Five Days Before the Big Show
Manny Nunez
Tuesday April 1, 2014
For the fourth time ever and the second time at the Honda Center, the city of Los Angeles will home yet another arena football team. Two of the three teams had very little success, where both the LA Cobras and Anaheim Piranhas lasted for a combined three seasons. The Los Angeles Avengers slowly put themselves out there, lasting for nine seasons before a year hiatus in the AFL forced them to fold the franchise. All three franchises though, with a combined 12 seasons, only managed to win one playoff game.
With the Avengers, they tried all that they could as a team to compete, and a number of franchise players such as Chris Jackson, Greg Hopkins, Kevin Ingram and Tony Graziani gave them team a chance to work their way to the top. Of course, when you have other elite squads such as the Arizona Rattlers and San Jose SaberCats with hall of fame athletes like Hunkie Cooper, Shredrick Bonner, Mark Grieb and Barry Wagner, there were many reasons why the team could not find a way to get over the hump.
Fast forward to 2014, and six years after being displaced from a professional football franchise, KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley decided to take matters into their own hands. Who knows if they know the actual history of arena football in Southern California, but what they do know is this: the passion of sports has always been there. All you really need is a strong product, a lot of publicity, and to create a one-of-a-kind experience for the fans to never forget.
There have been a lot of positives KISS and the franchise have done before their first home game. Everywhere you drive around LA and Orange County, it is hard to miss billboards advertising the team. A picture of one of their players with two of their cheerleaders stands out advertising their season ticket prices starting at $99. They have been invited to major news media companies talking about their big project that has begun. AMC is following them around gathering footage for a 10 episode documentary. <a href="http://bubbleup.vo.llnwd.net/o2/la-kiss/LAKISS-v1G-Dry-Alt.mp4">Even a commercial with a woman giving birth</a> to an arena football during March Madness games has raised immediate (and questionable) publicity.
Staples has also shown their support providing the team with supplies to help them get off and running.
“We were thrilled that Staples had everything needed to kick-off the business side of running the LA KISS football team,” Simmons said. “Staples had a huge assortment that ranged from our LA KISS letterhead to technology, furniture and cleaning and breakroom supplies."
But now comes the team itself. A solid win over the San Antonio Talons gave them some momentum against the well-experienced Orlando Predators. Quarterback JJ Raternik played hot throughout the first quarter, connecting for three touchdown passes within the first nine minutes, all three of which were for 10 or more yards. Then they got a taste of what the league is supposed to be where no lead at any point is safe. Predators quarterback Jason Boltus answered back, and a interception return for a touchdown cut the lead to eight at halftime. At one point the Predators did lead the game with under a minute left before the KISS had to score to force the game into overtime. Raternik's bad pass up the middle to start the overtime was picked off by Phillip Thomas and returned to the KISS one, and all Boltus needed to do was run it himself into the endzone and steal a victory.
While Raternik had a great game in the air, his accuracy was off throwing three interceptions. The defense became non-existent after they started the game up 21. But most importantly, it gave the team a big wake up call understanding that the league does frown upon teams that are too confident at any point in the game.
So what can we look forward to when the KISS heads to the Honda Center for their very first home game as a franchise? For starters, all fans in attendance will collect a special guitar pick that has the KISS logo along with signatures of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. A silver field, fireworks that surround the stadium, and Steele Panther will perform at halftime are just some of the surprised that will help them provide the best entertainment possible. As far as the team is concerned, the Portland Thunder, its other new arena football team, will come into town looking for their first victory.
With all this aside, at the end of the day all the team needs to to is keep winning. Last weekend was a learning experience, but mistakes do cost teams wins in any sport. They are very unkind in this league, and the KISS will look to prove to stay above .500 next Saturday.