Arenabowl XV: Odds and Ends
Kevin Sheller
Saturday August 18, 2001
The banquet hall featured two giant projection screens on either side of the stage, brightly adorned with a table-full of awards and a giant Built Ford Tough logo. Various players, owners, and league personnel presented awards that were followed by video clips of game action on those big-screens.
In attendance: All team owners, all team coaches; the squads of both the Rampage and the Kats, including all of the award winners and league personnel.
Lamont Cooper
I had an opportunity to talk to Oklahoma OS and kick returner, Lamont Cooper, who won the Don’t Blink Award. Cooper is an intelligent, interesting, and down-to-Earth all-star. The most interesting topic of our conversation was that he and his coaches (both in Milwaukee and in Oklahoma) designed their return-schemes under the direction of Cooper himself. He’s the one returning the kicks, so he knows what he likes.
Not many players are like Cooper. And although it took a few hours of arguing to convince the Milwaukee coaches that he had a good scheme, they eventually listened.
Look for Cooper to coach in this league when his playing days are over.
Aaron Garcia
I had another fun conversation with New York Dragons’ quarterback Aaron Garcia. As I’m apt to do, I asked him why the Dragons, who were on a roll as the season came to a close, fell once again to the Toronto Phantoms. The answer, “They just had our number.”
New York Dragons
In speaking to other members of the Dragons organization, the common belief for the team’s rough start was that head coach John Gregory hired defensive coaches with no prior AFL experience. It took a while before they learned it all, but progress was made – which was likely why the Dragons came on strong at the end of the season.
San Diego
I spoke to a gentleman who has been trying for a while to get a team in the San Diego area. Ideally, he wanted to base an AFL team there with the help of some investors, but the status of the arena in San Diego just doesn’t make that possible. While the arena seats around 12,000, there are no luxury boxes, and the facility has become out of date. So now he’s looking to bring the af2 to San Diego, with the eventual hope to upgrade to an AFL team if a new arena is built.
Steve Thonn
I spoke with Houston Thunderbears’ head coach, Steve Thonn. He recognized the league’s efforts to keep the team going, and he had nothing but good things to say about them, but he also admitted that the season on the road was not an easy one. Thonn was impressed with his players’ attitude, despite the fact that the odds were stacked against them. In the second-to-the last week of the season, the Thunderbears traveled to Salt Lake City for a “home” game against the Arizona Rattlers. But the Rattlers had the homefield advantage, as the Mormons love head coach Danny White, who also is a Mormon.
Thonn said that was the final straw, and the last game in San Jose was just too much for the players to overcome.
John Gregory
New York Dragons’ head coach John Gregory had to make one of the largest moves of his career. Considered by many to be a “small town” coach, Gregory made a name for himself with the Iowa Barnstormers. When I asked him how the transition was from Des Moines to Long Island, he was pleased to say that his new community actually has a small-town feel to it, and he feels right at home.
Jo Jo Polk
I didn’t speak to Grand Rapids’ WR/DB Jo Jo Polk, but he certainly elicited an emotional response from all those in attendance when he was presented with the Inspirational Award for his rapid recovery from partial paralysis after doctors told him he might not even be able to walk again. He fought through tears to thank all those who helped him through his recovery. Finally, when he thanked his mother, the 600-some in attendance wept with him as he walked off stage and gave his mother a hug.
Dameon Porter
Chicago’s WR/DB Dameon Porter was a finalist for the Built Ford Tough Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Ironman of the Year, and Breakout Player of the Year. Conveniently, Porter is staying across the hall from me in the hotel.
“This was my first trip to the banquet. I figured I’d won something. I figured they wouldn’t fly us out here if we didn’t win something.”
 Dameon Porter poses with his Ironman of the Year trophy (left) and Breakout Player of the Year Award. Image courtesy of |
“If I was going to win an award, I thought it was Ironman. I didn’t know much about (the Breakout Player) award. I wasn’t sure what the criteria was, when the guy read it last night, I thought I had a chance to win it.”
And winning two different awards at two different times throughout the evening creates an unusual situation.
“I wasn’t really prepared to give two speeches. I had a thank you list. I wasn’t expecting to go up there twice. All I could do was thank all the coaches that voted, and the Rush staff. It was just an honor for me to be there. Amongst the AFL elite.”
Porter was also honored to become a recipient of the coveted Ironman of Year recognition.
“That award has been around the longest, and it pretty much symbolizes what this league is all about. Look at the guys who’ve won it. I’m not ready to be mentioned along with Hunkie (Cooper) and Barry (Wagner). But at the same time, to have my name on that trophy, and know that there’s only a handful of guys who have done it – it means a lot. You win that award, and it’s kinda tough to forget about you.”
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.
