Page 2 - Carson Coffman News Today

Two years ago, Ron James came to a podium in an upper conference room at the Maverick Center and made some spectacular comments on the future of the team. Having just taken a two year contract extension after taking over as the Utah Blaze Head Coach, James illustrated his vision of the team and the type of players it would take to reach that goal.

The 2013 Chicago Rush have been through things this season that no team should be stuck going through. They have had three different owners, one of which was essentially run out of the league, one of which is a convicted felon, and one of which is now the league itself. They lost the man that was slated to be their starting quarterback before the season started. They played a two home games with absolutely zero amenities. Now, they are stuck essentially playing a full slate of road games.

As short as six weeks ago, it was uncertain whether the Chicago Rush would even field a team in the Arena Football League in 2013.

For the Spokane Shock, 2014 will be remembered as an injury-riddled season. Key contributors from every phase of the game missed time nursing a variety of injuries in an 11-7 campaign.

A quarterback at any level of football is meant to be the leader of your team. Now though the first half of the 2013 season, the Chicago Rush have had three different starting quarterbacks.

In a dominating fashion, the Iowa Barnstormers traveled to Chicago on Saturday in a battle of new jerseys and past rivalry. It was Iowa's first win in five meetings with the Rush. Staying ahead of the Rush the entire game, the Barnstormers defeated Chicago, 63-41, in their first 2013 AFL Season game.

After a whirlwind final weekend of the AFL season, the playoff matchups have been set. The Spokane Shock, who were still gunning for the #1 seed, settled for the #3 seed and a home playoff game against the Chicago Rush. Their only matchup of 2013 was in late March, during Week 2. Spokane went into Chicago on Easter Sunday and dominated the Rush 76-61.

Most of the attention this offseason for the Chicago Rush, and deservedly so, has gone toward their ownership debacle. Going from getting a new owner with only months to go prior to the season, the owner getting terminated from the league due to not securing sponsorships or a lease with the Allstate Arena, being taken back over by the league, and then getting another new owner with just five weeks to go before the 2013 season definitely warrants the attention of both the fans and the rest of the...

HONOLULU - It's been a project over a year in the making, but 38 players from the Arena Football League and from Hawaii are set to put toe to leather at Blaisdell Arena, where the East and West will duke it out with one another at 4:00 p.m. HST.

Richmond, Va ? Kyle Busch celebrated his 24th birthday with a trip to Victory Lane, winning Saturday night at Richmond Internat