Columbus Fans Go Board Checking
David Grimes
Wednesday March 30, 2005
My friends and family know of an Arena Football League team in the city and that is about the extent of their knowledge. Although my girlfriend will attend home games with me, I can’t discuss football outside of the confines of Nationwide Arena. I wore out the football welcome after the NFL and their fantasy football season. So you can probably see how well she likes me being into the AFL and their fantasy football season. (Don’t ask about the possibility of displaying my league’s fantasy trophy on the mantelpiece in the house.) It’s hard to find someone who can name two Destroyers players and want to discuss the season at the same level as me.
But I have found the savior for my thirst of the AFL and the Destroyers. Look no further than to the message boards that can be found on the Internet. Now a fan of the game can exchange opinions, complaints, and the occasional ribbing against the other team’s fans. Through these boards, a Columbus fan can critique the last loss and ask what other fans thought of QB Matt D’Orazio’s interception at the end of the game against the Dragons or critique Destroyers first-year head coach Chris Spielman. Columbus fans have filled Nationwide Arena and they fill the online message boards as well.
On our own message boards (www.arenafan.com), fans are treated to a forum dedicated to their own team. Over at the official AFL website (www.arenafootball.com), the forums are divided up by divisions, so Columbus fans will share a forum with the Dallas Desperados, Dragons and Philadelphia Soul. Of course one is free to post in any forum he or she pleases. Destroyers fans have also created a Yahoo Group called ColDesFan (http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/ColDesFan/). This group contains a message board, but also includes a section for photographs, files, and a chat room. Through these outlets, a fan can finally share their enthusiasm and frustrations with fellow Columbus followers.
Arenafan’s Destroyers forum has several up-to-date topics. Users are discussing the Dragons-Destroyers game with topics that range from a good luck wish from a New York fan to bringing family members to the game. One topic that has been getting replies has been the discussion of Columbus becoming a good team. Much of the focus is towards this year and just like the season is dictating, the outlook does not look good according to the fans. Recent concerns have been centered on the quarterbacks of Ryan Vena and D’Orazio. One poster believes D’Orazio should start while another believes either man can take the helm if he does not have to look over his shoulder.
Over at ColDesFan, 75 members discuss the recent happenings with the Destroyers. Just like ArenaFan’s forums, discussion has been directed towards the quarterbacks and "the long pass". Discussions on why it happened, why did D’Orazio throw it, and the future quarterback situation is all throughout the message board thread. One exclusive feature about the group that separates it from the other two boards is the built-in photo album. Fans can upload their personal photographs and share their images with one another of the group. You have to signup as a member to view the photographs, though.
The official AFL message board for the National Conference, Eastern Division is where much of the discussion is found by the fans. Just like the previous two sites, this board will have posts that dissect just about any aspect of the Destroyers game. Your opinions will be agreed and disagreed with, as many other posters will reply to your messages.
One of the most interesting and fun aspects of the board are the official game-time threads where fans who cannot attend the game in person meet and discussion the game live. Fans will either be watching the game on television, listening to the game on the radio, or listening to the game on Internet radio. In addition, fans may also be using the live game tracker at the official AFL site.
Participating in this live game discussion makes you feel like you’re sitting next to everyone in the thread, cheering, commenting, and venting frustrations like you would at the actual event. Often these discussions reach the thread limit of 199 posts and a second live-game discussion has to be made to finish the game conversations.
If you ever have the inkling to discuss Arena Football and don’t have anyone around to talk to, jump to one of these message boards and fire away. You’ll have many other fans that will share their love of game with you. And if you are in a situation like me, be careful to not let your significant other find you trolling around the boards all day. You might be diagnosed as obsessed - in a bad way. And then where would you display your fantasy football trophy and Destroyers paraphernalia?
David Grimes has worked as a sports reporter for the Viking Views (North Canton), an editor for The Lantern (The Ohio State University) and was a columnist for the Destroyers here at ArenaFan. After he moved to Columbus to attend college, the Destroyers became an expansion team. Now, after moving to Salem, OH, the Mahoning Valley Thunder became an arenafootball2 expansion team. It seems like Arena Football follows David throughout the Buckeye State.
