The Renegades and The Posse

Kemper Arena will once again be the home of an indoor football team for Kansas City.  In reading over the team's web site, they are agreeing with many of the fans who did not like the Sprint Center as an Arena Football venue, that Kemper makes a much better arena for indoor football.  So, in March of 2013, the Kansas City Renegades will take the field at Kemper Arena and hopefully present Kansas City Football fans with what was lost with the changing of ownership of the AFL and the breaking of the player's union.

Now, for the meat of the article.

With the announcement of the Kansas City Renegades, the now former KC Flightcrew super (annoying) fans through together a new fan club ... The Posse.  They had their facebook page up and running within hours of the annoucement of the new team name, and as usual, they are conducting themselves as if they were a part of the team's PR program.  Maybe they are, but I would have hoped that the owners of the Renegades would have taken the time to look at the conduct of key persona of the now former FlightCrew.

Don't get me wrong.  I would love to think that The Posse will be like the early FlightCrew.  There were a lot of good people involved, and the wingnuts that prompted themselves up as someone special were the vast majority.  I would hope that the people who are involved in The Posse will be more focused on setting up the  group in the image of the FlightCrew of Kemper Arena and not the FlightCrew of the Sprint Center End Zone.

What am I saying?  The FlightCrew of Kemper Arena were fans from all over the stadium who enjoyed Arena Football and loved tailgating ahead of a game.  The FlightCrew that stood in the end zone of the Sprint Center were more egomaniacs than super fans.  During the seasons of the Brigade and the Command at Sprint Center, the FlightCrew became known as the FightCrew.  They drew complaint after complaint from the fans behind them.  They drew criticism from fans at the games for reaching into the field of play to grab a souvineer football.  They made gestures at visiting players that were simply inappropriate for a 'family friendly' environment, and they became more and more convinced that they were an important part of the team, and conducting themselves not as super fans, but super assholes.

I am excited about the return of indoor football to Kemper Arena.  My fear is that these so-called Super Fans are going to resume their antics, that they are going to become a distraction from the game, that they are going to become an embarrassment to the other fans here in Kansas City.  And with the cost of front row tickets being as reasonable as they are, there will be more of these super egomaniacs down on the front row, making life miserable for those who have the seats behind them and/or who are wanting to enjoy the game.

One Last Look at 2012 - Attendance

I want to share some attendance numbers with you for the Arena Football League:

Average Game Attendance - League

2006 ... 12,378
2007 ... 12,392
2008 ... 12,957 (last year of old AFL)

2010 ... 8,135
2011 ... 8,241
2012 ... 7,841

Average Game Attendance - Kansas City

2006 ... 15,234 (Kemper Arena)
2007 ... 11,894 (Kemper Arena)
2008 ... 12,828 (Sprint Center)

2011 ... 4,353 (Sprint Center as Command)
2012 ... 4,303 (Sprint Center as Command)

Now, I have done a little digging around, and it appears that the following teams are not coming back for 2013.  The Kansas City Command have folded, along with the Georgia Force.  The Milwaukee Mustangs have announced that they will be sitting out the 2013 season with the intention of returning in 2014, and the New Orleans VooDoo may find themselves without an Arena for 2013 do to renovations.  But according to ArenaFan stats, 11 of the 17 teams suffered losses in average attendance in 2012, and with the issue of Player Pay becoming a Labor issue for the league, it may get worse.

Kansas City Command - Game Over

The Kansas City Brigade captured the attention of Kansas City football fans in the first three years of being a part of the Kansas City Sports Scene.  Their first season was not great, but they came back and made a couple of strong bids during the next two years.  Arena Football in Kansas City was a great experience for those who could not afford the outrageous prices demanded by the Kansas City Chiefs.  It was Blue Collar football.  It was Kid-Friendly football.  It was fan-friendly football.  Then the team moved to the Sprint Center and it all came apart.

The move to the Sprint Center brought a lot of complaints.  Many of the season ticket holders did not like the new venue and many were talking about not renewing their Season Tickets.  Those who did decide to renew their Season Tickets were met with the collapse of the League and instead of being notified about the situation and how to get their refund, left a lot of season ticket holders to find the information for themselves.

With the creation of the new Arena Football League, things changed.  Kansas City wasn't a part of the first season under the new owners, who managed to set Arena Football back about twenty years when they broke the Player's Union before Season two.  The Kansas City Brigade came back with the same ownership, and the same losing head coach, but they didn't come back as the Brigade, they basically gave all the old Brigade fans the finger by renaming the team the Command ... but keeping all the team logos.

It was the same Sprint Center experience.  Over Priced Parking, discouraging tailgating, and with the significantly lower player wages, they failed to field a team that could play football well enough to even give the fans something to hope for.  It was NOT the Arena Football Experience that captured the attention of Kansas City Football fans as the Brigade, and the attendance over the past two years was solid proof that the Team, and the League, was failing to provide what the fans were wanting.

The Kansas City Command were dead when their feet hit the floor.  They kissed the wrong asses.  They held up the wrong people to promote Arena Football in Kansas City.  They made it clear to far too many people that the days of Fan-Friendly Arena Football were long gone and it was now all about raking in the money.  I wish I knew how many people told the owners of the Command that what they needed to do was take the team back to Kemper Arena.  That they needed to get back to the basics of providing a good product at a reasonable price.  They didn't listen to any of us, and now we get to say goodbye to the Arena Football League (AFL) in Kansas City.

The question that remains ... however .... is ...

Has the Kansas City Command tainted the sport for others to try?  Will the football fans of Kansas City give the newly formed Kansas City Renegades a chance to pick up the gauntlet and run?  Different owners, different league, and the return to a popular venue.  We will have to see.

New Team in Town!

The word is getting out and it’s getting out fast.  Kansas City is about to be the home of a new Indoor Football Team.  It is going to be one of the founding cities of the newly formed Champions Professional Indoor Football League, and they are making promises that you will enjoy the game or they will give you your money back.  Sound intriguing?

But can Kansas City support a second Indoor Football Team?  Look at the facts … the Kansas City Command did not draw the crowds that many were hoping for in 2010 or 2011.  But what was everyone expecting?  When they were the Kansas City Brigade, before the original AFL collapsed, people were complaining about how they HATED being at the Sprint Center … and were citing a number of reasons.  Then there was the players strike, which ended up being a player lockout and the owners of the AFL teams broke the player’s union, and the result?  The money for a player in the AFL went from an averaged five thousand plus dollars a game to around 6,800 dollars a year.  Needless to say, the quality of players in the league went to hell and it went to hell in a hurry.  People everywhere were complaining about the level of talent in the league, and they were showing their disgust by not attending games.

The “to be named” team for Kansas City will be doing something that many arena fans have been asking for.  It is taking the games back to Kemper Arena.  No, Kemper doesn’t have the sound system or video systems that Sprint Center has, but I don’t go to a football game to listen to music and watch the screen.  I want to get close to the game without taking out a second or third mortgage on the house.  I also want to be able to tailgate before the game, and that was basically impossible at Sprint Center to have a good tailgate without spending a lot, A LOT of money.  We are going back home to where Arena Football started in Kansas City, to the house where Arena Football was successful in Kansas City.  All we can hope for is that this new league is attractive to the better players available out there.

