Clark enjoys his first game

As a fun change of pace, we were joined not only by my parents, but also one of the partners at the counseling practice Amy works at, Dr. Clark Barshinger.

Welcome San Jose back to the AFL

He was curious about Arena Football and wanted to find out what it was all about, so he asked her if he could join us for a game sometime.

Hampster Ball races!

For the special occasion, and to provide the best visual experience, we got upper level sideline seats near where our season tickets were located back in 2008.

Rugby at halftime was fun

San Jose was one of the teams that didn't return with the rebooted AFL in 2010, but came back in this season, interestingly with the same ownership group as the first time around.  This makes them different from teams like Chicago which are returned in name alone, but have different owners.

East Endzone attendance check: 7,466 was the reported attendance

Unlike the first home game of the season which was on NFL Network and had a lot of promotion to hit an 10,582 attendance mark, this game was pretty empty.

Not really sure what Steve & Dad are doing here

Reported attendance this time around was 7466… and our traditional East Endzone Attendance Check pretty much supports that number… though it probably was a lot less.

Chicago Rush win!

The game itself was rather boring through the first half. Not much action.  However, halftime featured a rugby match, which was pretty fun.  Things picked up in the second half with the Rush getting some stops and turnovers, which finally turned the tide and led to a close finish.  Rush win, 54-41!

It will be interesting to see what the attendance is like at the 3rd home game, because this isn't a good trend.  Then again, when you are only playing most of your players $400, you have to be making money even with less butts in the stands, right?

Arena/Indoor Football Story Navigation
Previous – Next

2011
PHI – SJ

2010
CLE – UTA – IA

2009
Intro – MKE – WIS – RR – WHL – MAR

2008
SJ – PHI – COL – ARI – GR – LA – KC – DAL

2007
@CMB – LA – PHI – COL – NSH – KC – LA

2006
NY – NSH – SJ – DAL – GR – LV – UTA
ArenaBowl XX – Celebration

2005
DAL – ORL – @GR – COL – LV – GR – @NSH

2004
GR – COL – @IND – ORL – DET – TB
LA – @DET – @GR – DAL – IND – ORL

2003
ORL

Did you see us on TV?

We attended only a few games last season, which marked the return of the AFL after the 2009 season was cancelled.  Needless to say, 2010 was a mess, in my mind, regarding the Chicago Rush, who are under different ownership with this rebooted AFL.

Rush sporting black uniforms celebrating their 10th season

After a while, I decided that it just wasn't good value to attend.  The production of the game from start to finish was inferior and amateurish when compared to the previous standards set by the Rush.  Infuriatingly so, this new version charged the same prices for tickets.

Amy & Steve at the game

With a complete offseason to properly ramp up operations, we thought we'd give the team another shot.  A lot of changes took place since 2010, including Chicago's head coach moving on to another team (Mike Hohensee to Philadelphia), former player and coach Bob McMillen becoming the new head guy, many players shifting around the league, and a lot of staff changes in the Rush front office.

Decent crowd considering lame ownership

The Rush started the season with a win on the road in Milwaukee, with this, their home opener, taking place in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Soul… yes the team that was now coached by their previous coach and staffed by quite a few ex-Rush players.  The NFL Network broadcast the game and played up the new rivalry.

Dad & Mom

Once again we bought tickets in the cheap seats, upper level East Endzone.  I wasn't quite convinced that I needed to spend more than $10/seat on this team.  To help ramp up the crowd noise, we were given inflatable Thunderstix upon entry.  In the end, it was the highest attended Rush game since 2008 (the last year of the "old AFL") with 10,582 posted.  Granted, a lot of those were freebies, but at least it was butts in the seats.  In 2010, the Rush were lucky to break 8,000 a game.

East Endzone attendance check: 10,582 was the reported attendance

It looks like the Rush have landed quite a few new sponsors as well, which we'll cover in a future update, per tradition here on our blog.  (It was also interesting to note who they LOST as sponsors as well.)

Yes, it was a blowout!

I had anticipated a pretty tight game with the Rush losing to the more experienced team and coach.  But surprisingly, Chicago dominated and won easily by the score of 62-28.  It's always easier to tolerate incompetent ownership when your team is winning.

