Talons Tryouts - November 28th, 2010 (Tulsa)

Hello Talons faithful. This morning the Talons held open tryout at Soccer City. This post will be mostly a media post with videos from the tryouts and pictures. I do have to say it was good to see Steve Watson and Antwon Floyd out on the field helping out the coaching staff. As most are aware by now, Floyd has decided to sit out this season to recover from an injury he sustained at the end of the season. Also watching the tryouts was former Talons star wide receiver Donovan Morgan. Morgan signed with the Philadelphia Soul for next season but still stopped by to support the Talons.

I will say there was some talent at the tryouts. There were some that during speed drills made me verbally go "wow". I'm unsure whether any of the guys will make the roster, but there should be a few that make it to training camp.

To see the pictures from today go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2220396&id=44000338&l=349bf3713a

Here are the videos:

Talons sign former Cowboy QB

Well I was gonna make an elaborate post about a kid who does everything right. However, I think Rick Couri at KRMG has it covered:

http://krmg.com/blogs/krmg_sports_with_rick_couri/2010/11/tulsa-talons-sign-a-former-okl.html

Check out his article on the newest Talons addition Bobby Reid.

In other news, Talons are having tryouts on the 28th and I am planning to attend. I will try to have pictures, video, and writeup that day. Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few weeks, work has been hectic but I haven't forgot about you Talons faithful!

Talons finally sign a QB, but who is he?

Today the Talons signed QB Rico Watkins, the 2009 MVP player for the Oklahoma Thunder football team.

Check out his highlights here (apparently a left hander):

Official Divisional Alignment, Goodbye OKC

Today the AFL announced Divisional Alignments for next year. Absent from the teams is Oklahoma City. Rumors had been spreading that after the deal to move OKC to Seattle fell through the team planned to drop from the AFL and either go dormant or join one of the IFL leagues.

Travel for the Talons seems to be greater next year as they will have to visit Dallas, Kansas City, Iowa, and Chicago once, and maybe visit Spokane, Arizona, Utah, or San Jose. At least now I can start to write my series of "Road Tripping" blog posts.

Here is the full text of the Release:

The Arena Football League has announced new division alignments for the 2011 season. New franchises will highlight natural rivalries in all four divisions. The eighteen teams are split into the National and American Conference. The National Conference houses the West Division and Central Division. The American Conference divides into the South Division and East Division.

“This divisional alignment allows teams to revive some of their old rivalries while creating some natural new ones,” Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz said. “We are very excited about the 2011 Arena Football season.”

During the 18 game schedule, each team will play every opponent in their respective division twice. Teams will also play the opponents in their conference once.

National Conference

West Division
Arizona
San Jose
Spokane
Utah

Central Division
Chicago
Dallas
Iowa
Kansas City
Tulsa

American Conference

South Division
Georgia
Jacksonville
New Orleans
Orlando
Tampa Bay

East Division
Cleveland
Milwaukee
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh

Coach Allner's Letter to Fans

Yesterday Coach Mitch Allner posted a letter to the Talons faithful on Talonsnews.com

Here is the text of the letter in its entirety:

"I just wanted to write a quick hello to all of you out there. I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the season starting up here in just a few short months. As always, I along with everyone else in our office appreciate the support you have all given us in the past and continuing on in the future.

We're obviously still a few months out from training camp starting, but it will be here before you know it. I look forward to seeing all of you great fans filling up the BOK Center once again. We're going to have some familiar faces from previous teams and obviously some new new young talent as well. The coaching staff has been working our tails off, as always, to put together another championship quality team that you will all be proud to cheer for. I promise, you're going to love some of the new Talons players that we're bringing in for this 2011 season.

Last year was a great season both on and off the field for our team, but we obviously fell short of our goal of winning the championship and that is what is expected every single year. Our organization expects it, the coaching staff expects it and you as fans should expect that too. So Talons fans, it's time to retool, put on our hard hats and get back to work, which is exactly what we as a coaching staff are going to do. 2011 is going to be our best season yet, just wait and see. See you all very soon and as always, Go Talons!

Coach Allner"

The portion that concerns me is "We're going to have some familiar faces from previous teams" which sounds like he does not expect any familiar faces from last season. The player I am most concerned with at this point is Jamar Ransom. Ransom has been a favorite in Tulsa for a few years. His loss would be a deep cut for many fans. We will have to wait and see though.

Also, yesterday the Talons picked up another player:

OL Joe Blanks 6’4 330 10/24/86 Winston Salem State

Allgood to Soul looking likely

Today the Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the Philadelphia Soul are close to signing former Talons QB Justin Allgood. This follows a week of speculation and rumors after a facebook post by former Talons WR Donovan Morgan implying that Allgood could be following him to the Soul. Several former Talons have also commented that the Allgood to Philly rumor is true.

Last season Allgood lead the AFL with 109 TD passes. A large portion of those were to Donovan Morgan. The Soul offense is sure to look a lot like Tulsa's from last year.

In other news, the Talons inked two more players yesterday:

WR Reynaldi Audate 6’2 210 5/3/86 Merrimack
DB Abdal Morris 6’0 180 1/7/88 Western Kentucky

EDIT 4:34 P.M. CST: It's official, Allgood to Philly. The Philadelphia Soul just released a press release announcing the signing of Justin Allgood.

New Additions to the Talons Roster

Yesterday 3 more additions came across the Transactions wire for the Talons:

OL/DL Carl Prince 6’5 295 4/17/88 Kansas State
OL Vince Rhodes 6’2 305 11/12/85 Baylor
WR/DB Christian Varner 6’0 205 11/20/85 Maryland


Varner was a standout at the University of Maryland. He was very physical, playing like a Linebacker at times. I found a highlight tape for him here:




In addition, there have been rumors that Justin Allgood could be heading to Philadelphia with Donovan Morgan. At this time these are unlikely rumors since Allgood is expecting his first child in a few months, just bought a house in Tulsa, and works for one of the Talons owners.

Superman to leave T-Town

Today via Facebook, Talons FB Odie Armstrong (known as Superman) announced he will be signing with the Arizona Rattlers. Armstrong lead the league in rushing last year and was a key part of the Talons pass protection.

Also, it was released that former Talon, James Sadler will be going to the Chicago Rush.

In addition, the Talons picked up another player:

OL/DL Isaiah Thomas 6’3 330 2/3/85 Shaw

Talons sign Fred Shaw! And get first Marketing Player.

Just got to check out transactions from the past three days and found some Talons signings:

DB Travis Williams 5’10 190 4/19/86 East Carolina (MARKETING PLAYER)
OL Jaquez McKissic 6’7 320 7/14/86 Clemson
DB Fred Shaw 6’2 215 11/30/83 Northeastern Oklahoma
OL/DL Jasper Price 6’2 260 2/19/88 Oklahoma State

The biggest surprise, at least for me, is the signing of Fred Shaw (even if the school is wrong). Shaw was a standout at UCO and has since gone on to be a dominating force on the OKC Yard Dawgz secondary. He will bring a lot of physicality to a Talons defense that was lacking it in the second level. This is probably the first time this offseason I am excited and glad I am getting season tickets!

In other news, former Talons DB Andre Burns has signed with the Arizona Rattlers.

Talons roster after September

Current Roster:

DB Dwain Crawford 6’0 200 1/6/86 Baylor
WR Curtis Walls 5’10 180 10/13/85 North Carolina A&T
FB/LB Sam Maxwell 6’2 235 5/13/87 Kentucky
FB/LB Vince Chase 6’4 260 6/6/85 Southern Methodist
OL/DL Reggie Scott 6’4 280 10/28/85 Tulane
WR Will Scott 6’2 185 2/23/84 North Carolina Central

"Official" Departures from last year's team:

WR Donovan Morgan to Philadelphia Soul
WR/DB Jeff Hughley to Jacksonville Sharks
WR Carlese Franklin to New Orleans Voodoo
DB LeRico Steveson to New Orleans Voodoo
DL Gabe Nyenhuis to San Jose Sabercats
DL Adam Huebner to San Jose Sabercats

Gabe Nyenhuis to the Sabercats, Huebner too.

