UNFOLD THE MAP: The Extreme road schedule for 2010 includes only one place the team has ever visited, Omaha. With trips to Chicago, Green Bay, LaCrosse (twice), Rochester and Maryland, the team will check out some new digs. Other than the Rochester and Maryland trips, the road will still be kind to the Extreme. With 26 teams in the IFL for 2010, the divisions have been realigned, and the Extreme will compete in the Central North Division of the United Conference with three new teams to the league--the Chicago Slaughter (which had been playing in the CIFL under the guidance of former Bear Steve McMichael), the Green Bay Blizzard (a perennially-tough team in af2) and the LaCrosse Spartans (a new franchise). The IFL's plan to grow and become the best thing going in indoor football has pretty much been achieved. Now I am going to renew my call to the IFL to act like the premier indoor league on gameday, and require standardization of what happens before and during the game--just like every other professional sport.
SO, WHEN DO THEY PLAY, ALREADY?: This Saturday, July 18 against the Wichita Wild, a team that the Extreme beat by hanging on at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. The Billings Outlaws let one slip through their fingers this past Saturday night, losing 48-45 at Omaha to give the Beef the Divsion title and the first-round bye. The Wichita Wild will come into Bloomington fired up, thinking they had one stolen from them in the regular season matchup. That's not quite correct, but it doesn't matter now because the Wild will use any bit of motivation they can to take this first round playoff game on the road. The Extreme-Wild winner will travel to Omaha the following Saturday. Let's make U.S. Cellular Coliseum loud this weekend and enjoy what should be a good rematch with a rested Extreme. --G.H. (7/11)
PLAYOFF LAYOFF: It doesn't feel like it, especially since the last game for the Extreme was on June 20, but there's still football to be played. Coach Kenton Carr has been resting his players, trusting them to stay in shape during a month-long break. There will be rust when the Extreme get back at it, but I believe the time off will do more good than harm. I expect some timing issues on offense, but I also expect a mental and physical freshness that will pay dividends. The time to heal injuries can't be overlooked, either. --G.H. (7/6)
Gentlemen, start your defibrillators! It was another bizarre game for the Extreme in a string of strange ones, and like the past two, it came out in favor of the good guys. Prior to the onside kick safety (which I've never even contemplated before, much less seen!), 53 yard Petey field goal and tying 2-pt. conversion stop against the Rage, there was the wacky ending to the Saginaw game (see Greg's post below), and the two-safety/three-turnover/two-Laroche-return fiesta against Wichita. I asked Kenton after the game if we could just have a nice, normal win once in a while. He said he couldn't promise anything. But what I'm seeing is an Extreme team that never gives up and somehow, finds a way to win--very reminiscent of Sioux Falls, as I've said before. They play extremely hard whistle to whistle, gun to gun--and that's what's been paying off for them. They haven't even really had their A game--partly due to a lot of personnel shuffling (which is turning out, as we've seen over four seasons, to be de rigeur), injuries, and quality opponents in Wichita and RiverCity. But, they're getting it done, and that's all that counts. And for the first time in their history, the Extreme have won four consecutive games, and won 9 games in a regular season. Next week should be interesting again, taking on a team we've never seen before: the excellently-named Maryland Maniacs (I have visions of them stepping off their team bus wearing goalie masks and carrying various motorized cutting implements). We might see some new faces this week, to try to rest some guys and get some other guys some playing time. We'll also have to see how Dusty Burk's shoulder is. I didn't see the play on which he got hurt, but he WAS able to throw during halftime warmups (albeit gingerly) before the decision was made to give the second half to Ronnie Simpson. Even if he's unable to go this week, the Extreme have three weeks off before the playoffs, and possibly a first round bye, so D should have plenty of time to heal. By the way, speaking of that safety on the onside kick against RiverCity, that was a dilly of a pickle, rules-wise. I thought it might get ruled a touchback for RiverCity, in much the same way it would be if a defense intercepted a pass or dove on a fumble in its own end zone, being that the Extreme touched