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.