Post by marinersmedia on Jun 3, 2010 9:07:04 GMT -5
With One More Win, Baltimore Set to Host Conference Championship
BALTIMORE, MD (June 3, 2010) – Despite Baltimore’s storied football past with NFL and Super Bowl championships by the Baltimore Colts and Ravens, a Grey Cup title from the Stallions, and a USFL championship by the Stars, the vast majority of Baltimore’s playoff glory has occurred outside of Baltimore.
If the Baltimore Mariners win their contest this Saturday against the Erie Storm they will secure a first round bye in the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) playoffs and guarantee the AIFA’s Eastern Conference Championship will be held in Baltimore. With a win in the conference championship, the Mariners would also host the AIFA title game.
If this happens it will be a rare playoff treat for Baltimore football fans as it would be the first time Charm City has hosted a conference championship game since 1970, and provide the opportunity for the first league title game to be held in Baltimore since 1959.
Between the Baltimore Colts, Ravens, and Stallions (the Stars played in College Park, Maryland) in their 33 playoff games, 21 have been played away from Baltimore. Also, believe it or not, Baltimore has only hosted one conference championship and the one and only time that Baltimore was host to a league championship was in 1959 when the Colts topped the New York Giants 31-16 to win their second straight NFL title.
The Baltimore Colts played in 15 playoff games during their time in the Old Line State, but only six of those were played in Baltimore. In 1959, fresh off their 1958 victory in the “Greatest Game ever Played,” the Colts hosted the NFL championship and defeated the Giants. In 1968 they defeated the Minnesota Vikings at Memorial Stadium in the divisional round of the playoffs on their way to the NFL title and eventual loss to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
For the Colts, 1970 was their most successful year at home as they won a divisional round game at Memorial Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals and also the American Football Conference Championship over the Oakland Raiders 27-17 on 33rd Street. They went on to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl defeating the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 in Super Bowl V. Baltimore also hosted divisional round games in 1976 and 1977, but lost both. The rest of their storied history was played on the road.
The Baltimore Stallions called Maryland home in 1994 and 1995. In 1994 playing as the Baltimore CFLers they defeated the Toronto Argonauts in the opening round of the CFL playoffs at home, defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the road in the division finals, and then dropped a Grey Cup decision to the British Columbia Lions 26-23 in B.C.
In 1995 they enjoyed great success in Memorial Stadium defeating the Blue Bombers in the first round of playoffs and the San Antonio Texans in the division finals 21-11. They went on to win the one and only CFL title by an American team, by topping the Calgary Stampeders 37-20 in the Grey Cup in Regina, Saskatchewan.
The Baltimore Ravens have treated local sports fans to the playoffs in six of the last ten seasons. Like their predecessors, however, most of their playoff glory has been away from home. The Ravens have now played 13 playoff games and ten of those have been played away from Baltimore. Only their wild card win over the Denver Broncos in the 2000 playoffs and losses to the Tennessee Titans in the 2003 postseason and the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 season playoffs have also been at M&T Stadium.
The 2009 Mariners, in just their second season of existence also clinched a playoff berth, but their one game resulted in a loss in Reading, Pennsylvania. Now in 2010 with their 10-0 record they have wrapped up a playoff berth.
With just one more win they can clinch the regular season conference title and guarantee the East Conference championship game will be held in Baltimore. Also, with its alternating format, the East Conference champion is scheduled to host the West Conference champion (current front runners are the Wyoming Cavalry and the San Jose Wolves) in the AIFA championship. A win by the Mariners in the East finals would then lock-up the first league championship in Charm City since the Colts 1959 win.
Their first shot at that win will come this Saturday at 7:00 PM at 1st Mariner Arena against the Erie Storm (7-4). The Mariners also travel to Erie for a game on Sunday, June 13th before returning home to finish the season at 1st Mariner Arena with games against the New Jersey Revolution (0-10) on June 19th and the Reading Express (6-5) on June 26th.
