In the Huddle with JD..

So long for now…

On the eve of training camp and the start of another season of Storm football, your friendly, neighborhood Storm Radio Guy has some bittersweet news.

Almost one year ago to the day I became a victim of the tough economic times that so many around our country are dealing with.  My position at the radio station that I was working at in Jacksonville was eliminated and I found myself looking for full-time work.  All of this happened just as the AFL and the Storm was about to re-launch for the 2010 season.   I made the decision to move my family back to Tampa and the folks with the Lightning were kind enough to set me up with a package that included broadcasting Storm games, hosting a couple of radio shows and writing this column a couple of times a week.

After a yearlong search, I finally landed a job as the Operations Manager and Program Director for a pair of radio stations in Raleigh, North Carolina (99.9 FM The Fan and 620 AM The Buzz if someone wants to give them a listen.).  This is a tremendous opportunity for me and my family.  I will be getting back to work (anyone who knows me is well aware that I am not wired to sit around and do nothing) for a great company in college basketball crazy Raleigh.  And there is the rub.

The busiest months for the station are March and April.  College Basketball’s March Madness coincides with the first six weeks or so of the AFL season.  My top priority has to be the radio station. With that it is with a heavy heart that after 12 seasons I will be giving up my spot in the Storm broadcast booth.

If you are a regular reader of this space, you may have noticed that I got ahead of the curve a little bit offering up a bunch of thank you and goodbyes in my last column of the season.  I kind of knew that after last season I would be hanging up the headsets, but as the reality of not being back in the Storm radio booth came to fruition over the past few days. It has really weighed heavily on me during what is an exciting time for me and my family.

With all of that out of the way, I hope you will indulge me by letting me regurgitate a few of those thank yous that I mentioned earlier.

We will start with Coach Marcum. I consider the coach a friend and a mentor. The first time that I was behind the mic for a Storm game was 1997. The Storm were headed to Phoenix to take on the Rattlers. I was filling in for Rock Riley whose wife was having a baby. I buried myself in the rule book to brush up on the nuances of the game. I read both team’s media guides. I was ready for this game baby. I forgot one small thing. To talk to the head ball coach. I heard through the grapevine that coach was not happy. How could I announce as Storm game without talking to the head coach? Rocko needed to spend another week on maternity leave. I was called to duty again. This time the coach could not get rid of me. I was at every practice and asked every question. In the process I learned to love the game. Coach took me under his wing and allowed me tremendous access. Our dinners the night before road games, some of the “only in Arena Ball” moments, enjoying the victories, and drowning our sorrows after losses were all under the category of what coach called “building memories through Arena Football.” Thanks Coach.

My partner Jack is not only an icon in Tampa Bay, but I am proud to call him one of my best friends. We were the Harry Caray and Steve Stone of the Arena Football League, and I say that will the utmost reverence for Jack. Jack’s presence on the Storm broadcast immediately brings the team, the league and the sport instant credibility. We are a bit of an odd couple off the air. Sometimes our wives just shake their collective heads at how well we get along. Our adventures on the road have provided me with a lifetime of stories.  My time on the road with Jack is what I am going to miss most.

I understand all of this may not be great reading for most of you, so I’ll try to keep the rest short.

Dave Ewart...One of the best personnel guys in the game. He is a good guy and good friend, someone who has poured his soul into the Arena Football League. I loved watching the good cop/bad cop dynamic with Dave and Marcum.

The rest of the folks in the Storm office. Michelle Anderson, my friend and fellow New Orleans tippler;  Chrissy Deeb, who had the most important job in the place, making sure the food and drink was ready when needed, and she never disappointed; the new guy, Monty Bussey who has a bright future ahead of him in the league.

The players, coach Marcum has said it over and over again. This past season was the best group of guys that we have ever had, and the coach is rarely wrong. We had a locker room full of professionals with high character. They were good guys off the field and skilled gladiators on it.   I have loved working will all of the players of the Arena Football League.

When the Arena Football League re-launched, I had a bit of a rude awakening. As part of the economic cutbacks, most of the league had determined that a full time public relations person was a luxury. The person whose job it was to supply me with information for my broadcasts was now also selling tickets, doing game operations, or even wearing the mascot costume. That meant the quality of information was…um…Well let’s just say it the league has some room to grow in this area. The Tampa Bay Storm was the exception. Jim Robinson was the guy who set the bar for what the rest of the league should strive for. Jim is the best PR guy in the league. He made my job easier and hopefully made the broadcast more entertaining to the listeners. This guy worked his [tail] off all season long and for that I am extremely grateful.  Jim is a great friend and co-worker and a true professional.

Thanks to Bill Wickett, Sean Henry and Matt Sammon at the Forum. Those guys have allowed me to actually get paid for doing something I love through the years. And judging by the incredible things that the Lightning organization has done in the past year, great things are ahead for the Storm now that they are under the Lightning’s umbrella.

Thanks to the best engineer on the planet Ralph Beaver and his apprentice Molly Donsky.

Most of all, thanks to you, the fans. I never cease to be amazed by the passion of Storm fans. The way you all turned out at the Forum after the year off was something to behold. I loved talking with you before and after the games. I loved answering the e-mails and the questions at the coach’s show. You guys are what it is all about.  The best part of this new chapter in my life is that I get to sit back and be one of you, a fan.

Go Storm!

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

What’s next for the AFL…

The league has its relaunch season in the books. I think everyone agrees that it was an almost impossible feat that the AFL accomplished by getting a product back on the field for the 2010 season. For that alone, the commissioner and the league’s owners, coaches and players deserve praise.

Now it is time to analyze what needs to be improved on, and where the league is going moving forward. The AFL owners are meeting in Arizona presently to do just that.

I think we have learned that there were a few small markets in the league that will not be viable long term. We know now that the Alabama Vipers will be headed to Atlanta to become the Georgia Force. There are rumored relocations for a couple of other small market teams, Bossier-Shreveport to New Orleans and Oklahoma City to Seattle. It remains to be seen if those rumors come to fruition. That leaves Spokane, Tulsa and Milwaukee from the former af2 markets. I think Spokane is going to be around for awhile. They are destined to be the Grand Rapids of AFL 2.0. Milwaukee is a good market, that team just needs solid ownership. Tulsa’s long term viability is still a question mark. It had its best year at the turnstile in 2010. I am just not sure if that franchise can remain there beyond the 2011 season.

One of the glaring on field deficiencies in 2010 was the use of “home town officials.” The cost saving system in which one officiating crew was assigned to officiate all of a team’s home games. Dallas Vigilantes owner Woody Kern told me on the Tim Marcum Show this week that the league is abandoning this policy and will move towards a system in which crews will cover games regionally. For example there may be three crews in Florida that rotate between Tampa Bay, Orlando and Jacksonville games.

Kern mentioned that the league will look at some different proposals for player compensation. Right now, three “marketing players” are making $1,000 per game, while the other players make $400 per game. Player compensation will probably not increase dramatically next season, but the league is looking at some options that will allow teams some flexibility in how they dole out the money allowed for salary. He also mentioned a proposal for a tiered system that would see some players make $1,000, some would make $700, some would make $500, etc.

