Buffalo`s Offense looking to Destroy
Tom Ando
Tuesday March 20, 2001
With no previous coaching experience, Bentley was brought in after week four of last season to replace Dave Whinam as head coach and general manager. The Destroyers dropped the first four games under the new coach. Bentley made numerous roster changes in those weeks to find the right mix. Finally the Destroyers won a game by upsetting the Albany Firebirds 51-48 in overtime, before winning four more and clinching the first playoff birth in team history, only to lose to the Arizona Rattlers in the first round.
 Bobby Olive in San Jose during 2000 Image courtesy of Jeff Marshall |
The quarterback situation for the destroyers has yet to be determined, but has turned into a battle between Aaron Sparrow and Jim Kubiak. Sparrow is coming back to the Arena League after tearing up AF2 last season for 69 touchdowns and just five interceptions, earning him Player of the Year honors.
"We`re excited about Aaron`s commitment to the Buffalo Destroyers," said Bentley. "He was the Most Valuable player of the AF2 last season, and after watching him on tape I can see why. The quarterback spot is a manager/leadership position, and he displayed that not only in leading his team to the playoffs last year, but also in our conversations with him. We`re very impressed with him."
Kubiak, a Buffalo native, spent the last two summers in NFL Europe after a great career in the Naval Academy in which he set 22 school records. "I`m very excited that Jim Kubiak will be a Buffalo Destroyer," said Bentley. "Our number one target in free agency was the quarterback position, and we`ve got two very good ones now." Look for this battle to go on throughout the pre season.
 Carlos James is a welcome addition to the playoff-hopeful Destroyers Image courtesy of Drew Kennedy |
Buffalo`s best addition to the 2001 squad will be receiver/defensive back Carlos James. In his past four seasons, James has been on the All Arena Team each year. Last season, with the Iowa Barnstormers, James had 51 receptions for 623 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his six-year career, James has 50 touchdown receptions.
"Carlos James has been one of the most dominant football players in the Arena Football League for the past four years," said Bentley. "We brought him in here for a visit and he was everything we thought he`d be. He`s the kind of guy who has such a strong will to win that he can take a bunch of people with him and that gets me excited."
Buffalo`s offense will be much improved in 2001, and will be looking to Destroy.
"Touchdown" Tom Ando is a free lance writer from South Buffalo, NY and has been covering the Arena Football League in one capacity or another since the 2000 season, when he was 17 years old. Tom Currently writes for Sports & Leisure Magazine in Buffalo covering the NLL's Buffalo Bandits and NCAA Division I football. In 2001, Tom was the only writer in the country to cover the Houston "Travelin' " Thunderbears, where he befriended his mentor John F. "Hondo" Hahn.
