04/18/24
June 08, 2003
Two stalwarts of the indoor football wars will meet in ArenaBowl XVII: Arizona upset San Jose today in a typical high-scoring game, while Tampa Bay knocked off archrival Orlando in the Sunshine state showdown. While the caliber of play isn't quite up to snuff with the NFL, you must admit you rarely see a boring arena football game.
posted by jasonbondshow to football at 10:12 PM - 4 comments
I got some free tickets to a Tulsa Talons game a couple of summers ago and a friend and I went. It was relatively interesting, and much more entertaining than outdoor football live (sidebar: I really don't care for American Football). It had a bit of a monster truck rally vibe to it, but then again, the Tulsa team is in a minor league. They showed all of the Dallas Desperados games on the WB or UPN or something this year. I'd tune in for a bit at a time. Despite it actually being quite a bit faster-paced than outdoor football (something I appreciated) the Arena game still does lack some of the finesse and strategy of its counterpart. Still, I'm cool with seeing sports outside the big four getting some coverage and a substantial fanbase, whether it's my cup of tea or not.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:25 AM on June 09, 2003
I haven't been to an AFL game yet, but I do watch them on television when I get the chance. I enjoy it because of the speed of the game and how quickly decisions must be made by the players. I think it's an excellent training ground for low-draft and free-agent NFL quarterbacks, as it gives the team a chance to gauge their thinking processes. The minor-league atmosphere just makes it more accessible to me.
posted by wfrazerjr at 11:00 AM on June 09, 2003
you must admit you rarely see a boring arena football game
I have no problem admitting this, because I will never see an arena football game, period.
posted by kirkaracha at 08:18 PM on June 10, 2003
I attended a few Arena Football games in the mid-'90s in Fort Worth when they had a short-lived team called the Cavalry. The thing I remember best about the game was that former NFL kicker Ian Howfield was kicking for Fort Worth, and a heckler kept razzing him until Howfield blew a fuse and started yelling at the guy. Since both Howfield and the heckler were sitting in sections of the arena, for a moment it seemed he would leap over a divider and really make things interesting. It ended with Howfield telling the guy to meet him outside a bar next to the arena, and when the game ended, the heckler left in the opposite direction of the bar.