The league should receive a boost from the returning and expansion teams joining in 2011. The San Jose Sabrecats, Kansas City Brigade and Philadelphia Soul will all be returning to the league next season. The Pittsburgh Power will join as an expansion team. The steel city has not had Arena Football since the Pittsburgh Gladiators left town to become the Tampa Bay Storm.

There should also be the announcement that ArenaBowl XXIV will be held in Orlando. I mentioned in this space earlier this week that I believe that a predetermined site for the game is probably the best way to go.

No matter what happens with all of the stuff mentioned above, the AFL’s continued growth is good news for the fans. I think the AFL’s return last season was a success and things will be even better next year.

Thank yous…

I am wrapping up my 12^th full season as one of the radio announcers for the most storied franchise in AFL history. There is the possibility that I have called my last Storm game. There are a few career opportunities on the horizon that might send me to some outposts that might make it a little difficult to get to the Forum on Saturday nights. Hopefully things will work out and I will be back in the booth next year, but just in case, there are a few people that I wanted to thank.

We will start with Coach Marcum. I consider the coach a friend and a mentor. The first time that I was behind the mic for a Storm game was 1997. The Storm were headed to Phoenix to take on the Rattlers. I was filling in for Rock Riley who’s wife was having a baby. I buried myself in the rule book to brush up on the nuances of the game. I read both team’s media guides. I was ready for this game baby. I forgot one small thing. To talk to the head ball coach. I heard through the grapevine that coach was not happy. How could I announce as Storm game without talking to the head coach? Rocko needed to spend another week on maternity leave. I was called to duty again. This time the coach could not get rid of me. I was at every practice and asked every question. In the process I learned to love the game. Coach took me under his wing and allowed me tremendous access. Our dinners the night before road games, some of the “only in Arena Ball” moments, enjoying the victories, and drowning our sorrows after losses where all under the category of what coach called “building memories through Arena Football.” Thanks Coach.

My partner Jack is not only an icon in Tampa Bay, but I am proud to call him one of my best friends. We are the Harry Caray and Steve Stone of the Arena Football League, and I say that will the utmost reverence for Jack. Jack’s presence on the Storm broadcast immediately brings the team, the league and the sport instant credibility. We are a bit of an odd couple off the air. Sometimes our wives just shake their collective heads at how well we get along. Our adventures on the road have provided me with a lifetime of stories.

I understand all of this may not be great reading for you, I’ll try to keep the rest short.

Dave Ewart...One of the best personnel guys in the game. A good guy and good friend. Someone who has poured his soul into the Arena Football League. I love watching the good cop/bad cop dynamic with Dave and Marcum.

The rest of the folks in the Storm office. Michelle Anderson, my friend and fellow New Orleans tippler. Our equipment manager Juan Valdez, a good guy and friend. He has the toughest job in the building and always got it done with a smile. A big plus, he never forgot to bring the radio gear on the road. Chrissy Deeb, who had the most important job in the place, making sure the food and drink was ready when needed, and she never disappointed. The new guys Evan Vladem and Monte Bussey, each hard workers with great careers ahead of them. The players, coach Marcum has said it over and over again. This is the best group of guys that we have ever had, and the coach is rarely wrong. We had a locker room full of professionals with high character. They were good guys off the field and skilled gladiators on it. Of course I have to throw in the cover my butt, “Thank you to anyone else that I may have forgotten.”

When the Arena Football League relaunched, I had a bit of a rude awakening. As part of the economic cutbacks, most of the league had determined that a full time public relations person was a luxury. The person who’s job it was to supply me with information for my broadcasts was now also selling tickets, doing game operations, or even wearing the mascot costume. That meant the quality of information was…um…Well lets just say it the league has some room to grow in this area. The Tampa Bay Storm was the exception. Jim Robinson was the guy who set the bar for what the rest of the league should strive for. Jim is the best PR guy in the league. He made my job easier and hopefully made the broadcast more entertaining to the listeners. This guy worked his [tail] off all season long and for that I am extremely grateful.

Thanks to the Storm ownership. Thanks to Bill Wickett, Sean Henry and Matt Sammon at the Forum. Those guys have allowed me to actually get paid for doing something I love through the years. Thanks to the best engineer on the planet Ralph Beaver and his apprentice Molly Donsky.

Most of all thanks to the fans. I never cease to be amazed by the passion of Storm fans. The way you all turned out at the Forum after the year off was something to behold. I love talking with you before and after the games. I love answering the e-mails and the questions at the coach’s show. You guys are what it is all about. We do what we do for you, and without you we would not be able to do what we love. Thanks.

Again…My apologies for any mushiness. Normally that is not my style. If logistics can be worked out and the folks with the Storm and Forum will have me, I would love to be back next year. But just in case, it was important to me to make sure the people that I have worked with know the respect that I have for them.

This column will be the last regular one for the 2010 season. Thanks for taking the time read what I had to say. I will check in throughout the off season when events warrant. Also don’t forget to become a fan of the Storm’s Face Book page where you may see some musings from me during the off season.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

Throughout the 2010 season we saw two different versions of the Tampa Bay Storm. For most of the year we saw a dominate team with a fierce pass rush, a physical secondary, an accurate, efficient quarterback, and big wide outs that went up and got the football. There were times during the season where the team just appeared to be off kilter making mistakes on both sides of the football. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, on the league’s biggest stage the wrong team showed up.

Things looked good out of the gate. The Storm lost the toss and got the ball first. They moved down the field with a slow, methodical drive. In the process the Shock lost two defensive starters. They finished the drive with a touchdown. The Shock then scored on their first possession, but Storm linebacker Cliff Dukes blocked the extra point. Storm fans had to be feeling pretty good.

The game turned on the next two Tampa Bay possessions Both ended with turnovers. Quarterback Brett Dietz was sacked and he fumbled. That turned into a 13-7 Shock lead. The next series resulted in an interception, and just like that Spokane led by two scores.

The Storm had hoped to take the rowdy Spokane crowd out of the game early. Instead, Tampa Bay’s early mistakes fueled the Spokane record crowd of 11,017.

The Spokane offense led by quarterback Kyle Rowley sliced and diced the Storm secondary. The only time the Storm were able to muster a stop was when kicker Garret Rivas recovered an onside kick. The lone stop allowed the Storm to temporarily take the lead. Even the go ahead score came back to bite the team from Tampa Bay. The Shock defense appeared to allow Royal to score. If Royal had fallen down on the one yard line, Tampa Bay could have milked some additional time off the clock. Instead, the Shock got the ball back and one play later scored to take a 34-28 halftime lead.

The Shock had the possession coming out of the half and leap-frogged the Storm as they put up a touchdown to open the second half. The Storm were unable to answer. Dietz tried to force the ball down field to Hank Edwards, the route was jumped and the Storm’s hopes of winning the ArenaBowl were officially toast.

The Storm were never able to come close to stopping the Shock. The Storm secondary looked lost. There were busted coverages and desperation pass interference infractions. All-in-all things did not go well for the guys in the defensive backfield.

The Storm’s mantra all season long was that “no other team in this league could beat them. The only team that could beat them was themselves.” That theory was busted in ArenaBowl XXIII. The reality of the situation was that even though the Storm doled out some self-inflicted wounds, the Spokane Shock thoroughly beat the them in all aspects of the game.

The Spokane Shock denied Tampa Bay its sixth ArenaBowl title. In the process Spokane added its first ArenaBowl title to its two ArenaCup championships.

