Los Angeles Kiss

Los Angeles Kiss
Current season
Established 2013
Play in Honda Center
in Anaheim, California
HelmetLogo
League/conference affiliations

Arena Football League (2014–present)

  • National Conference (2014–present)
    • West Division (2014–2015)
Team colors

Black, Flame, Gold, White

                   
Personnel
Owner(s) Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Doc McGhee
Schuyler Hoverston
President Joe Windham
General manager Daniel Frazier
Head coach Omarr Smith
Team history
  • Los Angeles Kiss (2014–present)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Home arena(s)

The Los Angeles Kiss (stylized as LA KISS) are a professional arena football team based in Anaheim, California. They are currently members of the National Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). The Kiss joined the AFL as an expansion team after Los Angeles' previous franchise (Los Angeles Avengers) did not return as a part of Arena Football 1. The team's ownership is a group of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, members of rock band Kiss, as well as their manager Doc McGhee. The team plays its home games at the Honda Center in nearby Anaheim, which they share with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. The team was featured in the AMC series 4th and Loud.

History

Southern California's prior AFL history

The Kiss is the third AFL team to represent Los Angeles, the fourth to represent Southern California, and the second to play at the Honda Center. Los Angeles' first AFL team was the Los Angeles Cobras, which called the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena home for the team's only season of 1988, in which they finished 5–6–1, making the playoffs but losing to the Chicago Bruisers in the first round. Eight years later, the Anaheim Piranhas moved from Las Vegas, beginning play for the 1996 season at the Honda Center (known as the Arrowhead Pond at the time). Their first season saw them finish 9–5 and make the playoffs (losing to the Tampa Bay Storm in the first round), but their second season saw them finish 2–12 and fold after year's end, most likely because of their owner, C. David Baker, being named the AFL's commissioner and wanting to focus on that.

Los Angeles' longest-running foray in arena football was the Los Angeles Avengers, which called the Staples Center home during their nine-year run from 2000 until the league's suspension of operations in 2008. During that time, the team made five playoff appearances and won one division title (in 2005), though only winning one of those playoff games.

Kiss arrives

On August 15, 2013, it was announced that Kiss (who performed at halftime of ArenaBowl XXVI) had purchased a share of an AFL expansion team set to begin play in 2014. Kiss lead members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, their manager Doc McGhee, and league veteran Brett Bouchy jointly own the team. Both Simmons and Stanley are known fans of the AFL.[1]

On September 10, 2013, Kiss began assembling their first roster, trading their first pick in the dispersal draft of Chicago Rush and Utah Blaze players, to the Iowa Barnstormers in exchange for quarterback J. J. Raterink.[2] With their 2nd and 3rd picks, they drafted wide receiver Chase Deadder and linebacker Antwan Marsh. On September 17, 2013, they named Bob McMillen, the 2013 AFL Coach of the Year, the franchise's first head coach.[3] On September 18, the Kiss hired former Los Angeles Dodgers business executive Schuyler Hoversten as its inaugural president.[4]

The games are themed to echo a Kiss music concert: games open with an electric guitar rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner; there is "loud pyrotechnics and music" throughout the game; "the Kiss logo is plastered everywhere: on the arena football field, on the end zone and on the flame-emblazoned jerseys in the stands. ... [There is a] Kiss Girls dance-squad in black leather. ... The team's artificial turf field is also colored in a unique silver color scheme.

On Tuesday, August 12, 2014, AMC premiered 4th and Loud, a reality documentary series focusing on the team's inaugural season.[5]

On October 30, 2015, Bob McMillen stepped down as head coach and general manager of the L.A. KISS. [6]

Media

All games are televised on ESPN3, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and the CBS Sports Network.

Notable players

Current roster

Los Angeles Kiss roster
Quarterbacks

Fullbacks

  • -- Rory Nixon

Wide receivers

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers
  •  8 J. T. Gilmore

Defensive backs

Kickers

  • Currently vacant
 Injured reserve
  • Currently vacant

Refuse to report

  • Currently vacant

Other League Exempt

League Suspension

Inactive reserve

  • Currently vacant

Recallable reassignment

  • 11 Tom Gilson WR
  • 66 Hamani Stevens OL

Rookies in italics
Roster updated February 3, 2016
33 Active, 5 Inactive

→ More rosters

All-Arena players

The following players have been named to All-Arena Teams while a member of the KISS:

Notable coaches

Head coaches

Name Term Regular Season Playoffs Awards
W L T Win% W L
Bob McMillen 2014–2015 7 29 0 .167 0 0
Omarr Smith 2016–present 0 0 0 – 0 0

Staff

Los Angeles Kiss staff
Front Office
  • Co-Owner – Gene Simmons
  • Co-Owner – Paul Stanley
  • Co-Owner – Doc McGhee
  • President/CEO – Joe Windham
  • General Manager - Vacant
  • Director of Player Personnel - Scott Bailey
  • Director of Scouting - Grady Tucker, Jr.
  Head Coach

Offensive Coaches

  • Wide Receivers - Russell Shaw

Defensive Coaches

  • Defensive Coordinator - Walt Housman
  • Defensive Lineman - Grady Tucker, Jr.
 Sports Medicine
  • Head Athletic Trainer – Bruno F. Silva
  • Team Physician – Dr. Luga Podesta
  • Team Physician – Dr. Michale Banffy
  • Team Internist – Dr. Dennis Jordanides
  • Team Neurologist – Dr. Vernon Williams

Season-by-season records

Season League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
Finish Wins Losses
Los Angeles Kiss
2014 AFL National West 3rd 3 15
2015 AFL National West 3rd 4 14
Total 7 29 (includes only regular season)
0 0 (includes only the postseason)
7 29 (includes both regular season and postseason)

References

  1. ↑ "Arena Football League, KISS Bring Pro Football Back to Los Angeles". Arena Football League. August 15, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Iowa Barnstormers trade key offensive piece as part of Arena League shuffle". www.desmoinesregister.com. www.desmoinesregister.com. September 10, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ "LA Kiss hires Bob McMillen as coach of AFL team". www.sacbee.com. The Sacramento Bee. September 17, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  4. ↑ "KISS Hire Former Dodgers Executive as Inaugural President". Arena Football League. September 18, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ "TCA: Kiss Originals Shout It Out Loud — AMC’s ‘4th And Loud’ Is Arena Rock That Will "Pummel You"". Deadline Hollywood. July 11, 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  6. ↑ McMillen Steps Down as Head Coach of KISS, ArenaFootball.com, October 30, 2105

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, January 25, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.