Under The Hardhat 2004 Archives
New York Dragons 2004 Article Archive
PICTURED: Then and now. Arena football
hasn't changed much since the 1932 NFL
Championship game in Chicago.
ArenaBowl in 1932?
by Mark Espanet (Killer Bee #88 "Biscuit)
Few football fans take the time to research the roots
and history of the league they follow so loyally each
season. Many NFL fans choose to turn their back on
the “abomination” known as the Arena Football League.
What these fans may not know is that the NFL’s
prestigious championship was once determined by the
outcome of the first professional arena football game
ever played. In a sense, it was the first ArenaBowl
on record.
The National Football League championship was
determined based on the regular season standings each
season, beginning in 1920. For the first time, the
Portsmouth Spartans and the Chicago Bears finished
their regularly scheduled games tied for first place
in 1932. A one-game playoff was staged to determine
the 1932 NFL championship.
As luck would have it, Chicago was hit by a blizzard.
It was impossible to play the championship game at
Wrigley Field. The game was moved indoors to Chicago
Stadium and played on a modified hockey rink. The
field consisted of a dirt and grass surface that was
already in place due to the circus being in town
earlier in the week. The field was only 80 yards
long and was 30 feet narrower than a regulation
field. The end zones were shorter than regulation
size and the sidelines were butted up against the
four walls enclosing the stands. Does this sound
familiar? The only thing missing were endzone
catch-nets. To make up for the shorter field, teams
were penalized 20 yards each time they crossed mid
field. Field goals were not permitted.
The Bears shutout the Spartans who eventually moved
to Detroit and became the Lions. The game’s only
touchdown was on a disputed pass play. The Spartans
contested that Bronko Nagurski did not drop back the
mandatory five yards before firing a forward jump
pass to Red Grange. The ruling stood as a touchdown.
The Bears added a late safety to seal the victory and
the NFL championship 9-0.
That indoor game helped the NFL transition to a new
era in pro football. Following the game played in
Chicago’s cramped arena, many rules changes went into
effect for the following season. Beginning in 1933,
the NFL discontinued the use of the Collegiate Rules
Book and began to develop its own rules. The rules
were re-written to require that the ball be spotted
on the inner hashmarks before every play. It was
difficult to spot the ball near the sidelines during
the indoor game due to the walls. From that point
on, goal posts were moved from the end line to the
goal line until 1974. The most significant change was
that the forward pass became legal from anywhere
behind the line of scrimmage. An annual NFL
championship game would be scheduled to determine the
league champion. It’s safe to say that the “indoor
game” forever changed the NFL.
The Arena Football League would be conceived a half
century later by James F. Foster while attending an
indoor soccer game at Madison Square Garden. Foster
envisioned indoor football and drew diagrams on a
manila envelope. His sketch outlined a miniature
football field over a hockey rink. He would
eventually own the exclusive rights to the idea. It
was an innovative idea, but actually not an original
one. It had already been done by the NFL nearly fifty
years prior. The rest is AFL history.
______________________________________________________
All or Nothing
By Mark “Biscuit #88” Espanet
The New York Dragons blew a huge opportunity to
solidify their place in the AFL playoffs by losing to
Los Angeles last week. The interesting thing is that
the Avengers didn’t even play their best football. At
one point, the Dragons were trailing by as much as 22
points in the first half. Kicker Gary Kral’s three
missed extra point attempts kept the Dragons on their
heels throughout the afternoon. The Dragons kicking
situation continues to be a critical weakness.
The Dragons find themselves in a critical playoff
position battle with the Orlando Predators this
weekend. The Dragons have an opportunity to avenge
their playoff loss in Orlando last season. The
Predators are also on the playoff “bubble” entering
this game. One thing for sure, the loser will be on
the outside looking in and needing a lot of help.
After their trip to Orlando, the Dragons return to
Long Island to face their newest rival, the
Philadelphia Soul in the season finale. Two games
remain and there is no room for error. A loss in
either contest could cost the Dragons a playoff birth.
______________________________________________________
Domination
by Mark Espanet (Killer Bee #88 "Biscuit)
The New York Dragons have regrouped following a tough
loss in Philadelphia two weeks ago. Last week, it
appeared as if the Dragons came together as a team in
their 44-20 thrashing of the division rival Desperados
in Dallas. This week, they again answered the call
convincingly as they dismantled the Carolina Cobras 61
39. A home playoff game is not out of the question as
long as the Dragons continue their push towards the
post-season.
Aaron Garcia threw seven touchdown passes and the
Dragons defense stifled an impotent Cobras attack.
The ball was spread around on offense as five
different receivers were on the receiving end of
Garcia’s seven TD passes. Fullback Josh White busted
free on a 31 yard touchdown run on his only carry of
the game. The real story of the game was defense.
Chuck Wesley did a great job filling in for injured
Corey Johnson. Wesley was instrumental in the Dragons
two key defensive stops. Wesley’s interception of
Cobras quarterback Rickey Foggie locked the game away
for the Dragons.
The Dragons remain at home next week as they take on
the limping Los Angeles Avengers. The Avengers may
fight like a wounded animal following their hard
fought divisional loss to the Rattlers. Much like the
Dragons, Los Angeles will be fighting for their
playoff lives as both teams are riding “the bubble” in
the playoff field. Two of the Dragons last three
games will be critical to their playoff chances. The
Orlando Predators are salivating at the chance to
derail the Dragons in Orlando in two weeks. A Dragons
win in Orlando could potentially boost Dragons morale
as they travel to the scene of their 2003 playoff
demise.
______________________________________________________
Fight Night
By Mark “Biscuit #88” Espanet
The New York Dragons squandered another opportunity
to solidify their position in the playoff hunt. Once
again, the Dragons managed to stumble against a
sub-par opponent. Two weeks ago, they lost in
Columbus against the struggling Destroyers. This
time, it was the struggling Philadelphia Soul who
tripped the Dragons up at the Wachovia Center in
Philadelphia.
For those of you who chose not to listen-in on the
radio, you missed one the best games you may have
ever heard. In many ways, arena football is a lot
like basketball on the radio. The pace is fast and
the teams score faster than the announcers can
identify the players. This game though, took on a
life of it’s own and for the first time, I can
actually say I was hanging on every play.
The game was as exciting as they come. Momentum
shifted from team to team throughout the second half
of the ballgame. Each team capitalized on the other
team’s mistakes. Like two heavyweight fighters going
toe-to-toe they landed powerful punches. Stunned but
determined, each team fought their way off the ropes
and claimed the center of the ring. The decisive
blow came on a 52 yard field goal by Philadelphia
kicker Ken Hinsley in the closing seconds of the
fight.
The Dragons may have lost the decision 60-58, but they
await the rematch on their home turf in the season
finale. A rivalry has been born before our very
ears. It’s again time for the Dragons to lick their
wounds and gear up for an important rematch with the
Dallas Desperados next Saturday night.
_______________________________________________________
This One's for John!
by Mark Espanet (Killer Bee #88 "Biscuit)
The New York Dragons continue to keep their fans on
the edge of their seats but not necessarily in a good
way. The Dragons nearly squandered a 21 point lead
late in the game against John Elway’s Colorado Crush
at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. When the
dust settled, New York squeaked out a 3 point win in
front of a frustrated crowd.
Two early defensive stops quickly translated into a 14-0
Dragons lead. The Dragons maintained their 14 point
lead after trading punches with Colorado throughout
the first half. Late in the second quarter, Crush QB
John Dutton was on the receiving end of a touchdown
pass thanks to blown coverage by the Dragons. The
Crush were again driving with time running down in the
first half. NY lucked out with a fumble recovery on
the Dragons six yard line following a sloppy center
exchange by Dutton.
