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Columbus Wild Dogs (IFL)

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3yardsandacloud said:
This explaination will suffice. Articles from the dispatch are never considered "spam" unless they are indeed an advertisement for the Dispatch. Your article (without any explaination) seems like pure advertisement for Arena League Football and the Destroyers. Usually, when folks make a post they are looking to start a discussion. I would suggest an opening statement like "Here's an article I recently wrote. What do you think about arena football?"
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Sounds good to me.
 
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3yardsandacloud said:
This explaination will suffice. Articles from the dispatch are never considered "spam" unless they are indeed an advertisement for the Dispatch. Your article (without any explaination) seems like pure advertisement for Arena League Football and the Destroyers. Usually, when folks make a post they are looking to start a discussion. I would suggest an opening statement like "Here's an article I recently wrote. What do you think about arena football?"
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I concur with your suggestion. I can see how Dispatch posts wouldn't need such an explanation, but this one would. A more appropriate question for discussion is "What do think think about the recent growth of numerous professional indoor football leagues and teams that are not even part of the AFL?"
 
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Thank you RHS, much better.

I would guess that there is some money to be made in arena football. I can think of no other reason for the rapid growth in teams/leagues. Of course there are several factors that help this trend. A wealth of untapped talent (football players), and a large fan base (football enthusiasts) that simply can't afford football at the highest professional level (generally families).
 
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3yardsandacloud said:
Thank you RHS, much better.

I would guess that there is some money to be made in arena football. I can think of no other reason for the rapid growth in teams/leagues. Of course there are several factors that help this trend. A wealth of untapped talent (football players), and a large fan base (football enthusiasts) that simply can't afford football at the highest professional level (generally families).
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1) Great potential money making industry
2) Lots of untapped talent
3) Large fan base
4) Need for value priced entertainment

Those are easily the 4 bigs ones. Others would be the desire to continue watching local college stars play. Or perhaps a sense of community spirit for towns that aren't big enough for the NFL. Despite the number of reasons, the recent explosion of growth is evidence that the reasons are there and the market is responding to the demand. Probably even OVER responding. I'm pretty sure many of these teams are going to die in a few years. Probably more than half. I think it will be very interesting to see how it shapes out. It's like a big game of Survivor. Even someone who hates indoor football could view the process of a new sport's evolution as a bit interesting.

Just for clarification sake, I assume when you say "arena football" you mean all of the professional indoor teams given they all pretty much play in an "arena". But the AFL was awarded a patent on their sport, which basically just covers the large rebound nets in the end zone, but it also includes the name "Arena Football". The other six currently operating professional indoor football leagues and their 60+ teams that are not part of the ALF or af2 can not say that they play "arena football". As such, it can be a little confusing when you say there is some money to be made in "arena football" when the NIFL, AIFL, UIF, GLIFL, et al are trying to make money playing something other than "arena football". In fact, some of these leagues have aspirations to replace the AFL as the #1 indoor football league.
 
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Dispatch

4/22/06

DESTROYERS 46 SOUL 45

Kaleo caps rally with TD pass, two-pointer

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Bradley Schlegel
FOR THE DISPATCH

