However, Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings owner Dan Newman mentioned that the Storm were one of at least two former AFL franchises that were being negotiated with, the other being the San Jose SaberCats.

On June 5, 2004, the SaberCats were fined $ 20, 000 for violations during their Quarterfinal Round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Storm.

When the formation of a new arena football league, Arena Football 1 ( renamed the new Arena Football League ), was announced in 2009, the SaberCats were not one of the initial 16 teams announced.

Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings owner Dan Newman mentioned that the SaberCats were one of at least two former AFL franchises with which negotiations were in progress, the other being the Tampa Bay Storm.

However, when AF1 announced its schedule in January 2010, the SaberCats were not among the 15 teams listed.

Unlike their disappointing 2011 campaign, the SaberCats were able to clinch a playoff spot as the # 3 seed, finishing the regular season with a 12-6 record.

Meanwhile, the SaberCats were seeking revenge after the Rattlers had swept them during the regular season, winning the Western Division championship and the top seed in the playoffs in the process.

However, the SaberCats were able to get one final offensive play in before time expired, and James Roe made the most of it by catching a short pass from Mark Grieb and breaking multiple tackles en route to a spectacular 38-yard touchdown-his fourth of the game-to end the half with San Jose leading 35-28, thus preventing the Rattlers from gaining the lead with their first possession of the second half.

For much of the 2002 season, the San Jose SaberCats were entertaining the possibility of an undefeated year, which would have been and would still remain a first for the Arena Football League.

* ArenaBowl XVI – San Jose SaberCats win 52-14 over the Arizona Rattlers

They won their first round game 59 – 49 over the Orlando Predators, but they fell in the semifinals to the eventual ArenaBowl XVIII champion San Jose SaberCats 49 – 35.

In the Conference Championship they upset the second-seeded San Jose SaberCats 59 – 56, giving the Rush their very first ArenaBowl appearance in franchise history.

They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59 – 56 in ArenaBowl XXII.

They then won their first ArenaBowl on Sunday, July 27, 2008 in a 59 – 56 win over the San Jose SaberCats in ArenaBowl XXII.

The San Jose SaberCats did play in a fourth ArenaBowl, ArenaBowl XXII, but lost to the Philadelphia Soul.

( Darren Arbet of the San Jose SaberCats was the first to do so in 2002 with an ArenaBowl XVI victory.

After Grieb's suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the year, Dutton quarterbacked the SaberCats to a 52-14 victory over the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI.

ArenaBowl XVIII saw the San Jose SaberCats and Arizona Rattlers competing for the 2004 Arena Football League championship.

Until 2010, this game marked the last time the ArenaBowl was held at the home arena of the higher-seeded team, rather than a neutral site, and 17, 391 fans packed the sold-out America West Arena as the visiting SaberCats defeated the homestanding Rattlers, 69-62 in a rematch of ArenaBowl XVI.

ArenaBowl XVI was played between the San Jose SaberCats and Arizona Rattlers in San Jose, California on August 18, 2002.

A game with considerable expectations given the teams ' intense rivalry and respective success that year, the SaberCats surprised everyone by posting the most dominant victory in ArenaBowl history, holding the Rattlers scoreless until the final period, and winning the game by the lopsided score of 52-14 to earn their first Arena Football League title in franchise history.

The cowbells went on to become a mainstay of many perennial Season Ticket holders, even though the SaberCats never again distributed cowbells to fans after the incident in 2004.

In the 2004 Arena Football League playoffs, the San Jose SaberCats organization was actually fined $ 10, 000 for distributing cowbells prior to a game versus the Tampa Bay Storm.

John Kaleo ( born February 5, 1971 ) is a retired American football quarterback in the Arena Football League for the Albany Firebirds ( 1993 ), Cleveland Thunderbolts ( 1994 ), St. Louis Stampede ( 1995 – 1996 ), Anaheim Piranhas ( 1997 ), San Jose SaberCats ( 1997 ), New England Sea Wolves ( 1999 ), Tampa Bay Storm ( 2000-2003, 2007 ), Austin Wranglers ( 2004 ), Los Angeles Avengers ( 2005 ), and Columbus Destroyers ( 2006 ).

SaberCats in a 2007 game

SaberCats in the 2007 American Conference Championship.

Rattlers coach Danny White elected to attempt to break the string of ties by attempting a two-point conversion, but San Jose defender Omarr Smith broke up a Bonner pass intended for Hunkie Cooper, leaving the SaberCats in front, 63-62.

However, their rematch with the Rattlers in Phoenix on July 12 cost them not only their undefeated record, but also starting quarterback Mark Grieb, who suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in the SaberCats ' 59-52 loss.

They then played the San Jose SaberCats for the conference final, yet they came up short losing 61 – 49.

The San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League are also infamous for their fans ' use of cowbells.

Defensive back for the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League

The SaberCats announced shortly afterward that they intend to field a team for 2010, even if it means moving to a new indoor football league.

He previously was the backup quarterback for the San Jose SaberCats behind Mark Grieb.

Meanwhile, it was the second title in three years for coach Darren Arbet and the SaberCats.

* On Sunday, July 27, 2008, the Philadelphia Soul defeated the San Jose SaberCats in Arenabowl XXII, 59 – 56, capturing their first Arena Bowl championship.

All naming rights, trademarks, logos and likeness of the San Jose SaberCats are now owned by the new reemergence of the Arena Football League ( AFL ); formerly Arena Football 1 ( AF1 ), which made their 2011 return possible.

The SaberCats are one of Arena's premier organizations, having never drawn below 10, 000 fans at any of their home games.

The SaberCats opened their 2011 season with a 76-48 victory over the Spokane Shock.

With the SaberCats ' victory, Darren Arbet also became the first African-American head coach in pro-football to win a championship in North America.

The SaberCats lost the next two games, 54-41 against the Chicago Rush, and 76-69 against the Iowa Barnstormers.

They played at the HP Pavilion at San Jose, which is also the home of the NHL's San Jose Sharks and the AFL's San Jose SaberCats.

Wagner then signed with the San Jose SaberCats.

HP Pavilion at San Jose houses the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League and the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League.

The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League.

The SaberCats began play in 1995.

The SaberCats competed in the Western Division of the American Conference.

Also, during the game itself, the SaberCats refused to apply microphones to certain players and coaches during the NBC broadcast, which led to an additional $ 10, 000 fine.

The SaberCats went 10-6 in 2006 and won a division title in the process, along with the AC's # 2 seed.