With the AF1 expanding into 3 new markets last week, the Arena football world was introduced (..er… reintroduced technically?) to Wilkes-Barre, Stockton & Monterrey. Now unless you are a resident of Northeast Pennsylvania, Northern California or Nuevo León, Mexico, you probably don’t know a ton about these new markets that have laid claim to new AF1 franchises.. and that’s okay!
I didn’t know much either, so I decided to do some research and learn about these cities THEN give you the cliff notes! It’s like 9th grade English all over again when you forgot to read The Catcher & the Rye and you scramble to get the abridged oral re-telling from your friend Dennis on the bus on the way to school. But I digress.
Why is it called Wilkes-Barre? Who are some famous people to come out of Stockton, CA? What other sports teams call Monterrey home? The answers to those questions and more are below! Let’s not waste anymore time with the preamble, let’s dig in.
Wilkes-Barre
Name origin:
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania was named after John Wilkes and Isaac Barré, two British members of Parliament who supported the American cause during the American Revolution. When you think eastern Pennsylvania, you think Liberty Bell, you think the Colonial episode of Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you think about the Declaration of Independence — so it only makes sense that the city of Wilkes-Barre has a name tie in to our nation’s founding.
Population:
As of 2020, Wilkes Barre isn’t the largest city at a population of 44,261. But it IS part of the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania: eloquently named the Scranton/Wilkes Barre/Hazleton PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. This metro area is home to nearly roughly 570,000 residents (as of 2020), which is huge! This is more than enough to support the Wilkes-Barre Football Team (name pending) and has the opportunity to lay a great foundation in AF1.
Other Sports Teams in Town:
There are two other sports teams in town: the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL (minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins) & the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of AAA MiLB (minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees).
Buff penguin isn't real, he can't hurt you. Buff penguin isn't real...
Why they couldn’t get the two names to be uniform (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) is beyond me and would drive me insane if I was a resident of Wilkes-Barre or Scranton, but I’m not so it’s okay.
It’s also worth noting that Wilkes-Barre used to be home to Arena football in the past, with the Wilkes-Barre Pioneers playing in the AF2 league in the 2000s. The Pioneers were a very successful franchise during their 8-year run, going 93-50 and making the playoffs 6 years in a row. They had a great run and hopefully Matt Rowland and company can continue that run of success!
What a beaut.
It is still TBA on where the Wilkes-Barre AF1 team will play, but you gotta think it will end up being at the Mohegan Sun Arena where the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins currently play.
Fun Facts:
Wilkes-Barre was incorporated as a borough in 1806, then as a city in 1869.
In 1926, Planters Peanuts Company — yes, that one — was founded in Wilkes-Barre by two Italian immigrants.
On November 8, 1972, Wilkes-Barre became the birthplace of modern cable television programming when Home Box Office (HBO) launched over the city's Teleservice Cable system. Wilkes-Barre got HBO first!
Notable people from Wilkes-Barre:
Benjamin Burnley
Lead singer and guitarist for rock band Breaking Benjamin
Butt rock legends got their start in northeast PA!
Breaking Benjamin pre-game concert before Week 1 — who says no?! (Probably BB)
Qadry & Raghib Ismail
Former NFL wide receivers
The Ismail brothers?! This whole football thing just might work.
A Super Bowl champion & a college national champion is the type of pedigree the city needs.
Matthew Lesko
Infomercial personality
Whether you know his name or not, you’ve seen this guy. His drip is impeccable, his swag too different.
Absolute legend of the ‘staying home from school infomercial everyone has seen at some point’ game.
Herman Mankiewicz
Screenwriter of Citizen Kane & The Wizard of Oz
Oh, you didn't think Off The Wall had THIS in his bag, huh?!
Yeah! We’re classing it up with some classic cinema!
Herman’s writing style was described as “slick, satirical, and witty humor” -- something Off The Wall hopes to be one day...maybe..please..
Frank Zane
Bodybuilder
Three-time Mr. Olympia, won Mr. America, Mr. Universe & Mr. World
I’ll be honest, I don’t know the difference between Mr. Olympia, Mr Universe & Mr. World, but color me impressed regardless. Dude looks like he eats weights.
The speed of the Ismail brothers and the strength of a 3-time Mr. Olympia? Wilkes-Barre might be contenders in year one!
Stockton
Name origin:
The city is named after Robert F. Stockton, who was a United States Navy commodore, notable in the capture of California during the Mexican–American War. Stockton was the first community in California to have a name not of Spanish or Native American origin.
During its early years, Stockton was known by several names, including "Weberville," "Fat City," "Mudville" and "California's Sunrise Seaport”.
Fat City Crusaders would go crazy on some alternate merch. Let's make it happen.
Population:
This one shocked me. Stockton is the 60th-most populous city in the United States! That’s pretty crazy to think about.
With a population of 320,804, it has a higher population than Cincinnati, Buffalo, & Pittsburgh — notable cities with NFL teams! So Stockton certainly is populous enough to support the AF1 team, they just gotta execute.
Other Sports Teams in Town:
There are two other sports teams in town: Stockton Kings in the NBA G-League NBA (minor league affiliate of the Sacramento Kings) & the Stockton Ports of Low-A MiLB (minor league affiliate of the Oakland A’s).
This might be a hall of fame level alternate MiLB logo.
It’s pretty wild to think that a city with such a high population has so few sports teams — but when you dive into some of the economic hardships the city has endured over the years, it starts to make sense.
Much like Wilkes-Barre, Stockton was home to an AF2 team in the past — the Stockton Lightning. They had a brief run in the late 2000s before the first iteration of the AFL folded.
"I'm open" - guy in the stands, probably
The Stockton Crusaders are going to share the Adventist Health Arena with the Stockton Kings for the 2025 season.