The Dragons received the ball to begin the game’s
second half. Lincoln Dupree’s second of three
touchdowns on the day extended the Dragon lead to 21
points. From that point on, the Dragons took a more
conservative offensive approach that nearly cost them
the game. The Dragons would have to get it done on
defense. Later in the quarter, a one handed
interception by the talented Will Holder was returned
for a touchdown to maintain the 21 point lead.
With under three minutes remaining in the game,
Dragons FB Josh White fumbled a pitch-out from
Garcia. The fumble was then picked up by the Crush’
Rashad Floyd at Colorado’s 15 yard line and returned
35 yards for a touchdown. Hearts began to sink at the
Coliseum as the game had taken on an all to familiar
look.
The Dragons responded with DuPree’s third touchdown
reception from QB Aaron Garcia. Gary Kral’s kickoff
hit the scoreboard for the second time on the day
resulting in the ball being spotted at Colorado’s 20
yard line. The Crush scored quickly on Damian
Harrell’s only touchdown reception of the day. New
York recovered a Colorado on-side kick and managed to
come away with a narrow 3 point victory.
The Dragons now take to the road once again as they
travel to Philadelphia to face the expansion Soul for
the first time. New York has to be careful not to
play down to the level of their competition. The
Dragons have an opportunity to climb ahead of a few
teams in playoff contention. A loss would prove
costly as the Dragons could find themselves on the
outside looking in come playoff time.
_______________________________________________________
FUMBLE!!!
By Mark “Biscuit #88” Espanet
Just when it appeared that the Dragons were in position to write
their own ticket into the AFL post season, they dropped the ball in
Columbus, Ohio. The Dragons stopped the Columbus Destroyers
on their opening drive which resulted a failed field goal attempt.
The tone was then set for the rest of the evening as the Dragons
returned the favor with a Rodney Filer fumble on their first
possession. Columbus would capitalize by scoring a touchdown
on their next possession and never looked back. The Dragons
defense would not record a defensive stop for the remainder of the
game. The Dragons weren’t done fumbling yet, Aaron Garcia
fumbled the ball away in the opening moments of the fourth
quarter as the Dragons remained on their heels for the rest of the
game. In all fairness, Garcia was again banged up in this contest
where he threw eight touchdowns in their losing effort.
After a stellar performance last week, Dragon kicker Gary Kral
once again rubbed salt in the Dragon’s wounds late in the game.
Down by 14, the Dragons comeback efforts were diluted by lame
on-side kick attempt and a botched kickoff that sailed out of
bounds. The door of opportunity was basically slammed shut by
another special teams blunder. Return man Lincoln DuPree
mishandled a kick return with 1:35 remaining which resulted in a
safety and a 16 point Destroyers lead.
Offensive Specialist Kevin Swayne returned to action as a New
York Dragon and was the team’s leading receiver with 7 catches
for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Expectations for this game were
high as it appeared that the Dragons added offensive firepower in
Swayne to an already stingy defense. Instead, the Dragons were
sent packing with their tail between their legs by an inferior
Destroyers club. Maybe this was the wakeup call that this team
needed to get things in gear for a playoff run. We’ll know for sure
next week as the Dragons return home with their backs against
the wall facing the much improved and hungry Colorado Crush.
______________________________________________________
Snake Charmers
by Mark Espanet (Killer Bee #88 "Biscuit)
The New York Dragons continued their run towards the AFL
playoffs with their important win in Carolina over the division
rival Cobras 57-41. Dragons fans were pleasantly surprised by the
flawless performance by kicker Gary Kral. His efforts were a key
to victory on a day where Aaron Garcia threw for just 133 yards
and three touchdowns. Once again, the solid Dragons defense
held firm throughout the afternoon and made the difference in this
contest. Though the score didn’t always reflect it, the Dragons had
the game under control most of the day.
The victory was extremely important to the Dragons push for a
2004 playoff birth. The Dragons improved their record to 5-3 and
are now tied for first place. The Cobras have now fallen off the
playoff radar at 3-5. Many surrounding events around the AFL
helped the Dragons chances of solidifying a spot in the narrow
field of eight playoff teams. New York is now in a position where
they can realistically lock up a home playoff appearance as well.
The Dragons must remember to be careful in Columbus this
weekend. They can’t begin to look ahead to any of the big
opponents until they first take care of business against the Eastern
Division. The Destroyers are looking for payback from two weeks
ago.
A look at who improved the Dragons playoff chances in week 9:
Philadelphia 47 Dallas 31- The Soul really socked it to the
Desperados and blew the Eastern Division wide open. Both teams
were without their starting quarterbacks for this game. The
Dragons are now tied for first place with the Desperados at 5-3.
The Soul lurks just one game behind (4-5) and have two meetings
with the Dragons upcoming.
Indiana 45 Colorado 42- The Crush loss was huge for the
Dragons who have an opportunity to slip past Colorado with a win
at home in their upcoming meeting in week 11. The Crush slipped
to 6-3 while the hot Firebirds have now won four straight after
losing their first five contests.
Los Angeles 81 Austin 70- The expansion Austin Wranglers are
clearly a force to be reckoned with. The loss dropped them to 5-3
as well as improved L.A. to 5-3. The Dragons can’t help looking
ahead to their meeting with the Avengers in week 15.
San Jose 62 Tampa Bay 55- The mighty have fallen! The Storm
can apparently be written off as a league champion on the verge of
not making the playoffs in the following season. The Storm did
put up a fight most of the afternoon. A SaberCats loss (now 7-1)
would have been more helpful to the Dragons but it effectively
squashed any hopes in Tampa Bay (3-6).
Detroit 42 Georgia 40- Detroit helped the Dragons playoff cause
by knocking the Force down to a 4-5 record. The Fury is trying to
put its own playoff run together at 4-4.
Columbus 55 Orlando 46- With the huge upset, the Destroyers
virtually destroyed any Predators fans playoff hopes. The loss
drops the Predators to 3-6 and pretty much out of contention.
______________________________________________________
The Road Warriors
By Mark “Biscuit #88” Espanet
The New York Dragons have completed the first leg of
“The Run” for playoff contention in 2004. An impressive
victory over the hapless Columbus Destroyers marked the
first time since their 2004 opening day victory that the
Dragons have risen above the .500 marker. What lies
ahead for New York is the true test.
The Dragons travel to face their ex-head coach John Gregory and
his Carolina Cobras this weekend. Gregory has rebuilt the Cobras
using many spare parts that were recently discarded by the New
York Dragons. Most notable of the ex-Dragons is the Cobras
starting quarterback Matt Nagy and his favorite target Todd
Doxzon. At times, the Cobras appear to be ready to take the next
step towards contending in the Eastern division. Dragons coach
Todd Shell should view this game as an opportunity to justify the
firing of Gregory following his 0-6 start with the Dragons in 2003.
In addition, the Dragons have become one of the AFL’s best road
teams under Shell and look to continue their winning ways on the
road against these familiar faces.
In the weeks to come, the Dragons will face some beatable
opponents. These games will determine the future of the New
York Dragons. They’re in a position where they can now write
their own playoff ticket as long as they continue to win games
against opponents of this caliber. Next week they travel to
Columbus in a rematch with the Destroyers. A week later, the
Dragons finally return home but face a surprising Colorado Crush
team that is making it’s own playoff push. A Dragons victory in
this matchup could be important come playoff time. New York
then takes to the road again to face the lackluster Philadelphia Soul
and then play a huge rematch with the Desperados in Dallas.
