Continental Indoor Soccer League: Difference between revisions

|tv = [[Prime Sports|Prime Network]] <br> [[FSN Southwest]]

In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice President, Ron Weinstein, he was closing the doors on the [[Los Angeles Lazers]] of the Major Indoor Soccer League, (MISL,) and that if he ever wanted to "create a professional indoor soccer league that played in the summer months, out from under the shadow of the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball", he would support the endeavor.<ref name="SBJ-Weinstein">{{cite Itnews was|last=Duarte then|first=Joseph that|date=September the11, seed1997 was|title=CISL's plantedWeinstein incalls Ron'sleague mind.<ref>{{citecredible web|title=Houstonand eyes expansion Chronicle|url=httphttps://www.sportsbusinessdailysportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1997/09/11/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/CISLS-WEINSTEIN-CALLS-LEAGUE-CREDIBLE-AND-EYES-EXPANSION.aspx?hl=CISL&sc=0 |work=[[Sports Business Journal]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

One year later, in the fall oflate 1990, Ron Weinstein incorporated the Continental Indoor Soccer League, CISL. Ron, along with his business partner Jorge Ragde,. They drafted all the necessary franchise documents to bring the league into fruition and create what was the first professional sports league to operate under the "single entity" formula in 1991.<ref>{{cite book|last1=CISL Communications|title=CISL Official Guide|date=1997|publisher=Sports Press LLC}}</ref> Jerry Buss stood by Ron every step of the way until Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced he was HIV positive.<ref>{{cite web|title=ESPN|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/7|date=September 2004}}</ref> Jerry's mind was understandably taken elsewherelater fortook a short periodleave of time.absence Priorfrom tothe his temporary absence, Jerryproject and Ronwas reachedtemporarily outreplaced toby Phoenix Suns owner, Jerry Colangelo, andwho convincedjoined him to beas one of the inaugural members of the Leagueleague.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.funwhileitlasted.net/tag/jerry-colangelo/|title=Jerry Colangelo Archives • Fun While It Lasted}}</ref>

In Dr. Buss's absence, Colangelo steppedand upWeinstein to the plate to taketook the lead role in working with Ron to attract NBA and NHL owners. Through Buss's and Colangelo's cooperative efforts they orchestrated two CISL meetings in conjunction with their own NBA Board of Governors meetings. The first was held in 1991 in Marina Del Rey and the second in New York City in 1992. Needless to say their efforts paid off and the CISL was launched with 7 teams committed to begin playing in the summer of 1993 with another eight contracted for 1994.<ref>{{cite webnews |urldate=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1994_1206578/alive-amp-kicking-June 5, 1994 |title=Alive & Kicking in- the-u-s-a-soccer-the-world-s.html USA |work=[[Houston Chronicle]]}}</ref>

Monterrey La Raza made the CISL the first US league to have a team from Mexico participating. In 1995, a second Mexican team entered the league, the Mexico City Toros.<ref>{{cite webnews |date=October 7, 1994 |title=TheSouth of the Border: Arena football – CISL head to Mexico Daily|url=httphttps://www.sportsbusinessdailysportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1994/10/707/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER-ARENA-FOOTBALLCISL-HEAD-TO-MEXICO.aspx?hl |work=CISL&scSports Business Journal |url-access=0subscription |accessdate=December 19, 2023}}</ref>

In the fall of 1997, the surprising demise of the league took place primarily due to differences of direction between the NBA/NHL owners and three of the leagues non NBA/NHL teams: Dallas, Portland and Houston. They collaborated in an effort to leave the CISL and form their own league, The Premier Soccer Alliance. It is the opinion of many executives within the sports world, that indoor Soccer has never again reached the pinnacle of the CISL since operations formally ceased in the winter of 1998.<ref>{{Cite newspapernews|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/24/sports/sp-1945|title=Soccer League Will Cease Operations|journalwork=Los Angeles Times|first=MARTINMartin|last=HENDERSONHenderson|date=December 24 December, 1997|via=LA Times}}</ref>

| '''[[Anaheim Splash|Los Angeles United/Anaheim Splash]]'''

|[[Los Angeles Lakers]]/Private owner

| [[Los Angeles, California]]/[[Anaheim, California]]

|[[The Forum (Inglewood)|The Forum]]/[[Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim]]

|'''[[Detroit Safari|Detroit Neon/Safari]]'''

|'''[[Indiana Twisters|Indianapolis/Indiana Twisters]]'''

|[[Memorial Coliseum (Portland)|Memorial Coliseum]]/[[Moda Center]]

|'''[[San Jose Grizzlies]]''' (also the Gold)

|[[Washington WarthogsCapitals]]

| [[1993 Continental Indoor Soccer League season|1993]] || [[Dallas Sidekicks (1984–2004)|Dallas Sidekicks]] || 2-12–1 || [[San Diego Sockers (1978–96)|San Diego Sockers]]

| [[1994 Continental Indoor Soccer League season|1994]] || [[Las Vegas Dustdevils]] || 2-12–1 || [[Dallas Sidekicks (1984–2004)|Dallas Sidekicks]]

| [[1995 Continental Indoor Soccer League season|1995]] || [[Monterrey La Raza (1992–2001)|Monterrey La Raza]]|| 2-12–1 || [[Sacramento Knights]]

| [[1996 Continental Indoor Soccer League season|1996]] || [[Monterrey La Raza (1992–2001)|Monterrey La Raza]]|| 2-02–0 || [[Houston Hotshots]]

| [[1997 Continental Indoor Soccer League season|1997]] || [[Seattle SeaDogs]] ||2-0 2–0 || [[Houston Hotshots]]

! Team !! Championships !! WinningRunner yearsUp !! LosingChampions years!! Runner-up

|[[Monterrey La Raza (1992–2001)|Monterrey La Raza]]|| 2 || 0 || 1995, 1996||

| [[Dallas Sidekicks (1984–2004)|Dallas Sidekicks]] || 1 || 1 || 1993 || 1994

| [[Las Vegas Dustdevils]] || 1 || 0 || 1994 ||

| [[Seattle SeaDogs]] || 1 || 0 || 1997 ||

| [[Houston Hotshots]] || 0 || 2 || || 1996, 1997

| [[Sacramento Knights]] || 0 || 1 || || 1995

| [[San Diego Sockers (1978–96)|San Diego Sockers]] || 0 || 1 || || 1993

*1994: [[Antonio Cortes]], [[San Diego Sockers (1978–96)|San Diego Sockers]]

*1993: [[Marco Lopez (soccer)|Marco Lopez]], [[Monterrey La Raza (1992–2001)|Monterrey La Raza]]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180918103101/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/cisl-history.html Continental Indoor Soccer League history] – [[American Soccer History Archives]]]

[[Category:Continental Indoor Soccer League| ]]