NBC2 SPORTS BLOG: High School Football District Realignment
The Florida High School Athletic Association has announced the new district alignments for prep football. The new changes will stick for the next two seasons (through the 2008 season). Click here to see the initial FHSAA release on all the changes statewide.
Here is a breakdown of the impact on the changes to four area teams, and the addition of one new team.
(SW FL teams in ALL CAPS, Changes in BOLD):
CLASS 5A
District 11: CHARLOTTE, PORT CHARLOTTE, NORTH PORT, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton Manatee, Venice
District 12: IDA BAKER, CAPE CORAL, FORT MYERS, MARINER, NORTH FORT MYERS
The first thing 5A-11’s shuffle does for North Port Is reduce their travel for district games. In 4A-15, they spent a lot of time on the bus traveling to face teams in Lee and Collier County. Now, the Bobcats will remain in the Charlotte/Sarasota county area. Ironically, moving up a class may improve the Bobcats chances of postseason participation. The Bobcats had trouble competing in 4A-15, but face a relatively easier task trying to make the playoffs in 5A-11. Aside from perennial powerhouse Manatee, the rest of 5A-11 seems to take turns alternating good and bad seasons. Charlotte, Venice and Lakewood Ranch have each made the playoffs in the last few years, but none is consistently dominant.
5A-12 is unchanged, leaving the three Cape Coral teams and two Fort Myers teams to continue duking it out.
CLASS 4A
District 15: BARRON COLLIER, CYPRESS LAKE, GULF COAST, LEHIGH, PALMETTO RIDGE, EAST LEE COUNTY
4A-15’s existing teams Barron Collier, Cypress Lake, Gulf Coast and Lehigh aren’t celebrating the addition of Palmetto Ridge. The Bears made the playoffs for the first time in school history this past season and appear to be laying the foundation for a strong program. The trade-off is that 4A-15 loses South Fort Myers. You could make a similar statement of the Wildcats who spoiled a few teams’ playoff plans this year. Barron Collier and Cypress Lake have been the perennial District Title contenders, but it’s been Lehigh winning each of the last two. However Lehigh could see a bit of a dropoff as their talent pool will be cut a bit by the new East Lee County team. If Palmetto Ridge continues to build momentum, Cypress Lake and Barron Collier maintain the high standard they’ve had for years, and Lehigh and East Lee can each play off momentum Lehigh has gained the past couple of years… 4A-15 could evolve into Southwest Florida’s most competitive district. 4A-15 teams likely won’t miss making the annual trip to North Port after the Bobcats were moved up to 5A. But trading North Port for Palmetto Ridge probably isn’t a trade 4A-15 teams would want to make if given the choice.
CLASS 3A
District 12: DESOTO, Avon Park, Wauchula Hardee, Sebring
District 13: DUNBAR, LABELLE, LEMON BAY, RIVERDALE, SOUTH FORT MYERS
District 14: GOLDEN GATE, IMMOKALEE, LELY, NAPLES, ESTERO
3A-12 was untouched. Hardee and DeSoto have the opportunity to maintain their traditional dominance as Avon Park and Sebring try to keep pace.
3A-13 adds South Fort Myers, who appear to be the biggest winners in this wave of district reshuffling. The Wildcats get out of a 4A-15 assignment that was packed with powerhouses, and move into a 3A-12 setting that hasn’t seen any team put together a run of dominance over the past few seasons. LaBelle and Riverdale have been the class of 3A-12 over the last two years, but neither has shown staying power. Dunbar is still trying to find some magic, and have been heralded as a sleeping giant since the school reopened several years back. South Fort Myers fantastic season in 2006, in just the school and programs second year of existence shows they are already set to be a force in area football. They may enter the 2007 season as the favorite in 3A-12. Estero has a State Championship appearance on their recent resume, but have struggled mightily the past couple seasons. Losing Estero and adding South Fort Myers is definitely not a positive for the existing 3A-13 teams.
Meanwhile, 3A-14 seems to get a fairly good deal as things stand right now. Palmetto Ridge appears to be a rising power, while Estero is on the downswing… so swapping Estero out and Palmetto Ridge in looks good to Golden Gate, Immokalee, Lely and Naples. Keep in mind, Immokalee sat out this past season due to their FHSAA-imposed sanctions for overage athletes. But the Indians will be back in contention for District, and State, Championships next season. That should return 3A-14 to it’s place as Southwest Florida’s most talented District.
CLASS 2A
District 5: BISHOP VEROT, Lake Placid, Mulberry, Tampa Catholic, Ruskin Lennard
District 6: Cardinal Newman, CLEWISTON, Riviera Beach Inlet Grove, Boca Raton John Paul II, Boca Raton St Andrews
Aside from the addition of Ruskin Lennard to 2A-5, neither Bishop Verot nor Clewiston in 2A-6 see change in their district set-up. Lennard doesn’t figure to threaten the balance in 2A-5 as they are an independent school moving to full FHSAA member status next season.
CLASS 1A
District 6: EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN, Belle Glade Glades Day, MOORE HAVEN, ST JOHN NEUMANN
Much like Class 2A, Southwest Florida’s 1A-6 teams were passed over by the wave of realignment. Glades Day will continue to be the team to beat with ECS and Neumann typically competing for the district’s second playoff bid.
CHRIS LONG is the Sports Director for NBC2. You can watch his sportscasts weekdays in our 5am, 6pm and 11pm newscasts. Please feel free to e-mail him with any comments at Chris.Long@NBC-2.com. He makes an effort to read and reply to every e-mail he receives.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
NBC2 SPORTS BLOG - HS Football Mid-Season Awards
With the high school football season approaching the halfway point in Southwest Florida, we thought it might be fun to see who the front-runners are for postseason MVP honors.
We’ve googled a list of the major college football trophies presented at the end of the season, and will use them as a guide for our midseason prep football honors.
The Gridiron 2Night crew debated all the happenings so far in the prep football season, and we're are pleased to present the Gridiron 2Night Midseason High School Football A
football's most prestigious award.
Our winner:
NOEL DEVINE, NFM 3rd in state rushing, 1st in yds per game. 2nd in scoring
Devine hasn’t disappointed so far this season, meeting every ounce of the hype he received this offseason. He continues to be the most electrifying presence in the region, a threat to score every time he touches the ball. His 15 TD’s are tops in the area, despite the fact he’s only played four games as opposed to the five most of the others near the top of the leaderboard have played. Devine averages 218 yards per game, and hasn’t been the primary option in the second halves of most games as North has been blowing teams out.
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Other nominees:
TYSON BUTLER, Cypress Lake 2nd in state in rushing
AARON HENRY, Immokalee
BRIAN ROLLE, Immokalee
JAMAL HUBERT, Clewiston
Our winner:
BRIAN ROLLE, Immokalee
It’s obvious Immokalee’s offense has been rolling along pretty well all season, however the defense has been nearly perfect. Everyone knew their game against Naples would be a doosie… but few expected either team to be shutout. Thanks to the Indians smothering defense that utilized perfect execution, the number next to ‘Naples’ on the scoreboard was indeed a zero. That shutout was one of three in Immokalee’s five games this season – and in the other two they have only allowed two offensive touchdowns… both to Barron Collier. Brian Rolle is the centerpiece of the defense, and is the most highly touted defensive college prospect in Southwest Florida.
Our winner:
JOEY WOODS, Golden Gate
No team in the area has utilized the passing game as well as Golden Gate this season, and Joey Woods is a big reason why. Woods’ composure in the pocket and super-accurate arm leave him head-and-shoulders above the rest of the signal callers in the region. At the high school level, it’s rare to see teams rely on the pass with the running game serving a supporting role. But the combination of Woods’ talent under center… as well as some terrific receivers (see below)… Golden Gate’s aerial attack is very hard for opponents to prepare for.
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Other nominees:
BUTCH MOORE, Verot – leads area in passing, 3rd in state
MATT KAUTZ, Charlotte
Our winner:
TYSON BUTLER, Cypress Lake
We hung the asterisk on Devine’s name below as he would also be the frontrunner for this honor, but we already awarded him another one earlier… so he’s dq’ed from this one. As clearly as Devine is the top runner in the area, Tyson Butler is just as clearly the second best. Butler actually has more yards than Devine this season, 904 to 874, but bear in mind Butler has played five games to Devine’s four. Nonetheless, Butler’s worth to his team is just as much… if not more… than Devine’s. The stats bear that out, Devine has accounted for 58 percent of North’s 1506 total rushing yards while Butler has run for 62.1 percent of Cypress Lake’s total of 1452. Butler may not have the open field speed or moves of Devine, but he’s far more reliable between the tackles. If you need an 80 yard touchdown (and who doesn’t), Devine may be your man. But if you need to convert a 3rd and 2 in the red zone with time running out… Butler would be the pick.
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Other nominees:
NOEL DEVINE*, NFM
GREG WILLIAMS, Barron Collier
ERECK PLANCHER, Lely
JAVON PUGH, Naples
JAMAL HUBERT, Clewiston
Our co-winners:
J.D. WOODS / JENIOR NAPOLEON, Golden Gate
We dubbed Golden Gate’s Joey Woods the QB du jour earlier in the article… now we recognize his supporting cast. Even the best QB needs reliable hands on his flanks, and Woods has it in Jenior Napoleon and J.D. Woods. Napoleon and Woods are 1st and 4th respectively on the area receiving charts with 412 and 293 yards. Woods has taken 6 of his 15 catches to the endzone while Napoleon has 4 TD’s in 12 catches. Teams that bring one solid defensive back to the table can usually handle an opponent with one major receiving threat. Few teams in the area can, or have, been able to handle the two-headed attack Woods and Napoleon provide.
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Other nominees:
AARON HENRY, Immokalee
GARRETT REDDEN – Bishop Verot
Our winners:
NORTH FT MYERS OFFENSIVE LINE
Akin to the Four Horsemen of the 1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - the Red Knights offensive line deserves to be recognized as a complete unit. It helps to have talented backs behind them, but the line has been a bulldozer, opening the holes for the Red Knight backs to rush for 376.5 rushing yards per game.
Our winner:
DAVID KITTINGER – SFM
Both Kittinger and O’Jibway have far and away the best legs in the region. While many prep football coaches see a kicking game as a necessary evil, South Fort Myers and North Fort Myers enjoy the luxury of reliable kickers to bail them out when drives stall. We give the nod for the award to Kittinger based on his area-leading six field goals, and near-perfect extra point record.
---
Other nominee:
NATHAN O’JIBWAY - NFM
Our winner:
BUTCH MOORE - Bishop Verot
Moore, who also pulls double duty as the Verot QB, has the best numbers among punters in our area. It’s tougher to quantify punters than most other positions… so we did this one based strictly on the numbers. Moore’s average is solid and he’s dropped five punts inside the 20.
Our winner:
SAM BAPTISTE – LELY
Baptiste is the only player in the area averaging an interception a game. That’s a terrific stat, but it’s even better when you realize opposing teams intentionally try to throw away from Baptiste because he’s such a threat. His three interceptions against Golden Gate were the major reason Lely overcame a halftime deficit to win the game.
Our winner:
SEAN CULLEN – Barron Collier
In a season where standout tight ends have been sparse, Cullen has separated himself from the pack. The tight end is a quarterback’s best friend, and now that Barron Collier’s original starting QB Matt Clements has left the team… Cullen may gain more value as first-time starter Vince Caputo may look to him even more often.
(We’ll use this award to honor a couple players who are on some of the smaller schools in the area, who don’t usually get the publicity they should)
Our co-winners:
BRIAN PROVIST – St John Neumann – 2nd RB, Defensive leader
ERIC JOHNSON – Florida Christian Institute – QB 8 TD 0 INT
These two players show how much more important great players can be on the smaller teams. Provost plays both sides of the ball for the Celtics, serving as their 2nd RB as well as their defensive leader. Johnson runs the Florida Christian offense that’s arguably the most unstoppable force in all of Southwest Florida. His 8 TD’s without a single interception are one of the most impressive stats at the halfway point of the season.
Our co-winners:
BEN DALEY – LaBelle – leads area in sacks w/8
CAMERON PAYNE – Cape Coral – 2nd in area in tackles, 3rd in state
Our co-winners:
KEVIN HILL – FTM – leads area in tackles 72 / 14.4 avg, 2nd in state
ANTHONY MAINS – Golden Gate – 7 sacks
Our winner:
JON WEBER, Immokalee
---
Other nominees:
GRANT REDHEAD, South Fort Myers
LARRY ANTONACCI, Clewiston
All three of these coaches have done tremendous jobs this season facing some form of adversity. For Redhead, it was lifting the spirits of a team that struggled to just a single win in it’s first year last season… as well as helping his team cope with the loss of their assistant coach, and his friend, Pat Fahey three weeks in to the season. South has already shown they can compete with most of the teams in the area, a feat many of the newer schools have taken much longer to accomplish.
Antonacci took over a Clewiston team that had enough talent to make it to the State Semifinal last season. With that talent came high expectation, but Antonacci has put the Tigers in place to make another run into the playoffs. Clewiston’s stunning upset of nationally ranked Glades Central last week showed they are a team to watch, possibly one of the best in the state.
But we have to give the honor to John Weber. Immokalee’s coach was blindsided by the FHSAA’s ruling that a player on last year’s team, a bit player at that, was overage. The consequences left the Indians without being able to shoot for district titles, the playoffs or ultimately… another State Championship. Nonetheless, Weber has pulled his team together in a 5-and-0 start. Titles and Championships or not, Immokalee is playing to win. And they’re doing just that.
Our winner:
IMMOKALEE
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Other nominees:
NORTH FORT MYERS
CLEWISTON
ST JOHN NEUMANN
FLORIDA CHRISTIAN
All these unbeatens stake good claims to being the most impressive team in the area. But as mentioned above, for Immokalee to be playing with the heart and resolve they have been… under the circumstances they face… is really a terrific story.
