Tampa Bay Storm - An unconventional season preview
Adam J Locascio
Friday March 2, 2007
This off-season, I’ve had a lot of thoughts about the Storm, what they did and what they didn’t do. Therefore, I give you my Unconventional Season Preview. You won’t read stale media clichés in the paragraphs below. You won’t read about “the offense gelling,” “the team giving 110%”or “spirited practices.” You also won’t hear things like, “best group of (insert position) we’ve ever seen,” “good young talent,” or “seasoned veterans.”
What you will see is a laundry list of my thoughts that I generated in the months leading up to the season opener:
- Has there ever been a bandwagon that emptied FASTER than the Tampa Bay Storm’s? Boy, you miss the playoffs once in your franchise’s history and all of a sudden you’re an expansion team. The Storm aren’t in the top 10 in any pre-season power poll (ArenaFan.com has them ranked 14th). Five titles and the Storm bandwagon drains quicker than a bucket of KFC extra crispy in front of Britney Spears.
- The War on I-4 should absolutely not be in Week 1 of the AFL season. The league’s biggest and best rivalry should have some kind of build-up to it. Plus, when both teams come into the first game with a belly-full of nerves, it means dropped snaps, stupid penalties, and fumbled footballs. In other words, there’s a lot of rust. Orlando/Tampa Bay should be in Week 6 and 15. Week 6 gives the team a chance to warm up and Week 15 could have playoff implications. And don’t give me this garbage that the league has scheduling issues. If you’re marketing the AFL you schedule these two games first, and then fill in the blanks around it.
- I think the lack of respect that is being thrown toward the Storm begins and ends with their failed bid to re-sign quarterback Shane Stafford who signed with the Orlando Predators. While Stafford’s statistics are impressive, his win/loss was a smidge better than .500 and he’s 1-4 in the playoffs and has lost 5 of his last 6 starts. He signs with Orlando, they’re supposedly now a top 5 team, and not ONE expert from ArenaFootball.com has picked the Storm to win at home? I don’t get it. A Stafford team has never won the Southern division let alone an ArenaBowl. I’m wondering where the advantage is.
- I am curious to see what kind of ovation the Tampa Bay crowd gives Stafford in his return to the St. Pete Times Forum. Regardless of his jersey, he was a tremendous asset to the Tampa Bay community for his philanthropic endeavors.
- Just as well, I am curious to see what kind of ovation the Tampa Bay crowd gives new (old) quarterback John Kaleo. The last time Storm fans saw Kaleo was in ArenaBowl XVII, but he had some less than flattering things to say about the town when he left via free agency.
- Kaleo may not have Stafford’s numbers, but he wins games. He knows how to distribute the ball and doesn’t make dumb throws. Now, he gets to team up again with receivers TT Toliver and Lawrence Samuels- two of his receivers from the Storm’s ArenaBowl season in 2003. He also gets the Dallas Desperados leading receiver of 2006 Terrill Shaw. Kaleo’s job should be clearly defined. As long as he isn’t throwing from the seat of his pants, the Storm will score in the 50s consistently.
- I thought there was something different about WR/LB Lawrence Samuels when I saw him at a Storm practice, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. Then it hit me: he’s slimmer by at least 20 pounds. I never considered Samuels to be a “heavy” receiver. If anything, I always considered his size to be an advantage because he could out-muscle smaller DBs for a pass, but now, a slimmer, sleeker Samuels might be faster. Suddenly, the best hands in the league have an extra gear to shift into. Uh-oh.
- The Storm cut Barry Wagner earlier this week. One of the 20 greatest players in AFL history doesn’t have a slot in the Storm line-up. This is what we call a “high-class problem.”
- The Storm have a slightly new look this year as their jerseys and uniforms are made by Russell Athletic and NOT Chinese children in sweatshops – errr – Nike. The biggest change is that the home jerseys feature gold numbers on a blue jersey as opposed to white numbers on a blue jersey (similar to the St. Louis Rams of the NFL). Russell, apparently, put some actual THOUGHT into making the jersey and made a legit and sharp design that puts everything Nike did in their less-than-memorable time as the AFL’s official merchandising partner to shame.
- Last year’s pass rush for the Storm was less than acceptable. Injuries to Nyle Wiren and Rod Willams crippled the line and Coach Tim Marcum was shuffling linemen in and out trying to find a combination that could both rush the passer and keep Shane Stafford on his feet. Only OL/DL Ernest Certain started every game for the Storm on the line. Certain is entering his 5th year in the league, all with the Storm. Call it a hunch or woman’s intuition, but this is going to be Certain’s break-out year. Look for him to anchor the line and lead the team in sacks.
- You can tell Coach Marcum has faith in kicker Bill Gramatica. You haven’t heard him mention his name at all.
- With no one in the media looking to have any kind of faith or belief in the Storm this season, look for them to take a lot of people by surprise and make people pay for taking them lightly. I think Coach Marcum might have a chip on his shoulder after seeing the media’s assessment of his team (too old, too many free agent losses).
- The Storm will return to the playoffs. The health of the team will determine how deep they go.
- The Storm beat the Predators 65-50 in an eyebrow-raising “upset.”
Adam J. Locascio is a financial advisor in the Tampa Bay area and a Board Member of the Tampa Bay Storm Surge Fan Club. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Phoenix and is a six-year season ticket holder for the Tampa Bay Storm.
