Free tickets to tonight's game for veterans: "The Jack C. Montgomery V.A. Medical Center is hosting the event.
Veterans get a free ticket at the door along with a meal voucher."
Talons on hitting stats milestones: "I like winning," McBroom said. "It's good sometimes to when my numbers come along, but it's more important that I do whatever I can to put us in a position to win the game."
Talons looking to sign SIFL leader: "Panthers defensive back Demetrie McCray is heading to Atlanta for a tryout with the Georgia Force on Thursday. The Force aren't the only team interested in McCray. The Tulsa Talons have offered the former Albany State Ram a contract. Demetrie McCray was among the SIFL leaders in interceptions this season."
Tonight is a big night for both teams: "The Orlando Predators travel to the BOK Center to face the Tulsa Talons (7-9). For the Predators, the scenario is easy: win and they're in. The Talons need some help and will probably be big SaberCats fans this week too. But if Tulsa wins, they'll stay alive for another week."
Showing posts with label Headlines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Headlines. Show all posts
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Headlines - June 25, 2011
J.C. Neal is just a beast: "Talons rookie defensive back J.C. Neal has three of the 12 longest interception returns in franchise history in the past two weeks."
Neal is breaking all sorts of records: "Neal has already found a place in AFL record books for most interception return yards in a rookie season (177), most interception return yards in a game (95) and is tied for the most interceptions returned for touchdowns in a game with two. His three interception returns for a touchdown this season is tied for second in AFL history."
Tonight's game will be won on the ground: "The Talons lead the league in rushing defense, but are sure to be tested Saturday. The Vigilantes' Derrick Ross leads the league in rushing with 502 yards and 28 touchdowns - 15 more rushing TDs than the Talons have allowed in 13 games."
Allgood's return to Philly was all good: "Philadelphia Soul fans have to be wondering, “Where did THAT Justin Allgood come from, or where was he a few weeks ago?” Allgood made a successful return against the team he began this season with, throwing six touchdowns without an interception in the Talons’ 48-42 win. In the end, though, Philly almost stole the game. Tulsa’s Juan Bongarra missed a would-be game-clinching field goal in the final seconds that gave the Soul life, but Philly couldn’t get the final touchdown. In Allgood’s last two games with the Talons, he’s 2-0, and has 12 touchdown passes without an interception, and if the season ended today, Tulsa would grab the last playoff spot in the National Conference."
Neal snags another weekly award: "Neal (6-0, 200, North Carolina State) caught his third interception for a touchdown this season in the 48-42 win over Philadelphia. The interception for a touchdown was his third in back-to-back games. With seven minutes left in the second half, Neal scored the first points of the quarter with a 50-yard interception return, putting the Talons up 13-7. Neal totaled two interceptions and a team-leading 6.5 tackles against the Soul. Neal ranks eighth in the League in tackles with 76.5 this season."
Chef 'Zo: Lorenzo Breland, an offensive lineman for the Tulsa Talons, is well-known for his turkey burger recipe. “You have to add bell pepper, diced onions, and before you cook the burger, you add pepper jack cheese balls into the patty. This recipe is one of my favorite things to eat during the season,” Breland said. Breland is originally from Picayne, Miss. His favorite foods as a child represent the flavor of the south. From gumbos and Creole seasoning, Breland is fond for his grandmothers cooking. “Growing up I loved to eat my grandmother’s red-beans and rice, gumbo and catfish. She could make anything and it was all good,” Breland said.
Arena Pigskin's preview for tonight: "The Talons will win because a) they’re at home and b) this is a totally different team from week two. Allgood has come back to Tulsa and went 2-0 last year against Dallas. And with their additions, they have made themselves a serious contender to make the playoffs and possibly make a run."
Football Gameplan's Preview
More love for Neal: "In the past two weeks, Tulsa defensive back J.C. Neal has posted three interceptions returned for touchdowns. These include gallops from 43, 50 and 52 yards. It's unclear if he's the first player to post at least three 40-yard pick sixes in a season, but nonetheless it's pretty damn repressive."
Neal is breaking all sorts of records: "Neal has already found a place in AFL record books for most interception return yards in a rookie season (177), most interception return yards in a game (95) and is tied for the most interceptions returned for touchdowns in a game with two. His three interception returns for a touchdown this season is tied for second in AFL history."
Tonight's game will be won on the ground: "The Talons lead the league in rushing defense, but are sure to be tested Saturday. The Vigilantes' Derrick Ross leads the league in rushing with 502 yards and 28 touchdowns - 15 more rushing TDs than the Talons have allowed in 13 games."
Allgood's return to Philly was all good: "Philadelphia Soul fans have to be wondering, “Where did THAT Justin Allgood come from, or where was he a few weeks ago?” Allgood made a successful return against the team he began this season with, throwing six touchdowns without an interception in the Talons’ 48-42 win. In the end, though, Philly almost stole the game. Tulsa’s Juan Bongarra missed a would-be game-clinching field goal in the final seconds that gave the Soul life, but Philly couldn’t get the final touchdown. In Allgood’s last two games with the Talons, he’s 2-0, and has 12 touchdown passes without an interception, and if the season ended today, Tulsa would grab the last playoff spot in the National Conference."
Neal snags another weekly award: "Neal (6-0, 200, North Carolina State) caught his third interception for a touchdown this season in the 48-42 win over Philadelphia. The interception for a touchdown was his third in back-to-back games. With seven minutes left in the second half, Neal scored the first points of the quarter with a 50-yard interception return, putting the Talons up 13-7. Neal totaled two interceptions and a team-leading 6.5 tackles against the Soul. Neal ranks eighth in the League in tackles with 76.5 this season."
Chef 'Zo: Lorenzo Breland, an offensive lineman for the Tulsa Talons, is well-known for his turkey burger recipe. “You have to add bell pepper, diced onions, and before you cook the burger, you add pepper jack cheese balls into the patty. This recipe is one of my favorite things to eat during the season,” Breland said. Breland is originally from Picayne, Miss. His favorite foods as a child represent the flavor of the south. From gumbos and Creole seasoning, Breland is fond for his grandmothers cooking. “Growing up I loved to eat my grandmother’s red-beans and rice, gumbo and catfish. She could make anything and it was all good,” Breland said.
Arena Pigskin's preview for tonight: "The Talons will win because a) they’re at home and b) this is a totally different team from week two. Allgood has come back to Tulsa and went 2-0 last year against Dallas. And with their additions, they have made themselves a serious contender to make the playoffs and possibly make a run."
Football Gameplan's Preview
More love for Neal: "In the past two weeks, Tulsa defensive back J.C. Neal has posted three interceptions returned for touchdowns. These include gallops from 43, 50 and 52 yards. It's unclear if he's the first player to post at least three 40-yard pick sixes in a season, but nonetheless it's pretty damn repressive."
Friday, June 17, 2011
Headlines - June 17, 2011
Tulsa World's recap of the Utah Blowout: "Rookie defensive back J.C. Neal returned two interceptions for scores and scored on an onside kick as the Talons blitzed the Utah Blaze 81-51 before an estimated 5,000 spectators. Veteran linebacker Jamar Ransom scored with a fumble and Victor DeGrate made two game-changing plays as the Talons (5-7) broke a two-game losing streak and put themselves back into the running for a National Conference playoff berth."
Talons QB Matt Bassuener gets a Special Honor: "Tulsa Talons quarterback Matt Bassuener is one of 39 players selected for the U.S. Men's National Football Team that will compete in the International Federation of American Football Senior World Championships next month in Austria."
Talons finally faceoff against Donovan MorganCoach Mitch Allner will see a familiar face Friday as his team lines up against one of his former players, Donovan Morgan. He played for the Talons last season and was the leading receiver with 1,707 receiving yards. This year, he is second in the AFL with 1,614 yards. "Donovan is a very good ballplayer," Allner said. "I definitely know what he can do."