So on the transactions wire today it was announced two of the Talons all star Defensive line will be leaving for the San Jose Sabercats. Gabe Nyenhuis and Adam Huebner have signed with San Jose and leave the Talons without a starting defensive lineman. Nyenhuis was the AFL Defensive Player of the year this past season and is sure to continue that in San Jose. Both players will be sorely missed. The question for now is, can the Talons reload on the defensive line?

More Transactions, Huebner to Cali?

So yesterday the Talons got 3 more players on the transactions wire:

FB/LB Vince Chase 6’4 260 6/6/85 Southern Methodist
OL/DL Reggie Scott 6’4 280 10/28/85 Tulane
WR Will Scott 6’2 185 2/23/84 North Carolina Central

I haven't had time to investigate them yet, but be when I do I will try to make a post.

Also, Adam Huebner, Talons Defensive Lineman, said on facebook that he is heading to California. Does this mean he's going to the San Jose Sabercats?

Talons sign new FB, Larico Stevenson to New Orleans

A few notes from yesterday's transaction wire.

Other than the known transactions (Donovan Morgan to Philadelphia, Jeff Hughley to Jacksonville, Carlese Franklin to New Orleans), I noticed that Talons DB Larico Stevenson has been signed by the New Orleans Voodoo. Stevenson was a core member of the Talons defensive backfield for most of last season. However, at the end of the season he lost his starting spot to Roddie Amadi.

The Talons did end up picking up a new FB:

FB/LB Sam Maxwell 6’2 235 5/13/87 Kentucky

What this means for last year's FB Odie Armstrong is still unknown. However, from talk from his wife on Facebook it is unlikely that he will return to the Talons next year.

EDIT: After some more research it seems Maxwell was a LB at Kentucky, so more than likely he will continue to play defense over offense for the Talons. My mistake, trying to get the story up before work.

Video of Maxwell's NFL Combine workout: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/09000d5d816e39a5/2010-Combine-workout-Samuel-Maxwell

Terrance Carter to the Power

Talon DE Terrance Carter announced today via Facebook that he will be leaving the Tulsa Talons to join the Pittsburg Power. Carter has been a star with the Talons for years, but felt disrespected by the team in the offseason. Carter will be a tough hole to fill on defense and will be sorely missed next year.

Talons President leaves for Arizona

I saw today that Trey Medlock, who was President of the Talons Front Office, will be leaving to be the General Manager for the Arizona Rattlers. This is just another of many departures this offseason, as Donovan Morgan, Carlese Franklin, and Jeff Hughley all announced they will be going to other teams.

Personally, I was not a fan of Medlock. However, it does not look good for the Front Office to have so much shuffling after a successful season.

Edit:

Here is the link for the story: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/09/20/daily69.html

Morgan to Soul, Hughley to Sharks

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the Philadelphia Soul should be announcing early next week the signing of Donovan Morgan.

See the whole story here: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20100925_Source__Talented_WR_will_be_Soul_s_first_player.html#ixzz10Y0jTWAj

In other Talons news, Jeff Hughley announced via facebook that he is heading to Jacksonville to join the sharks. This will leave the Talons with no remaining starting receivers for next season.

Carlese Franklin to leave for the Voodoo

After midnight last night Talons WR Carelese Franklin announced that he would be moving on to the New Orleans Voodoo for next season.

In other news, the Talons have signed a new WR:

WR Curtis Walls 5’10 180 10/13/85 North Carolina A&T

Talons sign their first player!

Over the transactions wire today came the Tulsa Talons' first signing of the 2011 Season!

DB Dwain Crawford 6’0 200 1/6/86 Baylor

Crawford was a standout at Baylor. This could be a great addition to a Tulsa defense that was lacking in the secondary last year.

More Free Agency News

So after my post last night, Coach Ho (Philadelphia Soul, formally of the Chicago Rush) commented on Donovan Morgan's status with "Soul Blue. . ." This may indicate that is where Morgan is heading for next season.

Also last night, Terrance Carter posted on facebook that next year he will have a "new attitude, new city" so it looks like he may be leaving Tulsa as well. This is surprising as he has spent so many years with the Talons.

If I hear anything else I will post it here. But according to a source, many more may be leaving the Talons.

Donovan Morgan to leave Talons for another AFL Team

Tonight, the night before Unrestricted Free Agency begins, Donovan Morgan announced he will be wearing a different uniform next year:

From Facebook:

"Well looks like I'm gonna be wearing a new AFL uniform. Imma destroy the league this year DESTROY!!!!!!!!"

This is a big disappointment for any Talons fan. This past year D.Mo had 123 receptions for 1707 yards and 52 touchdowns. Morgan's 52 touchdowns lead the league.

Gabe Nyenhuis cut from UFL's Florida Tuskers

The Talons' only player to make the move up to the United Football League (UFL) has been released. The Talons put up huge offensive numbers and the defensive line was one of the best in the league. However, only Gabe Nyenhuis, the AFL Defensive Player of the Year, got the call to tryout for the UFL.

Last Thursday was "Judgment Day," as it is called by the UFL, where teams have to make their final series of cuts before the season begins. On that day the Florida Tuskers announced that Nyenhuis would be cut from the team.

YouTube Tuesday - September 7th, 2010

I know this was released a few weeks ago, it is still nice for a promo video:

Restricted Free Agency Begins

From a facebook post from Talons Jack Linebacker Jamar Ransom we got some info on free agency:

"Restricted free agency starts today. This is where the player can only sign with the team that he played for the previous season. On the 16th you are an unrestricted free agent and can sign anywhere. Fans make sure you make some noise for your favorite players if you want to see them play for your team next season. Should be interesting. Let's see what happens."

So for the next two weeks we have to be pushing for our favorite Talons to stay with the team! Send some shout outs to people! And encourage players from other teams (*cough* Fred Shaw *cough*) not to return to theirs, in hopes they will come to Talons camp!

AFL Expands to 18 game season!

Press release from today:

TULSA- The 2011 Arena Football League regular season has been extended from 16 games to 18, Commissioner Jerry Kurz announced today. The league will consist of 19 teams and each will play 18 regular season games, with the option of two preseason games (one home and one away). The change was passed in an ownership vote last week during the league’s Board of Directors meeting in Phoenix, AZ.

“There has never been a better time for the Arena Football League,” said Commissioner Jerry Kurz. “The product is exciting, our economic model is sound and fans are demanding affordable family entertainment. Extending our season is a great decision, both from a business and fan perspective,”

The AFL has officially grown from 15 teams in 2010 to 19 by adding teams in Philadelphia, Pittsburg, San Jose and Kansas City. The Philadelphia Soul were the league champions in 2008 just prior to a dark year where the AFL made strong adjustments to its economic model. The league bounced back in 2010 with a very successful season in which the Spokane Shock beat the Tampa Bay Storm in Arena Bowl XXIII on August 20th.

“The new 2011 franchises are in key markets with dynamic ownership,” added Kurz.

The 2011 season will be the longest in league history. In its 23 years of existence, teams have played as many as 16 games in a season. The league had observed a 16 game schedule since 2003.

About AFL

Since its inception in 1987, the AFL has afforded the fast-paced and exciting game of Arena Football to millions of fans in a myriad of markets across the country. A recent deal with the NFL Network will broadcast an AFL National Game of the Week for the entire regular and post season on Friday nights at 8:00 pm EST, culminating with the ArenaBowl Championship Game in August.

Looking Back: Top 5 In-Season Acquisitions

Well we are about a week removed from the AFL season and withdrawal has set in. I started to think about the season and how certain teams suddenly got better at certain points in the season. It lead be to take a look at the acquisitions the teams made and what the top 5 in-season acquisitions! I only looked at players that were signed or traded during the season. Now to the list:

#5: Delenall Reid - DB - Dallas Vigilantes - June 10th

Delenall Reid had been a star for the Tulsa Talons during their time in the af2. Regrettably, Reid did not survive training camp with the Talons this year. Reid remained unsigned until the week of the Vigilantes home game against the Talons in week 11. Reid did not play that week but started to work his way into the rotation starting the next week. Reid makes the list for his week 16 performance against the Chicago Rush. The Vigilantes were on a 10 game loosing streak going into the game and heavily in need of a win. The defining play in that game was Reid's interception returned for a touchdown in overtime to end the Rush's chance at pulling out a victory.

