We covered Baseball and Football in part one, but here's where the real trivia hounds will come out. Did you know the Bay Area was a roller hockey hot bed? Read on my hungry friends.

HOCKEY (ROLLER)

Oakland Skates (RHI) 1993-1997; 1999

When the hockey boom of the early 90s was underway, someone had the bright idea to start a league for roller hockey. The Skates played at the Oakland Arena. There’s not much to say about that.

San Jose Rhinos (RHI) 1994-1997, 1999

So the professional roller hockey movement was big in the Bay Area, apparently. We got two teams. At least San Jose won the title in 1994. The league lasted surprisingly long for a sport based on inline skating.

San Francisco/California/Oakland Seals (Western Hockey League, NHL) 1961-1970

In 1961 the Seals began play in the Cow Palace as part of the WHL. A heated rivalry with the Portland Buckaroos marked this team’s brief stay in sports history. In 1966 the club renamed itself the California Seals, moved to Oakland and entered the NHL in 1967. The team, floundering, tried the name Oakland Seals to identify with their existing fans, however this was not enough.

The club then became the California Golden Seals, which also didn’t help. The Oakland A’s crazy owner, Charlie O. Finley bought the team for the 1970-71 season and tried, in true Finley-esque style, to promote the team by various whacky means, including matching the Seals colors to the other Oakland team, the A’s. None worked and the team was taken over by the NHL and then moved to Cleveland. Eventually the Cleveland team merged with the North Stars and somehow, one of those owners, the Gunds, ended up with the San Jose Sharks franchise.

Honorable Mention: San Francisco Spiders (IHL) 1995-2000

SOCCER

San Jose Clash/Earthquakes (MLS)1995-2005

The original San Jose MLS team, the Clash, was a centerpiece in the MLS with huge support from a large Mexican population that took the Clash and later the Earthquakes, under their wing as a substitute for their Mexican League teams. The team did well, winning the first ever MLS game and the championship in 2001 and 2003. The Earthquakes had some of MLS’s most beloved characters, from Alexi Lalas and Eric Wynalda to later players like Landon Donovan. In 2005 the team was put on hiatus and moved to Houston, where they still kick ass. Another, lamer version of the Earthquakes plays at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara.

San Francisco Bay Blackhawks (WSA, USISL) 1985- 1993

Always dominant, the Blackhawks kicked ass in the WSA, then they took Latin America apart in the CONCACAF tournament until they ran into Club America of Mexico. Soon the Bay Area was a flood with half-ass soccer squads and the MLS came knocking. The owner of the Blackhawks was all set to move into the MLS until financial trouble forced the new team to be run by the MLS, they were called the San Jose Clash.

San Jose CyberRays (WUSA) 2001-2003

In the wake of the Women’s National soccer team winning the World Cup, the WUSA was formed and the members of team USA were sent to far corners of the country to represent their teams. San Jose got Brandi Chastain, Julie Murray and LaKeysia Beene. The team did well, winning the first championship. But that was it, until the league folded two years later.

Honorable Mention

SOCCER: San Francisco Seals (PDL) 1992-2008: San Jose Frogs (PDL) 2005-08: San Jose Earthquakes (NASL, WSA) 1974-1988

BASKETBALL

Oakland Oaks (ABA) 1967-1976

The Oaks were one of the charter members of the ABA. Their crowning moment was a championship in the 68-69 season which saw a disgruntled Ex-Warrior, Rick Barry, lead the team to its only title and final season. Barry’s former team, the Warriors, of the NBA one the marketing battle and the Oaks moved on Washington D.C.

Honorable Mention: Oakland Oaks/San Francisco Saints (ABL) 1961-1963

OTHER SPORTS

Lacrosse: San Francisco Dragons (MLL) 2006-2008; San Jose Stealth (NLL) 2004

BACK TO PART 1

Baseball and Football