The Blaze Blowout has the league watching: "I was expecting offense in the Utah-Tulsa match up, but the wrong one showed up. It was an 81-point night for the Talons. Justin Allgood looked to regain his magic in Tulsa, with six touchdowns and no interceptions. It always helps to get a couple of scores from the defense. That was only the third time all year the Talons put up over 50 points. Last year with Allgood at the helm, the Talons scored at least 74 points three times, and were held under 50 points only once in the regular season."
The Soul will be braking in a new QB tonight
Two Talons received honors this week: "Hunt (5-11, 205, Northwestern Oklahoma State) hauled in a 7-yard, touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Allgood in the second quarter with 55 seconds left on the clock. Hunt fell in the endzone and still managed to catch the ball as it bounced off the wall. The touchdown gave Tulsa a 34-33 lead."
JC Neal named Week 14 National Guard MVP: "In a race that was tied up with less than two hours remaining of voting, Neal defeated Meyer by six votes on Facebook.com. Neal had an explosive evening in the 81-51 win over Utah on Saturday. Neal hauled in two interceptions for touchdowns, totaling 95 return yards. He also returned an onside kick for a touchdown. Neal ended with the night with six tackles, placing him eighth in the League in total tackles (70.0)."
A look at the new Soul QB for tonight: In 2008 with Colorado, Kirsch tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while playing linebacker. He was the backup quarterback, and the team needed some help on defense. "Since then I haven't played organized football other than, say, flag football tournaments the past three years," Kirsch said. During his career at Purdue from 2002 to 2005, Kirsch completed 292 of 489 passes for 3,532 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also rushed for 757 career yards and five touchdowns and started at least one game in each of his four years.
Talons QB Matt Bassuener gets a Special Honor: "Tulsa Talons quarterback Matt Bassuener is one of 39 players selected for the U.S. Men's National Football Team that will compete in the International Federation of American Football Senior World Championships next month in Austria."
Talons finally faceoff against Donovan MorganCoach Mitch Allner will see a familiar face Friday as his team lines up against one of his former players, Donovan Morgan. He played for the Talons last season and was the leading receiver with 1,707 receiving yards. This year, he is second in the AFL with 1,614 yards. "Donovan is a very good ballplayer," Allner said. "I definitely know what he can do."
The Blaze Blowout has the league watching: "I was expecting offense in the Utah-Tulsa match up, but the wrong one showed up. It was an 81-point night for the Talons. Justin Allgood looked to regain his magic in Tulsa, with six touchdowns and no interceptions. It always helps to get a couple of scores from the defense. That was only the third time all year the Talons put up over 50 points. Last year with Allgood at the helm, the Talons scored at least 74 points three times, and were held under 50 points only once in the regular season."
The Soul will be braking in a new QB tonight
Two Talons received honors this week: "Hunt (5-11, 205, Northwestern Oklahoma State) hauled in a 7-yard, touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Allgood in the second quarter with 55 seconds left on the clock. Hunt fell in the endzone and still managed to catch the ball as it bounced off the wall. The touchdown gave Tulsa a 34-33 lead."
JC Neal named Week 14 National Guard MVP: "In a race that was tied up with less than two hours remaining of voting, Neal defeated Meyer by six votes on Facebook.com. Neal had an explosive evening in the 81-51 win over Utah on Saturday. Neal hauled in two interceptions for touchdowns, totaling 95 return yards. He also returned an onside kick for a touchdown. Neal ended with the night with six tackles, placing him eighth in the League in total tackles (70.0)."
A look at the new Soul QB for tonight: In 2008 with Colorado, Kirsch tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while playing linebacker. He was the backup quarterback, and the team needed some help on defense. "Since then I haven't played organized football other than, say, flag football tournaments the past three years," Kirsch said. During his career at Purdue from 2002 to 2005, Kirsch completed 292 of 489 passes for 3,532 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also rushed for 757 career yards and five touchdowns and started at least one game in each of his four years.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Headlines - June 11, 2011
Allgood is getting adjusted to his new teammates: "Allgood said getting acquainted with his teammates will help. Over the offseason, the Talons lost most of the veterans Allgood played alongside the past four years, going 45-12 as the team's starting quarterback. Most of his new teammates are playing arena football for the first time."
A great look at scoring to win: "the only team to lose a game despite scoring more than 5 points per offensive possession is the Iowa Barnstormers. Iowa put up 6 points per drive against Tulsa and managed to lose, thanks to a last second field goal on Tulsa's extra possession (the Talons had 11 possessions to Iowa's 10)."
Talons Playoff Hopes: "The Utah Blaze visits Saturday for a game that is vital to the Talons' playoff hopes. The Blaze and San Jose Sabercats lost last weekend, leaving Tulsa just a game out of the fourth National Conference playoff spot, currently held by the Blaze, which is second in the West Division."
Timing issues between McBroom and Allgood: "We had some timing issues, especially between Justin and (Talons receiving leader) Troy McBroom," Allner said. "Troy has been banged up and Justin hasn't thrown a (practice) pass to him in the two weeks that he's been here."
All eyes are on the Utah/Tulsa game: "Out in the National Conference, the Utah Blaze-Tulsa Talons game is shaping up like an early playoff game as well. The Blaze hold the last spot in the playoffs, and Tulsa is one game back. If the Talons can get the “w,” they’d tie Utah and have the head-to-head tiebreaker as well."
Arena Pigskin takes the Talons tonight: "It may not look like much, but this is a pivotal game when it comes to the National Conference side of the playoffs. If Utah takes the win, they will have the upper hand in for the forth seed. If Tulsa wins, the Talons will be part of a three-way tie for the forth seed. Utah has been a trendy team through out the season after a really rough 2010. Quarterback Tommy Grady has been a big reason why. But Tulsa has been on the upswing after a rough first couple of weeks and will be a team to contender with. And they will force a three-way tie for the forth seed."
Talons are contenders: "After a tough, rough start, the Talons have made a charge back into the playoff picture. With a win over Utah this week, Tulsa will be tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the National Conference. And I like their chances to get that spot. If you take off those first few weeks when Bobby Reid was their quarterback, the Talons would be in a much better position. The best part about this team is that they are also improving every week. With Utah, Philly, Iowa and Kansas City left on their schedule, The Tulsa Talons are contenders."
Football Gameplan's Preview for tonight's game.
One final look at the Rush game: "As for the dramatic finishes that are trademark in the AFL, QB Russ Michna dove over the Tulsa Talons defensive line with no time on the clock to get a 49-48 for Chicago. The Rush began its drive with over a minute left, but ran the clock all the way down without a second to spare. The Talons defense wasn’t letting Chicago go through it, so the Rush had to go over it."
A great look at scoring to win: "the only team to lose a game despite scoring more than 5 points per offensive possession is the Iowa Barnstormers. Iowa put up 6 points per drive against Tulsa and managed to lose, thanks to a last second field goal on Tulsa's extra possession (the Talons had 11 possessions to Iowa's 10)."
Talons Playoff Hopes: "The Utah Blaze visits Saturday for a game that is vital to the Talons' playoff hopes. The Blaze and San Jose Sabercats lost last weekend, leaving Tulsa just a game out of the fourth National Conference playoff spot, currently held by the Blaze, which is second in the West Division."
Timing issues between McBroom and Allgood: "We had some timing issues, especially between Justin and (Talons receiving leader) Troy McBroom," Allner said. "Troy has been banged up and Justin hasn't thrown a (practice) pass to him in the two weeks that he's been here."
