{{Short description|Defunct American football team}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox sports team | logo = Orlando Panthers logo.png | pixels = | founded = 1958 | dissolved = 1971 | league = Eastern Football Conference<br>Atlantic Coast Football League<br>Continental Football League | history = Franklin Miners (1958—61)<br>Paterson Miners (1962)<br>Newark Bears (1963–65)<br>Orlando Panthers (1965–71) | arena = Tangerine Bowl | city = Orlando, Florida | colors = | championships = 2 (ACFL)<br>2 (COFL) | titles = none | mascot = }} The '''Orlando Panthers''' were a professional American football team based in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1958 as the Franklin Miners, the team spent its first four years in the Eastern Football Conference, then three further years in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) before moving to the Continental Football League (COFL) in 1965. The franchise moved from Newark, New Jersey to Orlando in 1966 and found success on the field as the Panthers. However, while the team won the COFL championship twice they were plagued by financial difficulties. The team jumped back to the ACFL in 1970 but were suspended by the league after the season.
==History== ===Franklin=== The Franklin Miners were originally established in 1958 as a member of the Eastern Football Conference; their head coach was eventual Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren.<ref name=Nissenson>{{cite news|last1=Nissenson|first1=Herschel|title=Steve Van Buren Cites Football Defense Changes|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19630823&id=GxUrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hJwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6730,3056871&hl=en|access-date=July 21, 2016|work=Reading Eagle|agency=Associated Press|date=August 23, 1963|page=16}}</ref>
===Paterson=== The Miners were charter members of the Atlantic Coast Football League upon its founding in 1962, relocating to Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey and becoming the '''Paterson Miners''' in the process. In their first season in Paterson, the Miners won the ACFL championship against the Providence Steam Roller in front of 2,000 spectators at the indoor Atlantic City Convention Hall.<ref>{{cite news|title=untitled sports news summaries|work=Bristol Daily Courier|date=December 19, 1962}}</ref>
===Newark=== The following summer the Miners moved to Newark Schools Stadium in nearby Newark, New Jersey and were renamed as the '''Newark Bears'''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pro Football Club Shifted|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=June 27, 1963}}</ref> The Bears took their name from a team in the American Association football league in the late 1930s through 1941, itself a direct descendant from the Orange/Newark Tornadoes, a football club with roots dating to the 19th century and that had played two seasons in the NFL. (The ACFL had several ties to the old AA, including teams in Paterson and Newark, and the same President, Joe Rosentover.)
The Bears won the Southern Division and claimed the 1963 ACFL title by defeating the Springfield Acorns, 23–6.<ref>{{cite news|title=Newark Bears Take Atlantic Grid Title|work=Democrat and Chronicle|agency=Associated Press|date=November 25, 1963}}</ref> A few months later the team announced its interest in joining the American Football League;<ref>{{cite news|title=Bears Seek Data on AFL|work=Asbury Park Press|agency=Associated Press|date=January 12, 1964}}</ref> at the time, the New York metro area's existing AFL franchise, recently rechristened the Jets, was still on uncertain financial footing, but the Jets survived and the AFL ultimately rejected the Newark bid. Newark had another strong season in 1964, advancing to their third straight league championship. This time, however, they were defeated by the Boston Sweepers, 14–10.<ref>{{cite news|title=Boston Sweepers Grab Grid Title|work=The Progress|agency=Associated Press|date=December 7, 1964}}</ref>
In 1965 the Bears joined two other ACFL teams in a minor-league merger that led to the formation of the Continental Football League. Newark struggled during its first COFL season, placed fourth in their division and finished with a record of 5–9.
===Orlando=== During the subsequent offseason, team owner Sol Rosen sold his franchise to Tom Granatell, who moved the Bears to Orlando, Florida and renamed them as the Orlando Panthers. They signed a 10-year lease to play their home games at the Tangerine Bowl.<ref>{{cite news|title=Orlando Signs 10-Year Pact|work=Kingsport News|agency=UPI|date=April 28, 1966}}</ref> The move to Orlando was somewhat of a coup, as there was already a team named the Orlando Panthers that had played in the Southern Professional Football League the year prior (having played as the Daytona Beach Thunderbirds from 1962 to 1964) and, due to the Southern league's folding, was seeking to join the Continental league; the Newark ownership group managed to secure the lease, and the previous Orlando owner died, apparently of a rage-induced apoplexy, immediately after the meeting.<ref name=tbirdsleft>{{cite news|last=Kahn|first=Bernard|title=Minor league football: T Birds Left, DB Won|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q4gfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lcsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2416,5840811&dq=continental-football-league&hl=en|work=Daytona Beach Morning Journal|date=July 25, 1970}}</ref> Van Buren was promoted to vice president and replaced as head coach by Perry Moss, who led the Charleston Rockets to the 1965 COFL title.<ref>{{cite news|title=Moss Named Orlando Coach|work=Manitowoc Herald-Times|agency=Associated Press|date=May 18, 1966}}</ref>
Over the next four seasons the Panthers were consistent winners, never finishing with fewer than 10 wins. The team, led by quarterback Don Jonas, appeared in the COFL championship game three consecutive seasons starting in 1966, winning two titles during that span. In 1966, the team lost the championship to the Philadelphia Bulldogs in sudden-death overtime, 20–17. In 1967, the Panthers won the title with a 38–14 win over the Orange County Ramblers. In 1968, they repeated the feat by defeating the Ramblers 30–23, though they had to enter the game by winning a playoff with the Indianapolis Capitols (which Orlando won 28–14). In 1969, however, Orlando and Indianapolis rematched in the semifinals, with the Capitols prevailing 27–7. Such was the team's prestige that in the 1969 offseason, the Panthers entered into a deal with the Florida Citrus Commission to put up $400,000 in salary if O. J. Simpson agreed to sign with the team; with his negotiations with the team that drafted him, the Buffalo Bills, stalled at the time, and the institution of the Common Draft prohibiting him from negotiating with other teams in the AFL or NFL, the Panthers were the highest-profile team able to give Simpson a counteroffer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qukrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tgUGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3093,6207410&dq=continental-football-league&hl=en|work=Kentucky New Era|via=Google News Archive Search|access-date=December 21, 2014|title=Kentucky New Era - Google News Archive Search}}</ref> Simpson ultimately achieved a contract agreement with the Bills.
