Dallas Desperados

The Arena Football League has decided the best way to stay in business is go out of business for a year. It's a strategy that has certainly worked well for other leagues in the past—just ask the NHL (lockout) or the NFL and MLB (strikes.)

The owners claim they have a broken business model, and they need a year to determine what the best business model should be, and then they'll be back, stronger than ever.

The league has been around over 20 years. Are they sure the business model just broke this year?

I've been following the Dallas Desperados for a few years, and I have a feeling it's not the business model that's broken. It's the marketing model. The marketing model changed because the NFL owners decided to change the perception of the AFL and failed.

My wife and I went to a couple of games three years ago because every week the team seemed to have two for one sales. It was a lot of fun, the crowd seemed into the game, and the players were approachable. For the next year, we bought season tickets and dragged my brother-in-law along as well.

We joined the fan club. The Cowboys organization (owners of the Desperados) invited the fan club to Valley Ranch to talk to them about what we wanted to do.

When the season tickets bill came the next year, the prices had jumped. We re-upped anyway, even though it seemed a bit pricey. The fan club was still hearing rumblings from the Cowboys about making sure people knew they didn't sponsor us and we weren't affiliated. We were the "official" "un-official" fan club.

The games seemed to have lost some energy. There were more empty seats, especially in the more expensive sections—even though compared to NFL tickets, even the expensive section was still cheap.

We heard that one of our players had left in the offseason because he got a better-paying job with a beer distributor. That should have told us the business model was broken right there. If you're a "professional," it means you get paid, but it really should mean you get paid enough to not need a second job.

Last season was fun, but the ticket price included the first playoff game, which I thought was a bit much. It's good to be confident, but that just seemed arrogant. The Desperados died too early in the playoffs. Again.

When the season tickets bill came this year, I couldn't pay it. Financially, I could have afforded it, but it was almost double what our first year's season tickets had cost, and the Desperados had finally reached a price I wasn't willing to pay.

The game hadn't changed. Many of the players were the same. Like most Jerry Jones teams, they had consistently died early in the playoffs. The amenities had actually decreased. Why did I have to pay more money?

So, we walked. I planned to go to a game or two if I had time, but Jerry Jones had lost me as a loyal fan. I felt like I was betraying the players, but from many reports, they weren't getting that much of the money anyway.

We found out a couple of weeks later that the fan club disbanded. Nobody wanted to run it, and the Desperados wouldn't support it.

All last season, ESPN was touting the AFL as "football all year." From a marketing perspective, it had become NFL-lite. Thanks to the NFL owners that owned AFL teams, some of the rules had changed to make the game more like the NFL.

I'm pretty sure the owners had decided that if they could put NFL-lite on the field, they could sell skyboxes and expensive seats to corporations. I'm not sure they realized that if you sell one ticket for $2,000, it doesn't replace the four hundred $10 tickets you're not selling any more.

Here's the problem: The AFL is not NFL-lite. Sure, some of the players came from the NFL after retirement, but it's not the NFL. It's not the same game. It's not even a farm system for the NFL since many of the players are in the AFL because they will never make it in the pros.

I actually met some AFL fans who don't like the NFL, and they really didn't appreciate some of the changes to make the AFL game more "NFL-like."

The AFL always seemed like a blue-collar sport to me. Jerry Jones managed to run many of the blue-collar fans off, but his product wasn't elite enough for the big-money fans they wanted to attract (those people are all at Mavericks and Stars games.)

I'm not sure it's the business model that's broken. It's the marketing model. I think the NFL owners who also have AFL teams convinced themselves it was the same sport.

That's what broke the AFL.

A day into training camp, the Dolphins signed one of their two unsigned draft picks, added an Arena league receiver and waived two players. Second-round defensive end Phillip Merling signed a four-year contract with the team today while Dallas Desperados receiver Anthony Armstrong was inked as well.

To make room for the two, wideout Justin Wynn and offensive tackle Dan Gore (both undrafted rookies) were waived.

The 25-year-old Armstrong (5-11, 175) played college football at West Texas A&M. He went undrafted in 2005 and played for the Odessa Roughnecks of the Intense Football League (an indoor league) in 2006. He spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.