the ball and it became live. However, there is no such thing as a loose ball in football, like there is in basketball. So, when the kick occurred, RiverCity was actually still in possession of the ball, and the Extreme never gained possession. So when the Rage fell on it in their own end zone, they were the original possessors of the ball; hence, the safety. I just felt conceptually that a team shouldn't be penalized (i.e., the safety) for diving on a "loose ball" that the other team caused to become live. Anyway, we hope we get a BIG CROWD out for the Maryland game. It'll be your last chance to see the Extreme until the playoffs in a month. The crowds have been disappointing: less than 3600 the last two home games. This is an exciting team, and they're going for their 10th win on the season, so come on out and cheer on your hometown football team! P.S.: I said it on the air, and I'll repeat it here: it was not very classy for some fans to boo Christofilakos during his run of missing 6 consecutive field goals against the Rage. Pete busts his butt for the team, has played through injuries, has been an outstanding teammate and citizen for all four years he's been here. He's been the best kicker in the league for most of that time, too. He could miss a hundred kicks in a row as far as I'm concerned, and I would never say anything more harsh than, "Boy, he needs to do better." Do some athletes deserve getting booed? You betcha. But Pete's not one of 'em--and, in fact, I don't think there have been more than one or two on the Extreme in four years. That's the kind of organization that Ed Brady, Kenton Carr, Ted Schmitz, Jerry McBurney, Bart Rogers, and Beau Bradle have run--class all the way. -- CF
WELL, THAT WAS INTERESTING: An undermanned Extreme somehow survived turnovers, a late field goal, a rare rouge, and still won at Saginaw in one of the strangest, wildest games of any level that I've seen. The Extreme have not been able to put a regular lineup on the field for a few weeks now, but still picked up a weird win. The Extreme thought that with a tie game and only six seconds left, their failure to return a kickoff out of the end zone was fatal because time ran out as they gave up the one-point rouge. However, the referee was absolutely correct--the clock does not start until the kick returner crosses the goal line into the field of play. (That's not just an indoor football rule, by the way.) That gave the Extreme an extra play to set up the 54-yard field goal by Peter Christofilakos as time actually expired to pull that one out of the fire. It would have been nice to credit the official for being correct, but that information--as well as any game statistics--were not provided by the game day personnel in Saginaw.
On another note, it is time for the Indoor Football League to decide that it wants to be a professional entity. Teams run the games pretty much the way they want, and that means operations that should be standard are different in every city. In every other professional league as well the college scene, game day procedures are standardized, because organizers understand the necessity. Clocks count down to kickoff so that fans, workers and players know how close we are to starting. The same type of materials and items are available to fans and media in every venue. Game day workers, both promotional and those involved in an official capacity such as stats and chain crews are actually trained (!). Until the IFL brass recognizes that the actual GAME has to be operated in a standard fashion, it will not matter what is done off the field. Even many park districts do a better job on the sandlot level than many of the venues in this league, and it is baffling why the IFL allows the actual game to be handled in such a haphazard way. My message to the IFL--if you want to call yourself a premier professional league, start acting like it on the most important day, gameday. --GH
The Bloomington Extreme have FINALLY gotten a full week between games, following the short weeks preceding the RiverCity and Muskegon games after the Alaska trip. And following this week's game at Saginaw, the team will get a well-needed and well-deserved bye week. A few guys are banged up, and everybody's flat out tired following two games in Alaska, only four days off before another road game in St. Louis, then only six days before last week's win against Muskegon. But the Extreme expect to be fully stocked to make a run at the top spot in the United Conference's Central Division. Following the bye week, Bloomington has three straight games at home, so if they're going to catch Omaha, they'll need a good start at Saginaw and some good rest. Omaha's schedule