What’s next…

The 2010 version of the Tampa Bay Storm were designed to win now. The team was made up of veteran AFL players who came back to the relaunched version of the Arena Football League with the intention of winning a championship this season. The end result was the empty feeling of being so close to a title, but coming home empty handed.

When you have been around pro sports as long as I have, you learn to take statements made after an emotional loss with a grain of salt. That being said a number of those veteran players may choose to hang it up. I won’t name names here, because I believe that those guys have earned the right to go out on their own terms.

There is also another set of players who still have years left in their playing career who have decided that for whatever reason, the relaunched version of the Arena Football league is not for them.

What this means for Tim Marcum and his staff is probably a rebuilding effort for next year. Mind you, I don’t believe that Tampa Bay will be all alone in that boat. That second group of players that I mentioned above are not exclusive to the Storm. League wide there will be a number of players that might decide that the AFL is not for them.

ArenaBowl review…

Hard core fans of the Arena Football League have debated the merits of having the ArenaBowl at the site of the highest seeded team, or having the game hosted at a neutral site.

I have attended three ArenaBowls that were hosted by a home team, and one neutral site game. Both have their pluses and the crowd in Spokane was electric. Having the game in Spokane was a great reward for great fans that have supported the Shock all season long. Shock fans that were in the building got to witness the home team winning a championship. It was something that they will never forget.

The down side to the game being played in Spokane, was that the game was being played in Spokane. Spokane, Washington is a hard city to get to. There are not a lot of options for flying into Spokane and just about all of those options are real expensive. That meant the team’s travel costs for the game were exorbitant It also meant that fans of the league that wanted to attend the game likely had to pass because of the hefty air fare.

This year’s game did not have much of an “ArenaBowl feel” to it. This was mostly due to the downsizing of the league office. The league apparently did not have the personnel or the funds to put on an “event.” Walking around downtown Spokane, there was no hint that a championship game was being played in the city. The only ArenaBowl signage that I saw was a cardboard sign on an easel in the hotel lobby. If not for the ownership of the Storm and Shock opening their collective wallets, there would not have been the traditional banquet for the players, coaches and staff the night before the game.

Media day had a sparse turnout. There were local Spokane media, the guys from www.ArenaFan.com, and me.

The game itself was a Shock home game. The ArenaBowl field which included neutral end zones remained sitting in a warehouse somewhere. Instead the Shock’s orange end zones were laying over the concrete. The Storm provided graphics for the Spokane video board, the best I could tell they were never used.

In contrast, the game between Orlando and Chicago that I attended in Las Vegas featured a big event feel to it. There was signage in the airport and around the city. There were big events leading up to the game including concerts by REO Speedwagon and Maroon 5. The game itself featured equal representation for each team. ArenaBowl turned into a convention for the league’s players, staff and fans. It was an impressive, first class event. It was also a classic example of the reckless, irresponsible spending by former commissioner David Baker.

In Spokane we had no event. In Vegas we had an extravagant event. The correct answer for the ArenaBowl is somewhere in the middle. I think a neutral site is the way to go. While I enjoy the aspect of the league’s best team getting rewarded for a great season by hosting the championship game. The reality is that the ArenaBowl is a better showcase for the league and an event for the fans when it is played at a neutral site. Rumors floating around the hotel lobby in Spokane indicated that Orlando is making a bid to host the game in it’s brand new arena that opens up next year. Even though it may not end up being a true neutral site game, Orlando is a great location for the ArenaBowl. It is a destination city that provides something to do beyond the game itself. Fans can plan to make ArenaBowl week their family vacation. It also won’t be too difficult to lure league sponsors and partners to Central Florida in late August.

On the air…

We will wrap the season up with one last Tim Marcum Show Monday night at 6 on 1250 WHNZ. We will be live at Rock N Sports Bar N Bistro in Centro Ybor. Stop by to say hello to the coach and take advantage of some great specials on food and drink.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

Spokane, WA – Here is my notebook from my first 12 hours in Spokane for ArenaBowl XXIII.

Getting there is the hardest part…

Even in this day of modern air travel, getting an entire football team across the country can be a little difficult, especially when your destination is not a major metropolitan area.

The Storm traveling party was split up onto several flights. Some members of the ownership group headed west on Tuesday. Equipment manager Juan Valdez and a portion of the equipment arrived here Wednesday morning. Myself, along with football operations assistant Monte Bussey and media relations assistant Evan Vladem  jumped on a plane in Tampa with hopes of being in Spokane by noon. A mechanical problem delayed the flight and caused us to miss a connection. We were re-routed with an extra stop that saw us go from Tampa to Minneapolis to Portland to Spokane. We arrived at 6:30 PM Spokane Time.

Fortunately the players had no such problem. The football staff moved their flight to an evening flight in order to be able to practice at the Forum on Wednesday. They hopped on two separate planes and arrived here in Spokane at 10:30 PM on Wednesday.

Busy day on Thursday…

Both the Storm and Shock have a full itinerary for Thursday. Both teams will participate in a luncheon late Thursday morning. There will then be a media availability for both teams. Following the media availability the Storm will do their walk through at the arena. They will be followed by the Shock who will do their walk through. Then both teams will participate in The Commissioner’s Reception this evening in downtown Spokane.

World Cup atmosphere…

With the game being played in Spokane, the Shock are trying to do whatever they can to increase their home field advantage by selling vuvuzelas. For those not in the know, vuvuzelas are obnoxious horns that are all the rage in South Africa at soccer matches. The horns made the soccer events almost unwatchable.

Distributing the horns is tip toeing on a gray area in the rules. The AFL does not allow mechanical noise makers. There is debate whether or not the vuvuzelas fall in that category.

Sell out…

ArenaBowl XXIII is a sell out. I was told by a league official Wednesday that 11 thousand tickets have been sold for Friday’s game. The official capacity for the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena is 10,800. The league was able to find a place to put an additional 200 seats. They put those seats on sale Wednesday and they were snatched up in minutes.

Back to the steel city…

Multiple media reports out of Pittsburgh have said that the Arena League is returning to the steel city. A press conference is scheduled for Friday to make the announcement that a team from Pittsburgh will join the AFL in 2011. Reportedly Steeler great Lynn Swann will be a part of the ownership group. Pittsburgh has a history with the AFL. The city was home to one of the league’s original franchises in the Pittsburgh Gladiators The Gladiators then moved south to Tampa Bay to become the Storm.

Thoughts on the game…

My superstitions prevent me from getting anywhere near predicting a game involving the Storm, especially when we are talking about an ArenaBowl. However, I will give you a few keys to look at.

How will the Storm battle Spokane’s “Tall Ball?” The Shock’s bread and butter all season long has been getting the ball up to their gigantic wide receivers. The Storm secondary does not have the size to match the Shock, so it will have to go to a couple of other tools in their repertoire Daryon Brutley, Erick McIntosh and Brandon Hefflin have not been shy about playing the physical card all season long. They will need to get physical with the Shock receivers early.

A key to every Storm game is their pass rush. Spokane is primarily a three step team. That will make getting to Kyle Rowley difficult. You need to remember that with pass rush in the AFL it is not all about sacks. It is about pressures and hurries. If you can throw off the timing of the quarterback, that is just as good as a sack. We have seen games where the Storm pass rush has been “on.” When Jermaine Smith, Kelvin Kinney, Tim McGill and Cliff Dukes are going, they are game changers. Conversely the Shock have done a great job keeping Rowley upright. The battle on the line of scrimmage will dictate the flow of this game.

