Page 70 - Fl Stats News Today

The Grand Rapids Rampage had the chance to win a game against a Tampa Bay Storm team that wasnt impressive on offense Friday night.

Currently, with a 7-0 record, a Point Differential of 147, and a decisive victory over every single one of their opponents so far despite an inevitable plague of injuries, the 2015 San Jose SaberCats appear to be in a similar state to their 2002 incarnation: unstoppable with complete control over the National Conference.

There have been no two teams better than the Philadelphia Soul and Arizona Rattlers over the last six years. Statistically speaking, the Rattlers are 86-20 and the Soul are 70-36, the top two records of the eight teams in the AFL. The two best quarterbacks in the league? Nick Davila (Rattlers QB,) and Dan Raudabaugh (Soul QB.) This is the best of the best in the AFL, with seemingly a top five player at every position.

2014 read like a fairy tale for the Cleveland Gladiators. A previously moribund franchise went on the run of a lifetime, finishing 17-1 and hosting the ArenaBowl in front of a near-sellout crowd.

The Arena Football League's playoff format is a joke this season. In the American Conference there will be anywhere from one to three teams with non-winning records making the four-team playoffs (and potentially the Southern Division champion). While in the National Conference, there will be potentially six teams with at least ten wins and two of those won't be in the postseason.

The coaching in this league was just pitiful this past week. I was fortunate enough to watch Kevin Guy give Tampa Bay a win that Tim Marcum handed back, watch Kevin Porter screw up any chance to beat Chicago only to have Mike Hohensee try to give it back, and saw the San Jose SaberCats blow a four possession lead at home.

Through its history, Friday night has always been the night of big time action in the Arena Football League. Yesterday was no exception, as all sorts of news came flying fast and furiously in Orlando, where the Orlando Predators were beaten by the Jacksonville Sharks 55-37 to kick off Week 12 of the season.

My guest for this week's game is an avid Cornhuskers' fan, a person who fondly remembers the Tommie Frazier/Scott Frost/Eric Crouch halcyon days for Nebraska. Having never been to an arena game before he knew to expect scoring, but 94 points in the first half shocked his Midwestern sensibilities.

In the first of two games that will determine first place in the league, the Albany Empire struck the first blow on Saturday night, defeating the Baltimore Brigade, 61-53, in front of 8,057 at the Times Union Center.

In case you missed it, yet another league which made big promises to potential players never played a single down. And in case you missed it, today is the start of the 29th season of the Arena Football League.