Arena Football League ready to rumble
by Shawn Sillinger
More football is good Remember Freddie Mitchell, the guy with the wild Afro/Mohawk who nicknamed himself FredEx?
About this time last year, the Eagles’ colorful wideout ruffled some feathers with the tongue-in-cheek comments he made about the Patriots’ secondary, specifically calling out safety Rodney Harrison.
Mitchell’s comments did not sit well with the Patriots nor his own teammates, who advised him to tone down his act.
As it turns out, FredEx was unable back up his yap in the Super Bowl where he made just one catch for 11 yards and no TDs.
That performance was the final straw for the Eagles, who had made Mitchell a first-round draft pick in 2001 out of UCLA. Over four seasons, FredEx had just 90 snags for 1,263 yards and five TDs in 63 games.
In May, Mitchell was cut by the Eagles. He was subsequently picked up by the Chiefs, but was unable to play due to a knee injury. He was finally cut by KC in September before playing a game.
Nearly a year after his last appearance in an NFL game, FredEx is once again in the news.
According to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, ESPN football analyst Ron Jaworski has been trying to contact Mitchell to ask him if he wants to play in the Arena Football League (AFL).
In addition to his television duties, Jaworski is president of the AFL’s Philadelphia Soul.
“He needs to play football and the Arena League and Philadelphia Soul could provide him that opportunity,” Jaworski told the Inquirer. “He has NFL talent but he needs to be catching footballs every day and showing people he is ready to play.”
Over the years, the Arena League has been a quasi-farm league for the NFL. The most famous Arena alum to play in the NFL was quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title in 1999-2000.
The league features 19 teams that play a 16-game schedule stretching from the end of January to May. Eight teams then advance to the playoffs and compete for the ArenaBowl title.
Games, which are typically high-scoring affairs, are played in indoor arenas on fields that are 85 feet wide and 50 yards long with eight-yard end zones.
Each team has a 20-man roster with eight players on the field. Players play offense and defense with exception of the kicker, quarterback, offensive specialist (the kick returner on defense) and two defensive specialists.
Although most of the rules are the same as the NFL, there are some differences. For instance, a kicker can score four points for a field goal by a dropkick. However, he has to get the ball through the goalposts which are only nine feet wide with a crossbar height of 15 feet. NFL goal posts are 18 ½ feet wide with the crossbar at 10 feet.
Numerous AFL teams are owned or part-owned by NFL owners, as well as former players (John Elway and Mike Ditka) and entertainment celebrities (Jon Bon Jovi and Tim McGraw).
Unlike most league sports, the AFL has embraced sports betting and encourages gambling on its games. In fact, America’s gambling Mecca, Las Vegas, is home to a franchise, the Gladiators.
Last year, Sin City hosted the ArenaBowl at the Thomas and Mack Center in front of nearly 11,000 fans. In that game, the Colorado Crush booted a 20-yard field goal as time expired to win 51-48 over the Georgia Force as 3.5-point dogs.
The Crush are co-owned by Elway, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke. The Forces are owned by Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons.
The league officially kicks off its 20th season on Friday when the Gladiators visit the Austin Wranglers.
According to a Week 1 power poll issued by the league, the defending champion Crush are ranked No. 1 followed by the Force. The Crush had a 10-6 record in the regular season last year; the Force went 11-5.
Bon Jovi’s team, the Philadelphia Soul, is ranked No. 3, but that ranking could improve if FredEx accepts Jaworski’s invitation to join the team.
ArenaBowl XX is scheduled to be played on June 11, back in Las Vegas.
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Note: BetUS.com is a proud sponsor of seven Arena Football League teams. They are the: Austin Wranglers, Dallas Desperados, Arizona Rattlers, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, New York Dragons and Georgia Force. You can find BetUS.com's presence in any one of these great home buildings.