All eyes are on the Utah/Tulsa game: "Out in the National Conference, the Utah Blaze-Tulsa Talons game is shaping up like an early playoff game as well. The Blaze hold the last spot in the playoffs, and Tulsa is one game back. If the Talons can get the “w,” they’d tie Utah and have the head-to-head tiebreaker as well."
Arena Pigskin takes the Talons tonight: "It may not look like much, but this is a pivotal game when it comes to the National Conference side of the playoffs. If Utah takes the win, they will have the upper hand in for the forth seed. If Tulsa wins, the Talons will be part of a three-way tie for the forth seed. Utah has been a trendy team through out the season after a really rough 2010. Quarterback Tommy Grady has been a big reason why. But Tulsa has been on the upswing after a rough first couple of weeks and will be a team to contender with. And they will force a three-way tie for the forth seed."
Talons are contenders: "After a tough, rough start, the Talons have made a charge back into the playoff picture. With a win over Utah this week, Tulsa will be tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the National Conference. And I like their chances to get that spot. If you take off those first few weeks when Bobby Reid was their quarterback, the Talons would be in a much better position. The best part about this team is that they are also improving every week. With Utah, Philly, Iowa and Kansas City left on their schedule, The Tulsa Talons are contenders."
Football Gameplan's Preview for tonight's game.
One final look at the Rush game: "As for the dramatic finishes that are trademark in the AFL, QB Russ Michna dove over the Tulsa Talons defensive line with no time on the clock to get a 49-48 for Chicago. The Rush began its drive with over a minute left, but ran the clock all the way down without a second to spare. The Talons defense wasn’t letting Chicago go through it, so the Rush had to go over it."
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Headlines - May 29, 2011
Turnovers hurting the Talons last week: Allner first thought the ball would be batted down easily. Then he saw Devoe and Talons defender Fred Shaw jostling for position. "(Devoe) did a good job of getting a body on (Shaw) and almost blocking him out like a low-post player in basketball," Allner said. Allner said the last play didn't beat the Talons as much as three turnovers did. Tulsa missed out on points when McBroom fumbled at the Kansas City 10 just before halftime.
On the botched fumble recovery: On first down from the Talons 9, defensive end Colin Bryant slapped the ball out of Raterink's hand. Nekos Brown tried to scoop it on the run, but the ball skittered to a Command player. Should Brown simply have tried to fall on the ball? "You can't really fault him because it's in the heat of the moment," nose guard Reggie Paramoure said. When the play was over, Kansas City had the ball and four-tenths of a second remained - way too much time for a Talons team that lost consecutive games on untimed downs after the clock had run out at Arizona and Jacksonville last year.
Allgood's status for this week: Head coach Mitch Allner said he would give veteran quarterback Justin Allgood his first playing time since Allgood rejoined the team last week. But whether Allgood will start ahead of rookie quarterback Matt Bassuener is likely to be a game-time decision.
Tulsa least penalized team in the league: "Tulsa is a world by itself when it comes to penalties. The Talons, just like last season, are by far the least penalized team in the league. Tulsa averages 5.8 penalties per game while the next closest team averages 7.8 penalties. Looking at the Talons' 13 regular season home games since joining the AFL, the numbers are shocking compared to the rest of the league. In those games, Tulsa has yet to be called for more than nine penalties and had more penalties than its opponents had in just two games. Seven opponents had more than ten penalties in games, while just three had five or fewer flags. Tulsa has had seven home games with four or fewer flags."
Football Gameplan's preview for today.
Great league story on Talon's public service.
The ending Saturday made the top 5 observations from the week: "5. Fans in Tulsa saw a classic AFL ending Saturday. On the last play of the game, Kansas City scored on a 16-yard desperation pass from JJ Raterink to Bradly Chavez. That has to be deflating to the Talons, who came into the game 4-2 in their last six games. With four turnovers and six other stops, it wasn’t a pretty game. But in the end, the Command made the play when it counted."
Great article on NFL players transitioning to arenaball.
On the botched fumble recovery: On first down from the Talons 9, defensive end Colin Bryant slapped the ball out of Raterink's hand. Nekos Brown tried to scoop it on the run, but the ball skittered to a Command player. Should Brown simply have tried to fall on the ball? "You can't really fault him because it's in the heat of the moment," nose guard Reggie Paramoure said. When the play was over, Kansas City had the ball and four-tenths of a second remained - way too much time for a Talons team that lost consecutive games on untimed downs after the clock had run out at Arizona and Jacksonville last year.
Allgood's status for this week: Head coach Mitch Allner said he would give veteran quarterback Justin Allgood his first playing time since Allgood rejoined the team last week. But whether Allgood will start ahead of rookie quarterback Matt Bassuener is likely to be a game-time decision.
Tulsa least penalized team in the league: "Tulsa is a world by itself when it comes to penalties. The Talons, just like last season, are by far the least penalized team in the league. Tulsa averages 5.8 penalties per game while the next closest team averages 7.8 penalties. Looking at the Talons' 13 regular season home games since joining the AFL, the numbers are shocking compared to the rest of the league. In those games, Tulsa has yet to be called for more than nine penalties and had more penalties than its opponents had in just two games. Seven opponents had more than ten penalties in games, while just three had five or fewer flags. Tulsa has had seven home games with four or fewer flags."
Football Gameplan's preview for today.
Great league story on Talon's public service.
The ending Saturday made the top 5 observations from the week: "5. Fans in Tulsa saw a classic AFL ending Saturday. On the last play of the game, Kansas City scored on a 16-yard desperation pass from JJ Raterink to Bradly Chavez. That has to be deflating to the Talons, who came into the game 4-2 in their last six games. With four turnovers and six other stops, it wasn’t a pretty game. But in the end, the Command made the play when it counted."
Great article on NFL players transitioning to arenaball.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Headlines - May 21, 2011
Tulsa World recapping the VooDoo game: "Tulsa (4-5) has won four of its last six games after an 0-3 start. With last week's 64-45 win over Chicago, the Talons have now won two in a row for the first time this season. The Talons return home to play the Kansas City Command, a Central Division rival, next Saturday night."
Monday Philly.com broke news of the Allgood trade: "The Soul pulled the plug on quarterback Justin Allgood yesterday, sending him back to the Tulsa Talons in a three-team deal that netted Philadelphia an offensive lineman and future considerations. Allgood was one of the first players signed in the offseason by the Soul, who were rebuilding from scratch following two seasons off. Injuries and inconsistency stunted Allgood's transition here. His departure leaves Ryan Vena as the only quarterback on the roster."
Mitch Allner has assured that Bassuener will start: A trade sending former Tulsa Talons quarterback Justin Allgood back to his old team won't affect the status of current starter Matt Bassuener, at least not for now. "Matt is our starter. He's done a great job and definitely earned that spot," head coach Mitch Allner said.
Allgood is happy to be back in Tulsa: "It takes leaving something to miss it," said Allgood, who signed with the Soul after quarterbacking the Talons for the past four seasons. Allgood took part in Wednesday's practice at the Convention Center and started getting acquainted with teammates old and new. He played alongside current Talons receiver Al Hunt at Oklahoma City in 2006 as Craig Strickland's backup, before coming to Tulsa the following season.
Physical practices have improved the defense: "We have very active, very physical practices, and you're seeing that reflected on the weekends," Allner said. Tulsa's defense went from not stopping anyone six weeks ago to playing like one of the Arena Football League's best units.
AFL Midseason Report: "Looking ahead, the team will play just four playoff contenders over the next ten weeks. To help matters, they’ll play three of those games at home and will have one more shot at division leaders Chicago and Dallas. The chips could fall in Tulsa’s favor."
More talk of Bassuener in the Allgood trade: “We are pretty happy with where we are at with our quarterback right now. Matt is our starting quarterback and has done a great job so far,” Talons Head Coach Mitch Allner said. “It was great to get Allgood back home and to the team he has played with for the past few years. We are going to feel out how things go as far as his playing time. Bassuener has been here from the start of the season and our team is in a pretty good place right now where we are playing good ball.”