Our winner:
CLEWISTON DEF. GLADES CENTRAL 21-14 OT
We knew Clewiston was good. We’re not sure we thought they were that good. Glades Central was rated as one of the best teams in the nation by several different sources. – having opened their season in an out-of-state game in South Carolina in a nationally-televised ESPN affair. Clewiston even added to the drama by falling behind in the game… only to score the final two touchdowns of regulation to tie it up… the go-ahead TD in overtime… then halted Glades’ attempt to tie on the 1-yard line on the final play of the game.
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Other nominees:
CYPRESS LAKE DEF FORT MYERS
CHARLOTTE DEF. FORT MYERS
LEHIGH DEF. MARINER
LELY DEF. GOLDEN GATE
Our winner:
Immokalee rebounds from overage athlete scandal
For reasons explained above, the Indians hold the title of best story… so far. With 5 weeks still to play, as well as the playoffs… there’s plenty of other stories out there just waiting to unfold.
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Other nominees:
FCI fends off accusations of ineligible players
SFM starts season 3-0 in 2nd season after 1 win in inaugural year
Noel Devine approaching Earnest Graham’s Lee County all-time rushing mark
Ft Myers starts season 2-3
We’ve googled a list of the major college football trophies presented at the end of the season, and will use them as a guide for our midseason prep football honors.
The Gridiron 2Night crew debated all the happenings so far in the prep football season, and we're are pleased to present the Gridiron 2Night Midseason High School Football A
- Heisman Memorial Trophy (Other similar awards: Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award)
football's most prestigious award.
Our winner:
NOEL DEVINE, NFM 3rd in state rushing, 1st in yds per game. 2nd in scoring
Devine hasn’t disappointed so far this season, meeting every ounce of the hype he received this offseason. He continues to be the most electrifying presence in the region, a threat to score every time he touches the ball. His 15 TD’s are tops in the area, despite the fact he’s only played four games as opposed to the five most of the others near the top of the leaderboard have played. Devine averages 218 yards per game, and hasn’t been the primary option in the second halves of most games as North has been blowing teams out.
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Other nominees:
TYSON BUTLER, Cypress Lake 2nd in state in rushing
AARON HENRY, Immokalee
BRIAN ROLLE, Immokalee
JAMAL HUBERT, Clewiston
- Bronko Nagurski Award (Other similar award: Chuck Bednarik Award, Ted Hendricks Award, )Named after one of college football's greatest players and given annually to the nation's outstanding defensive player by the FWAA/Charlotte TD Club.
Our winner:
BRIAN ROLLE, Immokalee
It’s obvious Immokalee’s offense has been rolling along pretty well all season, however the defense has been nearly perfect. Everyone knew their game against Naples would be a doosie… but few expected either team to be shutout. Thanks to the Indians smothering defense that utilized perfect execution, the number next to ‘Naples’ on the scoreboard was indeed a zero. That shutout was one of three in Immokalee’s five games this season – and in the other two they have only allowed two offensive touchdowns… both to Barron Collier. Brian Rolle is the centerpiece of the defense, and is the most highly touted defensive college prospect in Southwest Florida.
- Davey O'Brien Award (Other similar award: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award)The Davey O'Brien Award is given annually to the nation's outstanding quarterback by the Davey O'Brien Foundation.
Our winner:
JOEY WOODS, Golden Gate
No team in the area has utilized the passing game as well as Golden Gate this season, and Joey Woods is a big reason why. Woods’ composure in the pocket and super-accurate arm leave him head-and-shoulders above the rest of the signal callers in the region. At the high school level, it’s rare to see teams rely on the pass with the running game serving a supporting role. But the combination of Woods’ talent under center… as well as some terrific receivers (see below)… Golden Gate’s aerial attack is very hard for opponents to prepare for.
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Other nominees:
BUTCH MOORE, Verot – leads area in passing, 3rd in state
MATT KAUTZ, Charlotte
- Doak Walker AwardThe Doak Walker Award, the only major collegiate football award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing, is presented annually to the nation's premier running back.
Our winner:
TYSON BUTLER, Cypress Lake
We hung the asterisk on Devine’s name below as he would also be the frontrunner for this honor, but we already awarded him another one earlier… so he’s dq’ed from this one. As clearly as Devine is the top runner in the area, Tyson Butler is just as clearly the second best. Butler actually has more yards than Devine this season, 904 to 874, but bear in mind Butler has played five games to Devine’s four. Nonetheless, Butler’s worth to his team is just as much… if not more… than Devine’s. The stats bear that out, Devine has accounted for 58 percent of North’s 1506 total rushing yards while Butler has run for 62.1 percent of Cypress Lake’s total of 1452. Butler may not have the open field speed or moves of Devine, but he’s far more reliable between the tackles. If you need an 80 yard touchdown (and who doesn’t), Devine may be your man. But if you need to convert a 3rd and 2 in the red zone with time running out… Butler would be the pick.
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Other nominees:
NOEL DEVINE*, NFM
GREG WILLIAMS, Barron Collier
ERECK PLANCHER, Lely
JAVON PUGH, Naples
JAMAL HUBERT, Clewiston
- Fred Biletnikoff AwardThe Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented to the nation's best receiver by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club.
Our co-winners:
J.D. WOODS / JENIOR NAPOLEON, Golden Gate
We dubbed Golden Gate’s Joey Woods the QB du jour earlier in the article… now we recognize his supporting cast. Even the best QB needs reliable hands on his flanks, and Woods has it in Jenior Napoleon and J.D. Woods. Napoleon and Woods are 1st and 4th respectively on the area receiving charts with 412 and 293 yards. Woods has taken 6 of his 15 catches to the endzone while Napoleon has 4 TD’s in 12 catches. Teams that bring one solid defensive back to the table can usually handle an opponent with one major receiving threat. Few teams in the area can, or have, been able to handle the two-headed attack Woods and Napoleon provide.
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Other nominees:
AARON HENRY, Immokalee
GARRETT REDDEN – Bishop Verot
- Outland Trophy (Other similar award: Lombardi/Rotary Award, Rimington Award)The Outland Trophy is given annually to the nation's best interior offensive or defensive linemen by the Football Writers Association of America.
Our winners:
NORTH FT MYERS OFFENSIVE LINE
Akin to the Four Horsemen of the 1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - the Red Knights offensive line deserves to be recognized as a complete unit. It helps to have talented backs behind them, but the line has been a bulldozer, opening the holes for the Red Knight backs to rush for 376.5 rushing yards per game.
- Lou Groza AwardThe Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the nation's top placekicker by the Palm Beach Sports Commission.
Our winner:
DAVID KITTINGER – SFM
Both Kittinger and O’Jibway have far and away the best legs in the region. While many prep football coaches see a kicking game as a necessary evil, South Fort Myers and North Fort Myers enjoy the luxury of reliable kickers to bail them out when drives stall. We give the nod for the award to Kittinger based on his area-leading six field goals, and near-perfect extra point record.
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Other nominee:
NATHAN O’JIBWAY - NFM
- The Ray Guy Award, honoring the greatest punter of all time, is presented annually to the nation's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council.
Our winner:
BUTCH MOORE - Bishop Verot
Moore, who also pulls double duty as the Verot QB, has the best numbers among punters in our area. It’s tougher to quantify punters than most other positions… so we did this one based strictly on the numbers. Moore’s average is solid and he’s dropped five punts inside the 20.
- Jim Thorpe AwardThe Jim Thorpe Award, named after one of the greatest athletes who ever lived, is presented annually to the best defensive back in college football.
Our winner:
SAM BAPTISTE – LELY
Baptiste is the only player in the area averaging an interception a game. That’s a terrific stat, but it’s even better when you realize opposing teams intentionally try to throw away from Baptiste because he’s such a threat. His three interceptions against Golden Gate were the major reason Lely overcame a halftime deficit to win the game.
- John Mackey AwardNamed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end, the John Mackey Award is presented annually to the nation's top tight end.
Our winner:
SEAN CULLEN – Barron Collier
In a season where standout tight ends have been sparse, Cullen has separated himself from the pack. The tight end is a quarterback’s best friend, and now that Barron Collier’s original starting QB Matt Clements has left the team… Cullen may gain more value as first-time starter Vince Caputo may look to him even more often.
- Harlon Hill Trophy / Gagliardi Trophy (Other similar award: Melberger Award, Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award, several others)These trophies are given to the most outstanding players in college football’s various smaller divisions: I-AA, II and III.
(We’ll use this award to honor a couple players who are on some of the smaller schools in the area, who don’t usually get the publicity they should)
Our co-winners:
BRIAN PROVIST – St John Neumann – 2nd RB, Defensive leader
ERIC JOHNSON – Florida Christian Institute – QB 8 TD 0 INT
These two players show how much more important great players can be on the smaller teams. Provost plays both sides of the ball for the Celtics, serving as their 2nd RB as well as their defensive leader. Johnson runs the Florida Christian offense that’s arguably the most unstoppable force in all of Southwest Florida. His 8 TD’s without a single interception are one of the most impressive stats at the halfway point of the season.
- Butkus AwardNamed after one of the greatest defenders of all time, the Butkus Award is presented annually to the nation's top college linebacker
Our co-winners:
BEN DALEY – LaBelle – leads area in sacks w/8
CAMERON PAYNE – Cape Coral – 2nd in area in tackles, 3rd in state
- Ted Hendricks AwardThe Ted Hendricks Award, named for the three-time All-American from the University of Miami, is given annually to the nation's top defensive end.
Our co-winners:
KEVIN HILL – FTM – leads area in tackles 72 / 14.4 avg, 2nd in state
ANTHONY MAINS – Golden Gate – 7 sacks
- Coach of the Year
Our winner:
JON WEBER, Immokalee
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Other nominees:
GRANT REDHEAD, South Fort Myers
LARRY ANTONACCI, Clewiston
All three of these coaches have done tremendous jobs this season facing some form of adversity. For Redhead, it was lifting the spirits of a team that struggled to just a single win in it’s first year last season… as well as helping his team cope with the loss of their assistant coach, and his friend, Pat Fahey three weeks in to the season. South has already shown they can compete with most of the teams in the area, a feat many of the newer schools have taken much longer to accomplish.
Antonacci took over a Clewiston team that had enough talent to make it to the State Semifinal last season. With that talent came high expectation, but Antonacci has put the Tigers in place to make another run into the playoffs. Clewiston’s stunning upset of nationally ranked Glades Central last week showed they are a team to watch, possibly one of the best in the state.
But we have to give the honor to John Weber. Immokalee’s coach was blindsided by the FHSAA’s ruling that a player on last year’s team, a bit player at that, was overage. The consequences left the Indians without being able to shoot for district titles, the playoffs or ultimately… another State Championship. Nonetheless, Weber has pulled his team together in a 5-and-0 start. Titles and Championships or not, Immokalee is playing to win. And they’re doing just that.
- Team of the Year
Our winner:
IMMOKALEE
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Other nominees:
NORTH FORT MYERS
CLEWISTON
ST JOHN NEUMANN
FLORIDA CHRISTIAN
All these unbeatens stake good claims to being the most impressive team in the area. But as mentioned above, for Immokalee to be playing with the heart and resolve they have been… under the circumstances they face… is really a terrific story.
- Game of the Year
Our winner:
CLEWISTON DEF. GLADES CENTRAL 21-14 OT
We knew Clewiston was good. We’re not sure we thought they were that good. Glades Central was rated as one of the best teams in the nation by several different sources. – having opened their season in an out-of-state game in South Carolina in a nationally-televised ESPN affair. Clewiston even added to the drama by falling behind in the game… only to score the final two touchdowns of regulation to tie it up… the go-ahead TD in overtime… then halted Glades’ attempt to tie on the 1-yard line on the final play of the game.
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Other nominees:
CYPRESS LAKE DEF FORT MYERS
CHARLOTTE DEF. FORT MYERS
LEHIGH DEF. MARINER
LELY DEF. GOLDEN GATE
- Story of Year
Our winner:
Immokalee rebounds from overage athlete scandal
For reasons explained above, the Indians hold the title of best story… so far. With 5 weeks still to play, as well as the playoffs… there’s plenty of other stories out there just waiting to unfold.
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Other nominees:
FCI fends off accusations of ineligible players
SFM starts season 3-0 in 2nd season after 1 win in inaugural year
Noel Devine approaching Earnest Graham’s Lee County all-time rushing mark
Ft Myers starts season 2-3
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Dispelling the knocks on Arena Football
The last stop in my sports journalism career was way up in the northern outpost of Duluth, Minnesota. The sports scene in the tiny port town on the western tip of Lake Superior was focused almost entirely on the local college hockey team, Minnesota-Duluth… with additional fervor for the local high school hockey teams.
The town also dabbled in Independent baseball for a while with a hapless and poorly-attended Northern League team (would you go watch baseball when it’s 40 degrees and foggy?).
So it was huge news when the newly formed Indoor Football League decided to place one of its charter franchises in Duluth.
At the time, the Arena Football League was just starting to gain steam with higher attendance and a national TV contract. There were no other established “minor league” indoor football leagues.
The IFL was going to be the top minor league indoor football league in the nation. NFL Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow was the commissioner, and it seemed like it was a pretty good idea.
It all added up to create quite a buzz as the team formed, assembled, began practice and was ready to hit the field. The whole town was giddy with anticipation for the debut of the Duluth Lumberjacks… just as other Midwestern towns were when the IFL hit their arenas in the summer of 1999.
The excitement lasted about a quarter into opening night.
The creators of the IFL had created their rulebook to be very similar to that of real outdoor football. The only real difference was a shorter field and those pesky walls on the sidelines.
These rules created games that took four or more hours to complete. The combination of less-than-pro-level skilled athletes along with a stopped clock on every incompletion meant the clock was hardly ever running. The AFL had suffered from similar problems when it was formed in the early 90’s.
There was hardly any excitement, drives took forever, and the skill level of the players wasn’t enough to carry fan interest alone. Duluth’s team, and the IFL itself, only lasted two years. Most of the league was purchased by the Orlando Predators who folded many of the players and teams into a farm system… this was the birth of af2. A couple of the IFL team identities were spared (Green Bay and Peoria), and still exist in some form today.
