Gone but not Forgotten in Albany
Marc Viquez
Wednesday July 11, 2001
“Look around, you have Albany fans all over. It shows the growth of the league that has fans traveling 2-3 hours to see them. It is just outstanding,” said New Jersey fan Tom Poter. “They would bring two bus loads down here and they made a difference. You knew that you had some competition.”
The Albany fans were decked out in the teams’ fabled orange jerseys, shirts, and caps all saying Albany on it. “The rivalry was good due to the driving distance, as for a regional it was great,”said Firebird fan Mark Christian. The Firebirds made quick rivalries with Buffalo, New England, Connecticut, and Massachusetts the last ten seasons. The biggest enemy, however, were the pesky Orlando Predators. New Jersey became a pretty good one themselves the last four seasons.
The relocation to Indianapolis this past off-season was bittersweet for Arena Football fans of the Capitol Region of New York. “We have a lot of open Saturday nights in Albany,” said Joe Mangano. Mangano, along with his wife Laurie, had been Albany season ticket holders since day one in 1990. Mangano added that there had been talk of a possible move for the last three seasons.
The Albany fans knew that it was inevitable that the team would relocate to a larger market. In 1990 a market like Albany was prime real estate for the four-year old league that had just completed a turbulent 1989 season. Throughout the next decade the league evolved into the second longest running football league in the United States and markets such as Des Moines, Ft. Worth, Providence, and Worcester, MA could not survive. “The league has just come a long way from what it was ten-years-ago,” said Firebird fan Mike Wilson.
“It was the greatest, like theYankees and Red Sox. We liked going up to Albany and it was a thrill. They liked coming down here and we made some new friends,” said New Jersey’s fan club president Bruce DiBesceglie. There was a mutual respect between the two fans as they relived some old times Sunday afternoon. The tailgate party was the biggest this season. The two sides made their way to each other’s camp to say hello and catch up on old times.
How was it to be surrounded by a packed house to watch a game at the Pepsi Center? “The level of sound in the arena was enormous,” said Laurie MacFadden. New Jersey fans seemed to agree, especially when the two teams met in the first round of the 1998 playoffs. “The championship game was so loud that you felt your ears vibrate,” added Christian. Albany was a tough place to play in and the team has had its share of nail-biting contests.
The sights and sounds of the Albany Firebirds are gone, but the city will be rewarded a new af2 team next season. The team will do battle with new regional rivals in Rochester, NY, Manchester, NH, and New Haven, CT. “I will probably go to the games, but our hearts re will always be with these guys,” said Mangano. Other fans were optimistic about Arena Football returning to one of its pioneer cities.
Tonight, however, the fans got to see their Firebirds team again and against an old friend in New Jersey.
A fan of the sport since 1990 Marc has covered both the New Jersey Gladiators and Cincinnati Swarm (Af2) for Arenafan Online. Marc now resides in Indianapolis after graduating with a Masters in Sports Management from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind. When not at a Firebirds game Marc can be found traveling the Midwest covering sports for various Internet and print publications.