At West Texas A&M, Armstrong earned All-Lone Star Conference his junior and senior seasons and finished his collegiate career with 45 receptions for 1,768 yards. He had a pre-draft workout with the Dallas Cowboys in 2005 (most obscure connection ever?) but went undrafted and unsigned.

In 2006, Armstrong joined the Odessa Roughnecks of the Texas-based Intense Football League. That season, he caught 55 passes for 760 yards and 18 touchdowns, rushed four times for 39 yards and three touchdowns, and returned seven kickoffs for 166 yards and a touchdown.

The following year, Armstrong began the Arena league season on the practice squad of the Dallas Desperados before being promoted to the active roster. He finished the year with 10 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns while adding another touchdown on his only kick return of the season.

He experienced a breakout season with the Desperados in 2008, catching 85 passes for 1,162 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Analysis:

The Dolphins really just swapped one long-shot receiver for another. Armstrong wasn't a stud in college and clearly hasn't been thought of as much of an NFL prospect. He faces competition from a handful of other players, including Davone Bess, Jayson Foster, Selwyn Lymon and John Dunlap. He isn't a good bet to make the team.

As for the other release, the departure of Dan Gore gives the Dolphins only five tackles on the roster. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Dolphins make an addition in this area soon, as they recently worked out undrafted free agent Pedro Sosa—a potential second- or third-rounder from Rutgers who went undrafted due to a knee injury his senior season.

In Arena Football, similar to a backyard pickup game, there are really only two options to winning.

Option one: score more points than your opponent by scoring on every offensive possession.

Option two: stop the opposition every once in a while, maybe even only once, and you win as long as it’s combined with option one.

The Cleveland Gladiators did neither on May 31 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.  The result?  A 68-52 loss to the now 11-2 Dallas Desperados.  The defeat dropped the Gladiators to 7-6. 

While the Cleveland offense was firing on all cylinders, Dallas took matters into its own hands early, recovering an onside kick that ended up putting them in the lead for good.  That possession opened up a 10-point lead for the Desperados.  Cleveland closed the gap to three numerous times, but mainly they were down by 10 the rest of the game.

They did have a chance to regain the upper hand at the end of the first half.  Defense back Alex Teems picked off a Clint Dolezel pass and ran it back for a touchdown with no time left on the clock. It was just the break Cleveland needed. 

Unfortunately, the Gladiators got called for a questionable low block on the runback, negating the score.  Since time had expired, the offense didn’t even get one chance to capitalize on the turnover.    

That call sealed their fate, along with a Dallas fumble that was ruled down. 

The Gladiators lost 68-52 primarily due to a dropped ball in the end zone by Robert Redd that led to a non-scoring drive by Cleveland’s offense. 

Gladiators QB Raymond Philyaw played great in defeat, even mustering a pair of scrambles for first downs during opportune moments.  He went 24-of-35 for 291 yards and four TDs. 

Robert Redd had 10 catches for 127 yards, but the dropped pass in the end zone negated a great effort on his part.  Otis Amey had nine catches for 132 yards and four TDs, including a fantastic grab in the end zone that looked like a definite incompletion.

Dallas QB Clint Dolezel was 28-of-38 with one interception, 252 yards and eight TDs.  Will Pettis caught four of the eight, nabbing 13 balls for 118 yards.

Marcus Nash caught eight balls for 86 yards and two TDs.  Anthony Armstrong reeled in six for 42 yards and three scores.  The trio burned the Cleveland defensive backs all game long.

The loss definitely makes for a tough road to the playoffs for the Gladiators.  While still an attainable goal, they have a rough schedule left, taking on the Chicago Rush next week at home at 7:00 P.M. June 7^th.

It will be dollar night at the "Q."  Hot dogs and Pepsi’s will cost a buck.  Chicago, at 9-3, has already clinched a playoff birth.   They play in the softest of all the AFL divisions, and hold a five-game lead over second-place Colorado at 4-8.

Dorthy, this ain't Kansas anymore.  It, is appropriately dubbed, the Broad Street Brawl.  This isn't your normal mid-season clash of unbeatens, like the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts match-up always has potential to be.  This isn't even an NFL match-up.  It's only the first time ever this late in an AFL season that two unbeaten teams, Dallas (7-0) and Philadelphia (8-0), have met.  And what a contest it should be.

