Page 51 - Fl Stats News Today

Welcome to the ArenaBowl before the ArenaBowl. Sure, it isn't a foregone conclusion at this point that the Predators and Rattlers will meet each other in the title game this year, but at least if the first five weeks are any indication, there's a good chance that's how this is going to play out. That's why, in a year where the regular season means virtually bupkis, this game is the most meaningful of them all, as the winner will have a tremendous inside track to the No. 1 ove...

Over a month ago, the KISS were the doormat of the Arena Football League. They were a team at the time that was confused, dejected, and at times embarrassed to step on the field, only to be blown out each game.

It is not often that I decide to rant to the masses, but I have seen enough this season with bad calls, especially late in games, that are aiding in the outcome of games. With the competition committee looking to improve the game each year, it is time that they do the one thing that will improve this game more than anything else, give us some form of instant replay!

I'm literally just minutes away from walking out of my house to drive over to Tampa Bay for our flight to Phoenix for ArenaBowl XXIV, and this stunning thought hit me: This really could be a damn good ArenaBowl! In a season with all sorts of duds for games and teams that were wildly inconsistent, we, the Arena Football fans, got exactly what we wanted in this game.

The hallowed doors of the Arena Football League Hall of Fame have opened their doors once again for the 2014 class. Four new members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Andre Bowden, Damian Harrell, Kyle Moore-Brown, and Omarr Smith are the four newest members of AFL immortality.

When you are the two-time defending Arena Bowl champions, you can expect to get every team's best shot each week. The Arizona Rattlers experienced just that in recent back-to-back victories over the San Jose SaberCats and Pittsburgh Power. Both times, the Rattlers dug deep and finished strong, remaining undefeated by making big plays at the biggest moments.

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.

The Georgia Force and Pittsburgh Power square off Saturday, July 14th at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in an Arena Football League contest with postseason implications. Georgia and Pittsburgh met in Week 8 at the Consul Energy Center in Pittsburgh, with the Force coming from 12-points down to earn a three-point win, 55-52.

Flashback to the last couple Tampa Bay Storm seasons. You won't find a contending team battling for postseason position as the regular season dwindles down.

The city of Philadelphia is once again an underdog in a football championship. The Philadelphia Soul are heading into ArenaBowl 32 as a ten-point underdog against the Albany Empire. The ArenaBowl will be played in the Times Union Center in Albany, the mecca of passionate AFL fan bases.