#4: Eric Ortiz - FB - Tampa Bay Storm - May 5th

Eric Ortiz joined the storm in week 6, but didn't make a big splash until the very end of the season. What was most impressive was his playoff performance. In the Storm's 3 playoff games, including the Arenabowl, Ortiz scored 5 rushing TDs. In the ArenaBowl alone Ortiz scored 3 TDs, as the only real highlight for the Storm.

#3: Dallas Baker and Sale' Key - WR - Jacksonville Sharks - April 6th

A Daily Double! The first two weeks of the Sharks' season did not look that outstanding offensively. The offense just was missing something. That something ended up being these two receivers. They were the perfect counterpart to Jomo Wilson, opening up a lot more options for Aaron Garcia. Baker, a rookie of the year candidate, finished the season with 88 receptions for 1120 yards and 23 TDs. Key, who spent training camp with the Talons, ended the season with 56 receptions for 640 yards and 8 TDs. Key also had 2 rushing TDs.

#2: Mervin Brookins - DB/KR - Spokane Shock - June 10th

Mervin Brookins started the season with the OKC Yard Dawgz. Brookins had some outstanding plays during his time with OKC before being released. In fact, one of his fumble returns made NFL Network's top plays of the season. Brookings was signed to the stacked Spokane Shock in week 11. Brookins became a great returnman for the Shock, getting his only return TD against the Chicago Rush in week 17. In the ArenaBowl Brookins had an outstanding return performance, averaging 24.5 yards on 2 returns, as well as 1 interception on Defense.

#1: Bobby Sippio - WR - Orlando Predators - May 19th

Was there any question about this? The Predators were an awful team until their week 8 signing of Bobby Sippio. That week Sippio started and helped lead the Predators to a stunning upset of the Milwaukee Iron, the then top-ranked team in the league. Sippio went on to win multitudes of weekly awards and show the league that the Predators would compete. Sippio ended the season with 51 receptions for 747 yards and 18 TDs. Sippio also had 1 rushing TD.

Well thats it! I hope to write a few more "Looking Back" articles through out the coming months so be sure to check back!

Feel free to post your own "Top 5" in the comments sections below.

YouTube Tuesday - August 24th, 2010 (Post-ArenaBowl Edition)

What will the AFL look like next year?

Well the ArenaBowl is over, and congratulations to the Spokane Shock; even if I did pick against you. Now comes the offseason, a horrible 7-8 month wait till the next kickoff. At least in the mean time I have NFL, NCAA, and NBA to keep my busy. But also, we have AFL speculation to keep us busy as well. As of this morning there are a lot of rumors for shakeups for AFL franchises.

First off, we know the announced expansion teams will be around:

Philadelphia Soul
San Jose Sabercats
Kansas City Brigade
and as of last night, the Pittsburgh Power

But where does that leave the other 15 franchises? For some it may mean relocation.

The Alabama Vipers:
Late last night it was announced that the Georgia Force may be returning. But they may not be an expansion team. Instead it has been rumored that the Alabama Vipers will be relocating and rebranding as the Force. This season Alabama played in the smallest arena in the AFL. They could only max out at around 7,000 fans. That heavily limited the amount of income the team could bring in, both is tickets and in sponsorship. That combined with higher costs could be too much for the owners to handle.

The Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings:
It has been rumored for weeks, since their owner registered aflvoodoo.com, that the BattleWings could be relocating to New Orleans and rebranding as the VooDoo. The BattleWings never pulled a large crowd, even in their time in the af2. The difference was that in the af2 the loss on the owners was acceptable, in the AFL its much larger. This could spell doom for the BattleWings.

The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz:
The Yard Dawgz were a decent team this year. They pulled decent crowds as well. However, they still were loosing money, and have been since at least the time the Thunder came to town. That combined with the new AHL Hockey Team (Barons), could mean the owners aren't willing to try to compete with other sports in town. Instead they could take their team elsewhere and try to turn a profit. The rumored location? Seattle. Yeah, another Seattle/OKC team swap. Very Ironic, but could happen.

As for the rest of the league nothing seems likely to change. The only team with light rumors is the Milwaukee Iron. The Iron have had issues with an ownership group and attendance. However, for the foreseeable future they will probably remain in the league.

All-Arena Teams Contain 5 Talons Players

Today the AFL Announced the All-Arena first and second teams. Here are where Talons Players fell:

First Team:
Donovan Morgan (WR)
Gabe Nyenhuis (DL)
Steve Watson (MAC)

Second Team:
Odie Armstrong (FB)
Jamar Ransom (JACK)

ArenaBowl XIII Preview and Pick

Tonight marks the 23rd Championship Game for the Arena Football League. The game has an amazing matchup between the Tampa Bay Storm and the Spokane Shock.

The Tampa Bay Storm has been a model franchise in their roughly 20 years in the league. In that time the team has won 5 Arena Bowl Championship.

The Spokane Shock however have been the model of af2 excellence before joining the AFL this season. They did not miss a beat however. The Shock showed that af2 teams can make the move up and be successful.

Now onto the matchup. Both teams are outstanding on Offense. Tampa Bay has one of the best offensive lines I have seen all season. The only time they haven't been good is against poor competition (giving up a lot of sack to Dallas). Spokane has an equally impressive line. Both teams also have solid quarterbacks that worked their way through the af2. The big kicker on offense is that Spokane's star receiver is not expected to play. That could end up costing them a stop or two.

On Defense the Shock seem to plan to outscore people. Their defense is solid, but no where near as dominant as the Storm's. The Storm two weeks ago gave the Talons, one of the league's best offenses, fits all night. The Storm also have a superior pass rush. Even if they don't get sacks the pressure they get on Spokane will show.

I really don't know how to pick this game because it seems to really be a toss up. I will however say that it seems and feels Tampa Bay has a real edge. For that reason I'm going to pick Tampa Bay by less than 6.

TUNE IN TONIGHT TO NFL NETWORK AT 7PM TO CHECK OUT THE ARENABOWL FOR YOURSELF

Gabe Nyenhuis also named Defensive Player of the Year

Another Talons award for the season announced last night:

TULSA- Tulsa Talon’s defensive lineman Gabe Nyenhuis has been awarded the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year. Nyenhuis pressured quarterbacks all season long, threatening the offensive linemen who couldn’t hold back the 270 pound, 6-foot-3 player.

In the Talons’ first season in the AFL, Nyenhuis’ experience proved vital for the new team. The Colorado graduate spent two years with the Philadelphia Soul (2007-8) before moving to Tulsa in the revamped AFL. This season Nyenhuis led the AFL in sacks (15.5) and tackles for loss (13). The lineman won Defensive Player of the Week in mid-season for an outstanding game against Oklahoma City. His statistics would only get better.

Nyenhuis ended the season with 21 unassisted and 11 assisted tackles, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and nine forced fumbles. Thanks to Nyenhuis’ leadership on defense, the Talons ended their season as the Southwest Division Champions and a host in the playoffs.

Nyenhuis was also awarded the league’s Lineman of the Year honor earlier this week.

Gabe Nyenhuis Named 2010 AFL Lineman of the Year

Press Release from the Arena Football League today:

TULSA- Tulsa defensive end Gabe Nyenhuis has been named the Arena Football League's Lineman of the Year, the league office announced today. A constant threat to offenses, Nyenhuis tallied up impressive numbers while aiding the Talons in reaching the postseason in their inaugural season with the AFL.

While Nyenhuis (6-4, 260, Colorado) tallied 21 unassisted and 11 assisted tackles on the season, it was the quarterback that was his favorite target. He nabbed a spectacular 15.5 sacks on the season, breaking the previous sack record of 15 set by Greg White (Orlando) in 2007.

Additionally, Nyenhuis made 13 tackle-for-losses, a league high. He was also credited with four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and nine forced fumbles in his standout year.