So, up on all the hype?  Like the sideline seats in the first three rows are only going to be $35 per game?  The promise by the team owner that if you don’t enjoy the game they will give you your money back.  There will be the chance to meet the players after the game, and let’s face it football fans, there really is no bad seat in the house.  Even in the upper deck you’re closer to the field than the upper deck at Sprint.

So, the watch is on around here.  My wife and I are already talking about checking the new team out.  All we’re waiting on is the league schedule for 2013, and the word is the teams will play from March to June, six home games and six away games.

The Arena Football Season is now over, well, with the exceptions of the Play-offs.  Unfortunately for the teams I have been watching, none of them made it into the post season, so ... well ... there's really no reason for me to keep talking.

Its simple, I have said what I have to say about the league ... no one cares.  My teams didn't work out ... no one cares ... so it's time to take a break (like anyone cares).

So, see you next season ... maybe.

AFL Fan Support Way Down Under New Ownership

Sitting here watching the Chicago Rush beat the Georgia Force on Ustream, I can't help but think how empty the seats look.  I remember going to Chicago in 2007 to watch the Chicago Rush take on the Kansas City Brigade, and it was a packed house.  Going back and looking at the attendance records for the Chicago Rush in 2007 and 2008, the average attendance for a Chicago Rush game was over 10,000 fans per game.  Today, the Chicago Rush are averaging only 6,800 fans per game, and they are not alone.

In 2008, the league average for attendance was almost 13,000 fans per game across the league.  In 2010, the first year that the new AFL was in operation, the average attendance dropped to 8,100, and in 2011 the average had a slight gain, rising to 8,200.  Fourteen weeks into the 2012 Season, the average is down, currently running at 7,600.

What is going on?  The game is going dull.  We are not seeing the level of play that we say back in the original AFL ownership.  The players that kept the league exciting have moved on to other endeavors simply because they cannot afford to leave their jobs to play football during the AFL Season.  I have discussed this before, but the league wage for a normal player is only around $400 per game.  Now, how many people can afford to leave their regular job to attend regular practices and meetings for a mere $400 per week.  The new AFL has basically become a hobby league where key players, mainly quarterbacks, are the only people paid enough money to dedicate themselves to their teams each year.  The rest are simply going to be a part of the high turnover that the AFL experiences each year.

The drop in average attendance is a classic example of how the league is becoming dull, that fans are not satisfied with the product that the league is offering.  In week 14 of 2008, the league's average attendance was 12,351.  For week 14 of 2012, the league average was 6,495.  That is 52.5% of the 2008 attendance, and some teams are suffering even worse than that.

In Kansas City, the Brigade were averaging over 12,000 fans per game.  In 2011, when the team returned as the Kansas City Command, their average attendance was 4,353, and so far in 2012, their attendance average is hovering at 4,800.  Yes, the average attendance is up for 2012, but there have been a lot of promos running to draw people into the games, and by looking at the seats during the broadcasts of the games, the number of Season Ticket holders is way down.

The AFL is not going to survive under the program that is currently running.  People have stated that the new ownership have set back the AFL ten to twenty years.  Take Kansas City.  Why should I pay $15 for the cheap seats at Sprint Center and then pay premium prices for parking, food and drink because the game is located in the KCP&L Entertainment District.  The fans were happier at Kemper Arena, and they were happier when the League was paying for players that were just out of the NFL performance level.  Today, we're seeing players that probably couldn't make the cut for a practice team under the old AFL ownership.

How bad is it?  When was the last time one of the celebrity owners like Mike Ditka, Neil Smith, or Bon Jovi showed up for a game to meet the fans?  Could they be embarrassed to be associated with this new format of the AFL?

Kansas City Tribe - Women's Tackle Football

I will admit that I have taken great fun at picking on the idea that Kansas City was going to get a Ladies Arena Football Team ... the Kansas City Passion.  I am going to admit that I didn't venture outside the realm of Arena Football in my exploration of Women's Football until after the posting of my last article about the KC Passion and how we might was well close the book on them.  Let's face facts.  Women playing football in basically panties and bras is NOT real football.  You don't see the AFL or other indoor leagues dressing their men up in next to nothing.  Women's Arena Football is playing to those who are only interested in watching for those occasional uniform malfunctions and looking at women in next to nothing.  End of story, let's move on.

The Kansas City Tribe

Women's Tackle Football

I had stumbled across this team during the writing of my last article about the KC Passion.  I was pleased to see that there was someone out there who was allowing the ladies to play real football, not just make them parade themselves around like pole dancers.  I was surprised to find that this team, of which I have heard absolutely nothing about before now, had won a league championship on 2009, and as of the posting of this article, are heading into the post season with a record of 6-1 (and on a 6 game winning streak).

Unfortunately, I found out about the Tribe late in their season.  I couldn't make it to their last game, which was against another Kansas City Women's Tackle Football Team, the KC Spartans.  Their next game (post season) is in St Louis, and unless they somehow get a post game season back here in KC, I will have to wait until 2013 to check out this team.  The nice thing is, they have a history, there is no reason to doubt that there will be a 2013 Season.

So Ladies ... Good luck in Post Season and I will try to catch you guys next season.

KC, Iowa, Chicago all Lose

What can I say?  I tuned into the Chicago Rush game on Ustream just before half-time, and as soon as I looked at the score, I knew it was going to be a bad evening for Chicago.  And it was.  Utah obliterated Chicago.  Kansas City was an easier game to watch, it was actually broadcast on local television.  And, when I tuned in, the Command was up 28 to 21 in the second quarter.  Unfortunately for KC, Spokane tied it up just before the half, and KC never saw the lead again.  And then there was Iowa, who took on the Arizona Rattlers in Arizona.  Of the three games, I figured that this one would have the greatest spread in points.  Instead, it was the closest game of the evening.

So, of the three games I kept track of ... I got two out of three.  I just wish that Chicago could have pulled off a win as I would really like to see Chicago make a run at the Arenabowl this year.  Kansas City is clearly out of the hunt ... unless the league falls apart, and Iowa's chances are very slim.

So, next week.  (week 15)

9-4 San Jose, come to Kansas City to take on the 2-10 Command.  Again, this is going to be a double loser for the Command.  I can't see them pulling out a miracle win against San Jose, and I would be willing to bet that attendance will be in the four thousand seats range again ... unless they give away a lot of free tickets and people actually use them.

5-8 Iowa takes on Division leader 9-3 San Antonio in Texas.  Iowa has a better chance of pulling off an upset than Kansas City does, but I'm not going to venture out to say that they will be able to do it against the Talons. Iowa put on a good showing against Arizona, but I can't put my money on them doing any better against San Antonio.

7-6 Georgia will take on the Rush in Chicago.  Chicago is undefeated at home (6-0), and with Georgia 3-3 on the road, I am going to put my money on Chicago.  Chicago is going to be trying to make up for the whipping they took at the hands of the Blaze, so this should be a good game.


San Jose over Kansas City, San Antonio over Iowa, Chicago over Georgia

KC Winning Streak Ends ... Surprised?

