Richmond Revolution

Richmond Revolution
Established 2009
Folded 2011
Played in SportsQuest
in Richmond, Virginia
League/conference affiliations
Indoor Football League (20102011)
  • United Conference (2010–2011)
    • Atlantic East Division (2010)
    • Atlantic Division (2011)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlue, red, white
     
MascotGeorge the Eagle
Personnel
Owner(s)SportsQuest
General managerCharlie Hildbold
Head coachTony Hawkins
Team history
  • Richmond Revolution (2010–2011)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (1)
2010
Playoff appearances (1)
2010
Home arena(s)

The Richmond Revolution was a professional indoor football team based in Richmond, Virginia that played in the Indoor Football League from 2010 to 2011. For the 2010 season, they played their home games at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center. Because of space issues at that facility the owner decided to move onto the SportsQuest campus in nearby Chesterfield for the 2011 season and play all home games outdoors, since the proposed arena had not yet been built.[1]

However, in late August, Richmond BizSense's writer Aaron Kremer (8/25/11) reported that Charlie Hildbold, the general manager, was laid off. He had moved to Virginia to help launch the indoor arena football team. According to Steve Burton, the owner of the team, Richmond Revolution will sit out the 2012 season and be reinstated in 2013.[2] Scott Bass a writer for Style Weekly reported (3/9/2011) nearly half of the 40 players on the Raiders' training camp roster for 2011 defected from Richmond Revolution, as well as the Revolution's head coach, Steve Criswell.[3] On February 9, 2012, the Virginia attorney general's office filed a civil suit against SportsQuest, the company that owns the Revolution.[4]

This was Richmond's third attempt at trying to build a long lasting indoor professional football team. The demise of Richmond Revolution left the Richmond Raiders the only team in the area. Previous teams were the Richmond Speed of the Af2 and the Richmond Bandits of the AIFL.[5]

When the team was first organized a name-the-team contest was held on the SportsQuest webpage. Nominations continued until August 11, 2009, with the five finalist names Blitz, Rush, Rivermen, Revolution, and Reign chosen the next day. Voting continued until August 21 with the Revolution name unveiled on August 24.[6]

The Indoor Football League announced on June 23, 2010, that the Revolution had won the 2010 IFL Franchise of the Year award. In addition the team also took home the League's Media Relations of the Year. Revolution QB Bryan Randall was named the 2010 IFL Most Valuable Player, and head coach Steve Criswell was named the IFL Coach of the Year. Later in the Steve Criswell left the team and on October 7, 2010, Richmond Revolution announced their new head coach would be former local standout Tony Hawkins. Hawkins is the all-time leading passer in Virginia State University history.

  1. ^ "Revolution will play its home games outdoors in 2011". Richmond BizSense. August 25, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  2. ^ "Early in the game, SportsQuest is falling behind". Retrieved Feb 3, 2012.
  3. ^ "Raiding the Revolution".
  4. ^ "State sues SportsQuest over health club contracts". Retrieved Feb 9, 2012.
  5. ^ "Indoor football team moving into Ashe Center". Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on July 26, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  6. ^ "Local IFL team is Revolution". Richmond Times-Dispatch. August 25, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2009.