Nyenhuis is no stranger to the indoor game. He has played arena football for three seasons, including a season with the 2008 ArenaBowl Champion Philadelphia Soul, where he recorded 9.5 sacks on the year and was named to the Second Team All-Arena team.

In the past, Nyenhuis has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Soul and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Hughley named to All-Ironman Team

Today Jeff Hughley was named to the 2010 AFL All-Ironman Team:

WR/KR Jeff Hughley, Tulsa Talons

Finished the season with 113 receptions for 1,258 yards and 28 touchdowns…Had the second most All Purpose yards in the league (2,808), third most Kick Return yards (1,551) and fourth most All Purpose yards per game (175.5)

YouTube Tuesday - August 17th, 2010 (ArenaBowl Edition)

Don't forget to tune into NFL Network on Friday at 7 PM CST for ArenaBowl XXIII!

Picks - Playoffs Round 2

Milwaukee Iron at Spokane Shock: SPOKANE

Orlando Predators at Tampa Bay Storm: TAMPA BAY

The one bright spot from the playoff loss...

Jeff Hughley did a ridiculous job at kick returns and kept his consecutive games with a TD streak alive (though most stats groups don't count playoff games anyways). This was enough to earn him the Nifty Playmaker of the Week Award this week:

"Hughley (5-8, 175, Averette) is awarded his second honor this season, previously receiving Ironman for Week 16. Hughley kept any hope alive for Tulsa in the loss against Tampa Bay, leading the team in kickoff returns and helping offensively. Hughley returned six kickoff returns for 111 yards, plus caught six receptions for 58 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, Hughley had one tackle."

YouTube Tuesday - August 10th, 2010

Live Coverage: Tampa Bay Storm at Tulsa Talons

Headlines - August 8th, 2010 (Venom Edition)

Summary of Friday Night's win over OKC: "Justin Allgood tied a franchise record by throwing 10 touchdown passes and the Talons needed every one of them to outdistance Oklahoma City 74-61 in the Arena Football League regular-season finale before 7,702 spectators at the Cox Convention Center."

Andy Lopusnak of Arena Fan named Gabe Nyenhuis Defensive Player of the Year: "Nyenhuis broke the league records in sacks (15.5) and forced fumbles (nine), while helping the Talons lead the league in sacks. All of the previous times a player had 13.5 or more sacks, that player was named both the Defensive Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year"

Andy also breaks down last week and looks at season records

KRMG Interviews Marco Capazolli

According to the Tulsa World the Storm are gunning for the Talons: "There's definitely a revenge factor," Storm quarterback Brett Dietz told the St. Petersburg Times. "We have three (postseason) games to win, and (the Talons) are the first team in the way."

But according to their Radio Guy: "Getting ready to head out to watch the Sharks and Shock on NFL Net. Go Shock. I would like to avoid a trip to OK next weekend."

Apparently Allner is restless: "Mitch Allner said he awoke at 3 a.m. Monday and couldn't go back to sleep. By 4 a.m., the Tulsa Talons head coach was at the office preparing for Saturday's playoff game against the Tampa Bay Storm."

A look at Carlese Franklin: "Carlese Franklin doesn't mind being the other guy in the Tulsa Talons receiving corps. Jeff Hughley and Donovan Morgan are among the most popular and successful players in Tulsa's arena football history."

News Coverage for tonight's playoff game

OK Blitz's look at tonight's game

Rick Couri previews tonight's game: " The Talons finished the regular season with the 2nd best offense in the league averaging 62.1 points per game. The offense will need to be firing on all cylinders as they will be facing the league's 2nd stingiest defense. The Storm gave up just 50.8 points per game during the regular season."

According to a Facebook post, Donovan Morgan is taking on a new persona: "Tulsa Talons fans sorry to inform you but spiderman is gone for the playoffs.. It's VENOM show now. I got a surprise for yall Saturday.. let's go Talons"

The Tulsa World give a primer on the Talon's Playoff Game: "The Tulsa Talons have participated in postseason play every year since their inception as an af2 team in 2000, winning two titles. Now they're appearing in the Arena Football League playoffs for the first time."

Oh in case you didn't hear, the winner tonight gets to host the next playoff game: "The Predators will hit the road for the American Conference championship game next weekend, which will either be in Tampa or Tulsa, OK. The Storm and the Talons do battle on Saturday night in Oklahoma in the other conference semifinal."

Picks - Playoffs First Round

Orlando Predators at Jacksonville Sharks: JACKSONVILLE. Who is gonna pick against Sharks on Shark Week? Really? Add to the mix that Orlando will be without one star player, and Jacksonville will have the return of Aaron Garcia and it makes for a solid chance for Jacksonville to run away with this one.

Arizona Rattlers at Spokane Shock: SPOKANE. Spokane is a hard place to play in. They simply pack that place to the brim. Combine that with the motivation after a tough loss to Jacksonville last week and this should be a game Spokane is ready for.

Chicago Rush at Milwaukee Iron: MILWAUKEE. This is probably the game of the week. Two well matched rivals with survival on the line. Milwaukee has the talent while Chicago has the coaching. I expect to see the early season Iron who were pretty much unstoppable.

Tampa Bay Storm at Tulsa Talons: TULSA. A rematch from a great week 1 game. The biggest difference this time is the Talons have improved their secondary. Neither team made a single sack in the first matchup and don't expect that to happen again. As long as the Talons offense fires on all cylinders they should pull this one out.

YouTube Tuesday - August 3rd, 2010

In honor of this week's playoff rematch against the Storm we have a recap from the season opener:

Who is Collin Taylor?

On Friday night the Talons visited the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. While the game had no playoff implications, as the Talons had already locked their playoff seeding and Oklahoma City was eliminated last week, the game was very exciting. Tulsa had a few players banged up from the week before against Arizona (mainly Terrell Mingo and Brett Rayl) and brought in some new talent to give some depth to the roster. One of those additions, Collin Taylor, didn't take long to get noticed by the fans.

Up 62-47 in the 4th, the Talons let Taylor get his chance at wide receiver. Taylor caught two consecutive passes and fought into the endzone for his first AFL Touchdown. Taylor made plays all night on special teams as well. At one point I think the coaching staff was going to put him at defensive back as well. He seemed to be someone who had a lot of talent and was willing to use it anywhere the team needed it. But the question arose, just who is Collin Taylor.

Collin Taylor graduated from Carmel, Indiana before going to Indiana University to play Wide Receiver. While he didn't make any appearance his freshman year in 2006 (he was a red shirt player in 2005) he started to make a name his sophomore year and was even named Scout Team Player of the Week. In his Junior year, Taylor began to make regular appearances as a wide receiver and on special teams. However, due to injuries, Taylor was asked to move to safety. According to Taylor, "after playing so much WR, I didn't think I would ever enjoy defense as much. But after a while, I really enjoyed it." Taylor's biggest game came in his senior year against Iowa. In that game, Taylor had two interceptions before Iowa made a triumphant comeback.

Taylor graduated this past December and began his preparation for transition to the Arena Football League. Originally, he wanted to stay close to Indiana and tried to make the teams for either the Chicago Rush or the Milwaukee Iron. Things did not go as planned though and Taylor ended up being signed by the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. Taylor was with Oklahoma City for the first couple of months of the season before being released. He made an appearance in only one game, against Iowa as a Jack Linebacker. Taylor didn't let the release hit him personally though. "I understand that the AFL is a business and things just didn't work out while I was there," Taylor said.

Then, due to injuries, the Talons asked Taylor to come play for them. Taylor said he was, "just excited to be able to help out the Talons, but it definitely made it a bit sweeter to be able to play against the Dawgz, and against some good friends." Always wanting to help his team, Taylor said he is willing to play any role, defense, offense, or special teams, but if he had to choose he would play receiver. Taylor feels he fits in perfectly with the Talons system. "If one of our WRs were to sit out, I don't think we'd have to change any play calls or any offensive schemes," Taylor commented.

In addition, Taylor is excited to get better as a player. "This is a great place for me because I also get to learn everyday from three of the top wide receivers in this league, and that only helps me get better every time I'm on the field." Taylor proved friday he can play very physical football. This is most likely to being able to play both collegiate offense and defense at Indiana. "It made me a better overall player," Taylor said while discussing the transition to defense.