I actually missed out on last week's games.  My Scouting obligations had me making last minute preparations for the opening of Cub Scout Day Camp this week.  Now that I've had a chance to recuperate, I started looking at last week's results and while I predicted a KC win, I'm not surprised that they lost.  And speaking of losing ... attendance at the Sprint Center was down to 4,618 people.  This brings the average attendance of a Kansas City Command Game down to 4,806 in an Arena of which has a capacity of 18,500.  How long is Sprint going to reserve dates for the Command when they average only 25.9% capacity, and the best they have been able to do is only 34.2% of capacity.

On the other hand Iowa won its match against Cleveland, which was a nice surprise.  Chicago also beat the Shock, which I had predicted as well.

I'm not going to talk about last week's performance, nor really get into who is going to win what games this week.  Looking at the line up its  pretty simple just to say ... Spokane over KC, Chicago over Utah, and Arizona over Iowa.

Kansas City Wins #2, Iowa and Chicago Lose

I don't know what has changed in Kansas City, but the Command looked good against Georgia on Saturday night.  I managed to catch the game on Ustream, and while Arenafan is reporting that there were 5,079 fans in attendance, the arena looked empty.  Kansas City either played a second good game or Georgia shot itself in the foot.  Watching the game, I would be inclined to say that both teams played well, just that Kansas City made fewer mistakes and managed to come out on top at the end of the game.  So, now the question is, can Kansas City keep the momentum going, can they make it three games as they take on the Utah Blaze (three game losing streak) next weekend at home at the Sprint Center?  I'm still having a hard time imagining the Command making that strong of a turn around, and with the better record overall, I would be inclined to go with Utah.

There was a moment that I thought that Chicago was going to beat San Jose.  Leading the game at half-time, it looked like Chicago had things going well.  However, San Jose came out on top at the final buzzer.  As for Iowa, I guess I should have gone with the stats and not my desires.  I had Iowa taking the match against Spokane, but Spokane managed to get ahead before the half, and Iowa simply couldn't catch up to take the game.

Week 13:  First up is the Cleveland Gladiators (6-4) at Iowa on Friday, June 1.  I hate to say this, but Cleveland has the stronger record in this confrontation, so I'm gonna go with the Gladiators.  Iowa has not been a superpower at home.

Next up is Utah Blaze at Kansas City.  Utah has the stronger record, but Kansas City seems to have found what was missing from their game, and they could prove to be the stronger team here.  They managed to take out Georgia in a low scoring game, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt against Utah, who comes to KC on a three game losing streak, but having scored a lot higher than Kansas City's last two wins.

Wrapping it up will be the Spokane Shock (6-4) against the Rush (6-4) in Chicago.  Chicago comes into this home game on a two game losing streak.  Spokane is riding a three game winning streak, but that momentum may not be enough to break Chicago's perfect season at home.  All of Chicago's losses have been on the road, they are 5-0 at home, and Spokane is only 3-2 on the road.  Two of the three wins that Spokane is bringing into this match up were at home, one against Philadelphia, but the other against 4-6 New Orleans.  The third in the series was against 4-7 Iowa, and after looking at everything, I will go with Chicago to win this one.

So, here are my predictions:  Cleveland over Iowa, Kansas City over Utah, and Chicago over Spokane.

Kansas City Tease - Close the Book?

It seems like forever since I started tracking the development of a female arena football team for the Kansas City sports market.  At first it was going to be the Sugar and Spice League, then later it was the development of a new league called the Ladies Arena Football League.  But the LAFL season schedule is up and there are only four teams on the schedule, none of which are from Kansas City.

I've caught a lot of flack about the the promise of the Kansas City Tease.  I have looked at the available information and quickly found myself thinking that this team would not come together.  Club appearances, the photographs were more a "sex sells" approach and "wanna be celebrity" presentation than that of a group of women who were serious about playing football.  I have no doubt that there were a few ladies involved in the Tease that wanted to play football, but most of them looked like they should be dancing at one of the top level strip clubs here in KC.  In fact, the people behind the team were coming back as having a past in the entertainment business not the sports business.

Well, its likely over.  Check their website and there is no indication that the team is any closer to competing than they were a year ago.  Their calendar ends with one practice entry in June, and then nothing.  Facebook, no posts since January.  All indications are that the Kansas City Tease have fallen apart.

Now, I would love to see a respectable Ladies Arena Football Team come to Kansas City.  The problem is that whoever leads this endeavor has to be serious about Arena Football, not using the ladies to draw men, and  certain ladies, into a group of clubs that the promoters and owners are connected with.  The Lingerie Football League has gained enough respect to get themselves broadcast on MTV2 in the past, and when I first saw the talk of a ladies team, hoped that it was a LFL team.  But there is this little problem with support for teams like this.  Kansas City just isn't an Arena Football town, especially with the history of the Kansas City Brigade, the complaints that arose when the team moved to the new Sprint Center, and now the far from impressive Kansas City Command.

So, I am closing the book on the Kansas City Tease.  It was a nice idea, but all appearances are that it's over.

Kansas City Wins, Iowa Loses ... badly.

Ouch!  The Iowa Barnstormers not only got beat, they got spanked.  I had looked at the stats and figured that the game would be close.  I was hoping that Iowa would pull out another victory, but when I got home from camping with the Boy Scouts, I looked at the scores and just hung and shook my head.  One report stated that Jacksonville was up 31-0 heading into the end of the first half when Iowa finally got themselves on the board.  So, Iowa drops to 4-6 and at this rate is pretty much taking themselves out of the play-offs picture with 8 games to go.

Well, I said that if Kansas City had a chance of winning a game this season, this was the game.  However, I figured that Kansas City was going for a perfect record of 0-18, so they would toss this one.  Really?  Honestly, I don't see Kansas City winning another game this season unless someone manages to scare the hell of of them.  As for building for the future, that doesn't wash in a league with a player turnover rate of 85%.

So, what am I looking at for Week 12?  Kansas City will drop a second one to the Georgia Force, this time at home in front of a minimal crowd of die-hard Arena Football Fans, some of which will actually be Command Fans.  It will also depend on  how many promo tickets they give away and what kind of game packages they can talk people into buying.

Iowa will be taking on the Spokane Shock, which are just ahead of them in the Conference, and this time they will be at home.  So, there is a chance, especially after getting spanked this week, that they could take the second game.

Chicago could have it's hands full this coming weekend as they take on the San Jose Sabercats in San Jose.  The Sabercats are undefeated at home this season, and are slightly ahead of the Rush in the stats.  But Chicago is coming into the game from a bye week so they've had plenty of time to prepare.  So, what do I think?  I'm need to go with the SaberCats on this one, as much as I would love to see Chicago win.

So, week 12 ... San Jose over Chicago, Iowa over Spokane, Georgia over Kansas City.

Week Eleven in the AFL

Okay, I didn't watch the games again this weekend.  You know, there is a lot going on right now and watching the lack luster Arena Football League is not high on my list of things to do.  But I'm keeping track of my team, and two others that are local favorites.

Week Ten, Chicago took on the Arizona Rattlers, and as much as I would have loved to see Chicago win, I was realistic and called the game for  Arizona.  Next week Chicago has a bye, so maybe they can figure out how NOT to shoot themselves in the foot the rest of the season and focus on making it to the playoffs and beyond.