The Dragons have been dubbed “The Road Warriors” thanks to
their now broken streak of road victories under coach Todd Shell.
With four of their next five games on the road, the time is now for
the Dragons!
______________________________________________________
Champ Killers!
by Mark Espanet (Killer Bee #88 "Biscuit)
The New York Dragons accomplished what many thought to have
been an impossible mission. The Dragons defeated the two
previous Arena Bowl champions in consecutive weeks. After a
spirited home victory over the 2002 AFL champion San Jose
SaberCats, the Dragons continued to play inspired football. They
took to the road in their defeat of the 2003 AFL champion Tampa
Bay Storm 40-35. The back-to-back wins evened the Dragons
season record at 3-3 and renewed hopes of a potential playoff birth.
The Dragons resurgence is largely due in part to their defense.
Defensive stops usually translate into victories and the Dragons
have managed to do just that in the last two weeks. The final
scores may not have been pretty on paper but who can argue with
success? The Dragons recorded six defensive stops in their victory
in Tampa Bay. Their special teams unit has improved as well.
Lincoln Dupree returned two kicks for touchdowns on consecutive
possessions to open the second half.
The Dragons must now focus on their next opponent as they return
home to face the struggling Columbus Destroyers on Saturday
night. With two emotional victories under their belt, this upcoming
game will tell the tale of the Dragons 2004 season. Failure to keep
their momentum plowing forward could result in a disappointing
letdown in front of an inspired crowd. They would have a very
hard time recovering from that type of letdown at this stage of the
season. New York has to be careful not to look past the Destroyers
who have not played very well so far this season.
One thing for sure, the Dragons have regained confidence and look
to be focused on a possible playoff run. At 3-3, that run starts on
Saturday night against Columbus. The run was made possible by
their two shocking upsets, but the run starts now. Dragons fans can
only hope that the New York Dragons and their coaching staff see
it the same way. It’s great to win games that you’re not expected to
win, but now, it’s time to take care of business and win the games
you’re supposed to be winning.
_______________________________________________________
WIDE OPEN!!!
By Mark “Biscuit #88” Espanet
A bleak playoff outlook for the New York Dragons entering week 5
of the AFL season has suddenly been blown wide open. Top playoff
contenders were picked off one by one as Sunday afternoon
progressed. The Dragons were in a position to help their own cause if
they could somehow upset the undefeated San Jose SaberCats.
Though there were some costly miscues and sloppy play overall, the
Dragons overcame adversity in the face of near defeat. New York
rediscovered their defense in front of an inspired crowd at the Nassau
Veterans Memorial Coliseum culminating a rare home victory.
Quarterback Aaron Garcia started the game for the Dragons despite
an ankle injury that sidelined him for the closing minutes in Arizona a
week prior. Many doubted that the Dragons would allow Garcia to
play on Sunday as it appeared that all hope was lost of making a run
at the playoffs. Aaron Garcia not only started the game but also set a
San Jose team record for most touchdowns allowed in a game by an
opposing passer with 9 TD’s. Things didn’t start off so well for the
Dragons as running back Rodney Filer fumbled through the San Jose
endzone for a touchback on their first possession. The Dragons
offense soon found its rhythm as the passing game stretched the field.
Their quick-strike attack kept the SaberCats offense on the field.
Normally, this is a bad thing but San Jose’s offensive squad actually
looked fatigued at times. Fatigue was combined with an aggressive
Dragons defense which pressed up front and resulted in two sacks.
Downfield, SaberCat receivers were blanketed by tight coverage. The
much improved Dragons coverage forced San Jose quarterback Mark
Grieb to throw many short passes to the flank. Grieb threw only two
touchdowns on the day but their backfield collected four rushing
touchdowns in mostly short yardage situations. Mark Grieb was also
intercepted twice on the day when throwing directly into coverage.
The Dragons victory is not only a huge upset but it helped create a
complete shakeup of the AFL standings.
The weekend began with a Thursday night upset of the formerly
undefeated Colorado Crush by the struggling Detroit Fury. Sunday
saw the hot and cold Georgia Force smack the Las Vegas Gladiators
while the Philadelphia Soul stunned the formerly unbeaten Chicago
Rush. The expansion New Orleans VooDoo kept up their winning
ways by defeating the 2003 champion Tampa Bay Storm. At the
same time, the Dragons finally took care of business at home with
their spirited defeat of the previously unbeaten San Jose SaberCats.
The weekend concluded with a last second upset of the surprising
Carolina Cobras at the hands of the upstart expansion Austin
Wranglers. When the dust settled after week five, there were no
longer any unbeaten teams remaining in the extremely competitive
AFL.
______________________________________________________
Snake Bit Dragons Limp Home to Face SaberCats
by Mark Espanet (Killer Bee #88 "Biscuit)
The writing was on the wall following a disheartening
defeat at home to the Dallas Desperados. The Dragons
had slipped to 1-2 with two consecutive defeats at
home following an impressive opening day win in
Georgia. As fans looked ahead on the Dragons
schedule, a chill ran down our spine at the sight of
their next three opponents. They had to travel to
Arizona to face last year's arena bowl runner up
Rattlers. They'd return home in week 5 to face the
2002 AFL champion San Jose SaberCats and then travel
to Sunny Florida to square off with the 2003 AFL
Champion Tampa Bay Storm. It was a strong possibility
that the Dragons could be 1-5 after their first six
games.
On Sunday, two of the AFL's premier passers locked
horns in Arizona as Shedrick Bonner and Aaron Garcia
squared off. Neither team looked really crisp as they
paced each other throughout the first half. In the
second half of the game, things became all too
familiar for the Dragons and Head Coach Todd Shell.
The Dragons have had more than their fair share of
poor officiating, but even this was in excess. Any
time the Dragons defense appeared to have stopped the
Rattlers, penalty flags extended drives. Aaron Garcia
threw a costly interception on the opening drive of
the fourth quarter. Arizona scored a touchdown on
that possession and then recovered a botched Dragons
kickoff return off the catch net. The tide had
finally turned and the Dragons were unable to catch
up. Dragons quarterback Aaron Garcia suffered a
severely sprained ankle late in the game. He was
replaced by an ineffective Chris Boden who sealed the
Dragons fate. The loss snapped the Dragons remarkable
seven game road winning streak.
The Dragons return to the Nassau Coliseum with a 1-3
record to face the 3-0 San Jose SaberCats. At this
point, it isn't clear what the extent of Aaron
Garcia's injury is. It's a safe bet to say that he'll
probably sit this one out. That leaves Chris Boden to
make his first start at quarterback for the New York
Dragons. It doesn't "Bode well" for the rag tagged
Dragons who already needed a miracle to win this
matchup with the dominating SaberCats.
San Jose has one of the leagues most agressive
defenses. They also have an offense that compliments
their aggression on defense. The SaberCats are the
type of team that not only makes you pay for mistakes
but stands on your throat once you're down.
It already time for the Dragons to start changing
gears. Many are beginning to point fingers at Dragons
offensive coordinator Larry Kuharich and their lack
luster offensive scheme. The criticism isn't totally
unfounded. As a head coach, Larry Kuharich couldn't
find a way to win with the New York CityHawks despite
having QB Mike Perez. Perez was previously touted as a
record breaking passer who threw 82 touchdown passes
in ‘95 with the Albany Firebirds. Kuharich went 1-12 in
1997 with New York before owner Charles Dolan pulled
the plug on the project and relocated the team in
Connecticut. In 2001, Kuharich took over the head
coaching duties of the New Jersey Gladiators who went
on to go 2-12.
