The Dallas Vigilantes were an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Dallas, Texas. Like its AFL predecessor, the Dallas Desperados, the Vigilantes played at the American Airlines Center.[1] The Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks began play in the 2010 season, the first after the league's restructuring. The franchise was owned by former Tampa Bay Storm owner Peter C. Kern[1][2] and was managed by Stephen Evans. Vigilantes games were broadcast on the radio on 1190 AM and television coverage was provided by Time Warner Cable Sports.

Dallas Vigilantes
Established 2009
Folded 2011
Played in American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
League/conference affiliations
Arena Football League (20102011)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, cardinal, white
     
MascotRascal the Raccoon
Personnel
Owner(s)Peter “Woody” Kern, Bo Kern
Head coachClint Dolezel
Team history
  • Dallas Vigilantes (2010–2011)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (0)
1 2011
Home arena(s)

History

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The Vigilantes did not carry on the name of Dallas' previous AFL team, the Dallas Desperados, because of a unique ownership situation with the former team.[3] Although the new AFL owns the former AFL team assets (hence the Arizona Rattlers, Chicago Rush, Cleveland Gladiators, Orlando Predators, Tampa Bay Storm, and Utah Blaze names going over to the new AF1),[4] former Desperados owner Jerry Jones (who also owns the NFL's Dallas Cowboys) retained the team's branding rights after it folded.[2] Jones had based most of the Desperados branding on that of the Cowboys, including the colors, prominent use of a star in the logo, and a Cowboys "Double Star" logo on the front of the Desperados' jerseys, thus making the Cowboys and Desperados branding very difficult to separate. Not willing to risk such complicated legal action, and apparently unwilling to revive the Fort Worth Cavalry (another former AFL team that played in the region that coincidentally was owned by Kern), the Vigilantes chose a new name. The Vigilantes' original logo incorporated a skull and crossbones, the flag of Texas, a cowboy hat, and revolvers. The logo was stripped down for 2011, consisting of the skull and the cowboy hat from the original logo.

The Vigilantes were left off the schedule for the 2012 season without any announcement of either the team's suspension or cessation of operations, but have never been involved in any aspect of the Arena Football League subsequently and are considered to be defunct.

Season-by-season

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Players of note

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Final roster

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Dallas Vigilantes roster
Quarterbacks

Fullbacks

Wide receivers

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Kickers

Injured Reserve


Other League Exempt

League suspension

  • rookies in italics
  • Roster updated August 15, 2011
  • 22 Active, 9 Inactive

Individual awards

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Receiver of the Year
Season Player Position
2011 Tiger Jones WR

All-Arena players

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The following Vigilantes players were named to All-Arena Teams:

All-Ironman players

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The following Vigilantes players were named to All-Ironman Teams:

References

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  1. ^ a b "Dallas Vigilantes to bring arena football, intimidating logo to AAC". Dallas Morning News. February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Crisp, Scott (January 7, 2010). "Arena Football Set For Return To Dallas". KXAS-TV. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
  3. ^ Wilonksy, Robert (February 4, 2010). "If Nothing Else, the AFL's Dallas Vigilantes Now Have the City's Most Interesting Logo". Unfair Park. Dallas Observer.
  4. ^ "Court approves sale of AFL assets to AF1". ArenaFan.com. December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 8, 2009.