SUPPORT, EXEC, FOUNDER & COMMISH HONORS

By Jenn Boehm -- The ArenaBall Awards has always been an incredible event recapping and recognizing a successful season of talented and skilled athletes, community leaders and upstanding organizations. At Friday night’s event, in addition to again honoring year-end award-winning players we’ve followed all season, the talents and efforts of many “behind-the-scenes” people were finally acknowledged as well.

For the second consecutive year, the Utah Blaze were named the Best Support Staff Award, given to the team that exemplifies the most productive and efficient support staff, including all football operations, training and equipment personnel. The Blaze support staff is led by Director of Football Operations (and Communications and Player Personnel) Tom Goodhines, Head Athletic Trainer Kevin Semans, and Head Equipment Manager Darin Featherstone. Kudos to Goodhines and his staff on this much-deserved recognition. Goodhines, who also played a large role in his team’s reception of the Commissioner’s Award last year, is an exceptional AFL strategist and leader, among the most experienced, informed and dedicated folks in the AFL today. For some fortunate team and its owner(s), Goodhines will make an outstanding General Manager. Not could, would or might. He will.

It was a repeat for Executive of the Year as well, with the award given to Dallas Desperados COO Shy Anderson for a second straight time. Although I wasn’t present, I wonder if Anderson made any SpongeBob SquarePants references similar to his storytelling comments at the Awards last year. “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?”

In addition to these off-field honors, New Orleans Voodoo owner Tom Benson was presented with the Founders Awards, while Chicago and Philly were recognized with the Commissioner’s Award as outstanding organizations of the year.

Not only is he making his second appearance in the ArenaBowl, but Columbus QB Matt Nagy was also honored with the inaugural Russell Athletic Team Leader Award on Friday night. As a part of the honor, Russell Athletic will donate uniforms for to a high school of his choice in the Columbus area for the 2007 season. Sweet.

ON THE MARK

San Jose QB Mark Grieb can not only claim another ArenaBowl win on Sunday, but can also further stake his positioning in postseason and ArenaBowl record books. With 17 passing yards, the UC-Davis passer can become just the fourth quarterback in AFL history to record 4,000 career postseason passing yards. And, with 40 yards, he’ll take over the No. 3 career postseason spot from Andy Kelly (4,023). Undoubtedly one of the AFL’s most prolific passers all-time, Grieb already bypassed Kelly for second place in career playoff touchdowns passes with 85. In addition, Grieb can also move up the career ArenaBowl touchdown passes list on Sunday. Now in his 10th AFL season and making his second ArenaBowl start (2004), Grieb passed for a title game record eight touchdowns in his last ArenaBowl appearance (placing him at No. 5 career) and has passed for 15 scores in the SaberCats’ two playoffs games in 2007. If he maintains that pace, he could move into second place, somewhere between Jay Gruden (17) and Sherdrick Bonner (14).

HITS OF HISTORY

July 28, 1990 – Before the largest crowd of the regular season – 16,088 – the Dallas Texans defeated the Washington Commandos and advance to the playoffs (lost to Detroit in ArenaBowl IV).

July 28, 1996 – St. Louis FB/LB Bernard Hall established a new single-season rushing touchdown record with his 22nd ground score of the season, breaking the previous record set by Barry Wagner in 1995. Hall finished the season with 26.

July 29, 1994 – Cleveland kicker Brian Mitchell broke a record for four-point field goals when he completed two attempts against Orlando. He connected on six (6) drop-kick four-pointers in 1999.

July 29, 1999 – A group spearheaded by former CBS president Alan Levin and Chicago Bears great Walter Payton were awarded an expansion team in Chicago (Rush).

July 30, 1992 – Sacramento QB Mike Hold connected with Wayne Coffey on a 23-yard scoring pass in overtime to give the Attack a 55-48 upset win against Cincinnati and advance to the postseason.

July 30, 1998 – With 15,018 fans in attendance at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, the league’s first-ever sellout crowd, the Detroit Drive won the ArenaBowl II title defeating the Bruisers 24-13.

July 30, 1999 – Raleigh-Durham, N.C. was awarded an expansion team for the 2000 season (Carolina Cobras). The group was approved in an uncommon fashion: on the same day as submitting their formal application during meetings in Chicago. Current Columbus head coach Doug Kay was the team’s first coach.

July 31, 1994 – Orlando QB Ben Bennett tied a single-season league record (at the time) for most passing touchdowns with 50 (tie with Tampa Bay’s Jay Gruden, 1992, and Los Angeles’ Matt Stevens, 1988).