Iowa handled Kansas City putting KC at 0-8 and taking Iowa to 4-5.  In week Eleven, KC is going to be taking on the Pittsburgh Power who are now 2-7.  This is KC's best chance of winning a game this season.  Once they get past this game, then they are looking at round two of the same teams that have beaten them so far, and home field advantage isn't going to help.  But I have faith in KC, and they are going to drop the game and enter week twelve at 0-9.

Iowa is going up against Jacksonville.  This is the only time that they are meeting this season, and looking at the records, away and home, I am going to take a chance and give this game to Iowa.

We shall see...

Rush take the Barnstormers

The Chicago Rush extend their season to 6-2 after a 61 to 50 home victory against the Iowa Barnstormers.  Yeah, I know that being a resident of Kansas City I should be cheering for the Command to pull off a handful of miracles, or for the nearby Iowa Barnstormers to start winning games, but as I have said in the past ... I was a Chicago Rush fan before there was an Arena team in KC the first time around, when the Barnstormers were an AF2 team.

So now its time to look at Week 10.  The 3-5 Iowa Barnstormers will be hosting the 0-7 Kansas City Command, and barring a meltdown at home, which the Barnstormers are capable, the perfect losing season for Kansas City should continue.  I am going to go with Iowa not losing to the likes of Kansas City and say that Iowa will make a good showing here.

Week Ten has the Chicago Rush away against the Arizona Rattlers.  Arizona hasn't been the powerhouse that some would have expected this year, and they come into this game with a record of 5-3.  This is to be the only meeting of the two teams this year, and Arizona has the potential to hand Chicago their third loss.  Arizona has a winning record at home while Chicago hasn't done as well on the road ... as of yet.  Point-wise, Arizona has the numbers in their favor.  More points scored per game and the less points allow of their opponents.  Its hard to be faithful to the Rush on this one.  The chance that Arizona could take this game is pretty good, and I am going to go with my gut feeling that Chicago is going to drop this one.

So, week Ten, I am going with Iowa over Kansas City, Arizona over Chicago.

KC Command Go 0-7 for Scout Day

In a promotion that they worked out with the Heart of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, the Kansas City Command managed to get 6,342 people into the seats at the Sprint Center.  It has been a major promotion over the past couple of months, offering the members of Scouting in the Council discounted tickets to their game against the 4-3 San Antonio Talons.  The Command at least gave the Scouts and die-hard fans something to cheer about during the first three quarters of the game, even giving them hope that this could be the team's first win of the season.  But alas, after going into the fourth quarter with a 31-27 lead, they failed to score at all in the fourth, and allowed the Talons to score twice, giving the Talons the win and the Command record falling to 0-7.

Week Ten has the Kansas City Command away against division rivals, the Iowa Barnstormers.  Iowa is coming off a loss to the Rush in Chicago.  They are only 1-3 at home, but their home losses were against Chicago, San Jose and Utah, all who are having good seasons so far.  Kansas City will be the first pitiful team that they are going to face at home, so as much as I would like to see KC get their first win, I have to go with Iowa.  I just don't see KC breaking their losing streak against Iowa.

To be honest, the only chance I see for Kansas City get a win this season would be their upcoming away game versus the Pittsburgh Power.  Pittsburgh is having a slightly better season than the Command, and they have only won one game at home so far this season.  After that, they are back against the teams that have buried them all season so far.  I fear that the final stat for the Command will be 1-15, and the owners will find themselves in a new battle ... to get dates in the Sprint Center as attendance will drop to all time lows.

Week Eight: Chicago, Iowa, and Kansas City losses

Once again, I didn't get a chance to catch the Chicago or Iowa games.  Another heavy Scouting event kept me away from home and by the time I got home, the games were over.  All I could do is check the scores and head to bed.

I didn't figure that Iowa would win, but I didn't figure that they would lose as badly as they did.  I would have save that score difference for the Kansas City game, taking the Command to 0-6.  But the Sabercats handled the Barnstormers, beating them 76-33.  Iowa was never really in the game, scoring wise.  They were out scored in the first two quarters, then failed to score at all in the final two.

Chicago managed to lead the game until the final two minutes, only to lose the game by one point.  I was looking at Chicago winning by a narrow margin, not losing by a narrow margin, and it leaves me wondering if the Chicago Rush may have gotten a little over confident after their great start.

What surprised me, when I got home on Monday evening ... Scouts again ... was that Kansas City was actually in the game.  But it didn't last long.  A muffed kick-off reception gave Tampa Bay an instant touchdown, and then an on-side kick attempt failed and Tampa Bay took a commanding lead and kept it.  So, Kansas City goes 0-6.

Week Nine:

The San Antonio Talons take on the Command in Kansas City.  This will only be the third home game that the Command have played this season, and I would hold my breath for a big turn out of what fans the team has left.  San Antonio comes into the game second in the conference with a record of 4-3.  Kansas City is last in the same conference, and there is no reason, especially after watching their Tampa Bay game, to think that they will break their losing street.

The Iowa Barnstormers will take on the Rush in Chicago.  If Chicago walks into this game too confident in their record, Iowa will hand them another loss.  Iowa has proven themselves quite the opponent on the road.  However, if Chicago can fix their problems, then Chicago should win this game.  Where do I stand?  I am going to go with Chicago.  I think that two loses will be enough to wake Chicago up and they will resume their quest for the Arenabowl.

So, my predictions?  Chicago over Iowa, San Antonio over KC.

A final note:  At the end of the Kansas City game on the NFL network, one of the Tampa Bay players was given a 'player of the game' award of a Net10 cell phone with three months of free service.  Has it gotten that bad that this would be a prize that an Arena Football Player would hang onto?

Arena Football Week Seven

Well, I didn't get to watch the Arena Football games this weekend, I had to settle for checking the final scores on the three teams that I'm following.  Interesting enough, all three games went as I called them for this week, with Chicago beat Milwaukee, but the Barnstormers and the Command both lost their games this week.  So Chicago is now 5-1 (as is the Philadelphia Soul).  Kansas City is now 0-5, and Iowa is now 3-3.

So, what of the changes that Kansas City has made?  They apparently aren't making a difference yet, and there is none of this "building for the future" since the Arena Football League has a very high turn over rate from year to year, thanks to the League breaking the Union in 2011 and driving the money player get into the basement.  So, to be honest, don't expect things to get better until the turnover hits the true weaknesses in the team, the ownership and coaching staff, and that's not going happen until the team goes financially under.  To be frank, I don't expect to see an AFL team in Kansas City much longer.

So, let's talk Week 8.  

Kansas City (0-5) at Tampa Bay Storm (3-3):  I'll make this short and sweet.  Kansas City is going to come out of week eight 0-6.  I don't see them beating anyone on their schedule this year, not unless there are some serious changes in the team's performance.  It makes no difference if the team is home or away, the team isn't going to play any better, and attendance at the Sprint Center is going to continue to go downhill.

Chicago Rush (5-1) at San Antonio Talons (3-2):  Chicago is 1-1 on the road, while San Antonio is 2-1 at home.  I will give the Talons a slim chance of taking the game, but the Rush have the overall better record when it comes to points scored and in the teams that they have faced to get their record.  Its going to be close, especially with the Rush being on the road, but I think that Chicago will manage to pull this one out and go 6-1.

