Things I have Learned
Kevin A. De Ceuninck
Thursday July 26, 2001
I have learned...
...ArenaFan writers deserve more credit. Now I understand why so many sports journalists seem jaded. To all of the ArenaFan contributors, I give you my utmost respect. It is not easy to be media when you want to be a fan too. It is hard to enjoy a victory when you would know you should get your copy finished for editing. Even harder to watch your team lose when you have to go into a somber locker room and talk to frustrated or ticked off players who would rather do anything than talk to you.
...Arena Football is not rocket science. Neither is the NFL, Major League Baseball, amateur baseball, any other sport, or job for that matter. I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but guess what? People who do the fundamentals well in any endeavor are successful. Blocking, tackling, penalties, and turnovers decide almost every AFL game. Detroit Fury Head Coach Mouse Davis said it best in a recent article, “Discipline isn’t doing what I tell you to do. Discipline, in my book, is being able to think on your own, and make good decisions without being told what to do.” In a nutshell, I have learned that defines a key to success, in any realm.
...Arena Football players come from just about every scenario possible. Some have NFL experience, some hope to make the NFL, others are just do not have the skills to be NFL caliber. Players are from major Division One football programs to small Division III or NAIA schools. However, all of them have a few things in common, they all play for the love of the game. There are very few work environments that I have ever experienced with so many people that love their job more than that. It may sound cliché, but the next time you have a bad day at work, think about six guys with tape recorders sitting around your desk to ask you to talk about how bad you worked. Answer politely. All six times you get the same question.
...Finally, I have learned Arena Football fans are on par with the rest of the sports fanatics in the world. From the four busses of Grand Rapids fans that made the three-hour trip to Detroit, to the strings of e-mails both praising and hammering their favorite teams. The AFL needs to be very careful that the base of fans (“growing from the fans up” tagline we have heard all season) does not get alienated. Moving two teams from fan supported cities like Des Moines and Albany in the name of progress and possibly losing a traditional Nashville franchise does as much alienation as it does rejuvenation.
Kevin A. De Ceuninck was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2001 season.
