Rush Learn Big Lesson in Loss
Kevin Sheller
Saturday June 16, 2001
When Chicago hosted Indiana in week five, they expected to play an expansion team. It was obvious that the Firebirds had been practicing their end zone celebrations. After each touchdown, Eddie Brown would pose while other players would snap imaginary pictures of the “unbeatable” star. (As well as other multi-player-staged scoring shows.) They were brash, they were cocky, and they expected to mop the floor with the Rush.
To everyone’s surprise, WR/DB Dameon Porter caught a few passes not intended for him, and the Rush squeaked one out.
 Dameon Porter made the difference in the team`s first meeting with the Firebirds Image courtesy of Drew Kennedy |
But for the Rush players, they were on a three-game winning streak. They were starting to think it was easy to win. Sure, they knew they weren’t playing their best, but they still found a way. Perhaps they started to rely on it a little. Maybe they felt that not only could they play with any team, but they could beat any team with the same formula: Play ugly and squeak it out.
Hop on the bus to Indianapolis! The Rush beat these guys before! They watched the film. They had those predictable Firebirds all figured out. They were proud of their game-plans -- they knew how to beat the best of ‘em. "Last one on the bus had to buy the victory drinks!"
Ok, maybe it wasn't that bad, and sure, the Chicago Rush players weren’t practicing their end zone struts, but they were still dreaming of a 6-3 record.
“We had that three game winning streak, and we had a little swagger,” said Chicago DS Derek Stingley. “Now we know we can’t come out here and play this team like we’ve been playing other teams. They’re going to capitalize on every mistake and it showed tonight.”
It didn’t take long for the team to fall apart. The turnovers came in bunches, and by the time the fourth quarter began, the score was 52-17.
I had to remind myself that I wasn’t covering the Mustangs anymore.
“We had our minds made up coming into the game,” said Indiana WR/LB Greg Hopkins, “We gave the last game away (in Chicago). That kinda’ stuck in our minds.”
Chicago head coach Mike Hohensee agreed. “I think they probably underestimated us last time. They were ready for us here.”
And they didn’t even practice any fancy end-zone skits.
The Chicago Rush needed a loss like this. They needed to see that it wasn’t so easy.
When the good teams lose by large margins, they usually bounce back. They return with another level of understanding -- that they can’t take it all for granted, and that they must be overachievers to keep winning.
The resolve and the attitude of this bunch is an impressive one. If any team can recover from a big loss and learn how to win down the stretch, the Rush can.
There are five games remaining, and the competition won’t be easy. The Rush can end the season as low as 5-9 or as high as 10-4. With this reality check, now they`ll know what it takes to come out as big winners.
Kevin Sheller ia founder of Arenafan Online and was the principal owner until 2004. Kevin graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in technical writing, and has been a member of the Arena Football Internet community since 1993. He has worked as a professional web programmer and is also the executive producer for a computer/video game company. The most recent Xbox title to his credit is called Hunter: The Reckoning.
