Misplaced Pages

#605394

24-865: The team was based in suburban Uniondale, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum , former home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . The team's mascot was Sparky the Dragon, who is also mascot for the New York Islanders . The franchise played in Des Moines, Iowa from 1995 to 2000 , as the Iowa Barnstormers . The team had been successful in Iowa, having reached

48-418: A full-time Star Wars artist . Nassau Coliseum, where the franchise relocated, is generally regarded as one of the most marginal venues currently used in major American professional sports, and is often proposed for replacement, so the improvement of the situation with regards to a venue has been fairly minimal to this point. In late September 2004, Islanders' ownership announced an ambitious project to renovate

72-480: A portion of its southern campus, as well as the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum . In the early 1970s, several Uniondale residents attempted to incorporate their hamlet as a village, citing dissatisfaction with the way their community was being represented on the board of the committee for redeveloping Mitchel Field , regarding matters like policies and the plans. Their incorporation plans were unsuccessful, and Uniondale remains an unincorporated hamlet governed by

96-433: A statement on August 4 announcing that while the league is not folding, it is suspending league operations indefinitely. Several teams commented that they were still pursuing arena football in 2010 with the possibility of using the financially independent arenafootball2.[2] Despite this, several of the league's creditors have filed papers to force a Chapter 7 liquidation if the league does not do so voluntarily.[20] This request

120-596: The ArenaBowl in 1996 and 1997 . From 1995 to 1997, the team's starting quarterback was Kurt Warner , who moved up to the National Football League in 1998 and became an NFL MVP and Super Bowl winning quarterback. The need for a more modern venue as well as the league's desire for a larger market led to the move to the New York City area, despite two failed past attempts in the region:

144-810: The New York Knights ( 1988 ) and the New York CityHawks ( 1997 – 1998 ), both of which played at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan . The team was purchased by Charles Wang , who was also the Islanders' majority owner. The Arena Football organization did award an af2 franchise to Iowa for the 2001 season also called the Barnstormers , but that team folded after that season (only to be brought back in 2008). The Barnstormers were noted for their unique uniforms, which in keeping with

168-648: The Wells Fargo Arena opened in Des Moines, directly across from what the locals call "Vets", as part of the newly expanded Iowa Events Center . A new Barnstormers af2 franchise began play there in the 2008 season. On November 1, 2000, it was announced that the Iowa Barnstormers had relocated to New York as the Dragons. The Dragons' logo and uniforms were designed by Chris Trevas who is

192-582: The AFL owed approximately $ 14 million to its creditors and were considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Owners were also exploring the expansion franchise in Pittsburgh in order to use the expansion fees to help pay off the debts and infuse enough cash into the league to hold the 2010 season.[19] In early August 2009, numerous media outlets began reporting that the AFL was folding permanently and would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The league released

216-621: The Coliseum, surrounding it with housing units and construction of an adjacent tower, resembling a lighthouse , at a total cost of over $ 200 million (US). Since then, the lighthouse has been taken out of the design plan. The New York Dragons had competed in the Eastern Division of the National Conference. They were coached by former Barnstormer defensive back Weylan Harding . In the 2006 season Weylan Harding became

240-542: The Dragons announced their new logo and color scheme. The old colors of red and yellow were replaced by green and grey. The Dragons official mascot was a dragon named Sparky , who is also the mascot of the NHL 's New York Islanders . On December 14, 2008, the Arena Football League announced it would cancel the 2009 season, but hoped to return in 2010. On July 20, 2009, Sports Business Journal reported that

264-578: The NFL Uniondale, New York This is an accepted version of this page Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County , New York , on Long Island , in the Town of Hempstead , within the New York metropolitan area . The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census . Uniondale is home to Hofstra University 's north campus and

SECTION 10

#1732780021606

288-598: The New York market, another major reason cited for the team's relocation was the inadequacy of their Des Moines venue, the Iowa Veterans Memorial Auditorium , also known as "The Barn". Most of the seats in this venue were located directly along the sidelines as is typical of high school sports venues. The Barnstormers organization constantly lobbied for the construction of a better facility during their time in Des Moines, to no avail. In 2005,