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PHILADELPHIA — John Kaleo knew which play would be ideal for a two-point conversion. The Destroyers, however, had to reach the end zone first.
Kaleo ran for a touchdown with less than a minute remaining last night, then passed to David Saunders for two points to give Columbus a 46-45 victory over Philadelphia.
"I had a real good feeling," Kaleo said.
He completed 28 of 44 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns to help Columbus (6-7) rally from a 21-point deficit, halt a three-game losing streak and stay in the playoff race.
B.J. Barre caught eight passes for 62 yards and Darcey Levy added seven receptions for 88 yards to pace the Destroyers, who tied their franchise record for victories in a season.
After struggling early, Kaleo threw with confidence in the second half to help the Destroyers overcome a 31-17 halftime deficit.
His 1-yard TD pass to Saunders early in the fourth quarter forced a 38-38 tie.
Philadelphia (7-6) went ahead 45-38 on a 16-yard touchdown catch by Steve Smith with 9:31 left in the fourth quarter. The team had a chance to go ahead by 10, but Todd France couldn’t convert a 24-yard field goal try.
During the kick, Kaleo and coach Doug Kay discussed the potential two-point conversion. Kaleo knew Saunders could beat defensive back Kevin Gaines on a comeback.
"I liked the matchup," Kaleo said.
First, Kaleo had to get his team into the end zone. He found Karl Bond for a 30-yard pass on third down, then scored on a 1-yard run three plays later.
The Destroyers weren’t going to take their chances in overtime, so Kay called the play Kaleo suggested earlier.
Saunders responded, beating former teammate Kevin Gaines on a comeback pattern just inside the goal line. Saunders figured his friend was expecting a fade stop.
"I gave him a little push," Saunders said.
France had a chance to win it for the Soul. But his attempt from 42 yards as time expired missed wide right.
"Everything worked out," Saunders said. "This was a game we had to win if we want to go to the playoffs. We don’t want to be sitting at home."
With the Destroyers down 28-7 early in the second quarter, a loss seemed likely. They fumbled away three scoring opportunities in the first quarter. Michael Brown scored four touchdowns, including two kick returns, in the first half to give the Soul a three-touchdown edge. France’s 32-yard field goal late in the second quarter put Philadelphia ahead 31-17 at halftime.
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The Destoyers' coaching staff almost threw that game away. Down 31-24 in the 3rd, Soul QB Matt Sauk threw a 3rd and 9 pass into the stands. But instead of it being 4th and 9 at midfield for the Soul, Destroyers' line coach Ian Cooper was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct giving the Soul first an ten. The Soul with new life proceeded to score to push the lead to 38-24. Apparently the reflex actions that were ingrained into me in the 90's at OSU still exist as I couldn't control myself from screaming "DAMNIT COOPER!"
 
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Dispatch

4/29/06

ARENA FOOTBALL

Destroyers know they have a job to do

Big victory last week puts club in hunt, but it can’t let up

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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The Destroyers faced the biggest play of their season last week, and John Kaleo had no doubt about which teammate would be his target.
With 40 seconds left, Kaleo scored on a keeper to pull Columbus to one point behind host Philadelphia. The cautious move would have been to kick the extra point and hope for overtime.
But Kaleo would have none of it. He pleaded his case with Destroyers coaches to go for the two-point conversion and throw the pass to David Saunders.
Kaleo got his wish, and then Saunders made the gamble pay off. He fought off Kevin Gaines in the end zone to make the catch on a comeback pattern. The Destroyers hung on to win, keeping their Arena Football League playoff hopes alive heading into their game tonight at the Austin Wranglers.
"There was no hesitation," Kaleo said. "I knew who I wanted to give the opportunity to try to win the game for us."
He and Saunders have worked together, having been teammates in Tampa Bay in 2002-03.
"We work out hard in the off-season together with several other receivers," Kaleo said. "He’s familiar with my ball and I’m familiar with his routes. So it’s kind of an interesting chemistry. In dire situations, I feel I can get him the ball."
The Destroyers (6-7) have had a revolving door at receiver all season, but Saunders has been a model of consistency. He has at least one touchdown catch in Columbus’ past nine games. For the season, he has 58 catches for 666 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He also has played well as the so-called jack linebacker.
"I just think David is one of the premier players at that position in the whole league," Destroyers coach Doug Kay said. "I watch him like a kid in a candy store sometimes because I’m just amazed at his abilities."
Saunders’ defensive prowess might have kept him from becoming the team’s offensive specialist, but he doesn’t mind.
"I’m real comfortable with my role," he said. "Sometimes I wish I could be the OS, but I love playing defense and I think my team needs me on defense. Playing both sides of the field keeps me more into the game."
Saunders just hopes Columbus’ season can be extended past the final three regularseason games. The other teams Columbus is competing with for the final playoff spots – Tampa Bay, Georgia and Austin – all lost last week. A playoff spot that seemed a long shot last week after the Destroyers’ third straight loss has become realistic again.
But only if the Destroyers take advantage of their newfound opportunity.
"We’re confident," Saunders said. "We know what we have to do. Our motto right now is: ‘Do you want to go to work or do you want to go home?’ "
[email protected]
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Dispatch