When asked about the difference between playing in the Big 10 and the AFL, Taylor said, "The AFL features great football players playing at their peak and great competitors, and just like the Big 10, you never know who will win the game until its over."

Next week Taylor should get a chance to play against one of the historically best franchises in arena football, the Tampa Bay Storm. Taylor knows how loyal and loud Talons fans can be and looks forward to the home field advantage of the BOK.

Week 18 Picks

I will edit in my record for the season and last week later. In a rush to head to OKC for the game tonight! Expect some good stuff next week as I am now done with the bar!

Spokane Shock at Jacksonville Sharks: Jacksonville

Tulsa Talons at Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz: Tulsa Talons

Iowa Barnstormers at Arizona Rattlers: Arizona

Milwaukee Iron at Cleveland Gladiators: Milwaukee

Orlando Predators at Tampa Bay Storm: Tampa Bay

Dallas Vigilantes at Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings: Dallas

Utah Blaze at Alabama Vipers: Alabama

YouTube Tuesday - July 27th, 2010

At the time this posts I will start taking the Oklahoma Bar Exam. Wish me and my friends luck if you can. For the video this week we have a story about the Talons winning their 9th straight division title, and first in the AFL:

Week 17 Picks

Last Week: 6-1
Overall: 72-34 (.679)

Chicago Rush at Spokane Shock: SPOKANE

Alabama Vipers at Tampa Bay Storm: TAMPA BAY

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz at Orlando Predators: ORLANDO

Arizona Rattlers at Tulsa Talons: TULSA

Jacksonville Sharks at Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings: JACKSONVILLE. Just to note, Talons need Jacksonville to lose to retain a chance for home field throughout the playoffs.

Milwaukee Iron at Iowa Barnstormers: MILWAUKEE

Utah Blaze at Dallas Vigilantes: DALLAS

YouTube Tuesday - July 20th, 2010

So I went looking through the vaults for today's video from the Talons "King of Coverage" Chris Royal:

Headlines - July 17, 2010

Tulsa World's Recap of the Bossier Win: "The Talons took the lead late in the first quarter and never relinquished it as they improved to 8-5."

Talon's still haven't locked up the division: "With OKC winning this past weekend, we have not locked up the division yet," Allner said. "That's what we've been talking about, and that's our main focus."

Spiderman wins Offensive Player of the Week Honors: "Morgan finished with 9 catches for 180 yards and 5 touchdowns. His final touchdown went for 45 yards as he sprinted away from the Battle Wings defensive back down the sideline. Morgan is now second in the league with 44 touchdown receptions on the season."

A look to tonight's game: "A win over the Vipers (6-7) and an Oklahoma City Yard Dawgs loss to the Cleveland Gladiators would clinch the division for the Talons (8-5)."

Week 16 Picks

Last Week: 7-0
Overall: 66-33 (.667)

Spokane Shock at Iowa Barnstormers: SPOKANE

Utah Blaze at Arizona Rattlers: ARIZONA

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz at Cleveland Gladiators: CLEVELAND

Tampa Bay Storm at Jacksonville Sharks: JACKSONVILLE

Orlando Predators at Milwaukee Iron: MILWAUKEE

Dallas Vigilantes at Chicago Rush: CHICAGO

YouTube Tuesday - July 13th, 2010

Live Coverage: Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings at Tulsa Talons - July 10, 2010

Headlines - July 10, 2010

Recap from the Cleveland Thumping

Jamar Ransom won the AFL's Highlight of the Week Award for his Pick 6 in the Cleveland Game

Tulsa likely to have Three 1,000+ receivers this season: "The Talons are on track to have three 1,000-yard receivers in the same season for the first time. Donovan Morgan reached quadruple digits weeks ago and has 1,407 yards. Carlese Franklin and Jeff Hughley have 934 and 933, respectively, with four games left."

The Tulsa World takes a look at an improved Talons Defense: "With our offense, if you give us three or four additional possessions, and limit them, then we believe we'll win. We are that confident in our offense to go out and score on nearly every possession. So, we're not talking about a lot of defense. Make a few stops."

Brett Rayl made an interesting post to facebook: "Thanks to all my Texas friends for making my trip so much fun! I will be back in September for good, so keep in touch." The phrase that concerns me is "for good," is Brett saying this is his last year with the Talons? It's probably not but just putting it out there.

This story made me love Donovan Morgan even more

A look at fullback Odie Armstrong: "Coming back here was a no-brainer. I loved the city and the guys they had coming back. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

Last night Tampa Bay was the first team to clinch a Playoff Birth

Tonight's game from Bossier's viewpoint: "I want to embarrass Tulsa," Battle Wings wide receiver and backup quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster said. "Last year they beat us up there when we got the bad end of the stick. Tulsa is like the brother you can't get along with and you're always in competition with. I hate Tulsa. I hate Tulsa with a passion."

Week 15 Picks

Last Week: 6-1
Overall: 59-33 (.641)

Alabama Vipers at Orlando Predators: ORLANDO

Tampa Bay Storm at Dallas Vigilantes: TAMPA BAY

Jacksonville Sharks at Utah Blaze: JACKSONVILLE

Spokane Shock at Cleveland Gladiators: SPOKANE

Arizona Rattlers at Chicago Rush: CHICAGO

Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings at Tulsa Talons: TULSA

Iowa Barnstormers at Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz: OKLAHOMA CITY

YouTube Tuesday - July 6, 2010

With the Yard Dawgz still being in the Division race I decided to use one of their website videos today. I don't know why, but I really think they always have great promotional videos. I kind of with the Talons would do something in the same manner:

Week 14 Picks

Last Week: 5-2
Overall: 53-32 (.624)

Chicago Rush at Tampa Bay Storm: TAMPA BAY

Milwaukee Iron at Utah Blaze: MILWAUKEE IRON

Iowa Barnstormers at Dallas Vigilantes: DALLAS

Arizona Rattlers at Spokane Shock: SPOKANE

Alabama Vipers at Jacksonville Sharks: JACKSONVILLE

Cleveland Gladiators at Orlando Predators: CLEVELAND

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz at Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings: OKLAHOMA CITY

YouTube Tuesday - June 29, 2010

This week we have highlights from Saturday's awesome game!

Live Coverage - Cleveland Gladiators at Tulsa Talons

Headlines - June 26th 2010

An Article on Tulsa's Adjustment to the AFL: "The easy and obvious answer is that there is a lot more parity in this league," said Talons coach Mitch Allner. "Every game we play is like the toughest game we played in af2."

A look at Talons Troubles: "We come out flat every game," fullback Odie Armstrong said. "We always try to pick it up in the second half, but good teams don't make mistakes and give you a chance to come back."

Tulsa Today's Recap of Friday's Game: "The main problem for the Talons on the night was simply control of the ball. Tulsa QB Justin Allgood threw 2 interceptions in the game and lost two fumbles in the 4th quarter."

ArenaFan's Adam Lopusnak Declares the SW Division Weakest in the AFL: "If the playoffs started today, the Talons would host a playoff game despite being tied for the fourth-best record in the American Conference because they have the best record in the Southwest Division."

The Tulsa World Previews Tonights Game: "The Tulsa Talons went to play the Cleveland Gladiators last month without defensive end Terrance Carter, who was injured at the time. That's like traveling without your tooth brush."

Week 13 Picks

Last Week: 4-3
Overall: 48-30 (.615)

Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings at Tampa Bay Storm: TAMPA BAY. This should be a somewhat easy win for Tampa, however I don't see it being a blowout. Most likely by about 10 points.

Arizona Rattlers at Jacksonville Sharks: JACKSONVILLE. Jacksonville is coming off a bad loss. The big thing is that a lot of the loss is due to the whole they started in after some unfortunate circumstances. They should be back to form this week.

Cleveland Gladiators at Tulsa Talons: TULSA. Tulsa has been hot and cold as of late. But the team knows they need to get better and more consistent for the playoffs. I expect to see a new level of determination on Saturday.

