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          NFL Indoors Comes to AWA!
                            Elway Brings Crush to Arizona

Last year is over, gone finished. It does not play into this week's game between the Rattlers and and the Crush. The regular season game that AZ lost in it's one game versus the Crush has more to do with the game this coming Sunday at AWA. Last year the Crush sold more merchandise than any other AFL team. An amazing feat for a 2-14 team. The Crush fired all the coaches and set about turning the program around. They started this year with only 5 of the original players from last years squad.

New coach, a 15 year AFL vet, Mike Dailey did his job well and the Colorado squad finished with a respectable 11-5 record. The exact same record that Arizona had and they finished as the regular season champs, earning home field for the playoffs.

Last year, hhhmmmm, can't get it off my mind. You see last year the Crush found themselves in a division that included Arizona, San Jose and LA. Teams they would have had to play twice this season. Hhhmmmmm. What to do, what to do? Hey, I know! Get the league to put the team in a different division. Yeah, that's it. American Central Division here we come....... 2-14, 11-5, one of the greatest turn arounds in sports history. It would be unfair to suggest that the coaches and players did not earn each and every win this year. They did. It would be unfair to suggest that a single player was intimidated by the Sabercats, Rattlers and Avengers. They were not.

It would also be unfair to suggest that the shift to the new division was not the alleged result of NFL/NBC and Elway pressure, er, suggestions. After all, he has been one of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of the game. A career it must be noted that was also diverted from it's original start. Does anyone recall which NFL team  drafted Elway out of Stanford?

It was the Colts, a team where players went to get paid to play. Not win World Championships, or many games either. The story goes that Elway would skip football and play pro baseball if he had to go to the Colts. So, he put some pressure on the right people and got his division options re-aligned. The result, a stellar career and a place in the NFL Hall of Fame.

It is clear that NBC is a business that likes to make a profit. They know how to negotiate a win-lose deal, you lose, they win. Few things interest NBC more than to get their hands on the NFL game, without paying for it. With the AFL, they had the best of both worlds a win-lose TV contract for them and the ability to put well known former NFL players and coaches on their network without paying the steep fees for working with NFL product. While drawing NFL fans to watch the games on TV.

Just like the Colts to Denver Broncos "change", that proved to the world that John Elway was "Bank." Both before they won their Super Bowls and during that great run, the AFL and the network would be stupid not to listen to suggestions from Mr. Elway. So, in my opinion, unlike Elway's career which he paid for with his own hide on the field of battle. The Crush and their switch from 2-14 to 11-5 had a lot to do with who they did not have to play, twice.

You can point to a good season by the New Orleans Voodoo, a new team or the Dallas Desperados  and their fast start before they faded as examples of young teams doing well. But first you have to point to the schedule. Colorado did not play either of these NFL backed teams this year either.

Again this is all speculation and musing on my part. I mean Elway is just a business man now. He is not on the field and cannot guide the team to any miracle finishes. But I do find this statement which is on the AFL, Crush page, somewhat interesting.

"The Crush are led by legendary Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, who serves as the team’s CEO. In an unprecedented partnership, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and Kronke Sports Enterprises joined Elway to bring the team to Denver in 2003. In 2004 the Crush are led by veteran AFL coach, Mike Dailey." 

It might sound at first read as if Elway was going to lead the team on the field. Then, after I got home and watched the Rattlers/LA NBC game on tape, I saw an amazing post game interview with the top man of the Crush. He was asked the usual questions that you would ask a winning coach during the playoffs. He responded with the typical gotta get it done chatter. While head coaches Danny White of the Rattlers and Darren Arbet of the Sabercats don't enjoy being on camera, the Crush top guy seemed to be relishing his 15 minutes of fame.

Even the reporter asking the questions looked positively spellbound during the piece. When it was all over, the top man for the 11-5 Crush, John Elway said "it would feel as good to hoist the AFL trophy as it did to win the NFL title." John Elway? What does coach Dailey get to do anyway?  Not convinced that the network could care less about the AFL teams that are not NFL enjoined? Last week's match between the Rattlers and Sabercats, two of the leagues best teams ever, was bumped to show the Colorado game.

What came out of the Rattlers vs Sabercats game. A worst to first 8 game winning streak for Arizona that put them in the number one position after hoping only to be included in the playoffs a month and a half ago. NBC, at the local, Phoenix and National level seem to have no idea what the players on the Rattlers have accomplished. Their people are constantly asking the PR staff on the Rattlers for answers to questions that are in the media handouts. But they all know a lot about the NFL Indoor teams, fans they are of them.

