Tag: Development Leagues

group of cheerleader on green field

1989-1990 Minor League Football System (Shannon Ireland Trump)

Minor League Football System

—1989-1990

1989 MLFS

1989 Minor League Football System Eastern Division

1989 MLFS Eastern DivisionPWLTPFPAPCT
*Charlotte Barons121200462901.000
*Harrisburg Patriots10640205195.600
*Pocono Mountaineers10370177225.300
Virginia Storm10370144262.300
Florida Renegades10280169335.200
Ottawa Bootleggers #000000.000
1989 Minor League Football System Eastern Division Final Standings

1989 Minor League Football System Western Division

1989 MLFS Western DivisionPWLTPFPAPCT
*San Jose Bandits10730210216.700
*Colorado Springs Spirit12840285225.667
*Pueblo Crusaders10640292175.600
St. Louis Riverboat Gamblers12660299296.500
Hayward Outlaws12660216246.500
Seattle Express121110194377.083
1989 Minor League Football System Western Division Final Standings

1989 Minor League Football System Playoffs

DateHome TeamScoreRoad TeamScore
Quarter-Finals
28.10.1989Colorado Springs Spirit35St. Louis Riverboat Gamblers24
28.10.1989Pueblo Crusaders20Harrisburg Patriots7
Semi-Finals
11.11.1989Colorado Springs Spirit19San Jose Bandits7
11.11.1989Pueblo Crusaders20Charlotte Barons12
Championship Game
18.11.1989Pueblo Crusaders21Colorado Springs Spirit14
1989 Minor League Football System Playoff Results

1989 MLFS 1 2 3 4

1990 MLFS Preseason Friendlies v Moscow Bears (USSR)

1990 Minor League Football System International Friendlies v Moscow Bears

DateHome TeamScoreRoad TeamScore
02.07.1990Tacoma Express61Moscow Bears0
07.07.1990Oklahoma City Twisters54Moscow Bears0
10.07.1990Middle Georgia Heat Wave28Moscow Bears0
1990 Minor League Football System International Friendlies v Moscow Bears – First Ever Gridiron Football Team in USSR / Soviet Union.

1990 MLFS Friendlies: 5 6 7

1990 MLFS

1990 Minor League Football System Eastern Division

1990 MLFS Eastern DivisionPWLTPFPAPCT
*Charlotte Barons1091031096.900
*Bay State Titans10820226124.800
Middle Georgia Heat Wave10640176144.600
Florida Renegades11470135213.364
Harrisburg Patriots10280133255.200
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Stallions1129076260.182
1990 Minor League Football System Eastern Division Final Standings

1990 Minor League Football System Western Division

1990 MLFS Western DivisionPWLTPFPAPCT
*Pueblo Crusaders10910276110.900
Colorado Springs Spirit #8710180218.875
*Oklahoma City Twisters972024949.778
Fresno Bandits10460108183.400
Tacoma Express #817068149.125
California Outlaws909095315.000
1990 Minor League Football System Western Division Final Standings

1990 Minor League Football System Playoffs

DateHome TeamScoreRoad Team
Semi-Finals
22.09.1990Bay State Titans20Charlotte Barons21
23.09.1990Pueblo Crusaders21Oklahoma City Twisters10
Championship Game
29.09.1990Pueblo Crusaders18Charlotte Barons24
1990 Minor League Football System Playoff Results

1990 MLFS: 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

MLFS Report

—1989-1990

MLFS Outline

The Minor League Football System (MLFS) aspired to be an official Minor League affiliated to the National Football League (NFL). Following the disatstrous attempts of the World Football League (1974-1975) and United States Football League (1983-1985) the league determined that taking on the NFL was not in its’ interests and decided, in the absence of a proper minor league affiliated to the NFL, to become that minor league. The MLFS re-utilised the ‘Outlaw’ identity of the United States Football League (1983-1985) in its’ team names. 16

MLFS 1989 Season

The MLFS’ first season in 1989 featured 12 teams – An Eastern Division of six teams: four teams in the Appalachian Mountains Region: Charlotte Barons (NC), Harrisburg Patriots and Pocono Mountaineers (both PA), Virginia Storm (VA) plus Florida Renegades (FL) in the Southeast and Ottawa Bootleggers of Ontario, Canada. The Western Division also consisted of six teams: St. Louis Riverboat Gamblers (MO), Seattle Express (WA), Colorado Springs Spirit and Pueblo Crusaders (both CO), and San Jose Bandits and Hayward Outlaws (CA). 17 18

Colorado Springs Spirit featured a Trans Cheerleader on their squad, Shannon Ireland Trump, who claimed to be a niece of former USFL team New Jersey Generals owner and future President Donald Trump. The Colorado Springs Spirit went 8-4 in their inaugural season, reaching the Championship Game after two playoff wins, before being defeated by Pueblo Crusaders. Both teams were from the State of Colorado. 19 20

