New York CityHawks

New York CityHawks

The New York CityHawks were an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in New York City. They played in the league for two seasons, 1997 and 1998. They played their home games at Madison Square Garden. The team performed poorly on the field and at the box office. The CityHawks were 2-12 in 1997 and 3-11 in 1998. In both seasons, announced attendance hovered near the 6,500 mark, nearly 40% below the league average.

After the 1998 season, the team relocated to Hartford, Connecticut and became the New England Sea Wolves. The Sea Wolves played in Hartford for one season before moving to Toronto, Ontario, Canada and becoming the Toronto Phantoms. The Phantoms played in Toronto for two seasons before folding in 2002.

The New York CityHawks were a brief experiment in bringing arena football to the nation's largest media market. Unfortunately, the experiment failed. The team's poor performance on the field and at the box office led to its relocation and eventual demise.