Chicago’s Dynamic Duo

Jeff Sims
Wednesday April 4, 2007

After a 7–9 season that culminated with an ArenaBowl championship, the Chicago Rush still feel as if they have something to prove. Being told that they got lucky and went on a winning streak at the right time last year lights a fire under this current Rush roster.

Coming into this season, the team has set one goal for itself; the “R” word.

“We talked about playing the game with a purpose,” said Rush head coach Mike Hohensee. “We came back to repeat as champions. Our players came back, old and new, to win a championship. So our goals have been driven by a much deeper purpose than any other team. No one else has the same purpose; to repeat as champions.”

There are two players that have taken this task to heart. Rush QB Matt D’Orazio and WR Bobby Sippio are out to show that the end of last season was certainly not a fluke.

D’Orazio came to the Rush at the start of last season having spent one season with the Columbus Destroyers. Feeling that the quarterback position was holding them back, Columbus let him go at the end of the 2005 season. The Rush signed him and let him fight for the starting job. He has never looked back and takes a professional and modest approach to his job.

Last season, D’Orazio threw for 3,546 yards and 63 touchdowns. He only threw five interceptions and had a completion percentage of 68.7%. Through the first five games of this season, he is on a pace to equal his totals from last season.

“He is such a perfectionist and that is what drives him and that is what sets the tone for our offense is his determination,” states Hohensee.

Then there is Sippio, who came to the Rush with five games left last season after being released by Tampa Bay. It has been well publicized that Sippio had difficulties in his last two stops at Dallas and Tampa, but the story is different depending on who you talk to. Feeling that he was the missing piece of the puzzle, the Rush used a future considerations option from a trade early last season with Kansas City to obtain his rights. The Rush could not have made a better move to improve the football team.

Since joining the Rush, Sippio has wowed the Allstate Arena faithful. Through the last five games of 2006, Sippio caught 38 passes for 684 yards and 17 touchdowns. His production continued through the playoffs with big games against San Jose and Orlando in the ArenaBowl. So far in 2007, he has 45 catches (21 for touchdowns) and is on pace to break the single season records for touchdowns and most points scored.

He has not only won the approval of Rush fans, he has won the respect of the coaching staff as well.

“He plays with a purpose,” says Hohensee. “He plays with a big heart. Yeah, he may be flamboyant and he may piss you off with some of the things he says, but he comes and he is a team player. He wants to win football games. Whenever we play and I know that I have that kid in my huddle, I know that we’ve got a shot (to win).”

And Bobby definitely likes being in Chicago.

“The time here has been awesome,” said Sippio, putting his flamboyance aside. “This is the best team that I have been with. We define team here as just not the players and the coaches, but the entire organization because everyone is involved and that’s a wonderful thing. It’s great to get that support. It’s like a family.”

Since D’Orazio and Sippio have been playing together, the Rush are 11 – 3 and at times seem unstoppable. If you speak to either one of them, they have the utmost respect for one another and will sound like they have been playing together for years. 

“(Matt’s) an awesome guy and he’s our quarterback,” said Sippio. “To be a great quarterback and a great leader, you’ve got to have great partners.  He’s an awesome leader and an awesome friend.  We come out here, go to work, and have fun. I could not ask for more of a quarterback, or more of a leader of our team than what I get from Matt. I love Matt to death. It’s just all about making each other better.”

D’Orazio certainly likes having his star wide receiver around also.

“I wouldn’t trade Bobby for the world. He is a better person off the field than he is on the field. He is a great teammate to have. I think he’s the best receiver in the league and I hope that he has success this year as player of the year because that means that we’re winning games and that is our ultimate goal, to win games.”

But both of them know that repeating will not be an easy task. They understand that it takes a lot of time and energy to succeed in the AFL. It is something that they both are willing to give up for the team and each other to reach their goals and they feel as though they are getting better all the time.

“We’re confident and we know that we’re just not going to show up and make it happen,” said D’Orazio. “We have to work out here on the practice field and hopefully it will translate into the games.”

“(Our timing is) even better because we’ve got time to work now,” stated Sippio. “We’ve had a chance to oil it up and make it better. We have a championship together already. It happened surprisingly because we both came from devastating situations to be here. It is one of those things that has brought us closer together.”

Both players state that while it is nice to have personal stats recognized and get personal awards, nothing would make them happier than winning another championship

“I just try to get out there and do what I can do and hopefully I would be able to achieve (Player of the Year),” says Sippio. “But hopefully we can take some of the new guys under our wing and do something again.”

Both Matt D’Orazio and Bobby Sippio are proof positive that the slogan on the back of their practice shirt doesn’t lie; “You can count on me.”