That brings me to the connection to Southwest Florida’s own Firecats. Peoria and Florida had a pretty good rivalry going in the early stages of af2’s history. In 2002, Peoria beat Florida in Arena Cup III, the af2 Championship Game. Florida won a rematch in ’04, claiming Arena Cup V.
Despite being statistically the best professional team in the region, many people are still reluctant to buy into the notion of football indoors… refusing to support or attend anything related to the Firecats.
I understand why it happens… but I’m here to tell you that most critics of Arena/Indoor football probably have it all wrong. I’m not here to serve as a shill for the Firecats, but rather to praise the indoor game as a whole.
I saw the sport when it wasn’t fun. Those two seasons covering the Duluth Lumberjacks meant long nights watching a bad product with fans doing little aside from taking advantage of drink specials and wonder if they should try to get refunds for their season tickets.
The other truth: Arena ball, like auto racing and hockey, simply doesn’t translate on TV. You just don’t get the feel for the speed, contact and motion in any of those sports from home. No matter how Hi-Def or Plasmafied your home set may be, it’s not the same. This is where most of the indoor-ball haters form their opinions. They see the game on TV, aren’t captivated by the elements of the game you can really only absorb in person, and they dismiss the sport as boring, silly or dumb.
But just as happens in those other “better-in-person” sports I mentioned… fans who attend quickly become fans. Despite dismal TV ratings that support the poor translation of the product from turf-to-TV… Arena Football (and I include both the AFL and af2) has assumed a place in the landscape of American sport. Indoor football obviously will never approach the popularity or draw of it’s outdoor brother… nor will it ever become a major feature of that sports landscape… but it is a legitimate sport worthy of fans time, attention and ticket money.
I’m not saying attending a game will convert everyone but it will at least pique the interest of true sports fans. Arena football has fantastic contact, amazing speed, and they’ve tailored the rules over the last few years to create a game that’s centered enough around “real” football to appeal to purists… but also maintains a competitive and time-balanced flow through the games.
On top of that, anyone who may have suffered through those early-year games in either the AFL or IFL may want to check back in for another look. The streamlining of the rules really has made for a better product. One that prevents games from becoming those four-hour snorefests I saw in 1999 keeps the clock running on incompletions except for when the time is short. And one of the best quirky rules in the af2 says teams have to gain yardage when they have the ball in the final minute in order for the clock to run. This means there’s no taking a knee. The defense can keep hope alive if they can prevent the offense from advancing the ball… thus freezing the clock. I love this rule.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have believed all of this unless I’d seen it with my own eyes. I’m still learning all the new rules and nuances of the game, as I officially make my journey back from detesting it, to enjoying it. In fact, you may even want to take a radio and headphones with you to a game so you can listen to the call on the radio… it will help you be aware of the different rules.
Get to an arena game, sports fans. You’ll have fun. I honestly believe that.
Time is running short if you want to hop on the bandwagon for this season. The Firecats host the Conference Semifinal this Saturday, the 12th, at Germain Arena. If they win, they’ll host the Conference Final on the 19th. That’s it for home games this season. The Arena Cup is in San Juan, Puerto Rico .. then it’s on to the offseason. If you don’t mind driving a bit, the AFL has teams in both Tampa and Orlando. The AFL season runs spring to summer.
Links:
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC2. Click here to send him an e-mail. He reads every e-mail, and makes every effort to respond to any comments, suggestions or criticisms you wish to convey.
The town also dabbled in Independent baseball for a while with a hapless and poorly-attended Northern League team (would you go watch baseball when it’s 40 degrees and foggy?).
So it was huge news when the newly formed Indoor Football League decided to place one of its charter franchises in Duluth.
At the time, the Arena Football League was just starting to gain steam with higher attendance and a national TV contract. There were no other established “minor league” indoor football leagues.
The IFL was going to be the top minor league indoor football league in the nation. NFL Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow was the commissioner, and it seemed like it was a pretty good idea.
It all added up to create quite a buzz as the team formed, assembled, began practice and was ready to hit the field. The whole town was giddy with anticipation for the debut of the Duluth Lumberjacks… just as other Midwestern towns were when the IFL hit their arenas in the summer of 1999.
The excitement lasted about a quarter into opening night.
The creators of the IFL had created their rulebook to be very similar to that of real outdoor football. The only real difference was a shorter field and those pesky walls on the sidelines.
These rules created games that took four or more hours to complete. The combination of less-than-pro-level skilled athletes along with a stopped clock on every incompletion meant the clock was hardly ever running. The AFL had suffered from similar problems when it was formed in the early 90’s.
There was hardly any excitement, drives took forever, and the skill level of the players wasn’t enough to carry fan interest alone. Duluth’s team, and the IFL itself, only lasted two years. Most of the league was purchased by the Orlando Predators who folded many of the players and teams into a farm system… this was the birth of af2. A couple of the IFL team identities were spared (Green Bay and Peoria), and still exist in some form today.
That brings me to the connection to Southwest Florida’s own Firecats. Peoria and Florida had a pretty good rivalry going in the early stages of af2’s history. In 2002, Peoria beat Florida in Arena Cup III, the af2 Championship Game. Florida won a rematch in ’04, claiming Arena Cup V.
Despite being statistically the best professional team in the region, many people are still reluctant to buy into the notion of football indoors… refusing to support or attend anything related to the Firecats.
I understand why it happens… but I’m here to tell you that most critics of Arena/Indoor football probably have it all wrong. I’m not here to serve as a shill for the Firecats, but rather to praise the indoor game as a whole.
I saw the sport when it wasn’t fun. Those two seasons covering the Duluth Lumberjacks meant long nights watching a bad product with fans doing little aside from taking advantage of drink specials and wonder if they should try to get refunds for their season tickets.
The other truth: Arena ball, like auto racing and hockey, simply doesn’t translate on TV. You just don’t get the feel for the speed, contact and motion in any of those sports from home. No matter how Hi-Def or Plasmafied your home set may be, it’s not the same. This is where most of the indoor-ball haters form their opinions. They see the game on TV, aren’t captivated by the elements of the game you can really only absorb in person, and they dismiss the sport as boring, silly or dumb.
But just as happens in those other “better-in-person” sports I mentioned… fans who attend quickly become fans. Despite dismal TV ratings that support the poor translation of the product from turf-to-TV… Arena Football (and I include both the AFL and af2) has assumed a place in the landscape of American sport. Indoor football obviously will never approach the popularity or draw of it’s outdoor brother… nor will it ever become a major feature of that sports landscape… but it is a legitimate sport worthy of fans time, attention and ticket money.
I’m not saying attending a game will convert everyone but it will at least pique the interest of true sports fans. Arena football has fantastic contact, amazing speed, and they’ve tailored the rules over the last few years to create a game that’s centered enough around “real” football to appeal to purists… but also maintains a competitive and time-balanced flow through the games.
On top of that, anyone who may have suffered through those early-year games in either the AFL or IFL may want to check back in for another look. The streamlining of the rules really has made for a better product. One that prevents games from becoming those four-hour snorefests I saw in 1999 keeps the clock running on incompletions except for when the time is short. And one of the best quirky rules in the af2 says teams have to gain yardage when they have the ball in the final minute in order for the clock to run. This means there’s no taking a knee. The defense can keep hope alive if they can prevent the offense from advancing the ball… thus freezing the clock. I love this rule.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have believed all of this unless I’d seen it with my own eyes. I’m still learning all the new rules and nuances of the game, as I officially make my journey back from detesting it, to enjoying it. In fact, you may even want to take a radio and headphones with you to a game so you can listen to the call on the radio… it will help you be aware of the different rules.
Get to an arena game, sports fans. You’ll have fun. I honestly believe that.
Time is running short if you want to hop on the bandwagon for this season. The Firecats host the Conference Semifinal this Saturday, the 12th, at Germain Arena. If they win, they’ll host the Conference Final on the 19th. That’s it for home games this season. The Arena Cup is in San Juan, Puerto Rico .. then it’s on to the offseason. If you don’t mind driving a bit, the AFL has teams in both Tampa and Orlando. The AFL season runs spring to summer.
Links:
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC2. Click here to send him an e-mail. He reads every e-mail, and makes every effort to respond to any comments, suggestions or criticisms you wish to convey.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
The Everblades Exodus
With all the recent moves involving former Florida Everblades heading overseas, panicked ‘Blades fans may need a reminder of how things work from year to year in the ECHL. Players move. It’s a simple fact. From year-to-year, the Everblades are among the best in the league at retaining players, even though they only keep a single-digit number of players every year. That’s the nature of the quickly turning rosters in America’s premier “AA” professional hockey league.
The reason you’ve been hearing so much about recent moves this offseason isn’t so much tied to the fact that players are leaving… just that it’s rare to see this many headed overseas. In terms of assigning blame for the departures, overseas defections typically aren’t a fault on the part of the team.
Nearly every player we’ve talked to who has recently left the Everblades stated it was a simple financial decision. This isn’t an accusation that Blades management is cheap or unwilling to open their wallets, but a fact produced by the ECHL salary cap. Teams are mandated to stay within a certain spending level… both high and low.
As explained in the ECHL’s official online FAQ, teams can only spend a maximum of $10,500 per week. Incidentally, they must also spend at least $8,000 per week to maintain competitive balance… something MLB should consider implementing. It’s simply not accurate to say, at this point, that players like Daniel Sisca or Steve Saviano could have been retained if the ‘Blades would just have made them a better offer. Kevin Bergin told me on the phone this week that players stand to make “about three times as much money in Europe as they ever could in the ECHL.” He stressed players usually accept the smaller paychecks of the ECHL if they feel there is a significant chance for them to climb the ladder of North American hockey at least to the AHL level… and ultimately, hopefully, the NHL.
The Everblades may have been able to convince one or two players to stick around by bumping their offer up a few notches, but it would come at the expense of signing one or even several other players they need to fill out the entire roster. It’s a team sport… one star can’t offset a bench full of stiffs. The Everblades balancing that fact has been a huge part of their perennial success.
Even beyond the handcuffing of the ECHL salary cap, teams are even more disadvantaged by other factors involved in the differences between playing in North American minor leagues when compared to European elite leagues. On top of just base salary, European clubs can also cover a player’s taxes. Other perks in taking the leap across the Atlantic can include collegiate or graduate school scholarships, car leases, free housing and even simply having the chance to see the world on someone else’s dime. The sun and sand of Southwest Florida is a heck of a perk, and the Everblades make no secret that it’s part of their draw and part of their recruitment technique… but it just isn’t good enough to offset the money and other perks the players can find in European elite leagues.
Pro basketball players below the NBA level have been doing this for years. In fact, it’s a huge reason the NBA Developmental League hasn’t met the level of success some fans, and NBA executives, expected it to reach. Just like hockey’s model, the goal of the NBA is the carrot dangling in front of players who accept miniscule salaries and the headaches of toiling in minor leagues. Without that NBA reward, it becomes about money.
… and if they can’t get to the show… they gotta go get the dough. Wherever and however that may be.
Players like Saviano, Sisca, Bergin and the others who have left the Blades can more accurately be portrayed as leaving the ECHL as a league, not just leaving the Everblades franchise. It’s well-documented that the Florida franchise is a crown jewel of the ECHL. Nearly ever player who has left has echoed Bergin’s statement: “If I was going to come back to the ECHL, I wouldn’t want to play for any team other than Florida.” It’s not that they’re walking away from the ‘Blades with any sort of anger, aversion or disgust. It’s simply that they, with probable advice from agents or advisors, see little chance to “get the call” to the AHL or beyond. That said, they’re wise to make as much money off their athletic ability while they still have it. Pro playing careers aren’t long, so without that chance to rise to higher levels of hockey – players simply have to cash in while they can. If going to Europe means forfeiting dreams of someday skating in the NHL, it’s eased by rewards of boosts to checking account balances and 401-k’s.
If the Everblades start being outgunned by other teams in the race to sign free agents and available players who do want to be in the ECHL… then it could be time to question if they aren’t being aggressive enough, or not opening the wallets enough. But as long as they’re not losing players to other teams in the ECHL, management can’t fairly be faulted.
It’s definitely hard to see the team lose its three top scorers from last season (Sisca, Bergin, Saviano), but it’s just the way it goes. As pop culture instructs: “Don’t hate the player (the ‘Blades)… hate the game (the way the system works).”
Besides, this will be the first season the Everblades enjoy a fully-functional working relationship with NHL parent clubs Carolina and Florida. Hit those links to see who each team has in their respective systems… you’ll be surprised to see how many have been with the Everblades at one time or another. As many games as those prospects have seen in the past with the ‘Blades, this season should be the first where the NHL clubs view and utilize the Everblades as a true farm team. It may make for a few more moves up and down or sometimes out-of-town… but it should ensure the ‘Blades will have a talent pool deep enough to once again set up shop in the upper tier of the ECHL.
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC2. He can be reached at ChrisL@Water.net. He makes every effort to respond to any comments, suggestions or criticisms you wish to convey.
The reason you’ve been hearing so much about recent moves this offseason isn’t so much tied to the fact that players are leaving… just that it’s rare to see this many headed overseas. In terms of assigning blame for the departures, overseas defections typically aren’t a fault on the part of the team.
Nearly every player we’ve talked to who has recently left the Everblades stated it was a simple financial decision. This isn’t an accusation that Blades management is cheap or unwilling to open their wallets, but a fact produced by the ECHL salary cap. Teams are mandated to stay within a certain spending level… both high and low.
As explained in the ECHL’s official online FAQ, teams can only spend a maximum of $10,500 per week. Incidentally, they must also spend at least $8,000 per week to maintain competitive balance… something MLB should consider implementing. It’s simply not accurate to say, at this point, that players like Daniel Sisca or Steve Saviano could have been retained if the ‘Blades would just have made them a better offer. Kevin Bergin told me on the phone this week that players stand to make “about three times as much money in Europe as they ever could in the ECHL.” He stressed players usually accept the smaller paychecks of the ECHL if they feel there is a significant chance for them to climb the ladder of North American hockey at least to the AHL level… and ultimately, hopefully, the NHL.
