Alternate History Sports / Avalon

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/24/2020 5:11 pm

So while I have numerous projects ongoing (with the PCFL-NFL being one of many), none is more in depth than Avalon, a series of comic books all set in the same fictional New Jersey metropolis.

Avalon was first settled in 1650, by English settlers in the employ of Lord Berkeley of Stratton. Setting sail from Bristol, three ships under the command of veteran sailor Benedict Waters made landfall in North America traveling down the coast from New York with intent on finding fertile land for a colony. When they sighted the island in the morning through the mist, Benedict Waters remarked how in the this moment, the land he saw looked like a paradise, and dubbed it Avalon. The island that the English found was uninhabited, as the natives regarded the island as cursed. The Dutch had come and departed, and the Swedish attempt had ended in a foul series of murders that ended the settlement until the arrival of the three ships. The ill repute of the land was regarded as foolish fantasy and Waters soon declared that he would go no further, and sent one ship, the Lady Christiana back to England with the news.

Under the command of Bradley Tyler, considered one of Avalon's founding father, the men soon discovered the slopes of the central hill that holds several modern neighborhoods (Old Avalon, Hilltop, Hill West and Descent), they chose to found a fort, whose gates became the rudiments of Arthur Avenue, the largest and most central of Avalon's roads. By 1670, there was a settlement of several thousand, almost completely English, though there were also Scotch Irish, and soon the settlement spread to encompass all of the flat expanse of grass and forest that would come to be called simply Hilltop. To this day, some of these palatial manors remain as a testament to the builders of the first settlement. Those who couldn't afford to live in Hilltop, would come to inhabit the land from the hill's eastern slope to the harbor on the Atlantic coast of the island. This would be the beginning's of the district known as Old Avalon, though modern Old Avalon does not encompass the neighborhood referred to by its largest road, Babylon Boulevard.

By 1770, Avalon was the fourth largest settlement in British North America. The merchants of Avalon bristled along with their New England counterparts at the new string of taxes by the British, but the people seemed unconcerned by the Boston Massacre, and Avalon would remain Loyalist for the duration and as a result gained an unsavory reputation in the Post Revolution United States. It was during these early years that the Waters family departed for Canada, eventually settling in early Toronto. It was following the Revolution that Avalon truly began to thrive. Fishing, once the largest industry in Avalon, would soon be replaced by whaling. With whaling came more settlement and investment, and by 1820, Avalon was the third largest city in the country, eclipsing Baltimore with 63,500 people living on the island of Avalon. It was during this period that more people began to settle across the Caliburn Rush on the mainland, with only the lonely fortress of Isolation being inhabited from 1654 onwards. It was in 1832 that the farming community of Bors was formed. Bors gained a reputation for having rowdy inhabitants, and when the Atlantic Association was formed in 1889, the local Bors team was named the Bruisers.

By the Civil War, a small community of free blacks had settled in Avalon. Although there was ample room, the people of Avalon held skewed racial views, and forced them to reside on the northern coast of Avalon, a hard to reach destination at the base of the even larger hill that currently holds the same name of Turnerville, the original name for the settlement. The name is from 1833, when certain members of the Nat Turner rebellion who had escaped, settled with the free black community at the isle's northern shore, giving birth to the nomenclature. During the Civil War, many Avalonians fought with the Union, although to their eternal shame certain chose to go south and fight for the Confederacy, a large amount given the northern locale of Avalon, and that New Jersey holds little relation to the slave holding south. By the 1880's, Avalon began to thrive, with a large amount of Irish, Norwegians and Jews arriving. It was at this time, that Hasidic Jews founded a community now known as Bohunk Row. The Norwegians, who found much work at the docks off Babylon Boulevard, came to settle at that roads northern terminal, a neighborhood known as Norskarter. It was also at this time that the neighborhood know as the Plaid developed, originally all Irish, it is now one of Avalon's most diverse community, with immigrants from around the world. It was also at this time that Piss Row, the lowest point on the island of Avalon,, developed, at the time of 1880 the second most northern community, as modern Turnerville was farm land usually served for cattle herding.

