Again the #1 Seed Won`t Host Arenabowl
Kevin Sheller
Saturday August 12, 2000
And so it goes, another number one seed, eliminated from post-season competition. Eliminated from the glory they’d played for all season. The 12-game win streak is lost. The unstoppable offense was stopped. Superman Barry Wagner forgot to change from mild-mannered Clark Kent.
Last year, Tampa Bay was the number one seed. They lost in the first round to Orlando (#8). The streak of number one seeds hosting the Arenabowl was broken for the first time in the history of the league in 1999, and the new streak continues – premature elimination.
 No amount of arguing could keep San Jose from being eliminated. Image courtesy of Jeff Marshall |
At the beginning of the 2000 campaign, many (including myself) predicted that Nashville would be one of the teams represented in this year’s Arenabowl. Somewhere along the line (like the 3-4 home record), we all (including myself) forgot about the lovable Kats. And when Barry Wagner and the San Jose SaberCats started winning, Nashville became more than a forgotten long-shot.
But guess what? When we woke up this Saturday morning and looked at the two semifinal games, we noticed something. Two of the four remaining teams were known for big road performances. Nashville, and Arizona. Including playoffs, Arizona is 6-2 at home but a more impressive 8-0 on the road. That’s bad news for the hosts this weekend. Just ask San Jose.
Orlando may not be so worried, however. Arizona will have to play without all-star quarterback Sherdrick Bonner. The mostly unknown Lance Funderburk will have to see if the road-game magic works for him as well.
Nonetheless, it sure would be interesting if the two road game authorities were pitted against each other in the title game. If this unlikely scenario comes true, perhaps both teams will be petitioning for a neutral-site Arenabowl to be played as soon as next weekend.
Kevin Sheller ia founder of Arenafan Online and was the principal owner until 2004. Kevin graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in technical writing, and has been a member of the Arena Football Internet community since 1993. He has worked as a professional web programmer and is also the executive producer for a computer/video game company. The most recent Xbox title to his credit is called Hunter: The Reckoning.
