One . The team began as the Nashville Kats in 1997. The franchise was that of charter Arena team the Denver Dynamite , which had not played since 1991. The original Kats played in the then-named Nashville Arena (AKA "The Alley") in downtown Nashville. The team
1470-632: Was an arrangement similar to the one made in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes . The revived logo was almost identical to the original logo. The noteworthy exceptions were the ball (which was drawn as the lighter colored, brown-with-blue-stripe ball used in the AFL at that time) and the color scheme of the logo, which was slightly modified to mirror
1512-564: Was chosen through a contest in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Anthony R Ward submitted the winning name. Under Williams' three-year tenure as owner, the team made the playoffs one time in 2003. Upon selling the team to Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank in September 2004, it was announced that the franchise would return to the downtown Philips Arena for the 2005 season in response to fan desires as expressed in
1554-792: Was loaned to the franchise. The suit alleged that McDowell failed to pay on a signed $ 2.5 million ( USD ) promissory note to the club. They are also seeking to have McDowell expelled from the franchise ownership group. Jeff Fisher announced that the team still plans to play in the league's inaugural season with its current owners despite this latest legal challenge. Running backs Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams Front office Head coaches Offensive coaches The following Kats players were named to All-Arena Teams: The following Force players were named to All-Ironman Teams: The following Kats players were named to All-Rookie Teams: ArenaBowl XIX ArenaBowl XIX
1596-493: Was named for the 1967 hit "Nashville Cats" by The Lovin' Spoonful . The team's logo featured an anthropomorphic tabby wearing a 1950s-style leather jacket, holding the neck of a guitar in one paw and juggling a football with the other. The Kats were initially coached by Eddie Khayat in 1997 and 1998, with the assistance of future Washington Football Team coach Jay Gruden as offensive co-ordinator in his first-ever coaching position. Gruden then returned to active play with
1638-459: Was shutting down the team. Fullbacks Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Kickers Injury reserve Other league exempt Refuse to report League suspension The following Force players were named to All-Arena Teams: The following Force players were named to All-Ironman Teams: The following Force players were named to All-Rookie Teams: Nashville Kats The Nashville Kats
1680-698: Was the 2005 championship game of the Arena Football League (AFL), and was played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada . The first neutral-site title game in AFL history drew 10,822 fans to see the Colorado Crush defeat the Georgia Force 51–48 to claim the Foster ArenaBowl Trophy . ArenaBowl XIX is widely considered one of the greatest games played. In a matchup of two first-time ArenaBowl participants (not counting
1722-437: Was then succeeded by Pat Sperduto for the balance of the team's time in Nashville. The Kats were the league's "Organization of the Year" for their inaugural year of 1997, and were in the playoffs for every season of their relatively brief existence, even playing in the ArenaBowl each of their final two seasons, albeit losing both times they reached the AFL's championship game. Virgil Williams, an Atlanta businessman, purchased
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1764-499: Was too small to contain the field of play as its ice hockey rink had always been of less-than-regulation size and Vanderbilt had a "dry" no-alcohol policy for on-campus athletic events), Adams explored the idea of building his own mid-size arena (roughly 10,000 seats) to host the Kats and compete with the Gaylord Entertainment Center for concerts and smaller sporting events. Ultimately, the Predators agreed to
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