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GLENDALE, AZ - I was wrong. I was absolutely dead wrong, and I didn't think the Philadelphia Soul had the horses to run with the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXIX. I didn't think they had the mental toughness to overcome when things went wrong in the raucous Snake Pit. And I was wrong.
For the first time in Arena Football League history, a team which has qualified for the postseason won't get the opportunity to play in it. The Las Vegas Outlaws were officially shut down by the AFL on Sunday, creating a massive storm in the National Conference playoff picture. Las Vegas, who rightfully qualified for the second season by finishing 5-12-1, will now cede its position to the Portland Thunder, who finished at 5-13.
It's pretty good company when you can put yourself on an exclusive list that is currently only occupied by the 1995 Tampa Bay Storm. The 2013 Arizona Rattlers have a chance to join the list of squads that finished a three-game sweep against teams with a win in the ArenaBowl when they take on the Philadelphia Soul on Saturday afternoon in Orlando at ArenaBowl XXVI.
STOCKTON - All season long, the Jacksonville Sharks were either really, really good or really, really bad. On this night, they were both. They had the worst individual quarter in ArenaBowl history out of the locker room, taking a 33-27 halftime lead and turning it into a 68-47 defeat.
As has become an annual tradition at ArenaFan, our staff has made its selections for who we all think will win ArenaBowl XXIX between the Arizona Rattlers and the Philadelphia Soul.