The next phase of Avalon history is locally considered as a golden age, stretching from 1880 to 1929. It was in this time that Avalon became a powerful industrial city and became one of the most vibrant cities in all the United States. In 1894, a twelve story high rise was started by Avalon Savings and Loan and marked the beginning of a arms race of new building, largely concentrated in Old Avalon, and the recently developed Downtown section, due south of Hilltop. In 1920, 3 term mayor Wesley Page passed into law a series of public housing, using the burgeoning economy to fund the wholesale construction of Turnerville, and most stunningly, Descent.

The northern slope of Hilltop was uninhabited due to the fact that it was to steep to live on, to the point that Arthur Avenue terminates at the northern slope and rushes at the base of Descent. As such, steps were carved into the cliff face where possible, and leveled housing was introduced, with no roads existing to speak of. The center of the slope is to steep for even steps and separates the two inhabited sectors, which are joined by several bridges. This neighborhood is well known as an urban slum, and was completed in 1925. During Prohibition, Avalon became the largest port for liquor running and introduced huge amounts of liquor to the northeastern United States. It was at this time that other intoxicants began to flood the streets of Avalon, with Heroin, Cocaine and Marijuana becoming widespread in the city.

In 1929, the Stock Exchange crashed on Wall Street and sent the world into a depression, and in Avalon this was sorely felt. People lost their homes, businesses and means of feeding their families, and soon, tent cities formed across the city, especially in Piss Row, where few buildings stood at the time. It was in the 1930's that the vigilante craze began, but in Avalon the Society of Concerned Avalonians had been active since the 1880's. It was during the 1880's that the Veil made his first appearance, bringing to justice the Child Killer of 1885, who had the city in a panic and the police at the end of their wits. The SCA was formed to protect the city, when the corrupt Avalon Police Department did nothing. It was also during the 1880s, that the organized crime syndicates began to grow in Avalon. During Prohibition, the power in the city was the Public Safety Commissioner, Enoch Johnson, who was charged with running all of the public housing. As a result of this power he did his best to force the black inhabitants of the island into Turnerville, though a community would be retained in much of Avalon, especially in the Plaid and Old Avalon. He was a corrupt member of a political machine and did his best to consolidate his control, extending his reach beyond city limits to those in Shore County, which surrounds Avalon on all sides. The Shore County Sheriff, Mason Spear was in essence under his control and as such encouraged construction in Bors (Shore County's capital) which led to a renovation of Lieber Field, home to the Bors Bruisers.

When the Depression hit, there was no shortage of criminals, or those desperate enough to commit crimes, so much so that the police began to crack down on them, and so some decided to wear masks to conceal their identity, not revolutionary in and of itself, but when they started to get away with their crimes, people began to fear for their lives and livelihoods. And so in 1934, Tank Man debuted. The Pantyhose Boys, a group of bank robbers who wore pantyhose over their faces whenever in public to hide their identity, began to terrorize the Northeastern United States, eventually picking off banks in Brooklyn. At one such heist, Tank Man, who had fashioned a bullet proof suit of armor defeated them and brought them justice, and from there it began in earnest, the age of the hero.

In 1938, The Rodent arrived in Avalon. An American born of German descent, he departed for Germany in 1934, where he quickly joined the Nazi Party, and was assigned to the SS. He became a master interrogator, and was marked for an officer's position, but instead, Adolph Hitler sent him to America to destabilize the US government, and with explicit orders to assassinate key members of the German American Bund, whom Hitler found harmful to the NSDAP's image internationally. As such the Rodent arrived in the US by way of Boston, killed his targets until one fled, and followed him to Avalon, where he did battle with the Veil, and was forced to go underground. The Rodent would die in 1946 at the hands of Johnny Rebel, and Avalon, though still one of America's largest cities, would not retain its economic success.

I have more waiting but thought I would start with this.

**Posted by ThisIsFine** 6/24/2020 10:20 pm

Got any sports teams?

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/24/2020 11:37 pm

ThisIsFine wrote:
Got any sports teams?