sets up good for them, though, too, so the Extreme will need some help to finish the season in first place. The Extreme will also use the bye week to sort out the quarterback situation. This season's leading passer and former Lexington High School standout Mitch Tanney (106.83 rating on 62.6%, 1381 yds and 32TD in 9 games) has apparently left the team for unspecified reasons. Tanney sat out last week's game against Muskegon after taking a hard hit to his throwing shoulder the previous week against RiverCity. Ronnie Simpson will start again this week, but will have no backup as Dusty Burk, who came out of retirement to join the team last week, is unavailable to make the trip due to his coaching commitment with the U-High track team. Join us on The Oldies Channel 93.7FM Friday night at 5:45 (remember--Saginaw is one hour ahead of us!) for the pregame show, followed by a 6:05pm kick. Make sure you tune in as the Extreme start the stretch run! -- Fata
THIS JUST IN: A familiar face was at Extreme practice Wednesday night. Dusty Burk, the franchise's career leader in nearly every passing category, was in uniform and preparing to return to the team. With Mitch Tanney taking a big hit to his throwing shoulder toward the end of the RiverCity game on Saturday, Kenton Carr contacted Burk to see if he'd be available. Burk is expected to be on the active roster this week, serving as a backup to Ronnie Simpson, who is expected to start in Tanney's place. Carr says Burk will get some game action against the Muskegon Thunder on Friday. Burk says he feels great, and says the team's remaining schedule will allow for him to work around his U-High track schedule--and spend lots of time with his 3-week old baby daughter.
I'm not big on excuses. But I think it's obvious the Extreme were still suffering from the trip to Alaska during last week's loss to RiverCity. The team traveled more than 7,000 miles across four time zones during its three-game road trip. And by the time the ball went in the air in suburban St. Louis just four days after a 15-hour journey home, the guys were gassed. I'm sure no one wearing team colors would admit it during or after the game--that's how it's supposed to be--but, clearly, the trip and subsequent short week took its toll. Guys didn't quite have their legs entirely under them, on offense in particular. The defense was mostly very sharp, giving up only 31 points, but that unit had 5 fresh bodies that didn't make the trip. On offense, however, all eight players that started were on that flight home from Anchorage. Offense is all about timing, even moreso in the indoor game. And when you don't have your legs under you, your timing is off, it's as simple as that. The routes weren't as quick or as crisp, throws weren't as accurate, and those bursts into runs just weren't there. As a result, you get an offensive performance like Saturday's. By the way, I can't imagine how baseball players do it for six months, criss-crossing the country, living out of suitcases two weeks at a time, waking up in the middle of the night not sure what city or time zone you're in, getting on airplanes in the middle of the night. It was a lot harder than I imagined, and I'm only a broadcaster. I couldn't fathom being a player, either baseball or football, basketball or hockey, and doing that consistently. At any rate, the Extreme have the chance to get healthy this weekend, even though it's another short week. Friday night, the Muskegon Thunder come to USCC, and that's a team the Extreme handled on the road pretty handily. I know everyone was embarrassed by Saturday's offensive performance. I'd look to a much sharper unit at home this weekend. Hope to see everyone out there! -- Fata
Anchorage Aweigh! The Bloomington Extreme have been in Alaska for about three days now, and tomorrow morning, well, later this morning, we're leaving for Anchorage. It's only 360 miles away, but we're flying--and if you've ever been in this area, you know why. Ted Schmitz and I drove about a third of that way today, visiting Denali National Park, and let me tell you, that 360 miles is NOT something you'd want to travel in a coach bus with lots of gear and beefy guys. Ted and I got to see Mt. McKinley from where we were in the park, which is apparently a rare treat, because the top of The Great One (no, not Wayne Gretzky) is almost always obscured by clouds. And then, on the way back to Fairbanks where we've been headquartered thus far, Eagle Eye Schmitz saw a lone moose about 250 yards off the highway, so we pulled over and I took a few pictures. We couldn't believe how big it was--that thing looked like a Clydesdale! It had a white stripe down its face and white