Life In The West Is Bizarro World At Its best
Tony Mercado
Thursday March 9, 2006
We’re living in a comic book world when it comes to the Western Division of the Arena Football League.
Specifically, it reminds me of Bizzaro World, that dimension existing alongside our own where from our view, everything is weirdly skewed and inverted, yet to those living within its realm, life is aligned in perfect sequence.
Yeah, that’s where our San Jose SaberCats reside. They’re saddled with a win-loss record they’re not proud of that, in any other year but 2006, would signal dark days. Yet here they are atop the division with a chance to tighten their grip on first place if they can pull a win over rival Los Angeles.
Hey, maybe it’s not so strange. With all the wackiness going on in the West – having four of the five teams tied for first while being two games under .500 – here we go with the SaberCats and Avengers once again battling for high stakes and duplicating the importance of past clashes.
Seven of the 12 games played between the two teams have been decided by six points or less. Last year, Los Angeles’ sweep of the ‘Cats paved the way for its first division title. Both were 11-4 in 2003 when they met to determine the division title and number one playoff seed. The SaberCats won 47-43 and earned home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
That Los Angeles is 1-5 this year only means they are just one game out of first place.
Hello? Bizarro World.
A change in the 2006 playoff format has the four division winners receiving a bye in the first round of the postseason and hosting a game in the second round. So games within the division, like the one between the ‘Cats and Avengers, take on more importance this season with the head-to-head competition factoring as the main tie-breaker.
Since the AFL went to a four division format in 1995, no team with a sub .500 record has won a division title and just two teams, Orlando in 2002 and New York in 2003, have claimed division titles with a break even record.
I’d say we’re about due for a dose of normalcy. And it can all start Sunday as the SaberCats return to the HP Pavilion, their first since a season opening loss on March 4 that preceded a franchise record five-game road trip.
It was a rough venture, no doubt. On the trip, the team matched the worst start to a season after four games in franchise history. But it closed on a bright note with its 65-50 win over Utah and now has seven of its final 10 games at home.
Just like in the comics, the heroes are coming out to save the day.
Last week, Quarterback Mark Grieb threw eight touchdown passes. The defense registered eight stops and forced five turnovers. James Roe had four touchdown catches and 115 receiving yards. Lineman Joe Jacobs scored the first touchdown of his San Jose career off a deflected pass and only needs 1.5 sacks to become the league’s fifth player in history to record 40 or more in a career.
Which one of our SaberCats this week will be the hero when the final second ticks off the clock?
Tony Mercado holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from San Jose State University and spent 10 years as a newspaper reporter in the Bay Area. He now works in the public relations field, but continues to enjoy writing about the local teams and the positive impact its players, coaches and dance squads have in their communities.
