| San Jose SaberCats | ||
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| Conference | American | |
| Division | Western | |
| Year founded | 1995 | |
| Home arena | HP Pavilion at San Jose | |
| City, State | San Jose, California | |
| Head Coach | Darren Arbet | |
| ArenaBowl championships | 3: 2002, 2004, 2007 |
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| Conference titles | 2: 2007, 2008 |
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| Division titles | 8: 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
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| Wild Card berths | 4: 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005 |
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| Owner(s) | John Fry | |
| Current status | {{{status}}} | |
| Current uniform | ||
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The San Jose SaberCats were an Arena Football League team that began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the Arena Football League was Darren Arbet. The team has expressed interest to not fold and is likely to find a new league. Currently the team has no league, but is in negotiations with Arena Football 1 to possibly join that league.[1]
Contents |
History
The SaberCats began play in 1995. The team played at the HP Pavilion at San Jose in San Jose, California, which is also home to the San Jose Sharks franchise of the National Hockey League. The SaberCats are one of Arena's premier organizations, having never drawn below 10,000 fans at any of their home games. The SaberCats competed in the Western Division of the American Conference. The SaberCats were ArenaBowl champions in 2002, 2004, and 2007 beating the rival Arizona Rattlers for their first two titles and the Columbus Destroyers for the third.
On June 5, 2004, the SaberCats were fined $20,000 for violations during their Quarterfinal Round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Storm. They were first fined $10,000 for distributing cow bells, without advance approval, to fans entering the building, which was cited as a violation by the AFL as an intentional competitive advantage generated by the creation of artificial noise. Also, during the game itself, the SaberCats refused to apply microphones to certain players and coaches during the NBC broadcast, which led to an additional $10,000 fine.
The cowbells went on to become a mainstay of many perennial Season Ticket holders, even as the SaberCats never again distributed cowbells to fans since the incident in 2004.
San Jose was 9-7 in 2005, earning the fourth seed in the American Conference playoffs. They lost to #1 seed Colorado Crush 56-48 in the first round, after failing to score on six goal line opportunities in the final minute of play.
The SaberCats went 10-6 in 2006 and won a division title in the process, along with the AC's #2 seed. They got a Bye Week from the Wild Card Round and then, they won over the Arizona Rattlers in the Divisional Round 62-48. Because the Colorado Crush (the AC's #1 seed) lost in the Divisional Round to the Chicago Rush, they hosted the American Conference Championship game; however, they lost the game 59-56.
In 2007, they got revenge against the Rush in the American Conference championship and advanced to ArenaBowl XXI, where they beat the Columbus Destroyers in front of a sellout crowd in New Orleans Arena and claim their third Arena Bowl title in six seasons.
Team's intention to play on
On August 4, 2009, the Arena Football League announced that they were "suspending operations indefinitely", but more likely to fold. The SaberCats announced shortly afterward that they intend to field a team for 2010, even if it means moving to a new indoor football league. [2]
A new arena football league, Arena Football 1, is forming in 2009. The SaberCats were not one of the initial 16 teams announced. However, Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings owner Dan Newman has mentioned that the SaberCats are one of at least two former AFL franchises that are being negotiated with, the other being the Tampa Bay Storm.
Season-by-season
Coaches
| Head coach | Tenure | Regular season record (W-L) |
Post season record (W-L) |
Most recent coaching staff | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todd Shell | 1995 - 1998 | 29-25[3] | 0-3[3] | ||
| Darren Arbet | 1999 - 2008 | 107-45[4] | 15-6[4] | OC: Terry Malley DC / ST Coordinator: Jeff Jarnigan OL Coach / Dir. Player Personnel: Dave Witthun DB / Ass. ST Coach: Lou Patrone |
Three ArenaBowl wins as head coach (XVI, XVIII, XXI) Also General Manager. |
Notable players
- Rashied Davis WR/DB
- Phil Glover LB
- Mark Grieb QB
- John Dutton QB
- George Williams DL
- Joe Jacobs OL/DL
- Matt Kinsinger FB/LB
- Bob McMillen FB/LB
- Pat McGuirk DS
- Aaron Mills K
- William Obeng - OL/DL
- James Roe WR/LB
- Omarr Smith DB
- Clevan Thomas DB
- Marquis Floyd DB
- Barry Wagner WR/DB/JLB
- Rodney Wright - WR
- Kevin Arbet WR/DB
- Tom Petithome
AFL Hall of Famers
- Ben Bennett
References
- ^ ESPN.com, "Arena Football 1 to launch in 2010"
- ^ AFL suspends operations indefinitely, SaberCats website, August 4, 2009
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Todd Shell". http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=coaches&coach=33. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Darren Arbet". http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=coaches&coach=48. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
External links
| Preceded by Grand Rapids Rampage 2001 |
Arena Bowl Champions San Jose SaberCats 2002 |
Succeeded by Tampa Bay Storm 2003 |
| Preceded by Tampa Bay Storm 2003 |
Arena Bowl Champions San Jose SaberCats 2004 |
Succeeded by Colorado Crush 2005 |
| Preceded by Chicago Rush 2006 |
Arena Bowl Champions San Jose SaberCats 2007 |
Succeeded by Philadelphia Soul 2008 |
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