Putting a Cap on the 2000 af2 Season
Michael Vergane
Tuesday October 3, 2000
When the af2 gathered in the Quad Cities on the eve of the Championship Game to announce their award winners, it left more than a few observers scratching their heads on a couple of categories.
So as we put to bed the 2000 season, let us examine one of the awards and add a few of our own.
Best Mid-Season Addition
Injuries and attrition are one of the coaches’ biggest enemies. A successful franchise can pick up or trade for a player that will immediately step in and contribute. These are my award winners:
Winner – A.D. Badon, Jacksonville Tomcats
Injuries decimated the Tomcats in 2000. They needed a player who could contribute right away And
A.D. (Adesola) Badon was that player.
Badon knew the ‘af2’ lifestyle all too well. He began his college playing career as a walk-on at Mississippi State living away from the rest of his teammates. He had to get a part-time job just to get by. A familiar refrain sung in the af2.
Badon was a cornerback throughout college, but with Jacksonville he made an impact on both sides of the ball helping to get the Tomcats into the playoffs.
Runnerup – Jarrail Jackson, Tulsa Talons
Talons coach, Jon Norris, didn’t have to look far to find this WR/DB.
Jackson finished up his college career in ‘99 at Oklahoma under Bob Stoops’ ‘pass first’ offense. That gave Jarrail a taste of what to expect in the Arena game. Jackson played 9 games for the Talons and made an impact in helping the team to the playoffs.
Although he was a wide receiver in college, Jackson also shined on defense intercepting 6 passes and returning two of them for touchdowns.
Character Award
Winner - Greensboro Prowlers Head Coach, Charlie Griffin
So, how can a team that finished the season with a 3-13 record win any kind of an award? Here’s how.
On the final weekend of the season the 7-8 Arkansas Twisters traveled to North Carolina to play the Greensboro Prowlers.
For the Twisters, this game was huge. Win and they would make the playoffs. Lose and they would be eliminated.
For Greensboro, they only thing that they were playing for was pride. Arkansas destroyed them in their previous meeting, 88-3.
But in that season ending game, Interim Head Coach Charlie Griffin got the most out of his team. The Prowlers upset Arkansas, 43-40.
The Greensboro defense held Arkansas Quarterback John Nielson to a paltry 59 yards passing before being replaced by back-up, Kahlil Carter. Carter rallied the Twisters but it was too little, too late.
For the Prowlers, it was a great way to end a long season and show the Greensboro fans that there is a reason to look forward to the 2001 season.
For Interim Head Coach Charlie Griffin, it was the satisfaction of knowing that he left the team in better shape than he found it.
Coach Of The Year Award
Speaking of coaches, let’s examine the “Coach Of The Year Award” and the selection of Augusta Stallions Head Coach, Mike Neu.
Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that I have a great amount of respect for Mike Neu. I conducted an interview with him and found him to be a likeable guy. He is smart, well spoken and his knowledge of the game speaks for itself.
But with all due respect he should not be the coach of the year.
Not this year.
Not when the league had a team finish 19-0 which is the first time in professional football history that that had been accomplished.
It was obvious to almost everyone that the Coach Of The Year should have been Quad City Steamwheeler Head Coach, Frank Haege.
Obvious that is, except to a ‘handful’ of coaches that voted for anyone but Heage.
Here is where the problem lies. For some reason there is resentment around the league towards the Steamwheelers.
Sure, everybody hates someone or something that gets too successful. You see that in every walk of American life. It does not pertain just to sports. A ‘handful’ of coaches felt better about themselves by exacting revenge on a team that they could not defeat on the field.
But why?
I’ve heard the excuse that the Steamwheelers ‘cheated’. That Owner Jim Foster was somehow paying his players extra money to keep them from advancing to the CFL and the NFL. That nugget was courtesy of some Tennessee Valley Vipers fans after Quad City defeated them for the second time in three weeks.
I have also heard that opposing coaches were appalled that Frank Haege spoke out against expanding the playoffs from four teams to eight teams in June.
Heage felt that playing a game every four days put not only his players, but ‘all’ players at risk. So, he spoke his mind.
Is it not the job of the head coach to lookout and protect his players?
Ten years from now when fans look through the af2 record books they will see that the Head Coach of the 19-0 Quad City Steamwheelers did not win the Coach Of The Year Award. And they will wonder why.
Only a ‘handful’ of coaches will be able to answer that.
Michael Vergane was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2000 to 2002.