Kudos to the merchandising folks for this shirt

Overall, and I know this is very unlike me to say, I had a fun time!  I'm not totally on board with the team ownership or they way they run things, but watching this first home game of the season gave me hope that things were on a better track vs. the trainwreck of last season.  We'll see, as we're heading to another game this Friday.  Was all this just "opening game hype" or are we on an upswing?  Stay tuned!

Arena/Indoor Football Story Navigation
Previous – Next

2011
PHI – SJ

2010
CLE – UTA – IA

2009
Intro – MKE – WIS – RR – WHL – MAR

2008
SJ – PHI – COL – ARI – GR – LA – KC – DAL

2007
@CMB – LA – PHI – COL – NSH – KC – LA

2006
NY – NSH – SJ – DAL – GR – LV – UTA
ArenaBowl XX – Celebration

2005
DAL – ORL – @GR – COL – LV – GR – @NSH

2004
GR – COL – @IND – ORL – DET – TB
LA – @DET – @GR – DAL – IND – ORL

2003
ORL

Amy, Mom, and Dad

It was also Armed Forces Day, with each of the four branches being represented, along with a huge American flag unveiled at the beginning of the game. Halftime consisted of a tug-of-war between the services, and the video monitors played quite a few Army/Navy/Marines/Air Force commercials.

Yup, Armed Forces Night

As we've mentioned in previous recaps from our game experiences this year, they've been less than stellar. I keep hoping that the new league will get their act together and that we're just experiencing the growing pains associated with a year of no games, but so far, I have not been encouraged. This game against Iowa was a perfect example of things getting worse, rather than better.

Now, when it comes to attending an AFL game, I view it as really a collection of 2 experiences. There's the "On The Field" product, which consists of the players, the team, the actual competition. Then there's the "Sideshow", which is pretty much everything else, including promotions, giveaways, activity between plays, stadium ambiance, game operations. When I think about the "entertainment value" of attending a Rush game, I factor in both these experiences and basically ask myself, "Was this worth the ticket price or could this money have been spent elsewhere for better value?"

Action on the field (Sorry for the quality; camera battery died, resorted to mobile phone)

For this game, the Rush's on-field performance was quite lacking, losing to Iowa 44-30. However, while the quality of play in AFL 2.0 has been notably less stellar than the previous incarnation of the AFL, it's been tolerable. It's in the 2nd area, the "Sideshow", where one has to really question what's going on. The home game production in this area has been severely lacking for the Rush this season.

In case there was any question

I mention this because as a former AFL market and now a team in the current "new" AFL, we do have history to compare against, namely all home games from 2001-2008 vs. 2010. At this Rush/Barnstormers game, the inflatable Rush helmet that the team runs through during the introductions was gone. Heck, there were hardly any introductions. Lights didn't dim. No pyrotechnics. Nothing. Just a simple "here's your team" thing.

During the game itself, it's like the music folks were on vacation or something. Cue were missed, selections of tunes were very odd, and not once did they actually play "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation, the traditional touchdown song for the Rush. What, can't we afford the music rights anymore?

East Endzone attendance check: 10,363 was the reported attendance for this game

The promotions were "off", less frequent interactions with the crowd, and other elements just made for a lackluster experience in the "Sideshow" department. I really hope it was related to logistical issues with the whole Armed Forces thing, but we'll see. In any case, the Rush reported 10,363 in attendance on this Saturday evening game. Looking at the size of the crowd and our classic East Endzone benchmark photo, I'd say that was very severely "papered."

Overall, it probably was one of the worst "atmosphere" experiences we've had at a Rush game. When your team is getting clobbered as they were that night, you rely quite a bit more on the "other stuff" to keep your crowd engaged. Didn't happen. Even if the Rush were winning, the same things were lacking.

On the plus side, we did some some new advertisers fill in many of the blank sideboards:

Dodge
Dodge was signed as a "Marketing Partner" (Press Release) and not only gets signage, but also will have vehicles at the game. In fact, at this game they drove a truck onto the field before the game.