Yeah, Im gonna concentrate on each sports layout in the city, but here is the current list

NFL New Jersey Knights
MLB New Jersey Devils
NBA Avalon Braves
NHL Avalon Whalers
MLS Avalon Athletic

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/25/2020 5:03 pm

Baseball in Avalon

Baseball was first played in the 1850's with several amateur clubs playing across the island. The most prominent of those early teams were the Avalon Dockers, who played in a small stadium on Old Swedish Road south of Babylon Boulevard. Docklands Park, first built in 1871, was all made of wood and had some terrible sight lines but was aided by the wind whipping off the Atlantic Ocean to the east of the field.

In 1882, the Avalon Dockers went professional and joined the National League, where they would play some eight seasons. They would meet their end at the hands of the Players League of 1890, when several prominent Dockers joined with the Avalon Rebels and split dates at Dockland Park with the Dockers. The presence of two teams turned out to be bad for both and by 1891, both teams had folded. Docklands Park lasted a few more years before it burned to a crisp in an arson case.

Though there were several attempts to bring back Baseball to Southern New Jersey, it was not to be until 1902, when the Milwaukee Brewers relocated to Avalon, in a brand new stadium off Arthur Avenue in modern Turnerville. At the time of Arthur Park's construction, Turnerville was still a series of pastures and farms owned by mostly the elite families of the city. It was not until the 1920's and 1930's that the neighborhood began to form, enircling the property on all sides.

Shortly after play began they took earned the nickname the Jersey Devils. This was a reference to both the cryptid of Southern New Jersey lore and the famed Jersey Devils of the Union Army, who had largely come from Avalon. From 1902 to 1919 they were referred to as the Avalon Jersey Devils, before the owner, Casey Bushwick, renamed the team the New Jersey Devils, in an attempt by ownership to expand the fanbase to the whole state.

In the early years, the logo on their cap had been an amorphous red blob in the outline of the Jersey Devil, on a navy blue background. With the name changed, the red blob on the hat became a red map of New Jersey, with the same color scheme.

From 1902 to 1943, the Devils were largely terrible, never making an appearance in the World Series. In the 1944 season, their fortunes were reversed.The Pennant race in the American League came down to wire with the Devils with 89 wins, and Detroit with 88 wins. Finally in Word Series, the Devils would win game one at home, before losing the next four to the Saint Louis Cardinals.

After 1944 it would take quite a while for the New Jersey Devils to equal a pennant, only winning in 1966, though they would lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. The main difference between 1944 and 1966, was the place the game was played. In 1944, the New Jersey Devils played in the majority Black neighborhood of Turnerville, and had no where to expand. It only sat 19,000 in 1944 and by 1964 was clearly past its heyday. Some white Avalonians simply stopped going to games, aided by the advent of the television. As a result, the team began to market to the inhabitants of Turnerville to fill the seats left empty. While whites continued to show up, most games the crowd could be visibly Black. Some of the more racist players derided Arthur Park, and the white inhabitants of Avalon who desired a new stadium.

In 1957, the city of Bors, a suburb of Avalon just across the Caliburn Rush from Avalon, offered to build a 50,000 seat baseball stadium to replace the aging Arthur Park. The city government, not wanting to lose their team to the mainland, went all out to find a new site that could be built up from nothing. After several months, the owner, Cory Bushwick, made contact with the city council of Bors and signed a letter of intent to move the team to Bors. Several days later the deal was nullified. Lesley Graham, the scion of a well known banking family, put together the plan to build a stadium complex on his land, at the southern tip of Avalon, in the area named Grahamsmarsh. Though originally solely intended for baseball, the complex would be retooled to build a separate football stadium on the same plot of land. This football field would be first home to DeShay University football and then its current tenant, the NFL's New Jersey Knights.

In 1969, the MLB created two divisions in both the AL and NL and created both the.ALCS and NLCS. That year, the New Jersey Devils were the best team in baseball, posting a 109-53 regular season record. They had no trouble winning the AL East, and would win a close series with the Minnesota Twins, to enter their third World Series. In the first NLCS the Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets in five games, and set the stage for the World Series. When all was said and done, it was an uneven affair, with the Devils bringing home their first championship and the Atlanta Braves only managing one win.

