| Team: | New York Knights (arena football) |
| Year: | 1988 |
| Record: | 2–10 |
| Division Place: | 6th |
| Coach: | Jim Valek |
| Owner: | Russell Berry |
| Stadium: | Madison Square Garden |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Previous: | N/A |
| Next: | N/A |
| Teamdisplay: | New York Knights |
| Shortnavlink: | New York Knights |
The New York Knights season was the first and only season for the Arena Football League franchise.
The Knights became an expansion team of the Arena Football League in 1988.[1] The team announced Jim Valek as the first coach in franchise history.[1] The team featured a couple of players from the 1987 New York Giants replacement team, including starting quarterback Jim Crocicchia and his primary receiver Edwin Lovelady, but its desire to fans was questioned before the team began playing games.[2] The Knights won their first game in franchise history, 60–52 over the Los Angeles Cobras.[1] During the Knights home opener, fight erumped in the stands, and items were thrown on the field.[3] After winning the season opener, the Knights lost 4 straight games before returning home to a smaller crowd, losing 22–36 to the Cobras.[4] The Knights would lose 8 straight games before they defeated the Cobras 40–30 in Los Angeles.[5] The team folded after a disappointing 2–8 season.[6] [7]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Game site | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||
| 1 | April 30 | at Los Angeles Cobras | W 60–52 | 1–0 | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | |
| 2 | May 9 | Detroit Drive | L 48–54 | 1–1 | Madison Square Garden | |
| 3 | May 14 | at Chicago Bruisers | L 7–30 | 1–2 | Rosemont Horizon | |
| 4 | May 21 | at New England Steamrollers | L 13–24 | 1–3 | Providence Civic Center | |
| 5 | May 27 | at Pittsburgh Gladiators | L 36–46 | 1–4 | Civic Arena | |
| 6 | June 6 | Los Angeles Cobras | L 22–36 | 1–5 | Madison Square Garden | |
| 7 | June 13 | Chicago Bruisers | L 34–64 | 1–6 | Madison Square Garden | |
| 8 | June 18 | New England Steamrollers | L 28–33 | 1–7 | Madison Square Garden | |
| 9 | June 23 | Detroit Drive | L 9–49 | 1–8 | Madison Square Garden | |
| 10 | July 2 | at Los Angeles Cobras | W 40–30 | 2–8 | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | |
| 11 | July 11 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | L 28–44 | 2–9 | Madison Square Garden | |
| 12 | July 15 | at Detroit Drive | L 17–48 | 2–10 | Joe Louis Arena | |
y – clinched regular-season title
x – clinched playoff spot
| Position | Player | Award | All-Arena team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive/Defensive Lineman | none | 1st | ||
| Wide Receiver/Defensive Back | none | 2nd |