Five Burning Questions in the South
Adam Markowitz
Thursday April 6, 2006
1) Will the Storm benefit in the long run by subtracting team cancer, Bobby Sippio from the team?
ME: "No! While Sippio might have been a cancer to the Storm, there is no way to deny his production on offense and defense. The Philadelphia Eagles releasing Terrell Owens was a good thing for them, and the release of Sippio is also a good thing. But much like the Eagles, the Storm will struggle to replace the production of a talent like Bobby Sippio."
AM: "Though a receiver of Sippio’s talent is very hard to come by, one must never underestimate what a move like this mid-season can do for a team. In terms of physical productivity, WR/DB Demetris Bendross must step up to replace Sippio, but if he can prove to be adequate, the return of OS Freddie Solomon should keep the Storm offense ticking. If it means better times in the locker room, I think this is a great move for the Storm, and once again proves that Coach Marcum won’t take any problems from any player on his team, even if it happens to be his leading receiver."
2) Will Georgia be able to limit the amount of mental mistakes during the remainder of the season?
ME: "I think the Force can do it. Sitting at 6-4, the Force should easily have a better record. This year, they have lost 4 games by a combined 5 points which tells me that there is no lack of talent on the team. In every loss, one aspect of the team has imploded whether it was the offense, defense or special teams. Because the Force are virtually the same team as last year and have the same coach, I will go ahead and say they can avoid making mental errors, simply because they have shown they could do it before. It will be on Coach Plank’s shoulders though to make sure the team limits those errors, and punishes the players that continually have mental lapses."
AM: "I’m tired of this Georgia team. Despite everyone saying that they are a few plays away from being 8-2 or 9-1, they are also statistically the luckiest team in the league. They score more points off of net recoveries, interceptions and fumbles returned for touchdowns, and kick returns for touchdowns than any other team in the league, and it’s not even close. Tampa, on the other hand, has not scored a single point that wasn’t produced by their offense. The quantity of mistakes this Force team makes is simply unacceptable. In the game against Tampa, a game they appear to have won handedly by 10 points, they blew three timeouts, had two botched snaps, two other missed extra points, and a blocked field goal on special teams. Oh yes… a net recovery, a botched snap by Tampa recovered, and a kick return for a touchdown also aided the cause. Nothing in this team has led me to believe that the mistakes will be slashed, and if the Force don’t right the ship soon, they will be 6-6 after their next two road games and on the outside looking into the playoff picture."
3) Will the road warriors from Austin continue their winning ways and swipe the Southern Division away from the perennial powers Tampa, Orlando, and Georgia?
ME: "It’s tough to tell. The Wranglers to me aren’t as talented as the rest of the Southern division excusing Kansas City, and don’t seem like a better football team. But for some rhyme or reason, that team keeps winning. But I see their winning ways ending real fast, considering the ultimate blue print for beating Austin has been provided by the game plans of their three southern rivals: Georgia, Tampa Bay and Orlando. If you can successfully bump and run with Austin’s receivers, you can come up with enough pressure to sack Fitzgerald behind his wonderful offensive line. I see Austin making the playoffs, but not as division champions."
AM: "Though I also believe the blueprint is out on how to beat the Wranglers, Philadelphia couldn’t pull it off at home this past week. The key is all in the line for Austin. If they continue to win battles on the line of scrimmage and keep John Fitzgerald upright, the Wranglers are going to be tough to beat. They do have the problem at the moment having lost to both Tampa and Orlando, and that trip to Orlando to end the season might factor heavily into this equation, but I was made a believer out of the Wranglers when they marched into Georgia and picked up a victory, and I think that they will continue on to the Southern Division crown and their first playoff birth in franchise history."
4) Has Joe Hamilton turned the corner and made the Predators a legit contender?
ME: "I believe he has. Over the past few games, Joe is starting to do what made him famous at Georgia Tech: improvising. Seeing Joe run around and find a place to throw the ball is the only way for him to be successful. Being as short as Joe creates big problems for him. Throwing over his lineman and avoiding the ball getting batted down are the two main problems that come along with his stature. If Gruden will allow Joe to find space to throw, Orlando will be in good shape the rest of the season."
AM: "I’ve bashed "Super Joe" more than anyone else has this season. But Coach Gruden has convinced Hamilton that he needs to use his legs to create things for his arm. Though his passing numbers weren’t all that impressive against Chicago this past weekend (14 for 19, 177 yards, 5 TDs and 0 INTs), he scored two other touchdowns rushing, and created several other opportunities where other quarterbacks might have been sacked or forced to throw the ball away. The way Orlando’s defense has played these past two weeks, seven offensive touchdowns should be enough to win so long as Joe doesn’t turn the ball over. With home games left against Austin, Georgia, and Tampa, the Predators are a force to be reckoned with.
5) Bottom line: Who’s in the playoffs, and is the Arena Bowl champion in the Southern Division?
ME: "In: Austin, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Georgia, Dallas, and Philadelphia."
AM: "In: Orlando, Austin, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Columbus."
ME: "I don't know about the champions. Last year, the Force looked to have had the better team when they played Colorado. But because of the geographical location the Arena Bowl, the home field advantage for Colorado became a factor. Because of unknown variables like that, it is hard to say whether the next champion resides in the South. But what I can tell you is that a Southern division team will be in the Arena Bowl- that I can almost promise."
AM: "On paper, there are really only a few teams with legit shots to win the Arena Bowl. While the South clearly houses four of the best twelve teams in the league, it’s a shame that at least one of them will likely be staying home for the postseason, and another will likely be faced with the daunting task of having to win three straight games on the road to reach Las Vegas. That being said, I don’t think the Wranglers have it in them to get to Vegas, while the other teams are going to be faced with difficult road games in the postseason. I think the South, despite having four teams at 6-4 or better, are down from last year in terms of talent, and I think it will show in the playoffs, much like the Central Division reigned supreme over the Western Division last season in the playoffs, leading to a Central Division/Eastern Division showdown in the Arena Bowl. I started the year with Nashville and Philadelphia in my Arena Bowl, and I still think you’re going to see the Kats walk away hoisting the trophy come June 18."
Adam Markowitz is an accountant living in Orlando. Adam is an old school AFLer, having followed the AFL since 1991. He attended or covered well over 200 games, including 17 ArenaBowls. Adam worked for the Arena Football League for two years as a columnist and historian before retiring in 2017 when the 50-yard indoor war left the Sunshine State. Adam still muses about the AFL on ArenaFan from time to time, and you can follow him on Twitter @adammarkowitzea.