Garcia needs an "air-it-out" offensive scheme. He can
not be expected to stay safe in the pocket running
a "dink and dunk" system. He's getting beat up on
extended ball-control type drives and it's resulting
in costly turnovers. The Dragons are lacking a
speedster who run an effective deep pattern. The team
is cluttered with possession receivers. Crossing
patterns are resulting in collisions with defenders.
Flags are being thrown for "picks" like the one
William Holder drew on Sunday. Kuharich is asking for
Garcia to throw into a crowd on almost every play.
Tipped balls are being served up to defenses on a
weekly basis! Undoubtedly, heads will soon roll in New
York. Who's head will do the rolling, is yet to be
seen but some are already on the chopping block.
_______________________________________________________
I can remember back to the days where our group “The
Killer Bees” would attend New York Dragons games and
walk away with a smile and a light heart whether
they’d win or lose. We all had a good time rooting
our boys on and participating in the Arena Football
experience. In the back of each of our minds, we
knew we got our money’s worth and didn’t fret about
league standings, statistics or the AFL playoff
race. TIMES HAVE CHANGED!!!
As the 2003 season progressed, we began to believe in
our team. We attended practices and developed
relationships with the players and staff. Each of us
felt like we were part of something that was on the
cusp exploding into the forefront of professional
sports. The Dragons started winning by mid-season.
At the same time, division rivals were wearing down
and allowing the Dragons to creep into playoff
contention. This was no longer a casual way for fans
to pass time on a lazy Sunday. This was a fight to
the finish!
Even though there wasn’t a happy ending for the
Dragons in their 2003 playoff run, they had
accomplished much more than anyone could have
imagined. New standards had been set. The Dragons
future looked bright. They had come together as a
team. New York fans had something to be proud of.
Something they could call their own. We experienced
it together, in good times and bad. The bond between
team and fan had finally been forged.
As the 2004 season approached, it was clear to most
observers that the New York Dragons were poised to
make a run at their second consecutive Eastern
Division Championship. The Dallas Desperados
appeared to be the main obstacle standing in their
way. As the season drew closer, Dallas began to fall
apart. First off, they lost the star receiving
tandem of Andy McCullough and Dialleo Burks through
free agency. They also lost Tom Briggs who is touted
as the AFL’s premier lineman to the expansion Austin
Wranglers. Then they lost the anchor of their
offense when they declared QB Jim Kubiak medically
unable to play due to a bulging disk in his neck.
The icing on the cake was the departure of Head Coach
Joe Avazanno who accepted a special teams coaching
position with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders shortly
before the AFL season opened.
After Dallas’ misfortune, the Dragons looked to be
the cream of the Eastern Division crop for 2004.
This would have to be the case for the Dragons who
received a bid to the 2003 playoffs based on their
division title. 2004 would have to be dramatically
different. A division title no longer grants a team
a playoff spot. Only the top eight records in the
league will be hitting the road to the 2004 Arena
Bowl.
Well, we all know by now that the Dragons once again
came up short against the Desperados marking their
second consecutive home loss. They find themselves
on the outside looking in at the playoffs with a 1-2
record after three games. The Dragons should be
renamed “The Road Warriors” as they continue to
impress with road victories and disappoint at home.
They face the Rattlers, SaberCats and Storm in the
next three weeks and the outlook is gloomy. I could
point fingers at the Dragons weaknesses and explain
where and how the team needs to improve but that
would be too easy. Instead, I’m focusing on how the
Dragons marketing team has lost sight of their goal
of filling seats with happy fans. The fault doesn’t
end there, it’s a “trickle down effect” stemming from
the league itself.
Somewhere along the way, it seems that Dragons
management also felt confident that they had a winner
this year. So confident in fact that it must have
been decided that fans would now attend games without
proper promotion or fanfare. It came as a surprise
to me that there wasn’t a give away item presented to
fans at the home opener, not to mention that the game
took place on Valentines Day. Rationalizing
attending a pro sporting event on Valentines Day to a
spouse or girlfriend is a really tough sell to begin
with. Rationalizing attending an Arena Football game
is next to impossible. Regardless, fans were excited
in anticipation of the team raising their 2003
Eastern Division Champions banner to the Coliseum
rafters alongside the ones memorializing the
Islanders numerous cup victories. A miniature
replica banner would have been an awesome promotional
item but a simple 2004 schedule magnet would have
sufficed. Instead, raffle ballots were handed to
fans as they entered the Coliseum. I thought, it
must have been an oversight. Perhaps they weren’t
prepared for the opener. Surely, they’d get it right
and give something away at the second home game.
NOT! Instead, fans were again handed a ballot asking
for mailing information so they could enter a
drawing. After taking the time to fill the ballot
out, fans were then expected to trek to gate 14 to
drop the ballot off. Try doing this with two
impatient children and an already irritated wife and
see what your success rate is!
Ticket prices have gone up while the experience has
gone down. The Dragons “let it ride” attitude has
literally left fans out in the cold. Fans used to
approach the Nassau Coliseum lobby to the sound of
thumping music coming from an interactive fan area.
Children could take part in skill competitions and
play on inflatable amusements. So far, this season,
fans have huddled inside the Coliseum lobby awaiting
the opening of the doors. Perhaps it’s been due to
the cold outdoor temperatures during the opening
month of February. Much like the now faded and worn
out costume that “Sparky” wears each week, the
promotional team has allowed the New York Dragons
product to tarnish. The scene is taking on an all
too familiar look. New York fans have seen it before
at Madison Square Garden. The Knights and CityHawks
allowed their promotions teams to drop the ball.
Neither team was able to recover from their
promotional failure and soon folded or relocated.
Victories may translate into better attendance but
fans should still be able to leave the ballpark with
smiles on their faces after their team loses.
Though the league did a nice job producing attractive
team hats with Drew Pearson Marketing, much of the
apparel is still lacking. Most of the merchandise is
unattractive and overpriced. You’d think that the
AFL would go out of its way to have fans advertise
the league by wearing its products. The AFL website
made a big deal about their new on-line store last
season. The AFL website store is nothing more than a
clearance house for outdated merchandise. I was
disappointed to find Coliseum vendors still trying to
sell Kevin Swayne jerseys from three years ago. The
sad part is, some potential fans who are new to the
game and didn’t know any better were buying them for
their kids. Great job Dragons, you just made $60
from a poor slob who probably worked five hours for
that outdated jersey. A parental rite of passage has
been blemished. You may have won over the kid
wearing the jersey but his dad won’t come back to
another game after he realizes that he was made a
fool of. Good luck trying to grow the sport through
children when there parents are left with a bad taste
in their mouths. There won’t be a team for these
kids to eventually support in their area when they
can finally afford to. You can candy-coat it all you
like but sadly, like most businesses, money seems to
be the AFL’s bottom line.
You can look straight to the top and see that there
is a lot of mismanagement by the AFL itself. The
league should have locked down a deal with FOX Sports
Net to televise all non-NBC games. Almost every AFL
team has reached a broadcast agreement with their
local FOX Net affiliate on their own. The Detroit
Fury even have live video net-casts of all non-NBC
home games. The Dragons front office didn’t even
reach an agreement with FOX Net NY for the second
consecutive season. Their two Saturday night games
will not be televised at all. It’s hard enough to
follow a favorite team on the road when NBC decides
to bump coverage in favor of a more attractive
game. NBC has also routinely flip-flopped the Sunday
timeslots to accommodate other sporting events with
little or no notice to the fans. Some may choose to
listen to local radio coverage but for most fans, the
fast paced sport of Arena Football has to be seen.