socks--it was MASSIVE. I guess that's why they call it a moose. (Wow, I just channeled Weird Al covering an Elton John tune). The most interesting thing about Fairbanks, besides the fact that it's almost one in the morning and it just got completely dark, is that none of the locals seem to know where anything in Fairbanks is. Everybody who's been able to give us directions was either born in Anchorage or in the Lower 48. As far as football goes, it was a disappointing loss the other night. The Extreme were without five starters on defense, and one offensive starter got hurt on the first series and was out for the night. And yet, the team battled a game Grizzlies team as well as some really curious officiating to have a chance to win on the last play of the game. At dinner Monday night, Coach Kenton Carr was still upset about the game, and today during the 6 1/2 hours I spent with Ted Schmitz, he got wound up several times talking about the game. So, suffice it to say, football-wise, the team is NOT in a very good mood. In sports, if you can come away from a road trip with a .500 record, you're generally pretty happy. The Extreme have that chance next Monday--and could have swept the 49th state had a couple things gone their way. But if I were the Alaska Wild, I'd be prepared to face a hungry, angry team next week. More from Anchorage in a couple days! -- Fata
North to Alaska--the rush is on! We're just a couple hours away from boarding a bus for O'Hare International Airport for the first leg of our journey to the 49th state. The one person in the world I don't envy right now is Kenton Carr. I had a hard enough time packing all of my stuff (including radio gear that I know the TSA is going to take about an hour to go through), plus doing prep work for the first game. I haven't been to bed before 1:30am this week. I can't imagine what Kenton's been going through. Not only does he have to pack his personal stuff, he's got to watch film, devise the game plan, consult with his coaches, manage a roster that's been beset by injuries and turnover, AND play travel agent for 24 other people. He might be one of those guys the wireless companies send a $25,000 bill despite the fact he has unlimited minutes. In case you hadn't heard, I'll be flying solo (figuratively, not literally, as we'll be on a commercial Alaska Airlines flight) on the broadcasts in Alaska. Brother Halbleib is staying back to do a little thing the night of the Fairbanks game--he's getting inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame! And let me tell you, that's no small honor. I can guarantee there's no one in the broadcast biz, either in radio or TV, who's more professional, more prepared, more technically proficient and genuinely swell than Greg. He can call any sport from volleyball to hockey, knows the rules of those sports often better than the officials, and is familiar with every sports team, venue and broadcaster in the Western Hemisphere. You can have the multi-sport superstar broadcasters like Bob Costas and Marv Albert and Al Michaels--I'll take GH anytime--even when he quotes John Denver in his blog titles! More from Alaska in a couple days! -- Fata
FRIENDS AROUND THE CAMPFIRE, AND BOY, THAT KICKOFF'S HIGH: The Rocky Mountains were kind to the Extreme--for about 20 minutes. The remaining 40 minutes, well, can stay elevated at 5,000 feet. The first drive notwithstanding, the Extreme sputtered all night on offense against the Colorado Ice. Special teams were no bargain, either. Does it seem to anyone else like special teams has an even bigger impact on the indoor game? That's been a regular problem for the Extreme for their entire existence. The team only gained some traction last year when they treated special teams, well, special. Still, the Extreme ran into a team that had dropped two last-minute decisions and simply was not going to be denied in their own building. Statistics were largely even, except one glaring line--the red zone, where Colorado was 3-for-3 and the Extreme was 3-for-6. You gotta finish what you start. The loss of kick returner-defensive back Laroche Jackson to an arm injury will hurt, but there's plenty of talent to overcome it. Don't think the Saginaw Sting will simply be a speed bump for the Extreme this Saturday in downtown Bloomington--they're learning how to compete in this league, much like the Extreme did in year one, and this looks like it'll be a good game. Plus, you won't be able to see the team until May 15 (unless you drive to the River City Rage game on May 8). Brother Fata will keep you posted at this spot as he follows the team for its next two games in Alaska. We will broadcast the games from the 49th state, as well as this Saturday's game at U.S. Cellular Coliseum, on 93.7 the Oldies Channel. --Greg Halbleib