Football Gameplan's Preview for tonight
Monday Philly.com broke news of the Allgood trade: "The Soul pulled the plug on quarterback Justin Allgood yesterday, sending him back to the Tulsa Talons in a three-team deal that netted Philadelphia an offensive lineman and future considerations. Allgood was one of the first players signed in the offseason by the Soul, who were rebuilding from scratch following two seasons off. Injuries and inconsistency stunted Allgood's transition here. His departure leaves Ryan Vena as the only quarterback on the roster."
Mitch Allner has assured that Bassuener will start: A trade sending former Tulsa Talons quarterback Justin Allgood back to his old team won't affect the status of current starter Matt Bassuener, at least not for now. "Matt is our starter. He's done a great job and definitely earned that spot," head coach Mitch Allner said.
Allgood is happy to be back in Tulsa: "It takes leaving something to miss it," said Allgood, who signed with the Soul after quarterbacking the Talons for the past four seasons. Allgood took part in Wednesday's practice at the Convention Center and started getting acquainted with teammates old and new. He played alongside current Talons receiver Al Hunt at Oklahoma City in 2006 as Craig Strickland's backup, before coming to Tulsa the following season.
Physical practices have improved the defense: "We have very active, very physical practices, and you're seeing that reflected on the weekends," Allner said. Tulsa's defense went from not stopping anyone six weeks ago to playing like one of the Arena Football League's best units.
AFL Midseason Report: "Looking ahead, the team will play just four playoff contenders over the next ten weeks. To help matters, they’ll play three of those games at home and will have one more shot at division leaders Chicago and Dallas. The chips could fall in Tulsa’s favor."
More talk of Bassuener in the Allgood trade: “We are pretty happy with where we are at with our quarterback right now. Matt is our starting quarterback and has done a great job so far,” Talons Head Coach Mitch Allner said. “It was great to get Allgood back home and to the team he has played with for the past few years. We are going to feel out how things go as far as his playing time. Bassuener has been here from the start of the season and our team is in a pretty good place right now where we are playing good ball.”
Football Gameplan's Preview for tonight
Friday, May 13, 2011
Headlines - May 13, 2011
Talons Defense Leads: “Neal was credited with two forced fumbles, knocked down a pass and had a team-high eight tackles. The Talons forced three fumbles in a five-play span of the second quarter to take over the game and got another big play from Neal in the third quarter to blunt the Rush's last real attempt to get back into the game.”
Talons turning it around: “Another question is whether the Talons are in too deep to escape. They're tied with Spokane for the sixth-best record in the National Conference, and only four teams can advance to the playoffs, counting wild cards. That means the Talons can afford few losses in their final 10 games, starting with Friday's nationally televised visit to New Orleans.”
Coach Allner breaking down VooDoo defense: “They run some funky stuff,” Allner said to the wide receivers and quarterbacks. “Their Head Coach, Derek Stingley, has always been a good defensive minded guy. He does a great job at changing up different coverages. He’s always been good at playing with the quarterback’s mind and giving different looks throughout the game. We’ll have to feel him out a little bit to see how they are planning on attacking us with their defense. Like I said, we have to adjust accordingly to that.”
Talons have a “Soft” remaing schedule: “Tulsa Talons (3-5) – The Talons have seemed to find a groove…sometimes. Like the Command, Tulsa only plays four top-ranked teams the rest of the season. Two of those teams being Central Division rivals, Chicago and Dallas. Of the four teams, Tulsa will only travel once- Chicago in Week 12. Sitting at third in the Central Division, the Talons can get some momentum with the five division match-ups still left this season. The Talons round out the weakest schedule list at No. 4 by only playing four teams with winning records.”
Football Gameplan’s Preview for VooDoo game
People loving the camo jerseys: “How about those camouflaged jerseys by the Tulsa Talons and Orlando Predators? They were interesting to say the least. I love seeing the different jerseys and thought they were unique and pretty cool as an alternative. I’d like to see other teams being creative and showing off some new unis. Both teams won their games, so maybe fans will see them again.”
Arena Pigskin has Tulsa at 11: “Tulsa might finally be on the right track. A surprising beat down (and yes, it was in fact a beat down) of Chicago and a should-of upset of Cleveland have put Tulsa right were everyone (except me) thought they would be.”
Jamar Ransom on playing on national television: "You always want the opportunity to play on a national broadcast," Ransom said. "Your family, your friends, no matter where they are, can see you. But we're going down there with the focus that we have to get this win."
What they are saying in NOLA: With Tulsa, one concern facing the VooDoo is quarterback Matt Bassuener, who can hurt a team through the air and with his feet. Bassuener has thrown 19 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He has also run for eight touchdowns. "He can beat you with his legs and he has a talented receiver (Troy McBroom) who they go to a lot," linebacker Alvin Jackson said. "We just have to be disciplined. We have to do what we have to do and nothing extra, because he can beat you."
Kicker Juan Bongarra getting KOY attention: “Tulsa’s Juan Bongarra gets my vote for Kicker of the Year so far. He had the game winner from 42-yards out two weeks ago, and was solid last week against Chicago. On the season, Bongarra’s hit 70 percent of his field goals, a fantastic mark with the AFL’s narrow goalposts”
Talons turning it around: “Another question is whether the Talons are in too deep to escape. They're tied with Spokane for the sixth-best record in the National Conference, and only four teams can advance to the playoffs, counting wild cards. That means the Talons can afford few losses in their final 10 games, starting with Friday's nationally televised visit to New Orleans.”
Coach Allner breaking down VooDoo defense: “They run some funky stuff,” Allner said to the wide receivers and quarterbacks. “Their Head Coach, Derek Stingley, has always been a good defensive minded guy. He does a great job at changing up different coverages. He’s always been good at playing with the quarterback’s mind and giving different looks throughout the game. We’ll have to feel him out a little bit to see how they are planning on attacking us with their defense. Like I said, we have to adjust accordingly to that.”
Talons have a “Soft” remaing schedule: “Tulsa Talons (3-5) – The Talons have seemed to find a groove…sometimes. Like the Command, Tulsa only plays four top-ranked teams the rest of the season. Two of those teams being Central Division rivals, Chicago and Dallas. Of the four teams, Tulsa will only travel once- Chicago in Week 12. Sitting at third in the Central Division, the Talons can get some momentum with the five division match-ups still left this season. The Talons round out the weakest schedule list at No. 4 by only playing four teams with winning records.”
Football Gameplan’s Preview for VooDoo game
People loving the camo jerseys: “How about those camouflaged jerseys by the Tulsa Talons and Orlando Predators? They were interesting to say the least. I love seeing the different jerseys and thought they were unique and pretty cool as an alternative. I’d like to see other teams being creative and showing off some new unis. Both teams won their games, so maybe fans will see them again.”
Arena Pigskin has Tulsa at 11: “Tulsa might finally be on the right track. A surprising beat down (and yes, it was in fact a beat down) of Chicago and a should-of upset of Cleveland have put Tulsa right were everyone (except me) thought they would be.”
Jamar Ransom on playing on national television: "You always want the opportunity to play on a national broadcast," Ransom said. "Your family, your friends, no matter where they are, can see you. But we're going down there with the focus that we have to get this win."
What they are saying in NOLA: With Tulsa, one concern facing the VooDoo is quarterback Matt Bassuener, who can hurt a team through the air and with his feet. Bassuener has thrown 19 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He has also run for eight touchdowns. "He can beat you with his legs and he has a talented receiver (Troy McBroom) who they go to a lot," linebacker Alvin Jackson said. "We just have to be disciplined. We have to do what we have to do and nothing extra, because he can beat you."