Monday Night Football on the four-letter network takes a whole new stance tomorrow night, as the unbeaten Dallas Desperados visit the also unbeaten Philadelphia Soul at 8:00 PM ET on the deuce.

Dallas and Philly, just like in the real football league, are divisional rivals.  Which adds even more hype to this contest.  They will meet again in Dallas week 15 of the regular season.  There is even more intrigue to this match-up for both teams.  In spite of both being undefeated, both teams had lost their starting Quarterbacks for four games each this season, yet have both still found ways to keep winning.

Dallas has done it behind the leadership, even when he missed time, of maybe the best to ever play the game in Quarterback Clint Dolezel.  With 884 career TD passes, Dolezel will soon reach the 900 TD mark, which is unmarked territory for anyone who's ever picked up a football.

Philadelphia has marched to their undefeated mark behind the stellar play of their wide receivers.  Their top three wide outs, Chris Jackson, Larry Brackins, and Darius Watts, have combined this year for 48 touchdowns.  Brackins and Watts both are former NFL entities, who struggled to produce in the League, but fit in very nicely in the AFL.

Keeping it real however, this is a football game in the middle of springtime, immediately following the conclusion of the NFL draft.  So how important can this game really be?  You be the judge.  But one thing is guaranteed-A lot of scoring, a lot of fun and a very entertaining (indoor) football game.

Here is my Week 5 Power Poll and Preview of games

This week there are some key games to watch out for in Week 5.

You have the final two undefeated teams playing this weekend and looking to stay perfect on the year.

The Philadelphia Soul (4-0), #1 in the Power Poll, hosts #5 Tampa Bay Storm (2-1), on Saturday, March 29 at 2p.m. ET (ESPN2 HD, ESPN360.com).

The Soul's offense did not look like it missed injured QB Tony Graziani at all last week against Los Angeles. Backup QB Matt D'Orazio stepped in and was 28 of 42 for 338 yards and eight touchdowns. 

The Dallas Desperados (4-0), #2, travels to the Nassau Coliseum to take on #15 New York Dragons (1-3) on Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. ET in a Eastern Division matchup.

Desperdos QB Chris Sanders was 20-of-28 for 276 yards and six touchdowns last week as the Desperados ended the SaberCats 15-game home winning streak 

The Desperados are looking to go 5-0 for the second consecutive season with a win. Dallas is 32-4 in their last 36 regular-season contests, including 12 in a row and six straight on the road. 

The Chicago Rush (3-1), #3, welcomes the Arizona Rattlers (2-2), #9, to the Allstate Arena on Friday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET (AFL NET, FSN Arizona - Delay, at 9:30 p.m. PT, CSN Chicago - Delay, 3/29 at 4 p.m. CT, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 130).

This game marks the first time Rush QB Sherdrick Bonner will face his former team of the past 14 seasons.

Bonner, left Arizona as the team's all-time leader in passing yards (40,979), attempts (5,268), completions (3,261) and touchdown passes (829).

Bonner also led the Rattlers to five ArenaBowl appearances and two championships in ArenaBowls VIII and XI.

This weeks other games include:

Saturday

#8 San Jose (2-2) at #16 Kansas City (0-3), 6:00 P.M. ET, (FSN Bay Area/NBC Local - Live, KSMO Local - Live)

#7 Orlando (2-2) at #13 Columbus (1-3), 7:00 P.M. ET, (AFL NET, WRDQ TV - Live, Columbus Sports Net - Live, CSS - Delay, 3/30 at 5:30 p.m. ET, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 130).

#14 Georgia (1-3) at #17 Utah (0-4), 9:00 P.M. ET, (CSS - Live, KJZZ - Live)

Sunday

#10 Los Angeles (2-2) at #12 Grand Rapids (1-2), 2:00 P.M. ET

#4 New Orleans VooDoo (3-1) at #11 Colorado (1-2), 4:00 P.M. ET (FSN Rocky Mountain Local - Live).