In 1970, coming off their first title, the Devils could have expected a less dominating performance, but not so. The Devils would face a rematch in the ALCS against the Twins, this time going to game seven in the Grahamsmarsh Multi Sport Complex (hereafter referred to as the Multiplex) where in front of 45,000 fans, the Devils won their second World Series in as many seasons. In 1971, the Devils would win their third straight AL East Pennant, and faced off against the Oakland A's in the 1971 playoffs before losing in 6 games. In 1972 they took a step back missing the postseason before making another World Series in 1973. This time they would defeat the Cincinnati Reds in 6 games winning their last World Series. Though they would appear in the 1979 and 1983 World Series they didn't not win either, losing to the Cincinnati Reds in 5 (in 1979) and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 7 (in 1983).

Since these hallowed years the Devils have only made the playoffs in 1996, 1997, 2012, 2014 and 2016, and never made it past the ALDS. The New Jersey Devils had some recent relocation scares, before the Multiplex was renovated in the 2006, with both the football and baseball stadiums being refurbished.

Last edited by Enigmajones (6/25/2020 5:04 pm)

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/25/2020 5:11 pm

New Jersey Devils Playoff record

1969
ALCS: Beat the Minnesota Twins in 6
World Series: Beat the Atlanta Braves in 5

1970
ALCS: Beat the Minnesota Twins in 7
World Series: Beat the Cincinnati Reds in 6

1971
ALCS: Lost to the Oakland Athletics in 6

1973
ALCS: Beat the Oakland Athletics in 7
World Series: Beat the Cincinnati Reds in 6

1974
ALCS: Lost to the Oakland Athletics in 4

1979
ALCS: Beat the California Angels in 7
World Series: Lost to the Cincinnati Reds in 5

1983
ALCS: Beat the Chicago White Sox in 6
World Series: Lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 7

1996
ALDS: Lost to the Cleveland Indians in 6

1997
ALDS: Lost to the New York Yankees in 5

2012
ALWC: Beat the Texas Rangers in 3
ALDS: Lost to the New York Yankees in 6

2014
ALDS: Lost to the Detroit Tigers in 5

2016
ALWC: Lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/26/2020 6:27 pm

Football in Avalon
Football was first played at the Commons of DeShay University in the 1880's. As an Ivy League school, DeShay was one of the most prestigious in the country, but never formed more than club football until 1963. In the early days of the NFL, the New Jersey Sharks, played their home games in various stadium across the state, including two games at Arthur Park in 1923. In 1933, the state government of New Jersey founded and constructed a new college, the University of New Jersey-Avalon. Built in the sleepy neighborhood of North Caliburn, the college had plenty of space to grow. In 1934, with aid from the Public Works Administration, UNJ-A built a football stadium on the former site of a high school field. From its first season, the stadium would host the high school games, including a tournament for the city title. The UNJ-A Patriots, named after the many Avalonian veterans, soon played to enthusiastic crowds, though the stadium only sat 30,000.

With UNJ-A opening up the city like Perry and Japan, professional football soon came to Avalon. In 1946, the All American Football Conference launched in 7 cities (New York City, Avalon, Miami, Cleveland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago) with eight teams. One of these were the Avalon Angels, who played their games at the 19,000 seat Arthur Park. Though one of the smaller stadiums, the football fans of Avalon seemed uninterested in the product being offered. The only game that sold out was the first game, a tie with the Los Angeles Dons, that had many fans leaving early. Though successful the next season, the team was hemorrhaging money going into the 1948 season.

The Angels, who had white and gold uniforms, would face a pickle, in that they tied with the Baltimore Colts (not the same Baltimore Colts) and had to play a playoff game between the two, held in Arthur Park. The game was a sellout and the city seemed to finally seemed to accept the team with a title appearance on the line. The game was a blowout, with the Angels defeating the Baltimore Colts, 42-23. Going into their first title, they were up against the league best Cleveland Browns, who had won the first two titles and had gone 14-0 in the regular season. No one believed the Angels could hang with the Browns, but some faithful fans believed the dream was real, and to be fair it was close. In the end, the Angels lost the title, but only lost 17-14, and were treated to a heroes welcome on their return from Cleveland.

