Washington Commandos
{{short description|Arena football team}}
{{distinguish|text=Washington Commanders, the current National Football League team}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox indoor American football team
| name = Washington Commandos
| logo =Washington Commandos Logo.png
| helmet = Washington Commandos helmet 1987-1990.png
| founded = 1987
| folded = 1990
| city = Patriot Center
in Fairfax, Virginia
| colors = Red, blue, white
{{Color box|red}} {{Color box|blue}} {{Color box|white}}
| coach = Mike Hohensee
| league =
Arena Football League ({{AFL Year|1987}}, {{AFL Year|1989}}–{{AFL Year|1990}})
| team_history =
- Washington Commandos (1987, 1990)
- Maryland Commandos (1989)
| no_conf_champs = 0
| conf_champs =
Prior to 2005, the AFL did not have conference championship games
| no_div_champs = 0
| div_champs =
Prior to 1992, the AFL did not have division
| no_league_champs = 0
| league_champs =
| playoff_appearances =
| no_playoff_appearances = 0
| arena_years =
- Capital Centre (1987 & 1989)
- Patriot Center (1990)
}}
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.
History
=Inaugural season (1987)=
{{main|1987 Washington Commandos season}}
The 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/21/sports/sports-people-arena-football-debuts.html |title=Arena Football Debuts |date=June 21, 1987 |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 19, 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19870620&id=V-lRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ym4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5045,7032170 |title=Gladiators smashing in 48-46 win |author=Gary Tuma |date=June 20, 1987 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |access-date=September 19, 2013}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19870629&id=p-JNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4551,5213762 |title=Commandos win home-opener |date=June 29, 1987 |newspaper=The Free Lance-Star |access-date=September 19, 2013}} The Commandos finished the season with a 2–4 record,{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/7be57b88a59229cb760cfe221e0c89f4 |title=Commandos 52, Gladiators 31 |date=July 24, 1987 |agency=Associated Press |work=www.apnewsarchive.com |access-date=September 19, 2013}} a disappointment, but the team was in every game except one, losing three games by a total of six points.
=Move to Maryland (1989)=
{{main|1989 Maryland Commandos season}}
After 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.gazette.net/article/20130903/NEWS/130909762/1033/arena-football-league-considering-putting-team-at-proposed-shady&template=gazette |title=Arena Football League considering putting team at proposed Shady Grove venue |author=Kevin James Shay |date=September 3, 2013 |publisher=Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net |work=www.gazette.net |access-date=September 19, 2013}} 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)=
{{main|1990 Washington Commandos season}}
The 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.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1957&dat=19900609&id=EHMhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tIgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3494,2390897 |title=Firebirds Host Commandos In Arena Football Opener |author=Tom Boggie |date=June 9, 1990 |newspaper=The Daily Gazette |access-date=September 19, 2013}} The Commandos started the season 0–3.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19900623&id=0fFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yG4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3807,6482735 |title=Barretta leads Glads over Commandos |author=David Fink |date=June 23, 1990 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post=Gazette |access-date=September 19, 2013}}
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.{{cite web |url=http://www.arenafan.com/teams/Washington_Commandos-3/history/1990/ |title=ArenaFan Online : Washington Commandos - Team History - 1990 |publisher=ArenaFan |work=www.arenafan.com}}
Return of the AFL in Washington
In 1999, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder announced that he would bring an expansion team to DC to be called the Washington Warriors.[http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/the_sportspages/2002/05/are_you_ready_for_the_washington_warriors.html Are You Ready for the Washington Warriors?], Bryan Curtis, Slate.com, May 6, 2002 (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.[http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/08/05/cheap-seats-daily-washington-warriors-wont-ever-play-in-the-afl/ Cheap Seats Daily: Washington Warriors Won't Ever Play in the AFL?], Dave McKenna, Washington City Paper, August 5, 2009
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.[http://wtop.com/sports/2016/02/leonsis-close-to-securing-arena-football-league-team-for-d-c/ Leonsis close to securing Arena Football League team for D.C.], WTOP Radio website, February 10, 2016{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160517012036/http://www.arenafootball.com:80/sports/a-footbl/spec-rel/031016aaa.html AFL Lands New Team in Nation's Capital]}}, ArenaFootball.com, March 10, 2016 The Washington Valor played from 2017 until 2019, when the league was suspended.