Dodge
RAM Trucks are also a "Marketing Partner" (Press Release). When Chrysler merged/was-bought-out-by Fiat, they spun off the Ram brand as a stand-alone for their truck division. Yeah, doesn't make sense to me either.

Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning
Yes, we now have a local HVAC sponsor, Four Seasons Heating and Air Conditioning. So call them when your A/C breaks. Or something.

NBC Chicago
This is our local NBC owned-and-operated station, WMAQ. They obviously want to promote their "News+TMZ" site, NBCChicago.com. I'm not sure the ad will help their pageviews, and lord knows they have one of the worst sports departments in town… but I'm sure the Rush will take their money.

Time to step it up, Chicago Rush!

Arena/Indoor Football Story Navigation
Previous – Next

2011
PHI – SJ

2010
CLE – UTA – IA

2009
Intro – MKE – WIS – RR – WHL – MAR

2008
SJ – PHI – COL – ARI – GR – LA – KC – DAL

2007
@CMB – LA – PHI – COL – NSH – KC – LA

2006
NY – NSH – SJ – DAL – GR – LV – UTA
ArenaBowl XX – Celebration

2005
DAL – ORL – @GR – COL – LV – GR – @NSH

2004
GR – COL – @IND – ORL – DET – TB
LA – @DET – @GR – DAL – IND – ORL

2003
ORL

Steve, Todd, & Karl

The sound system was way too loud and distorted at times

Let's just say right off the bat that there wasn't much of a football game. At the time, the Rush were undefeated and the Blaze had yet to win a game. And it stayed that way with the Rush winning this game 63-40. So when you have a blowout like that, you tend to poke around and see what else is going in.

East Endzone attendance check: 7,459 was the reported attendance for this game

Compared to the home opener, there weren't any changes in advertisers on the field. This was another Friday night game, but not televised on NFL Network, and the attendance was very poor. Only 7,459 people were there. The first home game had 8075, so this was a dropoff. Not good, given the 14,000+ audiences we had during the Rush's prime years before the AFL bankruptcy.

An overview of the emptiness

Goofy races on the field

We saw a few more promotions on the field, but overall, the non-game portion of the game was actually quite dull.

Utah... kinda stunk

Final score: 63-40

Here's hoping the overall experience improves (we're heading to the next home game vs. Iowa on Saturday), because at this point, I'm on the fence regarding the value proposition of attending. I know, that sounds a bit crazy for someone like me who has been a big Arena Football fan over the years. But in this rebooted league, there's just something missing.

Arena/Indoor Football Story Navigation
Previous – Next

2011
PHI – SJ

2010
CLE – UTA – IA

2009
Intro – MKE – WIS – RR – WHL – MAR

2008
SJ – PHI – COL – ARI – GR – LA – KC – DAL

2007
@CMB – LA – PHI – COL – NSH – KC – LA

2006
NY – NSH – SJ – DAL – GR – LV – UTA
ArenaBowl XX – Celebration

2005
DAL – ORL – @GR – COL – LV – GR – @NSH

2004
GR – COL – @IND – ORL – DET – TB
LA – @DET – @GR – DAL – IND – ORL

2003
ORL

On Friday, Amy & I attended the home opener for the Chicago Rush. Yes, an Arena Football game! Given that the AFL canceled the 2009 season, it had been 642 days since we last saw the Rush play. What happened with the AFL? Stay tuned for a future blog post where I explain everything in layman's terms, because a lot of friends and family are asking the same thing!

Steve, Amy, and Dad... back at a Rush game

Anyway, this was the second game of the season for the Rush, having come off their opener which they won on the road against the Iowa Barnstormers, 61-43. Given the skeptical approach I had on this reborn version of the Arena Football League, we didn't renew our season tickets. Instead, we're taking a "wait and see" approach and going with the cheap seat approach on a per game basis, just to see how Rush 2.0 works in the greater scheme of things.

It's been a while!

We attended the game with my Dad and sat up in the good 'ole cheap seats of section 214 at Allstate Arena… upper level, east endzone, second row. Tickets were $10 a piece, which were an increase over the $8 that the Rush had been charging for the same seats in 2008. It was odd to step into the routine again after a long hiatus… even though I did attend a few Chicago Slaughter games last season with the "Slush" roster.

