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.

This Week in the CPIFL (America's Hobbyist Football League)

First and foremost, the idea of calling the players in this league Professionals is an insult to the people playing in the league.  Every indication is that the players in the CPIFL are paid so little that they can't even afford to take time off from their jobs during the season to train or compete.  A ball park figure for the player salaries, which is under a League set Salary Cap, is around $250 per game.  Which means, if they are putting in anything more than 32 hours a week into this hobby, they are making less than minimum wage.  So, let's call it what it is, a hobby league, and let's stop lying to the fans that they are paying to attend a serious professional football event.  To be frank, this is probably only going to be a one year wonder for many of the teams that are in the league.  Looking at Wichita's stats, they are only bringing in less than three thousand fans per game, and no telling how many of those tickets are being comp'd.  And Kansas City has never reported the attendance for their games at Kemper Arena, but a guess by looking at the live streams of the game, they are barely breaking two thousand fans, if they are doing that.

Update:  I have recently heard a news report that the Renegades made an offer to a former NFL Football Player (do I really need to say the name?).  What amazed me was that the reporter commented that they offered him the same deal as the other teams in the league ... $75.00 per game.  That low?  Could that information be correct?  If that is the came, then the league is even more "hobbyist" than I originally suspected and it answers a lot of questions about the quality of play on the field.

Wichita is on top of the standings again this week, carrying an overall record of 6-1.  Interesting is the fact that the team that beat them was Kansas City, who started off 0-2 and has now won their last four games in a row.  If this was the "old" AFL, I would be excited, but this is the CPIFL, and the last game I watched reminded me more of a High School football game than a Professional or even Semi-Pro game.

Anyway, Kansas City did win it's fourth game in a row, beating 0-5 Mid-Mo in Sedalia Missouri.  That's right, little Sedalia has a professional football team.  The week before, they beat another powerhouse in the league, the Kansas Koyotes (based out of Topeka Kansas), who's only win was against ... Mid-Mo.  This coming weekend, the Renegades will take on the Salina Bombers (3-2).  After that, they take on their first real challenge in several weeks, the Sioux City Bandits (4-1), who's only loss is against the Omaha Beef (4-1).  The only two teams that seem to have a chance handing KC another loss are Sioux City and Omaha, who have both already beaten KC in their first two games.  So it comes down to whether or not KC actually resolved its problems on the field, or if the competition is just that pitiful.

It's Got To Get Better... KC Renegades

As I stated in my first review of the KC Renegades, the team needs to have a winning season to attract back the fans that they've lost over the past several years with the loss of the Brigade, then the fiasco called the Command.  But as we come out of week three, the Renegades finally pull in their first win against Oklahoma, who came into the match sporting a standing of 1-1.  Now the Renegades are 1-2, and while things seem to be looking up, the team is getting ready to face off the top team in the league, the Wichita Wild, who are currently 4-0.

I decided to take a look at the stats for the past two games, one point of interest was how many people are attending the game.  I find this a point of curiosity since the stands look pitifully empty, and I couldn't help but shake my heads as I noticed that the team is not reporting their attendance to the league, or at least, the attendance is not being reported publicly.  That's scary since the week two game, away, attendance was reported by Sioux City Bandits (which was under 5,000 fans).  

Interesting tidbit to think about as we look forward to the weeks ahead.  The owner of the KC Renegades was also involved in the ownership of the KC Command, according to an article I found in a Philadelphia article about the AFL.  Reflecting back on the pitiful talent that the Command worked with, there is little to bring hope that this team will be handled any better than the previous endeavors.  With that said, I'm going to sit back and wait to see how the season shakes out.  But let us consider the talk on the street about the future of Kemper Arena, and the fact that no team is going to survive in KC without more than a couple of thousand fans supporting it.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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