The AFL claims to have a marketing partnership with
Champs Sports but local stores still haven’t stocked
any AFL merchandise. Countless Modells commercials
run locally during NBC Dragons games calling them the
merchandise headquarters for the Dragons. Good luck
finding more than one T-shirt on their racks. For
years, the AFL has promised fans that they were
producing a line of AFL trading cards that would soon
become available. We’re still waiting! A marketing
tactic to have local state lotteries produce AFL
themed scratch-off lottery tickets didn’t yet come to
pass either. The League Office is either blind to
all of this or they simply don’t really care enough
to see things through. The AFL continues to make
many empty promises and if ticket prices continue to
rise, fans will have empty pockets as well.
______________________________________________________
Here They Come Again
Dragons Home Opener Preview
By Biscuit #88
New York Dragons 2004 Home Opener Vs Chicago Rush
by Mark Espanet (Killer Bee #88 "Biscuit)
The Chicago Rush are one of the AFL’s more
interesting and complex teams. Their acquisition of
ex-Firebirds quarterback Raymond Philyaw may be just
enough to push this squad into the smaller 8 team
playoff field of 2004. Philyaw possesses a unique
blend of passing efficiency with lethal mobility. He
lacks the “cannon” arm to stretch the field but
doesn’t need one because his two best weapons are his
legs.
Mobile quarterbacks tend to drive the Dragons crazy.
Even with their improved defense, the Dragons will
have to apply pressure up front while containing
Philyaw with a spy linebacker on most downs.
Translation: trouble! Usually, a linebacker will
stay planted until the Fullback leaves the pocket.
This protects against a potential draw play. The
linebackers will have their work cut out for them
against multiple rushing threats. While the Dragons
defensive backs do a great job of locking up with
offensive targets, the linebackers will have to
resist the urge to vacate the middle of the field.
If the linebackers do in fact “stay at home" in the
middle, Philyaw will be forced to test the Dragons
secondary. Philyaw will lose that battle most of the
time. The Rush will be without receiver and kick
returner Antonio Chatman who joined the Green Bay
Packers in the off-season but they have a scrappy
bunch of receiving threats who will keep the secondary
honest.
The Rush (believe it or not) rely on defense to win
arena football games. The math is basic and simple,
defensive stops Vs offensive scores. If you can
occasionally stop your opponent from scoring while
scoring on all of your possessions, you win, plain
and simple! The Dragons front line will need to firm
up and buy some additional time for ace quarterback
Aaron Garcia to find receivers downfield. Garcia
will have to be patient and will need to take sacks
when necessary. The Rush will make Garcia pay if he
tries forcing the ball into deceptively tight
coverage. The Dragons ground gainers will have to
protect the ball against the aggressive and
opportunistic Rush defense. It’s hard to recover
from turnovers as they can cause a game to quickly
spiral out of control.
As good as the Dragons may have looked a week ago,
they haven’t yet hit their stride. The offense will
be lethal as the season progresses. At times, it
will look as though the offense is on auto-pilot.
For now, the Dragons will have to work through the
injury of Offensive Specialist Richmond Flowers.
When he returns, QB Aaron Garcia may once again have
a trusted deep threat with speed and good hands.
Garcia is a much more confident and effective
quarterback when connecting on deep pass patterns as
opposed to a higher efficiency short game. Drives
tend to staul and he takes too much of a beating when
they consist of more than 6 offensive snaps.
Flowers may serve as the "favorite target" for Garcia
as we had seen in the past with Kevin Swayne and Mike
Furrey.
It was nice to see Garcia call his own number in a
goal line situation of the opening game. Garcia used
to flee the pocket much more often in years past. It
made him more dimensional and defenders weren’t as
quick to attack the pocket as result. The Dragons
should consider calling Aaron Garcia’s number more
often, it forces defenses to react instead of attack.
Sadly, this contest may again come down to the kicking
game. Pete Elezovic missed two extra point attempts
last week after missing nine extra points in five
games with the Dragons a year ago. The stats don’t
lie, the Dragons are still in need of a kicker.
Missed extra points come back to haunt you in arena
football. The Dragons will have to continue to find
this out for themselves until they can finally resolve
this glaring weakness.
This game already adds up to a “must win” situation
this early in the season. If the Dragons can win
this contest, they would have already won two of
their toughest games of the season. The Eastern
division appears to be a “cake walk” for the Dragons
after the demise of the Desperados. Carolina and
Columbus may turn up the heat on the Dragons for a
while. They each won in the opening week. Carolina
and Columbus face one another in week two. That
means that one of them will come away 2-0 and at the
very least share in the Eastern division lead. If
the Dragons lose to Chicago, they will already find
themselves looking up from the mat at the division
leader.
______________________________________________________
2004 AFL Preview and Predictions
by Biscuit #88
A whole lot has changed in the week since this
preview was first posted on January 24th. The
balance of power has shifted due to injury in some
divisions while in others, rosters have finally taken
shape. A few teams now need to pull the trigger on
deals that could make or break the 2004 season. Some
of those teams will make their moves and reap the
rewards while others will choose to sit on their
hands and pay the price in the win/loss columns.
It took me roughly three weeks of research during my
free time to come up with this AFL season preview. I
have been constantly updating this article since then.
The AFL team pages are still very limited and most of
their information is either outdated or fluff
articles. Fans should demand that the AFL website
provide updated depth charts throughout the season
and as camps open each year! Luckily, arenafan.com
has been extremely helpful in their efforts to keep
fans informed.
ARENA FOOTBALL 2004 OUTLOOK (Updated 2/6/04):
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
EASTERN DIVISION
New York Dragons- This team discovered itself
about seven games into the 2003 season and carried
momentum into the playoffs. Their hard fought playoff
loss to the Predators was a learning experience that
they’ll have to build on in 2004. Head Coach Todd
Shell will now have a full season to work with his
team after guiding the Dragons into the playoffs
following an 0-6 start. The Eastern division appears
to be a "cake-walk" for the Dragons following the
Desperados announcement that quarterback Jim Kubiak
has been lost for most if not all of the season.
Dallas is now without their QB, two top receivers and
their head coach Joe Avazanno who accepted a position
with the Raiders. For the most part, the Dragons have
retained the main battery of their team from 2003.
The Dragons waited until the last possible moment to
announce Pete Elezovic as their kicker going into
2004. Elezovic missed nine extra points in five games
for the Dragons last season. In arena football, extra
points make the difference between winning and in this
case losing close games. The Dragons better keep
looking for their answer at kicker!
Offense- B+
Defense- B
Overall- B+
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (11,216)
Dragons Head Coach: Todd Shell
QB Aaron Garcia, Chris Boden
OS Vinny Sutherland, (IR-Richmond Flowers)
WR William Holder, Lincoln Dupree, Sean Riley
WR Chris Anthony, Curtis Fagan
TE Jermaine Miles, Richard Harris, Corey Brannon
FB Rodney Filer, Joey Dozier, Josh White
K Pete Elezovic
KR Donvetis Franklyn, Curtis Fagan
Carolina Cobras- This team was on the brink of
AFL extinction after a winless 2003 season. The
roster has undergone numerous changes for 2004. They
will have their chance to turn things around in a
hurry as they open this season against the Dallas
Desperados. Quarterbacks Matt Nagy has locked up the
starting position in Offensive Coordinator
John Gregory’s scheme. Bernard Holmes and Dragons
castoff Todd Doxzon to form a dangerous group of
receivers. The key signing in Carolina was actually
their kicker Matt George who was greatly effective in
2003 and could make the difference in some close ones
this season. Carolina resembles a New York
Dragons "half-way house" made up of many cast-offs
from the Dragons John Gregory era. The Cobras may
possess more guts than talent but they should be able
to keep things more interesting in 2004.