Looking down upon the field

I'm not much of a tailgating fan, but we did get to the game about an hour before it started. Gave me a chance to walk around and see what was new, what was different, and just observe how this new incarnation of the Rush was doing. As many of you know, when I attend sporting events, I tend to be interested more in the marketing/promotion and overall experience angle vs. the X's and O's. Don't get me wrong, I do care what happens on the field and am not afraid to yell at my team if they screw up, but I think a lot can be said about an organization by looking at how they handle things away from the field.

Gladiators vs. Rush

Yes, we watched through a net

The most glaring observation one can make about Chicago Rush 2.0 is that they are definitely in need of sponsors. Additionally, those sponsors they do have signed don't seem to be of the "blue chip" caliber that we saw back in 2008, as much as can be said of a minor-tier sports league. I always like to take a look at the advertisers on the sideboards as a good indicator regarding the health of a team. Each year in the past I have taken photos and provided commentary on these sponsors; here's my last take in 2008 during a Chicago/Dallas game. I'd say most of those sponsors are long gone in 2010, namely Discover Card, Motorola, Champs Sports, Jim Beam, and obviously ESPN.

Here's a look at the sideboards as they stood during the Rush home opener, starting with the north side of the field (typically, the more expensive side due to television exposure):

BLANK
Right off the bat we have a half-panel that hasn't been sold. It was just a blue wall. I don't think I've ever seen that at a Rush game in recent memory!

Mountain Dew
Ah, Mountain Dew (or as they now spell it, "Mtn Dew"). Actually, Pepsi has the official beverage rights for Allstate Arena, and given that Mountain Dew is a Pepsi brand, this is not unexpected. I would imagine that stadium rightholders get signage as part of their deals, with the opportunity to purchase beyond their "freebies."

Allstate
Lest I remind you of the name on the building… Allstate Arena. Allstate is a local company, and in recent years they've been switching out their dark blue logos with their newer logos that have more of a light blue color and a gradient on the "hands" icon. But I still buy my car insurance from State Farm!

Grand Victoria Casino
When the going gets rough, the rough seek advertising from gambling establishments. In this case, the Grand Victoria Casino in sorta-nearby Elgin, IL. Always remember, kiddies, that casino riverboats have paid for your education, thus providing us with no funding issues whatsoever in Illinois. Oh wait…

Popeyes
In previous years, Popeyes only had signage in the endzones, so this is probably considered an upgrade as far as placement is concerned. They are showing their newer logo and wordmark, however, so you have to love that chicken!

Gatorade
Gatorade is another Pepsi-owned brand… and it has taken a beating in the past few years thanks to some pretty ridiculous marketing moves by the parent company. Seriously, who thought that the "G" campaign was a good idea? Definitely not Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano. Which brings me to my next point… where is the "official AFL water" Le Vai in all this? Nowhere to be found. Maybe they couldn't lock down a deal.

Gridiron Greats
You can thank Mike Ditka for this ad as part of his ownership stake. Per the Chicago Sun-Times when he bought into the "new" Rush, "One of the reasons Ditka agreed to join the Rush and continue his involvement with the arena team was to use the relationship to promote his Gridiron Greats organization that benefits former NFL players in need." This branding is found midfield.

Bank of America
Bank of America returns (even though I still think they are evil). However, they downsize their advertising from the entire back wall of the East Endzone (which is now unsponsored) to just sideboards.

Allstate
Another Allstate ad, to provide balance to the other size of the field, I guess. I may have liked President Palmer in all those episodes of 24, but I'm still not switching my insurance!

Buona
Another local sponsor steps up in the shape of Buona, which is a brand for an chain of Italian beef, pizza, and salad places around Chicagoland. It's a pretty established brand that just opened a location near Allstate Arena, so it's a logical fit.

Popeyes
Hey look, it's another Popeyes sideboard. Rememeber how I mentioned they had a new logo? The folks over at Brand New explain it in more detail if you are a design nerd.

