Renegades Announce New Head Coach - Beat Bloomington

With a record of 4-4, and having lost their last two games (at home), the Renegade announced that Tom DeVoe was now the Head Coach for the team.  It will be interesting to see how this actually effects the team's play, but its going to be the final game of the season before the team faces a real challenge.  I gave KC the flip of the coin and picked them over Bloomington this week, they teams were pretty much evenly matched, but I just felt that the Renegades had a better chance of winning than Bloomington, even being on the road.

Next week, the Renegades will be on the road again, this time against the 3-6 Oklahoma City Defenders.  I really don't see Kansas City losing this game, but anything is possible.  In fact, I don't see KC losing either of the next two games, and the only reason to come back and talk about the team before they take on the Omaha Beef would be if the team actually does something incredible, or they completely fall apart.  I am going to stick with my season final of 7-5, their only remaining loss to be against the Omaha Beef.

The Renegade drop their second game in a row, losing 51 to 42 against the Sioux City Bandits.  This really didn't come as a surprise to me, there are a handful of teams that seem to be dominating the league, and Sioux City is one of them.  In fact, this is one of the two teams that I stated it as doubtful the Renegades would beat.  Next week is the game that I wasn't really certain about last week, and looking at this week's results, with both teams at 4-4 but when you look at the Blooming stats I would find myself inclined to give the advantage to Bloomington.  Bringing home field advantage into the mix, while Bloomington is showing a drop in fan support, they are 2-2 at home, while Kansas City is 2-1 on the road.  Flip a coin, but I'm going to go with my gut and say that Kansas City could squeak next week out.  If that is the case, I'm only predicting one more loss this season, and that would leave them at a 7-5 record.  Do I see them winning a championship?  No.  I don't see them making it out of any playoffs that they may luck into.

used without permission

Now, let's get back on the issue of attendance.  Watching the playback of Saturday's game, its clear that the attendance at these games is dismal at best.  You see more pictures of empty seats than you do what anyone could call a crowd.  I am finding it hard to believe that the owners can see a 2014 season here in Kansas City, and looking at the overall numbers across the league, the CPIFL may be a flash in the pan, unless someone can manage to come up with a successful marketing ploy.  Nice experiment gentlemen, but its an failure here in KC.

Now, I have seen some talk about the cheerleaders.  Let's first take into account that they do not pay these ladies to perform, at least not from what I've ever heard.  Working for the KC Renegades is not going to be a major point in any resume they may have.  So, when you get a cheerleader that is plump, as I have heard stated, then either cough some money so that you can hire pole dancers like we've seen in the past, or sit back and enjoy the fact that not all the girls look like they need to eat or they are going to pass out.  I personally like my ladies healthy looking.

KC Renegades End Winning Streak

The Kansas City Renegades lost their bid for five straight wins.  In the face of another dismal attendance, despite the "Kids Day" promotion, the Renegades bombed, losing to the Salina Bombers 47-31.  The Renegade managed to lead the game up until the final few minutes of the first half when the Bombers scored three times before the break, and never looked back.

Again, I didn't waste my time or money making the run down to Kemper Arena to watch the event.  I relaxed at home and pulled the game up on 810TV and watched their live stream.  What I found was a team that couldn't get their game together, and couldn't stop the Bomber's air attack.  In fact, the Bombers didn't have a single running play in the first half.  They did come out in the second half and introduce a running game after half time, and while KC managed to put another 14 points on the board in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the lead that Salina took into the half and held the rest of the game.  The closest KC came to taking the lead was coming within 3 points with 10:52 left in the game.

Once again, attendance was dismal.  Looking at the video, I find it hard to believe that the team is bringing in enough money to pay the bills.  Yes, there is advertising around the field, but how long are companies going to pay with attendance as low as it is.  Then there was the promo that they ran for this game.  Each paid adult could bring one child to the game for free.  I don't know where they advertised this promo other than on their web site, but it clearly had little affect on the attendance.

So, what's next?  The Renegades take on the Sioux City Bandits (4-2) at Kemper Arena.  The Bandits come into Kansas City after a loss to the Omaha Beef.  Considering the level of play that was observed against Salina, I find it hard to perceive that the Renegades will win next week.  In fact, I am only willing to ponder the idea of the Renegades winning two, maybe three more games.  I will go out on a limb and give the Renegades wins against Oklahoma and Kansas.  Bloomington on the other hand could go either way, but I find it difficult to give the Renegades the upper hand against Sioux City or Omaha.  So, with the Renegades currently at 4-3, they could conceivably end the season at a ... well ... I guess respectable 7-5.  And at that end result, there is a chance that the Renegades could conceivably finish in the top four of the league.

But I am not about to use that possible end result as a statement of how good the team is, but as a reference to how bad the league is.

The Kansas City Renegades win their third straight game against the 1-3 Kansas Koyotes (Topeka), and they do it with a significant spread in points.  But before we get excited, how is attendance coming along?  And what about the fact that the only significant team they have managed to beat was the Wichita Wild, who currently sit 5-1 with their only loss against KC.  Everyone else that they have beaten are pushing records of only one win, so let's not get excited about the Renegades until they start beating someone with a record.  Looking ahead to next week, it should be another win for the Renegades, giving them a confidence building 4 straight wins. However, should KC get cocky, they could find themselves recording a loss against what looks to be the worst team in the league.  And the scenery is going to change as the Renegades will start playing most of their games on the road, and especially against teams that are showing better records.  But I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt ... there is a change that the Renegade has turned it around and could end this season with a respectable standing.  The problem is ... what's in line for a 2014 venue, will Kemper still be there considering the rumors of change in the bottoms ... and the incredibly low attendance, can they make it worth their time to keep the team going?

The Iowa Barnstormers fall below .500 with a loss to the Philadelphia Soul this week.  Iowa seemed to be off to an incredible start, but they are quickly putting themselves in the basement as they have falled into a losing streak  Chicago, on the other hand, picks up their second win this week, embarrassing the Pittsburgh Power.  Unfortunately, the two teams that I watched last year, one of which has been one of my favorite AFL teams since I discovered arena football, are not doing well at all in 2014..

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.

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 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?

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.

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.