Time is now for Storm
Adam J Locascio
Saturday March 1, 2008
This is the year that the pieces come together.
For the Tampa Bay Storm, the landscape couldn’t be more perfect.
Every championship team has “that” year. Just recently, the New York Giants lose their final game against the New England Patriots – a game where their much-maligned quarterback found his game and then went on the road three straight weeks in the playoffs to force a rematch with the Patriots.
The planets lined up, and the rest is history.
This could be it for the Storm. No more excuses. No more shoulda-couldas. Coach Tim Marcum now has an owner with deep pockets and a quarterback who stays in the pocket.
Quarterback Brett Dietz turned Cinderella last year after being plucked off the Kansas City Brigade’s practice squad and thrust into active duty. Dietz, given command of a rudderless, winless Storm squad, rallied the team to a 9-7 record and a third seed in the playoffs. Dietz gets a full season to guide the team this year.
Dietz also gets his full assortment of weapons back from last year. Wide receivers Lawrence Samuels returns (which is like reporting that the sun came up), along with re-signed free agent Terrill Shaw. David Saunders returns to the sight of his Arena Bowl ring. Rookie Tyrone Timmons adds even more size to this formidable group. Samuels, Saunders, Edwards and Timmons are 6’3”, 6’2”, 6’3”and 6’4” respectively.
The schedule starts off brutal, improves considerably, and then balances out to close the season. The Storm play four of their first five games on the road, followed by four of their next five at home. The final six games of the season alternated home/away, then finishing the season at home against the Los Angeles Avengers on June 21. For a team that notoriously gets hot in the last eight games of the season, the schedule actually plays to their advantage.
The Storm also spent the off-season stocking up on some choice free agents, none more important than Sedrick Robinson. For the past four seasons, Storm fans collectively held their breath as kick-offs bounced off of the net and into the unsteady hands of….someone. Now, the Storm have a bonafide home run threat manning the special teams unit.
While the weapons are in place, the Storm get a break from the schedule by playing in a weakened Southern Division this year. As the Georgia Force’s three-headed monster at receiver has been dismantled as Chris Jackson and Derek Lee both departed due to free agency, it appears that Georgia’s window of opportunity has closed. New Orleans is still finding its feet after being contracted temporarily after Hurricane Katrina. Most notably, the Orlando Predators went old-school by bringing back 37-year old DB Kenny McEntyre, but lost WR Jimmy Fryzel in the pre-season to a knee injury and DL Greg White to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Shane Stafford returns for his second season but has yet to post a 10-win season in his career and has a 40-38 record as a starter. After returning the 18 of 21 players from last year’s squad, the Storm are in a fine position compared to the rest of the South.
The real test for the team will be the first five weeks, but better to get the road games out of the way early. If they can start no worse than 3-2 and can win at New Orleans and at home versus Georgia, they then get four of the next five at home and can put some real distance between them and the rest of the pack.
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.