Offense- B-
Defense- C
Overall- B-
Charlotte Coliseum (12,229)
Cobras Head Coach: Eddie Khayat
QB Matt Nagy, Rickey Foggie
OS Todd Doxzon (IR-Bernard Holmes)
WR Damien Groce, Jarrick Hillery, Ernest Ross
WR Jack Walker, Sir Mawn Wilson
TE Brandon Moore, Kendrick Gholston, Wes Stephens
FB Travis Reece, Chris Pope
K Matt George
KR Jarrick Hillery, Damien Groce
Dallas Desperados- Dallas moved from
the Central division to the friendly confines of the
the Eastern division in 2004. Since then, the
Desperados have been dismantled. The announcement
that Head Coach Joe Avazanno accepted the Special
Teams coaching job with the Raiders is icing on the
cake. The Desperados had already lost most of their
key players from their exciting 2003 squad. Their two
biggest receiving weapons, Dialleo Burks and Andy
McCullough are now members of the Georgia Force.
They’ve also lost the outstanding line play of “2003
Lineman of the Year” Tom Briggs. Hopes were still
riding high going into the 2004 season until their
star quarterback Jim Kubiak had season ending surgery
on a bulging disk in his neck. That leaves this team
searching for new direction under Head Coach Will
McClay. It would be wise to acquire Detroit Fury
backup QB Billy Dicken who started for the Chicago
Rush during the last three seasons. Another option
would be to sign Colorado's recent release, QB Jay
McDonagh who played for Las Vegas last season. A team
that once looked to be the favorite to win the Eastern
Division in 2004 find themselves in shambles as the
season finally opens.
Offense- C+
Defense- C
Overall- c+
American Airlines Center (16,441)
Desperados Head Coach: Will McClay
QB Glen Gauntt, Craig Strickland
OS Jason Shelley
WR Will Pettis, Anthony Ladd, Shawandel Tucker
WR Bobby Sippio, Andrew Layton, Sparky Hamilton
TE Shante Carver, Chad Pegues, Mike Lawson
FB Duke Pettijohn, Ja‘Mar Toombs, Kevin Aldridge
K Jason Wells
KR Will Pettis, Bobby Sippio, Shawandel Tucker
(Relocated) Columbus Destroyers- As bad as the
Destroyers were in 2003, a change of scenery will not
make them better. New city, same old Destroyers. In
fact, they’ve gone through so much turnover that they
appear to be in a similar boat with the true expansion
teams in 2004. They should still be better than the
upstart Soul in the town of brotherly love, but not by
much.
Offense- B-
Defense- C+
Overall- C
Nationwide Arena (17,078)
Destroyers Head Coach: Earle Bruce
QB Ryan Vena, John Rayborn
OS Jamaine Blalock
WR Cornelius White, Sedrick Robinson
WR Tony Locke, Jarrail Jackson, Ryan Sloth
TE Tony Plantin, Alexander Houston
FB Wilmont Perry, Ricky Wood
K Steve Videtich
KR Jamaine Blalock
(Expansion) Philadelphia Soul- Bon Jovi will be
singing the blues after this season. Head Coach Mike
Trigg won coach of the year honors while leading the
Grand Rapids Rampage to the Arena Bowl Championship in
2001. Trigg's experience should steer this team in
the right direction but it will probably take some
time. QB Nick Browder will line up behind center for
the Soul this season. He is backed up by AFL
journeyman QB Todd Hammel who has been on six
different teams in the past six seasons. Eagles fans
will find little comfort while supporting this team
during its 2004 debut season.
Offense- C
Defense- C-
Overall- C-
Wachovia Center (17,486)
Soul Head Coach: Mike Trigg
QB Nick Browder, Todd Hammel
OS Tyronne Jones, Gunnard Twyner
WR Joseph Todd, Chaz Clemons, Keita Crespina
WR Gary Compton, Keita Crespina
TE Joe Jackson, Dwayne Missouri
FB Chris Ryan, Travis McDonald, C.J. McClain
K Ken Hinsley, (IR-Brian Gowins)
KR Tyronne Jones, Ricky Ross
_______________________________________________________
SOUTHERN DIVISION
Tampa Bay Storm- The league measuring stick on AFL
dominance may be even better in 2004! QB John Kaleo
defected to the Austin Wranglers in the off-season.
In a surprise move, the Storm named QB Shane Stafford
as their strating quarterback. Stafford has returned
to the Storm from his stint in NFL Europe. That
leaves Arena Bowl hero QB Pat O’Hara as the backup
going into the season. Stafford is comforted to know
that the Storm returns its 4 primary targets at
receiver in Freddie Solomon, Lawrence Samuels, David
Saunders and Clif Dell. They return 19 players from
their 2003 championship squad. Head Coach Tim Marcum
doesn’t seem to be fazed by the loss defensive
specialists Corey Sawyer to Chicago and Omarr Smith to
San Jose. His belief is that outside of adding a
couple of defensive backs and patching up their line,
the core of their championship team is intact and
ready for another run at the title in 2004.
Offense- A
Defense- A
Overall- A
St. Pete Times Forum (20,082)
Storm Head Coach: Tim Marcum
QB Shane Stafford, Pat O’Hara
OS Freddie Solomon, Clif Dell
WR Antoine Tolliver, Clif Dell, Jermaine Showers
WR Lawrence Samuels, David Saunders
RB David White, Basil Proctor, Andre Bowden
TE Renest Certain, Cyron Brown
K Ian Howfield
KR TBA
Orlando Predators- Even though QB Jay Gruden is
now Head Coach Jay Gruden, the Predators are still one
of the best teams in the league. Gruden returns to
the Head Coaching ranks after the unfortunate passing
of 2003 Head Coach Fran Popasadoro in an automobile
accident following last season. This year, the
Predators will rely on Joe Hamilton, the one time
Heisman Trophy runner up from Georgia Tech.QB Conell
Maynor struggled in the absence of Gruden last season
while Gruden was nursing a potentially season ending
injury. The Predators have shown little confidence in
Maynor’s abilities by keeping him in a backup role.
They've also added one of the league's most prolific
receivers and kick returners in James Bowden. The
Predators should be able to run with the Storm
throughout this three horse race in the South.
Offense- A-
Defense- A-
Overall- A-
TD Waterhouse Centre (16,613)
Predators Head Coach: Jay Gruden
QB Joe Hamilton, Connell Maynor
OS Travis McGriff, James Bowden
WR Bret Cooper, Lin-J Shell
WR Cory Flemming, George Williams
TE Jermaine Smith, EJ Burt, William Gaines
FB Rupert Grant, Idris Price, Marlon Moye-Moore
K Jay Taylor
KR Travis McGriff, James Bowden, George Williams
Georgia Force- Georgia seemed to put it all
together as the 2003 season progressed. Will they
march on in 2004, or will they be left picking up the
pieces after playoff disappointment? They’ll attempt
to wipe the slate clean with some redecorating as they
introduced new helmets and uniforms for 2004. Without
question, this will be a fun team to watch this season
with plenty of firepower. The Force added standout
receivers Dialleo Burks and Andy McCullough from the
Dallas Desperados. The most explosive receiving
tandem in the league will have to adapt to new
quarterback and offense. The Force should challenge
the Storm and Predators but can’t afford time to mesh
as a team.
