One Step Closer to WHAT?
Scott Reed
Sunday June 10, 2001
Seems that Dave knows the team pretty well. Everything he said came true as the Barnstormers defeated the Pirates 62-20 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium last evening. Between Head Coach Gary Porter biting every last millimeter of fingernail off his left hand and OL/DL Eric Delaere kicking Barnstormers in the head while they were on the ground I can see where Dave was coming from.
As the game progressed I began watching the Pirate bench as they witnessed Iowa TD’s, reacted to teammate miscues, and received instructions from Head Coach Gary Porter. Peoria is a team of misfit toys! Their attention span in the huddle with coach Porter was similar to children’s reactions to a substitute teacher during the last day of school. No discipline! No respect for authority!
Early in the first quarter DS Michael Feagin was already complaining to Porter about playing time. Late in the third quarter FB/LB Shawn Wright walked away from the coaches huddle preceding a kickoff.
However, the coach was not all there either. In the first quarter, leading 7-6, a 1st down was attempted instead of a field goal on a 4th and 12.
Porter was being interviewed by Gary Fletcher of WHO radio after the game and when asked about the team’s quality of play he responded, “I’ve puked up lunch that looked better than we played! We have no backbone and we do not know how to handle adversity.” Needless to say the interview ended there.
So what can Iowa take away from this game besides a win? Is revenge that sweet when you win against a team in such disarray? Does the margin of victory really reveal how well you have improved?
Apparently, the Barnstormer front office seems to think 6 losses can still make the playoffs. Unless I am the only one paying attention, there are still 6 games left in the regular season and next week Iowa visits Frank Haege’s Quad City Steamwheelers. That would make it at least 7 losses after next week and two games left to play against rapidly improving Louisville. I think I stretched my 8-8 prediction a little too much in my last article ‘Uncle!’.
Iowa has improved with additions of DS Jamarcus Powers, who by the way had a great mental game going on with Pirate WR/LB Kenneth Junious, and QB Anthony Buich.
Des Moines needs a reality check about the playoff talk however. This current roster has significant potential but they need to gel more as a team for the remainder of the year against better opposition. Until then, this year’s playoff hopes are nothing but a dream and a marketing ploy to keep people in the stands.
Next year, if kept intact, this club IS playoff material.
By the way, has anyone seen anyone bigger or meaner looking than Barnstormer OL/DL Brad Smith? Not only is he 6’6”, 304 lbs. but his head of hair and long beard make him the perfect poster child for af2!
Scott Reed was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2000 to 2002.