MLFS 1990 Season

The 1990 pre-season featured three games by MLFS teams versus the visting Moscow Bears – the first ever Gridiron Football team to be formed in the USSR / Soviet Union (now Russia). All three games were won by the MLFS teams with Moscow failing to score a point. 21 22

The 1990 season also featured 12 teams, with numerous moves and replacement teams. The Colorado Springs Spirit started the season 7-0 before Head Coach Pete Riehlman resigned, citing Health reasons, and the same day the MLFS’ leading running back Rick Gales and three-fifth’s of the offensive line left the team. The Spirit forfeited their next game due to being down to 22 players in total, and were duly expelled by the MLFS. The league unravelled, with the Tacoma Express also folding after eight games, leading the MLFS to shorten the regular season to 10 games. Pueblo Crusaders again reached the Championship Game, this time losing to Charlotte Barons 18-24. 23 24

MLFS Legacy

The MLFS folded after the 1990 season, never realising its’ dream of becoming the NFL’s official minor league and the following season, 1991, the NFL instituted its’ own official development (minor) league: the World League of American Football (WLAF) with six teams in USA, one in Canada, and three in Europe. 25 26

MLFS Report 1989-1990

—Trans Cheerleader Shannon Ireland Trump

Shannon Ireland Trump

– Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Trans con artist Shannon Ireland Trump, claiming to be niece of future President, and one-time owner of the New Jersey Generals (USFL), Donald Trump, made the cheerleading team of Colorado Springs Spirit. Ireland Trump’s real name was Charles Daugherty. 27

group of cheerleader on green field
group of cheerleader on green field

Trans Cheerleader

– Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Colorado Springs Spirit Cheerleading Coach, remarked that while Ireland Trump was chunkier than most cheerleaders, she scored highest in the cheerleading exercises, and therefore made the cheerleading team, explaining that they were not meant to base the team on subjective reasons such as beauty. 28

References & Citations

References

[1] Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024]

[2] Fun While It Lasted (2024) Minor League Football System [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/minor-league-football-system-1989-1990/ [Accessed 13 December 2024]

[3] Fun While It Lasted (2024) Charlotte Barons [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2023/02/14/charlotte-barons-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024]

[4] Fun While It Lasted (2024) Colorado Springs Spirit [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2021/09/17/1989-1990-colorado-springs-spirit/ [Accessed 13 December 2024]

[5] Fun While It Lasted (2024) Bay State Titans [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2018/10/14/1990-bay-state-titans-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024]

[6] Fun While It Lasted (2024) Tacoma Express [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2018/07/03/1990-tacoma-express-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024]

[7] Fun While It Lasted (2024) Oklahoma City Twisters [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2015/07/12/1990-oklahoma-city-twisters-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024]

[8] Fun While It Lasted (2024) Middle Georgia Heat Wave [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2020/09/19/1990-middle-georgia-heat-wave/ [Accessed 13 December 2024]

Footnotes

  1. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  2. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Minor League Football System [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/minor-league-football-system-1989-1990/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  3. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Charlotte Barons [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2023/02/14/charlotte-barons-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  4. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Colorado Springs Spirit [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2021/09/17/1989-1990-colorado-springs-spirit/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  5. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  6. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Tacoma Express [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2018/07/03/1990-tacoma-express-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  7. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Oklahoma City Twisters [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2015/07/12/1990-oklahoma-city-twisters-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  8. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  9. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Minor League Football System [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/minor-league-football-system-1989-1990/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  10. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Charlotte Barons [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2023/02/14/charlotte-barons-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  11. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Colorado Springs Spirit [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2021/09/17/1989-1990-colorado-springs-spirit/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  12. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Bay State Titans [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2018/10/14/1990-bay-state-titans-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  13. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Tacoma Express [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2018/07/03/1990-tacoma-express-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  14. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Oklahoma City Twisters [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2015/07/12/1990-oklahoma-city-twisters-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  15. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Middle Georgia Heat Wave [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2020/09/19/1990-middle-georgia-heat-wave/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  16. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Minor League Football System [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/minor-league-football-system-1989-1990/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  17. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Minor League Football System [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/minor-league-football-system-1989-1990/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  18. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  19. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  20. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Colorado Springs Spirit [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2021/09/17/1989-1990-colorado-springs-spirit/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  21. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  22. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Tacoma Express [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2018/07/03/1990-tacoma-express-football/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  23. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  24. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Minor League Football System [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/minor-league-football-system-1989-1990/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  25. Greater Northwest Football Association (2024) MLFS [Internet] Available from: https://www.gnfafootball.org/MLFS.htm [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  26. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Minor League Football System [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/minor-league-football-system-1989-1990/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  27. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Colorado Springs Spirit [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2021/09/17/1989-1990-colorado-springs-spirit/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎
  28. Fun While It Lasted (2024) Colorado Springs Spirit [Internet] Available from: https://funwhileitlasted.net/2021/09/17/1989-1990-colorado-springs-spirit/ [Accessed 13 December 2024] ↩︎