The Everblades may have been able to convince one or two players to stick around by bumping their offer up a few notches, but it would come at the expense of signing one or even several other players they need to fill out the entire roster. It’s a team sport… one star can’t offset a bench full of stiffs. The Everblades balancing that fact has been a huge part of their perennial success.
Even beyond the handcuffing of the ECHL salary cap, teams are even more disadvantaged by other factors involved in the differences between playing in North American minor leagues when compared to European elite leagues. On top of just base salary, European clubs can also cover a player’s taxes. Other perks in taking the leap across the Atlantic can include collegiate or graduate school scholarships, car leases, free housing and even simply having the chance to see the world on someone else’s dime. The sun and sand of Southwest Florida is a heck of a perk, and the Everblades make no secret that it’s part of their draw and part of their recruitment technique… but it just isn’t good enough to offset the money and other perks the players can find in European elite leagues.
Pro basketball players below the NBA level have been doing this for years. In fact, it’s a huge reason the NBA Developmental League hasn’t met the level of success some fans, and NBA executives, expected it to reach. Just like hockey’s model, the goal of the NBA is the carrot dangling in front of players who accept miniscule salaries and the headaches of toiling in minor leagues. Without that NBA reward, it becomes about money.
… and if they can’t get to the show… they gotta go get the dough. Wherever and however that may be.
Players like Saviano, Sisca, Bergin and the others who have left the Blades can more accurately be portrayed as leaving the ECHL as a league, not just leaving the Everblades franchise. It’s well-documented that the Florida franchise is a crown jewel of the ECHL. Nearly ever player who has left has echoed Bergin’s statement: “If I was going to come back to the ECHL, I wouldn’t want to play for any team other than Florida.” It’s not that they’re walking away from the ‘Blades with any sort of anger, aversion or disgust. It’s simply that they, with probable advice from agents or advisors, see little chance to “get the call” to the AHL or beyond. That said, they’re wise to make as much money off their athletic ability while they still have it. Pro playing careers aren’t long, so without that chance to rise to higher levels of hockey – players simply have to cash in while they can. If going to Europe means forfeiting dreams of someday skating in the NHL, it’s eased by rewards of boosts to checking account balances and 401-k’s.
If the Everblades start being outgunned by other teams in the race to sign free agents and available players who do want to be in the ECHL… then it could be time to question if they aren’t being aggressive enough, or not opening the wallets enough. But as long as they’re not losing players to other teams in the ECHL, management can’t fairly be faulted.
It’s definitely hard to see the team lose its three top scorers from last season (Sisca, Bergin, Saviano), but it’s just the way it goes. As pop culture instructs: “Don’t hate the player (the ‘Blades)… hate the game (the way the system works).”
Besides, this will be the first season the Everblades enjoy a fully-functional working relationship with NHL parent clubs Carolina and Florida. Hit those links to see who each team has in their respective systems… you’ll be surprised to see how many have been with the Everblades at one time or another. As many games as those prospects have seen in the past with the ‘Blades, this season should be the first where the NHL clubs view and utilize the Everblades as a true farm team. It may make for a few more moves up and down or sometimes out-of-town… but it should ensure the ‘Blades will have a talent pool deep enough to once again set up shop in the upper tier of the ECHL.
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC2. He can be reached at ChrisL@Water.net. He makes every effort to respond to any comments, suggestions or criticisms you wish to convey.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
NBC2 Sports Blog - The State of Sport in the States
NBC-2 SPORTS BLOG – The State of Sport in the States
-by Chris Long
This past week, I had a chance to meet the members of the United States National InLine Hockey Team as they held training camp all week at the Skatium in downtown Fort Myers.
I asked several of the players how it felt to be part of a National team, knowing they were just days away from representing the country at the World Championships next week in Budapest, Hungary. While each of them acknowledged InLine Hockey was pretty far off the general scope of our National sport radar… they all said they still got a rush every time they pulled on the red, white and blue jersey. Being part of the team on and around Independence Day made it hit even harder still.
One player, Taj Melson, had some truly terrific comments. He pointed out especially in this particular era of American history, any player in any sport who has a chance to represent the USA on the world stage has a very special opportunity… and responsibility. Melson, a Minnesota native, is a medical student at the University of Michigan… so he’s obviously a pretty bright guy. He has skated on three Team USA InLine teams and says it never gets old. He even said some of the guys on the team were talking about the launch of the Space Shuttle this past week as providing yet another cue for them to raise the level of patriotism coarsing through them.
Sure, the United States InLine Team won’t steal many headlines. Heck, they may not get any as they seek to collect a sixth gold medal at the Worlds next week. But the way things are going for American athletes on the world stage… we’d better take our victories where we can, and celebrate them to the fullest. Rest assured that’s exactly what the members of the InLine team will do.
Somehow, we need to get the rest of the country on board.
The entire nation was ready to get behind the US Soccer team in the World Cup. But expectations far exceeded the outcome. In three games, the US managed a single goal off their own feet (the other was an own-goal off the foot of an Italian defender).
The World Cup flop was just another in a long string of recent reminders that we’re simply not the athletic superpower we once were.
More examples: this year marked the first time since the days before automobiles trolled the landscape than not a single American man or woman made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
It’s been well-publicized that the last couple American efforts in the Olympics have been somewhat disappointing.
Sure, we own the X-Games, Football and other US-born sports… but that’s part of the problem, we can’t seem to dominate anything aside from sports we created. There really isn’t a single major (or even semi-major) sport outside of those which we created where we can truly say dominance is held by American players at the highest levels.
This is true even in our own major leagues. After sharing baseball and basketball with the world for years, the fruits of all that effort to push our games to the corners of the globe has worked. Baseball now has deep roots around the Southern Hemisphere and Asia. Basketball, a game whose innermost identity lies in the American inner-city, has a brighter immediate future among the stars developing in dimly-lit and somewhat mysterious gyms of Europe rather than blacktops and YMCA’s in the States.
Even ice hockey, not to be confused with the InLine variety, is no longer the exclusive domain of North America. The US has always yielded to Canada for hockey supremacy… but even our fraternal twin to the north has slowly been losing its’ grip on the sport it claims most dear to its’ own heart. Players like NHL Rookie of the Year Alexander Ovechkin and playoff goalie phenom Jussi Markinnen are among those widening the flow of talent from the rest of the globe.
I’m not rallying around the argument that the seeds of sport once planted in nearly every child in America are no longer are getting the kind of nourishment they need to properly grow. Sure, it’s clear that digital cable, Xboxes and the Internet aren’t exactly the fuel American’s next generation needs to reclaim athletic supremacy… but there are some factors in play that seem to work in our favor. There are exponentially more opportunities available to girls in today’s generation, and youth sports are far more organized today for both genders. The trend toward single-sport specialization would seem to encourage accelerated progress much more than the sandlot and backyard games of the past. They may not be quite as fun for kids as they’re structured now, but you’d think the product at the end of the mechanism would be superior.
All that said, we still have our share of stars in each sport. All-Star rosters and All-World teams in every sport will always have at least some form of American representation. But it’s just not the same as it used to be.
Some will say patriotism demands that we dispute this new global distribution of wealth, and fight to get the USA back atop the worldwide athletic king-of-the-hill heap.
I disagree. It’s no fun winning all the time. After a while any dominant player, team or program needs to be knocked back a bit. It happened to the Islanders in the 70’s, the Yankees in the 80’s and look where the once-mighty San Francisco 49ers are these days. They all celebrated dominant eras of glory, came back to the pack, and now either are… or have plans to be… back on top in the very near future. Their fans haven’t left them, and haven’t lost the faith. For some, it may have even reinvigorated their passion for their teams.
So rather than bemoan America’s reduced role in the spotlight, let’s do a better job of celebrating the times when we do hit the line first, when we do win the tournament, when we do hold the records.
Nobody seems to care that Justin Gatlin, an American, just recently broke track’s most glamorous record. He’s currently engaged in a fierce rivalry with Jamaica’s Asafa Powell to see who truly is the World’s Fastest Man. Yet we hardly hear a peep. It’s in the back pages of newspaper sports sections, and is an oh-by-the way on both nationally and locally aimed sportscasts.
It can’t be denied that we’re not raising generations of fine-tuned athletes like we once did. But that makes it even more crucial for the American media and the American public to get on board with cheering the successes when they occur and rallying around whatever worldwide victories we can muster.
…there’s always the US National InLine team.
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC2. He can be reached at ChrisL@Water.net. He makes every effort to respond to any comments, suggestions or criticisms you wish to convey.
-by Chris Long
This past week, I had a chance to meet the members of the United States National InLine Hockey Team as they held training camp all week at the Skatium in downtown Fort Myers.
I asked several of the players how it felt to be part of a National team, knowing they were just days away from representing the country at the World Championships next week in Budapest, Hungary. While each of them acknowledged InLine Hockey was pretty far off the general scope of our National sport radar… they all said they still got a rush every time they pulled on the red, white and blue jersey. Being part of the team on and around Independence Day made it hit even harder still.
One player, Taj Melson, had some truly terrific comments. He pointed out especially in this particular era of American history, any player in any sport who has a chance to represent the USA on the world stage has a very special opportunity… and responsibility. Melson, a Minnesota native, is a medical student at the University of Michigan… so he’s obviously a pretty bright guy. He has skated on three Team USA InLine teams and says it never gets old. He even said some of the guys on the team were talking about the launch of the Space Shuttle this past week as providing yet another cue for them to raise the level of patriotism coarsing through them.
Sure, the United States InLine Team won’t steal many headlines. Heck, they may not get any as they seek to collect a sixth gold medal at the Worlds next week. But the way things are going for American athletes on the world stage… we’d better take our victories where we can, and celebrate them to the fullest. Rest assured that’s exactly what the members of the InLine team will do.
Somehow, we need to get the rest of the country on board.
The entire nation was ready to get behind the US Soccer team in the World Cup. But expectations far exceeded the outcome. In three games, the US managed a single goal off their own feet (the other was an own-goal off the foot of an Italian defender).
The World Cup flop was just another in a long string of recent reminders that we’re simply not the athletic superpower we once were.
More examples: this year marked the first time since the days before automobiles trolled the landscape than not a single American man or woman made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
It’s been well-publicized that the last couple American efforts in the Olympics have been somewhat disappointing.
Sure, we own the X-Games, Football and other US-born sports… but that’s part of the problem, we can’t seem to dominate anything aside from sports we created. There really isn’t a single major (or even semi-major) sport outside of those which we created where we can truly say dominance is held by American players at the highest levels.
This is true even in our own major leagues. After sharing baseball and basketball with the world for years, the fruits of all that effort to push our games to the corners of the globe has worked. Baseball now has deep roots around the Southern Hemisphere and Asia. Basketball, a game whose innermost identity lies in the American inner-city, has a brighter immediate future among the stars developing in dimly-lit and somewhat mysterious gyms of Europe rather than blacktops and YMCA’s in the States.
Even ice hockey, not to be confused with the InLine variety, is no longer the exclusive domain of North America. The US has always yielded to Canada for hockey supremacy… but even our fraternal twin to the north has slowly been losing its’ grip on the sport it claims most dear to its’ own heart. Players like NHL Rookie of the Year Alexander Ovechkin and playoff goalie phenom Jussi Markinnen are among those widening the flow of talent from the rest of the globe.
I’m not rallying around the argument that the seeds of sport once planted in nearly every child in America are no longer are getting the kind of nourishment they need to properly grow. Sure, it’s clear that digital cable, Xboxes and the Internet aren’t exactly the fuel American’s next generation needs to reclaim athletic supremacy… but there are some factors in play that seem to work in our favor. There are exponentially more opportunities available to girls in today’s generation, and youth sports are far more organized today for both genders. The trend toward single-sport specialization would seem to encourage accelerated progress much more than the sandlot and backyard games of the past. They may not be quite as fun for kids as they’re structured now, but you’d think the product at the end of the mechanism would be superior.
All that said, we still have our share of stars in each sport. All-Star rosters and All-World teams in every sport will always have at least some form of American representation. But it’s just not the same as it used to be.
Some will say patriotism demands that we dispute this new global distribution of wealth, and fight to get the USA back atop the worldwide athletic king-of-the-hill heap.
I disagree. It’s no fun winning all the time. After a while any dominant player, team or program needs to be knocked back a bit. It happened to the Islanders in the 70’s, the Yankees in the 80’s and look where the once-mighty San Francisco 49ers are these days. They all celebrated dominant eras of glory, came back to the pack, and now either are… or have plans to be… back on top in the very near future. Their fans haven’t left them, and haven’t lost the faith. For some, it may have even reinvigorated their passion for their teams.
So rather than bemoan America’s reduced role in the spotlight, let’s do a better job of celebrating the times when we do hit the line first, when we do win the tournament, when we do hold the records.
Nobody seems to care that Justin Gatlin, an American, just recently broke track’s most glamorous record. He’s currently engaged in a fierce rivalry with Jamaica’s Asafa Powell to see who truly is the World’s Fastest Man. Yet we hardly hear a peep. It’s in the back pages of newspaper sports sections, and is an oh-by-the way on both nationally and locally aimed sportscasts.
It can’t be denied that we’re not raising generations of fine-tuned athletes like we once did. But that makes it even more crucial for the American media and the American public to get on board with cheering the successes when they occur and rallying around whatever worldwide victories we can muster.
…there’s always the US National InLine team.
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC2. He can be reached at ChrisL@Water.net. He makes every effort to respond to any comments, suggestions or criticisms you wish to convey.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
World Cup, Everblades, Noel Devine
NBC2 Sports Blog – Chris Long
US Flops in the Cup, the Blades have a new big brother, and where things stand with Noel Devine.