In 1949, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees merged, and left the league at seven teams, in one division. As such the 1949 season, would see the top four teams playing in a playoff series. The fourth place Angels would match up against the Cleveland Browns, but they did poorly. They would score 17 points to the Browns 28. In the end the Cleveland Browns would lose to the San Francisco 49ers, 17-14 in Cleveland, the only time the Browns didn't win the AAFC title. After the season, the league folded, with the Browns and 49ers joining a new Baltimore Colts in joining the NFL.

Until the building of the Multiplex, football was solely UNJ-A's domain, with many in the city, even those who had not attended college, rooting for the Patriots. While the Multiplex football field had been built in hopes of attracting an NFL team, no such team was around for the inaugural season of the Multiplex. As a result DeShay University finally founded a football team and began Demons football at Multiplex. Though DeShay would grow in popularity, it would only last to 1983, when the team was reprimanded for a number of scandals and received a life time ban.

In 1965, representatives from Avalon made an effort to get a NFL team, and while they were received, these missives went nowhere. In 1966, the AFL was contacted, and offered Avalon an expansion team. In 1968, the New Jersey Knights took to the field and did as well as any expansion team could be expected to do. Their second season, the last of the American Football League, resulted in a playoff appearance against the Oakland Raiders, a blowout loss, 55-10.

Joining the NFL in 1970, the Knights had some early success, including a AFC Title appearance, where they lost to Baltimore Colts 35-17. In the early 80's, the Knights shined briefly with a playoff win in 1982, that landed the Knights back in an AFC Title, though they would again lose, this time to the Miami Dolphins 24-7. With such little success the 1988 season was nice change of pace.

Early in the season, the Knights proved to have a better setup, with quarterback Boomer Esiason leading a solid offensive team and a defense that could hold their weight. They would finish the season 12-4 and champion of the AFC East. In the Divisional round, they barely beat the Cleveland Browns (30-26) and in the AFC Title they embarrassed the Denver Broncos at the Multiplex (45-21). Going to their first (and last) Super Bowl, the Knights came to a familiar ground, Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium. Facing them were the Minnesota Vikings, and the game would be exceedingly close. The Knights would score a touchdown and two field goals and would face two offensive touchdowns by Minnesota. However, it is important to note that the Knights blocked both PAT attempts, and as a result, won Super Bowl XXIII 13-12. In the intervening years, the New Jersey Knights have had ups and down. What success they have had is bittersweet, as they have not gotten past the Divisional round. In recent years, their greatest rival has been the New England Patriots, and in three playoff matchups, the Knights have lost every match against the Patriots.

Besides the NFL, and UNJ-A, there have been several attempts to enter a second football team in the Avalon market. In the USFL, the Avalon Angels (reborn, and holding the famed Gold halo helmets and silk white uniforms, played for eleven seasons (1987-1997) before folding. In Arena Football, the Avalon Pythons played from 1994 to 2007, and were replaced by the Avalon Vengeance in 2014. The team would only last a season and a half before folding midseason.

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/27/2020 1:08 am

New Jersey Knights- Playoff record

1973
AFC Divisional: Lost to the Miami Dolphins: 24-6

1975
AFC Divisional: Beat the Oakland Raiders: 26-3
AFC Title: Lost to the Baltimore Colts: 35-17

1981
AFC Divisional: Lost to the Miami Dolphins: 33-23

1982
AFC Divisional: Beat the Los Angeles Raiders: 27-21
AFC Title: Lost to the Miami Dolphins: 24-7

1988
AFC Divisional: Beat the Cleveland Browns: 30-26
AFC Title: Beat the Denver Broncos: 45-21
Super Bowl: Beat the Minnesota Vikings: 13-12