4/30/06

DESTROYERS 40 WRANGLERS 33

End-zone interception on final play saves Destroyers

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Mark Swanson
FOR THE DISPATCH

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AUSTIN, Texas — These are heady times for the Destroyers.
After a dramatic win against Philadelphia last week, the eight-year-old franchise was able to dream of the playoffs.
And, after a pulsating 40-33 win over the Austin Wranglers, those dreams may become reality.
"We showed what we’re all about," said defensive back B.J. Barre, who intercepted a pass in the end zone on the last play of the game to preserve the win. "We just followed our assignments and stuck to our guys when we had to."
The Destroyers (7-7) went up by seven when John Kaleo found David Saunders for a twisting 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:27 left in the game.
That was only the start of the drama.
Austin immediately mounted a final drive and had a first-andgoal from the 6-yard line with 35 seconds left. Three runs netted 5 yards and left the Wranglers (8-6) 1 yard short with six seconds left.
Austin quarterback John Fitzgerald dropped back, rolled right and lofted a pass into the corner of the end zone that Barre snagged to give Columbus a last-play victory.
The Destroyers are tied with Philadelphia and Tampa Bay for the sixth and final National Conference playoff spot. Columbus hosts Tampa Bay next Saturday and holds the tiebreaker against Philadelphia.
"We’re still in the hunt," coach Doug Kay said. "We’re still a contender. We’ve never won seven games and we showed that we don’t give up and don’t concede."
It was some remarkable goal line work that kept Columbus in the playoff chase. With Austin up 26-16 at halftime, Sedrick Robinson was on the verge of putting Columbus in a 17-point hole when he broke free with the opening kickoff of the second half. However, Barre stripped the ball at the 2-yard line, giving Brandon Hefflin a chance to recover the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
After a 26-yard Mark Lewis field goal brought Columbus to 26-19, Austin again drove down the field and had a first-andgoal at the 4. Seven times the Wranglers tried to punch it in and seven times they failed, even with the help of two Columbus penalties. The drive finally ended when Torrance Marshall fumbled just short of the goal line. Brad Greetis recovered at the 1 to again keep the Destroyers alive.
After starting the game with a bang, the Destroyers’ offense quickly and quietly went into a shell. On the game’s opening possession, the Destroyers confidently marched 43 yards to take a 7-0 lead.
[email protected]
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That was the third come from behind road victory for the Destroyers this season. This Saturday's game is the biggest since the Destroyers arrived in Columbus. If they win, odds are greatly in their favor to make the playoffs even if they lose in week 16. If they lose, odds are greatly against them making the playoffs even if they win in week 16.
 
