ArenaBowl XVI: Unmentionable Game Proves Nudo Right
Mary-Ann Williams
Monday August 19, 2002
This year, I spent time with Jerry Trice (League VP of Football Operations), Bill Niro (one of the league’s founders), ABC color commentator Ed Cunningham, and TNN play-by-play Eli Gold. I watched the Arena Football elite walk away with their awards at the ArenaBall, football greats Danny White and Lynn Swan chat before the game, and listened to Joanna sing the national anthem.
You’ll notice that I haven’t mentioned the game yet. There’s a reason.
 Dejected Arizona Rattler Joe Burch Image courtesy of Kevin Sheller |
It didn’t happen. The Rattlers fell apart, and like Humpty Dumpty, no one could put them back together again. Dropped passes, over-thrown balls, and tired feet kept the Arizona dynasty from winning their third ArenaBowl on the road. I’d like to say that the number one and two teams gave their best, but I think Gene Nudo, Rattlers GM, said it best, even if he was joking when he said it: “We’re just window dressing at the ‘San Jose Show.’” Yes, Arizona, that’s exactly what you were.
“Our offensive game was solid,” said Hunkie Cooper. “It’s the same thing we’ve done that got us here. Like I said, tonight we could have had Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, everybody in. If you don’t control the line of scrimmage and give your quarterback and your skill people a chance and an opportunity to work downfield, then it’s all for naught.”
San Jose did indeed own the line of scrimmage, but the Rattler receivers and quarterback Sherdrick Bonner did nothing to help the situation. No matter how empty the field around them, the Arizona receivers couldn’t hold on to the ball. Yes, the coverage by San Jose was excellent, but the Rattlers wrote their own demise.
“You don’t just fumble because you want to,” said Cooper. “They caused fumbles; they created fumbles. Those guys were flying around. Emotions run out. Execution will beat emotion every time. And we couldn’t execute. And they executed.”
Cooper`s right, San Jose executed Arizona. Every drive ended ugly for the Rattlers. Three failed field goal attempts, two fumbles, an interception and a turnover on downs. Wow. This was the ArenaBowl, wasn’t it?
Both teams set records. Not the kind that instills hope in the NBC brass attending the game, but records nonetheless. Not since the very first ArenaBowl has a team been held scoreless for the first half. Determined to do one better than that, San Jose kept the Rattlers empty-handed until the fourth quarter.
Over and over, the media was inundated with the news that while there had been one shutout in AFL history, there had never been one in ArenaBowl history. It was as if they dared the Rattlers to be the first. And for 51 minutes, Arizona looked like they were willing to take that dare.
 Barry Wagner Celebrates ArenaBowl victory Image courtesy of Kevin Sheller |
Thankfully, Maurice Bryant broke the scoreless streak, and fell into the end zone for a touchdown. The ensuing two-point conversion worked, and Arizona trailed the SaberCats by a mere 33 points with eight minutes left in the game. Too little too late doesn’t come close to describing what the Arizona Rattlers did to themselves on that field.
I don’t want to take anything away from San Jose. The team is a machine. They moved the ball downfield with barely a breath between touchdowns. They forced fumbles. They very effectively shut down the Rattlers offense, with Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year recipient Clevan Thomas proving he deserved those awards. The strong Arizona defense looked pitiful against the SaberCats’ John Dutton and his legions of receivers. The SaberCats scored 50+ points in every game this season. That’s including the final few games they played without their starting quarterback, Mark Grieb.
It was, without a doubt, the San Jose Show. Sorry, Geno, but I’m not laughing.
Mary-Ann Williams lives in Chicagoland with her four children, Carter, Jackson, Jeremy, and Riley Jade. As a freelance writer, she`s written articles for the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Daily Herald. She also serves as editor of the AFL-side of Arenafan Online, and covers the Chicago Rush.
