AFL Eastern

The air in the Mile High City was too crisp for Tim Tebow’s liking, and the Big Apple was unkind to him. A potential transition to the Arena Football League would be no different for the former NFL quarterback and trending celebrity.

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski, a former NFL quarterback and current part-owner of the Philadelphia Soul, offered Tebow a roster spot on his team this week. 

So far, there has been no response from Camp Tebow.

“I haven’t heard back from him and I’m not going to push it,” Jaworski said, courtesy of Philly.com. “If he decides he wants to play Arena Football, we’ll make a spot for him.”

How kind of Jaworski to offer Tebow a gig in one of the NFL’s minor league entitlements. We might as well call it a slap in the face.

The fact of the matter is Tebow is too skilled, too agile, too swift and too athletic to stoop down to the AFL. It isn’t worth his time, energy or commitment. He would tear up the AFL if given the opportunity.

However, Jaworski believes the AFL would serve as a training league for Tebow, according to Philly.com:

“One [criticism] of Tebow is that he is slow and methodical,” Jaworski said. "He would be forced to quicken it up in this league. You can learn a lot in this league. It’s about processing information and getting the ball out … or you get whacked.”

How can Tebow be slow and methodical if a team never fully invested in him? Throughout his short-lived three-year NFL career, Tebow has never had a chance to develop into a legitimate game-changer.

Denver surprisingly selected Tebow 25th overall in the 2010 NFL draft. He played just two seasons—23 games—with the Broncos before being dealt to the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth- and sixth-round pick.

That experiment failed miserably, but it wasn't because Tebow couldn’t play. Rather, it was because Jets head coach Rex Ryan never gave the quarterback a chance to prove himself.

Tim Tebow -- NY Jets RUINED His Career ... Says NY Giants Owner Steve Tisch http://t.co/wENWytbKb2

— TMZ (@TMZ) May 13, 2013

The facts are simple: Tebow played just 77 snaps last season. He never broke a sweat.

Despite all the negative criticism and public lynching thrown his way, Tebow, when given a chance, has shown how effective he can be with the ball in his hands. He threw five touchdowns his rookie year, and he followed suit by tossing 12 the following year. He also rushed for 887 yards and scored 12 times over his first two seasons. 

More importantly, his leadership helped guide the Broncos to the postseason and a surprising win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

His numbers are certainly better than those of his former teammate Mark Sanchez, who is as incompetent as they come. Sanchez has thrown more interceptions (69) than touchdowns (68) over his four-year career.

If Tebow signs up for a position in the AFL, it would be a disservice to himself and those who are deserving of a second chance. 

Who: (15-3) Philadelphia Soul vs. (13-5) Arizona Rattlers

What: Arena Bowl XXV

When: Friday, August 10th at 10:30PM

Where: New Orleans Arena (Home of NBA Hornets and AFL VooDoo)

TV/Radio: NFL Network

The last time the Philadelphia Soul were Arena Bowl champions was the 2008 season in New Orleans. Now it's 2012, and the AFL Championship is back in the Big Easy. The Soul went 15-3 in this year's Arena Football regular season, outscoring opponents 1228 to 919. First-year head coach Doug Plank has turned the franchise over after the disappointing 2011 season where Philadelphia was 6-12—last in the East Division.

Philadelphia will take on a tough Arizona Rattlers squad, who finished the 2012 campaign with a 13-5 record.

Philadelphia's Road to Arena Bowl XXV:

Round 1:

Defeated New Orleans VooDoo 66-53:

Soul Quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw for 250 yards and 7 touchdowns in the 13-point victory over New Orleans. Philadelphia was leading by just one at halftime (31-30), but they pulled away with three Raudabaugh touchdowns in the second half.

Round 2:

Defeated Jacksonville Sharks 89-34:

The Soul's offense has been lethal all year long. The 89 points against Jacksonville set a new AFL postseason record for most points in a game. Wide Receiver Larry Brackins caught five TDs from Raudabaugh in the blowout semifinal victory. Confetti fell from the Wells Fargo Center's ceiling as the Philadelphia Soul are headed to the franchise's second ever AFL Championship Game.

Arizona's Road to Arena Bowl XXV:

Round 1:

Defeated San Jose SaberCats 51-48:

Arizona didn't have the easiest trip to the 2012 Arena Bowl. The Rattlers sneaked out a 51-48 victory over upset-minded San Jose. WR Maurice Purify caught four touchdowns and 134 yards from quarterback Nick Davila in the victory. The Rattlers jumped out to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but San Jose  played tough and almost pulled off a shocking first-round win.

Round 2:

Defeated Utah Blaze 75-69:

The 13-7 Utah Blaze outscored Arizona 35-16 in the second quarter, but Davila threw for 331 yards and eight TDs as the Rattlers held back Utah in the National Conference semifinal. Blaze quarterback Tommy Grady threw for 441 yards and 10 TDs in the losing effort.

Keys to Arena Bowl XXV:

For Philadelphia:

Offense, Offense, Offense:

The Soul only had three games where they scored less than 60 points. If Philadelphia can put up at least 70 points, their defense is good enough to stop the Rattlers on a couple of possessions. The Philadelphia offense has embarrassed AFL defenses all season long, and it would be no surprise if the Soul did that in Arena Bowl XXV.

For Arizona:

Get Some Stops:

It's almost impossible to stop the Soul offense, but Arizona will need to slow it down to win the Arena Football Championship.

Prediction:

Philadelphia Soul 69, Arizona Rattlers 55

Philly's offense is way too lethal for the Rattlers, who will give a good showing, but fall short in the second half. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if the Soul score more than 69 points.