312-711: The Town of Hempstead. The community unsuccessfully tried incorporating itself as a village in the 1970s. According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP had a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km ), all land. The Uniondale CDP gained territory between the 2010 census and the 2020 census, due to the former CDP of East Garden City being absorbed by the CDP of Uniondale. Lufthansa United States has its headquarters in Uniondale, moving to

336-472: The age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. Of all households 16.0% were one person and 8.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.66 and the average family size was 3.95. The age distribution was 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% 65 or older. The median age

360-528: The aviation theme included the depiction of goggles on the helmets, wings on the shoulders of the jerseys, and propellers on the pants legs. The primary figures in the original Iowa organization were Jim Foster , the inventor of Arena Football , and Kurt Warner , the quarterback who went on to play for the St. Louis Rams and win both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl XXXIV MVP. Aside from the league's desire to re-enter

384-528: The hamlet from adjacent East Meadow in 2019. At one point, Swiss International Air Lines operated its United States office at 776 RexCorp Plaza in the EAB Plaza in Uniondale. The airline moved its offices from 41 Pinelawn Road in Melville , Suffolk County , around 2002. As of the census of 2000, there were 23,011 people, 6,026 households, and 4,826 families living in the CDP. The population density

408-623: The league record for most points in a game, scoring 99 against the Carolina Cobras on July 7, 2001, surpassing the previous record of 91, which had been set by the New Jersey Red Dogs in 1997 against the Texas Terror . It also set a record for the most points scored in one game (167). On Saturday, February 11, 2006, the Dragons won against the expansion team Utah Blaze 84–81 on the road and they made AFL history for

432-523: The second-most points scored in one game with 165. On July 8, 2008 a group of investors, led by Steve Silva, announced they are buying the team from Charles Wang . With the purchase the team would change its uniforms, logo, and colors. The team also announced that the Dragons will continue to play in the Nassau Coliseum despite rumors that the Dragons would move to Manhattan and play their games at Madison Square Garden . On September 23, 2008,

456-618: The start of their inaugural 2010 season, and is in negotiations with at least seven other teams from the AFL to join, including the Tampa Bay Storm and the San Jose Sabercats([22] and [23]). The New York Dragons are not to be part of AF1. The following Dragons players were named to All-Arena Teams: The following Dragons players were named to All-Ironman Teams: The following Dragons players were named to All-Rookie Teams: The following players coached or played in

480-531: The winningest Arena Football league coach in his first two seasons as a coach, winning twenty games throughout the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The Dragons had one of the biggest stars in the Arena Football League , in quarterback Aaron Garcia . Garcia has the honor of most touchdown passes in a game (11), and second most touchdown passes in a season (104 in 2001). Through his 10-year career, he has thrown over 800 touchdown passes. The Dragons set

504-471: Was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median household income was $ 61,410 and the median family income was $ 67,264. Males had a median income of $ 32,417 versus $ 31,169 for females. The per capita income was $ 19,069. About 6.0% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over. Uniondale

SECTION 20

#1732780021606

528-442: Was 8,676.5 inhabitants per square mile (3,350.0/km ). There were 6,201 housing units at an average density of 2,338.1 per square mile (902.7/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 26.97% White, 55.53% Black, 0.35% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.95% from other races, and 5.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.86% of the population. Of the 6,026 households 39.3% had children under

552-533: Was formerly the home of the NHL's New York Islanders , who played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum from 1972 until 2015, and again from 2018 until 2021. The 2014–15 NHL season was originally their final year at the Coliseum before the team moved to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn , New York City. Beginning in 2018, home games were split between Barclays and the Coliseum, and beginning in 2020,

576-467: Was granted on August 7, though converted to a Chapter 11 reorganization on August 26.[21] Less than two months after the announcement, and a few weeks after the suspension forced the dissolution of af2, the Arizona Rattlers and Orlando Predators defected to Arena Football 1, a startup league consisting mostly of former af2 teams. The 16-team league expects to expand to "24 to 30" teams prior to

#605394