San Jose Sabercats (4-2) at Iowa Barnstormers (3-3):  You really can't count the Barnstormers out, especially with the fan support that they get.  Unfortunately, they have a better record on the road than they do at home.  The Sabercats are 1-2 on the road, the same stat that Chicago has at home, but they are 4-2 overall.  I really find myself wanting to go with Iowa, especially when they can pull off victories over opponents such as Arizona, but with their record at home, the Sabercats will likely take it.

So, my predictions for Week 8.  Tampa Bay over KC, Chicago over San Antonio, and San Jose over Iowa.

Iowa Defeats Arizona

It appears that I had it backwards for this week in the AFL.  I took Chicago to barely beat Georgia, and I figured that Arizona would easily handle Iowa.  Instead, Iowa squeaked past Arizona and Georgia handled Chicago.  Sigh.

With Severe Weather rolling through Des Moines Iowa, Tornadoes being reported to the south, and a game delay caused by a power outage at the arena, the Iowa Barnstormers not only managed to keep the game close, in fact tied at half time, and then take the day by two points - 56 to 54.  The Barnstormers managed to take two interceptions from Davila and recover two fumbles to keep themselves in the game early.  So, the Iowa Barnstormers take second place in their conference with a record of 3-2.

Attendance:  7921 - Almost the total attendance for Kansas City after two home games.  There should be no doubt after last night that the Barnstormer fans love their team.

As for next week:  The Barnstormer are at Utah against the 3-2 Blaze who, who just won against 1-3 Jacksonville Sharks and who handily defeated the Iowa Barnstormers at home in week 2.  This is going to be a close one if you look at the stats.  Utah is 1-1 at home while the Barnstormers are 2-0 away.  Utah is averaging 62 points a game while Iowa is averaging 58.  So here is a chance to Iowa to show how they can rise to the occasion again.  But don't be surprised if Utah comes out on top.

I'm gonna have to say Utah over Iowa, barely, although I would love to see if the other way around.

Georgia Force Hands Chicago First Loss

If Chicago had to lose a game, one could have hoped that it would have been one of those nail biters.  I remember someone asking me last week if Georgia was that good when I said that Chicago would have to be careful.  The massive loss that Georgia suffered at the hands of the Soul would be an igniter, and it wasn't long into the game that Georgia had a commanding lead.  With a 20+ point scoring spree in the 3rd Quarter, Chicago gave fans watching on Ustream a glimmer of hope that they could make a comeback, but it just wasn't to be the case this time.

But Chicago is still on top of the league.  They will share the top slot with the Arizona Rattlers unless the Iowa Barnstormers can pull off an upset, and they've been keeping the game close coming into half-time.  

What's next for Chicago?  The Milwaukee Mustangs go to Chicago next week.  Milwaukee may be able to give the Rush a run, and if Chicago was in Milwaukee, I would give the Mustangs a little better chance of winning, but I'm going to go with the home team advantage, and call this one for Chicago, now that the pressure of a perfect record is gone.

Easter Bunny at Chicago Rush vs KC Command

"You call that a Flip?"  The words caused me to smile as someone dressed up in a really ... well ... lame Easter Bunny costume palm flipped the coin at the beginning of the Chicago Rush, Kansas City Command game on April 7th.  The comment was made by one of the members of the Kansas City Command, and I would have to agree with him.  That wasn't much of a flip.  Of course, Kansas City lost the flip and Chicago deferred for Kansas City to receive the opening kick off.  Most people like to receive the kick off to open the second half, not the first.

Now, I'm not the only one who had comments to make about the Easter Bunny.  Watching the game on Ustream, the chat comments during the half-time show Easter Egg hunt said it all.  If I was Chicago, I would seriously reconsider using that costume again ... and Kansas City ... don't even think about it.

Kansas City Tease - A Tease?

Finally, the Lady Arena Football League has posted their 2012 game schedule.  Problem is, the Kansas City Tease are not on it.  In fact, the LAFL has only four teams playing in 2012 according to the schedule that they have posted on their official website (http://www.ladyarenafootballleague.com).  When you go to the Kansas City Tease Facebook Page, well, no one is really talking, its like the team has gone back into hibernation.  Their official Web Site (http://www.kctease.com) offers NOTHING in any information for this team.  So, what is it?

I had a man come in and say that he has watched them practicing.  I see on their facebook page that one other person "misses" seeing them practice.  So there was an attempt to start a team in Kansas City, but after two years of 'trying' to start a team, if they haven't figured it out yet, then maybe someone else needs to try.  So much for my dismay with the KC Tease.

What of the LAFL?  There are four teams scheduled to start competing on May 19.  Are they going to stream their games via Ustream or another service?  I would love to see a really good Female Football game, I have seen hope in the LFL, break a little further away from the pubescent wet dream sales pitch and get down to real Arena football and you would have a die hard fan here.  But let's quick teasing and let's get this going, because the Arena Football League is actually losing fans due to their ... lack of real talent and entertainment value.

Rush Go 4-0, KC Goes 0-4

Let me start off by pointing out the obvious.  The plan of replacing both Quarterbacks on Monday and bringing in not one, but two Rookie Quarterbacks to take on Chicago may not have been the smartest idea.  But it may actually rank above keeping the kicker.  The first half for Kansas City was absolutely dismal.  A touchdown early, missed PAT, not once, but twice.  That's right, twice.  KC got a second chance for a PAT and the kicker missed it a second time.  Then the team could not get down the field, so two attempts for field goals in the first quarter were ... wide right ... wide left.  Add two interceptions and coming out of the first half, the story was being told.  Kansas City is not to win this game.

And it didn't get any better.  KC managed to get a little pressure on the Rush QB in the second half, but they were unable to get their game together and Kansas City dropped their fourth game in a row, this time to Chicago.

Now, let's talk about next week.  Chicago is going to Georgia, who just suffered a massive loss to Philadelphia.  The Soul came within 7 points of the AFL single game record (99 points) and laid down a 92-42 win over the Force.  But I wouldn't discount the Force.  When you look at their stats, the Force is scoring 49.75 points per game and they are 1-1 at home.  Chicago is 1-0 away, and average over 60 points per game, and scored 62 points against the Barnstormers on the road.  If go on the stats, Chicago should win this game, but how long can Chicago keep it going, and how pissed off is Georgia?  I am going to stick my neck out and give Chicago the benefit of the doubt and stick with them this week.  Chicago, barely over Georgia.

Kansas City?  Right now, I doubt they could beat the bye.  And going up against the San Jose Sabercats, who have beaten the Arizona Rattlers, does not leave much hope of not going 0-5.  But KC has a bye week to try and get their team together for week seven.

Now, let's look at the Command's season so far.  They have played the Gladiators, first in their division, the Rattlers, first in their division, and the Rush who are first in our division.  The only chance they've really had so far is the Jacksonville Sharks, and its not going to get any better.  Kansas City is the lowest scoring team in the AFL, and the game against Chicago didn't improve their per game points scored average.

