Fire Leave Ohio River for Pacific Ocean
Kevin Sedelmeier
Friday May 30, 2003
But before anyone thinks it’s all fun and games in the sun, the Fire are there to do a job indoors. Head Coach Tommy Johnson is clear on his objectives for the weekend. “It’s a business trip for us,” he said after a recent Fire practice. “There will be a curfew the entire time we’re there,” he added. Johnson plans on his team getting there a couple of days early “to get the jet lag out of our legs.”
The lone plane trip of the season alters the week’s practice and travel schedules, and the Fire are aware that the disruption has been tough on other mainland teams who’ve traveled to Honolulu. The Islanders are undefeated at home this season. But that record cannot solely be attributed to opponent fatigue. Instead, the Islanders are .500 on their long road trips as well. Maybe their most unique and impressive stat is that they lead the AF2 in every major rushing category. That lead is not just a few yards, either. They have piled up 430 yards through eight games with a 4.6 yards per carry average and 21 touchdowns. That equates to an average of 53.8 yards a game. By comparison, the second place Wichita Stealth average 35.8 yards a game. Coming off a contest that pitted them against TD throwing madman Tony Zimmerman, the Fire defense will have to quickly prepare for a different type of offense.
In addition to the challenges the Islanders pose for the Fire on the field, Hawaii is calling the game: “Put Out the Fire Day.” In a promotion, the team has donated 1,000 tickets to the local Fire Fighters Association. So, there should be a good crowd on hand. For the Fire, it would be nice to have their own cheerleaders there to help nullify the cheers of the spirited, partisan crowd. Well --- (shameless, lame segue. Sorry.)
The players aren’t the only members of the Fire family making the trip. Many of the cheerleaders are going, but unlike the players, they’ve had to help raise funds for their travel. A cookie sale, a car wash, a yard sale, and a sponsor-a-cheerleader program have all been used to solicit donations. And while they can’t line up in an end zone of Blaisdell Arena and cheer, they won’t be inactive on the trip. Not unfamiliar with making numerous public appearances, they will serve as team ambassadors.
Possibly more important to many Fire fans is news that the cheerleaders will have a photo shoot on the island for an upcoming calendar. Already, they have new posters for sale at Freedom Hall, and their own web site www.thefabulousfirefemales.com is nearly ready. So, the cheerleaders have some business as well to take care of on this trip.
Despite the fact that this is the first meeting between the two teams and they play in different divisions, the game is important for the Fire to keep pace with the quagmire that is the second place battle in the National Midwest. It won’t be easy, but the Fire responded well against Quad City coming off the horrid Memphis game. Coach Johnson will do his best to keep his team focused on the business at hand. However, there are probably more distractions in Honolulu than there are in, say, Fayetteville or Green Bay.
After last week’s tough loss to Quad City, offensive lineman Greg Perdue agreed with Johnson that this trip is really about work. “It’s business,” he said before smiling and adding “but there’s fun, too.” For Fire players and cheerleaders alike, nothing would make the trip more complete than a victory over the Islanders. Oh, and maybe finding one of those tiki dolls like Bobby Brady did and putting a spell on arch rival Peoria Pirates as the playoff race heats up.
Kevin Sedelmeier is a native Louisvillian. A graduate of the University of Louisville with a B.A. in Communication and M.A. in English, he works as a technical writer and has written fifteen screenplays and numerous short
stories. He lives with his wife Elizabeth, son Lukas, and their dog Springsteen.