Offense- A
Defense- B
Overall- B+
The Arena at Gwinett Center (11,200)
Force Head Coach: Marty Lowe
QB Leon Murray, Chris Hixson
OS Markeith Cooper, Dialleo Burks
WR Dameon Porter, Jason Bray, Willie Gary
WR Dialleo Burks, Antowone McCullough, Morris Anderson
TE Dary Myricks, Nikia Anderson, Stacy Evans
FB Robert Thomas, Jermaine Younger
K Steve McLaughlin
KR Markeith Cooper, Dialleo Burks, Jayson Bray
(Expansion) Austin Wranglers- The Wranglers
moved fast in acquiring future Hall of Fame WR/DB
Darryl Hammond from the Georgia Force and QB John
Kaleo from the champion Tampa Bay Storm. Up front,
they signed perhaps the best lineman in league history
in ex-Desperado Tom Briggs. Head Coach Skip Foster
will have his hands full trying to shape this team
into a winner in their first season of play. Foster
joins the major league ranks after coaching for three
years with 2003 AF2 champions Tulsa. Regardless of
their talent, this team will be pushed around by “the
big three” in the southern division. This expansion
team is well built and it could take less time than
expected for them to jell in 2004.
Offense- B
Defense- C
Overall- C+
Frank Erwin Center (14,990)
Wranglers Head Coach: Skip Foster
QB John Kaleo, Bobby Pesavento
OS Jahine Arnold
WR Darryl Hammond,
WR Lee Jackson, Terry McCloud, Tacoma Fontaine
TE
FB Dan Krager, Corky Martin, Johnnie Balous
K Tony Dodson
KR TBA
(Expansion) New Orleans VooDoo- Owner Tom
Benson won’t be dancing with his umbrella any time
soon. Ex-Desperado QB John Fitzgerald will be the
signal caller entering the inaugural 2004 season for
the VooDoo. Their roster will take shape as the
season progresses and some of the younger players
prove themselves. New Orleans will be another classic
case of growing pains for an expansion franchise.
Offense- B-
Defense- C-
Overall- C-
New Orleans Arena (15,500)
VooDoo Head Coach: Mike Neu
QB John Fitzgerald, Jermaine Alfred, Lionel Hayes
OS Aaron Bailey, Ira Gooch
WR Calvin Spears, Luther Levinson
WR Lamont Moore, Tremaine Neal, Anthony Collins
TE B.J. Cohen, Sacha Lancaster, Menson Holloway
FB Dan Curran, Michael Blair, Mario Evans
K Brian Schmitz
KR Aaron Bailey, Chris Pointer
_______________________________________________________
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL DIVISION
Detroit Fury- Al Luginbill is replaced at Head
Coach by his son and understudy Tom Luginbill. A late
run in 2003 may translate into a solid 2004 campaign.
They’ll have to recapture some of the late-season
magic that made the Fury one of the most exciting
teams to watch at the end of 2003. 11 veterans return
this season from last years team. The key to their
success is returning QB Andy Kelly. Kelly became the
leagues all-time leader in passing yards and
touchdowns last season. He’ll be backed by ex-Chicago
Rush QB Billy Dicken from the bench. Having two
quarterbacks of this caliber on the same roster seems
to be a waste of talent. Being loaded at quarterback
is a nice luxury to have but the Fury should consider
trading him for a top receiver. A key off-season cap
related loss was WR Marcus Nash who joins a rebuilt
Las Vegas Gladiators for 2004. In an injury-related
loss, receiver Khori Ivy was lost for the season with
a knee injury in practice. Receiver Junior Lord
returns from last season's injury to provide a speedy
target for Kelly. The Fury will also rely on rookie
OS David Hill who could quietly become one of the
leagues most dangerous targets. Detroit will have to
come out of the gate fast as they open with the
San Jose SaberCats and then travel to Arizona to face
the Rattlers in week two. Thanks to their brutal
schedule, we’ll know right away if this squad is
ready to compete for the title in 2004.
Offense- B+
Defense- B-
Overall- B
Palace of Auburn Hills (14,826)
Fury Head Coach: Tom Luginbill
QB Andy Kelly, Billy Dicken
OS David Hill
WR Junior Lord, Mike Bush
WR Herman Bell, Jeff Russell
TE Angel Rubio, Anthony Hicks, Jonathan McCall
FB Cameron Chance, Dawan Moss
K Mark Lewis
KR Ron Carpenter, Herman Bell
Chicago Rush- This team played defense and
mixed in enough offense and special teams to make
noise in 2003. Will the chemistry be tainted in 2004
after an off-season shake up? Only 12 player return
this season from the Rush’s 2003 squad. Ex-Firebird
QB Raymond Philyaw steps in with a roster of at least
15 new players for the 2004 season. QB Billy Dicken
has joined the Detroit Fury in a backup role. They’ll
have to look to establish their running game until
they can sort out their crop of young receivers.
Transition is not necessarily a good thing in a tough
division.
Offense- B+
Defense- B-
Overall- B
Allstate Arena (16,000)
Rush Head Coach: Mike Hohensee
QB Raymond Philyaw, Chad Salisbury
OS Jeremy McDaniel
WR Lindsay Fleshman, Etu Molden
WR Greg Williams, DeJuan Alfonzo
TE James Baron, Riley Kleinhesselink
FB Rob McMillen, Jamie McGourty
K Keith Gispert
KR Kareem Larrimore
Colorado Crush- Division realignment is a good
thing for the Crush in 2004. The Western division was
impossible as an expansion team in 2003. The addition
of new Head Coach Mike Dailey (formerly with Indiana)
should translate into a bolstered running game. An
improved ground game would alleviate some of the
pressure that quarterback QB John Dutton experienced
last season. After all, he is playing in the shadow
of owner/ex-NFL great John Elway. They return three
of the teams leading four receivers from a year ago.
The Crush only return four linemen in an effort to
revamp the offensive and defensive lines. Each team
in the Central has undergone dramatic transformations
during the off-season. Coach Dailey became quite
familiar with his central division opponents during
his stay as head coach of the Firebirds. It may lead
to a wild finish in this division.
Offense- B-
Defense- B-
Overall- B-
Pepsi Center (17,210)
Crush Head Coach: Mike Dailey
QB John Dutton, Jose Davis
OS Damian Harrell
WR Kevin McKenzie, Robert Redd
WR Willis Marshall, Ahmad Hawkins, Ron Rogers
TE Hugh Hunter, Dustin Barno
FB Rich Young, Chad Dukes, Sunungura Rusununguko
K Anthony Brenner
KR Rashad Floyd, Robert Redd, Ahmad Hawkins
Grand Rapids Rampage- This squad was derailed from
their usual dominance at the end of the 2003 season.
The Rampage lost 15 players to off-season free agency,
trades and outright release. Grand Rapids brings back
only 11 players from last season’s roster. They’ll
have to regroup against this bunch of mid-grade
central division teams. The task will have to be
faced without the services of their two main weapons.
QB Clint Dolezel and WR Terrill Shaw each joined the
Las Vegas Gladiators in their effort to compete in the
western division. Ex-Destroyers QB Jeff Loots starts
at quarterback but ex-Cobras QB Robert Hall has turned
up the heat. If and when Hall gets his chance, this
team will surge behind his cannon of an arm. Head
Coach Bob Cortese will have his work cut out for him
as he attempts to restore the dominance in Grand
Rapids.