Barnstormers Even Their Record 2-2

If you watched the first half of the game, you might have been a little concerned.  The game ran pretty even, both teams failed to score on their first possession, then scored quickly.  The Barnstormers scored on a fumble in the end zone in the second half, then did what they do best, came out strong in the second half to take the game.  It works when you're playing teams like Pittsburgh.  It doesn't work against teams like Chicago and it won't work when the Arizona Rattlers come to Iowa next week.

Arizona is now 3-1 after a narrow win against last place division partner Spokane.  But if the Rattlers got too confident and cocky, it won't carry over into next week against Iowa.  I fully expect to Arizona to come to Des Moines fully loaded, and while it may be a close game, and the Iowa fans may have a few moments to be excited, I think the Rattlers will pull it out in the end and extend their stats to 5-1 and put Iowa back below .500.  Arizona will be coming into Iowa on a three game winning streak.

Now, I tried to watch the game on Ustream, but ended up just minimizing the screen and listening to the game on the headphones.  I don't know exactly what was up, I get the feeling that Ustream was cutting the video to block the commerical breaks.  It was fun, however, listening to the off-air comments of the radio announcer at times, but let's face facts, Ustream is not Nifty TV.

So, week six ... Arizona over Iowa.

KC Command Worst In League Honors

The Kansas City Command are sitting with a dismal record of 0-3 after Week Four.  They would likely be 0-4 if it wasn't for their early bye week, especially when you look at the league stats after the first four weeks.  The Kansas City Command rank last in Scoring Offense, Pass Offense, Total Offense, Pass Efficiency, First Down, Third Down Conversions, and Field Goals.  They ranked next to worst in allowing their opponents to convert on fourth down, and the dismal stats go on and on and on and on.

Those stats are about to get worse, and they are going to allow the Chicago Rush to break the "curse" of being picked the number one team when they go to Chicago this weekend, and instead of fulfilling their destiny and winning the game, they are going to stack more pitiful numbers on their already horrible stats.

But let's face facts.  When you look at the attendance across the league.  When you look at the points scored, and you take the time to watch some of the other games around the league, its easy to see that we're getting exactly what the owners are willing to pay for ... and that's far from the cream of the crop.  I heard one person state that the player turnover across the league is approaching 80-85%.  Players are not willing to put their bodies through the rigors of Football for pennies on the dollar.  It's gotten to the point where Players cannot afford to take time away from what have become their 'real jobs' in order to pursue what is not basically a hobby of playing football.  The team owners, and the owners of the new AFL have put this league back ... well one person said ten years, I would say its is far more than that.  Remember the base pay for an AFL player is now only around $400 per game, versus almost $6,000 per game before the league collapsed a few years ago and this new ... pseudo AFL ... arose.

The Kansas City Command need to do something fast.  They can use the excuse of competing against a KU Final Four match to explain away their last home game attendance of 2,833.  But what about the fact that they had less than 6,000 the home game before, and with all the promotions they are running, they will unlikely do any better the next home game.  The league needs to do something fast.  They are losing AFL fans at a high rate of speed.

Yes, I am spending a lot of time pointing out how bad things are in the AFL.  Suggestions?  How about we get back to what made the league great?  Cater to the Fans once again, going to an AFL game use to be a lot of fun.  Pay more money so you can get some better players.  We used to see some incredible football in the final minutes of a game, not any more.

league stats:  http://www.arenafootball.com/statsdrilldown/CONFLDRS.HTM

Rush Win a Close Match in Des Moines

My main concern last week was that Chicago could shoot themselves in the foot and lose the game to Iowa.  Unfortunately, I missed most of the game, coming in during the final minutes of regulation, and then watching the game through over-time.  From what I could figure out from listening to the announcer for Chicago, the team struggled during the first half.  However, Chicago managed to fight their way back and tie the game in the final seconds.

In overtime, Iowa marched down the field and scored, drawing first blood, but their kicker failed to score the extra point, leaving the door open for Chicago to come back and win.  Chicago took the ball and worked their way into the end zone, tying the game until the Rush kicked the point after to take sudden death and win the game.

So, what's next?  Chicago should be able to handle the Kansas City Command, as I stated in my review of the Kansas City Command Game.  The Barnstormers will be taking on the Pittsburgh Power.  Here are two teams that are sitting with only one win.  So, the question is, can Iowa beat the Power on the road?  I am going to base my prediction on the fact that the Barnstormers seem to be able to rise to the occasion, and give them the benefit of the doubt.   That's right, I'm simply going with the local team.

So, Chicago over KC ... Iowa over Pittsburgh.

Command Drop Game Three

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Kansas City Command dropped their third game to the Arizona Rattlers.  And it shouldn't be a surprise that the Rattler's won the game by twice the score.  Kansas City isn't going to be much to talk about this year.  Simply put, if the AFL fans in Kansas City want to get behind a team, they  might want to consider someone like the Barnstormers who seem to be able to surprise people with their performances.

As for the fans.  The attendance reports should be dismal.  The poor performance by the Command isn't going to be the main problem.  Kansas tipped off against Ohio State at eight o'clock, thirty minutes after the Command game was scheduled to start.  It would be a safe bet to say that Allen Field House has more people in attendance than the Sprint Center.

Update:  The attendance at the KC Command Game was beyond dismal.  Its is clear where the priorities lay for Arena Football Fans in Kansas City.  The attendance for this game, as reported to Arenafan.com?  2,833 in the seats.  Strangely enough, attendance across the league was up for this particular week.

Next Week?  The Command take on the Chicago Rush, and while Kansas City has been known to surprise the Rush - see last season - I doubt that Kansas City is going to win in Chicago.  So, Chicago over Kansas City.

Command Drop Game Two

While the Command seemed to be able to get the scores they needed to stay close in the game, but they couldn't pull it together enough to develop a win.  Again, I caught the game on Ustream, and I sat back and watched another AFL game that never came close to reminding me of the level of play that we were all accustom to back before the original AFL collapsed in 2008.

The Kansas City Command currently hold the lowest average for number of points scored per game in the entire league at 33.5, and have the second highest number of points allowed per game at 50.5.  They are failing to convert third downs and actually gave the ball up on downs in their game against Cleveland.  Kansas City is suffering the same disgrace that the rest of the league is suffering, and it's not showing any signs of getting better.  In fact, unless the Command start to show something to the fans, attendance is going to become even more dismal than it already is, and AEG is not going to allot the Command use of the Sprint Center if they cannot show a respectable profit.  And let's face facts, its far less about the sport and fans with the new AFL than it is about making a good solid profit for the owners and the league.

But let's look ahead now.

The Arizona Rattlers come to Kansas City in week four.  Arizona is currently in second place in their division and averaging 70 points per game in offense.  They lost against the Sabercats by one point in Week One, and in Week Two collected their first win against the Milwaukee Mustangs at home.

With the dismal showing that the Command has given over first three weeks of the season, I find no reason to believe that anything is going to change, and the Command will drop game two ... at home ... against a team that managed to make it to the Arenabowl last year and despite the fact that there is now a major turnover in players within the teams of the AFL.

Arizona over Kansas City

Rush Go 2 & 0

It wasn't pretty, and the Rush almost gave it away in the final seconds of the game, but them managed to become the only team to go 2 and 0 so far this season.  Up by as much as two scores, and coming back from a 14 point deficit, the Chicago Rush pulled out a win against the Orlando Predators with a score of 51-49.

