More Than Just A Win For LA KISS

Manny Nunez
Sunday March 16, 2014

It has been six years since the city of Los Angeles has had a professional football team. There have been three Arena Football teams that have come and gone since the AFL started up in 1987, with the Los Angeles Avengers having the longest stint for nine seasons. Since then, with the AFL slowly rebuilding its identity with its long-time fans, two musicians of the iconic rock band KISS, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley decided to tackle something that in their right minds they would never have imagined. They lured in former Orlando Predators owner Brett Bouchy as co-owner, signed a lease deal with the Honda Center, and hired head coach and former AFL standout Bob McMillen. A recipe like this for an expansion team, no matter what sport, is eyeing success and a championship in such a short time.

Saturday proved to show that the team is headed in the right direction.

The LA KISS opened their season in San Antonio against the San Antonio Talons with a 41-38 victory. JJ Raternik started off his sixth year in the AFL strong with five total touchdowns, including three on the ground. The KISS defense was reluctant in giving up a lead and only trailed by as much as a touchdown in the second quarter. Los Angeles had three sacks, all coming from Beau Bell, but two of them came in the final minute of the game, with San Antonio settling for a field goal. Kenny Spencer nailed back-to-back field goals in the final minute to close out the victory.

The win though for the KISS was more than just playing 60 minutes of football. It won't be until April 5 when the KISS open the Honda Center doors and both KISS and Bouchy are promising to be an experience nobody will ever forget.

“We are fully committed to this,” Simmons said. “We are fully committed to make the experience of in your face football come to life. This is the 21st century. We want to bring more attention, more fans, and a welcoming experience.”

Talk about a welcoming experience that this team will bring. Pyrotechnics every chance they get, halftime bands, jerseys that you need to wear sunglasses for, and even a silver field are creating a needle in a haystack to standout from all the rest of all professional sports franchises. Even a 10-episode series set to debut on AMC this summer is quickly putting the team on the map.

"Anyone who knows Gene and I knows we have never played by the rules.” Stanley told Rolling Stones Magazine. “This opportunity to see the making of our team of rebels, the LA Kiss, from behind the scenes will once again show everyone that we play to win."

So far the team has seem to win many of its old and new arena fans back. As of last Monday, 7,000 season tickets were sold, and the team does hope to sell up to 10,000 and sell out its home opener. The team is not looking back at what the downfalls this city has seen of AFL teams and wants to create a product that can both entertain and produce winning talent.

“We have seen how other teams have come and gone in Los Angeles,” Bouchy said. “The Avengers averaged 12,000 fans a year before they folded their franchise, and they were led by a solid owner in Casey Wasserman. Our goal though, is to become both a perennial entertainment product but also a winning franchise from the start.”

Luckily for the players, they have way more to worry about than its off-the-field entertainment the franchise is promising. This team is built with a lot of young talent that is being led by a head coach who knows not only how to win arena football games, but take its team to new heights.

“You can't win a championship unless you win the first game of the season,” McMillen said. “When you win the first game of the season you then move forward and get better as the season goes along. It's a cliché saying that you take it game by game, but it's a philosophy that we have built on. Our expectations are to be competitive in games. I think we have the talent and the poise to do that.”

The players certainly agree. Raternik has the tall task to help bring the team together as well in such a short time.

“When I say things or I ask the guys to do something they do it,” Raternik said. “It is what it takes to be a successful leader on a team. I always want to bring the best out of the players. I think all of our captains at the same time also have that capabilities. To have that close interaction and strong ethic helps us come together so quick and have the same goal is nothing more satisfying when you put something so successful, knowing you worked hard in achieving that goal.”

The KISS will look to try and remain undefeated when they travel to Bouchy's former team and the Orlando Predators on Friday night.