Offense- B-
Defense- B-
Overall- B-
Van Andel Arena (10,594)
Rampage Head Coach: Bob Cortese
QB Jeff Loots, Robert Hall
OS Steve Smith
WR Damon Hodge, Thomas Bailey, Travis Burns
WR Josh Bush, Will Sullivan
TE Israel Raybon, Rod Manuel, Ramon Luster
FB Chris Avery, Jermaine Benoit, Ron Perry
K Nick Gatto
KR Steve Smith, Travis Burns, Josh Bush
Indiana Firebirds- The Firebirds were a
different team without Philyaw at QB in 2003. They’ll
be without his talent in 2004 and it could be a long
season for this squad. The team assigned ex-Titans
backup QB Kevin Daft as their starter in 2004.
He will look to connect often with talented
ex-Las Vegas Gladiator receiver Mike Horacek who reeled
in a record 46 touchdowns in 2000. The Firebirds also
lost the play calling of 2003 Head Coach Mike Dailey
who joined the division rival Colorado Crush. Ex-NFL
QB and Assistant Coach Steve DeBerg will take the
reins of transitioning Firebirds as Head Coach in
2004. DeBerg decided to cut future Hall of Fame WR
Eddie Brown who had been signed prior to camp. Parity
is the buzz-word in the Central division but the
Firebirds lack direction and stability going into
2004.
Offense- C
Defense- C+
Overall- C+
Conseco Fieldhouse (16,060)
Firebirds Head Coach: Steve DeBerg
QB Kevin Daft, Tony Zimmerman (IR-Adrian McPherson)
OS Mike Horacek
WR Evan Hlavacek, Anthony Hines, Jordan Younger
WR Brett Bech, Kerry Brown
TE Chris Snyder, Bill Duff
FB Leroy Thompson, Jeff Cogell
K Clay Rush
KR Evan Hlavacek
_______________________________________________________
WESTERN DIVISION
Los Angeles Avengers- This team is ripe for another
strong run at the AFL championship crown in 2004.
QB Tony Graziani will again lead a potent offense
along with returning standout receivers Chris Jackson
and Greg Hopkins. The division crown looks to be as
close to a "toss-up" as they come. It wouldnt be a
surprise if three of these four teams qualify for the
post season. Western divisional contests will make
for “must see TV” in 2004. Facing a tough division
will only make the Avengers stronger for a solid
playoff run.
Offense- A+
Defense- B
Overall- A
Staples Center (16,096)
Avengers Head Coach: Ed Hodgkiss
QB Tony Graziani, Brian Mann
OS Chris Jackson
WR Kevin Ingram, Russell Shaw, Henry Douglas
WR Greg Hopkins, Joe Douglass
TE Jeremy Staat, Silas Dimary, Arnold Miller
FB Lonnie Ford, Josh Jeffries, Kevin Clemens
K Remy Hamilton
KR Kevin Ingram, Russell Shaw, Henry Douglas
Arizona Rattlers- The Rattlers always seem to
find a way to stay on top of their game. Even their
slow start of 2003 was eventually overcome in their
quest for back to back Arena Bowl births. The
Rattlers now set their sights on returning to a third
straight AFL championship game. Head Coach Danny
White has the core of his team returning in 2004. The
offensive fireworks by veterans Shedrick Bonner,
Hunkie Cooper and Randy Gatewood is worth the price of
admission alone. QB Sherdrick Bonner is one of the
most exciting players in the game and he will not
dissapoint in 2004. They will once again find
themselves in the thick of the championship hunt even
in this very competitive division.
Offense- A
Defense- B+
Overall- A-
America West Arena (16,321)
Rattlers Head Coach: Danny White
QB Sherdrick Bonner, Joe Germaine (IR-Travis Cole)
WR Siaha Burley
WR Randy Gatewood, Orshawante Bryant, Ricky Parker
WR Hunkie Cooper, Tom Pace
TE Wendall Gaines, Lindsay Hassell, Antoinne Scott
FB Bo Kelly, Frank Trentadue, Joe Jackson
K Nelson Garner
KR Siaha Burley, Hunkie Cooper
San Jose SaberCats- Defense is a dirty word in
the AFL unless your team actually has an effective
one. As you might expect, teams that play solid
defense in arena football win frequently. The
SaberCats have reinforced an already good defensive
unit by acquiring ex-Tampa Bay Storm DS Omarr Smith.
Defense combined with the best ground game in the
league led by Keala Keanaaina and Matt Kinsinger
translates into dominance. Combine that with a
devastating passing game behind QB Mark Grieb and the
AFL’s all-time leading scorer Barry Wagner and you
have a lethal recipe for success. It’s hard not to
pick this team as the favorite in this division but
something has to give when four very talented teams
collide.
Offense- B+
Defense- A
Overall- A-
HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041)
SaberCats Head Coach: Darren Arbet
QB Mark Grieb, Nick Rolovich
OS James Hundon, Fred Coleman
WR Barry Wagner, Omarr Smith
WR James Roe, Calvin Schexnayder
TE Albrey Battle, Sam Hernandez
FB Matt Kinsinger, Kevin Buck (IR-Keala Keanaaina)
K Dan Frantz
KR Clevan Thomas, Rashied Davis
Las Vegas Gladiators- The Gladiators did a lot
more than just spiff up their uniforms for the 2004
season. They still wish they could return to the
comfort of the “cupcake” Eastern division. This team
was rebuilt in the off-season and some hefty weapons
will try to keep pace with the brutal western division
rivals. Key additions include the signing of QB
Clint Dolezel and WR Terrill Shaw from the Grand
Rapids Rampage along with receiving threat Marcus Nash
who leaves the Detroit Fury. The Gladiators have
released “The Samoan Semi” Mathias Vavao who had been
acquired from the Los Angeles Avengers. Las Vegas
lost leading receiver Mike Horacek who joined the
Indiana Firebirds. The roster changes will
definitely improve their chances of competing with
their flashy divisional opponents. The sad part is,
this division is still way too tough for the
Gladiators to break through. A less forgiving
playoff format spells doom for ambitious Las Vegas in
2004.
Offense- A
Defense- C
Overall- B
Thomas and Mack Center (16,606)
Gladiators Head Coach: Frank Haege
QB Clint Dolezel, Rod Robinson
OS Terrill Shaw, Marcus Nash
WR Cornelius Bonner, Dennis Robinson, T.J. Hill
WR Marcus Nash, Jeremy Wilkinson
TE Steve Konopka, John Dewitt
FB Frank Carter, Desmond Byrd
K Daron Alcorn
KR T.J. Hill, Cornelius Bonner
______________________________________________________
2004 AFL PLAYOFF OUTLOOK: (prior to 2004 season opening)
Only the best 8 records qualify for the new AFL
playoff system regardless of winning a respective
division.
Team Grade
1- T.B. Storm A
2- L.A. Avengers A
3- Arizona Rattlers A-
4- Orlando Predators A-
5- San Jose SaberCats A-
6- N.Y. Dragons B+
7- Georgia Force B+
8- Detroit Fury B
-------------------------------
9- Las Vegas Gladiators B
10- Chicago Rush B
11- Colorado Crush B-
12- Carolina Cobras B-
13- Grand Rapids Rampage B-
14- Dallas Desperados C+
15- Indiana Firebirds C+
16- Austin Wranglers C+
17- Columbus Destroyers C
18- Philadelphia Soul C-
19- New Orleans VooDoo C-
2004 Arena Bowl Prediction: T.B. Storm over L.A. Avengers
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