1990
AFC Wild Card: Beat the Kansas City Chiefs: 19-7
AFC Divisional: Lost to the Los Angeles Raiders: 22-13

2005
AFC Wild Card: Beat the Kansas City Chiefs: 41-20
AFC Divisional: Lost to the Denver Broncos: 23-13

2009
AFC Wild Card: Lost to the New England Patriots: 34-7

2011
AFC Wild Card: Lost to the Tennessee Titans: 34-31 OT

2012
AFC Wild Card: Beat the Baltimore Ravens: 41-25
AFC Divisional: Lost to the New England Patriots: 23-3

2013
AFC Wild Card: Beat the Pittsburgh Steelers: 28-9
AFC Divisional: Lost to the Denver Broncos: 23-9

2014
AFC Wild Card: Beat the Pittsburgh Steelers: 34-28
AFC Divisional: Lost to the New England Patriots: 20-13

2015
AFC Wild Card: Beat the Pittsburgh Steelers: 31-29
AFC Divisional: Lost to the New England Patriots: 24-21

2022
AFC Wild Card: Beat the Tennessee Titans: 29-24
AFC Divisional: Lost to the Buffalo Bills: 42-17

Last edited by Enigmajones (4/27/2022 5:02 pm)

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/28/2020 5:21 pm

Ice Hockey in Avalon

Ice Hockey was first played in Avalon in the 1930's at the Arthur Darrow Memorial Auditorium on the University of New Jersey-Avalon campus. The two sides were made ip of students from the school, and saw Blue play Red, which is a tradition that still holds up today. When the NHL found its bearings, Avalon was left out since the auditorium only seated 3,000, far to small for the NHL. In 1967, the NHL expanded by 6 and Avalon was again left out.

In 1972-73, the World Hockey Association launched with 12 teams , including the Boston based New England Whalers. Playing in a major market that already had an NHL team, the team struggled to find an audience. So in 1974, the ownership of the New England Whalers agreed to relocate to Avalon, as soon as the new arena could be built. Finding a plot of land in the Flatlands neighborhood, the city of Avalon created a state of the art (for the 1970's) arena that could host basketball and hockey.

While under construction, the New England Whalers would relocate to the 10,000 seat arena in Hartford, Connecticut where they retained the New England moniker. in1976, the new arena, blandly referred to as City Arena, hosted the Avalon Whalers for the first time, selling out the 25,000 seat arena for the first time. Given the number of seats, it was hard to sell out the arena, and it often seemed half empty. The Whalers got a 40 year lease, where they would have the first choice for dates of any team. This would lead to a poor relationship between the Avalon Whalers and their eventual co-tennant the NBA's Avalon Braves. In the WHA, the Avalon Whalers lost the 1977-78 WHA Title, but did not make another title in the WHA, which folded following the 1978-79 season.

Though the league had folded, four teams would be accepted by the NHL (Avalon Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets & Edmonton Oilers). Shortly after joining the NHL trouble started, with the Whalers not making the playoffs from 1979 to 1987. When they finally made the playoffs, they lost in the second round (after the top two finish in the Eastern Conference) to the Montreal Canadiens in game 7 at City Arena. This was a sellout, and though the stadium was rocking, Montreal managed to win.

Three years later, the Whalers were back in the playoffs, and won the only playoff series in their history, beating the New York Rangers in 7. The next round they were embarrassed in 5 games by the Boston Bruins. After 1990, their next appearance was 2006, where they once again finished in the top two in the Eastern Conference, though they would lose to the Buffalo Sabres, once again losing at home in game 7. Three years after that, the Whalers made their last playoff appearance in the 2009 NHL playoffs, losing in the first round to their instate arch rival, the New Jersey Swamp Dragons (OTL New Jersey Devils) in 5 games. Since then, the Avalon Whalers have been in a playoff drought, not finishing in the top 6 since the 2009-10 season.

City Arena, is also home to the DeShay Demons hockey team, and has hosted a Frozen Four final twice. The games between DeShay and UNJ-A are almost always played in City Arena, due to the size of the stadium and the small size of UNJ-A's home rink. Also important to note in the development of Whaler Way, a bar and restraunt district, in the culturally barren Flatlands neighborhood.