Let's be honest.  If you watched the game on Ustream, you couldn't help but notice the number of people who were yawning during the final half of the game.  This is not the Arena Football that we all loved back before the collapse of the original AFL.  This is not the AFL that we were wanting to see Resurrected, and with the Player's Union put in its place last year, we're not likely to see if get any better at any time in the near future.

Next on the board for the Rush?  Iowa.  Enough said.  Rush will walk away with that one as well, unless this desire to shoot themselves in the foot overwhelms them.

Barnstormers Lose to the Blaze

I will give the Iowa Barnstormers this, they have tenacity.  Down by 20 points shortly after half-time, they scored, then forced a fumble that brought them immediately back within six points.  But they are making mistakes that against a better team could have put the game out of reach quickly.  These mistakes could be even more dangerous to a team who had a dismal road record in 2011.  But still, the team has tenacity.

Now, watching the game on Ustream, I couldn't help but notice that the arena didn't look like it had a good attendance.  But let's be fair.  Its St Patricks Day, and Iowa State is playing Kentucky at the same time in the NCAA tournament (Iowa St lost).  Still, the Iowa Barnstormer reported an attendance of 8,258, which is respectable for the new Arena Football League.

The Barnstormers need to figure out how to stop shooting themselves in the foot.  The strip of J.J. Raterink for a score, then the backward pass that Utah picked up for another touchdown are classic problems that need to be addressed if the Barnstormers are going to become a team to take seriously.

What about next week?  The Barnstormers have a bye.  They come back on March 31st at home against the Chicago Rush.  As it stands right now, barring any disasters, the Rush should be able to handle the Barnstormers in Iowa.

Command Lose Season Opener to Jacksonville at Home

The Kansas City Command open their 2012 Season at home with a loss to the Jacksonville Sharks, 28-52.  But the score wasn't the only loss.  The Command and the owners of the Sprint Center, AEG, have been battling a dwindling interest in the team since the team made the move from Kemper to the new Sprint Center.  The season opener is recorded as having a league low 5,161 in attendance, and to be honest, its hard to get your team inspired when the seats look mostly empty.

So, what's next?  The Command are going to play the Cleveland Gladiators who are coming off a loss to the Georgia Force.  Cleveland was clearly the superior team in 2011, finishing at the top of the division, and with the history of the Command, its a pretty safe statement to say that Kansas City fans need to be ready to look an 0-2 Command when they come back home to Kansas City to suffer another loss against the Arizona Rattlers.  Could this change?  Yes, it could.  Will it?  Unlikely, based on the history of the Command.

Predictions:
Week Three:  Cleveland over Command
Week Four:  Arizona over Command (but we'll re-examine it after the next game)

AFL - Less than Impressive

We love our Arena Football.  We would love it more if the league set pay standards that would attract the better players who are not locked into another Professional Football team.  Prior to the collapse of the AFL in 2009, the average wage of an AFL player was around 85,000 a year.  That's nothing to sneeze at.  However, with the restructuring of the Arena Football League, and the 2010 failure of the newly formed AFL Player's Union, the average Arena Football Player only makes $400 per game.  On a 16 game schedule, that works out to a staggering ... wait for it ... $6,400 per year.  Wow, don't quit your day job.  No seriously, the League has even told them ... keep a day job.

Now I did find a resource that claimed that the top players in the League make around 50,000 per year.  The average income for a team player would depend on the number of higher paid stars and the Salary Cap for the league ... a cap that I've heard about, but can't find any information on.

The toothless Player's Union is not going to make matters any better any time soon.  In 2010, it was made clear by the Team Owners that they will use Union Breaking Tactics to prevent the Player's Union from gaining any real control.  When the Player's decided to boycott the games at the opening of the 2010 season, after the owners and league were not willing to come to terms with the Players Union, the owners locked out their players and brought in people who were willing to cross the line and play for a team that they had originally failed to make the roster for.  This caused the league's players to cross their own picket lines, breaking the attempt of the Player's Union to get back some of the five thousand dollars in "per game" salary cuts.

Now, the money stats are based on information available on the Internet.  The story of how the player's boycott was broken by the team owners was a story told by a team rep for the Spokane Shock during the television broadcast streamed via uStream.tv this past Monday night.  What should be a hint of how things are is the fact that he seemed proud of the event and how it turned out.

So, despite the banner that says "25 Years", this is not the Arena Football League that captured the hearts of  fans for over twenty years.  This is a new version, with less of a focus on the fans and more on making big money for the little men who are Arena Football team owners.

Command vs Sharks - Game One in Kansas City

Unless the Command have made some major changes to their team, unless they have put the problems of 2011 behind them, the Kansas City Command will open their 2012 Season with a loss at home against the Jacksonville Sharks.  Now, I know that there are going to be a lot of people who would want to disagree with me.  The Kansas City Command Fans really want this team to step up and have a winning season.  But history is working against them.  The Kansas City Command have not been able to put together a winning season since they moved from Kemper to the Sprint Center, and dwindling attendance makes it hard for the team to afford picking up the better players (as if the league was paying them much to begin with).

So, I am going to make two predictions:  Command will drop one to the Sharks, attendance will be its normal less than 9,500 in attendance, even with the specials they are running.

Barnstormers Beat Spokane in Overtime

The first half of the game was back and forth between the Iowa Barnstormers and the Spokane Shock.  But things seemed to change after half-time as the Spokane Shock seemed to be shooting themselves in the foot.  The Iowa Barnstormers took the lead, and at one point had extended their lead to 56-42, but that lead would dwindle and regulation time would run out with the score tied at 63.

Iowa won the coin toss for overtime and after deferring to Spokane.  On the third play of overtime, Iowa intercepted the ball and that set up the 35 yard pass from Raterink to Marco Thomas that would give Iowa the win.

Spokane didn't look good most of the game.  In fact, if it hadn't been for the vicious hit that took Spokane's Quarterback out of the game, the game would have likely ended with a much more decisive win by Iowa.  Meyer was just not putting it together.  Iowa also needs to take into consideration that incidents like the vicious hit that Mohring put on Spokane's Quarterback, that got him ejected from the game, is going to put a target on their backs and could work against them.  I mean, come on gentlemen, its not like you're out there defending a job that pays millions a year.  This is arena football, you're not making all that much, and with the past success of your player union, its not going to get much better.

So, what's next?

The Iowa Barnstormers host the Utah Blaze on Saturday.  The Blaze lost their first game of the season against Arenabowl Champion Quarterback Aaron Garcia, and the San Antonio Talons who were only 8-10 for 2011.  Utah apparently had a rough game, penalties and miscues being a major part of their loss.  Iowa is normally efficient at home, and coming in with a Win against Spokane, I am going to give Iowa the nod in this match up.

Week Two Prediction:  Iowa over Utah.

Rush Run Over Tampa Bay

First game of the season, and the Chicago Rush are off to a great start.  With a team record eight towndown passes, and two returned interceptions, Russ Michna opened the season with a 70-48 WIN!