Kicker Juan Bongarra getting KOY attention: “Tulsa’s Juan Bongarra gets my vote for Kicker of the Year so far. He had the game winner from 42-yards out two weeks ago, and was solid last week against Chicago. On the season, Bongarra’s hit 70 percent of his field goals, a fantastic mark with the AFL’s narrow goalposts”
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Headlines - May 7, 2011
Not much of a news week really, but here we go:
Tulsa World complains about lack of 2nd Half Points: "Tulsa held elite receiver Troy Bergeron to a season-low three receptions for 49 yards. Bergeron scored only once after totaling 15 TDs in his first five games. The bad news is that the Talons are still averaging almost 10 fewer points than they're allowing. The offense scored only seven second-half points at Cleveland, allowing the Gladiators to rally from a nine-point deficit." I guess they didn't watch the game and see our top 2 WRs went out in the second half.
Some words on Collin Bryant: "His experience is valuable, as limited as we are in that category," head coach Mitch Allner said. "He's done a nice job. He's a quiet guy. He's not a guy who's gonna jump around and yell and scream. He just kind of leads by example." Bryant, who played college football at Minnesota State-Mankato, has sacks in his last two games. He caused a fumble resulting in a safety in last Saturday's 34-30 loss at Cleveland, a play that enabled the Talons to lead 23-21 at halftime.
Reminder, game tonight at 7. No live coverage on here but should be doing it from twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TalonsCentral
Tulsa World complains about lack of 2nd Half Points: "Tulsa held elite receiver Troy Bergeron to a season-low three receptions for 49 yards. Bergeron scored only once after totaling 15 TDs in his first five games. The bad news is that the Talons are still averaging almost 10 fewer points than they're allowing. The offense scored only seven second-half points at Cleveland, allowing the Gladiators to rally from a nine-point deficit." I guess they didn't watch the game and see our top 2 WRs went out in the second half.
Some words on Collin Bryant: "His experience is valuable, as limited as we are in that category," head coach Mitch Allner said. "He's done a nice job. He's a quiet guy. He's not a guy who's gonna jump around and yell and scream. He just kind of leads by example." Bryant, who played college football at Minnesota State-Mankato, has sacks in his last two games. He caused a fumble resulting in a safety in last Saturday's 34-30 loss at Cleveland, a play that enabled the Talons to lead 23-21 at halftime.
Reminder, game tonight at 7. No live coverage on here but should be doing it from twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TalonsCentral
Friday, April 29, 2011
Headlines - April 29, 2011
The moment we have been relishing in all week: Bongarra had to wait when Iowa called timeout with four seconds left to make him think about things, but he calmly stroked his kick through the middle of the uprights. "The offseason is not only about physical preparation but also mental preparation," said Bongarra, whose previous game-winning kick came last year for the Albany Panthers in the Southern Indoor Football League. Bassuener, who held for Bongarra on the winning play, said he couldn't watch. "I usually look up but I couldn't this time. I'm just glad my roommate (Bongarra) came through," he said.
Rick Couri's call on Bongarra's kick
Highlights, including the kick and celebration
Football Gameplan's Preview for Tonight's Game
Bongarra's Kick won the Spaulding Highlight of the Week: "Bongarra (6-3, 190, Albany State) kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Talons their first home victory of the year, defeating Iowa 61-60. He converted on all six of his extra point attempts in the contest."
Bongarra on his kick: "I knew I had the leg, but I was just hoping the snap and hold were as good as they had been the rest of the night," Bongarra said. "Pretty much when (QB Matt Bassuener) put the ball down, I knew my chances of missing were higher than my chances of making, but I've been practicing and trying to get better for opportunities like this," he said.
Rick Couri's call on Bongarra's kick
Highlights, including the kick and celebration
Football Gameplan's Preview for Tonight's Game
Bongarra's Kick won the Spaulding Highlight of the Week: "Bongarra (6-3, 190, Albany State) kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Talons their first home victory of the year, defeating Iowa 61-60. He converted on all six of his extra point attempts in the contest."
Bongarra on his kick: "I knew I had the leg, but I was just hoping the snap and hold were as good as they had been the rest of the night," Bongarra said. "Pretty much when (QB Matt Bassuener) put the ball down, I knew my chances of missing were higher than my chances of making, but I've been practicing and trying to get better for opportunities like this," he said.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Headlines - April 23, 2011
McBroom is taking the blame for Bassuener's 3Q INT: "McBroom said he tried to fake an underneath route and run past Moten, but the veteran defensive back didn't take the bait. Instead, Moten stayed over the top of the route, leaving the underneath free. "I should have stayed underneath, because that's where (Bassuener) threw the ball, but I tried to work back outside and left (Moten) inside," he said.
ArenaFan sees promise in Troy McBroom: "In a losing effort, Tulsa WR Troy McBroom had 13 catches for 177 yards and two scores. This is just his second game this year and already McBroom looks to be the heir apparent for Donovan Morgan. McBroom has led the team in receiving yards and scores in both games."
Football Gameplan's Preview of Tonight's Game
Tulsa World on Safety J.C. Neal: "I don't know a lot about it. There's a lot to get used to. I'm trying to learn as we go and help this team win," Neal said. The North Carolina State rookie has been one of the most productive Talons. He ranks among the Arena Football League leaders with 32.5 tackles and eight pass breakups.
ArenaFan sees promise in Troy McBroom: "In a losing effort, Tulsa WR Troy McBroom had 13 catches for 177 yards and two scores. This is just his second game this year and already McBroom looks to be the heir apparent for Donovan Morgan. McBroom has led the team in receiving yards and scores in both games."
Football Gameplan's Preview of Tonight's Game
Tulsa World on Safety J.C. Neal: "I don't know a lot about it. There's a lot to get used to. I'm trying to learn as we go and help this team win," Neal said. The North Carolina State rookie has been one of the most productive Talons. He ranks among the Arena Football League leaders with 32.5 tackles and eight pass breakups.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Headlines - April 16th, 2011
Arena Pigskin has Tulsa at 15: "Tulsa at 1-3 – averaging 38 pts a game in the home town of league headquarters. Not good."
Coach Allner on Matt Bassuener: "I knew going into the game that he was a very athletic quarterback and we tried to incorporate that into the game plan as much as we could. I was very pleased with the production of both our quarterbacks in last weekend’s game and hope to see improvement in both as the season goes on."
Brandon Copeland's Arena Career: "At the end of the 2008 AFL season, I was on the Philadelphia Soul’s practice squad. After the league ceased operations for the 2009 season, I spent time with the Peoria Pirates and Tri-Cities FeVeR of the af2. I also spent all of last year with the FeVeR."
Football Gameplan's preview for tonight's game.
The QB Situation for Tonight's Game: "Allner said quarterback Matt Bassuener would start Saturday's game, based on his winning performance in his first AFL start against Pittsburgh. But Allner said he would continue to evaluate both quarterbacks and was pleased with how Bobby Reid handled his backup role against the expansion Power."
The AFL apparently will now also reveal the Coach's Poll in Highlight Form too.
A look at the game from the SaberCats prospective: "The matchup features one of the AFL’s best passing attacks against one of the league’s best rushing offenses. QB Mark Grieb sits atop the league rankings in passing yards (1,511) and passing touchdowns (28) while ranking second in completion percentage (70.5) and fourth in passer rating (122.1). Tulsa QB Bobby Reid currently leads the Talons in passing (509) and rushing (211) yards with the Tulsa defense only allowing 278.0 yards per game, good for a tie of fifth in the league."
Matt Bassuerner on the effect of the Arizona loss: "Quarterback Matt Bassuener said the Talons have to win back the fans' respect, and Saturday's home game with the San Jose SaberCats would be a good place to start."