Bud Light
Can you guess who holds the beer rights at Allstate Arena? Yup, and Bud Light is part of that. Did you know it's the #1 domestic beer, with $5,081,880,000 in sales in the past year? That's more than twice the #2 brand, Budweiser (even though part of same parent company). Interestingly, Bud Light had previously advertised on the floor area past the East Endzone… but not anymore. There is no sponsor there now.

Pepsi Refresh Project
It's another Pepsi ad, this time for the Pepsi Refresh Project. It's a social-media based initiative that Pepsi kicked off when they decided to pull the plug on their Super Bowl advertising.

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse
This is another local Chicago eatery. Gibsons has a location downtown, a new location coming to Oak Brook, and finally a Rosemont spot… which is close to the Arena. Again, a logical "hey, come and eat here before/after the game" type ad.

Let's jump over to the less popular south side of the field… the part that never really gets seen by cameras and tends to have a cheaper level of advertising…

BLANK
That's right, this space for a half-width ad has nothing at all.

BLANK
And right next to the blank panel… is another blank panel. Remember how I mentioned that the Rush needed sponsors? Here's some evidence.

Sheraton Chicago O'Hare
It's a local hotel, the Sheraton Chicago O'Hare, a location that gets a lot of airport usage. And given that Allstate Arena is right near the airport, duh, this makes sense. Oh, and here's your piece of Disney trivia… Sheraton's parent company operates the Swan and Dolphin hotels down at Walt Disney World thanks to a really weird piece of Disney history.

CORT Furniture Clearance Center / Second Time Around Furniture
Returning Rush sponsor, CORT specializes in rental furniture, along with relocation and previously leased items. There's also a mention of another brand, Second Time Around Furniture. I'm not sure about the relationship between the two organizations, but their sideboard ad looks like someone just photocopied a business card and clicked "enlarge"… because how in the world can you read that?

Impact Networking
Impact Networking is a returning Rush sponsor, and last time around I got on their case for not really branding the sideboard with a website address. This time around, however, you can easily find the oddly-phrased ImpactMyBiz.com. Per their website, "For nearly a decade Impact has helped vastly different businesses meet the same high-functioning needs, providing leading-edge systems, support and technology." They just signed a long-term sponsorship deal with the Rush… and oddly enough, their website also lists them as sponsors of the AFL Milwaukee Fire.

Curtis
The sideboard features a photo of grass and skyline, with the URL www.createwithcurtis.com. Their website notes that "Curtis. [Editor Note: they apparently add the period] is a progressive marketing agency that brings great creative and compelling messages together in ways that speak precisely to audiences." Did you get all that?

Gridiron Greats
And we're back with another Gridiron Greats sideboard at midfield, on the other side of the field.

Ditka's
Just how many sideboards are we going to attribute to Mike Ditka? Next up is an ad for Ditka's Restaurants, with two locations in the Chicago area and one in… Pittsburgh?

Windy City Limousine
Ever wonder who was the "Official Transportation Company for the Chicago Rush? Windy City Limousine… so get get yourself a stretch SUV today! Transportation costs are one of the vital issues in the new AFL, especially when you debate bus vs. plane.

Impact Networking
It's another sideboard for Impact Networking. Apparently, they want to make sure they make an impact on both sides of the field.

Advanced Occupational Medicine Specialists
A returning Rush sponsor. From their website: "Advanced Occupational Medicine Specialists is an Occupational and Sports Medicine practice that uniquely incorporates primary care and sports medicine trained physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists and athletic trainers. Our clinics provide medical services to over 400 companies in the Chicagoland area, as well as, nine sports medicine affiliations including the 2006 Arena Bowl Champions Chicago Rush professional arena football team."

Bud Light
Yes, another Bud Light ad.

BLANK
And why not wrap things up with a black space…

BLANK
… and another blank space.

Let's not forget the endzones boards, starting with the east endzone…

Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago's "other" paper, the Chicago Sun-Times is under new ownership, but they still maintain their Rush sponsorship in the endzone!

Pace
When your transit systems are underfunded, cutting service, and are raising fares… what should you do? Why sponsor Arena Football, of course! Pace is the suburban bus system in the Chicagoland area, complimented by the CTA in the city and Metra commuter rail.