Rowley and Brett Dietz are two of the most efficient quarterbacks to ever face one another in an ArenaBowl. Never has the title game featured quarterbacks that each had more than 100 scoring passes. The quarterback rating for both guys is through the roof. This is may sound like oversimplifying things, but it is a fact. The team with the quarterback that plays better will win. If Brett Dietz plays like he did in Tulsa, Tampa Bay could roll to its sixth world title. If Dietz throws a couple to the wrong jersey, Spokane will be celebrating.

On the air…

The Storm Report will originate from Spokane Thursday night at 6 PM. We’ll hear from players and coaches on both sides of ArenaBowl XXIII and we’ll break down the match up.

Friday night at 7 PM Jack Harris and myself will have the call of ArenaBowl XXIII on 1250 WHNZ.

The game will be televised on NFL Network with Paul Burmeister, Kurt Warner, Anthony Herron and Ari Wolfe calling the action.

The Storm’s official watch party will be at Rock N Sports Bar and Bistro in Centro Ybor. Rock N Sports is located on the second floor of Centro Ybor right across the street from the movie theater. Complete details on the watch party are available on www.TampaBayStorm.com

Online…

If you are not near a television or radio Friday night, but can manage to get to your computer, we have your hookup. We’ll provide scoring updates of the game on the Storm’s Face Book page at www.FaceBook.com/TampaBayStorm and on my Twitter page at www.Twitter.com/TBStormRadio.

Check out both of those pages throughout the weekend for updates from Spokane and ArenaBowl XXIII.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

1=6. No it’s not new math. 1=6 is an equation that shows the path to greatness. Over the past two weeks, the equation has changed, but the goal remains the same. After Tulsa 3=6 turned to 2=6. Then after Orlando the formula changed again. We stand at 1=6. One win equals a sixth world championship for the Tampa Bay Storm.

While the Storm coasted to their first playoff win in Tulsa. The second win against Orlando wasn’t nearly as easy. After all this was the War on I-4 with a trip to the ArenaBowl on the line, you would not expect anything less.

We received a pretty good clue as to how this game should play out during the first two series. Tim McGill and the Storm pass rush forced a fumble on a muffed snap. The Storm recovered the ball to earn the first stop of the game. Then the Orlando defense stepped up turning away the Storm on 4^th down. Two possessions, two stops you just knew this was going to be a tight contest.

Their were a number of key plays that turned this game in favor of each team. Lets look at some of them:

The Storm earned a huge advantage at the one minute mark of the 2^nd quarter. Brett Dietz hit Tyrone Timmons on a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Storm a 28-21 lead. Tampa Bay then attempted an onside kick that was recovered by Drew Weatherford. The Storm had the ball, Orlando chose not to use its time outs as the Storm marched it down the field on a drive that was capped by a Dietz to Hank Edwards 15-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left in the half. At this point the Storm led 35-21.

Tampa Bay kicked it deep. The half ended with a 32 yard field goal attempt by Orlando kicker Carlos Martinez. The usual sure footed Martinez missed. The Storm went into the half with the lead an the possession They added to the lead with a touchdown on the first possession of the 3^rd quarter. With a 42-21 lead, the Storm looked to be in complete control.

The good fortune continued for the Storm midway through the third. For the third time of the night, Dietz dumped it off to tight end Tom Kaleita. Orlando defensive back Dion Bynum went low on Kaleita knocking the ball loose. It bounced right into the arms of center Robbie Powell who was in front of the play blocking. Powell ran it 18 yards down the right sideline fro the score preserving Tampa Bay’s three touchdown lead.

Late in the third quarter after Orlando scored to cut the Storm lead to 49-35, the Predators went to the onside kick. Just as they had done twice in the first meeting between the two clubs, the Predators recovered the onside kick. They went on to score to make it a one touchdown game.

Tampa Bay would recover Orlando’s second onside kick attempt. They wound punch the ball into the end zone, but uh oh. The PAT was no good. The score was 55-42 Tampa Bay, and all of a sudden the Red and Black had some momentum.

With about nine minutes left in the game Orlando scored to close the gap to six. On Tampa Bay’s ensuing possession Dietz attempted to complete a bench route on a third and five. Edwards slipped coming out of his break, Dietz had already released the football. It sailed into the arms of Bynum and the Storm were in trouble.

The Storm defense held Orlando to a fourth and seven. The Tampa Bay pass rush flushed Orlando quarterback Nick Hill to his left. Hill threw up a prayer that bounced off the rebound net and into the arms of T.T. Toliver who was standing in the end zone just beyond the goal line. The PAT was good and Orlando had it’s first lead of the game, 56-55 with one minute left and a trip to the Arena Bowl in the balance.

After an Orlando onside kick that was recovered by the Storm, Tampa Bay took one play to put it into the end zone. The Timmons touchdown made it 56-61 with the PAT pending. Storm coach Tim Marcum made the decision to go for two. Tampa Bay went five for five on two point tries in the last meeting between these two teams, so the odds appeared to be in the Storm’s favor. Dietz completed a pass to Terrance Royal and Tampa Bay once again had a seven point lead with just 49 ticks remaining on the clock.

Tampa Bay then onside kicked. The ball was recovered by Orlando who scored quickly to make it 63-62 Storm with the PAT pending. Orlando was called for two consecutive false starts. The point after try was backed up 10 yards and Martinez missed.

Tampa Bay recovered Orlando’s onside kick, but failed to score. A fourth down pass by Dietz was intercepted in the end zone by Kenny McEntyre. Orlando was trailing by one. It had the ball at its own five yard line with seven seconds on the clock.

Orlando moved the ball out to its own 16 with two seconds left. It was time to bring on Martinez to try a 49 yard field goal. If it was true, the 8-8 Predators would go to the ArenaBowl. If it was no good, Tampa Bay would punch its ticket to the championship game.

The kick was dead center, but the end result….1=6.

Travel Itinerary…

Tampa Bay will have a very short window to prepare to face the Spokane Shock in ArenaBowl XXIII. The team met on Sunday to watch some film. It will get two days of practice in on Monday and Tuesday. The team will then board three separate airplanes on Wednesday and fly to Spokane. The short window that the league had to book travel combined with the lack of flights to Spokane made splitting up the team’s traveling party a necessity. The club will be reunited in Spokane late Wednesday night.

Thursday brings a league sponsored breakfast featuring the two teams. There is also a league sponsored banquet that evening. Somewhere in between there are plans being finalized for a media day, and oh yeah they are going to have to squeeze a practice in there somewhere.

Friday will be just like any other game day with one small exception. The game will air live at 8 PM Eastern on NFL Network. That means kickoff will be at 5 PM Spokane time.

 Every level of football features some distractions during the week leading up to the championship game. The Storm are a veteran club, and should be well equipped to deal with any challenges that ArenaBowl week presents to them.

On the air…

We will bring you the Tim Marcum Show Monday night at 6 PM on 1250 WHNZ. We’ll be live at the Rock N Sports Bar and Bistro in Centro Ybor. The usual specials will be in place. Stop by and get two dollar draft beers and five dollar appetizers. They will also take 15 percent off your food bill during the show.