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The San Jose SaberCats are putting the pressure on the defending champions of the AFL. After winning a home game vs. the Spokane Shock last week, they ran their record to 2-0 after squeaking out a win over the Kansas City Command on Friday night.

Spokane could hardly afford to let their record slip to 0-2 to start the season and be two games back in the West Division of the National Conference.  

The Cleveland Gladiators were opening their season, complete with their newly acquired WR Troy Bergeron.  He led the Gladiators with 134 yards on eight catches with four TDs on the night. QB John Dutton completed 20-30 passes for 257 yards and six TDs.

After a three INT performance in week one, Shock QB Kyle Rowley fared a little better vs. the Gladiators. He had one pick to go with seven TDs on 29-45 passing, compiling 313 yards.  

Still, the first quarter INT by Levy Brown put the Shock in a hole they just couldn't completely climb out of. Spokane did tie the game at 28 going into halftime, but Cleveland was set to receive the opening kickoff of the second half.

Cleveland opened up the third quarter with touchdown pass to WR Robert Redd. Spokane's opening drive failed, and when Bergeron scored on a 33-yard touchdown pass, Cleveland was sitting on a 41-28 lead.

There is reason for Shock fans to have hope. Despite trailing, the team continued to fight, and Spokane’s defense came up with a defensive stop late in the fourth quarter.  Rowley connected with WR Markee White for an unbelievable touchdown catch that sent him hurdling over the boards.

Trailing 54-48, Spokane attempted an onside kick. It was recovered by the Gladiators, who quickly scored and stretched their lead to 13. Spokane added another TD to close the scoring prior to one last failed onside kick attempt.

AFL Commissioner Jerry Kurz was on hand to help the Shock raise their 2010 ArenaBowl Championship banner during a pregame ceremony.  

Spokane travels to Iowa on Friday to play in a nationally televised game on the NFL Network. They will look to avoid compounding their worst start in franchise history.

Despite losing his top three receivers from last season, Cleveland Gladiators quarterback John Dutton looks like he found his new favorite target: Troy Bergeron.

Dutton and Bergeron connected for three touchdowns as visiting Cleveland defeated the Spokane Shock Saturday night, 61-55.

It was meant to be a night of celebration for Spokane, as it raised its ArenaBowl championship banner to the rafters of the Spokane Arena. The Gladiators crashed the party early, picking off Shock QB Kyle Rowley on the first drive on the way to an early 14-7 lead.

Spokane was able to keep the game close for much of the game, but Cleveland pulled away in the fourth quarter and was able to withstand a late Shock rally to seal a win in its first game of the season.

Dutton threw for 257 yards and six touchdowns on the night, three to Bergeron as well as individual scores from Robert Redd and Victor Williams. Williams also recovered the final onside kick with less than a minute to go, clinching the victory for the Gladiators.

For Spokane, Rowley went for 313 yards and seven scores and the one interception. Greg Orton and Markee White combined for five of the seven touchdowns.

Despite the win, Cleveland still has one big problem to worry about: the late injury to Dutton. The captain and team leader left the field in the fourth with an apparent Achilles tendon injury, the extent of which is not known.

Rookie Kurt Rocco took the final two drives for Cleveland, the first ending with a touchdown pass to Bergeron. More news about Dutton's injury is expected in the coming days.

With the win, Cleveland improves to 1-0 on the season going into next week's road contest with Tampa Bay. The defending champion Shock falls to 0-2 on the year.

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Cleveland Gladiators vs. Chicago Rush (Week 2 Preview from Mike Rose)
Bet: Click here to bet on this game | Odds: Click here for current odds

NFL Network continues its coverage of the 2010 Arena Football League betting season on Friday night with a showdown between the Cleveland Gladiators (0-1, 0-1 ATS) and the Chicago Rush (1-0, 1-0 ATS) from Allstate Arena.

The boys from the Windy City got the job done at Iowa last week, forcing the Barnstormers into six turnovers and capitalizing for the biggest win of the weekend, a 61-43 decision. QB Russ Michna had an adequate game, but HC Mike Hohensee will tell you that he expects better out of his veteran leader. He went 18/28 passing for 261 yards and six scores, but he also threw an interception and fumbled the ball three times, losing all three.

The story was the defense for Chicago, which stood tall, forcing those six turnovers and stopping the Barnstormers on downs once as well. The Rush also only allowed 21 of their 46 passes faced to be complete.

DB DeJuan Alfonso had an interception returned for a touchdown, while DBs Nygel Rogers and Josh Ferguson hauled in two picks apiece.

The Gladiators looked as though they were ready to roll to a huge win at halftime against the Arizona Rattlers last week, as they took a 35-14 lead into the locker room. However, it wasn’t meant to be. The second half started with WR Trandon Harvey returning a kickoff for a touchdown, which started a 21-0 run for Arizona to make the lead disappear in a span of about 12 minutes. Kick coverage was a problem once again in the fourth quarter, when DB Terrance Sanders literally went untouched into the end zone after fielding the ball off of the slack net. Special teams and QB John Dutton both had major problems for the hosts. Dutton may have thrown for 287 yards and seven touchdowns, but his four picks were just too much to overcome. WR Ben Nelson looked great in his first game as a Gladiator, picking up 154 yards and four TDs through the air. DL Anthony Hoke recorded an interception and picked up a sack in his first ever AFL game.

As of the time of this publication, the Rush have dropped from 10.5 point favorites on the opening AFL lines down to eight point choices.

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