- John Wolfe
BALTIMORE, MD (June 3, 2010) – Despite Baltimore’s storied football past with NFL and Super Bowl championships by the Baltimore Colts and Ravens, a Grey Cup title from the Stallions, and a USFL championship by the Stars, the vast majority of Baltimore’s playoff glory has occurred outside of Baltimore.
If the Baltimore Mariners win their contest this Saturday against the Erie Storm they will secure a first round bye in the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) playoffs and guarantee the AIFA’s Eastern Conference Championship will be held in Baltimore. With a win in the conference championship, the Mariners would also host the AIFA title game.
If this happens it will be a rare playoff treat for Baltimore football fans as it would be the first time Charm City has hosted a conference championship game since 1970, and provide the opportunity for the first league title game to be held in Baltimore since 1959.
Between the Baltimore Colts, Ravens, and Stallions (the Stars played in College Park, Maryland) in their 33 playoff games, 21 have been played away from Baltimore. Also, believe it or not, Baltimore has only hosted one conference championship and the one and only time that Baltimore was host to a league championship was in 1959 when the Colts topped the New York Giants 31-16 to win their second straight NFL title.
The Baltimore Colts played in 15 playoff games during their time in the Old Line State, but only six of those were played in Baltimore. In 1959, fresh off their 1958 victory in the “Greatest Game ever Played,” the Colts hosted the NFL championship and defeated the Giants. In 1968 they defeated the Minnesota Vikings at Memorial Stadium in the divisional round of the playoffs on their way to the NFL title and eventual loss to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
For the Colts, 1970 was their most successful year at home as they won a divisional round game at Memorial Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals and also the American Football Conference Championship over the Oakland Raiders 27-17 on 33rd Street. They went on to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl defeating the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 in Super Bowl V. Baltimore also hosted divisional round games in 1976 and 1977, but lost both. The rest of their storied history was played on the road.
The Baltimore Stallions called Maryland home in 1994 and 1995. In 1994 playing as the Baltimore CFLers they defeated the Toronto Argonauts in the opening round of the CFL playoffs at home, defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the road in the division finals, and then dropped a Grey Cup decision to the British Columbia Lions 26-23 in B.C.
In 1995 they enjoyed great success in Memorial Stadium defeating the Blue Bombers in the first round of playoffs and the San Antonio Texans in the division finals 21-11. They went on to win the one and only CFL title by an American team, by topping the Calgary Stampeders 37-20 in the Grey Cup in Regina, Saskatchewan.
The Baltimore Ravens have treated local sports fans to the playoffs in six of the last ten seasons. Like their predecessors, however, most of their playoff glory has been away from home. The Ravens have now played 13 playoff games and ten of those have been played away from Baltimore. Only their wild card win over the Denver Broncos in the 2000 playoffs and losses to the Tennessee Titans in the 2003 postseason and the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 season playoffs have also been at M&T Stadium.
The 2009 Mariners, in just their second season of existence also clinched a playoff berth, but their one game resulted in a loss in Reading, Pennsylvania. Now in 2010 with their 10-0 record they have wrapped up a playoff berth.
With just one more win they can clinch the regular season conference title and guarantee the East Conference championship game will be held in Baltimore. Also, with its alternating format, the East Conference champion is scheduled to host the West Conference champion (current front runners are the Wyoming Cavalry and the San Jose Wolves) in the AIFA championship. A win by the Mariners in the East finals would then lock-up the first league championship in Charm City since the Colts 1959 win.
Their first shot at that win will come this Saturday at 7:00 PM at 1st Mariner Arena against the Erie Storm (7-4). The Mariners also travel to Erie for a game on Sunday, June 13th before returning home to finish the season at 1st Mariner Arena with games against the New Jersey Revolution (0-10) on June 19th and the Reading Express (6-5) on June 26th.
- John Wolfe