Thursday night The Storm Report will originate from Spokane, Washington and ArenaBowl XXIII. We’ll bring you news and interviews from both the Storm and the Spokane Shock as they prepare for Friday’s big game.

Speaking of the big game, Jack Harris and yours truly will bring you the call of ArenaBowl XXIII live from Spokane. Our pregame show starts at 7:30 PM Friday with kickoff set for just after 8 PM. Hear all of the action on 1250 WHNZ.

The game will be televised nationally on NFL Network.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

It is as intense as it has ever been, off the charts intense. That is the current status report on the rivalry between the Tampa Bay Storm and the Orlando Predators. Saturday night will feature the most hotly contested version of the War on I-4 since the teams met in the ArenaBowl in 1998.

Say what you will about the actions of Bobby Sippio and Julius Wilson’s antics (and the AFL’s handling of their discipline) that occurred two Saturday’s ago, but if nothing else their actions reinvigorated this rivalry. The War on I-4 blossomed when former Storm Owner Bob Gries produced a television commercial proclaiming how poorly Storm fans and even player’s wives were treated by Predator fans during a visit to “The Jungle.” From that moment the fans voiced their displeasure with one another. Tim Marcum has never been afraid to stoke the rivalry. He would go on Orlando radio shows proclaiming that, “Predator fans are born when cousins marry cousins.” The players, who in most situations are very careful not to provide bulletin board material for the opposition openly admitted their dislike for the opposition.

Just like any good rivalry, there was a clear definition of good and evil. The Predators wore the black hats with their raucous game presentation. There were women flashing their junk on the big screen, Male Pred fans have been known to violate many an inflatable doll (both of the human and animal variety.) Storm fans wore ponchos to games in the Jungle because of all the beer that was thrown on them.

The Storm wore the white hats. Their game presentation was catered to families. Parents could bring their kids to the games without fear of them witnessing any of the naughty spectacles that had become common place a few miles up the road. They featured a golden boy quarterback in Jay Gruden and a star player by the name of Stevie Thomas who when he was not on the field, was protecting and serving the people of St. Petersburg as a police officer. That is real, “Truth, justice, and the American way” stuff right their.

By the turn of the century, the rivalry had mellowed. A number of players had crossed the battle lines to suite up for each side. Both teams had tremendous success within the league and against one another. The Storm and the Predators were flagship franchises in the Arena Football league, and the fans wore that honor proudly. When up and coming teams like the Nashville Kats started feeling their oats within the Southern Division, fans of either team would root for the other to knock them back down to size. Preserving the two club’s status within the Arena Football League became just as important as the rivalry itself. The War on I-4 turned into a mutual admiration society.

Then along comes Bobby Sippio and the ‘Incident.’ The end result is a heap of animosity between the two teams and their fans.  The embers of a fierce rivalry have been stoked and the fire re-emerges this weekend in the Conference Championship Game.  In short, the War on I-4 is back to the way it should be.

The 46^th edition of the War on I-4 promises to be like no other. There will be a packed house, and the Storm fans will have a lather built up. The vibe I get from reading e-mails and Face Book posts is that for one game and one game only, Storm fans my be willing to leave their white hats at home and give the Predators and their fans a little taste of what happens when Tampa Bay Storm fans get a little riled up.  So I say to Storm Fan, be loud, be proud, brings signs, but remember to keep it at that.  Show your passion but leave the crazy antics at the door on your way to the game.

Hank Update…

It was feared that the Storm might have lost wide receiver Hank Edward for the year when he went down with a knee injury just before halftime in the Storm’s first round playoff contest against Tulsa. However the Storm received some good news on Wednesday when an MRI revealed no structural damage to Edwards’ knee. Edwards practiced in individual drills on Wednesday but his status for Saturday’s game is still up in the air. That being said, Edwards posted this on the Storm Face Book page earlier this week, “To all the Storm fans out there. It’s hard to keep a good man down. See you next weekend!”

Arena Bowl Update…

Where the ArenaBowl will be played this year is still up in the air. The league announced that the game would be played at the home of the team with the best record. If Spokane defeats Milwaukee the game will be played out west in Washington. What will complicate this is a Milwaukee victory. It would have a better record than either American Conference representative, however the Iron’s home arena is installing a new center-hung scoreboard that prohibits use of the facility. The league has been in talks with the Bradley Center, to see if something can be worked out. If not, it is likely the game will be moved to either the St. Pete Times Forum or the Amway Arena. The league is smartly taking a “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it” approach to addressing that issue.

We Sed so…

During the game against Tulsa last week I mentioned the incredible game that Sedrick Robinson was having. I mentioned he was a lock for Ironman of the Game honors and he should be the league’s Ironman of the Week. I like it when I call my shot. Robinson was given league honors for his outstanding performance on Saturday. Congrats to Sedrick for coming up big in a big game.

Playoff preview…

Milwaukee at Spokane…

The defending af2 champs are hosting Milwaukee for the right to go to their first ArenaBowl. Spokane has been the dominate team throughout the 2010 AFL season, however they did something that time and time again has proven to bite teams in the behind. They took their foot off the gas in the last game of the regular season. Spokane took their stating quarterback out of the game against Jacksonville and put it on cruise control. The Shock came out and won their playoff opener against Arizona, but I think that victory had more to do with the Shock being in Arizona’s head more than anything else. Let us not forget that Milwaukee was the only team to come out west and hang a ‘W ‘ on the Shock. Granted that was a long time ago, Week One of the regular season to be exact, but I would not be surprised if the Iron earned another ‘W’ result this week.

Orlando at Tampa Bay…

The Storm saved its worst for last in the regular season finale against these same Predators. Tampa Bay whipped Orlando handily earlier in the season (before a couple of onside kicks made the score closer that the game indicated). Nick Hill is a quarterback that nobody wants to have running their team. Heck his own head coach gave up on him and tried to sign Clint Dolezel late in the year. That being said, Hill has put together a pair of solid games, only time will tell if we have witnessed the emergence of Hill as a legit AFL signal caller. Every Storm fan is asking me how we are going to stop Sippio. Well the answer is simple and it has nothing to do with the defensive backs. Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. That will be the difference in this ball game. If the Storm’s front four gets after it, like they did against Tulsa the Storm will be playing for another championship.

On the air…

The Storm Report will originate from the XO Club inside the St. Pete Times Forum Thursday night at 6 PM. We’ll talk to a couple of special Storm guests and preview the week’s playoff action, so check it out on 1250 WHNZ.

Saturday night you will hear the call of the American Conference Championship Game between the Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators. Our pregame show on 1250 WHNZ starts at 7 PM with toe meeting leather at 7:30.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

After losing two of its last three regular season games including a lack luster season finale against Orlando, Tampa Bay bounced back big in Tulsa on Saturday night defeating the Talons 68-38.

The Storm put together a near perfect game on their way to advancing to the American Conference Championship Game. Brett Dietz made the offense go. He completed 22 of 29 passes for 263 yards and seven touchdowns. When the quarterback completes nearly 76 percent of his passes, it is pretty hard to lose.