Fun Facts:
Built during the California Gold Rush, Stockton's seaport served as a gateway to the Central Valley. It provided easy access for trade and transportation to the southern gold mines.
The city was officially incorporated on July 23, 1850
During the Great Depression the town's canning industry became the battleground of a labor dispute resulting in the Spinach Riot of 1937. I found your next Wikipedia hole to fall down. Your welcome.
In 2019, there was a universal income project in Stockton called the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (S.E.E.D.) that gave a $500 stipend to 125 randomly selected residents for an 24-month period with “no strings attached.”
Notable people from Stockton:
Mike Pereira
NFL vice president of officiating, rules analyst for Fox Sports
We're all guilty of yelling "oh shut up Mike" or "THANK YOU MIKE!" at some point - some times in the same game.
Nate & Nick Diaz
MMA Fighters
Oh geez. First the Ismail brothers, now the DIAZ brothers?!
Both are some of the most entertaining fighters in UFC history with no shortage of trash talk to go with it.
Pete Carroll
NFL coach & CFB coach
There are only 3 coaches who have won both a Super Bowl & a College National Championship -- Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson, Pete Carroll.
Legend of the game who found ways to win!
Hue Jackson
NFL coach & city of Cleveland antagonist
An astonishing 11-44-1 record as an NFL head coach
"Hey Siri, what's the opposite of Pete Carroll?"
Legend of the game who found ways to lose!
Jeremy Meeks
Fashion model, former gang member
This guy's mugshot went viral years ago and had a wild turn of events.
Arrested in 2014 during a gang sweep called Operation Ceasefire in Stockton, but went viral due to his crisp jawline and piercing eyes.
"I can fix him!" cried out thousands of single women across the country.
Monterrey
Name origin:
Monterrey’s literal translation from Spanish to English is ‘King Mountain’. The folk origin claims that the name refers to the city's topography and the large mountains that surround it.
The team name of the Monterrey Kings literally translates to the 'King Mountain Kings' when you break it down, which is kinda sick.
Population:
The 9th most populous city in Mexico has a population of 1,142,952 inhabitants, while the Monterrey metropolitan area has a population of 5,341,175 inhabitants, making it the 2nd most populous metropolitan area in Mexico, behind only Mexico City.
Just a staggering amount of people lol. Monterrey would be the 10th most populous city in the US, so this is a no brainer with the right ownership group executing the vision.
Other Sports Teams in Town:
With the size of Monterrey, it’s not surprising to see they have quite a few sports teams in the mix, especially with soccer / futbol.
I mean this is simply an absurd stadium view lmao
They have Monterrey Football Club & UANL Tigers in the MX League soccer, Sultans of Monterrey in the Mexican Baseball League, the Fundidores de Monterrey of the Mexican football league the LFA, and even a couple of college football teams in the Wild Sheep of ITESM & Authentic Tigers of the UANL!
Similar to Wilkes-Barre & Stockton, Monterrey was also formerly a home to an arena football team: the Monterrey Steel of the NAL. The team only lasted one season due to various external issues, including an earthquake that rocked the region.
No mountain view, but it'll do.
While not confirmed yet, it is looking like the Monterrey Kings will play their home games at Arena Monterrey like the Steel did in 2017.
Fun Facts:
Monterrey was founded as a Spanish settlement in 1596 and was relatively small until a population boom in the 19th century.
Monterrey is a sister city to Dallas, San Antonio, Houston & Corpus Christi in Texas, Orlando in FL & Cape Town in South Africa. That means Monterrey vs Orlando in the AF1 will be a battle of the sister cities!
The cuisine of Monterrey is famous for its meat dishes, specifically its delicious and hearty dishes like cabrito (roasted goat) and arrachera (grilled flank steak). Writing this blog while hungry was not a good idea.
The Monterrey Baseball Stadium has hosted multiple Major League Baseball games, such as the series between the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets in August 1996 and the first MLB inaugural game outside of the United States between the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres on April 4, 1999.
Notable people from Monterrey:
Manuel Uribe
Former world's heaviest man
What a thrill finding out that the former world's fattest man was from Monterrey
Imagine this unit at LG for the Monterrey Kings
Jonathan & Giovani dos Santos
Soccer / futbol players
Wait every market announced for AF1 expansion has famous athlete brothers?!
That simply can not be a coincidence
dos Santos brothers played together for LA Galaxy, which is pretty sweet.
Esteban Gutiérrez
Formula 1 driver for Sauber
I've never heard of Esteban before doing this research, but this looks like one of the most-F1 F1 drivers I've ever laid eyes on.
José Marroquín Leal
Clown and children's TV show host
Okay, now we're getting into the good stuff.
If you have ever flipped through the channels and landed on Telemundo for a moment, things can get a crazy in Latin television.
O/U amount of therapy sessions that Jose caused - 999.5
Kat Von D
Tattoo artist & reality TV star
Wait, that Kat Von D?! (as if there is another)
Her parents were apparently missionaries and she was indeed born in Monterrey.
Let's get a Kat Von D designed Monterrey Kings shirt ASAP!
Wilkes-Barre, Stockton & Monterrey all seem like solid additions to the AF1 when it comes to the cities themselves. But success will all come down to the execution by the leadership of each team and how they can become a staple of their communities, not just how well they can perform on the field.
Can Wilkes-Barre get back to their 2000s form and even grow beyond that?
Can Stockton take advantage of it's city size and be a driver of the city's continued economic growth?
Having a million plus residents in Monterrey is great, but can you carve out fan support in an already semi-crowded sports space?
Still a lot to be determined, but we're still 6 months from kickoff and a lot can and will happen between now and then. What market are you most excited about? Let me know on X!
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