It’s been a while since we’ve revved up the old ‘Blog and taken it for a spin. We’re hoping to put a few more miles on it in the coming months. Be sure to check back more frequently as we’ll have more regular updates, as opposed to the event-based posts we’ve been sticking to in the past.
There are a few topics swirling around that warrant discussion in the world of sports both national and local. I suppose with the World Cup in full swing, we can even take things global.
So let’s start with the World Cup, where the United States once again fell short of lofty expectations.
Ask anyone who knows anything about worldwide soccer (and you’ll know, because they’ll call it football), but the FIFA world rankings are basically a farce. If you think American college football rankings are weird, you ought to see the formula for the FIFA rankings. But this was the ranking that had the United States ranked 5th in the world going into the 2006 World Cup. The rest of the world looked at that as a massive joke, and the Team USA players even admitted they were far from the 5th best team in the world. As it played out in Germany the last two weeks… they were right.
For the second time in three World Cups, the US failed to win a game in their three-match group round. In fact, it took them until the final game to even put a ball in the opponent’s net without help (remember, the other goal they scored was put in by an Italian defender in the second match). The tie-breaker is goal differential in determining final placing in the Cup, and by at least losing in close games the US won’t come in last… like they did two Cups ago.
The current media storm is focusing on the should-he-stay-or-should-he-go around coach Bruce Arena. The team was woefully unprepared for the opener against the Czechs, and their offensive strategy (assuming there was one) was just awful. Brian McBride was the lone striker until the very last minutes of the do-or-die against Ghana when Eddie Johnson looked to have instructions to join the attack. To think a team like the US can hang with the world’s elite based on trying to own the midfield and smother with defense is just foolish. Not bringing sparkplug Clint Dempsey in until the second half against Italy was a nearly indefensible call. Dempsey proved his worth with the rocket-like strike he fired into the Ghana net… the lone tally for the US in the entire ’06 Cup. It was one of the more powerful goals of the entire competition. Eddie Johnson, who possesses world-class speed also should have been involved well before his initial insertion with just 30 minutes left in the final match. There simply should have been more help up front, and the decision to leave McBride as the lone threat up front could ultimately be the call that ends Arena’s tenure.
Last takes on the US’ run in the Cup:
Kasey Keller: A tough curtain call for a superb keeper whose only Cup run with the national team came years too late
Brian McBride: Will retire one of the most underrated players ever for the US team. He just never had the right bodies behind him to fuel his offensively creative fire
Landon Donovan: Entered the Cup as the face of US soccer. Leaves the Cup as having one of… if not THE… worst performances of the Cup. He was invisible in all three games.
Claudio Reyna: A rock for many years on the US National Team. This was a tough way for the captain to go out.
DaMarcus Beasley: Will be the star if the US is to make a deeper run in 2010
Clint Dempsey: Had street cred before even taking the field thanks to his very credible turn as a rapper. Will undoubtedly serve as the US’ primary offensive threat for the next decade
Freddy Adu: Deemed too young for this Cup, the superstar-in-waiting will have four good years of MLS (or other?) pro soccer experience by the time 2010 rolls around. That could be his coming-out party.
Bruce Arena: Thanks for the memories… good luck wherever your travels take you.
-------
Ok, on to a quick note about the state of the Florida Everblades.
For years, the ‘Blades affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes has meant promotion from the Blades up to Lowell of the AHL as players move their way up pro hockey’s pecking order. Lowell has switched over to being under the New Jersey Devils, which left the ‘Canes looking for a new AHL affiliate. They have settled on the Albany River Rats, which the ‘Canes will share as an AHL affiliate with the Colorado Avalanche..
What’s interesting is that there are only two AHL teams who have shared affiliations, as most are in singular relationships with just one NHL parent club.
The only other AHL team to share affiliations with two teams is the Rochester Americans – shared by the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres. As you probably know, the Panthers are also a parent club of the Everblades. What that means is: the two teams the ‘Blades promote players to in the AHL are the only two dually aligned teams. This could be a good thing in the long run for Everblades fans. With two NHL teams sharing the duties of filling the rosters in Rochester and Albany, there will be fewer open slots for Everblades players to promote up to.
While that’s probably bad news for players who look to elevate out of the ECHL and up the chain… but it’s good for the fans. Many players who might readily earn promotion to the AHL otherwise will stay with the Everblades a little longer.
The most frustrating part of this past season was the many call-ups and send-downs the team had to handle from the start of training camp all the way through the end of the season. That problem won’t go away, but it should be far better at least in the near future than it was last season.
-------
Lastly, I offer a quick note and observation about the supernova status of North Fort Myers High running back Noel Devine.
Devine is set to do a cover shoot for a national prep recruiting magazine. The magazine is sending a full-blown photography crew to town to shoot the senior-to-be who was recently touted by one recruiting service as “the most electrifying high school prospect since (Heisman winner and current New Orleans Saint) Reggie Bush.”
The interesting note here is that the cover shoot seems to go against the no-press rule that has reigned over the Red Knight program since Devine emerged as a superstar two seasons ago.
I was at the Cape Coral home Devine lives in when he returned home last summer following his brief and ill-fated adoption by Deion Sanders. It was the first and last time I have spoken to Devine. That day, he portrayed himself as quiet but confident… but it was clear he was far from comfortable talking to a member of the press. I actually looked forward to my next encounter with Devine, whenever it happened to be.
It hasn’t happened yet.
Despite one of the most amazing seasons in Southwest Florida prep football history, Devine was shielded by school and team officials from any contact with the media. Workouts this summer have come with notices of media exclusion, and I personally witnessed a verbal sparring match between one member of the local media and a team official that was clearly a product of both sides’ mutual frustration with one another.
I refuse to fault Red Knights coach James Iandoli for his constant desire to protect Devine from the press. I may disagree with some of his methods, but as a teacher and coach it’s his job to act in the interest of his student and player. If I were in Devine’s shoes… I’d want Iandoli in my corner.
So the big question is… will Devine finally speak at the upcoming photo shoot?
My guess is no.
Posing for a cover of a magazine is one thing. Answering questions about his past is another. I’d love to cry foul and say it’s not fair to us, the media, who are just trying to do our job – bringing the stories to the people of our community. But it’s the school’s job to protect the students. If there were some way that all parties could agree to only talk about his on-field play and his ever-brightening future… at least we might begin to unlock at least part of what’s really become a mystery.
But he’s a kid… maybe we don’t have the right to hold that key. Not as the media, not as members of the community.
Professionally, I’d love to sit down with him and have him tell his whole story. From the horrible shooting incident that had him witness the death of a friend, to his whirlwind week as Sanders’ adopted son, to his decision to hop a plane and head back to North Fort Myers.
But personally, I’d just like to have a chance to talk to the kid again. He really seemed like he’s a decent kid, and he’s obviously a heck of a football player. At the very least, I’d love to hear him just talk about the game.
But until he hits a college campus next year, that probably can’t happen.
Hopefully, by this time next year he’ll be properly instructed and mentally-prepared for what’s ahead of him at the next level. Be it Florida, Florida State, Miami, USC, Texas or whatever football powerhouse Devine chooses to bless with a commitment… he’ll be in an environment where he can’t be protected. There are weekly newsletters, monthly magazines, half-hour TV programs and hundreds of Internet sites dedicated to the football teams at those schools… and many others just like them. Devine is hot as he heads into his senior year of high school, but he’ll be off the charts by the time he sets foot on a college campus.
I hope he’s ready. I hope he buries whatever lies in his past and find his way to success on the field, in the classroom and in life. If he doesn’t, he’ll have far worse than a handful of local writers and reporters chasing him.
I wish him the best. I honestly do.
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor, Reporter and Blogger for NBC2. You can reach Chris via e-mail at ChrisL@Water.net . He welcomes opinions and suggestions on both the blog and on the day-to-day work of the NBC-2 Sports Department.
US Flops in the Cup, the Blades have a new big brother, and where things stand with Noel Devine.
It’s been a while since we’ve revved up the old ‘Blog and taken it for a spin. We’re hoping to put a few more miles on it in the coming months. Be sure to check back more frequently as we’ll have more regular updates, as opposed to the event-based posts we’ve been sticking to in the past.
There are a few topics swirling around that warrant discussion in the world of sports both national and local. I suppose with the World Cup in full swing, we can even take things global.
So let’s start with the World Cup, where the United States once again fell short of lofty expectations.
Ask anyone who knows anything about worldwide soccer (and you’ll know, because they’ll call it football), but the FIFA world rankings are basically a farce. If you think American college football rankings are weird, you ought to see the formula for the FIFA rankings. But this was the ranking that had the United States ranked 5th in the world going into the 2006 World Cup. The rest of the world looked at that as a massive joke, and the Team USA players even admitted they were far from the 5th best team in the world. As it played out in Germany the last two weeks… they were right.
For the second time in three World Cups, the US failed to win a game in their three-match group round. In fact, it took them until the final game to even put a ball in the opponent’s net without help (remember, the other goal they scored was put in by an Italian defender in the second match). The tie-breaker is goal differential in determining final placing in the Cup, and by at least losing in close games the US won’t come in last… like they did two Cups ago.
The current media storm is focusing on the should-he-stay-or-should-he-go around coach Bruce Arena. The team was woefully unprepared for the opener against the Czechs, and their offensive strategy (assuming there was one) was just awful. Brian McBride was the lone striker until the very last minutes of the do-or-die against Ghana when Eddie Johnson looked to have instructions to join the attack. To think a team like the US can hang with the world’s elite based on trying to own the midfield and smother with defense is just foolish. Not bringing sparkplug Clint Dempsey in until the second half against Italy was a nearly indefensible call. Dempsey proved his worth with the rocket-like strike he fired into the Ghana net… the lone tally for the US in the entire ’06 Cup. It was one of the more powerful goals of the entire competition. Eddie Johnson, who possesses world-class speed also should have been involved well before his initial insertion with just 30 minutes left in the final match. There simply should have been more help up front, and the decision to leave McBride as the lone threat up front could ultimately be the call that ends Arena’s tenure.
Last takes on the US’ run in the Cup:
Kasey Keller: A tough curtain call for a superb keeper whose only Cup run with the national team came years too late
Brian McBride: Will retire one of the most underrated players ever for the US team. He just never had the right bodies behind him to fuel his offensively creative fire
Landon Donovan: Entered the Cup as the face of US soccer. Leaves the Cup as having one of… if not THE… worst performances of the Cup. He was invisible in all three games.
Claudio Reyna: A rock for many years on the US National Team. This was a tough way for the captain to go out.
DaMarcus Beasley: Will be the star if the US is to make a deeper run in 2010
Clint Dempsey: Had street cred before even taking the field thanks to his very credible turn as a rapper. Will undoubtedly serve as the US’ primary offensive threat for the next decade
Freddy Adu: Deemed too young for this Cup, the superstar-in-waiting will have four good years of MLS (or other?) pro soccer experience by the time 2010 rolls around. That could be his coming-out party.
Bruce Arena: Thanks for the memories… good luck wherever your travels take you.
-------
Ok, on to a quick note about the state of the Florida Everblades.
For years, the ‘Blades affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes has meant promotion from the Blades up to Lowell of the AHL as players move their way up pro hockey’s pecking order. Lowell has switched over to being under the New Jersey Devils, which left the ‘Canes looking for a new AHL affiliate. They have settled on the Albany River Rats, which the ‘Canes will share as an AHL affiliate with the Colorado Avalanche..
What’s interesting is that there are only two AHL teams who have shared affiliations, as most are in singular relationships with just one NHL parent club.
The only other AHL team to share affiliations with two teams is the Rochester Americans – shared by the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres. As you probably know, the Panthers are also a parent club of the Everblades. What that means is: the two teams the ‘Blades promote players to in the AHL are the only two dually aligned teams. This could be a good thing in the long run for Everblades fans. With two NHL teams sharing the duties of filling the rosters in Rochester and Albany, there will be fewer open slots for Everblades players to promote up to.
While that’s probably bad news for players who look to elevate out of the ECHL and up the chain… but it’s good for the fans. Many players who might readily earn promotion to the AHL otherwise will stay with the Everblades a little longer.
The most frustrating part of this past season was the many call-ups and send-downs the team had to handle from the start of training camp all the way through the end of the season. That problem won’t go away, but it should be far better at least in the near future than it was last season.
-------
Lastly, I offer a quick note and observation about the supernova status of North Fort Myers High running back Noel Devine.
Devine is set to do a cover shoot for a national prep recruiting magazine. The magazine is sending a full-blown photography crew to town to shoot the senior-to-be who was recently touted by one recruiting service as “the most electrifying high school prospect since (Heisman winner and current New Orleans Saint) Reggie Bush.”
The interesting note here is that the cover shoot seems to go against the no-press rule that has reigned over the Red Knight program since Devine emerged as a superstar two seasons ago.
I was at the Cape Coral home Devine lives in when he returned home last summer following his brief and ill-fated adoption by Deion Sanders. It was the first and last time I have spoken to Devine. That day, he portrayed himself as quiet but confident… but it was clear he was far from comfortable talking to a member of the press. I actually looked forward to my next encounter with Devine, whenever it happened to be.
It hasn’t happened yet.
Despite one of the most amazing seasons in Southwest Florida prep football history, Devine was shielded by school and team officials from any contact with the media. Workouts this summer have come with notices of media exclusion, and I personally witnessed a verbal sparring match between one member of the local media and a team official that was clearly a product of both sides’ mutual frustration with one another.
I refuse to fault Red Knights coach James Iandoli for his constant desire to protect Devine from the press. I may disagree with some of his methods, but as a teacher and coach it’s his job to act in the interest of his student and player. If I were in Devine’s shoes… I’d want Iandoli in my corner.
So the big question is… will Devine finally speak at the upcoming photo shoot?
My guess is no.
Posing for a cover of a magazine is one thing. Answering questions about his past is another. I’d love to cry foul and say it’s not fair to us, the media, who are just trying to do our job – bringing the stories to the people of our community. But it’s the school’s job to protect the students. If there were some way that all parties could agree to only talk about his on-field play and his ever-brightening future… at least we might begin to unlock at least part of what’s really become a mystery.
