The Washington Commandos were an arena football team based in Fairfax, Virginia. The Commandos were founded in 1987 and were an inaugural member of the Arena Football League (AFL), and were based in Landover, Maryland. After not playing during the 1988 season, the team returned for the 1989 season as the Maryland Commandos. Following the 1989 season, the Commandos moved to Fairfax, Virginia, where they once again became known as the Washington Commandos. The team never achieved much success at either of its locations, winning four games in three seasons, including a winless 1989 season.
| Washington Commandos | |
|---|---|
| Established 1987 Folded 1990 Played in Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
| Arena Football League (1987, 1989–1990) | |
Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Red, blue, white |
| Personnel | |
| Head coach | Mike Hohensee |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) Prior to 2005, the AFL did not have conference championship games | |
| Division championships (0) Prior to 1992, the AFL did not have division | |
| Home arena(s) | |
| |
History
editInaugural season (1987)
editThe Commandos had the honor of playing in the first AFL regular season game on June 19, 1987, losing to the Pittsburgh Gladiators 48–46 at the Civic Arena.[1][2] The Commandos picked up their first win in franchise history the following week, when they defeated the Denver Dynamite, by a score of 36–20 in their home opener.[3] The Commandos finished the season with a 2–4 record,[4] a disappointment, but the team was in every game except one, losing three games by a total of six points.
Move to Maryland (1989)
editAfter a one-year hiatus, the Commandos returned to play in 1989 and operated as the "Maryland Commandos", playing their only home game that year at the same venue as in 1987, Landover's Capital Centre.[5] The team went 0–4 in the abbreviated 'travelin' season of 1989. The Commandos coaching staff consisted of Ray Willsey, Mike Hohensee, Mike Dailey, and Jerry Kurz. Hohensee, Dailey, and Kurz would all become members of the Arena Football Hall of Fame.
Return to Virginia (1990)
editThe team returned to the Washington name for their final season in 1990. They were coached by Hohensee, who had been promoted from his assistant position.[6] The Commandos started the season 0–3.[7]
In 1987 and 1989, the team played its home games at the Capital Centre (later known as USAir Arena) in Landover, Maryland. For the 1990 season, the team was based at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.[8]
Return of the AFL in Washington
editIn 1999, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder announced that he would bring an expansion team to DC to be called the Washington Warriors.[9] (At the time, there was speculation in the media that Snyder actually wanted to change the name of the Redskins to the Warriors, due to the controversy over the NFL's team monicker.) But after a ten-year wait and the AFL's canceling its season in 2009, that never materialized.[10]
In 2016, it was announced that Ted Leonsis of Monumental Sports, owner of the NBA's Washington Wizards, WNBA's Washington Mystics and the NHL's Washington Capitals was launching an expansion franchise that would play at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC in 2017.[11][12] The Washington Valor played from 2017 until 2019, when the league was suspended.
Notable players
editFinal roster
edit| Washington Commandos roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Wide receivers/Defensive backs
|
Running backs/Linebackers
Offensive linemen/Defensive linemen
|
Wide receivers/Linebackers
Kickers
Rookies in italics | ||||
Arena Football League Hall of Famers
edit| Washington Commandos Hall of Famers | ||||
| No. | Name | Year Inducted | Position(s) | Years w/ Commandos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- | Mike Dailey | 2012 | Assistant Coach | 1989–1990 |
| -- | Dwayne Dixon | 1998 | WR/DB | 1987 |
| -- | Mike Hohensee | 2012 | Asst./Head Coach | 1989–1990 |
| 67 | Jon Roehlk | 1999 | OL/DL | 1987 |
All-Arena players
editThe following Commandos players were named to All-Arena Teams:
- QB Rich Ingold (1)
- WR/DB Dwayne Dixon (1), Lenny Taylor (1), Chris Armstrong (1)
- OL/DL Jon Roehlk (1), Michael Witteck (1), Chuck Harris (2)
- K Dale Castro (1)
Head coaches
edit| Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | Win% | W | L | |||
| Bob Harrison | 1987 | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ray Willsey | 1989 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mike Hohensee | 1990 | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | 0 | 0 | |
Season-by-season results
edit| ArenaBowl Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth | League Leader |
| Season | Team | League | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||||||||
| Washington Commandos | ||||||||||||||
| 1987 | 1987 | AFL | -- | 3rd | 2 | 4 | 0 | |||||||
| Maryland Commandos | ||||||||||||||
| 1989 | 1989 | AFL | -- | 5th | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||||||
| Washington Commandos | ||||||||||||||
| 1990 | 1990 | AFL | 6th | 2 | 6 | 0 | ||||||||
| Totals | 4 | 14 | 0 | All-time regular season record (1987–1990) | ||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | - | All-time postseason record (1987–1990) | |||||||||||
| 4 | 14 | 0 | All-time regular season and postseason record (1987–1990) | |||||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Arena Football Debuts". The New York Times. June 21, 1987. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ Gary Tuma (June 20, 1987). "Gladiators smashing in 48-46 win". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ "Commandos win home-opener". The Free Lance-Star. June 29, 1987. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ "Commandos 52, Gladiators 31". www.apnewsarchive.com. Associated Press. July 24, 1987. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ Kevin James Shay (September 3, 2013). "Arena Football League considering putting team at proposed Shady Grove venue". www.gazette.net. Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ Tom Boggie (June 9, 1990). "Firebirds Host Commandos In Arena Football Opener". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ David Fink (June 23, 1990). "Barretta leads Glads over Commandos". Pittsburgh Post=Gazette. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ "ArenaFan Online : Washington Commandos - Team History - 1990". www.arenafan.com. ArenaFan.
- ^ Are You Ready for the Washington Warriors?, Bryan Curtis, Slate.com, May 6, 2002
- ^ Cheap Seats Daily: Washington Warriors Won't Ever Play in the AFL?, Dave McKenna, Washington City Paper, August 5, 2009
- ^ Leonsis close to securing Arena Football League team for D.C., WTOP Radio website, February 10, 2016
- ^ AFL Lands New Team in Nation's Capital, ArenaFootball.com, March 10, 2016