Rattlers Not Lying Down
Brian Knapp
Tuesday May 17, 2005
Any team would love to have you and you’ve just received a lucrative offer from division-rival San Jose. Not only would you become one of the league’s highest paid players but you’d also be part of a team that is making its way towards the top of the AFL elite.
What would you do?
It took a vacation and some time with his family but Gatewood decided against the move and re-signed with the Rattlers.
"We turned down a little more money to stay home but that wasn’t out main objective in the end," Gatewood said in October of 2004. "This was probably the most important decision I’ve made in a long time and I’m glad I’m staying home."
Now fast-forward seven and a half months. The Sabercats are one win away from making the playoffs, while the Rattlers are playing the role of spoiler for the first time in over a decade. With his team out of the playoffs and the franchise on its heels the only logical thing for Gatewood to do is lie down, right?
Wrong.
The Rattlers have officially been out of playoff contention for two weeks but you wouldn’t know it by watching Gatewood. Less than five minutes into Saturday’s game against San Jose, Gatewood slammed the back of his head on the turf during on a tackle in the end zone. The nasty spill opened a cut over his left eye which luckily was his only injury. The seven stitches apparently didn’t matter as much as the six points Gatewood earned his team on the play.
"I knew I was bleeding, but it’s part of the game" Gatewood said. "The facemask hit me on the top of the eye but it was a clean cut and I just needed to be stitched up so I could get back in the game."
He didn’t lose a step, hauling in another touchdown and two interceptions to lead Arizona past the Sabercats.
"There was a concern (on the sideline) but Randy is a tough guy and there’s no way he was going to miss this game," Arizona coach Todd Shell said. "Randy is a playmaker with an unbelievable knack for the football and tonight he showed why he is a special player."
Gatewood’s performance mirrored his outing two weeks ago against Chicago. His second-half interception sealed Arizona’s 61-43 win over the playoff-hopeful Rush. Gatewood also added five receptions and a touchdown.
"Even though we’re out of the playoffs we still want to get a couple wins and maybe spoil it for some of the other teams," Gatewood said.
The focus this season has been on the falling of a dynasty and the possible loss of the Rattlers for good. For the first time in franchise history Arizona has much more on the line than a playoff berth. Respect, pride, and most importantly the franchise itself are hanging in the balance as the final week of the season approaches for the Rattlers.
"Hopefully by and act of God somebody will come in and purchase the team and keep us around," Gatewood said. "I don’t know if it’s quite over but were going to go into Las Vegas next week and try to finish this season on a high note."
We know Gatewood’s not lying down, hopefully those who can save the Rattlers won’t either.
Brian Knapp was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2003 to 2005.