The Extreme are off to their best start in franchise history, with a 3-1 record--which could (should!) have been 4-0, were it not for the 50-47 loss to 4-time UIF Champion Sioux Falls in week 1. Last night's game was rough at times. The first half was particularly ugly for the offense, but they made the adjustments they needed and got the ball moving to finally open things up in the second half. But last night was another showcase for the defense. Jeff Candler, Quince Holman, Eugene Phillips and, most notably, Antonio Ficklin spent the bulk of the game in the Sioux City backfield. Ficklin was throwing around the 290-pound center in front of him like he was a high school freshman, darn near beating the quarterback to the spot in the backfield where he was trying to hand off the ball to the running back on a couple occasions. Oh, the DB's did okay too. Laroche Jackson had two touchdown-saving interceptions in the end zone, and James Temple returned one 42 yards to the house. However, the key play in my mind was a short kickoff which was caught by Soso Brooks at the Extreme 5 yard line. He got deep into Bandit territory, which was of particular help, but what he did to kicker Andrew Kroell when Kroell tried to tackle him was downright criminal. Soso put his forearm into Kroell's chest when Kroell tried to tackle Soso up high. I've seen grown men (not kickers!) bounce off Soso like a grasshopper bouncing off the windshield of an Amtrak train, so why Kroell went high is beyond me. But Soso put his forearm into Kroell's chest and sent him literally cartwheeling about 10 feet sideways. That really amped up the guys on the field and on the bench, and from there, the Extreme were off and running. Sometimes, you can't predict when you're going to be out of sync, like the offense was in the first half, but, for some reason, a big hit or big play (and Soso's was both) can just as inexplicably make things instantly right. One more note about the Extreme defense, and I mentioned this in the last segment of the postgame, if you didn't stick around to listen that long: the Extreme defense allowed a grand total of 3 passing yards and 37 total yards in the second half. Woof. Next up for the Extreme is Colorado on the road, and that should provide a stiff test, as the Extreme got thumped at home by the Ice last year. CF
It's hard to tell exactly how good the Extreme have been this season--certainly they've looked awfully impressive, particularly on defense. However, with the exception of Sioux Falls, the teams the Extreme have played will not likely be counted among the Indoor Football League's elite at the end of the season. The Extreme have an exhibition win against Saginaw and a lopsided road triumpgh against Muskegon--both of those franchises are former Continental Indoor Football League teams, and they appear to be having trouble with the transition into the new league. The talent level in the CIFL wasn't quite what the old UIF or IFL were, and certainly not that of the AFL or AF2, where much of the IFL talent has come from this year. Plus, the CIFL played a different style of football, which meant they had to recruit differently. As a result, neither Saginaw nor Muskegon are faring particularly well thus far. Factor in a win two weeks ago over Sioux City, which finished 4-11 last year in the UIF and lost its fine starting quarterback, and they appear to be having a rough early go of it as well. So it might be hard to tell just how good the Extreme are. But, to the positive, the Extreme played a close game against the 4-time defending UIF champion Sioux Falls Storm--and should have won that game. Plus, the defense looks every bit as advertised. They lead the league in interceptions after not having any through most of last season. They have former NFL talent in Peter Warrick, Etric Pruitt and Tristin Burge, plus a number of guys who saw significant NFL camp time, and several former starters in the Arena Football League. (Although, DL Rob Schroeder left the team this week) Factor in experienced, successful QB Mitch Tanney and several returning UIF All-Stars (Luke Wickman, Terrill Mayberry--when he comes off suspension, Peter Christofilakos--the best kicker in UIF, and a beefed up Quince Holman--who returns this week), and the Extreme certainly have as much talent as anyone in the league. The Extreme play Sioux City again tonight, then go on the road for 3 of the next 4 games on an epic road journey that includes Ft. Collins, CO, and Fairbanks/Anchorage, Alaska. The next few weeks should tell how good the team really is--The Colorado Ice are good, and the travel to Alaska will make things tough. So we'll have to wait a few weeks before filming any kind of United Bowl Shuffle, but things are still looking pretty promising! Hope to see you all out at the game against Sioux City tonight--if you can't make it, be sure to catch us at 6:45 CDT on wjbc.com or on 93.7 The Oldies Channel, WTRX-FM. CF
