Not far from the plot of land that the American Airlines Center sits on used to be a barn called the Sportatorium.  This was the venue that many of us who grew up in the Dallas area remember as the home to Saturday Night Wrestling.  A wrestling match is more what I saw Saturday night than an Arena League Football game.  The Dallas Desperados and Arizona Rattlers spent most of the game jawing at each other, taking cheap shots, dumping each other over the wall, and watching the officials mark off penalties.  Even Dallas’ animated mascot Kid Coyote was seen holding players back to stop a fight.

When it finally came down to playing football the fans got the entertainment that is expected from the AFL.  Arizona’s QB Jeff Smoker, not one of the old time wrestlers, hit receiver Todd Devoe on a 16 yard strike on the last play of the game to win it 55-54.  It was like Scandar Akbar hit Kevin Von Eric across the head with his cane while the referee Bronco Luverich was not looking and the good guys lost.  The Dallas faithful even looked like a wrestling crowd as they threw promotional plastic footballs all over the AAC’s floor as the Rattlers and referees left.

The Desperados seemed to let controversial calls, mouthing, and physical play get into their heads.  The result was way too many penalties.  Personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing the passer, and head to head contact plagued Dallas and the game all night long.  Dallas QB Clint Dolezel did not look like a poised veteran while mouthing with several Rattlers and referees on different occasions.  Even backup QB Chris Sanders

Shoved DE Anttaj Hawthorn after a conversion.  DE Colston Weatherington did the best professional wrestler impersonation.  After numerous plays Weatherington was found in a discussion with an opponent, listening in on the huddle at the Rattlers bench, or arguing with the officials.  “I don’t know what was going on out there;” Dallas Head Coach Will McClay said, “I do know we have to be disciplined and not get caught up in the emotions of the game.”

Josh Bush opened the game for Dallas with a kickoff returned all the way. 

Defensively, Dallas played brilliantly early with 3 goal line stand stops in the first half alone.  Unfortunately the offense got off to a slow start and only scored one touchdown of their own. Things finally got interesting late in the 2nd quarter as Dallas tried a last second field goal and missed.  The rebound off of the net was subsequently returned for a potentially game tying touchdown.  Arizona feeling a Dallas letdown, snuck in a surprise two-point conversion to take a 15-14 halftime lead.

Dallas seemed to get things rolling in the second half when the penalty bug surfaced.  Dallas scored on a hitch and go to tie the game at 21.  McClay, like he often does went for a surprise onside kick that looked successful.  An offsides call gave the ball back to the Rattlers who scored on the next play.  Andrae Thurman began to make his name tknown on successive good and bad plays.  On the first play from scrimmage after the score Thurman went 30yds with a touchdown reception, buy it was called back for holding.  Dolezel throws for a first down anyway the next play but it was called back because Thurman was holding.  Thurman then made final amends with a 28 yd touchdown catch that tied the game at 28 with 5:13 left in the 3rd.  Weatherington did some talking with his play and sacked Smoker who fumbled giving Dallas the ball back.  Wrestling night in Dallas continued.  Dolzel was hit late and Nash was shoved over the wall on the next play.  After the penalty yardage was added, Dolzel scrambles and dives into the end zone for a 35-28 Desperado lead.

Thurman is called on an unsportsmanship penalty and Arizona ties it on the next play.  The ensuing Dallas drive seemed to stall after back to back holding calls.  FB Josh White broke lose for a 10 yard punishing touchdown run.  Smoker and the Rattlers answer to make it 42-42.  

The wrestling match finally turned into a football game with both teams taking turns scoring.  Dallas’ Anthony Armstrong had two long distance touchdown receptions in the last three minutes.  The second one gave Dallas the lead with 18.3 seconds left.  The Dallas defense needed to hold on one more time after playing well for most of the game.  Another Weatherington sack on 2nd down caused a fumble that Dallas could not recover.  This led to the games final play that shocked the Dallas crowd.

“The Defense did play well but we needed one more stop to win the game,”  McClay exclaimed as he shrugged his shoulders after the game.