There’s more under an AFL title than meets the eye
Laurie Button
Monday June 5, 2006
No, I’m much more interested in the fact that my husband and I will be on a jet heading for Las Vegas this Friday afternoon. I wish I could say that our team of choice is on target for repeating as ArenaBowl champions, but that’s simply not the case this time around. Instead, it will be the Chicago Rush and the Orlando Predators fighting it out for the ArenaBowl XX title.
Who would have guessed? That’s the magic of AFL football.
A short year ago when I called my husband, Joel, from the end zone at the Thomas and Mack Center to share with him the reality that our Colorado Crush had won ArenaBowl XIX, I knew that he wouldn’t miss being a part of that kind of opportunity again. At that point in time, he was alone in Estes Park, Colorado, while we were sipping champagne with Rich Young’s mom in the arena parking lot.
True: When first questioned a couple of weeks ago, Joel said that he would only go if the Crush made it to that final plateau. But then, when he realized that 40 or more of our favorite Club Crush people had already committed to the trip - irregardless of who was in the championship contest - it only took an instant for Joel to jump on board. Last year I was blown away by the fact that so many people, supporting so many different AFL teams, were in attendance.
And in the end, Joel didn’t just say OK to me making the reservations – he immersed himself hook line and sinker. How do I know that, you might ask? I know because he went to a mall looking for clothes and my husband never voluntarily goes shopping for anything other than tools, audio equipment and ice cream.
This time he even bought new underwear and socks. For my husband, that is complete commitment.
You may have seen some publicity about a "Booster Club Bash" occurring in the south end of the Thomas and Mack parking lot before the big game next Sunday. Joe Kauffman of ArenaFan has been the lightning rod in putting together a tailgate party for members of all of the AFL’s booster and fan organizations.
Not only will this be an opportunity for all of the league’s fans to get to know each other, the tailgate will be a fantastic networking tool for booster organizations as they celebrate the culmination of this year’s action and ready themselves for the 2007 season.
If you plan on attending ArenaBowl XX – no matter what your team allegiance – please wear your colors and join us at the 2006 Booster Bash. This is an opportunity to share the team spirit and dedication that we all share as fans of the Arena Football League.
If you’re driving and feel like bringing tailgating gear – the more the merrier! Just look for the barbecue smoke and the blue EZ-up tents. Help us to make this tailgate the one that builds a foundation for all of those to follow. If you’re ready to give it your all, the festivities will begin at 8:30 a.m.
As for Joel and me, I just hope we make it to our flight on time. While the salesperson at a prominent retail store did a phenomenal job in dressing my husband for our first more-than-overnight-vacation-together in nearly three years, the ink-filled security device left on one of the shirts (his favorite, of course) might cause problems going through airport security. As a result, we need to make a mall stop before boarding. That taken care of, we’ll be armed and ready for a fantastic weekend!
Best wishes to both the Chicago Rush and the Orlando Predators as they battle it out on the Thomas and Mack indoor turf Sunday, June 11. And while we’re not playing favorites, Club Crush President Lew Halboth has declared that for just a day, Club Crush just might have to rename itself Club cRush for ArenaBowl XX … Let’s keep the title in the family and the division!
Laurie Button worked fulltime as a writer for more than a decade, but she's been a football fan all of her life. Having left the newspaper life behind, Laurie now spends her days as a public works department office manager in Estes Park, Colorado. Her nights and weekends, however, revolve around the Colorado Crush and the team's booster organization, Club Crush. Laurie serves on the club's board of directors and is also responsible for writing and designing the organization's newsletter.