Coach Allner on Matt Bassuener: "I knew going into the game that he was a very athletic quarterback and we tried to incorporate that into the game plan as much as we could. I was very pleased with the production of both our quarterbacks in last weekend’s game and hope to see improvement in both as the season goes on."
Brandon Copeland's Arena Career: "At the end of the 2008 AFL season, I was on the Philadelphia Soul’s practice squad. After the league ceased operations for the 2009 season, I spent time with the Peoria Pirates and Tri-Cities FeVeR of the af2. I also spent all of last year with the FeVeR."
Football Gameplan's preview for tonight's game.
The QB Situation for Tonight's Game: "Allner said quarterback Matt Bassuener would start Saturday's game, based on his winning performance in his first AFL start against Pittsburgh. But Allner said he would continue to evaluate both quarterbacks and was pleased with how Bobby Reid handled his backup role against the expansion Power."
The AFL apparently will now also reveal the Coach's Poll in Highlight Form too.
A look at the game from the SaberCats prospective: "The matchup features one of the AFL’s best passing attacks against one of the league’s best rushing offenses. QB Mark Grieb sits atop the league rankings in passing yards (1,511) and passing touchdowns (28) while ranking second in completion percentage (70.5) and fourth in passer rating (122.1). Tulsa QB Bobby Reid currently leads the Talons in passing (509) and rushing (211) yards with the Tulsa defense only allowing 278.0 yards per game, good for a tie of fifth in the league."
Matt Bassuerner on the effect of the Arizona loss: "Quarterback Matt Bassuener said the Talons have to win back the fans' respect, and Saturday's home game with the San Jose SaberCats would be a good place to start."
Friday, April 8, 2011
Headlines - April 8, 2011
No game this week, but we still have Headlines!
From the Top 10 Observations from Week 4: "The Central Division got a lot more competitive. Entering Week 4, it looked like either Dallas or Chicago would turn it into a two-team race. But both lost. The Barnstormers won to move over .500 and the Tulsa Talons surprised most fans with a 45-22 win over the Power. Look for some good divisional games between the Barnstormers, Rush, Talons and Vigilantes to duke it out."
Jamar Ransom and Matt Bassuener were Week 4 POW Candidates
From the Central Week 4 Recap: "Tulsa quarterback Matt Bassuener, starting in place of Bobby Reid, threw for just 199 yards and three touchdowns, but the key stat: zero interceptions. Turnovers plagued Tulsa last week against the Arizona Rattlers. The Talons fell behind 42-0 at halftime and gave the ball away six times."
Mass Bassuener the TV star: "The new Tulsa Talons passer said he couldn't imagine anything worse than getting cut by the Louisville Fire in the old af2 league in 2008. But that led to a three-year gig as a stunt quarterback for the television series Friday Night Lights. The show, which ended in 2010, was filmed in Austin, Texas. Bassuener was there to try out for the Arena Football League's Austin Wranglers."
A Pittsburg Fan's recap of the game: "A lot of the credit goes to jittery mindset by the home team, but the lion's share goes straight to Tulsa for being wherever the ball was. If they didn't pick it out of the air, they were right there to force a fumble and recover it."
From the Top 10 Observations from Week 4: "The Central Division got a lot more competitive. Entering Week 4, it looked like either Dallas or Chicago would turn it into a two-team race. But both lost. The Barnstormers won to move over .500 and the Tulsa Talons surprised most fans with a 45-22 win over the Power. Look for some good divisional games between the Barnstormers, Rush, Talons and Vigilantes to duke it out."
Jamar Ransom and Matt Bassuener were Week 4 POW Candidates
From the Central Week 4 Recap: "Tulsa quarterback Matt Bassuener, starting in place of Bobby Reid, threw for just 199 yards and three touchdowns, but the key stat: zero interceptions. Turnovers plagued Tulsa last week against the Arizona Rattlers. The Talons fell behind 42-0 at halftime and gave the ball away six times."
Mass Bassuener the TV star: "The new Tulsa Talons passer said he couldn't imagine anything worse than getting cut by the Louisville Fire in the old af2 league in 2008. But that led to a three-year gig as a stunt quarterback for the television series Friday Night Lights. The show, which ended in 2010, was filmed in Austin, Texas. Bassuener was there to try out for the Arena Football League's Austin Wranglers."
A Pittsburg Fan's recap of the game: "A lot of the credit goes to jittery mindset by the home team, but the lion's share goes straight to Tulsa for being wherever the ball was. If they didn't pick it out of the air, they were right there to force a fumble and recover it."
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Headlines - April 2, 2011
Mitch Allner on next week's bye: Head coach Mitch Allner promised lineup changes Saturday and said more could be on the way with a bye week to intensify player evaluations and search for new prospects before the next home game against the San Jose SaberCats on April 16. "We're always on the lookout for guys who can come in here and help us win," Allner said. "Our job isn't to keep losing all year. It's to get this thing turned around and get back into contention for the playoffs. We're going to do whatever it takes to make that happen."
Football Gameplan's Talons/Power Preview
Owner Paul Ross on the player exodus: "We're allowed to pay so much money under the guidelines," Ross said. "When we offer a marketing contract and a player says he's got a better deal, there's not much more room for us to go unless we want to start breaking the rules."
ArenaFan on Ross's Statements. I think he doesn't give "smaller markets" enough credit.
Tulsa World on last week's loss: "They made one mistake after another Monday night. They had busts in pass coverage and penalties that wiped out positive plays. And they lost six turnovers, including four interceptions by Reid, who played his worst game in three pro starts. The league's leading rusher was held to 29 yards on the ground and 108 passing yards."
Football Gameplan's Talons/Power Preview
Owner Paul Ross on the player exodus: "We're allowed to pay so much money under the guidelines," Ross said. "When we offer a marketing contract and a player says he's got a better deal, there's not much more room for us to go unless we want to start breaking the rules."
ArenaFan on Ross's Statements. I think he doesn't give "smaller markets" enough credit.
Tulsa World on last week's loss: "They made one mistake after another Monday night. They had busts in pass coverage and penalties that wiped out positive plays. And they lost six turnovers, including four interceptions by Reid, who played his worst game in three pro starts. The league's leading rusher was held to 29 yards on the ground and 108 passing yards."
Monday, March 28, 2011
Headlines - March 28, 2011
2011 Player Bios
Tulsa World's recap of last week's game: "The Tulsa Talons looked impressive scoring 33 second-quarter points. But what have they done for fans lately? Not much in Saturday's second half. The Talons were held to a lone touchdown after intermission and lost to the Dallas Vigilantes 64-40 in the American Airlines Center."
A good, and fun, look at AFL clock management.
Trent Shelton on why he came to Tulsa: "Coach Mitch said he wanted some playmakers and his passion for the game made me want to play for a coach like him. He really wants to be out there with us if he could and that fuels my fire playing for a coach with that much passion for the game. And of course hearing that we have the greatest fans in arena football played a big part!"
An Update on Anthony Bolden: "The Talons aren't overloaded with veteran players, but one could be reporting soon. Allner said he's trying to get three-year Talons offensive lineman Anthony Bolden back in the harness as quickly as possible. Bolden hasn't reported because he's been helping coach the girls basketball team at his old high school in Baldwin, N.Y."
Bobby Reid set a league record: "Talons QB Bobby Reid became the first player in league history with back-to-back games with at least 80 yards rushing and three rushing scores."
Bleacher Report's preview of the game tonight: "The Talons have a two game losing streak to start to their season and will be looking for their first victory. Their only problem is they may not have the team necessary to hold off the Rattlers attack on any side of the ball. The Talons have a team of inexperience that has only scored 87 points in the last two games. That would be the lowest points for a team in their division if the barnstormers didn’t have a humble 28 points to start their season. However they do lead their division in the most points allowed. Statistically speaking the Talons will have their hands full against the Rattlers. But, we know statistics only speak six days of the week during the season."
