Travelogue 2011: Dallas
Sharon Soares
Wednesday March 16, 2011
Only nine hours of driving and we would be in Dallas, TX for our first game of the 2011 season, a matchup between the Kansas City Command and Dallas Vigilantes. The excitement was growing as we drove while listening and watching the Philadelphia Soul barely win their game against Pittsburgh Power on my husband's smart phone. We had torn hearts; the Soul has our favorite player, “Mr. Friday Night”, Tanner Varner, while the Power has our favorite coach, former offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Brigade, Chris Siegfried. Either way, it will be a win and a loss for the evening game.
The schedule was to meet the Dallas fan club for tailgating Saturday morning prior to the game. As with most fan clubs we engage, we were welcomed and encouraged to drink and eat. Many fans gathered there, reminisced the previous attended ArenaBowls. Pictures were taken at the tailgate to add to the memories. A comment was made by many fans, “We can be friends on the parking lot but in the arena, it is game on.”
“Game on” came at noon. We entered the American Airlines Center with a sense of hope and anticipation of our first win. Positioning ourselves on the 20 yard line, first and third rows with the kids, it was time for the opening kickoff of our season. Here is our chance to redeem years' past and show Kansas City they can have a winning team.
Prior to the game, we checked Facebook and Twitter. The players were posting with excitement and plugs for the game and their appearance on NiftyTV; many several times an hour. They came on the field with just as much excitement. Some were dancing to the music, waving to fans, while others looked focused and ready to take on the Vigilantes.
Dallas' stands were only partially filled but the atmosphere seemed positive. Dallas fans were ready to cheer on their team as much as we were there to cheer on ours. The opening introduced the new cheerleaders, who did a great job with their routines, and the new mascot, Rascal Raccoon. Rascal proved to be a formidable opponent to Slasher throughout the game.
Apparently, Slasher made too much noise and became a challenge for Rascal. During the first half, Rascal showed up with silly string to attack Slasher. With silly string all over Slasher and fans nearby, Slasher continued to make noise and assist the defense. Toward the end of the second quarter, Rascal was back again, this time to take Slasher's “drum”. Rascal took it down field and used it to evacuate fluids from both ends. Slasher continued to help the defense with his loud voice instead of the “drum”. “I must have been doing something right for him to single me out and pick on me throughout the game.”, Slasher said after the game.
We left the arena and Dallas with a loss but once again a lot of memories, seeing friends from previous ArenaBowls, some who have had a hard time with illness, others that were just glad to get back to football. Returning home on our nine hour drive, we went over some of the memorable moments of the game. We can't wait until Friday when the Command display how much they have learned from our game in Dallas and show up in San Jose as a team, united and ready to win.