Dietz stayed hot despite losing his favorite target just before the half. Hank Edwards went down with a right knee injury. The injury to Edwards could have doomed the Storm offense. Instead the opposite happened. In big time games, big time players step up. You cannot say enough about the game that Sedrick Robinson played for the Storm. Robinson has had a tough year. He has alternated between being inactive and active throughout the season. He was playing this week due to the leg injury to Lawrence Samuels and he turned in his best game since joining the Storm. Robinson was the team’s leading receiver catching seven passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. He added five kickoff returns for 102 yards. As an exclamation point, Robinson tacked on a pair of special team tackles on the way to being named Ironman of the Game.

The Tampa Bay pass rush was about as good as we have seen it. It didn’t record any sacks, but it got in Tulsa quarterback Justin Allgood’s kitchen. I contend that the Storm won this game in the Tulsa film room during the week leading up to the game. It appeared that Allgood watched some film of the Storm pass rush and determined that for his personal well being, he needed to get rid of the football anytime a Storm defender got anywhere near him. As a result, Allgood was Not-so-good.

The rematch is set…

The Orlando Predators may have done the Storm a big favor with the circus act that they brought to the Forum last week. Yeah they handed Tampa Bay a butt whipping, but they may have awakened the proverbial sleeping giant.

The night before the game the team gathered at a local Pizza joint in Tulsa to watch the Orlando/Jacksonville game. It was a strange night. There were all of these members of the Storm organization sitting there really wanting the Predators to win. The odd thing was that no one could really bring themselves to root for Orlando. Jacksonville would make a play and every one would start to react, but quickly realize that they wanted Orlando to win. Of course the Storm wanted the home game that would come with an Orlando victory and a Storm win over Tulsa. They also wanted a little piece of the Predators, but it was difficult for everyone to want to wish any success for the group from the land of Mickey Mouse.

The thoughtlessness led by Orlando receiver Bobby Sippio last Saturday has ignited this rivalry to levels that it has not reached since the mid-90′s. The War on I-4 rivalry had evolved into a bit of a mutual admiration society, but now it is on. The fans despise each other, the players don’t like the guys on the other side. The War on I-4 is officially back on.

An interesting aside to the incident last week. It has been fun to read the message boards and Face Book pages to see the “big bad Predator fans” whine and cry about how poorly they were treated by Storm fans last Saturday. Hey Pred fans…Butch up! You are supposed to be the tough guys in this rivalry. And Storm fans, congratulations, you are officially in their head. Your job on Saturday is to show up en masse. We need you there 20 thousand strong. Once you arrive, your mission is to make the Forum the most uncomfortable place on the planet for Orlando fans and their team. You need to do it with class, dignity and without physical violence, but you need to let them know that the Forum is your house.

Stop, Drop and Roll…

Through the years their have been a lot of shenanigans pulled against the team in when we are on the road staying in visiting team hotels. During my time traveling with the Lightning and the Storm I think I have seen it all. We’ve have had the hot water turned off. There have been wake up calls in the middle of the night. I remember in Calgary during the Stanley Cup Finals a bunch of semi-trucks circled the hotel continuously blowing their horns. It’s all part of the gamesmanship that happens when you are on the road for a big game.

You learn to just go with the flow. That is why I chuckled a little bit when I heard the fire alarm going off in the team hotel a little bit after 9 AM on game day. I was sitting in my room preparing for the game. I looked up for a minute then immediately went back to starring at my laptop. The alarm stopped and I was happy that annoying buzzing was gone so I could focus on my work. Then it started up again. Now that was a little unusual. I stood up and peeked out of my window to see several hotel staff and guests gathered outside on the sidewalk. I then saw a fire engine turn the corner, lights and sirens blazing heading towards the hotel. That is when I thought to myself, “Oh S*#@. This is the real deal. I grabbed my wallet and phone and walked out into the hallway. A couple of the players were already in the hallway wondering what was going on. I told them that there was a fire, and everybody needed to get out. We walked through the 5^th floor hallway knocking on doors trying to get everyone out of the hotel. Not everyone answered their door. Some guys were already out at breakfast. Some were down the in fitness room. Some were still asleep.

I opened the door to the staircase and it had smoke in it. It wasn’t filled with smoke, but very smokey nonetheless. Not exactly the most comforting feeling that is for sure. We started heading down the stairs, the smoke was getting thicker. I have to tell you that was probably the fastest that I have ever navigated five stories worth of stairs. We finally reached the lobby and were directed by staff to head outside.

Once on the sidewalk, I looked around for to see if all of the staff and team had made their way out of the hotel. I started calling every cell phone number for team staff that I had to make sure that everyone got out of there. One of the people that I reached was coach Marcum. I knew he had a penchant to sleep in late on game day. I woke him up and told him to get out. (That afternoon I told him that he could thank me for saving his life later). It was a little difficult to make sure that everyone had got out of the hotel because everyone has their different game day routine and you could not account for everyone. Our worries were put to rest fairly quickly when the fire department told us that the fire was out.

Apparently the hotel brought in a temporary air conditioner for a an event that they were hosting on the second floor of the hotel that evening. When they tried to start it up, it blew up. Storm trainer Adam Craft was eating breakfast in the hotel restaurant. He said he heard an explosion then saw a hotel employee run into the kitchen the he emerged with a fire extinguisher in his hand.

The guys made the best of the situation joking that the Talons really pulled out all of the stops to try to rattle the team on game day. Some of the players were taking pictures and posing for pictures around one of the fire engines. We posted some pictures on the Storm Facebook page and on my Twitter feed (www.Twitter.com/TBStormRadio). Then the hotel van loaded up a bunch of the guys and took them to breakfast.

Before too long the fire department gave us the all clear to return to our rooms. The hotel was still smokey, but it was better than standing on the sidewalk.

In the end, it was more of a smoke event than a blazing inferno. Thank goodness no one was hurt. This will be another, “remember when” story that we’ll all get to tell a few years down the road.

On the air…

We will be back at Rock N Sports Bar and Bistro in Centro Ybor Monday night at 6 PM for another edition of the Tim Marcum Show. As usual there will be two dollar drafts, five dollar appetizers, and 15 percent off your food bill during the show. If you can’t make it to Rock N Sports, you can hear the show on 1250 WHNZ.

Thursday night at 6 PM, I’ll bring you The Storm Report. We’ll do our best to bring you as many player interviews as possible.

Saturday at 7 PM, it does not get any better. The 46^thedition of The War on I-4 with a spot in the ArenaBowl on the line. Jack Harris and I will have the call of the Storm and Orlando Predators on 1250 WHNZ.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

Coaches like to speak of “the second season.” You play the regular season to make it to the second season. For the Tampa Bay Storm, the second season will start the same way the first season did, with a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma to take on the Tulsa Talons.

The first meeting in Tulsa did not go so well for the Storm. First off, Tulsa had a chip on its shoulder. They were the former af2 team stepping up to play their first game in the AFL and the opponent was the big, bad, Five-Time World Champion Tampa Bay Storm. Tulsa had an “edge” to its game that Tampa Bay didn’t have. The Storm tuned the ball over two times. However the Storm’s biggest Achilles heel was their inability to tackle in that contest. Small plays turned into big plays just because the Storm could not tackle.

Both teams have changed since week one, season one. Tulsa finished the season at 10-6. It won five of its last eight games. The thing that must be worrisome for fans of the Talons is that in the last half of season Tulsa was unable to earn a win over one of the league’s “varsity” teams. The Talons played just six games against teams that finished the season at .500 or above. It went 1-5 in those games. The saving grace for the Talons is the fact that the lone win was against Tampa Bay.

