Week Two Playoff Prognostications
John Hoh
Wednesday August 1, 2001
With the fall of the Predators, Arizona now takes on #3 San Jose instead of #2 Nashville. Toronto draws #2 Nashville instead of #1 Grand Rapids.
And, so far, my ArenaBowl picks are still in the hunt! (OK, they didn’t play last weekend, but who’s keeping score?) Who would have thought the Chicago Rush would still be alive at this point! Or the Toronto Phantoms! (By the way, the win by the Phantoms was the first Arena playoff game in Canada and first Arena playoff victory in Canada; we need to document for history here.)
The week two Quarterfinal matchups are:
(8) Toronto at (2) Nashville
(7) Arizona at (3) San Jose
(5) Indiana at (4) Tampa Bay
(11) Chicago at (1) Grand Rapids
My picks, for my recreational pleasure and not to be used for actual wagering (Hence the lack of betting lines!):
(8) Toronto (9-6) at (2) Nashville (10-4)
This game is the only divisional winner match-up this week. Toronto took the Eastern Division title while Nashville secured its first Southern Division title. These two teams did not play this year. Both made the playoffs last year (Toronto as the New England Seawolves). New England lost in the first round to the Oklahoma Wranglers, while the Kats went all the way to the ArenaBowl, where they succumbed to the Orlando Predators. The Kats have the edge in QB experience, although the Phantoms didn’t let that deter them from beating the Dragons last week. However, Nashville plays defense. Pick: Nashville
(7) Arizona (9-6) at (3) San Jose (10-4)
San Jose took both regular season meetings against the Rattlers, helping themselves to the Western Division title. Arizona is coming off an emotional victory over the expansion Detroit Fury, who tried to replicate the expansion Iowa Barnstormer feat of knocking the Rattlers out in the first round of the playoffs. San Jose has the home crowd on their side and a week’s rest to boot. Pick: San Jose
(5) Indiana (11-4) at (4) Tampa Bay (10-4)
Both teams tied with the same regular season record. Only one would be the non-divisional-winning first round bye team. While the Firebirds and Storm didn’t meet during the regular season, Tampa Bay had a better record among common opponents. Tampa Bay gets the bye and home field, but my money is on the ‘Birds. Tampa Bay started fast, but faded down the stretch. Indiana played consistently in a division that send four teams to the playoffs and still finds three of the eight teams playing this week from the Central Division. Pick: Indiana
(11) Chicago (8-7) at (1) Grand Rapids (11-3)
Chicago surprised many with two straight upset wins verses the defending champions from Orlando. The victory in Chicago may have been less surprising as it came at the end of the season with Chicago having more to gain than Orlando did. But to go down to the Jungle and beat the Predators the following week—well, maybe I need to give them credit. But this week they travel to Grand Rapids. And while Grand Rapids split with expansion Detroit, the Rampage took both games from the Rush. Out of the way! It’s a Rampage-Rush matchup! Pick: Grand Rapids.
John L. Hoh, Jr., is a free-lance writer from Milwaukee who grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, as an avid Dolphins fan. He followed Arena Football since its inception, at one point watching tape-delayed games on low-powered WAV-TV in Waukesha. His happiest day was when Milwaukee was awarded the Mustangs franchise; his saddest when the Mustangs were contracted out of the league. John is married to his wife Maija (13+ years) and has a young son, Matthew. John pines for the return of the Arena Football League to Milwaukee.
