October team-by-team update
Tuesday October 24, 2006
NEW YORK – The 19 Arena Football League franchises are staying busy this offseason with front-office hires, open tryouts, community activities and much more.
Following is a team-by-team rundown of the latest happenings around the League:
Arizona: The Rattlers signed OL/DL MARCUS JOHNSON and FB/LB ERIC AREVALO from the team’s Open Tryout Camp.
Austin: Wranglers Head Coach BRIAN PARTLOW and his wife Courtney are the proud parents of Addison Graves Partlow, the couple’s first child, who was born on Sunday, October 14 in Austin.
Chicago: The Rush will select the 2007 SoBe Adrenaline Rush Dancers in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges on October 21 at the Excalibur nightclub in Chicago. Celebrity Judges include DIANA DITKA (wife of Rush co-owner MIKE DITKA), JARRETT PAYTON (son of legendary Bears running back WALTER PAYTON) and a host of Chicago radio personalities.
Colorado: Crush DS RASHAD FLOYD has been working as an in-studio guest analyst on the NFL Network's "College Scoreboard" show.
Columbus: On October 22, the Destroyers will host a pre-audition clinic for the 2007 Bombshells dance team at Infusion Dance Studio.
Dallas: Desperados K CARLOS MARTINEZ, and his Martinez Production Company, will be hosting a Diesel Fighting (mixed martial arts) tournament in Dallas on November 4.
Georgia: On October 18, Head Coach DOUG PLANK spoke to high school students about the Arena Football League at the team’s training facility. Plank and his staff also held open tryouts on October 14 at the Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta.
Grand Rapids: Rampage Head Coach SPARKY MCEWEN, along with free agent acquisitions QB MARK RADLINSKI and FB/LB L.J. PARKER, appeared on WTKG 1230 AM’s "The Fox/Pontiac/Buick/GMC Pigskin Party" on October 16 and discussed the Rampage’s upcoming 10th Anniversary Season.
Kansas City: Brigade players B.J. COHEN and SAM SIMMONS and the Brigade Girls appeared at the Blue River Athletic Complex on Saturday, October 14 to meet the Pop Warner Challenger flag football team sponsored by the Brigade. The team supplied uniforms to the youth team in cooperation with the Helping Hand Foundation and Pride-Maker Apparel.
Las Vegas: The Gladiators will host open tryouts for the 2007 season on Saturday, October 21 at 10 a.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium. Interested players are invited to a one-day tryout and should bring turf shoes. There is a $50 registration fee that is payable in cash only.
Los Angeles: On Saturday, October 21, the A-Team Dancers will interact with children and families who are affected by Sickle Cell Disease at the "Little Legs with Big Hearts" event at UCLA’s Drake Stadium in Westwood. The following day, A-Team Dancers will appear the Camp Ronald McDonald For Good Times 14th Annual Halloween Carnival at Universal Studios in Universal City.
Nashville: Kats OL/DL MONTY MONTGOMERY has spent time working with Three Sixty Five Inc., an organization that works to positively enhance the educational opportunities for at-risk children. Montgomery tutors and mentors children and provides charitable contributions.
New Orleans: The VooDoo selected 14 players in an expansion draft on Friday, October 6, including first pick DB CHRIS BROWN from the Georgia Force. The team also signed the League’s all-time leading passer and former VooDoo QB ANDY KELLY who spent last season with Kansas City and Utah.
New York: WR/LB CHRIS ANTHONY and OL/DL GIER GUDMUNDSEN are currently in Boston shooting the football movie Game Plan starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Orlando: Former Predators FB/LB RICK HAMILTON, who led Orlando to its first ArenaBowl win in 1998, was inducted into the University of Central Florida’s Athletic Hall of Fame on October 12.
Philadelphia: Soul owner JON BON JOVI recently received the City of Brotherly Love Award for his community service work in Philadelphia. He also was named Habitat for Humanity International Ambassador and announced the creation of the Philadelphia Soul Foundation, which is the partnership of Bon Jovi, the Soul, Habitat for Humanity, Saturn and Project H.O.M.E.
San Jose: The SaberCats signed quarterbacks CRAIG WHELIHAN and SCOTT RISLOV to free-agent contracts. Whelihan spent the previous two seasons with Las Vegas. Rislov threw an af2 record 106 TD passes a season ago for the Fresno, California-based Central Valley Coyotes.
Tampa Bay: The Storm will host an open tryout on Saturday, November 4 at 8:30 a.m. at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, Florida. DAVE EWART, Storm Director of Player Personnel, will direct the camp. Registration will take place at 8:30 a.m and the fee is $60 (cash only).
Utah: The Blaze joined DAVID ZABRISKIE, the third American ever to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, for a "Bikes For Kids Utah" event to give 1,000 bicycles to 1,000 underprivileged children on September 30. The Blaze mascot "Chief" joined Utah Governor Jon Huntsman in giving out the first bicycle.
