ArenaBowl XXIV Features Matchup of Former Talons Stars

Two former Talons stars make big noise elsewhere in the league this year. Odie Armstrong showed the league he more than a blocker for Justin Allgood. Jeff Hughley made a name for himself on a team that was already stacked with WRs. Now each of them are Conference Champions about to face off in the ArenaBowl. In light of this, I wanted to do a little comparison as we prepare for the game here in an hour.

Odie Armstrong

In 2010 Odie rushed for 349 yards on 74 carries for 13 touchdowns. This year with the Rattlers his yards dipped to 295 on 77 carries, but his touchdowns rose to 17.

Jeff Hughley

In 2010 Jeff had 1258 yards on 113 receptions for 28 touchdowns. In addition, Jeff had 91 returns for 1642 yards and two touchdowns. With Jacksonville this year he had 1171 yards on only 89 receptions for 22 touchdowns. On kick returns he had 1447 yards on 69 returns and one touchdown.

Overall, Hughley made the better improvement. However, Odie seems to be on the better team as the Rattlers are heavily favored tonight. It will the first time Hughley and Armstrong have faced off against each other, as Hughley was injured in week one when the teams played.

Kickoff on NFL Network at 7:30 tonight.

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

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

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

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