AFLInsider's look at the Talons: "The Talons are in my opinion, clearly the best of the remaining teams. Bobby Reid has a ton of talent and their rookie cast could eventually make up a top tier team. However, this team needs to get used to the arena game and gel before they are a factor. It is possible that a large crowd for Monday’s free game could propel the Talons to upset the highly favored Arizona Rattlers."
Veteran Talon is impressed by Reid: "Reid continues working to develop a quicker passing release. Veteran linebacker Jamar Ransom sees the progress. 'You can tell his throwing has changed. I always thought he had an elongated throw at OSU, but he’s come in here and tapered off to where he doesn’t have to wind up before he throws,' Ransom said."
Great article from Urban Tulsa: Reid continues to improve. "The ball was on-time and he had good footwork," Allner said after his first game of the season. "The one thing a lot of teams don't have is a quarterback that can do that in the passing game, but also beat you with his legs. That is something he is proving that he can do especially early on in his arena football career."
Mitch Allner on improvement: "Right now we are mainly concentrating on cleaning up the small mistakes that we are making, which has been the difference in winning and losing the first two games we’ve played. Once we get that taken care of we are going to be a tough team to beat."
Allner on Jamar Ransom: "He definitely is a coach for us, especially for the guys up front defensively," Allner said. "Yes, we're young, but we wanted to have enough veterans at key positions to help with the young guys."
Don't forget to get all your friends to come out tonight for the game against Arizona! Go Talons!
Tulsa World's recap of last week's game: "The Tulsa Talons looked impressive scoring 33 second-quarter points. But what have they done for fans lately? Not much in Saturday's second half. The Talons were held to a lone touchdown after intermission and lost to the Dallas Vigilantes 64-40 in the American Airlines Center."
A good, and fun, look at AFL clock management.
Trent Shelton on why he came to Tulsa: "Coach Mitch said he wanted some playmakers and his passion for the game made me want to play for a coach like him. He really wants to be out there with us if he could and that fuels my fire playing for a coach with that much passion for the game. And of course hearing that we have the greatest fans in arena football played a big part!"
An Update on Anthony Bolden: "The Talons aren't overloaded with veteran players, but one could be reporting soon. Allner said he's trying to get three-year Talons offensive lineman Anthony Bolden back in the harness as quickly as possible. Bolden hasn't reported because he's been helping coach the girls basketball team at his old high school in Baldwin, N.Y."
Bobby Reid set a league record: "Talons QB Bobby Reid became the first player in league history with back-to-back games with at least 80 yards rushing and three rushing scores."
Bleacher Report's preview of the game tonight: "The Talons have a two game losing streak to start to their season and will be looking for their first victory. Their only problem is they may not have the team necessary to hold off the Rattlers attack on any side of the ball. The Talons have a team of inexperience that has only scored 87 points in the last two games. That would be the lowest points for a team in their division if the barnstormers didn’t have a humble 28 points to start their season. However they do lead their division in the most points allowed. Statistically speaking the Talons will have their hands full against the Rattlers. But, we know statistics only speak six days of the week during the season."
AFLInsider's look at the Talons: "The Talons are in my opinion, clearly the best of the remaining teams. Bobby Reid has a ton of talent and their rookie cast could eventually make up a top tier team. However, this team needs to get used to the arena game and gel before they are a factor. It is possible that a large crowd for Monday’s free game could propel the Talons to upset the highly favored Arizona Rattlers."
Veteran Talon is impressed by Reid: "Reid continues working to develop a quicker passing release. Veteran linebacker Jamar Ransom sees the progress. 'You can tell his throwing has changed. I always thought he had an elongated throw at OSU, but he’s come in here and tapered off to where he doesn’t have to wind up before he throws,' Ransom said."
Great article from Urban Tulsa: Reid continues to improve. "The ball was on-time and he had good footwork," Allner said after his first game of the season. "The one thing a lot of teams don't have is a quarterback that can do that in the passing game, but also beat you with his legs. That is something he is proving that he can do especially early on in his arena football career."
Mitch Allner on improvement: "Right now we are mainly concentrating on cleaning up the small mistakes that we are making, which has been the difference in winning and losing the first two games we’ve played. Once we get that taken care of we are going to be a tough team to beat."
Allner on Jamar Ransom: "He definitely is a coach for us, especially for the guys up front defensively," Allner said. "Yes, we're young, but we wanted to have enough veterans at key positions to help with the young guys."
Don't forget to get all your friends to come out tonight for the game against Arizona! Go Talons!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Headlines - March 19, 2011
Bobby Reid set a new franchise record last week: "Reid set a franchise record by racing 39 yards for a score in the second quarter and had a 34-yard scoring run in the third quarter. The previous long run from scrimmage by a Talon was a 37-yarder by Odie Armstrong last year. Unofficially, Reid totaled 91 rushing yards on six carries and 209 passing yards. But he also had a costly turnover, fumbling after a 12-yard run to snuff out a scoring threat."
AFL Insider's Week 1 Losers: "Talon fans hoping to get a glimpse of the new look offense: Tulsa had the ball on offense for just 19 minutes at Georgia, in other words: they scored 47 points in 19 minutes! That’s like scoring 47 points with 11 minutes to go in the second quarter, to be fair, with 7:00 minutes to go in the third quarter (averaging in another team’s 19 minutes). It’s too bad Cokinos is a child that likes to play keep away and maybe Tulsa fans will get to see more of Bobby Reid on the field next week."
Talons lead the league in Rushing
Someone is impressed with Bobby Reid: "The most notable performance of the night came from Talon QB Bobby Reid. Not only did he lead a furious comeback that eventually came up short, but the speedster also racked up a crazy amount of damage on the ground with 93 yards rushing and four TDs. If you’re looking for a sleeper fantasy QB in 2011, look no further. His WRs are a little shaky and unproven, but could post some downright silly numbers on the ground this year."
Mitch Allner on the team's progression: "as the game went on I saw a lot of guys starting to understand the speed and angles of the game. That is just something that you cannot simulate in practice no matter how hard you try. For young players in Arena Football, they need to be on the field and getting a lot of that experience during the game. We learned a lot from watching and studying our game film from this past week and I was able to really point out some of the small mistakes we made at certain times this past weekend. We will correct those mistakes this week and be a much better team for it heading down to Dallas this weekend."
Some love for the Tulsa market: "With Bossier City, Alabama and Milwaukee all re-branded as former AFL franchises; and if you consider Iowa an old AFL team because of its roots back in the mid-to-late 90s, then only two af2 teams remain in the AFL (Spokane and Tulsa). I consider these two franchises as the legacy of the af2 and both should have been considered as AFL markets long ago.'
AFL Insider's Week 1 Losers: "Talon fans hoping to get a glimpse of the new look offense: Tulsa had the ball on offense for just 19 minutes at Georgia, in other words: they scored 47 points in 19 minutes! That’s like scoring 47 points with 11 minutes to go in the second quarter, to be fair, with 7:00 minutes to go in the third quarter (averaging in another team’s 19 minutes). It’s too bad Cokinos is a child that likes to play keep away and maybe Tulsa fans will get to see more of Bobby Reid on the field next week."
Talons lead the league in Rushing
Someone is impressed with Bobby Reid: "The most notable performance of the night came from Talon QB Bobby Reid. Not only did he lead a furious comeback that eventually came up short, but the speedster also racked up a crazy amount of damage on the ground with 93 yards rushing and four TDs. If you’re looking for a sleeper fantasy QB in 2011, look no further. His WRs are a little shaky and unproven, but could post some downright silly numbers on the ground this year."
