Georgia Doom
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox indoor American football team
| name = Georgia Doom
| logo =Georgia Doom Logo.png
| helmet = Georgia Doom Helmet Logo.png
| founded = 2017
| city = Macon Coliseum
in Macon, Georgia
| misc = {{URL|http://georgiadoom.com/|georgiadoom.com}}
| owner = Kevin Adkins
| general manager = Kevin Adkins
| coach = James Lal
| league =
- National Arena League (2017) (travel only)
- American Arena League (2018–2019)
- Southern Division (2019)
| team_history =
- Dayton Wolfpack (2017) in-name only
- Georgia Doom (2017–2019)
| no_league_champs = 0
| league_champs =
| no_conf_champs = 0
| conf_champs =
| no_div_champs = 0
| div_champs =
| no_playoff_appearances = 0
| playoff_appearances =
| arena_years =
- Macon Coliseum (2018–2019)
}}
The Georgia Doom were a professional indoor football team based out of Macon, Georgia. They played their home games at Macon Coliseum. They started as a midseason road team filling in for the folded Dayton Wolfpack in the National Arena League in 2017 before becoming a charter member of the American Arena League in 2018. The team suspended operations during the 2019 season.{{cite web |url=https://wgxa.tv/news/local/georgia-doom-suspends-operations-for-the-rest-of-the-season |title=Georgia Doom suspends operations for the rest of the season |work=WGXA |date=May 9, 2019}}
They were the third indoor team to play in Macon after the Macon Knights in af2 (2001–2006) and the Macon Steel of American Indoor Football (2012).
History
During the 2017 season, the Doom played at least one game as the National Arena League's Dayton Wolfpack, a team that folded prior to the season and had various teams play under that name in the Wolfpack uniforms for their previously scheduled away games.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league--franchise-report/n-5255836 |title=WEEKLY SPORTS LEAGUE & FRANCHISE REPORT |publisher=OurSports Central |date=May 8, 2017}}
The Doom were then announced as an expansion team in the new American Arena League on June 27, 2017,{{cite web |url=http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/georgia-doom-football-coming-to-macon-centreplex/452430926 |title=Georgia Doom football coming to Macon Centreplex |publisher=WMAZ |date=June 27, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and were coached by former Macon Knights and Shanghai Skywalkers head coach Derek Stingley. Stingley left after four games into the 2018 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.41nbc.com/2018/05/09/derek-stingley-georgia-doom-football-coach/ |title=DEREK STINGLEY OUT AS GEORGIA DOOM FOOTBALL COACH, GENERAL MANAGER |work=WMGT-TV |date=May 9, 2018}} He was replaced by Gerald Dockery and eventually defeated the previously undefeated Richmond Roughriders 56–44.
Prior to the last game of the season on June 9, according to AAL president Jack Bowman, Doom owner Kevin Adkins apparently had notified the league his team would not participate in the playoffs, regardless of qualification. According to head coach Dockery, he and the rest of the team were not notified about not participating in the playoffs prior to the game being played.{{cite web |url=https://www.41nbc.com/2018/06/11/georgia-doom-wont-play-american-arena-league-playoffs/ |title=GEORGIA DOOM WON'T PLAY IN AMERICAN ARENA LEAGUE PLAYOFFS |work=WMGT-TV |date=June 11, 2018}} The Doom went on to win their last 2018 game, 48–42 over the Havoc, finishing in third place in the league with a 6–2 record, and was the only team to defeat both the league-leading teams in the AAL. The team found out the next day they would not be playing in the playoffs despite their record.{{cite web |url=https://fiftyyarder.com/2018/06/11/dooms-blame-pie-is-served-bon-appetit-folks-of-macon/ |title=Doom's Blame Pie Is Served; Bon Appetit, Folks Of Macon |website=FiftyYarder.com |date=June 11, 2018}} AAL president Bowman clarified the Doom were still in good standing with the league and that the Doom ownership was focused on establishing a second team for the 2019 season as to their reasoning for not entering the playoffs. Owner Adkins did not initially make any comments on the reasons for not participating in the playoffs, but then claimed it was due to legal issues pertaining to the team's use of a logo similar to the video game Doom.{{cite web |url=https://www.41nbc.com/2018/07/02/gerald-dockery-wont-return-as-georgia-doom-coach/ |title=GERALD DOCKERY WON'T RETURN AS GEORGIA DOOM COACH |work=WMGT-TV |date=July 2, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://wgxa.tv/sports/pro-sports/doom-owner-head-coach-optimistic-for-year-two-in-macon |title=Doom owner, head coach optimistic for year two in Macon |work=WGXA |date=January 21, 2019}} On July 2, 2018, coach Dockery confirmed he would not return to coach the Doom in 2019. Dockery also claimed that some players had yet to receive their final paychecks, although Doom owner Adkins later claimed that it was due to incorrect address information for the players.{{cite web |url=https://www.41nbc.com/2018/07/10/former-georgia-doom-player-says-hes-still-waiting-last-pay-check/ |title=FORMER GEORGIA DOOM PLAYER SAYS HE'S STILL WAITING FOR FINAL PAYCHECK |work=WGMT-TV |date=July 10, 2018}}
Adkins announced he had hired James Lal as the head coach for 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.41nbc.com/2018/07/11/georgia-doom-releases-information-new-head-coach/ |title=GEORGIA DOOM RELEASES MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NEW HEAD COACH |work=WMGT-TV |date=July 11, 2018}}
The Doom suspended operations on May 9, 2019, partway through the 2019 season and took down its website.{{cite web |url=https://www.macon.com/news/local/article230215994.html |title=Georgia Doom suspends operations for 2019 season. Here's what we know. |website=Macon.com |date=May 9, 2019}} The team had a 2–3 record, including wins over the Carolina Cowboyz and Cape Fear Heroes, but had at least one previously canceled home game.{{Cite web |url=https://41nbc.com/2019/04/04/owner-georgia-dooms-home-game-sunday-postponed-team-working-reschedule/ |title=OWNER: GEORGIA DOOM'S HOME GAME SUNDAY POSTPONED, TEAM WORKING TO RESCHEDULE |work=WGMT-TV |date=April 4, 2019}}
References
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