Ho Hum, Fire Win Again
Kevin Sedelmeier
Wednesday May 4, 2005
Instead, the Steeldogs kept coming back, in large part due to quarterback Ray Nelson. During the first quarter, Nelson was completely ineffective, throwing with Ryan Leaf-type accuracy. Despite his elusiveness, he was pressured, and his running game got nowhere. The Fire’s defensive line, the stars of the game, did a great job containing the run. From the Demetrius Forney safety to the Duane Ashman fumble recovery to Marvin Constant’s team-high seven tackles, they were active and disruptive all night. The highlight of the Fire’s relentless defensive pursuit was when they made a Sports Center-caliber defensive stop near the goal line in one of organized football’s most inefficient drives ever, an improbable six-minute, five-yard promenade after Birmingham recovered an onsides kick.
It looked that was going to set the tone, but Nelson settled down. "We got complacent. We weren’t making the plays," said Fire DB Mark White, who had a couple of nice pass break-ups. "We have great defensive linemen. It helps us a lot (secondary). When they put pressure on the quarterback, it’s easier to cover."
Marvin Constant, in the middle of the most piles of bodies and masses of humanities, felt the team executed well once they returned to their style of ball. "We stayed focused. We knew they were going to try to run the ball," the chiseled linebacker out of Alabama said. When asked if that repeated goal line stands took something out of the defense, Constant didn’t bye it. "That just comes from conditioning and doing the things you have to do in practice and doing everything hard, so that when it comes game time it’s pretty easy."
Fire mainstays and fan favorites, Forney and Derrick Shepard were busy on both sides if the ball. "The only thing different about this year is we got more experience. This year we’ve got a lot of veterans who know how to play the game," said the affable Shepard. "The harder you work in practice, it will come a lot easier in the game," he added.
Forney agreed, saying the defensive scheme was to "Bring a lot of pressure. Keep him (Nelson) in the box, Coach (Tommy Johnson) preached to us all week. Whoever’d get the most pressure would win the ball game. We’ve got a lot of defensive guys. We can teach them how to play offense," Forney said, making an interesting albeit often overlooked comment on a unique facet or arena football. "We’ve got to cut down in the mental mistakes and we’ll be a playoff team," he said.
Despite the defensive accolades, the offense was not too, shabby, either. Quarterback Matt Sauk continued his steady play, throwing for 5 more touchdowns, giving him 19 on the season against only two interceptions. "We’re taking what we’re given. We’re definitely a lot more patient this year than we were last year. The good thing is, we’re still putting points on the board." (He’s right, the team is averaging over 52 points a game.)
James Scott was on the receiving end of two of those. Rookie Rob Mager continued his steady play catching a pair himself. And Sauk’s touchdown pass on a quick slant to Cesare Manning was a huge play near the end of the third quarter. Tony Stallings added a kick return to the Birmingham two-yard line, and he had one returned to the Birmingham five called back because of a penalty. Birmingham’s Herman Bell showed some impressive open field moves, but Stallings remains the league’s best combination of speed, elusiveness, and power.
It wasn’t the best game of the year. The Fire had 13 penalties, and the Steeldogs incurred 11. It had its moments of complacency; it lacked a rhythm. "It was hard because we would score so quick, and they would have a 12-play drive, and when you do that, you lose your rhythm, and arena football is all about rhythm," said Sauk. And we all remember what the Miami Sound Machine said about rhythm. There were missed opportunities and dropped passes, and a lead that continued to get cut into. But it was a win. And that’s all that matters in this or any other league. And despite their record, the Steeldogs are going to put up a good fight with Bobby Humphrey as their coach.
The season is young. Things can change. Just think, at one time some movie critics actually thought Corey Haim and Corey Feldman had long, respectable film careers ahead of them. But this Fire team unlike ones from previous seasons, has playoff experience to look back on and learn from. This team is winning without putting consistent halves of football together. So when this talented and focused group starts putting it all together – watch out league because the Fire will burn you – OK I can’t really end my column with such a lame, hackneyed conclusion. But next week’s battle for first place in the American Conference’s Eastern Division against the Manchester Wolves should be a great game. But here’s betting that no matter how loud they play Duran Duran’s Hungry Like the Wolf inside the Verizon Wireless Arena, the Fire will not be intimidated.
BLOWING SMOKE
It was Catholic Schools Night at Freedom Hall. Being a product of 13 years of Catholic school education, I was pleased. I wasn’t so pleased, however, at what I saw on the scoreboard. As a member of the beloved St. Barnabas class of 1984, I was disappointed to see our parish misspelled as "St. Barnabus." There is no patron saint of large public transit vehicles as far as I know.
A banner for the 1975 Kentucky Colonels ABA champions is now hanging in the rafters of Freedom Hall along side the University of Louisville basketball banners. It was hung in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of their championship season. Long time Louisvillians think three things when this comes to mind: pride and fond memories of a great team, Artis Gilmore’s hair, and give me a break, John Y. Brown could have coughed up a million to get in the NBA.
Birmingham QB Ray Nelson was very impressive. He endured a horrid first quarter that rivaled overmatched Spurgeon Wynn’s one start against Green Bay for the Minnesota Vikings in 2001. Instead of being rattled by the Fire’s pressure, however, Nelson wound up completing 20-34 passes for 291 yards. I half expected him to be benched by halftime, but he turned it around impressively.
The music played during the games so far this season is better. In fact, the theme from The Jeffersons was even played last week. English teachers from those honored Catholic schools must have cringed knowing that is the song that uses three syllables to pronoun "trying."
Marvin Constant lay nearly motionless near the end zone wall after a collision early in the game. "One of my own teammates pushed me into the wall," he said with a smile afterward, although not revealing the identity of the meddling culprit. Despite the shot against the unforgiving boards, he returned to the game to lead the team in tackles. His knee, which was so severely damaged his freshman year at Alabama wasn’t reinjured on the play, and Constant says that knee is "wonderful." I told him I was glad to see him walk away on his own power after such a vicious collision. He grinned and said, "I’m glad to see I walked away, too."
The Fire’s Rob Mager was called for unsportsmanlike conduct when he threw a football in the stands after scoring a touchdown. Ironic isn’t it that the league that lets fans keep balls that go in the stands during game play is so hard-lined when a player tries to give away a ball under his own power?
Fire WR Tony Stallings had a three-day tryout last week with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. "It went real good," he said. "I just say it’s all God’s plan, and it’ll take care of itself. I’m just waiting." Calgary’s leading rusher last season had less than 500 yards, so they are in need of an every down back, and Stallings is strong and durable enough to be that player for them.
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.