Skyhawks E1 | The football team that never won

02/15/23 • 23 min

The Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks. For some of you, that team will ring a bell. But for most sports fans in the Triangle, they're probably wondering why Joe Ovies is going to devote a few podcast episodes about the defunct World League of American Football franchise that never won a game in their lone season played in 1991. The goal? To highlight how, despite the massive misstep in thinking a minor league football team would work at Carter-Finley Stadium, the Raleigh Durham Skyhawks provide a fascinating jumping off point to a very important time in our area of North Carolina.

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S2 Coming Soon: The Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks

The World League of American Football wasn't supposed to be a minor league for the NFL. Owners truly believed it could be an independent product that would stand alongside the NFL...but you can't fool American football fans. The league began in 1991 In its inaugural season it consisted of ten teams, including the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, a team that played exactly ONE season and won exactly ZERO games. The legacy of the Skyhawks is non-existent, but the team is a perfect subject for a nebulous time in the Triangle. There was a push for an NFL expansion franchise and a grand vision for Triangle Central Park, basically our version of the Meadowland that would bring more professional sports to the area. It also helped set the table for huge changes in college athletics including an ironic twist over the sale of beer at college stadiums. Joe Ovies hosts season 2 of A Brief History of Triangle Sports. Coming February 15.

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Skyhawks E2 | How close did Raleigh come to getting an NFL team?

The Carolina Panthers played their first game in 1995. Behind the scenes, there had been years of negotiations over whether or not North Carolina--or the "Carolinas" collectively--could support an NFL team, and exactly where that team should be located. Of course Charlotte is the home of the Panthers today, but it wasn't the only city in contention. How close did Raleigh come to having an NFL team?