Spokane Shock at Milwaukee Iron: SPOKANE. Rematch from the first week of the season which lead to one of Spokane's two loses. Expect them to come out for a little revenge. Add that to their near flawless play as of late and they will be hard to stop.

Orlando Predators at Chicago Rush: CHICAGO. Orlando has been hot as of late, but Chicago just looked impressive, even without Michna, last week.

Dallas Vigilantes at Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz: DALLAS. Dallas has been consistently just behind the competition, but this is the one team they have beat before. I could see this being a team where Dallas finally starts to click and get some wins.

Utah Blaze at Iowa Barnstormers: IOWA. Really? You know this response. UTAH IS TURRRRIBLE.

YouTube Tuesday - June 23, 2010

In honor of the new 2011 teams we got this set of highlights from Friday that include the team announcements at halftime of the NFLNetwork game:

Headlines

Recap from last week's win: "Rallying to beat the Dallas Vigilantes is getting to be a pleasant habit for the Tulsa Talons."

This week the AFL named Justin Allgood the Offensive Player of the Week: "Allgood completed 25-of-37 passes for a season-high 384 passing yards and eight touchdowns. Allgood leads the AFL with 70 touchdown passes."

A look at tonight's game from Spokane's viewpoint: "Second-ranked Spokane (7-2) leads the league in total defense (264.9 yards) while the offense is second in scoring (67.1 points). No. 7 Tulsa (6-4) has an AFL-leading 17 sacks and an offense averaging 62.7 points. Quarterback Justin Allgood has an AFL-best 70 touchdown passes."

I know its a shock video but it got me excited for tonight (may need facebook to play)

ArenaFan.com's Andy Lopusnak gives Allgood some respect: "Tulsa QB Justin Allgood celebrated his 27th birthday on Friday night by leading his Talons to a come-from-behind victory against Dallas 69-51. The Dallas-area native completed 25-of-37 for a season-high 384 yards with eight touchdowns and an interception. Allgood’s final two passes were both seven-yard touchdowns to Donovan Morgan. Five of Allgood’s eight TD passes came in the second half after his team trailed 44-28. Allgood leads the AFL in passing touchdowns (70) and is on pace for 112, which would be the second most in AFL history. Last year in the af2, Allgood led the league with 108 touchdowns."

For 2011 we have at least 3 more teams: Philadelphia Soul, San Jose Sabercats, and Kansas City Brigade

Week 12 Picks

Last Week: 4-3
Overall: 44-27 (.620)

Jacksonville at Orlando: JACKSONVILLE. The Sharks are too complete a team for an Orlando team that is pretty shakey.

Tulsa at Spokane: SPOKANE. I know I am going to catch flack for this but the game really is a toss-up. My general rule in a toss up match is to take the home team. I love the Talons but Spokane in Spokane is going to be tough to beat. But make my pick wrong boys!

Milwaukee at Chicago: MILWAUKEE. I will be honest, at the beginning of the week I had Chicago picked in this one. That all changed when it was announces Rush Michna and Sammie Parker would be gone this week on UFL related business. Backups won't cut it against a great Milwaukee team.

Dallas at Alabama: DALLAS. Well V's you need to win one. I think you got a chance here. Alabama has been hurt and their defense isn't too strong. Get our division another road win please.

Iowa at Cleveland: CLEVELAND. Iowa is just too uncertain to take in this matchup.

Tampa Bay at Utah: TAMPA BAY. Nuff Said.

Bossier-Shreveport at Arizona: ARIZONA. Bossier has shown some life as of late but it will be tough to beat an Arizona team that is really starting to click right now.

YouTube Tuesday - June 15, 2010 - Return of the Soul

In honor of the announcement in Philadelphia tomorrow about the return of the Philadelphia Soul we have a video from their training camp in 2008:

Week 11 Headlines

Recap of the Talons First Loss at the BOK: "Breakdowns on offense and in the kicking game were the culprits Saturday as the Talons fell to the Orlando Predators 57-54 before a home crowd estimated at 6,500."

Tulsa World's preview of tonight's game: "The Talons (5-4) are in a tough spot with last week's lackluster loss to Orlando. If they don't win at Dallas, they will go to powerful Spokane next week with the threat of falling under the .500 mark."

The Talons are on pace to set franchise record in attendance: "The Talons are averaging 6,616 through five home games — only about 13 fewer per game than the record 2000 season when the new sport of indoor football drew three sellout crowds of 7,096 to the Convention Center Arena."

Arenafan's Adam Markowitz give Justin Allgood a bad award: "In Week 10, Tulsa's signal caller made the blunder of all blunders by tossing a pick right near the Orlando end zone that really crushed any chances that the Talons had of coming back and keeping their undefeated season at home alive."

A Website this week was launched for the Kansas City Brigade

Similarly, the San Jose Sabercats have had a teaser site up for awhile

Week 11 Picks

Ok Preparation for the Bar Exam at the end of the summer is keeping me from doing a full post. I apologize.

Last Week: 3-4
Overall: 40-24

Tulsa Talons at Dallas Vigilantes: TULSA

Tampa Bay Storm at Alabama Vipers: TAMPA BAY

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz at Arizona Rattlers: ARIZONA

Spokane Shock at Orlando Predators: ORLANDO

Cleveland Gladiators at Milwaukee Iron: CLEVELAND

Iowa Barnstormers at Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings: IOWA

Chicago Rush at Utah Blaze: CHICAGO

YouTube Tuesday - June 8th, 2010

This week a video from myself. This play was amazing at the game on Saturday even if we did lose.

Looks like Tulsa is boycotting the AFL's stats system

Most hardcore fans of the AFL will tell you that the new program that the AFL went with this year is crap. Well to be honest, it's kind of the truth. For weeks we have all known the fans were displeased with it. Then recently there were rumblings that the teams' staffs were unhappy with it as well.

About two weeks ago a rumor came out that caught my attention. That rumor was that Tulsa's crew were going to boycott the AFL's stat system. Oh course I blew it off as normal rumor rumblings. However, today I saw the following tweet from Jason Dixon of the Tampa Bay Storm Radio:

@Arenafan Did the stats crew in Tulsa not show up, or did the do the stats on the old program?

This caused me to take a look at the arenafootball.com stats page.

There was no game report. There was no drive summary. There was a link to the box score however. So I clicked the link. The box scores page was empty of stats. It looks like there is a good possibility that the Talons did decide to boycott the system. However, that doesn't mean they didn't keep stats. The Tulsa World had some stats this morning, including the touchdown summaries. What is looks like is the Talons are using another system to keep track of stats.

What does this mean for the average Tulsa fan. Probably not since you will be at the game or get the stats from the Tulsa World. Since every other team (at the moment) is still using the system, you will still be able to get live stats from arenafootball.com for away games. What could be scary is the precedent that this sets. With one team boycotting, it won't be long till another team jumps on board. And then another team. The AFL will need to remedy this quick, and that remedy seems to have to be getting a new system as soon as possible.

Live Coverage: Orlando Predators at Tulsa Talons

Headlines

A really slow week in news about the Talons this week... However, there is two good articles over Talons players from the Tulsa World:

One over Gabe Nyenhuis: "Gabe Nyenhuis knows what it's like to win an Arena Football League championship. The Talons defensive end has the ring to prove it."

The other about new DB Chris Royal: "As Tulsa's middle defensive back, he's most often matched against the high-motion receiver running at top speed when the ball is snapped. It's a tough job, but Royal says he's good at it because he's a fanatic on technique."

Also check out this week's AFL Tonight Podcast where they look at noisemakers from the Bossier game.

Week 10 Picks

Last Week: 6-1
Overall: 37-20

Utah Blaze at Cleveland Gladiators: CLEVELAND. Um do I need to say it again this week? The Blaze suck. It will take more than a QB signing and coaching change to change that.

Jacksonville Sharks at Chicago Rush: JACKSONVILLE. Ouch, the Sharks are coming off a bad visit to Spokane and have to follow it up in Chicago. The good news is that the Rush have been pulling smaller crowds than the Shock. This, combined with being a better team, should lead to a Sharks win.

