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..

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pre-Season: Chicago Rush vs Iowa Barnstormers

The Arena Football League will hold an exhibition game between the Chicago Rush and the Iowa Barnstormers at the I-Wireless Center in Moline Illinois, on February 25, 2012.  With the end of the NFL season, Arena fans are biting at the bit for Arena season to kick off, and its just around the corner.

I've said it time and time again, I was a Chicago Rush fan before there was an Arena team in Kansas City.  When the Kansas City Brigade were the team here in Kansas City, I supported them as a Season Ticket holder, but always found my loyalties divided when the Brigade and the Rush faced off.  Now its the Kansas City Command, and I find it incredibly hard to be a Command fan after the final Brigade Season, and the fact that everything that people loved about the Brigade died when the team left its original home in Kemper Arena.  So, my team for 2012 will be as it was in 2011 ... the Chicago Rush.

How do I think the Barnstormers are going to fare against Chicago?  While there is always the off chance of an upset, the Chicago Rush completed the 2011 Season with a superior team.  There is no reason to believe that that's going to change.  Chicago has the fan support to bring in the money it takes to tap into the better players.  Then again, we need to remember that Pre-Season does not count, so there is a good chance that Chicago is not going to field their top players.

But neither team is at home here.  This is neutral ground, even with it taking place in Illinois, its right on the Mississippi with Iowa on the other bank.  Looking at the records these two teams met twice in 2011, with Chicago winning both.  With Iowa at home, the game was decided by only one point, while in Chicago the game was decided by 10 points.  So, in my opinion, if Chicago takes the game seriously, and barring one of Iowa's uncanny lucky games, Chicago should win this one.