Rush Show Off Amid Dense Media
Mary-Ann Williams
Friday April 6, 2001
Media Day for the Chicago Rush came with about 20 media personnel, few of which bothered to do their homework. They stood around watching the team go through their drills and work out whatever last-minute worries they have before meeting the enemy on their home turf for the first time this season.
Too bad the media didn’t have a clue what they were watching.
“Are they down if they’re thrown into the wall?” asked one veteran Chicago sports reporter.
“So, they can return the ball if the kick is bad and it bounces back into play from the nets?’ asked another.
“I’m confused. Do they have to worry about getting rushed on a field goal kick, then?” This while the team practiced field goals without a defense on hand.
* Sigh *
A simple click of the mouse would have given these journalists the answers to their questions. Check out Arenafan Online. Check out www.rushfootball.com. Check out the Official AFL site. Check out any number of sites that flat out tell you the rules these men couldn’t seem to understand. Alas, the dangers of working with people too sure of themselves and their abilities to figure out this “new” sport with minimal difficulties.
The Rush did their part. They ran the plays, worked hard and showed off. Every player, whether on the field or not, paid attention to Coach Winter as he ran the special teams through their paces. Flying kicks flew toward the dense media, keeping them on their toes in ways they didn’t expect.
K Matt Huerkamp, recently arrived from Tampa Bay, shot the ball into the rafters, behind the nets, and into the ground as his line around him practiced regaining control of the ball and he practiced swinging his leg. The Rush ran through every trick in their special teams’ bag to a very unappreciative audience.
When it came time to talk to the men and women around them about what to expect tonight, the players and coaches patiently spent their time explaining the rudimentary rules and play differences between the AFL and the NFL, instead of their plans of action against the Detroit Fury. A few didn’t even know whom the Rush would be playing, or that their opponents faced their first season in the AFL, as well.
A sad situation considering these people have been given the job of explaining the sport to the fans of Chicago.
For those of you interested in the plans against the Fury, Hohensee did answer a handful of questions in that regard once the hoard of cameras and mikes left him alone.
“Everyone’s going to play. We need to evaluate everybody and make sure that after tomorrow night’s game we make the proper cuts,” said Hohensee. “But if it comes right down to it, we want to win this football game. We want to win every football game.”
Rumor has it he’ll play the bench until they look in danger of losing, then they’ll put the starters back in. The opening game, preseason or not, of a new sport in Chicago, already saturated with losing teams, has to be won to earn the respect it deserves. In fact, if the Rush plan on sticking it out here, Hohensee knows a winning season holds the ticket to do so.
“I think right now the pickin’s are right for the fans because there’s not really a winner in town right now. And we want to bring a winner. We want them to be happy about their football team, and hope that we can do that.”
While the team played well against Arizona, there were and are some areas of concern. Veteran DS Derek Stingley admitted reservations about the rookies when he’s not on the field.
“I’m kind of the one to show them where to go, what to do,” he said. “When I’m not out there, it’s not that they can’t do it, it just makes me nervous, that’s all.” His trademark grin softened the comment.
The Rush walk into the game blind. No Fury tape made its way to Chicago this week due to a problem in Milwaukee. A fan who came to the practice to gather autographs asked if this worried Hohensee.
The 11-year veteran coach smirked. “Might be a good thing, you don’t know!”
And the rest of the team? How do they look?
The pass protection seemed weak against Arizona. Jeff Loots has the arm and the knowledge to be starting quarterback, but without time, he’s limited in what he can do. He’ll need to scramble a little, and run the ball even more. Maybe as the season progresses, the offensive tactics that Hohensee has used throughout his career will make those skills unnecessary, but until it happens, expect to see some problems for Loots.
Throughout the preseason, the rookies’ abilities to learn the game and then use that knowledge has been a major worry. Cornelius Bonner took away a bit of that, but with a roster half full of rookies, it didn’t clean the closet completely. The fans will see tonight if Bonner is the rule for Rush rookies, or an anomaly.
As the veterans, rookies, and media, gear up for their first Arena Football game in Chicago, kinks will present themselves and stupid questions will be asked. But as long as everyone makes the effort to learn about this game and work to make it a success, the indoor war will have a long life in Chicago…we hope.
Mary-Ann Williams lives in Chicagoland with her four children, Carter, Jackson, Jeremy, and Riley Jade. As a freelance writer, she`s written articles for the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Daily Herald. She also serves as editor of the AFL-side of Arenafan Online, and covers the Chicago Rush.