Both Kenton Carr and Ted Schmitz told me before the game against Sioux City that Thursday night, 48 hours before kickoff, the light came on for QB Mitch Tanney. Not that it wasn't on before--he's a natural leader, an experienced football player who's had a lot of success. But he was still adjusting to the IFL brand of indoor football, with an additional receiver in motion and a fourth defensive back staring him down on every play. He had to figure out how that fourth DB, often in zone coverage, was going to defend the passing game on the smaller field. In the AFL/AF2 leagues where Mitch played before, the coverage was almost exclusively man-to-man and there were only 3 DBs. So Thursday night at practice, it clicked for him. Carr said Tanney was making authoritative throws into the zone windows. Experienced receivers, like the ones the Extreme have, are incredibly adept at finding "holes" in zone coverage, where they can be open for often just an instant before the safety picks up the coverage from the corner. Trouble is, for the quarterback, you have to anticipate where that receiver is going to find the hole in the zone, and then throw it into a "window"--an imaginary MOVING, shrinking box in the air that's far enough to lead the receiver but above the reach of the underneath defenders. And if you haven't worked with those receivers before, it's hard to anticipate where that window is going to be. But finally, after three or so weeks of practice, and two games against live fire, Tanney was able to start to figure out how Peter Warrick, Robert Redd and Derin Graham were going to get open. Sometimes, it doesn't translate into game action. Saturday it did, with great results. One particular play typified Tanney's arrival: Derin Graham beat his man down the left boards and the safety was coming in over the top to help. Tanney had to let a long pass rip into a window that would require the ball to land in an area about half a square foot; roughly the size of Derin Graham's palms. That's called dropping it into a bucket. The ball dropped beautifully out of the air, a nice tight spiral, into the waiting outstretched fingertips of DG, over his left shoulder, away from the coverage, in stride, for a long gain. I knew right then Tanney was going to have a big night and that Coaches Carr and Schmitz were right. It looks like the offense might be catching up with the fantastic defense. Stay tuned. CF
It's been a little less than 24 hours since the end of the Extreme's season-opening loss to the Sioux Falls Storm, and let me tell you, I'm still a little sick about how it ended. Who knows what Sioux Falls would have done had the Extreme not given them 15 yards on a completely brainless unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Storm's last possession. The field would have been much longer, and the defense was doing a great job getting to Bryant and defending the intermediate and long pass. That's not to say SF wouldn't have found a way into the end zone, but their chances would have greatly diminished. Situational awareness--one guy didn't have any on one play, and it might have cost the Extreme their first win against Sioux Falls. I also feel terrible for Peter Christofilakos. He's been the best kicker in the old UIF hands down for three years. And he booted some clutch kicks last season--more on that in a bit. Pete's a great guy and has the respect of every man in that locker room--that's what makes it worse. It's not like he's some "idiot kicker", like Peyton Manning called Mike Vanderjagt a few years back. I don't know what happened on the 27-yard game-tying attempt. The snap was perfect and the hold looked good. Sometimes you just don't get good wood on it, like when you make a good golf swing and catch it a little thin, or foul tip a fastball straight back. It just happens. But I know it wasn't the pressure. Pete's as cool as they come. He'll rebound. The best always do. Kickers and cornerbacks have to have extremely short memories. Let's hope Pete's memory is short, but that cornerback Terrill Mayberry's is long, so that in the future he applies the lesson he learned on situational awareness Saturday night. Next up for the Extreme is Sioux City, another former UIF team. It'll be the first road trip for the team this season against a team that gave the Extreme defense fits last year. These two teams played a couple of barnburners last year, with the Extreme winning both by the scores of 53-49 and 76-73. That's right--76-73. And if you don't remember how that one ended, I'll refresh your memory: a 28-yard field goal by Peter Christofilakos (who collapsed after the kick because he had to fight through a pulled groin on his kicking leg) as time expired. Halblieb is back next week, I promise! I'm glad, too...this play-by-play thing is too much work! PS: we're back on The Oldies Channel 93.7 FM next week--6:45 pregame, 7:00 kick! CF
