With the NFL pre-season right around the corner, and training camps already underway, I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming NFL season. To help me get through what’s going to be a long five weeks or so before the opening game between the Redskins and Giants, I decided to tune in to Arena Bowl XXII.
The San Jose Sabercats took on the Jon Bon Jovi-owned Philadelphia Soul. I should mention that he owns the team because the broadcast wouldn’t go five minutes without showing his face. The Sabercats, who have won three titles in the past six years, are the AFL equivalent to the New England Patriots. And their quarterback, Matt Grieb, has been compared to Tom Brady. He sure didn’t play like it yesterday; he was vastly outplayed by Soul quarterback Matt D’Orazio.
I have never watched a full Arena football game, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. As the game began, both offenses easily drove down the field and scored with ease. Both quarterbacks had a ton of time to throw, and I was surprised at the amazing lack of defense. It was like a four-on-four schoolyard game, with both teams just taking turns scoring. It makes sense that Soul’s offense looked so good – they have Ron “Jaws” Jaworski as their team president. That guy can put together a playbook like it’s nobody’s business. The defense finally picked up late in the first half; the Soul disrupted Sabercats quarterback Matt Grieb and forced several turnovers down the stretch. San Jose made a late run late in the game, but Philly was pretty much in control the entire time, so the final score of 59-56 is a bit misleading.
Arena football is definitely a different animal than the NFL. It doesn’t have the complexity or the strategy, and I love watching defenses go at it (which is not something you’ll find in the AFL). That said, I’d still love to attend to an Arena game, it seems like it would be a fun diversion from the NFL offseason.