Bye Week: #6 Cleveland (3-1)

Power Poll Rankings:

 1) Philadelphia Soul (4-0, LW: 1) Beat Los Angeles 71-34 on 3/20

 2) Dallas Desperados (4-0, LW: 2) Beat San Jose 59-56 on 3/22

 3) Chicago Rush (3-1, LW: 4) Beat Colorado 70-35 on 3/22

 4) New Orleans VooDoo (3-1, LW: 6) Beat Cleveland 63-24 on 3/21

 5) Tampa Bay Storm (2-1, LW: 8) BYE WEEK

 6) Cleveland Gladiators (3-1, LW: 3) Lost to New Orleans 24-63 on 3/21

 7) Orlando Predators (2-2. LW: 11) Beat Georgia 50-45 on 3/22

 8) San Jose SaberCats (2-2, LW: 5) Lost to Dallas 59-56 on 3/22

 9) Arizona Rattlers (2-2, LW: 13) Beat New York 62-33 on 3/21

10) Los Angeles Avengers (2-2, LW: 7) Lost to Philadelphia 71-34 on 3/20

11) Colorado Crush (1-2, LW: 9) Lost to Chicago 35-70 on 3/22

12) Grand Rapids Rampage (1-2, LW: 15) Beat Kansas City 92-52 on 3/24

13) Columbus Destroyers (1-3, LW: 17) Beat Utah 52-49 on 3/21

14) Georgia Force (1-3, LW: 10) Lost to Orlando 50-45 on 3/22

15) New York Dragons (1-3, LW: 12) Lost to Arizona 33-62 on 3/21

16) Kansas City Brigade (0-3, LW: 14) Lost to Grand Rapids 52-92 on 3/24

17) Utah Blaze (0-4, LW: 16) Lost to Columbus 49-52 on 3/21

WEEK 4 HONORS

CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: Grand Rapids Rampage QB James MacPherson and Philadelphia Soul WR Chris Jackson

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER: New Orleans VooDoo DB Calvin Spears

IRONMAN PLAYER: Chicago Rush WR/LB DeJuan Alfonzo

The Arena Football League 2008 regular season commenced on Friday, February 29, 2008.  But as the curtain opened an the much anticipated season, there were big wins and losses, upset and regrets.  The opening game was played in the city of angels, with the Los Angeles Avengers taking on the New Orleans voodoo.   This match up proved successful for Avengers who edged the Voodoo to start the season 1-0.  As was expected their defense played a major part in the win, but he Avengers rallied around offensive weapon Kevin Ingram and former Grand Rapids wide receiver Timon Marshall.   Playing in front of their home fans, Avenger's quarterback Sonnie Cumbie completed 23-of-38 for 268 yards and seven touchdowns, tossing three touchdowns to Marshall who finished with 180 all purpose yards.  Voodoo quarterback Steve Bellisari  came out slinging.  He completed his first six passes on a 45 yard drive with a touchdown pass to Zach Hilton, before leaving the game with an injury in the second half.  The Voodoo rallied after Bellisari's exit, when New Orleans wide receiver Wendell Williams returned the opening kickoff 54 yards for a touchdown. The Avengers capitalized on the loss of Bellisari and they put together a comeback which the Voodoo was not able to match.  Final Score: 59-42 What is touted to be the biggest rivalry in the AFL lived up to the billing, when Dallas Desperados traveled to Georgia to play the Force in what is always known  as a heated battle.   The Desperados' defense made six stops, but Georgia managed to stay in the Game with two fourth quarter touchdowns by Georgia's quarterback Chris Griesen.  The Desperados had spread the love on offense with Will Pettis, Marcus and second year receiver Anthony Armstong.  Armstrong who lead the team with 11 catches for 135 years and two touchdowns was forced to pick up the slack after Andrea Thurman suffered a broken hand on a pass interference call.  But the biggest blow came for Dallas when 13-year veteran quarterback Clint Dolezel was blind-sided by Georgia's defensive lineman Jermaine Smith, Dolezel landed awkwardly on his shoulder resulting in inury.  The injury is serious enough have him out for about a month, but did not stop this tenacious signal caller from finishing the game. He was seen begging the coaches to stay in.  Like Dallas, Georgia suffered a blow on defense, losing defensive back David Crocker with a back injury. Final Score: 51-41