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz at Tampa Bay Storm: TAMPA BAY. Ok so OKC has gotten better this week and coming off a good win. However, Tampa is a complete team that will be a playoff team. The Storm should win this one.

Orlando Predators at Tulsa Talons: TULSA. The Talons are still undefeated in the BOK, and don't expect that to change. While Orlando has been hot lately, the Talons have one of the top offenses in the league and will be hard to stop.

Alabama Vipers at Iowa Barnstormers: IOWA. This is all based on which QB plays for Alabama really. However, expect Vena to play strong for the stormers and lead his team to a win.

Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings at Dallas Vigilantes: DALLAS. While Cooper looked good in his earlier than expected debut this past weekend, the wings have little to no defense. This combined with a strong Dallas defense should lead to a Vigilantes win.

Milwaukee Iron at Arizona Rattlers: MILWAUKEE. The Rattlers have been inconsistent all season and the Iron are coming off a bad slide of games, expect them to return to form in this one.

Talons Central Power Rankings

The AFL Writers Association has released their Top 8 Poll for the week:

1. Spokane Shock

2. Milwaukee Iron

3. Chicago Rush

4. Jacksonville Sharks

5. Tulsa Talons

6. Tampa Bay Storm

7. Arizona Rattlers

8. Alabama Vipers

In addition, the AFLFanzone Fan Poll for the week has been released. The Fan Poll is made up by a group of fans, one from each AFL team. Check out their rankings:

1. Spokane Shock

2. Milwaukee Iron

3. Jacksonville Sharks

4. Chicago Rush

5. Tulsa Talons

6. Arizona Rattlers

7. Tampa Bay Storm

8. Alabama Vipers

9. Iowa Barnstormers

10. Cleveland Gladiators

In my ranking the Shock hold the top spot, though the top 3 are all kind of a toss up:

1. Spokane Shock
2. Jacksonville Sharks
3. Milwaukee Iron
4. Tampa Bay Storm
5. Chicago Rush
6. Tulsa Talons
7. Arizona Rattlers
8. Cleveland Gladiators
9. OKC Yard Dawgz
10. Iowa Barnstormers
11. Alabama Vipers
12. Orlando Predators
13. Dallas Vigilantes
14. Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings
15. Utah Blaze

YouTube Tuesday - June 1, 2010

This week we have highlights from the Jacksonville Sharks at Spokane Shock game from this last weekend. There are some really great highlights from a great game here.

Photos and Video from Saturday's Game

Hey Everyone! You can check out my pictures from the Battlewings game this past Saturday here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173080&id=44000338&l=6d39772242

Also here are the 3 videos I took:

Talons Escape Bossier with a Win

In a night when every call went against them, the Talons still came up with a road win. The victory broke a six game road losing streak stretching back to last season.

The Battle Wings received the ball first and appeared to be in trouble. The Talons defense was tough and tight forcing Kinsmon Lancaster's first three passes to fall incomplete. Lancaster kept the drive alive on fourth down by scrambling for a 23 yard gain before Terrell Mingo brought him down. Seven plays later the Battle Wings scored to start the game with a 7-0 lead. The Talons would answer back with a five play drive for a touchdown. The drive was topped off by a long pass to Donovan Morgan and then a strong Odie Armstrong run for the TD.

The Battle Wings would get a scare on their next series as Lancaster was hit on the second play of the series and was slow to get up (not a late hit as was reported in the arenafootball.com press release). Lancaster would leave the game, but it appeared to be a good thing for the Wings. Lancaster was replaced by Gary Cooper who had been a former Battle Wings QB before being picked up this week to fill the hole left by Raymond Philyaw who is currently on Injured Reserve. Cooper would eventually miss a few passes before the Battle Wings turned the ball over on downs after the first play of the second quarter.

Justin Allgood would start the next play off with a long pass to Donovan Morgan for another Talons TD. Tony Dodson would miss the extra point, however, to only give the Talons a 13-7 lead. The teams would continue to trade scores till the end of the half when both teams missed field goals to go into halftime tied at 26 each.

The Talons would stay one step ahead of the Battle Wings for the rest of the game taking a 52-48 lead early in the 4th Quarter. The game would conclude with series upon series of turnover on downs for both teams until the Battle Wings threw a deep pass to P.J. Berry that was picked off by Chris Royal to give the Talons the ball with about 14 seconds remaining. The Talons would run out the clock and get the road win.

The Talons defense was outstanding. The defensive front ended the game with three credited sacks (Nyenheis: 1, Scott: 2). On the defensive backfield of the Talons got one timely interception and multiple pass breakups.

Talons Quarterback Justin Allgood threw for 285 yards and passed former Talons QB Craig Strickland to take the franchise record in career passing yards. Talons WR Carlese Franklin wore #4 instead of his normal #5 as his jersey was lost (possibly stolen) in the Talons visit to Cleveland two weeks before.

The Talons return home next saturday to play the Orlando Predators (3-4) in the BOK Center where they are undefeated this season.

(Hopefully) Live Coverage of Tulsa Talons at Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings

Headlines - May 29th, 2010

Recap from last week's game: "In his last visit to the BOK Center, Tommy Grady threw 10 touchdown passes. This time, the Talons threw him around the Oklahoma City backfield like he was a rag doll."

A look from OKC's perspective: "The Yard Dawgz thought they’d fixed their problematic offensive line, but the Tulsa Talons’ scrappy defense showed Oklahoma City’s line still needs some work."

2 Talons received awards this week: "Franklin ended the night with three carries for 17 yards and two touchdowns and had five receptions for 62 yards and three touchdowns."

The Tulsa World looking at various aspects of the OKC game: "Officially, Gabe Nyenhuis was credited with one sack against the Yard Dawgz, but Talons line coach Marty Robinson argues that he deserved three more for causing Yard Dawgz quarterback Tommy Grady to fumble three times."

The NFL Network drops a Talons game

Allgood should set franchise record tonight: "Allgood needs 85 yards Saturday at Bossier-Shreveport to become Tulsa's all-time leader. AFL quarterbacks usually have that much yardage by halftime."

Mid-Season AFL Expansion Rumors

With the season half-over there are lots of rumors circulating about possible teams expanding and/or leaving the AFL. It looks like there will be 5-6 teams joining the league next year and I want to take a look at the possibilities.

Possible Expansion Cities (by likelihood):

1. Philadelphia, PA

The most likely of all the expansion talks is Philadelphia. This has been mentioned since day one. The only thing that was scary was the Tampa Bay Storm Radio reported on Twitter that there were some hangups with bringing the Soul back. However, there are rumors that the hangups have been solved. Possibility 95%

2. San Jose, CA

San Jose has been a historic franchise in the AFL. However, when the league reformed this year, workers compensation law scared the league away from California. As the league and San Jose (along with some changes to California WC law) have come to terms, this is looking more and more likely. Possibility 90%

3. Kansas City, KS

When the league was forming this year Kansas City was one of the 20 cities looking to join. However, certain things kept KC out. In addition to certain rumors I will talk about below, the league seems to want to have KC in the league. Not only were they a good fan base in the old AFL, it also makes sense geographically. KC sits perfectly between Tulsa and Des Moines, making regional travel very easy. This will help keep costs down for the league. Possibility 85%

4. Pittsburg, PA

The workers town of the USA. Rumors have been floating about this city for awhile now. It would make sense too. It's perfect for the region and the type of city where the AFL should flourish. Possibility 75%

5. Los Angeles, CA

LA was talked about in conjunction with San Jose. However, the biggest roadblock to the return of professional football to the City of Angels is finding a venue. The best thing they could do is put the team in Anaheim. Possibility 60%

6. Denver, CO

The Crush were a solid long-term franchise of the AFL, mainly due to involvement from John Elway. However, in the current league they are in a somewhat remote market. They could make a good addition to the West who are already spread out. Possibility 35%

7. San Antonio, TX

It has been rumored that San Antonio is hungry for a team. However, their first stint with a team in 1992 ended in the same year. The San Antonio Force was the first team shut out in the AFL. If the city is really wanting to join the AFL I can see it happening, but not next year. Possibility 20%

Possible Franchise Closing/Moving/Changing

1. Dallas Vigilantes

This rumor surprised me when I first heard about it, but it seems to make sense, but in a round about way. Rumors are that Jerry Jones wants to return to the AFL and bring the Desperados back with him. To do so, his "Franchise Fee" would be used to move the Vigilantes to Kansas City and be rebranded as the Brigade. Jerry Jones can fill seats in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, so if he really does want to come back it will happen.

2. Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz

The Yard Dawgz have been struggling with attendance (and wins). This is most likely due to the Thunder and NBA owning that city right now. If they don't think they can improve this would be a very likely closure.

3. Utah Blaze

The Blaze have been struggling all season with attendance. If they can't get a deal to get into an arena in downtown this team could fold just because their current arena doesn't pull in a crowd.

4. Bossier-Shreveport

This is something that has been rumbled but no specifics at all. The ownership seems to support the team, even as they fail to make money. But with the increased costs in the AFL who knows how long that will last.

How I see the league looking next year:

South Division:

Alabama Vipers

Jacksonville Sharks

Tampa Bay Storm

Orlando Predators

Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings

Southwest Division (maybe renamed to Central):

Tulsa Talons

Dallas Desperados

Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz

Kansas City Brigade

Iowa Barnstormers

Midwest Division

Milwaukee Iron

Chicago Rush

Cleveland Gladiators

Philadelphia Soul

Pittsburg

Western Division

Spokane Shock

Arizona Rattlers

Utah Blaze

San Jose Sabercats

Anaheim (Avengers)

Talons Central Week 9 Picks

First off sorry for the short updates this week. I have been planning my trip to Bossier-Shreveport for the game this week on top of being very busy.

Last Week: 5-2

Overall: 31-19

Tampa Bay Storm at Orlando Predators: TAMPA BAY. The War on I-4! Orlando has played better lately but it should catch up with them in this rivalry. Tampa is a good team that has only lost to better teams, and Orlando is not a better team.

Alabama Vipers at Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz: OKLAHOMA CITY. Alabama got lucky when Raymond Philyaw went down early last week. That shouldn't happen with Oklahoma City and the Vipers should struggle.

Arizona Rattlers at Utah Blaze: ARIZONA. Really? Should this even be a question? Utah stinks.

Chicago Rush at Cleveland Gladiators: CHICAGO. Chicago is hungry after a two week slide and should come out strong against Cleveland and play better than they did in week 2.

Dallas Vigilantes at Milwaukee Iron: MILWAUKEE.

Tulsa Talons at Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings: TULSA. Three words: No Raymond Philyaw.

Jacksonville Sharks at Spokane Shock: JACKSONVILLE. This is easily the game of the week. That being said Spokane has not played well at home in big games this season. Jacksonville is very complete as a team and should pull this one out.

Talons Central Power Rankings

The AFL Writers Association has released their Top 8 Poll for the week:

1. Jacksonville Sharks

2. Spokane Shock

3. Milwaukee Iron

4. Chicago Rush

5. Tulsa Talons

6. Alabama Vipers

7. Arizona Rattlers

8. Tampa Bay Storm

In addition, the AFLFanzone Fan Poll for the week has been released. The Fan Poll is made up by a group of fans, one from each AFL team. Check out their rankings:

1. Jacksonville Sharks

2. Spokane Shock

3. Milwaukee Iron

4. Chicago Rush

5. Tulsa Talons

6. Alabama Vipers

7. Arizona Rattlers

8. Orlando Predators

9. Tampa Bay Storm

10. Cleveland Gladiators

In my ranking the Sharks still hold the top spot, which it seems that everyone else has come to terms with finally as well:

1. Jacksonville Sharks
2. Spokane Shock
3. Milwaukee Iron
4. Tampa Bay Storm
5. Chicago Rush
6. Tulsa Talons
7. Arizona Rattlers
8. Cleveland Gladiators
9. Alabama Vipers
10. Orlando Predators
11. Iowa Barnstormers
12. OKC Yard Dawgz
13. Dallas Vigilantes
14. Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings
15. Utah Blaze

Talons v. Vigilantes NFL Network game bumped

Today it was announced that the NFL Network would be exercising their Flex Scheduling to switch games on June 11, 2010. The original game was suppose to be the Tulsa Talons at the Dallas Vigilantes; a great matchup from week 2. In it's place the Tampa Bay Storm at Alabama Vipers game will be moved from Saturday to Friday night. This will be Alabama's only scheduled appearance on the NFL Network this season.

While congratulations are in order for the Vipers getting an NFL Network game, the decision sheds doubt on future games, including the only other Talons NFL Network appearance, week 18 at the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. With OKC struggling, the NFL Network may look for a more competitive game to fill that date.

However, it does open up the possibility of the NFL Network Flexing to the Tulsa Talons v. Spokane Shock game in early July. There is a large amount of rivalry between the Shock and Talons. In addition, it would be a matchup of (most likely) two division leaders.

What do you think of the NFL Flexing the Dallas game and future possibilities? Let us know by leaving a comment!

YouTube Tuesday - May 25th, 2010

In honor of the firing of Rich Ingold as Dallas's coach yesterday we have some highlights from the Jackonsville Sharks/Dallas Vigilantes game this past weekend:

Weekend Roundup

Sorry for taking so long, been having internet problems for the last couple of days. Gonna keep it quite short too, partially because this is a hard week to explain:

Orlando Predators 58, Milwaukee Iron 54

Arizona Rattlers 52, Iowa Barnstormers 48

Jacksonville Sharks 46, Cleveland Gladiators 44

Tulsa Talons 67, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz 41

Chicago Rush 63, Dallas Vigilantes 56: BREAKING NEWS: Dallas has fired head coach Rich Ingold

Alabama Vipers 56, Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings 19

Spokane Shock 77, Utah Blaze 28

Congratulations to the Talons on taking the league lead in sacks.

Live Coverage: OKC Yard Dawgz v. Tulsa Talons

Headlines - May 22nd, 2010

Last night the Iowa Barnstormers inducted Kurt Warner into their "ring of honor".

Recap for last week's game: "The Tulsa Talons lost four turnovers and allowed Cleveland quarterback John Dutton to throw nine touchdown passes — not the best prescription for success."

The Oklahoman takes a look at this week's instate matchup: "The Talons and the Yard Dawgz are more than just division adversaries and in-state foes. OKC coach Sparky McEwen said the bitter rivalry is no different than the one between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees."

Donovon Morgan assures he's going to work on ball control: "It's a bad habit I've gotten into, holding the ball with one hand, and I see that it's something I'm gonna have to work on in practice," he said. "I promised my teammates that it would never happen again. I'm not a guy who fumbles and turns the ball over, so I let my them down in that aspect."

Jason Dixon of Tampa Bay Storm Radio gives the Talons a C+: "I think Tulsa was one of the teams that I hit the nail on right on the head early on. They are real good at home. Take them out of Tulsa and they struggle. 3-0 at the BOK Center, 0-3 everywhere else. The Talons have been hard luck losers. They lost two straight games on the last play of the game. They will have a chance to beef up their record. They have played just one game within their division and the Southwest is likely the weakest in the AFL. Tulsa needs to shore up its defense. It is giving up more than 63 points per game putting it near the bottom of the league. They should win the division and get to host a playoff game, but to get to the Arena Bowl, they will have to win on the road."

KRMG previews Justin Allgood's chance to set a franchise record: "It could also be a record-setting night for Tulsa's starting quarterback. During the last home game, running back Odie Armstrong set a franchise record with a 37-yard TD run against Alabama. Now it is quarterback Justin Allgood who has a chance to rewrite the team's record book.
Allgood trails all-time franchise leader Craig Strickland by just 262 yards in total passing."

Dallas coach Rich Ingold claims they will win the division: "I'm going to go out on a limb right now and I'm going to tell you -- we're going to go out, we're going to compete and win this division," Ingold said.

The Tulsa World previews tonight's game: "Friendships and rivalries are renewed whenever the Tulsa Talons tangle with the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz."

Be sure to mention sickle cell night when buying your Talons tickets tonight: "Tickets are $12 each and $4 of each ticket purchased will go to the sickle cell group."