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Dispatch

5/3/06

ARENA FOOTBALL

Playoff spot could be win away for Destroyers

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Three weeks ago, the Columbus Destroyers’ chances on making the Arena Football League playoffs seemed on life support.
A home loss to the New York Dragons on April 14 left the Destroyers’ record at 5-7. In a rugged National Conference in which only one team has a losing record, the Destroyers appeared to be destined for another year at home during the postseason.
Now, after two gnaw-yourfingernails victories at Philadelphia and Austin, the Destroyers (7-7) have regained control of their playoff destiny.
A victory Saturday night over the Tampa Bay Storm in Nationwide Arena would put the Destroyers in excellent position for the playoffs. In fact, if the Destroyers win and Dallas (12-2) beats Philadelphia (7-7), they will clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the team moved to Columbus three years ago.
"I don’t think we ever hit the panic button or gave up," quarterback John Kaleo said of the three-game losing streak. "We just knew it was a rough streak. A lot of it was brought on by ourselves. Now that we’re finding ways to win, it’s nice to be able to control our destiny and not have to rely on another team. You know if you screw it up, it’s all on us."
The Destroyers are determined not to squander their opportunity, but they are facing a tough opponent. Though Tampa Bay is only 7-7, the Storm is the league’s pre-eminent franchise.
The Storm has won five Arena Bowl titles, the last one in 2003 with Kaleo at quarterback. Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum has won seven league championships. Destroyers coach Doug Kay was his defensive coordinator for one of them, in 1993.
"My concern right now is probably the most formidable franchise in the league as far as playoffs are concerned," Kay said. "It’s a bad time to play Tampa Bay when it’s a struggle for the playoffs. They haven’t missed the playoffs in 15 years."
The Destroyers made the playoffs only twice while in Buffalo, both times with losing records. They lost in the first round each time.
The disparity in playoff experience weighs on Kay.
"We have some players who’ve been to the playoffs, certainly," Kay said. "But we don’t have a collective group that’s been to the playoffs. They have people who’ve been in that organization six, seven, eight years.
"Our players are just putting together some sort of entity. They have to realize exactly what they’re confronted with and how well they have to play."
The Destroyers have prevailed the past two games despite scoring only 86 points and falling behind both times.
"We have to be a better football team early in the game as well as late," Kay said. "You don’t survive this time of year unless you’re doing that.
"We play ugly at times. I’ve said before that we don’t play as good as we are. When it’s a cumulative effort — defense and offense — we’re lucky to be able to survive."
If the Destroyers lose Saturday, they face an uphill road to the playoffs, in part because they’ll have lost the tie-breaker to Tampa Bay.
"We’d hate to be in a situation where we have to rely on someone to lose," defensive specialist Jerald Brown said. "Now we have the opportunity to knock someone out of the playoffs and get in the playoffs ourselves."
[email protected]
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Dispatch

5/7/06

DESTROYERS 51 STORM 48

Destroyers play strong game to keep playoff hopes alive

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>MIKE MUNDEN DISPATCH PHOTOS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>David Saunders of the Destroyers hauls in a 26-yard completion in the fourth quarter. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The Destroyers’ Cecil Doggette breaks up a pass intended for Lawrence Samuels of the Storm. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>MIKE MUNDEN DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The Destroyers’ Leroy Thompson bulls his way into the end zone for a touchdown despite the best efforts of the Storm’s Leroy Smith, right, and Craig Moore. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


All season long, coach Doug Kay has said the Destroyers were better than they’d played.
Last night, with playoff survival at stake against one of the Arena Football League’s storied franchises, the Destroyers needed to be at their best.
For the most part, they were. Columbus held off Tampa Bay 51-48 in front of a Nationwide Arena crowd of 14,357, the largest of the season.
The only bad news for Columbus was Philadelphia’s upset of Dallas earlier yesterday, which prevented the Destroyers from clinching a playoff spot. Columbus will qualify for the playoffs if it wins Saturday in San Jose or Philadelphia loses at Georgia.
As it is, Columbus (8-7) guaranteed at least a .500 record for the first time since the franchise began in Buffalo in 1999. The Destroyers also ended Tampa Bay’s streak of 15 seasons without ever missing the playoffs.
"To be able to end their streak of going to the playoffs is a compliment to our team," Kay said.
That wasn’t lost on several Destroyers with Storm ties, including quarterback John Kaleo, who led Tampa Bay to the league title in 2003.
Kaleo has had a frustrating season, but he was superb last night. Though he threw only 23 passes to 63 for Tampa Bay quarterback Shane Stafford, Kaleo was the model of efficiency.
In the first half, Kaleo threw nine passes and completed eight, five of them for touchdowns as Columbus halted its penchant for slow starts. He finished 14 of 23 for 226 yards and six touchdowns and did not throw an interception.
"For me and the other former Storm players, it was a lot of fun tonight," Kaleo said.
The Destroyers scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions through three quarters. Carl Bond opened the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown catch and added two more receptions for scores. David Saunders extended his streak of games with a touchdown catch to 11 with a 22-yarder. Marcus Knight weaved his way to the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown and added an 11-yard score.
The defense did its part, as usual. B.J. Barre intercepted a pass on the Storm’s first possession.
Thabiti Davis gave the Destroyers its second turnover when hauled in his own deflection and returned it to the 2-yard line to set up a score that put Columbus ahead 27-7.
After Tampa Bay (7-8) got back in the game by scoring after recovering a kickoff that bounced off the upright, Jerald Brown batted down a pass in the end zone on the final play of the first half to keep Columbus ahead 41-28.
When Cecil Doggette intercepted a pass with 12 minutes left in the game and Columbus ahead 48-34, the Destroyers looked home free. But the offense stalled for the first time, and Mark Lewis missed a 32-yard field goal.
Tampa Bay then scored to make it 48-40. The Destroyers blew a chance to score a clinching touchdown when Davis dropped a pass on third down in the end zone. Lewis then made amends by making a 23-yard field goal with a minute left to make it a two-possession game.
Tampa Bay scored with 15.9 seconds left on a fourth-down pass, but Columbus lineman Howard Duncan recovered the Storm’s onside kick after Saunders initially flubbed it. [email protected]
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Dispatch