I really wanted to sit down and watch the game.  I found a free video feed from the stadium on Ustream TV, but life took me away from my computer and I didn't get back to the computer until after the game was over.  But I'm excited about the win!  Michna with eight touchdown passes, Kevin Morris with two great interceptions for touchdowns.  There is every reason to believe that the Rush have an excellent chance of making a serious bid for the 2012 Arenabowl.

So, what's next?  The Chicago Rush will take a bye in Week Two, then host the Orlando Predators in a Thursday night game for Week Three.  The Orlando Predators suffered a double digit loss in Week One against the Pittsburgh Power, (40-26), on the road, but in 2011 they finished the season with a record of 11-7, with a record of 5-4 (.555) on the road.  Chicago had a strong home record in 2011, and they are off to a great start in 2012.  My prediction for Week Three?  I think I'll take Chicago again.  Both Chicago and Pittsburgh will be coming back from a Bye Week.

Kansas City Tease (sigh)

Selling the players as Serious?
Looks more like Sex Sells
(taken from KC Tease on Facebook)

Okay, I'm starting to get a headache trying to figure this team out.  First they were going to be a part of the Leather and Lace Football League (LLFL), then I found something about the Sugar and Spice Football League a couple of months ago (SSFL), and now I find that they are a part of a new league allegedly formed by the female athletes called the Ladies Arena Football League (LAFL).  It seems like there has been a lot of confusion about where they are going to land especially with the talk being that their season was coming up soon.  Now they are in a league with only five total teams, according to LAFL website, and there is no schedule posted for the alleged 2012 Season.  Here is the information provided on the site:

Lady Arena Football League is formed by Female Athletes. We understand being female Athletes and not being appeciated for our talents. LAFL Staffs works hard at setting a platform for ladies to be beautiful on and off the feild. 

We are a 8 on 8 Full Contact Football League which play in Lingerie Style Uniforms. LAFL are of the same By Laws and Rules of the National Arena Football League. Ladies of the LAFL are not just Football Players, there are other opportunities under our unbrella.

Ladies of the LAFL will not just be Football Players but  Role Models to young women. Letting them know you  can compete in a "MAN Sport" and  embrace being a lady at the same time.

The Lady Arena Football League is in its active first season. The League consist of 5 Active teams: Lady Houston Panthers, New Orleans Lady Dollz, Los Angeles Riders, Kansas City Tease and St. Louis Sting.  (LAFL Web Site)

This is a football team?  I see two that I would be willing
to take seriously, the rest ... well ... I'm struggling
(taken from KC Tease on Facebook)

Interesting little tidbit that I picked up on Twitter about one of the teams in this league, the LA Riders is owned by Snoop Dog.  The Kansas City Tease is owned by Steve Hooks, a local entrepreneur in the local entertainment industry for the past 10 years.  The team is coached by Leonard Bulock who brings to the table a lengthy resume of High School Football Coaching positions, and apparently some experience in ladies Semi-Pro ball.

But it all still comes down to the fact that when you look at their Facebook page, you still see the promos that the team is going to be showing up at a club named Luna.  In all fairness, the sex sells attitude is exploited with the Lingerie Football League, and I really gave them a hard time until I started catching the games on MTV2, so I guess we will have to see what comes of this, especially after one reader has stated in a previous article that the ladies are actually running some real plays at practice.

So, let's find a home already.  Don't tell me to take you seriously when all I have to go by are pictures like the two shown here.  Someone needs to tell those who would like to see if this can be taken seriously or not, when and where are they going to be playing here in Kansas City, and how much is this ... game ... going to cost me to check the team out?

I'd like to be a fan, but I'm having a hard time taking this all seriously.

Chicago Rush 43 - Iowa Barnstormers 22

Rush vs Barnstormers at iWireless Arena in Moline Illinois

While it doesn't really count, it should be taken as a sign of things to come.  The exhibition game between the Chicago Rush and the Iowa Barnstormers is in the books and Chicago walks away with it.

Like a lot of people who didn't make the game, I had to watch Twitter and the Chicago Rush Facebook page for updates for the game, and from what was being shared, it was a good game.  To get things started, the Defense sacked the Barnstormer's quarterback, then scored on a Barnstormer's fumble.  The Barnstormers came back with a TD, but missed the extra point.  They would not score again in the first half of the game and at half-time the Rush had a commanding 26 to 6 lead.

The second half of the game show a little life from the Barnstormers.  The Barnstormers managed to block a field goal attempt and return it for a TD.  The Barnstormers would score another nine points in the second half, but it would not come close to being enough to take the game.  The final score was Chicago 43, Iowa 22.

But as I said, this was only an exhibition game.

AFL: Week One Preview - Chicago over Tampa, Iowa loses to Spokane?

Its almost Arena Football Season once again, and once again I am going to be tracking three teams.  Once again I am going to be tracking the local underdogs, the Kansas City Command and the Iowa Barnstormers.  But my team for 2012 will once again be the Chicago Rush, if you haven't figured that out from the new header on my Blog.

Tomorrow (February 25th) is actually the first game of the AFL Season for me ... an exhibition game between the Chicago Rush and the Iowa Barnstormers, which does not show up on any schedule, and is reported to be taking place at the I Wireless arena in Moline Illinois.  Unfortunately, I have yet to find any hint that the game will be televised for those who would like to see it, but can't really make the trip to Moline.  I stand by my prediction that as long as Chicago takes the game seriously, they will win.

I know its early, but let's take an early look at Week One:

Let's start off with the Chicago Rush.  Week One they will be taking on the Tampa Bay Storm in Chicago.  These two teams did not meet in Inter-Conference play in 2011, but they will meet on March 10th.  

Tampa Bay finished the 2011 Season with a record of 7 wins 11 loses.  They were 4-7 in Conference play, but they were in a strong conference, which included the AFL Champs Jacksonville Sharks.  But they only averaged 44 points per game during 2011 while allowing their opponents to average 56 points per game..

Chicago finished 2011 with a record of 13-5, and finished in Second Place in their conference, losing to the Arizona Rattlers in their final playoff bid to return to the Arenabowl.  They came out of the 2011 season with an average of 53 points per game and only allowed their opponents to average 46 points per game.  So, I'm going to go with history, and Chicago has a strong AFL history, I am going to call this one for the Chicago Rush.

The Iowa Barnstormers will be taking on the Spokane Shock in Spokane.  These two teams only met once in 2011 with Iowa hosting.  The result of the game was a one point win by Iowa as the home team.

In 2011 the Spokane Shock made it to the first round of the playoffs where their season was ended by the Arizona Rattlers.  Spokane finished 2011 with a regular season record of 9 wins and 9 loses, averaging almost 58 points per game while allowing their opponents to average 57 points.  They were 6-5 in their own Conference, but the interesting little piece of information here is that they were only 2-7 when playing away.

Iowa finished 2011 with a record of 5-13 with a home record of 4-5.  They averaged 51 points per game, but allowed their opponents to average 62 points.  Looking at the two teams stats, I find it hard to believe that Iowa is going to beat Spokane in Spokane.  If it was the other way around, if Iowa was at home, then I could see giving them the benefit of the doubt, but I have to call this one for Spokane.

So, Week One:  Chicago over Tampa Bay - Spokane over Iowa.

Oh, Kansas City has a bye Week One.