Where did it all Go Wrong for Phantoms?
Jim Parcels
Tuesday July 16, 2002
Last winter many people around the Toronto Phantoms almost had their ArenaBowl XVI tickets, hotel rooms and flights booked for late August.
Coming off a season that saw the club claim an Eastern Division title and advance to the final eight in its first season in Toronto, the Phantoms seemed to be heading towards contention for a league title.
The club had an up-and-coming young quarterback in Chad Salisbury, one of the league’s top receivers in Damian Harrell and a revamped defense led by one of the AFL’s top defensive minds in Rick Frazier.
But somewhere between May 4th and Saturday in New Jersey it has all gone wrong for Canada’s entry into the AFL.
Since getting off to a 2-0 start to the season, the Phantoms have struggled miserably with a 3-8 record and are on the brink of missing the playoff party all together.
Saturday night, Toronto dropped a confusing and frustrating decision to the first place New Jersey Gladiators, 57-55 in overtime.
The game was capped off by a play that pretty well sums up the Phantoms’ 2002 campaign:
With overtime just getting underway and the Phantoms backed onto their 3-yard line, Toronto QB Ricky Foggie dropped back to pass, stumbled over a lineman’s foot and fell to his backside in the end zone.
Safety.
In the blink of an eye, a club that needed the win so desperately to claim a playoff berth, stumbled and fell to a 5-8 record.
It’s been that way for the Phantoms all season.
Now, with just one game remaining on Thursday night against the 2-11 New York Dragons, the Phantoms need to win and get some help from about three other teams to gain a playoff berth.
Even a win against New York doesn’t guarantee much. Losses by Tampa and Indiana are required next week to secure a spot in the first round. (Ironically two of Toronto’s five wins have come against Tampa and Indiana this year!).
Thursday night’s match-up may be closer than you think. The Dragons have been off-balance all season with the loss for most of the campaign of record-setting QB Aaron Garcia to the 49’ers. And even with Garcia back, the offensive line has struggled to protect him.
The former Sacramento State grad returned to the Dragon’s lair in Week #10 but not before the club was 2-8 making the season almost unsalvageable.
The Phantoms have defeated the Dragons five times since the spring of 2001 with three regular season victories and two pre-season victories over that stretch.
Does that mean that Thursday’s game at the ACC will be a breeze for the Phantoms?
Not in your life.
The Dragons have nothing to lose, have one of the best QB’s in the AFL and a club that desperately wants to set the tone for next season.
The Phantoms, however, have been off balance since mid-May when they dropped a 49-46 decision on the road in Buffalo and have been standing around waiting for a leader to emerge and take the team under his wing.
Tales from the Crypt:
The Phantoms’ five wins this year have come against teams that have a combined record of 20-45. Neither Tampa, Indiana, Detroit, Orlando nor New York have a record better than 6-7… QB Ricky Foggie was given his first start as a Phantom in New Jersey when starter Pat O’Hara was excused from the team due to the death of his mother… Foggie completed 16 of 25 passes for 222 yards and 4 TDs in his Phantoms debut… FB/LB Ricky Wood was signed on Thursday to fill the hole left by Phil Glover who is out with a knee injury. What did Wood proceed to do on his first play with the Phantoms? Injure his leg after being tackled on a shuffle pass… FB/LB Jermaine “Skeets” Younger looks more and more like a hurdling champion after jumping over a would-be tackler again in New Jersey. It was the second time in three games that the veteran has hurdled over a tackler for a large gain… Rookie OL/DL Moses Harper was signed off the practice squad earlier in the week and saw his first action on Saturday… WR/DB Kahlil Carter started at DS against the Gladiators filling in for regular Del Lee… Anthony Derricks had a strong showing in New Jersey with two interceptions and a kickoff return for a TD… Kudos goes to Assistant Coach Michael Custer for improving the Phantoms special teams play. Early in the season it appeared special teams would be the Achilles heel. The Phantoms kick coverage has been strong this season… The Phantoms have lost 32 man-games to injuries this year ranking 8th in the league. Tampa Bay has suffered 46 man-games lost this year and are also struggling to get into the playoffs… Can someone explain to me why group sales promotions at Phantoms games are almost non-existent? Earlier in the year the team had a promotion that saw over 3,000 minor hockey players and coaches from the City of Vaughan take in the exhibition game vs. New York. It was the club’s biggest crowd of the year. Since that game there has been no effort at all to increase attendance through an abundant group sales market in the region. The club has averaged only 6,918 fans per game in 2002.
Jim Parcels was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2002 season.