Well, anyone who was around for last year's exhibition that was scheduled against Rock River was no doubt having a feeling of deja vu when they found out that Saginaw's bus was having problems and the kickoff was going to be delayed. Rock River never showed last year, but there was little doubt Saginaw was coming--their owner was at the Coliseum at least 2 1/2 hours before game time. You have to feel for Saginaw--it's not easy to get off the bus, put on your equipment, stretch a little and then put the ball on the tee. I know as a player, I had a very specific routine that I followed that allowed me to be comfortable and mentally prepared for a game. And if that routine ever got disrupted, even a little, I just felt out of sync. I can't imagine what it would be like having to get off the bus, dress, and play--not to mention the stress level from having to wait a couple hours while your bus was getting fixed! But, that being said, I'm not sure how much difference it would have made in the game. The Extreme defense was terrifying. Rob Schroeder and Antonio Ficklin were completely unblockable, and Eric Johnson, Jeff Candler and Eugene Philips all looked good. EJ looked like he did in 2007--I was glad to see that--he's a great guy. Ted Schmitz and Kenton Carr are going to have some difficult decisions this week. The defensive backs were outstanding too. I'm not entirely who was who in the second half due to some jersey switching and names in the stat book that weren't on the roster, but the DB's all looked very good, Ryan Bowers, Laroche Jackson and James Temple in particular. And BHS/Illinois product Justin Harrison made me come out of my seat a couple times with crushing hits. Speaking of crushing, Soso Brooks absolutely trucked a couple guys in the first half. Just blew them up. He's got better acceleration this year since he dropped a few pounds, and a couple of poor Sting defenders found themselves looking up at Soso's undercarriage as he turned them into speed bumps. And I'll be curious to see how the QBs look with more playing time. Mitch Tanney looked comfortable while he was in there, but none of the quarterbacks seemed to get in a rhythm, playing only 3 series. This week will be a great way to start off the regular season--a return engagement with the 4-time defending Sioux Falls Storm, which beat the Extreme in United Bowl IV in July. Hope to see everyone at the Coliseum--and if not, be sure to tune in on the radio or internet! CF
Hello Extreme fans! Game one is just a couple days away, an exhibition tune-up against last year's CIFL Champion Saginaw Sting. I've been out to practice a couple times already during training camp, and let me tell you, the team looks pretty good so far--they've been practicing twice a day since Sunday. There is a LOT of talent on this roster. The defense, which struggled at times for a lot of the 2008 season before coming together for the playoff run to the title game, looks fearsome already. A couple of the new defensive linemen will surely cause Tylenol sales to spike in opposing QBs' hometowns! There is a noticeable improvement in team speed, too, at a couple positions. And I was really impressed with how everybody came into camp in shape. Soso Brooks looks great at RB--he's trimmed down a little bit from last year, so he's got a little more agility to go along with his bruising running style. Quince Holman has added about 10-15 pounds of solid muscle, Luke Wickman looks fit, and other returnees like Terrill Mayberry, Terrence Cheatham, James Temple and Anthony Rubican all look ready to go. But it's going to be a challenge learning the names and faces of some of the new guys because there's been so much turnover from last year, with all new QBs and receivers, and an influx of players from the defunct Arena Football League. Speaking of calling names, this week's game is going to be on the internet at wjbc.com and it's going to be a solo affair for me, as Greg will be on the road with the Prairie Thunder. I hope that won't deter anyone from listening! But if it does, come out to the game instead--this year's Extreme is going to be FUN to watch! CF