At 9-1, Hoh Presses His Luck with the Big Game
John Hoh
Tuesday August 14, 2001
In keeping with the 15th anniversary and ArenaBowl XV spirit, I hereby present my “15 points to the ArenaBowl XV Matchup:”
1. Grand Rapids and Nashville meet for the third time this season. Grand Rapids won both meetings: the pre-season tilt (60-41, in Nashville) and the regular season contest (60-54, in Grand Rapids).
2. Grand Rapids faces historic obstacles. Grand Rapids, 13-3, is the first top seed to make it to the ArenaBowl since 1998, and will try to improve upon a 4-8 record held by the #1 seed in the championship game.
3. Nashville at 12-4, meanwhile, will attempt to continue the good luck of the second seed, which is 6-3 all-time in the ArenaBowl and 5-3 when facing the top-ranked team.
4. Nashville makes its second consecutive appearance in the ArenaBowl while Grand Rapids is in the Big Dance for the first time.
5. The Kats lost last year’s finale on a last second Predator field goal, 41-38. Nashville looks to avenge last year’s heartbreak.
6. This year’s battle marks the first time since 1997 that the ArenaBowl features two division-winning teams.
7. Andy Kelly (Nashville) and Clint Dolezel (Grand Rapids) are both exciting, capable quarterbacks. This will be Kelly’s second AB appearance; for Dolezel this is the first contest for the Arena ring.
8. Experience seems to favor the Kats.
9. History, where home teams in the ArenaBowl have gone 6-8, favors the Kats. Note, however, that home teams in The Big Game now have a two game winning streak. History, as noted above with 1-2 seed pairings, also favors the Kats.
10. So, does Grand Rapids have a chance? They do by virtue of being the smallest market with something to prove.
11. They have the best record, although that historical fact has proven false in the last 14 years.
12. They have swept both meetings, meaningful or otherwise, from the Kats this year.
13. I like Mike. I wish he was coaching the Mustangs.
14. I like Pat Sperduto. If he’s ever fired, and Milwaukee has an Arena team yet/again, I hope he gets hired.
15. This might also be the last game for the Nashville Kats.
My pick? Another close nail-biter as the Kats edge the Rampage, 52-50.
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.