Mitch Allner on the team's progression: "as the game went on I saw a lot of guys starting to understand the speed and angles of the game. That is just something that you cannot simulate in practice no matter how hard you try. For young players in Arena Football, they need to be on the field and getting a lot of that experience during the game. We learned a lot from watching and studying our game film from this past week and I was able to really point out some of the small mistakes we made at certain times this past weekend. We will correct those mistakes this week and be a much better team for it heading down to Dallas this weekend."
Some love for the Tulsa market: "With Bossier City, Alabama and Milwaukee all re-branded as former AFL franchises; and if you consider Iowa an old AFL team because of its roots back in the mid-to-late 90s, then only two af2 teams remain in the AFL (Spokane and Tulsa). I consider these two franchises as the legacy of the af2 and both should have been considered as AFL markets long ago.'
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Headlines - March 13, 2011
Today's starting QB is still unknown: "Bassuener battled in training camp with former Oklahoma State starter Bobby Reid, who has never thrown a pass in the indoor game. Who starts Sunday? Allner said he wouldn't disclose his choice until just before kickoff. 'That doesn't change how you prepare," Bassuener said. "You have the mentality that you're going to be out there.'"
Allner is concerned about lack of experience: "Only linebacker Jamar Ransom returns from Tulsa's inaugural Arena Football League season in 2010. Allner has several players who had never been exposed to the indoor game until going through training camp, which ended last weekend."
Arena Pigskin has Tulsa ranked at 17th: "Tulsa lost it’s best QB-WR duos, possibly the best the AFL has ever seen. Can the Talons recover?"
AFL Insider has Tulsa at 12: "A lot of people will have Tulsa low on the rankings as their roster is filled with a bunch of unknowns to Arena Football. However, Head Coach Mitch Allner is extraordinarily high on the roster, believing that he has two recievers that are better than former star wideout Donnovan Morgan. There are a lot of question marks here, but this team could be very dangerous if everything comes together."
The Talons did not make it into the Top 10 of the Coaches Poll
The Talons offer a Q&A with Bobby Reid: "What game are you looking forward to most this season? BR: I'm looking forward to the PLAYOFFS!"
Arena Pigskin picks Tulsa to win: "I’m not which sure of which way to lean. Both teams aren’t appetizing picks. Tulsa does return FB/LB Jamar Ransom and head coach Mitch Allner which will help. Not sure who Georgia will have at the quarterback position. Tulsa should be able to prevail fairly easily."
Looks like the Arena Bowl will be at the highest seed again: "Answering a question from the public about whether the league is considering holding the ArenaBowl at a neutral site, rather than at the home of the highest-seeded team in the championship game, Kurz said that ownership decided to leave things the way they have been. Neutral sites take time to put together, and home field advantage is something for players to work for and for fans to be excited about."
An interesting article on last year's duo: "Last season for the Tulsa Talons, Allgood threw for 4,359 yards for a league-leading 109 touchdowns. Morgan was the recipient of 52 of those touchdowns."
Donovan Morgan on last year: "Last year, I ventured off to somewhere else, and I really didn't like the situation I was in. Coach Honensee gave me a call when the free agency period came, and it was all over after that. Once he called, I knew this is where I wanted to be."
By the way, interesting stat from Friday night's game: Justin Allgood threw all his touchdowns to Donovan Morgan.
Allner is concerned about lack of experience: "Only linebacker Jamar Ransom returns from Tulsa's inaugural Arena Football League season in 2010. Allner has several players who had never been exposed to the indoor game until going through training camp, which ended last weekend."
Arena Pigskin has Tulsa ranked at 17th: "Tulsa lost it’s best QB-WR duos, possibly the best the AFL has ever seen. Can the Talons recover?"
AFL Insider has Tulsa at 12: "A lot of people will have Tulsa low on the rankings as their roster is filled with a bunch of unknowns to Arena Football. However, Head Coach Mitch Allner is extraordinarily high on the roster, believing that he has two recievers that are better than former star wideout Donnovan Morgan. There are a lot of question marks here, but this team could be very dangerous if everything comes together."
The Talons did not make it into the Top 10 of the Coaches Poll
The Talons offer a Q&A with Bobby Reid: "What game are you looking forward to most this season? BR: I'm looking forward to the PLAYOFFS!"
Arena Pigskin picks Tulsa to win: "I’m not which sure of which way to lean. Both teams aren’t appetizing picks. Tulsa does return FB/LB Jamar Ransom and head coach Mitch Allner which will help. Not sure who Georgia will have at the quarterback position. Tulsa should be able to prevail fairly easily."
Looks like the Arena Bowl will be at the highest seed again: "Answering a question from the public about whether the league is considering holding the ArenaBowl at a neutral site, rather than at the home of the highest-seeded team in the championship game, Kurz said that ownership decided to leave things the way they have been. Neutral sites take time to put together, and home field advantage is something for players to work for and for fans to be excited about."
An interesting article on last year's duo: "Last season for the Tulsa Talons, Allgood threw for 4,359 yards for a league-leading 109 touchdowns. Morgan was the recipient of 52 of those touchdowns."
Donovan Morgan on last year: "Last year, I ventured off to somewhere else, and I really didn't like the situation I was in. Coach Honensee gave me a call when the free agency period came, and it was all over after that. Once he called, I knew this is where I wanted to be."
By the way, interesting stat from Friday night's game: Justin Allgood threw all his touchdowns to Donovan Morgan.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Headlines - March 6, 2011 - Offseason Wrapup
Former Cowboy Reid is learning the arena game: "Bobby Reid has never played arena football, but he found some good teachers to prepare him for the Tulsa Talons training camp. The former Oklahoma State quarterback spent a couple of months throwing to former Talons receivers Jeff Hughley and Donovan Morgan."
Tulsa World looks at competition in the Talons camp: "Boyd, a former University of Tulsa lineman, will be among 34 men vying for 24 active and reserve roster spots. The Talons are giving him a second chance. Boyd went to camp two years ago, but illness and other factors sabotaged his trial."
Arena Pigskin has the Talons finishing last in the Central: "Tulsa may have some really good/great players on defense, but who’s even playing on the offense. The Talons lost one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos when Justin Allgood and Donovan Morgan left for the Philadelphia Soul. Right now, there is no clear cut replacements for either of those two. And we all know that the AFL is all about the offense." Respectfully I disagree.
The Talons held a scrimmage against the Dallas Vigilantes Wednesday. All reports show that the Talons were very physical on Defense and the Talons Offense performed well. Seems we may surprise some people this year.
A look at new Talons DB Jihad Morris: "I really love the arena game," Morris said. "I'm quick, I really think I can get from wall-to-wall pretty fast. I know I can make plays. I want to get out some more film and get some looks from more teams."
Tulsa World looks at competition in the Talons camp: "Boyd, a former University of Tulsa lineman, will be among 34 men vying for 24 active and reserve roster spots. The Talons are giving him a second chance. Boyd went to camp two years ago, but illness and other factors sabotaged his trial."
Arena Pigskin has the Talons finishing last in the Central: "Tulsa may have some really good/great players on defense, but who’s even playing on the offense. The Talons lost one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos when Justin Allgood and Donovan Morgan left for the Philadelphia Soul. Right now, there is no clear cut replacements for either of those two. And we all know that the AFL is all about the offense." Respectfully I disagree.
The Talons held a scrimmage against the Dallas Vigilantes Wednesday. All reports show that the Talons were very physical on Defense and the Talons Offense performed well. Seems we may surprise some people this year.
A look at new Talons DB Jihad Morris: "I really love the arena game," Morris said. "I'm quick, I really think I can get from wall-to-wall pretty fast. I know I can make plays. I want to get out some more film and get some looks from more teams."
Saturday, August 7, 2010
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."
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."
Saturday, July 17, 2010
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)."
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)."
Saturday, 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."
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."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)