Arena football: New team provides alternative style of play from NFL

With the NFL lockout now in full effect, the city of Pittsburgh needs a new team for its… With the NFL lockout now in full effect, the city of Pittsburgh needs a new team for its football fix. Almost on cue, the Pittsburgh Power has come to town hoping to appease football fan’s appetites.

Ad campaigns featuring the slogan “Half the Field, Twice the Excitement” have not failed to excite fans of the new Arena Football League franchise. The Power play at the recently erected Consol Energy Center, which also serves as the home address of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The team features players who did not manage to realize their NFL dreams out of college and have turned to the AFL to continue their hopes of a football career.

The first game of the season against the Philadelphia Soul earlier this month began with much fanfare before the team lost in overtime. The public address announcer, Bubba Snider, provided entertaining and boisterous commentary before and during the game’s festivities.

Before the game, majority co-owner of the team, Lynn Swann walked onto the field and expressed his gratitude to Pittsburgh fans for their support of this new team. Swann then touched on his excitement for this new era in Pittsburgh Arena Football and thanked those in attendance once again.

“Support is the foundation of a long-term successful franchise,” Swann said after the game. “We are grateful for the support and look forward to more great football in front of our great fans.”

The Power roster is comprised of former NFL players who dropped out of the league, like former Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings kicker Paul Edinger,  as well as accomplished college players looking to rebuild their careers. The team is also highlighted by a few Pittsburgh natives.

Cornerback Josh Lay is from Aliquippa High School and starred at Pitt from 2002-05, and backup quarterback Kevin McCabe went to Pine-Richland High School before playing at California University of Pennsylvania.

Local products Mike Washington (Aliquippa), Josh Rue (Gateway) and Gary Butler (California, Pa.) also started the season on the team’s active roster.

As the game began, Bubba Snider described the rules of AFL games and continued to do so throughout the contest. This was especially important, as most in attendance were absolutely clueless as to what was going on.

Rules in the AFL are markedly different than those of the NFL. Games are played on a 50-yard field of artificial turf, with field goals that are taller and more slender than the neon posts in the NFL. Attached to the goal posts are two large squares of net, which allow kickoffs as well as missed field goals to be played as they bounce off the net, adding another element of excitement to the game.

The boundaries of the field are marked by the walls encircling it. If a player who has the football is pushed into the wall, the play is dead and the teams line up for the next play. Also, the ball can be played off the wall, meaning that if it bounces off the wall, it can be caught and kept in play.

“They provide a great alternative to football enthusiasts who enjoy a wide-open passing attack and displays of speed and skill,” Pitt freshman Pat McAteer said.

The ball is not dead until it hits the ground, but even when this happens, the clock continues to run. The walls also can be an exciting element of the game, a factor showcased in multiple instances during the first game..

Power receiver Washington (dubbed the “Human Joystick” by Snider for his speed and agility) caught the ball on a quick out pattern and was then thrown over the wall by a member of the Soul. The play resulted in an unnecessary roughness penalty and put the Power in better position to score, which they did on the next play by means of a touchdown pass from quarterback Bernard Morris to Jason “Whatchu Talkin’ About” Willis (another one of Snider’s nicknames).

The game clock also runs in a separate manner than that of an NFL game. The clock does not stop during gameplay unless there is a timeout. In the final minutes of each half, it only stops on a dead ball or when the ball goes out of bounds. The length of the game is the same as in the NFL, with four 15-minute quarters.

But the consistently running clock makes the game proceed much faster and smoother and also provides for more action.

Willis and Morris also connected earlier in the game, on a 37-yard touchdown pass on just the second play of the game. The play set the crowd into a frenzy, as almost the entirety of the 13,904 in attendance were lifted out of their seats by the enthralling play. The game later went into overtime after ex-Chicago Bears kicker Edinger nailed a field goal from midfield to tie the game at 52.

Even so, the game ended in heartbreak as Morris threw an interception in overtime and the pick was returned for a touchdown to give the Soul a 58-52 victory.

“In terms of live sports, that game was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen,” Pitt freshman Matthew Gretz said after the game.

To that end, the Power accomplished its goal and satisfied at least one fan. The entertainment factor of the AFL is based on excitement, fast-paced play and big plays on both offense and defense.

That is what the AFL is all about.

The Power played most recently on Saturday against the Iowa Barnstormers, earning the first victory in franchise history by a 30-point blowout, 58-28, in front of a crowd of 9,190 to even their record at 1-1. Fortunately for this city, the Power gave us all a little sunshine in an otherwise very dark weekend for local sports.

The next home game comes on Saturday, April 2, when the Power will take on the Tulsa Talons after going on the road for their upcoming game in Milwaukee against the Mustangs on Monday.