Summer Series Part 1: The History of Team Relocation

06/12/2024 Summer Series Part 1: The History of Team Relocation

By: Marissa Kasch

The Sportsletter’s Summer Series Goes Deep on the City-Swapping Teams That Have Changed Sports History (By Marissa Kasch)

When a team relocates, it’s almost always faced with backlash. Moving cities is a bold move that’s high risk, high reward. It means a gut-wrenching farewell for one city and new hope for another. In recent years, we’ve seen this phenomenon grow as teams follow money, fame, and championship dreams. Though it’s becoming more commonplace, relocation is nothing new in terms of sports. We’ve seen plenty of teams from each league move cities or rebrand, leaving fans heartbroken.

After recent moves by the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers in the NFL, two more West Coast franchises have been in the news. The Oakland Athletics and the Arizona Coyotes are bolting for greener pastures, but we’ll get to them later in the summer.

Here are some of the most notable, landscape-changing team relocations that shifted the scales for a generation of sports fans (the past 75 years).

 

1958: Dodgers and Giants Leave New York

The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants were two powerhouse teams at the time. They each had gorgeous ballparks, superstar athletes and an appetite for victory. Life was good for fans in the Big Apple – until it wasn’t. In 1957, MLB owners voted unanimously to send both teams across the country to California. The Giants began to struggle to maintain attendance, leading to financial turmoil. The Dodgers, on the other hand, were doing fine financially. In fact, they were the only NL team to make money between 1952-1956. As expected, New Yorkers were furious with the move of their two beloved teams. Henry Modell led the Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn Committee, which held rallies in Brooklyn to protest the move. Unfortunately, their efforts were futile, as the team confirmed its move just months later.  

 

1964: Rams Move from Cleveland to Los Angeles

This move marked the first major expansion to L.A. – something that would become commonplace in the future. It was also the first of three relocations for the Rams, which is ironic considering they’ve found themselves back in L.A. 60 years later. Their first move ushered in plenty of controversy and a new rivalry. Before the Super Bowl was established, the Cleveland Rams won the NFL Championship in 1945. Just one month after the team’s first and only title in Cleveland, owner Dan Reeves packed up and moved the franchise to the west coast. As you can imagine, a cross-country move after a major championship win generated plenty of controversy among fans. It also created a rivalry between the Rams and the new Cleveland franchise: the Browns. 

 

1972: Senators Take on 2 New Identities

In 1961, the nation’s capital lost America’s pastime. After 60 years as the Washington Senators, the team moved to Minneapolis to become today’s Minnesota Twins. But not all hope was lost. That same year, Washington was granted an expansion team. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. Eleven years and only one winning season later, the Senators headed south where they became the Texas Rangers. Once again, the fans didn’t take the news well. During the last game of the 1971 season, a riot ensued despite Washington’s late lead over the Yankees. Fans rushed the field, (literally) stole the bases, ripped up home plate, destroyed the grass and took lightbulbs from the scoreboard. The chaos forced the Senators to forfeit their last game ever. 

 

1979: Jazz Move from NOLA to Utah

If you’ve ever thought, ‘Utah? Jazz? How do those fit together?’, you’re not alone. The answer is simple: they don’t. The Jazz originated in the birthplace of jazz – New Orleans, Louisiana. Unfortunately, the team didn’t experience much success in the Big Easy, as they never won 40 games in a season. Once they moved to Salt Lake City, things fell into place. They became a perennial team, once making the playoffs for 20 consecutive seasons. Fans in Utah enjoyed their success, but fans in New Orleans had to wait 23 years for a new NBA team. 

 

1984: Colts Bolt from Baltimore

The Colts made one of the most historically controversial moves in the NFL when they traded Baltimore for Indianapolis overnight. Coach Frank Kush and owner Robert Isray held secret negotiations with multiple cities before settling on Indianapolis. They even inspected their future home – the Hoosier Dome – using fake names. The move happened without warning, and Baltimore fans woke up the next morning without a team and completely blindsided. After the Colts snuck out in the middle of the night, Baltimore waited 12 years for a new team. The new team was (you guessed it) another relocation – this time, from Cleveland. 

 

1996: Browns Lose Their Name & Their City

As I mentioned, Baltimore fans had to wait 12 years for a new team. Unfortunately, that team came at the expense of fans in Cleveland. Art Modell sought a stadium renovation after seeing the Cleveland Indians and Cavaliers playing in new venues, and Cleveland agreed. It was promised that Municipal Stadium would be renovated, but Modell had other plans. Instead of accepting the offer, he packed up and moved the team to Baltimore under a new name: the Ravens. Despite their lackluster performance, attendance in Cleveland ranked 4th in the NFL. Needless to say, fans were outraged and launched protests designed to humiliate Modell and block the move. The NFL responded by promising Cleveland their Browns (and a new stadium) back by no later than 1999. 

 

2008: SuperSonics Split with Seattle

During their 41 years in Seattle, the SuperSonics had it all: an NBA title, two Finals appearances, a large and loyal fan base and deep roots in Seattle. The team’s owner was Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, which also began in Seattle. When Schultz decided to sell the team to an Oklahoma City businessman named Clay Bennett, everything changed. Bennett was adamant about moving the team to his home city and began negotiations with the NBA just one year after buying the franchise. Despite protests, outrage and lawsuits, the NBA agreed to Bennett’s proposition, and the team headed to Oklahoma City where it became the Thunder. The Sonics were stripped from Seattle, and 16 years later, fans are still waiting for a new NBA team. 

 

2020: Raiders Head to Sin City

Oakland has encountered many issues over the years in terms of professional sports teams. They have now lost three teams in just five years. The Warriors were the first to go, leaving for San Francisco in 2018. The Raiders followed suit in 2020, relocating to Las Vegas with the promise of more money. Now the Athletics are skipping town too, leaving Oakland barren. For the Raiders, it all came down to finding a suitable stadium and generating revenue – two things Oakland couldn’t seem to provide. Las Vegas, on the other hand, accepted the offer with open arms, offering the Raiders $750 million in public funds for a new stadium. From there, the decision was a no-brainer. But fans disagreed. When the Raiders lost their last home game to the Jags during the final minute, fans booed the team, threw garbage at players and charged the field. Oakland fans made it known in no uncertain terms that they were done with the Raiders.

 

Stay tuned for Part II of our Summer Series (July 2024)