Avengers Defense Makes Quite an Impression
Mike Chanpong
Wednesday February 11, 2004
“How did the game go?” you ask.
Now, you’ve been an Avengers fan for quite some time, so you know what head coach Ed Hodgkiss’s high-octane offense is capable of. You know that quarterback Tony Graziani can pick apart a good defense to the tune of six touchdowns and no interceptions. So if I told you that’s exactly what he did to the Rattlers on opening day, it would probably come as no shock to you. You’d probably say to me, “oh, Graziani is just picking up where he left off from last year when he threw 96 touchdowns.” And then you’d return to reading your Hollywood Reporter.
And I suppose that if I told you that offensive specialist Chris Jackson scored two touchdowns and tossed another to Kevin Ingram on a run-pass option play from the Arizona two-yard line, your response to me would be something like, “well that’s just CJ being CJ.” And you’d remind me that he was the 2003 Offensive Player of the Year before you go back to sipping your iced mocha latte.
So, I guess it really wouldn’t be worth mentioning to you that Greg Hopkins, Russell Shaw, and Silas Demary scored touchdowns either, because you’d probably look up at me with a blank stare and only say, “you mean big Silas scored too?” before turning your attention to your cell phone for the number of your masseuse.
Yeah I know, I know, you think you know it all.
But what if I told you that the Avengers defense would intercept Rattlers quarterback Sherdrick Bonner four times after he threw only seven interceptions all of last year? You’d challenge me with an, “oh yeah, who?” All I’d have to say is four names: Cornelius Coe, Russell Shaw, Damen Wheeler and Kevin Ingram. “Wow that’s impressive,” you’d concede.
And what if I told you that AFL legend Hunkie Cooper would be limited to just two catches the entire game, and one of those would be on a two-point conversion play? You’d ask me if Hunkie got hurt and I’d shake my head. “Wow, that never happens,” you’d reply with a growing hint of interest in your voice.
And what if I told you that the Avengers defense was so tough that it led the way to a 51-32 win over the Rattlers in Arizona? You’d sit up and say, “are you serious?” and then you’d proceed to spew forth the old football adage about offense winning games and defense winning championships.
And finally, what if I told you that lineman Al Lucas, a member of the 2003 AFL champion Tampa Bay Storm team – a guy who knows a thing or two about championship teams – noted to the Daily Bulletin, that these Avengers are “definitely a championship team” and he has a feeling that the Avengers “could be one of the best teams in the history of the Arena Football League.”
You, the Avengers fan, would probably put down your Hollywood Reporter, your iced mocha latte, and your cell phone and look at me and say, “I knew it. I knew it! That’s my team!”
Mike Chanpong is a freelance writer living in Hollywood, CA. In addition to
sportswriting, he also works in television production. This is his second
year covering the Los Angeles Avengers for ArenaFan.
