The AFL: The Future is Now
Tim Ball
Saturday May 24, 2003
So you can understand why my jaw almost dropped to the floor when he called me with the following: “Hey, I just wanted you to know, I chose to watch an arena game over NFL Europe and an NBA playoff game.”
“Uh, whuh?” I intelligently snapped back.
“OK, once you see a few games and get what’s going on,” said Mike, “it’s a pretty cool game.”
“Which ga—“
“AlthoughI’dliketoseemoredefense,” my brother quickly interjected.
Well, my fellow arena fans, it’s taken me days to absorb the importance of this interchange with my big brother. I mean this guy has a satellite TV system so he can watch like twenty or so NFL games all at once. As a true traditionalist, he’ll split-screen baseball, basketball and hockey. So agreeing that he liked Arena Football, well you can imagine…
I’ll be honest; I went to my first Arena Football game back in 2000 as the result of a “favor.” I was handed a fistful of tickets and told I was “chosen” to take a half-dozen group home kids to the opening game of the season for San Jose. At the time I wasn’t really thrilled about the indoor football thing.
I was still attending months later, and strangely very upset, when the Nashville Cats took out the SaberCats in the Arena Football playoffs. (Andy Kelly beat ‘em again this year with the Fury. Aaargh!)
I’ve been a freak for the sport ever since and now my family and I are at every home game.
I wasn’t born with my brother’s ability to figure out remote controls and entertainment systems, but we both were competitive athletes growing up and he has taught me everything I ever knew about winning. From my first awkward toss to my first no-hitter in Little League, I knew my big brother cared.
“Hey, just keep watching,” I said when he finally let me talk. “The more you watch this game the better it gets.”
I just couldn’t go the “I told you so” route. Besides, he hasn’t seen anything until he sees a live game. He’ll be as hooked as he was when he first experienced, umm, (shoot, my mom may read this) when he first experienced marital bliss… Yeah that’s it.
Once he’s hooked, and he will be, then we can argue about Barry Wagner being the best football player to play anywhere at anytime on any field for any team in any league. Baby! I can’t wait…
Two and three witnesses
One good eyewitness, is a pretty good thing to have in a court of law, two is better and three, well, even in California you could be successful.
I’m at the bank yesterday and the teller, a 20ish young man named Joe Munoz, mentions the Dallas and Grand Rapids game. I’m quite impressed that he was watching even if it wasn’t the San Jose game. Being in the Bay Area, I thought he’s probably a Niners fan and disappointment in Dallas coming out on top was his main concern.
“Man, I like that logo on the Rampage helmet,” said Joe. “It’s like a Rhino right? Where can I order some stuff from Grand Rapids?”
The Rampage lost the game and this polished looking young man didn’t seem concerned in the least. I told him that Grand Rapids was a championship winner in 2001 and before I could start on Dolezel, Joe continued; “The Rampage colors are better than Dallas too.”
I pointed him to arenafootball.com, NBC.com and our own beloved arenafan.com for cool stuff. Hopefully the league can get their products in Wal-Mart or some other big chain.
Later the same day, (I’m not lying) I stopped by my wife’s school and the football coach, Dan Masilamoney, stops me in the hall. “Hey, Arena Football took off. It’s on the big networks and you’ve been saying it was going to be big,” said Dan. “I watched games this year and you were right, it is great. Can I still get tickets for the playoffs?”
Well better late than never, besides Dan is motivating junior High School football players. Bingo! Isn’t that just what this league needs and wants? And once again I left the “I told you so,” in the back of my mind where it will do the best good. 1-866-AFL-TIXS. I left the number for Dan at the front desk.
It’s happening. The news is spreading and the league is getting good reviews from the people that really count. The TV deal that the AFL nursed to health is growing strong. Let’s keep giving it the help it needs to thrive.
Fans deserve the MVP award
The reason that many other new fans and I exist is because of the loyal followers that have seen this league thrive for seventeen seasons. This year, in many ways, is another beginning for the league with the major coverage this season. It also vindicates the support for a sport that was ridiculed for too many years.
Nothing happens without a paid ticket. The excitement of the person giving me that fistful of tickets three years ago has been returned. I am now a fan and have never attended a game without buying a ticket. I never talk about this sport to anyone without an invitation to see a game live.
NBC, the AFL, Arenafan Online and hopefully the thousands of websites that will spring up over the next few years owe everything to the people who stuck it out for this amazing brand of football.
The twelve teams that will vie for their shot in the ArenaBowl have the fans that have been there all season. Though I am most impressed by the six thousand plus who showed up for the 0-15 Carolina Cobras last home game (they lost); there is not a fan in the league that really deserves a losing team.
That’s my heart talking, by the way, and not my SaberCats’ zeal speaking out. I’m as greedy as anyone else is when it comes to my home team. I know what it’s like to sit there with that “wait ‘til next year” scowl on my face. And, I prefer that someone else wears it.
See you in San Jose for the ArenaBowl.
P.S. You were here for another important historic moment; my brother and I agreed on something. That took a lot longer than seventeen years. Thanks!
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
