Kats Online

Learn About Kats History And Success

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

For fans of the Nashville Kats, finding the greatest updates, stories, and learning about the team’s history is a thing which all fans may want to do. If you are looking to learn about how your favorite team got started up, or how the players and team first came to be, there are several places to learn about the history of this great team, and how they became such a huge team for the fans in Nashville. There are several online sites, such as wikipedia, or even the team’s own site, where fans, or anyone who wants to learn about the team, can find the information they are looking for about the original team, and the history.

The best place to get news about the team today, is to visit their local site. This is a comprehensive site which fans can find player bios, coaching updates, injury reports, game schedules, and all the news they are looking for, on their favorite team. So, whether you want a brief stat update and scores from the recent games, or whether you are looking to get tickets for the next home game, make sure to visit the team’s site for all news on the Kats.More info here: End of Camp and Travels Beginning! – Nashville, TN

Andy Kelly Competes For Starting QB Job

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Andy Kelley was a notable quarterback in the Arena Football League (AFL), which is the highest professional league of indoor American Football. He has played the quarterback position for eight different AFL teams. He began his quarterback career playing for the Charlotte Rage in 1993. His most recent quarterback stint was with the New Orleans Voodoo. However, he only played with the New Orleans Voodoo for one year. The team that he played for the longest was none other than the Nashville Kats (1997-2001). During Kelley-s stint with the Kats, he and Corey Fleming (receiver) became fan favorites due to their feats on the field.

Andy Kelley has held several AFL career records. For example, he has held the career record for pass attempts, pass completions, interceptions, pass yards and touchdown passes. Additionally, he has some experience with the NFL, and has played college football for the University of Tennessee.

His AFL career spans fourteen seasons, from 1993 to 2007. In 2007, Andy Kelley held the starting quarterback position for the New Orleans Voodoo as a veteran. However, in 2007, Steve Bellisari took over the starting quarterback position. Presently, Andy Kelley works as an Offensive Coordinator for the Georgia Force.

Kats Bought By Arthur Blank Of Home Depot?

admin — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League (AFL) team, which operated from 1997 until 2001. Inside the friendly confines of the Gaylord Entertainment Center, now known as Bridgestone Arena, the Kats were successful in reaching two AFL Championship games and being awarded the title of the AFL’s “Organization of the Year” in 1997.

In 2004, after the team lost scope under the ownership of Atlanta businessman, Virgil Williams, the Kats were purchased by Arthur Blank, a successful entrepreneur in his own right, who already had owned the Atlanta Falcons and the co-founder of the Home Depot chain of retail stores. The ensuing 2005 season would become the Kats best ever, as the completed an undefeated home game schedule and a trip to the Arena Bowl Championship. However, a surge of popularity caused the NFL’s Bud Adams to purchase the pre-history of the Kats, and revisit a Nashville franchise. In doing so, Blank’s team would be considered an expansion and, with a move to the new Phillips arena, they would become the team now known as the Georgia Force.

Along side his stints with the Force and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Blank is also at the helm of several charities and various small-scale retail promotions.

Kats Look To Hire New General Manager

admin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Nashville Kats were a defunct football team in the Arena Football League, and they were located in the great city of Nashville, Tennessee. Pat Sperduto was the last coach officially on hire with them, and he coached them all way to dual ArenaBowel appearances before the franchise took a shift to Atlanta in 2002. The Nashville Kats were fan favorites in the state of Tennessee, and the move to Georgia was shunned by all. People were saddened that their favorite team was taking off for the East Coast. However, Tennessee still holds a soft spot in their hearts for the team and cheers them on from afar. The original Nashville Kats existed from 1997 to 2001.

In 2007, the team was shut down for the second time in the history of the franchise. Their fun-loving mascot, Kool Kat, was a great mascot that got fans really in the game. Shortly after the franchise shut down, a lot of fans were disappointed and upset that their favorite team was again shuttered. There were some notable players on the team that made a mark in fans’ minds, and there was one AFL Hall of Famer on the team too, Joe March.

Kats Hold Open Tryout For New Talent

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Just like the Phoenix in Egypt, the Nashville Kats arena football team is going to return from the ashes. An open tryout will be held for the Kats and anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to play in the fast and furious arena football league will be showing up. There’s plenty of support still out there for the Kats. The old fan base has been waiting on pins and needles for this new startup and there will be a lot of excitement when the season begins.
Once again the Kats will be playing against teams like the Colorado Crush, Philadelphia Soul, Dallas Desperados and many more. There’s plenty of talent out there and in the past there have been plenty of interested players who have the right attitude and are good at their positions. Young, recent college players, as well as seasoned veterans have played in the arena league in the past, and they all have a good shot to make the team. Usually quick players with a lot of energy and fortitude make good arena players, but all sizes and shapes make up the Kats and attitude goes a long way. We hope the new team will once again be headed for the playoffs and the Arenabowl.

Nashville Kats Look To Improve QB Situation

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Nashville Kats were often looking for a great quarterback. There are a lot of people out there who would have preferred that the Nashville Kats were able to find a quarterback in the mold of a Jay Cutler who played at Vanderbilt University. It was difficult to find someone with the kind of talent that Jay Cutler has in the Arena Football League. Cutler probably spoiled a lot of those Nashville based football fans in his four years at Vanderbilt. Jay Cutler of course went on to play in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears. Cutler likely would have dominated the Arena Football League had he played for the Nashville Kats. The people of Nashville would have loved the chance to go see his game with the Kats as well. The same may be said had Cutler been drafted by the Tennessee Titans.