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/28/2020 5:22 pm

Avalon Whalers playoff history

1987
1st round: Skipped
2nd round: Lost to the Montreal Canadiens in 7

1990
1st round: Beat the New York Rangers in 7
2nd round: Lost to the Boston Bruins in 5

2006
1st round: Skipped
2nd round: Lost to the Buffalo Sabres in 7

2009
1st round: Lost to the New Jersey Swamp Dragons: 5

Last edited by Enigmajones (10/24/2021 2:37 am)

**Posted by Enigmajones** 6/29/2020 7:17 pm

Basketball in Avalon

Basketball has been played in Avalon since the early 1950's, but has its professional roots in the expansion to Buffalo in the 1970-71 NBA season. The team, named the Buffalo Braves, had some success, with three playoff appearances, but drew poorly, thus opening up the relocation to Avalon. Although San Diego was initially in the cards, the building of City Arena in Avalon allowed for the Braves to relocate to Avalon.

Moving to Avalon, as the Avalon Braves, they faced a troublesome lease at City Arena, as they were second in line for dates, after the Avalon Whalers. There was also trouble selling out the cavernous 25,000 seat City Arena, and as a result tarps were used in the upper decks. Their first season, 1978-79, was a success, finishing in 6th, and in the playoffs. However, they would lose to local rival, the Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games in the first round.

Following this season, their next playoff appearance was in 1991-92, where they fiHouston nished in 5th, this time losing to the Detroit Pistons, also in 6. It would take til the 2005-06 season for the Braves to make another appearance, this time beating their instate rival New Jersey Nets in 7 games and winning their first playoff series in franchise history. Their luck would not last, and in the second round, they would lose to the Detroit Pistons in 7.

With the end of the 2005-06 season, there were rumors of a relocation from Avalon, as the Braves were unhappy in City Arena and wanted an arena to their own. After a close call, the city of Avalon approved a funding bill to build a new stadium, with aid from private companies. The major partner in the new arena, Rademacher Technologies, bought a plot of land in Downtown Avalon, and constructed a state of the art arena, that was only built for basketball (and Arena football and concerts). The new arena, which seated just under 18,000, was set to open in the 2007-08 NBA season, and with the new arena, the teams luck seemed to turn.

In the 2011-12 NBA season, the Braves had their best season in team history. They finished in third, and swept the Orlando Magic in the first round. They then beat Indiana Pacers in 5, and made their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they would lose in 5 to the Miami Heat. The next season, they would make the playoffs again, once again getting to the Eastern Conference Finals, and once again losing in 5 to the Miami Heat. The next year, for a third time, they would lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat, this time in 7 games. In the 2014-15 NBA season, the Avalon Braves finished in the top two for the first time in history, and earned a first round bye. They would end up losing in game 7 in RadTech Arena to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Going into the 2015-16 NBA season, there were high hopes for the Braves, and the city was thoroughly excited at the prospect of another playoff appearance. This time, they would not be stopped. In the first round, they beat the Boston Celtics in 7, then went on to beat the Toronto Raptors in the second round, once again in 7. Back in the Eastern Conference Final, the Braves finally won, exacting revenge against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the despised Lebron James. In their first NBA Finals appearance, the Avalon Braves swept the Oklahoma City Thunder and brought the NBA Title to Avalon.

The next season, the Braves had a good season, finishing in 4th and gaining another playoff appearance. This time they would face the Washington Wizards, and win in 7. In the second round, the Celtics and Braves once again faced off, once again ending with a Braves victory, this time in 5. Back in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Braves swept the Raptors, and earned the right to defend their title. In the NBA Finals, the Braves faced a tougher opponent in the Houston Rockets. In game 7, the Rockets hosted, but lost to the Braves, giving Avalon a second consecutive NBA title. In the 2017-18 NBA season, the Braves would miss the playoffs, and in the 2018-19 season they got swept by the Indiana Pacers. The next season (the most recent), the Braves were once again back in the playoffs, finishing in second and earning a first round bye. In the second round, they beat the Boston Celtics in 6, and went on to lose the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat, in 7.