BLANK – SELF BRANDING
In previous years, the wide space making up the wall in the East Endzone has been sold to advertisers, including LaSalle Bank and Bank of America. This time around… just a blurb for the new Rush website URL, ArenaRush.com… and it still cracks me up that they had to go with that vs. the old address, ChicagoRush.com. I'm sure there's some sort of petition with ICANN over that mess!

AAA
AAA is back as a Chicago Rush sponsor, though I haven't had the need to be towed lately.

Soccer City
New to the sideboard sponsor list is Soccer City in Palatine, the "official practice facility" of the Rush. And now you know!

Hopping over to the west endzone…

Kostas Gyros
Nothing quite says you are slumming it for advertisers like signing up a gyros place… Kostas Gyros, "Now in 2 locations!"… Palatine and Algonquin. Plus the Algonquin has a Private Party Room, so how can you go wrong?

Prairie Stone Sports & Wellness Center
Next up is the Prairie Stone Sports & Wellness Center in Hoffman Estates, which would seem to be a more logical sponsor for the Chicago Slaughter over at the Sears Centre.

Six Flags Great America
Ah yes, good ole Great America, owned by a company that prides itself in non-themed attractions, poor upkeep, parks that just close… oh, and bankruptcy. More Flags, More Fun!

RAM Restaurant & Brewery
The Chicago Rush post-game parties are always held at RAM Restaurant & Brewery in Rosemont. So drink and be merry!

And finally, we wrap things up by looking at the ad locations on the field itself. The Chicago Rush playing surface can accommodate 8 removable ad spots. Currently, there are only 3/8 in use.

West Endzone
BLANK
This was previously populated by Discover Card, and before that, McDonalds.

East Endzone
BLANK
Again, previously populated by Discover Card and McDonalds.

Left of Center Field Logo
Pepsi
Hey, it's Pepsi, and their fantastic new logo [Snark!]

Right of Center Field Logo
Russell
Ah yes, the folks who dumbed down the AFL jersey designs even more than humanly thought possible. Gotta give them some ad space! Thanks Russell!

Left Side of Field, Top
BLANK
There's nothing there.

Left Side of Field, Bottom
BLANK
Again, a blank slate. Sad.

Ride Side of Field, Top
Pace
Pace returns once again to remind you to ride them to the game and home… unless of course they aren't running late service on a Friday night… which is probably the case.

Ride Side of Field, Bottom
BLANK
This space for rent.

Top of Sideboards
Pace
Does Pace really have that much money to spend, because they landed the top of the sideboards as well!

And that wraps up our look at advertising at the start of the Rush 2010 season. To say that it needs help is an understatement!

Now let's talk about the game itself. The introduction video/pregame "show" was toned down considerably. I think they recycled an animated video of the Rush mascot for use on the video screens. Then they cut in footage of Coach Ho talking on NFL Network the previous week.

Pregame show

No longer the "SoBe Adrenaline Rush Dancers" (SoBe discontinued making that drink a few years ago!)

The inflatable "Rush helmet" is back for the teams to run through, but gone are the flames that were a large part of this intro. Instead we had limited pyrotechnics and a long, drawn out introduction. The stadium announcer (Shawn) has returned from the Rush 1.0 days, which was a welcoming sound to hear.

It's Beth!

One surprising and exciting return was Beth as the Promotions Emcee. She was the emcee for years on the field, but then stepped aside in 2008 to become a mom… and we got horrible, horrible Tiffany who would wear very odd stuff and frankly had zero stage presence. I launched the "FakeBeth Clothing Watch" to chronicle her odd clothing choices. But it doesn't matter now, because Beth is back! And the fans responded accordingly at the announcement, which was nice. (Beth gave me a pizza at a game once — while she was pregnant — so I'll always root for her!)

East Endzone attendance check: 8,075 was the reported attendance for this game

Now let's talk about attendance, shall we? Not surprisingly, it wasn't a packed house in the 14-15,000 range we had seen in years past. In fact, the official reported attendance was 8075. You have to go back to 2002 season (the 2nd for the Rush) to see numbers that low. As I have done in the past, we'll be shooting photos of the East Endzone to provide a look at the overall attendance of the building based on that sample size.