But he’s a kid… maybe we don’t have the right to hold that key. Not as the media, not as members of the community.
Professionally, I’d love to sit down with him and have him tell his whole story. From the horrible shooting incident that had him witness the death of a friend, to his whirlwind week as Sanders’ adopted son, to his decision to hop a plane and head back to North Fort Myers.
But personally, I’d just like to have a chance to talk to the kid again. He really seemed like he’s a decent kid, and he’s obviously a heck of a football player. At the very least, I’d love to hear him just talk about the game.
But until he hits a college campus next year, that probably can’t happen.
Hopefully, by this time next year he’ll be properly instructed and mentally-prepared for what’s ahead of him at the next level. Be it Florida, Florida State, Miami, USC, Texas or whatever football powerhouse Devine chooses to bless with a commitment… he’ll be in an environment where he can’t be protected. There are weekly newsletters, monthly magazines, half-hour TV programs and hundreds of Internet sites dedicated to the football teams at those schools… and many others just like them. Devine is hot as he heads into his senior year of high school, but he’ll be off the charts by the time he sets foot on a college campus.
I hope he’s ready. I hope he buries whatever lies in his past and find his way to success on the field, in the classroom and in life. If he doesn’t, he’ll have far worse than a handful of local writers and reporters chasing him.
I wish him the best. I honestly do.
CHRIS LONG is a Sports Anchor, Reporter and Blogger for NBC2. You can reach Chris via e-mail at ChrisL@Water.net . He welcomes opinions and suggestions on both the blog and on the day-to-day work of the NBC-2 Sports Department.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Divisional Semi Recap / Divisional Final Preview
EVERBLADES PLAYOFF BLOG – They’re movin’ on!
(Divisional Semi Recap / Divisional Final Preview) -Chris Long, NBC2 Sports
The final two games of the Division Semifinal series against Greenville showed how screwy the ECHL playoffs can be.
In Game 3’s 1-0 overtime loss, the Blades were defensively tight, but offensively lacking. Their power outage on the power play continued – still just a single extra-man goal in the series. The moment Jason Josza’s overtime game-winner wove it’s way off his stick, off a teammate’s stick, off a ‘Blades defenseman and then just inside the left post behind Phil Osaer… it looked like the series might spin 180-degrees. Goals like that always seem to have some kind of lasting effect on the series… but not this time.
Game Four was a clinic on how to run special teams. The Everblades, having scored just the one in the three games prior, exploded for seven power play goals in the eventual series finale. Greenville put themselves behind the 8-ball by giving the ‘Blades ten opportunities… but Florida made them count, shattering the franchise playoff record that had been three. They also tied a playoff record for goals in a game in the 9-4 win.
The blowout win put an exclamation point on the series that the ‘Blades truly hoped to sweep. Having to play a fourth game prevented the team from being able to return home before the start of the next series. Instead of making a 1350-mile Greenville-Estero-Gwinnett trip, the team opted to remain in Greenville before taking the quick 2-hour trip directly from Greenville to Duluth, Georgia (the actual town Gwinnett plays in).
Looking ahead to the upcoming Division Final, despite Gwinnett winning the regular season division title and holding home-ice, this series appears to be a dead-even matchup. The teams split their eleven regular season matchups 5-5-1, and have never met in the playoffs prior to this coming series.
Due to the different number of teams in the East and West Conferences, this year’s Kelly Cup Playoffs has an unbalanced bracket this season. It means Eastern Conference teams continue to play Best-of-5 series’ while the Western teams have already been into Best-of-7’s for a round already.
The shorter series can work either for or against a team like the Everblades. They’ve show they can be a little streaky at times this year, and even a two-game losing streak is crippling in a five game series. The longer seven game series allows a team to take a couple strikes, and still be in position to win the series. On the other hand, as hot as goalie Phil Osaer has been… the likelihood of him cooling off may be less likely in a short series with very little travel time.
Finally, that lack of travel time will also play a role in the Gladiators-Everblades series. While the opening round against Greenville featured a week-long break between the openers at Germain and the second pair of games in Greenville, the entire Division Final will be over in a span of eight days:
GAME ONE: @ Gwinnett Center – Wednesday 7:05pm
GAME TWO: @ Gwinnett Center – Friday 7:35pm
GAME THREE: @ Germain Arena – Saturday 7:30pm
GAME FOUR: @ Germain Arena – Monday 7:30pm
GAME FIVE: @ Gwinnett Center – Wednesday 5/3 7:05pm
The first thing that jumps out from that schedule is the back-to-back games Friday and Saturday that are separated by 24 hours and 750 miles of bus travel. This blog addressed the ECHL’s bizarre scheduling rationales during the Everblades run last season, but once again this year… it just makes no sense. Understandably, they want to have as many games as possible on the weekends, to assure the largest crowd possible. They also don’t want to string series’ out any longer than they need to, so the entire playoff can progress at a good pace. But this situation seems pretty strange. The teams will play Friday night in Georgia, then hit the road immediately afterward en route to Estero for Game Three the very next night. Whichever team can handle the quick turnaround and long overnight bus trip the best between those two games will have a leg-up in closing out the series.
That’s it for now, check back as we’ll be updating our Blog as long as the ‘Blades stay alive!
CHRIS LONG is the Weekend Sports Anchor on NBC2 and has been covering the Everblades for two seasons. The Everblades Playoff Blog debuted when he traveled with the team in last year’s Kelly Cup Finals in Trenton, NJ. Click here to send Chris an e-mail with any comments, questions. He makes every effort to respond to each and every submission.
Around the league (courtesy ECHL):
North Division Finals (Best-of-Five) – Winner of this series plays winner of Gwinnett/Florida
* Toledo was 5-1-1 at home against the Nailers in the regular season, outscoring Wheeling 28-17. * Rookie Sean Collins led Nailers on the road against Toledo with three goals, seven assists and 10 points. * Scooter Smith led the Storm at home against Wheeling with eight assists and 11 points. * The last three meetings have been one-goal games with Wheeling winning two of the three. * Matt Zultek has three points at home in the playoffs, including a team-leading two goals. * Nailers' Kurtis McLean has scored in all four playoff games (4g-3a). * Storm rookies Chris Blight (2g-2a) and Bracken Kearns have combined for 10 points in three playoff games. * Wheeling rookie Andy Franck is 3-1-0 with a goals against of 3.21 and a save percentage of .893.
Pacific Division Finals (Best-of-Seven)
No. 2 Bakersfield Condors (40-26-6) at No. 1 Fresno Falcons (43-15-14) 7:30 p.m. ET* Fresno was 3-0-0 at home against the Condors in the regular season, winning last two games in a shootout. * Dave Bonk, who leads the playoffs (5g-5a), had two goals in 3-2 shootout loss at Fresno on Mar. 28. * Falcons' Rob McFeeters scored four points (2g-2a) in three home games against Bakersfield. * Bakersfield is looking for its first win at Fresno since beating the Falcons 4-1 on Mar. 13, 2005. * Falcons' Kelsey Muench scored in all four playoff games with five points, including a team-high four goals. * Condors' Mathieu Brunelle is tied for the postseason league lead with two game-winning goals. * Jamie Holden is 3-1-0 with goals against of 2.40 and a .939 save percentage against Bakersfield. * Condors lead the postseason with 27 goals, including 10 in the second period which is tied for league lead.
West Division Finals (Best-of-Seven)
No. 2 Las Vegas Wranglers (53-13-6) at No. 1 Alaska Aces (53-12-7) 7:15 p.m. AT* Aces' Matt Underhill is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage in playoffs. * Wranglers won three in a row against Idaho, outscoring the Steelheads 17-4, to reach division finals. * Alaska was 3-0-0 at home against Las Vegas, outscoring the Wranglers 9-3. * Las Vegas' Marco Peluso is averaging two points per game in the last three games (1g-5a). * Aces' Chris Minard has five goals in the playoffs and is tied for the league lead with three power-play goals. * Las Vegas has won three of the last four meetings with Alaska, outscoring the Aces 17-9. * In Game 1s in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, Alaska is 6-0 and Las Vegas is 1-1. * Wranglers lead the playoffs with 10 goals in the third period and rank second overall with 26 goals.
Notes:
This year marks the first time in ECHL history that all the top seeds advanced to the playoff’s Elite Eight… led by regular season champion Alaska and regular season runner-up Las Vegas, who will meet in the West Division Finals.
The Aces finished with 113 points, which is the second-highest total in league history, while the Wranglers had 112 points, which is the third-highest total. Five teams reached 100 points in 2005-06, surpassing the previous high of three in 2003-04, as Gwinnett had 107 points and Florida and Fresno both had 100 points. The last time a 100-point team advanced in the postseason was 2003 when Toledo beat Lexington in the division semifinals before losing to Cincinnati in the division finals. The all-time postseason series record for 100-point teams is now 20-14.
Each of the past two seasons, the regular season champion has been upset in the first round as Pensacola lost in four games to Greenville in 2005 and San Diego was swept in three games by Alaska in 2004. The last time a regular season champion advanced to the conference finals was 2001 when Trenton swept Toledo in three games in the semifinals and then beat Peoria in seven games in the conference finals to advance to the Kelly Cup Finals where it lost in five games to South Carolina. South Carolina is the only team in league history to win both the regular season championship and the postseason championship, accomplishing the feat in 1997.
Alaska, Florida and Gwinnett return to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year while Bakersfield, Fresno and Las Vegas have reached the Elite Eight for the first time. Toledo returns for the first time since 2001 and Wheeling makes an appearance for the first time since 1998.
In the National Conference, the West Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Alaska (53-12-7) meeting No. 2 Seed Las Vegas (53-13-6) while the Pacific Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Fresno (43-15-14) against No. 2 Seed Bakersfield (40-26-6). The semifinals in the National Conference are a best-of-seven series with the winners advancing to the conference finals which are a best-of-seven series scheduled for May 8-20.
In the American Conference, the South Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Gwinnett (50-15-7) meeting No. 2 Seed Florida (48-20-4) while the North Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Toledo (46-21-5) against No. 2 Seed Wheeling (45-21-6). The semifinals in the American Conference are a best-of-five series with the winners advancing to the conference finals which are a best-of-seven series scheduled for May 5-20.
The winners of the National Conference and the American Conference will meet in the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals which will be played May 22-June 3.
Alaska has advanced to the division finals in each of its first three seasons in the ECHL. The Aces have been eliminated each of the past two years by the eventual Kelly Cup Champion, losing to Idaho in the divisional finals in 2004 and losing in seven games to Trenton in the conference finals last year. Las Vegas won the first playoff series in its three-year history beating Idaho in seven games, becoming only the second team in league history to come back after trailing 3-1. The Wranglers won the last two regular season meetings with Alaska, both played at Las Vegas. The Aces, however, captured the season series by going 4-2-1.
Florida is trying to become the first team ever to reach the league finals three consecutive years. The Everblades advanced to the Kelly Cup Finals in each of the last two years, losing to Idaho in five games in 2004 and losing in six games to Trenton in 2005. The other teams to reach back-to-back league finals are Hampton Roads, which won the Riley Cup in 1991 and 1992, and Toledo, which won the Riley Cup in 1993 and 1994. Gwinnett returns to the division finals for the second time in the last three years, having lost in the conference finals to Idaho in 2004. Gwinnett was 6-3-2 in the regular season against the Everblades, who were 5-5-1 against the Gladiators.
Wheeling won its first playoff series since 1998 when current Carolina Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette led the Nailers to the conference finals, beating Toledo in four games in the conference semifinals. The Nailers lost in the conference finals to Hampton Roads, which went on to beat Pensacola in six games in the Kelly Cup Finals. The Nailers are in the playoff for the second time in three seasons after missing the postseason for five years. Toledo, which is making its second consecutive postseason appearance and its 12th overall, won its first playoff series since 2003 when it lost to Cincinnati in the division finals. The Storm swept Wheeling in three games in 1994, advancing to the Riley Cup Finals where they beat Raleigh in five games. Toledo and Wheeling met in the Riley Cup Finals in 1993 with the Storm winning in six games, including a 7-6 double overtime win in Game 6. Toledo was 8-4-1 in the regular season against Wheeling, which was 5-7-1 against the Storm.
In the playoffs for the second year in a row, Bakersfield beat Long Beach in seven games for its first postseason series win while Fresno, which is making its first appearance in the Kelly Cup Playoffs since joining the league in 2003-04, swept San Diego in the division semifinals. Fresno won the last three regular season meetings and was 4-0-2 against the Condors.
BY THE NUMBERS (Courtesy: Everblades):
Quick Stats
Overall Record 3-1
Home Record 2-0
Road Record 1-1
Overtime Record 1-1
Power Play 8-31 (1st)
Penalty Kill 30-36 (11th)
Leading Scorers
Vince Bellissimo 2-4-6
Corey Neilson 2-4-6
Dustin Johner 2-3-5
Reggie Berg 2-3-5
Leading Goaltenders
Phil Osaer 2.49 GAA, 3-1
Plus/Minus Leaders
Matt Bannan +4
Corey Neilson +3
Drew Larman +3
Ryan Brindley +3
Weekly Award Nominee: The Everblades goaltender of the week nominee is Phil Osaer who finished the week 1-1 with a 2.24 goals against average and a .937 save percentage with one shutout. The Player of the Week nominee is Steve Saviano who tallied one goal and three assists in lone game he played in during Florida's 9-4 series clinching win over Greenville.
Record Breaking Night!: In Florida's 9-4 win over Greenville on Apr. 22, the Everblades set or tied several single-game franchise records. The nine goals scored tied the teams all-time mark for most in one playoff game, matching the time is was done on May 14, 1999 at Birmingham...of the nine goals scored, the Everblades scored seven of them on the power play which shattered the previous franchise mark of three on May 10, 2005 vs. Charlotte...the four assists picked up in the game by Vince Bellissimo set a team record for most helpers in one game.