With the future of the COFL in doubt after the 1969 season, Panthers general manager and president Elmer Cook announced his intention to found a new football league based in Florida, the Sunshine League.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sargent|first1=Bill|title=Panthers Find Ray of Hope in Sunshine|work=Florida Today|date=February 22, 1970}}</ref> Within weeks of that announcement, the Panthers applied and were accepted for membership in the franchise original home, the ACFL.<ref>{{cite news |title=Three CFL Teams Join Atlantic League |agency=United Press International |work=The Tipton (Indiana) Daily Tribune |page=4 |date=April 6, 1970 }}</ref> The team was in major financial trouble at the time, fueled by massive overspending, and a new consortium took over the money-bleeding franchise in the offseason. The new owners, who originally planned to rechristen the team as the '''Orlando Oranges''' but never did, planned to run the team on a much tighter financial budget.<ref name=tbirdsleft/>
The Panthers made headlines in 1970 with the signing of a holder named Patricia Palinkas, the first woman to play on a men's professional football team.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gal Plays Pro Football|work=News Journal|agency=UPI|date=August 1, 1970}}</ref> Palinkas originally served as holder for her husband, Steve Palinkas, but he was cut prior to the regular season. Patricia made the team but was immediately suspended after missing an entire week of team activities due to her full-time teaching job and personal appearances.<ref>{{cite news|title=She's Suspended, He's Cut|work=Democrat and Chronicle|agency=Associated Press|date=September 4, 1970}}</ref>
Financial difficulties continued to plague the Panthers in 1970, culminating in players (including Palinkas) quitting over unpaid wages and a lawsuit from the ACFL over unpaid dues.<ref>{{cite news|title=League May Sue Panthers|work=(Florida) Today|agency=Associated Press|date=December 16, 1970}}</ref> The Panthers were suspended by the ACFL for the 1971 season and never played again. The rights to Orlando's players were granted to the Roanoke Buckskins in June.<ref>{{cite news|title=ACFL Conducts Draft of Teams|work=Pottstown Mercury|agency=Associated Press|date=June 16, 1971}}</ref>
==Season-by-season== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! ! Year !! League !! W !! L !! T !! Finish!!Coach |- ! Paterson Miners | 1962 || rowspan=3|ACFL || 8 || 1 || 0 || 1st, ACFL Champions || Sal Rosen |- ! rowspan=3|Newark Bears | 1963 || 11 || 1 || 0 || 1st, ACFL Champions || rowspan=3|Steve Van Buren |- | 1964 || 12 || 1 || 1 || 1st, ACFL Southern, lost final |- | 1965 || rowspan=5|COFL || 5 || 9 || 0 || 5th, COFL Atlantic |- ! rowspan=5|Orlando Panthers | 1966 || 12 || 2 || 0 || 2nd, COFL || rowspan=2|Perry Moss |- | 1967 || 11 || 3 || 0 || COFL Champions |- | 1968 || 10 || 2 || 0 || COFL Champions || Jim Garrett |- | 1969 || 10 || 2 || 0 || Lost in COFL semifinals || Dick Pesonen |- | 1970 || ACFL || 4 || 8 || 0 || 5th place Southern Division || Paul Massey |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Atlantic Coast Football League}} {{Continental Football League}}
Category:Continental Football League teams Category:Atlantic Coast Football League teams Category:Defunct American football teams in New Jersey Category:American football teams in Orlando, Florida Category:Sports in Paterson, New Jersey Category:Sports clubs and teams in Newark, New Jersey Category:American football teams established in 1958 Category:American football teams disestablished in 1971 Category:1958 establishments in New Jersey Category:1969 disestablishments in Florida