No doubt the Storm team that is starting the second season is not the Storm team that started the first season. Tampa Bay rattled off that eight game winning streak in the middle of the season. It finished the second half of the season at six and two. The concern is that Tampa Bay is limping into the post season having lost two of its last three games. The Storm pass rush is much better now that it was in Week One. In turn that makes the secondary better than it was in Week One.

Tampa Bay’s offense needs to get out of it’s bad habit of coming out of the gates slow offensively. It needs to be sure to block Gabe Nyenhuis who led the league with 15.5 sacks. It’s pass rush needs to return with its usual ferocity, and the secondary needs to make some plays. Beyond that, it needs to do the obvious. By that I mean take care of the football. Turnovers are magnified in playoff games. The damage that they do on the scoreboard and to your momentum could be devastating in the post season.

Suspensions…

In this space earlier this week I wrote that I felt that the proverbial book should be thrown at the Orlando players who went into the stands during Saturday night’s game at the Forum. My logic, I think was pretty reasonable. As a league, you do not want your players going into the stands and punching, fighting, shoving, or otherwise harassing your fans. The way to deter that would to be to hand out a punishment that would make players thing twice before they would ever consider doing that again. Unfortunately logic and the Arena Football league are not always a good mix.

The League handed out a ruling that suspended Julius Wilson (the second player that entered the stands and the player who punched a fan) a six game suspension. Wilson must also apply for reinstatement to the league. Sippio was the first player to go into the stands and the one who undoubtedly escalated the incident. He was given a one game suspension. Here is the best part, Sippio has been allowed to appeal his suspension and somehow that appeal will not be heard before the Predators first playoff game. Orlando will have one of its star players available to it when it takes to the field Friday in Jacksonville. Only in the AFL.

Below is the text of the statement issued by the Arena Football League:

The Arena Football League has issued suspensions to Orlando’s Bobby Sippio and Julius Wilson for their involvementin an altercation with fans in Saturday night’s game. From the commissioner:

“The AFL apologizes to their fans for the regretful and unacceptable actions of two (2) of its players during a game this past Saturday.

It is not acceptable for our players to enter the stands at anytime during a game, no matter the circumstances.

After a thorough review of all of the attending circumstances, the appropriate discipline was imposed by the AFL Commissioner as follows:

• Julius Wilson-a six (6) game suspension, requirement for an application to be filed with the league office for reinstatement and a monetary fine.

• Bobby Sippio, a one (1) game suspension and a monetary fine.

All players enter into a league contract and the provisions of that contract control the imposition of discipline, a player’s right to appeal such discipline and the procedures of such an appeal.

Both of these players disciplined have invoked their rights under their league contract to appeal the discipline imposed by the AFL Commissioner. The discipline imposed on Julius Wilson will be effective immediately and the discipline imposed on Bobby Sippio will be imposed at the completion of his appeal.”

Playoff preview…

It’s the best time of the year. The time when the the cream rises to the top. The time when we separate the contenders from the pretenders. It’s when…Ok…I will stop now. It’s playoff time.

Week One of the post season features four pretty good match ups.

We previewed the Storm/Tulsa game earlier, so lets take a look at the other American Conference game as Orlando visits Jacksonville.

Orlando has faced a ton of off the field distractions this week. Does it effect the team in a negative way, or do they turn the situation into a positive? Despite the fact that these two split in the regular season, Jacksonville is the better team on paper. Jacksonville will have a great home field advantage. I said earlier this year that Jacksonville’s arena has been more “Jungle-like” than the Jungle itself. Then there is the “been there, done that factor.” This is not the Predators’ first playoff rodeo. Jacksonville has not felt the pressure of the post season before. It should be a great game. I can’t wait to check it out Friday night on NFL Network.

In the National Conference Arizona has to play its kryptonite. In this case I am referring to the Spokane Shock. The Rattlers are a good team. They lost just six games. A third of those losses came at the hands of the Shock. The Shock are in their grills. Arizona had a chance to avoid a trip to the northwest with a victory in the season finale. If it avoided the first round trip to Spokane, Arizona would have likely to be my pick to represent the National Conference in the ArenaBowl. Instead, I think they will be one and done. I think Spokane has been the best team in the league all season long. Jacksonville may have exposed them a bit, but I think they will handle Arizona in round one.

The final game pits Chicago against Milwaukee. Chicago was cruising along nicely until just like that, it was decimated my injuries. It seems like every receiver to line up for the Rush has been stricken by an injury. It has lost its starting quarterback. The Rush are hurtin’ for certain. Milwaukee took advantage of Chicago’s problems and sneaked past them and won a division title. With that title, Milwaukee earned a home game. The problem is that their home arena is unavailable. The Iron will be moving a couple blocks down the street to U.S. Cellular Arena to play in front of a dozen or so rabid Iron fans.

I am looking forward to round one. Reminder that the Orlando/Jacksonville game is the only game on television (NFL Network Friday 8 PM). The remainder of the games will be available online on Nifty TV.

On the air…

Check out the Storm Report Thursday night at 6 PM on 1250 WHNZ. We will talk with Storm quarterback Brett Dietz about the big game on Saturday and we’ll discuss his involvement in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Sports Buddies program. We’ll hear from either Tulsa quarterback Justin Allgood or receiver Donovan Morgan to get the perspective of the opposition.

We’ll kick off our coverage of the first round playoff game Saturday night at 7:30 with the pregame show on 1250 WHNZ. They will put toe to leather at 8:05.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

“It was a butt whipping, and we supplied the butt.” That is how Tim Marcum described the not as close as the score indicated 75-60 drubbing of the Storm by the Orlando Predators in the 45^th edition of the War on I-4.

The game boiled down to one thing. Orlando came to play, the Storm didn’t. In a way, it might be easy to excuse Tampa Bay for coming out of the gate flat. The master plan was for Spokane to beat Jacksonville on Friday night, the Storm would take care of business against Orlando and earn home field advantage in the playoffs. When the first part of the plan fell apart with Jacksonville’s win over Spokane, you can’t help but think that some of the wind was taken out of the Storm’s sails.

Flatness aside, a genuine concern has to be how the offense has started the last few weeks. The unit has been slow getting out of the gates and as a result Tampa Bay has been forced to try to dig it self out of a hole. Saturday night that hole got too deep too fast. If the same thing happens next week, the season will be over.

Brett Dietz has been great all season long. Next week he has to be better. The Storm signal caller threw three interceptions against Orlando. He has to take better care of the ball next week, or the season will be over.

Dietz was also battered repeatedly by the Orlando pass rush. He was sacked three times. If you look down Tulsa’s roster you will see a guy by the name of Gabe Nyenhuis who leads the AFL with 15.5 sacks. The O-Line has to do a better job protecting Dietz next week, or the season will be over.

The pass rush appeared to take the week off. The big fellas up front along with Mac Linebacker Cliff Dukes are the most dominate pass rushers in the league. I know the front three are a veteran group and heading into their 17^th game they are probably a little banged up. They will need to be dominate once again next week, or the season will be over.