Series at a Glance: The South Division Finals between the Everblades and Gwinnett Gladiators marks the first time the two teams will meet in the post-season...during the 2005-06 regular season, the Everblades posted a 5-5-1 record vs. Gwinnett, going 3-2-1 at home and posting a 2-3-0 record at Gwinnett...all-time the Everblades are 9-10-4 vs. Gwinnett...the Everblades advanced to the South Division Finals by defeating the Greenville Grrrowl 3-games-to-1 in the semifinal round...the Gladiators advanced to the Division Finals by sweeping the South Carolina Stingrays 3-games-to-0 in the semifinal round...Gwinnett and Florida finished first and second in the South Division standings...the Gladiators posted a record of 50-15-7, while the Everblades finished the regular season with a mark of 48-20-4.
Playoffs by the Numbers: The Everblades have qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their eight seasons...the Everblades are 34-24 all-time in the post season...on home ice the Everblades are 18-15 in the post season, while posting a 16-10 road record...Reggie Berg is the team's all-time leader in post-season games played with 49 and is tied for first all-time in goals with 17. Berg also ranks first all-time in playoff points as an Everblade with 44.
Playoff Ticket Information: Everblades 2006 Kelly Cup Playoff Tickets for Games “C”, which will take place on Saturday, April 29, are on sale now to the general public! Fans can purchase tickets at the Germain Arena box office, which is open from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For additional information, contact the Everblades office at (239) 948-7825.
Everblades On The Air: The Florida Everblades are broadcast on Sportsradio 770 AM and on the web at www.floridaeverblades.com. Join the "Voice of the Everblades" Kevin Reiter for all the play-by-play action. The Florida Lottery pre-game show begins 20 minutes before face-off.
(Divisional Semi Recap / Divisional Final Preview) -Chris Long, NBC2 Sports
The final two games of the Division Semifinal series against Greenville showed how screwy the ECHL playoffs can be.
In Game 3’s 1-0 overtime loss, the Blades were defensively tight, but offensively lacking. Their power outage on the power play continued – still just a single extra-man goal in the series. The moment Jason Josza’s overtime game-winner wove it’s way off his stick, off a teammate’s stick, off a ‘Blades defenseman and then just inside the left post behind Phil Osaer… it looked like the series might spin 180-degrees. Goals like that always seem to have some kind of lasting effect on the series… but not this time.
Game Four was a clinic on how to run special teams. The Everblades, having scored just the one in the three games prior, exploded for seven power play goals in the eventual series finale. Greenville put themselves behind the 8-ball by giving the ‘Blades ten opportunities… but Florida made them count, shattering the franchise playoff record that had been three. They also tied a playoff record for goals in a game in the 9-4 win.
The blowout win put an exclamation point on the series that the ‘Blades truly hoped to sweep. Having to play a fourth game prevented the team from being able to return home before the start of the next series. Instead of making a 1350-mile Greenville-Estero-Gwinnett trip, the team opted to remain in Greenville before taking the quick 2-hour trip directly from Greenville to Duluth, Georgia (the actual town Gwinnett plays in).
Looking ahead to the upcoming Division Final, despite Gwinnett winning the regular season division title and holding home-ice, this series appears to be a dead-even matchup. The teams split their eleven regular season matchups 5-5-1, and have never met in the playoffs prior to this coming series.
Due to the different number of teams in the East and West Conferences, this year’s Kelly Cup Playoffs has an unbalanced bracket this season. It means Eastern Conference teams continue to play Best-of-5 series’ while the Western teams have already been into Best-of-7’s for a round already.
The shorter series can work either for or against a team like the Everblades. They’ve show they can be a little streaky at times this year, and even a two-game losing streak is crippling in a five game series. The longer seven game series allows a team to take a couple strikes, and still be in position to win the series. On the other hand, as hot as goalie Phil Osaer has been… the likelihood of him cooling off may be less likely in a short series with very little travel time.
Finally, that lack of travel time will also play a role in the Gladiators-Everblades series. While the opening round against Greenville featured a week-long break between the openers at Germain and the second pair of games in Greenville, the entire Division Final will be over in a span of eight days:
GAME ONE: @ Gwinnett Center – Wednesday 7:05pm
GAME TWO: @ Gwinnett Center – Friday 7:35pm
GAME THREE: @ Germain Arena – Saturday 7:30pm
GAME FOUR: @ Germain Arena – Monday 7:30pm
GAME FIVE: @ Gwinnett Center – Wednesday 5/3 7:05pm
The first thing that jumps out from that schedule is the back-to-back games Friday and Saturday that are separated by 24 hours and 750 miles of bus travel. This blog addressed the ECHL’s bizarre scheduling rationales during the Everblades run last season, but once again this year… it just makes no sense. Understandably, they want to have as many games as possible on the weekends, to assure the largest crowd possible. They also don’t want to string series’ out any longer than they need to, so the entire playoff can progress at a good pace. But this situation seems pretty strange. The teams will play Friday night in Georgia, then hit the road immediately afterward en route to Estero for Game Three the very next night. Whichever team can handle the quick turnaround and long overnight bus trip the best between those two games will have a leg-up in closing out the series.
That’s it for now, check back as we’ll be updating our Blog as long as the ‘Blades stay alive!
CHRIS LONG is the Weekend Sports Anchor on NBC2 and has been covering the Everblades for two seasons. The Everblades Playoff Blog debuted when he traveled with the team in last year’s Kelly Cup Finals in Trenton, NJ. Click here to send Chris an e-mail with any comments, questions. He makes every effort to respond to each and every submission.
Around the league (courtesy ECHL):
North Division Finals (Best-of-Five) – Winner of this series plays winner of Gwinnett/Florida
* Toledo was 5-1-1 at home against the Nailers in the regular season, outscoring Wheeling 28-17. * Rookie Sean Collins led Nailers on the road against Toledo with three goals, seven assists and 10 points. * Scooter Smith led the Storm at home against Wheeling with eight assists and 11 points. * The last three meetings have been one-goal games with Wheeling winning two of the three. * Matt Zultek has three points at home in the playoffs, including a team-leading two goals. * Nailers' Kurtis McLean has scored in all four playoff games (4g-3a). * Storm rookies Chris Blight (2g-2a) and Bracken Kearns have combined for 10 points in three playoff games. * Wheeling rookie Andy Franck is 3-1-0 with a goals against of 3.21 and a save percentage of .893.
Pacific Division Finals (Best-of-Seven)
No. 2 Bakersfield Condors (40-26-6) at No. 1 Fresno Falcons (43-15-14) 7:30 p.m. ET* Fresno was 3-0-0 at home against the Condors in the regular season, winning last two games in a shootout. * Dave Bonk, who leads the playoffs (5g-5a), had two goals in 3-2 shootout loss at Fresno on Mar. 28. * Falcons' Rob McFeeters scored four points (2g-2a) in three home games against Bakersfield. * Bakersfield is looking for its first win at Fresno since beating the Falcons 4-1 on Mar. 13, 2005. * Falcons' Kelsey Muench scored in all four playoff games with five points, including a team-high four goals. * Condors' Mathieu Brunelle is tied for the postseason league lead with two game-winning goals. * Jamie Holden is 3-1-0 with goals against of 2.40 and a .939 save percentage against Bakersfield. * Condors lead the postseason with 27 goals, including 10 in the second period which is tied for league lead.
West Division Finals (Best-of-Seven)
No. 2 Las Vegas Wranglers (53-13-6) at No. 1 Alaska Aces (53-12-7) 7:15 p.m. AT* Aces' Matt Underhill is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage in playoffs. * Wranglers won three in a row against Idaho, outscoring the Steelheads 17-4, to reach division finals. * Alaska was 3-0-0 at home against Las Vegas, outscoring the Wranglers 9-3. * Las Vegas' Marco Peluso is averaging two points per game in the last three games (1g-5a). * Aces' Chris Minard has five goals in the playoffs and is tied for the league lead with three power-play goals. * Las Vegas has won three of the last four meetings with Alaska, outscoring the Aces 17-9. * In Game 1s in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, Alaska is 6-0 and Las Vegas is 1-1. * Wranglers lead the playoffs with 10 goals in the third period and rank second overall with 26 goals.
Notes:
This year marks the first time in ECHL history that all the top seeds advanced to the playoff’s Elite Eight… led by regular season champion Alaska and regular season runner-up Las Vegas, who will meet in the West Division Finals.
The Aces finished with 113 points, which is the second-highest total in league history, while the Wranglers had 112 points, which is the third-highest total. Five teams reached 100 points in 2005-06, surpassing the previous high of three in 2003-04, as Gwinnett had 107 points and Florida and Fresno both had 100 points. The last time a 100-point team advanced in the postseason was 2003 when Toledo beat Lexington in the division semifinals before losing to Cincinnati in the division finals. The all-time postseason series record for 100-point teams is now 20-14.
Each of the past two seasons, the regular season champion has been upset in the first round as Pensacola lost in four games to Greenville in 2005 and San Diego was swept in three games by Alaska in 2004. The last time a regular season champion advanced to the conference finals was 2001 when Trenton swept Toledo in three games in the semifinals and then beat Peoria in seven games in the conference finals to advance to the Kelly Cup Finals where it lost in five games to South Carolina. South Carolina is the only team in league history to win both the regular season championship and the postseason championship, accomplishing the feat in 1997.
Alaska, Florida and Gwinnett return to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year while Bakersfield, Fresno and Las Vegas have reached the Elite Eight for the first time. Toledo returns for the first time since 2001 and Wheeling makes an appearance for the first time since 1998.
In the National Conference, the West Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Alaska (53-12-7) meeting No. 2 Seed Las Vegas (53-13-6) while the Pacific Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Fresno (43-15-14) against No. 2 Seed Bakersfield (40-26-6). The semifinals in the National Conference are a best-of-seven series with the winners advancing to the conference finals which are a best-of-seven series scheduled for May 8-20.
In the American Conference, the South Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Gwinnett (50-15-7) meeting No. 2 Seed Florida (48-20-4) while the North Division Finals have No. 1 Seed Toledo (46-21-5) against No. 2 Seed Wheeling (45-21-6). The semifinals in the American Conference are a best-of-five series with the winners advancing to the conference finals which are a best-of-seven series scheduled for May 5-20.
The winners of the National Conference and the American Conference will meet in the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals which will be played May 22-June 3.
Alaska has advanced to the division finals in each of its first three seasons in the ECHL. The Aces have been eliminated each of the past two years by the eventual Kelly Cup Champion, losing to Idaho in the divisional finals in 2004 and losing in seven games to Trenton in the conference finals last year. Las Vegas won the first playoff series in its three-year history beating Idaho in seven games, becoming only the second team in league history to come back after trailing 3-1. The Wranglers won the last two regular season meetings with Alaska, both played at Las Vegas. The Aces, however, captured the season series by going 4-2-1.
Florida is trying to become the first team ever to reach the league finals three consecutive years. The Everblades advanced to the Kelly Cup Finals in each of the last two years, losing to Idaho in five games in 2004 and losing in six games to Trenton in 2005. The other teams to reach back-to-back league finals are Hampton Roads, which won the Riley Cup in 1991 and 1992, and Toledo, which won the Riley Cup in 1993 and 1994. Gwinnett returns to the division finals for the second time in the last three years, having lost in the conference finals to Idaho in 2004. Gwinnett was 6-3-2 in the regular season against the Everblades, who were 5-5-1 against the Gladiators.
Wheeling won its first playoff series since 1998 when current Carolina Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette led the Nailers to the conference finals, beating Toledo in four games in the conference semifinals. The Nailers lost in the conference finals to Hampton Roads, which went on to beat Pensacola in six games in the Kelly Cup Finals. The Nailers are in the playoff for the second time in three seasons after missing the postseason for five years. Toledo, which is making its second consecutive postseason appearance and its 12th overall, won its first playoff series since 2003 when it lost to Cincinnati in the division finals. The Storm swept Wheeling in three games in 1994, advancing to the Riley Cup Finals where they beat Raleigh in five games. Toledo and Wheeling met in the Riley Cup Finals in 1993 with the Storm winning in six games, including a 7-6 double overtime win in Game 6. Toledo was 8-4-1 in the regular season against Wheeling, which was 5-7-1 against the Storm.
In the playoffs for the second year in a row, Bakersfield beat Long Beach in seven games for its first postseason series win while Fresno, which is making its first appearance in the Kelly Cup Playoffs since joining the league in 2003-04, swept San Diego in the division semifinals. Fresno won the last three regular season meetings and was 4-0-2 against the Condors.
BY THE NUMBERS (Courtesy: Everblades):
Quick Stats
Overall Record 3-1
Home Record 2-0
Road Record 1-1
Overtime Record 1-1
Power Play 8-31 (1st)
Penalty Kill 30-36 (11th)
Leading Scorers
Vince Bellissimo 2-4-6
Corey Neilson 2-4-6
Dustin Johner 2-3-5
Reggie Berg 2-3-5
Leading Goaltenders
Phil Osaer 2.49 GAA, 3-1
Plus/Minus Leaders
Matt Bannan +4
Corey Neilson +3
Drew Larman +3
Ryan Brindley +3
Weekly Award Nominee: The Everblades goaltender of the week nominee is Phil Osaer who finished the week 1-1 with a 2.24 goals against average and a .937 save percentage with one shutout. The Player of the Week nominee is Steve Saviano who tallied one goal and three assists in lone game he played in during Florida's 9-4 series clinching win over Greenville.
Record Breaking Night!: In Florida's 9-4 win over Greenville on Apr. 22, the Everblades set or tied several single-game franchise records. The nine goals scored tied the teams all-time mark for most in one playoff game, matching the time is was done on May 14, 1999 at Birmingham...of the nine goals scored, the Everblades scored seven of them on the power play which shattered the previous franchise mark of three on May 10, 2005 vs. Charlotte...the four assists picked up in the game by Vince Bellissimo set a team record for most helpers in one game.