Andy Kelly was probably the most noteworthy quarterback to ever play for the Nashville Kats. Kelly was able to set records for the Kats for passing attempts and yards in a season during his time with the Nashville Kats. The other quarterback of note during the Nashville Kats time in the Arena Football League would be James Brown. Brown and Kelly also

Georgia Force: The Kats that got away

www.katsonline.com — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:17:44 +0000

As we’ve mentioned on other pages, the original Nashville Kats team went down to Georgia. How did this occur, thoughwere they following the devil’s call? Hardly. Atlanta businessman Virgil Williams purchased the franchise for almost 10 million in December 2001. When the team’s owners couldn’t negotiate a lease with the Nashville Predators to remain in their arena, Williams moved the team to Georgia and applied the Georgia Force moniker. The actual name was chosen by Georgian Anthony Ward through a contest held by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.Williams ran the team for three years. The Force played its first season in 2002, housed in Philips Arena. The arena, which is located in downtown Atlanta, has historically been the home of the NBA Atlanta Hawks and the NHL Atlanta Thrashers. In 2003, the Force moved to the Arena at Gwinnett Center, located in Duluth, and stayed there for two seasons, making it to the playoffs in 2003. When Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank purchased the franchise in 2004, he announced that the team would return to Philips Arena, but the team moved back to the Gwinnett Center in 2008. If this all sounds confusing, consider that the Nashville Kats also played at a number of stadiums in Nashville, but they were mostly all different names for the current Bridgestone Arena.Unfortunately, when the Arena Football League canceled the 2009 season, the Georgia Force also disbanded. However, in 2011, the Alabama Vipers (originally the Tennessee Valley Vipers) will relocate to Georgia and take on the role of the original Force.Quick Facts:Coaches: Robert Lyles (2002); Marty Lowe (2002-2004); Bob Kronenberg (2004); Doug Plank (2005-2008)Mascot: G-Force (original): “a high-tech runner”; Blu (final): a cartoon monsterPlayers: Xavier Beitia, Troy Bergeron, Dialleo Burks, Nate Coggins, Markeith Cooper, Dan Curran, Kevan Gaines, Jason Gamble, Nelson Garner, Willie Gary, Adam Gibbs, Chris Greisen, Chris Jackson, Darryl Hammond, Derek Lee, Bruce McClure, Scottie Montgomery, Earthwind Moreland, Carl Morris, Dary Myricks, Matt Nagy, Jermaine Smith, Eric ZeierSeasons (W-L):2002: 6-82003: 8-82004: 7-92005: 11-52006: 8-82007: 14-22008: 10-6

The many names of the Kats’ arena

www.katsonline.com — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:17:03 +0000

It’s the story of a building with more identities than the killer in a horror movie.For the entirety of their lifecycle, the Kats’ home games were played in the building originally known as Nashville Arena, then the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and then the Sommet Center. Owner Bud Adams pondered the idea of building a new arena when the franchise was reinstated in 2005, but the Nashville Predators agreed to welcome the Kats into their fold once more.Currently known as the Bridgestone Arena, the building which housed the Kats was only one year old when the team was created. The architectural firm HOK Sport (which itself has now changed its name to Populous) was behind the aesthetically-appealing engineering of the stadium, which features a Frisbee-shaped stadium with a rectangular entry area and lobby.The first name change came in 1999, when the Gaylord Entertainment Company signed a 20-year contract with the Nashville Predators to the tune of 80 million. However, this momentous partnership was dissolved in 2005, and in the interim between choosing a new name, media outlets picked back up on the original. This renaming became official in March of 2007, when the Gaylord name was removed, but alas, the building’s nomenclature was not to remain static for long.The Sommet Group (based in Franklin) purchased the arena naming rights two months later on May 18, 2007, for an undisclosed amount. The Sommet connection lasted for an even briefer periodthe Predators sued the group in 2009. Early in 2010, Bridgestone (the rubber tire conglomerate) stepped in as the new owner of naming rights, and the arena was accordingly renamed once again.Is it too early to start entering the new name into our records? It’s got to be expensive continuing to buy new domains. Whatever the name, though, the arena holds our memories of the Kats’ few classic seasons, and that will never change.

Where Are They Now?

www.katsonline.com — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:04:36 +0000

While an iteration of the Nashville Kats still survives in Georgia as the Georgia Force, the Nashville players have moved on to other pursuits. Today, we take a look back at some of our favorite players from the short-lived team.James Baron (OL/DL): This Indiana native started off with the Detroit Lions, then played with the Kats in both iterations. After the breakup, he returned to the Chicago Rush, with whom he played during the three-year interim. Today, though, Baron is a free agent for the AFL and works at many volunteer centers in the Nashville and Chicago communities.Daryl Hammond (WR/LB): The Kats’ 2006 season was the last one Hammond would play before retiring from the AFL. Since then, Hammond’s been practicing his other skills, appearing in various films (Invincible, Hannah Montana: The Movie), and currently working as a counselor and assistant football coach at Tennessee’s Independence High School.Dan Alexander: Before playing for the Nashville Kats, Alexander had played one season with the major-league Tennessee Titans. Post-Kats, he moved to the Rush with fellow teammate James Baron, then transferred to the Alabama Vipers in 2009, playing his first games with them in the 2010 season. Alexander still lives in Franklin, Tennessee in the off-season.T.T. Toliver: Toliver only played one season with the ill-fated Kats, having been traded from the Tampa Bay Storm. He returned in 2007, but, as so many children have told their friends they’ve outgrown, promptly informed coach Tim Marcum that he no longer wanted to play with him. Toliver was released and signed with the Orlando Predators. He recently returned for the 2010 season.Cornelius Bonner: Bonner played with the Kats for two seasons. Before that, he served with the Las Vegas Gladiators and the Chicago Rush (there must have been something in the water there). He headed to the Grand Rapids Rampage for a season in 2007 and then transferred to the Cleveland Gladiators, with whom he remains today.