Related to the lack of pass rush was the poor coverage in the secondary. A group that has come up with big play after big play and imposed their physical will on the opposition all season long looked pretty darn ordinary on Saturday. They will need to step things up next week, or the season will be over.

The point I am trying to make is everything the Storm team has done, and all the progress that it has made this year has been building up to this week – the playoffs. This team is the most talented one to wear the blue and gold since 2003. The eight game winning streak earlier in the season was nice, but anything less than a three game winning streak that starts this week and ends with a sixth ArenaBowl championship will be a disappointment. Those expectations may be lofty, but they are a fact of life when you play for the Tampa Bay Storm.

Because I always like to end on a positive, there was one on Saturday. The Storm were unstoppable on two-point conversions. I have never seen anything like that. Tampa Bay was forced into going for two after each score in the second half, and it converted each and every try. Tampa Bay went 5-for-5 on two point conversions. Had it not been buried in the middle of the aforementioned butt kicking, it would have been quite the accomplishment.

The incident…

Overshadowing the game itself was an ugly incident that occurred in the second quarter.   Bobby Sippio and Julius Wilson both went into the stands and interacted with fans.  Both players were then ejected from the game.

While there are plenty of questions about what started the incident and what exactly happened, there is no question about one thing. These players embarrassed themselves, the Predators and the Arena Football League.

 There is no reason for a player to EVER go into the stands and start/join an altercation with a fan. EVER.

Now the question becomes, how will the league respond to this incident?

This is a league built on being fan and family friendly. The only response from the league should be an announcement saying that the actions of these two players go completely against everything that the AFL stands for and these two players will not be allowed to play in the AFL again. At this stage of the league’s re-development, it cannot afford to be perceived as tolerant or lenient of this type of behavior. In the big picture, not having these to guys play in the league again is a small price to pay to prevent any long term damage to the reputation of the league.

And the fans that were involved should not be let of the hook either. If the fans that started this thing were season ticket holders, the tickets should be revoked as well.

No matter what, this was an ugly incident. It was another self inflicted wound on the league’s road back to respectability. And thanks to the wonders of You Tube, it will be around for a long time for all the world to see.

Playoff match ups…

The playoff match ups for the DIvisional Round are set. In the American Conference the top seed Jacksonville Sharks will host the fourth seeded Orlando Predators. The number two seeded Tulsa Talons will entertain the third seeded Storm.

In the National Conference the Spokane Shock are the top seed and they will host the fourth seeded Arizona Rattlers. From there things get a little confusing. The Milwaukee Iron won the Midwest Division and the right to host a playoff game. The Iron’s home arena The Bradley Center is undergoing renovations. The Iron planned to play their games playoff games in an alternate arena. (The arena formerly known as The MECCA). However the commissioner announced that the alternate arena did not meet the AFL standards and if Arizona won its season finale’ it would host Milwaukee. Well…Arizona lost and now Chicago will be Milwaukee’s first round opponent, and it turns out that maybe Milwaukee’s alternate arena was not so bad after all. The league issued another statement saying that it listened to the outcry from the fans and has it has decided to let Milwaukee host a game after all. So second seed Milwaukee Iron will host third seed Chicago Rush after all.

On the air…

Just because the regular season is over, we don’t stop all of the fun and excitement of Storm Radio. We’ll be on the air with the Tim Marcum Show live from Rock N Sports Bar and Bistro in Centro Ybor Monday at 6 PM. Thursday night at 6 PM we’ll break down the playoff match ups and much more on The Storm Report. Then on Saturday at 7:35 we’ll have the call of round one of the AFL playoffs between the Storm and Tulsa Talons. All of the action can be heard on our great flagship station 1250 WHNZ.

In the Huddle with JD

By Jason Dixon

It is Orlando week. The War on I-4. There is nothing else like it in Arena Football. It is the sport’s most storied rivalry. It’s is the sport’s most heated rivalry. It’s is the sport’s most tightly contested rivalry.  It’s also the most unpredictable.

This year the schedule makers decided to place the second meeting between the two clubs as the final game of the regular season. In the process I believe those schedule makers did both clubs a favor by putting this game in week 18.

There is a chance that both clubs will know where they will be in week one of the playoffs. Depending on the result of the Jacksonville/Spokane game, the Storm could be playing for home field advantage on Saturday. In speaking with Tim Marcum and Orlando Coach Pat O’Hara this week, both stressed the importance of building momentum and consistency within their clubs. If either of these teams were looking at Bossier-Shreveport for example, some of that momentum, that intangible juice that a team needs when heading into the post season may dissipate.

There is not a lot that I can say about this game that has not been said. Tampa Bay and Orlando always seem to find a way to bring out the best in one another. No matter the standings, or current playoff positioning expect a tough, physical battle. On paper, the Storm should walk away with the victory. It is a pretty simple equation. Orlando’s quarterback is struggling to find his way. The Storm’s pass rush is scary good. That should make for a long night for the Preds. That being said you can’t rely on any previous data to determine what will happen in this series.

The only way to sound smart when trying to predict what will happen in a War on I-4 is to tell everyone that there is no way to predict what is going to happen in the War on I-4.

Taking home some hardware…

Congratulations to Storm FB/LB Eric Ortiz for being named the AFL Ironman of the Week. For the first time this season Ortiz was asked to tote the rock instead of just rocking the rock toter. Ortiz who told me before the game that he had a little experience as a ball carrier in high school, rushed for two scores in the game. He added another four and a half tackles on the defensive side of the ball. That got the attention of the folks in the league office in Tulsa and they sent some kudos his way.

Dixon’s Picks…

After clinching a winning record last week, I must have let my foot off the gas a little bit. I turned in a 1-2 week putting my season long record at 29-23. My rules when selecting games to pick are pretty simple. My superstitions trump any ego boost that I might get from picking a game correctly. That is why I do not pick Storm games. I just know every time that I would pick the Storm to win it would completely jinx the team. With that in mind, I will avoid picking the Jacksonville/Spokane this week because I have a vested interest in the outcome. Now that we have that out of the way, here are this week’s selections.

Tulsa at Oklahoma City…

The wind was taken out of the sails of the Yard Dawgz when they were eliminated from playoff contention by Orlando last week. They are also hurting at the quarterback position. Tulsa may be looking ahead to their first round game, but they are more talented than the Lawn Puppies. Even though it is a rivalry game, I don’t think OKC has a shot.

Dixon’s Pick=The Bird Feet

Iowa at Arizona…

Iowa is not very good. Arizona has a lot to play for. A win allows them to avoid a third match up of the season against Spokane and the Rattlers are 0-fer against the Shock. Set aside the fact that Arizona is the better team, avoiding Spokane is plenty inspiration for Arizona.

Dixon’s Pick=The Rats

Utah at Alabama…

Both of these clubs fall in the “not very good” category. Utah’s struggles have been well documented. Alabama does not have a quarterback to take the place of its injured starter Kevin Eakin. The difference between these two teams is that Alabama has a pass rush. That will be the difference in this one.

Dixon’s Pick=The Snakes

On the air…

We’ll be back on the air Saturday night at 7 PM on 1250 WHNZ for our coverage of the Storm and Predators. On Monday the Coach and I return to Rock N Sports Bar and Bistro in Centro Ybor starting at 6 PM on 1250 WHNZ. Stop by for some great food and drink specials and talk a little ArenaBall with the coach.