Where is everyone?

Needless to say, a lot of the upper balcony areas were pretty much empty, including where our season tickets used to be. Granted, when the Rush launched the first time around, we didn't have the IFL Slaughter or CIFL Cardinals in town to suck up "indoor football entertainment" dollars. In any case, not a surprise that the team is now pushing partial season tickets and flex plans.

Clear Wireless sponsored this Zorb race

Pepsi & The Abby Resort sponsored this throwing game

Did you know that .bz is the domain country code for Belize?

The promotions during the game were back, in less quantity than we've seen in the past. What was interesting about them is that very few had actual sponsors attached to them, but rather were oriented along the lines of "win tickets to the next game." It would seem to be the case of them "showcasing" the types of promos that could be done in the hopes that a sponsor came on board.

More fans needed!

As far as the game itself, it was a bit eerie to watch. The atmosphere was rather dead for probably the entire first half of the game, with very little crowd participation. Maybe that was reflective of the mistakes both teams were doing and the abundance of penalties being thrown around. I mean, it's sad when the place is so dead that I don't even feel like cracking a sarcastic comment! Personally, I felt that the quality of plan had suffered with the reduction in player salaries — most players are making $400/game with just a few pulling in $1000/game. With that type of pay, you are going to get the type of person who plays "on the side" vs. as a career, and as such, aren't going to have the quality gameplay we saw in the old AFL.

The "Party Deck" was unsponsored

The overall "feel" of Allstate Arena picked up in the second half and was greatly helped by the crazy tackle by Rush kicker Chris Gould. With the game going back and forth so much due to sloppy play and very little in the way of "breakout" moments, it was pretty hard to get excited… plus, when only 8000 are at the game, you also don't have that "mass noise" that Rush games had been known for. By the end of the game, when the score was tied and time was running out, then the crowd finally got loudish.

A blurred shot of Dancin' Steve

Oh, it was good to see Dancin' Steve back.

In the end, while it was good to have the Rush "back" (however you want to interpret that), something still felt missing. The overall experience felt like a shell of what it used to be, though it had traits that were similar. The Rush have obviously gone with a strategy of "familiarity" by brining back familiar names… coaches, players, staff, game attributes, etc. But in the end, what that really does is open you up to comparison with what was. Now, granted, I'm a critical guy and probably know more than the average fan when it comes to how we got into this mess in the first place, so that colors my opinion.

Rush win, 59-56

Heading home

I'm hopeful the situation improves as I'd like to see the team succeed, despite my misgivings with the change in ownership. In any case, I'll be back for the next game… in the cheap seats once again. It will be interesting to see what (if any) changes are made for the next home game.

Arena/Indoor Football Story Navigation
Previous – Next

2011
PHI – SJ

2010
CLE – UTA – IA

2009
Intro – MKE – WIS – RR – WHL – MAR

2008
SJ – PHI – COL – ARI – GR – LA – KC – DAL

2007
@CMB – LA – PHI – COL – NSH – KC – LA

2006
NY – NSH – SJ – DAL – GR – LV – UTA
ArenaBowl XX – Celebration

2005
DAL – ORL – @GR – COL – LV – GR – @NSH

2004
GR – COL – @IND – ORL – DET – TB
LA – @DET – @GR – DAL – IND – ORL

2003
ORL

Audio: Listen to the AFL Roundtable Podcast

This was the first episode of AFL Roundtable, hosted the by folks at ArenaFan.com.

It was facilitated by Tim Capper, Canadian-based staff member of ArenaFan. The show also featured JP Worley, who co-hosts another AFL-based show with Tim, and Henry Primeaux, who helps run AFLFanZone.com.

I'm not sure why I was asked to participate. It's like I've ever had an opinion or anything. I've always been more interested in the business and marketing side of alternative football leagues more than the X's & O's, so my opinions tend to be a bit different than those who are "really into" the indoor football world.

Or maybe it was my interest in the "new" AFL's first national sponsor, Le Vai Alkaline Ionized Water. Yeah, that should make for an interesting beverage review! I'm still waiting on my review sample from the company.