5/10/06

Linemen in wrong arena for glory

Destroyers’ big boys shine, even with sacks hard to bag

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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They are the grunts in a game of glitz.
In arena football, even more than conventional football, the glory goes to the quarterbacks and receivers.
Linemen exist, or so it can seem to the casual eye, almost as props. Only over the course of time can their value truly emerge.
In the case of the Columbus Destroyers, the play of their linemen has been instrumental in lifting the team to the cusp of its first playoff berth. A victory over San Jose on Saturday or a loss by Philadelphia to Georgia will get the Destroyers into the playoffs.
Solid play by a unit including Kelvin Kinney, Mike Sutton, Ken Jones, Chris Janek and Juan Porter has been a constant in a season marked by inconsistency in most other aspects of the team’s performance.
"I think on a scale of 1-10, probably a 10," Destroyers coach Doug Kay said of the line’s play.
In terms of sacks gotten and allowed, Columbus is toward the bottom of the AFL rankings. But sacks are a flawed measure in arena football.
With the prevalence of threestep drops, even a Reggie White-type player would have a hard time amassing a huge number of sacks. The league leader has only 8 ½. Jones leads the Destroyers with five.
"You can beat a guy off the line and not get a sack in this league, and that’s unheard of in the outdoor game," Sutton said.
So linemen usually have to settle for applying pressure, what Destroyers line coach Jim Lachey calls "delivery sacks."
"You’re not quite there, but you affected the delivery," Lachey said. "I think there were 12 balls thrown out of bounds last week because our guys were in their quarterback’s face."
Players must learn to temper their frustration that their best efforts sometimes result in an empty stat sheet.
"In this league, I’ve seen guys go a season and not get a sack," Kinney said. "But then you turn on the game film and he’s all over the quarterback just as he’s getting rid of it. To me, success in this league is if you can get the quarterback out of rhythm. Against Colorado (a 65-21 victory), we had one sack, but we harassed the guy all game."
In arena football, gaining chunks of yards isn’t difficult if a quarterback’s timing with his receivers is uninterrupted. Because a game often turns on only a few plays, linemen must be persistent in hopes of disrupting the play that proves pivotal.
"That’s our philosophy," Kinney said. "Since day one, our thing with everybody upfront, including the fullback and linebackers, is, ‘Let’s make one big play. If we all make one big play, (we’ll win).’ "
Playing on the line isn’t just hard mentally. Because most AFL players must play both ways, they pay a significant physical price.
"A play lasts three to five seconds and it’s all-out, 110 percent full-bore," Kinney said. "It takes a toll on your body."
Remarkably, Kinney, Sutton, Janek and Jones have not missed a game to injury, a major key to the team’s success.
"They play with courage," Kay said. "They’ve persevered."
In large part because of that, the Destroyers have persevered to the brink of the playoffs.
[email protected]
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