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Avron
Fogelman's involvement in professional sports in Memphis began
in 1970, when, at the age of 30, he served as President of
the Memphis Pros of the American Basketball Association (ABA),
the first professional basketball team in the state.
Memphis
has had a long and rich professional baseball history, but
that history was interrupted after the 1976 season of the
Memphis Blues. After just one year without baseball, Fogelman
worked diligently to bring AA baseball back to the city. On
opening night in 1978, the Memphis Chicks were welcomed by
an overflow crowd and became one of the most successful teams
in minor league baseball in the 1970s and 1980s. During the
1970s, Fogelman was one of the owners of the Memphis Grizzlies
football team in the WFL, bringing Memphis its first professional
football team.
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Fogelman's
strong conviction to bring sports to Memphis is perhaps best
reflected in how he brought professional soccer to Memphis.
He never played soccer, but he saw the number of youngsters
across the country who played the game and wanted Memphis
to be exposed to the sport. Fogelman bought the Memphis Rogues
franchise in 1978 which developed into a championship team
that galvanized the city.
Beyond
Memphis sports teams, for more than 30 years Avron Fogelman
has been one of the leading supporters of the athletic program
at the University of Memphis and also served as the first
Chairman of the Memphis/Shelby County Sports Authority.
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