Series at a Glance: The South Division Finals between the Everblades and Gwinnett Gladiators marks the first time the two teams will meet in the post-season...during the 2005-06 regular season, the Everblades posted a 5-5-1 record vs. Gwinnett, going 3-2-1 at home and posting a 2-3-0 record at Gwinnett...all-time the Everblades are 9-10-4 vs. Gwinnett...the Everblades advanced to the South Division Finals by defeating the Greenville Grrrowl 3-games-to-1 in the semifinal round...the Gladiators advanced to the Division Finals by sweeping the South Carolina Stingrays 3-games-to-0 in the semifinal round...Gwinnett and Florida finished first and second in the South Division standings...the Gladiators posted a record of 50-15-7, while the Everblades finished the regular season with a mark of 48-20-4.
Playoffs by the Numbers: The Everblades have qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their eight seasons...the Everblades are 34-24 all-time in the post season...on home ice the Everblades are 18-15 in the post season, while posting a 16-10 road record...Reggie Berg is the team's all-time leader in post-season games played with 49 and is tied for first all-time in goals with 17. Berg also ranks first all-time in playoff points as an Everblade with 44.
Playoff Ticket Information: Everblades 2006 Kelly Cup Playoff Tickets for Games “C”, which will take place on Saturday, April 29, are on sale now to the general public! Fans can purchase tickets at the Germain Arena box office, which is open from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For additional information, contact the Everblades office at (239) 948-7825.
Everblades On The Air: The Florida Everblades are broadcast on Sportsradio 770 AM and on the web at www.floridaeverblades.com. Join the "Voice of the Everblades" Kevin Reiter for all the play-by-play action. The Florida Lottery pre-game show begins 20 minutes before face-off.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
NBC2 EVERBLADES PLAYOFF BLOG: Round 1 / Games 1-2
NBC2 EVERBLADES PLAYOFF BLOG: Looking good through two
-Chris Long, NBC2 Sports (e-mail)
The difference in the regular season series between the Florida Everblades and Greenville came down to the power play. The Everblades scored on an amazing 30 percent of their extra-man advantages, while Greenville scored on just 8 percent… a total of just three goals. Thanks to their special teams success, the Blades went 3-2-1 against Greenville this regular season.
Similar man-up mastery helped the ‘Blades to a 3-0 series sweep of Greenville in last year’s Kelly Cup Playoffs.
But through the first two games of this year’s ECHL Playoffs, the tables have turned. It has been Greenville holding the power play advantage. However the Everblades have used the Grrrowl power play against them. In the first two games of the series, a very high number of penalties have been called. The Blades have had 13 extra-man situations, while Greenville has had 17.
Florida has just a single goal for their 13 power plays. While on their 17, Greenville has scored four goals… that’s the exact same number of goals the ‘Blades have scored shorthanded on those same 17 situations.
These four shorthanded goals are the single biggest reason the Everblades have a 2-0 series lead. Some might wonder if the Grrrowl might consider declining penalties when they’re called on the ‘Blades from here on out. For any hockey novices out there, no… that’s not allowed.
Reggie Berg scored two of the shorties, one in each game, each coming through fantastic individual effort. They’ve helped Berg climb atop the Everblades franchise playoff scoring list.
The Everblades even found a way to turn Game 2 on a very strange man-advantage situation. With less than three minutes to go in the second period, and Florida clinging to a 2-1 lead... the Everblades had two men in the penalty box, while Greenville had one. Each team had a man in the box on coincidental minors… so the ‘Blades were skating shorthanded 4-on-3. Just as the coincidental were set to expire, ‘Blades goalie Phil Osaer made a spectacular save flicking his left skate out at the last moment, blocking the would-be tying goal for Greenville. The rebound bounced back in front of the net, right onto the backhand-side of Ryan Brindley’s stick. While there’s no way to know for sure if Brindley was just trying to clear the puck, or if he actually saw Matt Bannan exiting the penalty box… either way, Brindley lobbed the puck into the air, out of the defensive zone, and right to Bannan. The Grrrowl defender who was coming out of the box at the same time was already step behind Bannan as he entered the zone. Bannan made a quick deke, and buried the puck for his first professional goal… giving the ‘Blades a 3-1 lead and a stranglehold on the game’s momentum.
There’s an old saying that says, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” This one play demonstrated how true that saying is… and just might sum up the identity of the Everblades. Shorthanded, under attack, and desperately trying to hang on to the end of the period with a one-goal lead… a rapid-fire series of great plays turned everything around, and allowed the Blades to push Greenville to the brink of elimination.
As the playoffs progress and the ‘Blades march on, other key elements will eventually emerge. Phil Osaer has been superb, but it’s still very early in the long journey to the Kelly Cup. Injuries could flare up, but the same could be said for current and future Everblades opponents as well.
But if the ‘Blades can get their power play to click… and the penalty kill keeps not only preventing opponents goals, but scoring their own… the Blades should be in terrific shape. The way penalties have been called in the playoffs so far, special teams could overcome any hot goalie or injury’s impact on the Everblades run to the Finals.
-Chris Long, NBC2 Sports
Feel free to e-mail any comments, questions or suggestions you might have to Chris.
EVERBLADES PLAYOFF RECAP:
DIVISION QUARTERFINAL: Everblades had bye
DIVISION SEMIFINAL: Everblades lead Greenville 2-0 in Best of 7.
Game 3: Friday @ Greenville
Game 4 (if necessary): Saturday @ Grenville
Game 5 (if necessary): Sunday @ Germain Arena, Estero
Just in case some of you aren’t following along with the rest of the playoff outside of the ‘Blades-Grrrowl series… here’s a quick update:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE (complete):
-Defending Kelly Cup Champion Trenton was defeated by Johnstown in the first round, 2 games to 0
-South Carolina defeated Charlotte 2 games to 1.
-Greenville defeated Augusta 2-1, which moved Greenville into the Division Semifinal against Florida.
ROUND TWO:
-Toledo leads Johnstown 2-0 (3-2, 4-1). Game 3 is Wednesday.
-Wheeling leads Reading 2-1 (3-2OT, 1-4, 4-3). Game 4 is Wednesday.
-Gwinnett leads South Carolina 2-0 (5-3, 5-4OT). Game 3 is Wednesday. If the Everblades advance past Greenville, they will play the winner of this series.
***Note, all three Eastern Conference series’ except for Florida-Greenville can end tonight.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE:
-Fresno has swept San Diego 4 games to 0 (4-3OT, 4-3, 2-1OT, 5-1).
-Long Beach and Bakersfield are tied 2-2 (BAK won Gm 1 and 3, LB won 2 and 4). The winner of this series will play Fresno. Game 5 is Wednesday.
-Alaska has swept Utah 4 games to 0 (4-1, 3-1, 4-1, 6-2).
-In the most exciting series of the round, Las Vegas and Idaho are tied 3-3.:
=Idaho won Game 1 2-1 in 2 OT’s.
=Idaho then won Game 4-2.
=Idaho led Game 3 by two goals with just a few minutes to go, but Las Vegas scored
twice to tie then won 5-4 in overtime.
=Idaho won Game 4 4-2, pushing Las Vegas to the brink of elimination.
=Needing a win on the road to stay alive, Las Vegas won Game 5 5-2.
=Returning home for Game 6, Las Vegas again avoided elimination with a
6-0 blowout win.
=Game 7 is Wednesday. The winner will play Alaska in Round Two.
2005-06 EVERBLADES PLAYOFF NUMBERS
Overall Record 2-0
Home Record 2-0
Road Record 0-0
Overtime Record 1-0
Power Play 1-13 (16th)
Penalty Kill 13-17 (19th)
Leading Scorers
Reggie Berg 2-1-3
Kevin Estrada 1-2-3
Drew Larman 1-2-3
Ryan Brindley 0-3-3
Paul Cabana 2-0-2
Leading Goaltenders
Phil Osaer 2.75 GAA, 2-0
Plus/Minus Leaders
Ryan Brindley +5
Kevin Estrada +3
Drew Larman +3
Tyson Telplitsky +3
-Chris Long, NBC2 Sports (e-mail)
The difference in the regular season series between the Florida Everblades and Greenville came down to the power play. The Everblades scored on an amazing 30 percent of their extra-man advantages, while Greenville scored on just 8 percent… a total of just three goals. Thanks to their special teams success, the Blades went 3-2-1 against Greenville this regular season.
Similar man-up mastery helped the ‘Blades to a 3-0 series sweep of Greenville in last year’s Kelly Cup Playoffs.
But through the first two games of this year’s ECHL Playoffs, the tables have turned. It has been Greenville holding the power play advantage. However the Everblades have used the Grrrowl power play against them. In the first two games of the series, a very high number of penalties have been called. The Blades have had 13 extra-man situations, while Greenville has had 17.
Florida has just a single goal for their 13 power plays. While on their 17, Greenville has scored four goals… that’s the exact same number of goals the ‘Blades have scored shorthanded on those same 17 situations.
These four shorthanded goals are the single biggest reason the Everblades have a 2-0 series lead. Some might wonder if the Grrrowl might consider declining penalties when they’re called on the ‘Blades from here on out. For any hockey novices out there, no… that’s not allowed.
Reggie Berg scored two of the shorties, one in each game, each coming through fantastic individual effort. They’ve helped Berg climb atop the Everblades franchise playoff scoring list.
The Everblades even found a way to turn Game 2 on a very strange man-advantage situation. With less than three minutes to go in the second period, and Florida clinging to a 2-1 lead... the Everblades had two men in the penalty box, while Greenville had one. Each team had a man in the box on coincidental minors… so the ‘Blades were skating shorthanded 4-on-3. Just as the coincidental were set to expire, ‘Blades goalie Phil Osaer made a spectacular save flicking his left skate out at the last moment, blocking the would-be tying goal for Greenville. The rebound bounced back in front of the net, right onto the backhand-side of Ryan Brindley’s stick. While there’s no way to know for sure if Brindley was just trying to clear the puck, or if he actually saw Matt Bannan exiting the penalty box… either way, Brindley lobbed the puck into the air, out of the defensive zone, and right to Bannan. The Grrrowl defender who was coming out of the box at the same time was already step behind Bannan as he entered the zone. Bannan made a quick deke, and buried the puck for his first professional goal… giving the ‘Blades a 3-1 lead and a stranglehold on the game’s momentum.
There’s an old saying that says, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” This one play demonstrated how true that saying is… and just might sum up the identity of the Everblades. Shorthanded, under attack, and desperately trying to hang on to the end of the period with a one-goal lead… a rapid-fire series of great plays turned everything around, and allowed the Blades to push Greenville to the brink of elimination.
As the playoffs progress and the ‘Blades march on, other key elements will eventually emerge. Phil Osaer has been superb, but it’s still very early in the long journey to the Kelly Cup. Injuries could flare up, but the same could be said for current and future Everblades opponents as well.
But if the ‘Blades can get their power play to click… and the penalty kill keeps not only preventing opponents goals, but scoring their own… the Blades should be in terrific shape. The way penalties have been called in the playoffs so far, special teams could overcome any hot goalie or injury’s impact on the Everblades run to the Finals.
-Chris Long, NBC2 Sports
Feel free to e-mail any comments, questions or suggestions you might have to Chris.
EVERBLADES PLAYOFF RECAP:
DIVISION QUARTERFINAL: Everblades had bye
DIVISION SEMIFINAL: Everblades lead Greenville 2-0 in Best of 7.
Game 3: Friday @ Greenville
Game 4 (if necessary): Saturday @ Grenville
Game 5 (if necessary): Sunday @ Germain Arena, Estero
Just in case some of you aren’t following along with the rest of the playoff outside of the ‘Blades-Grrrowl series… here’s a quick update:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE (complete):
-Defending Kelly Cup Champion Trenton was defeated by Johnstown in the first round, 2 games to 0
-South Carolina defeated Charlotte 2 games to 1.
-Greenville defeated Augusta 2-1, which moved Greenville into the Division Semifinal against Florida.
ROUND TWO:
-Toledo leads Johnstown 2-0 (3-2, 4-1). Game 3 is Wednesday.
-Wheeling leads Reading 2-1 (3-2OT, 1-4, 4-3). Game 4 is Wednesday.
-Gwinnett leads South Carolina 2-0 (5-3, 5-4OT). Game 3 is Wednesday. If the Everblades advance past Greenville, they will play the winner of this series.
***Note, all three Eastern Conference series’ except for Florida-Greenville can end tonight.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ROUND ONE:
-Fresno has swept San Diego 4 games to 0 (4-3OT, 4-3, 2-1OT, 5-1).
-Long Beach and Bakersfield are tied 2-2 (BAK won Gm 1 and 3, LB won 2 and 4). The winner of this series will play Fresno. Game 5 is Wednesday.
-Alaska has swept Utah 4 games to 0 (4-1, 3-1, 4-1, 6-2).
-In the most exciting series of the round, Las Vegas and Idaho are tied 3-3.:
=Idaho won Game 1 2-1 in 2 OT’s.
=Idaho then won Game 4-2.
=Idaho led Game 3 by two goals with just a few minutes to go, but Las Vegas scored
twice to tie then won 5-4 in overtime.
=Idaho won Game 4 4-2, pushing Las Vegas to the brink of elimination.
=Needing a win on the road to stay alive, Las Vegas won Game 5 5-2.
=Returning home for Game 6, Las Vegas again avoided elimination with a
6-0 blowout win.
=Game 7 is Wednesday. The winner will play Alaska in Round Two.
2005-06 EVERBLADES PLAYOFF NUMBERS
Overall Record 2-0
Home Record 2-0
Road Record 0-0
Overtime Record 1-0
Power Play 1-13 (16th)
Penalty Kill 13-17 (19th)
Leading Scorers
Reggie Berg 2-1-3
Kevin Estrada 1-2-3
Drew Larman 1-2-3
Ryan Brindley 0-3-3
Paul Cabana 2-0-2
Leading Goaltenders
Phil Osaer 2.75 GAA, 2-0
Plus/Minus Leaders
Ryan Brindley +5
Kevin Estrada +3
Drew Larman +3
Tyson Telplitsky +3
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