Expect an entourage of PR, security and NBC as well as NFL media staffers to float in on the Elway/Crush/NFL boat for this game. You will see the required quotes and interviews from Hunkie Cooper and Sed Bonner and even some well deserved props to up and coming superstar Orshawante Bryant of the Rattlers. But mostly what you will hear about is the "miracle-Elway like" revival of the Crush program. Lost in the facts will be the truth about the Division switch, and how they did it with what amounts to an entirely new, expansion team after firing almost every coach, staffer and player from last year.

In the first round of the playoffs, the league's number one team, the Rattlers beat the AFL's top offense. And they did it with defense. In a league that does not play defense. The two best linemen in the league play for the Rattlers, Bryan The Hammer Henderson and Wendall Punisher Gaines. The AFL's most productive All Purpose Star, Hunkie Magic Cooper is also on the Rattlers. The leagues most durable, consistent Fullback/Linebacker Bo Dozer Kelly, yep a Rattler. One of the AFL's top quarterbacks, yes indeedy, a Rattler named Sed Leader Bonner. There are more, Tucker, Bryant, Parker, Gatewood, Morris, all great players.

The matchup, well technically it is NOT on the field. Everyone at NBC and with the NFL Indoor Alliance is pulling for another Elway miracle finish. But on the field the the Rattlers have their work cut out for them trying to stop a very good Crush QB John Dutton who will have weapons like WR/LB Kevin McKenzie, WR/DB Willis Marshall, OS Damian Harrell, OL/DL Hugh Hunter and WR/DB Rashad Floyd to work with.  The Crush players want this as much as the Rattler players.

They will take any advantage, as they should. This will be the first year the Crush has made the playoffs and a lot is at stake for the players. Winning a second playoff game and earning a bid to the Title game would be huge, record setting for them. They will have to throw a lot of one step passes to both negate Henderson and Gaines and to hit the receivers in the creases and force AZ back into tight man coverage. Not a good place for the Rattlers.

Then the Crush defense has to counter with an aggressive secondary that keeps the Rattler receivers limited to only the short game, not letting them getting into crossing routes and multiple deep routes. Can it be done? It was done to the Rattlers early in the season. Just ask LA and Detroit, shoot, they may even want to send advisors to help out. They can, since they won't be playing this week.

All in all, the edge has to go to the Rattlers in most categories, but in this game where a team can score 24 points in an 30 second span, anything can happen. The Rattlers will have to play a perfect game to match the intensity and focus the Crush will bring to this game. An interception or fumble can fuel them to an upset, just one. This game means more to Elway than anyone. Not because the win would put him and his team on the AFL map and set him up as a legend, again. No, something tells me that beating Danny White and the AFL's "America's Team" to get to the Championship is what Elway is after.

I mean, come on, we all know that Elway had a great career with the Broncos, that he is a Hall of Famer. But I think, deep down inside, in his secret place, I think that John Elway always wanted to be a Cowboy............... See you in the Pit Snake Fans............... 12:00 Noon

****Interesting sidebar, maybe, maybe not. In today's market, saturated by TV, radio, newspaper and internet coverage, is it possible that no one is looking, or perhaps does not want to see how an emerging league is being shaped and formed to write history before it happens. A funny Colt-Elway connection at this juncture in the AFL's break out season on National TV. There was a man, a former Colt name Smith, Bubba actually that is rumored to have gone looking for his team owner after a famous break out National NFL contest. Speculation is that he wanted to throw him from the top of the hotel. Seems that Mr. Smith was allegedly under the impression that the outcome of a certain game was, shaped to fit history not yet written, yet spoken, on Broadway no less.

Not suggesting that this or any other AFL game is being controlled, the Rattlers are going to win it. Just that events may be taking shape to suit someone's long term business plan. The AFL is in a transition from a popular niche sport to a national vehicle to sell trucks, beer and other essential items. It has to jump from niche to legend to maintain such a move and the profit desired for all. Being loved by the local fans is not enough to take it to that level. It needs what the NFL needed in the 60's, an event that everyone will want to watch, talk about and buy into. It needs a miracle finish, it needs living legends. If everyone is watching, maybe no one will see..............

Don't forget, the AFL is on NBC every Sunday.

The Rattlers quest for a third straight ArenaBowl began February 8, when they took on the Los Angeles Avengers at America West Arena. For season ticket information, call 602-514-TDTD or visit  azrattlers.com
 

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