Notable players
=Final roster=
| class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;" |
| colspan="7" style="background:red; border:2px solid blue; color:white; text-align:center;"| Washington Commandos roster |
|---|
style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Quarterbacks
Wide receivers/Defensive backs
| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Running backs/Linebackers
Offensive linemen/Defensive linemen
| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Wide receivers/Linebackers
Kickers
Rookies in italics [http://www.arenafan.com/teams/Maryland_Commandos-1/history/1989/ Roster] updated March 13, 2013 26 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS |
=Arena Football League Hall of Famers=
| class="wikitable sortable"
| colspan="5" style= "background: red; color: white" align="center"| Washington Commandos Hall of Famers | ||||
| width=60px style="background: blue; color: white" |No.
!style="background: blue; color: white" |Name !style="background: blue; color: white" |Year Inducted !style="background: blue; color: white" |Position(s) !style="background: blue; color: white" |Years w/ Commandos | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;"| -- | Mike Dailey | style="text-align:center;"| 2012 | style="text-align:center;"|Assistant Coach | style="text-align:center;"| 1989–1990 |
| style="text-align:center;"| -- | Dwayne Dixon | style="text-align:center;"| 1998 | style="text-align:center;"|WR/DB | style="text-align:center;"| 1987 |
| style="text-align:center;"| -- | Mike Hohensee | style="text-align:center;"| 2012 | style="text-align:center;"|Asst./Head Coach | style="text-align:center;"| 1989–1990 |
| style="text-align:center;"| 67 | Jon Roehlk | style="text-align:center;"| 1999 | style="text-align:center;"|OL/DL | style="text-align:center;"| 1987 |
=All-Arena players=
The 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
| class="wikitable" |
| rowspan="2" style="width:140px;"|Name
! rowspan="2" | Term ! colspan="4" | Regular season ! colspan="2" | Playoffs ! rowspan="2" | Awards |
|---|
| W
! L ! T ! Win% ! W ! L |
| style="text-align:center;"|Bob Harrison
| style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Year|1987}} | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|4 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|2|4}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|Ray Willsey
| style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Year|1989}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|4 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|0|4}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"| |
| style="text-align:center;"|Mike Hohensee
| style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Year|1990}} | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|6 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|{{winperc|2|6}} | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"| |
Season-by-season results
| class="wikitable" style="margin:center; font-size:75%;"
| style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;"|ArenaBowl Champions | style="text-align:center; background:#d0e7ff;"|Division Champions | style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|Wild Card Berth | style="text-align:center; background:#c8a2c8;"|League Leader |
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" | ||
| rowspan="2" | Season
!rowspan="2" |Team !rowspan="2" | League !rowspan="2" | Division !colspan="4" | Regular season !rowspan="2" | Postseason results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Finish
!Wins !Losses !Ties | ||
| align="center" Colspan="15" style="background: red"|Washington Commandos | ||
| background:#fcc;"
! style="text-align:center;"| {{AFL Year|1987}} | style="text-align:center;"| 1987 | style="text-align:center;"| AFL | style="text-align:center;"| -- | style="text-align:center;"| 3rd | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center; background:#c8a2c8;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | | ||
| align="center" Colspan="15" style="background: red"|Maryland Commandos | ||
| background:#fcc;"
! style="text-align:center;"| {{AFL Year|1989}} | style="text-align:center;"| 1989 | style="text-align:center;"| AFL | style="text-align:center;"| -- | style="text-align:center;"| 5th | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | style="text-align:center; background:#c8a2c8;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | | ||
| align="center" Colspan="15" style="background: red"|Washington Commandos | ||
| background:#fcc;"
! style="text-align:center;"| {{AFL Year|1990}} | style="text-align:center;"| 1990 | style="text-align:center;"| AFL | style="text-align:center;"| | style="text-align:center;"| 6th | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center; background:#c8a2c8;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 0 | | ||
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5" colspan="5"|Totals
! style="text-align:center;"|4 ! style="text-align:center;"|14 ! style="text-align:center;"|0 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"|All-time regular season record (1987–1990) | ||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0 | 0
| |
| colspan="3"|All-time postseason record (1987–1990) | ||
| style="text-align:center;"|4
! style="text-align:center;"|14 ! style="text-align:center;"|0 ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"|All-time regular season and postseason record (1987–1990) |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=history&team=3 Washington Commandos at ArenaFan.com]
- [http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=history&team=1&year=1989 Maryland Commandos at ArenaFan.com]
{{Washington Commandos}}
{{Defunct Arena Football League franchises}}
Category:1987 establishments in Maryland
Category:1987 disestablishments in Maryland
Category:1990 establishments in Virginia
Category:1990 disestablishments in Virginia
Category:American football teams established in 1987
Category:American football teams disestablished in 1987