Archive for the ‘Football’ Category

Things do not look very promising for a 2010 Mahoning Valley Thunder season.  All office positions were laid off this past week and the word I have received is that the only way the Youngstown-based AF2 franchise will return is if they are sold.

I started questioning the future before the last game when I saw a 50% off of all Thunder merchandise.  I was told by everyone I asked that the 50% off merchandise was standard for the last home game every year since the team started.  Having attended last years final game, I distinctly remember only certain items being 50% off, whereas other items were either discounted less or even full price.  Foam fingers do not deteriorate in the offseason.

The ownership trio comprised of Dr. Michael Slyk, Tim Chesney, and Dr. Jon Saadey have yet to come forward and officially announce whether or not the team will be back or not.  These three guys are respectable Youngstown-area businessmen who were passionate about their product.  The product lacked several things over the past couple of seasons including two key ingredients – wins and profit.

The lack of wins were accounted to several factors including injuries, poor coaching, and the lack of one quarterback to lead the team.  Look at a successful program like Wilkes-Barre in AF2.  Ryan Vena has been there, they have chemistry without shuttling guys on and off the roster hoping to strike lightning in a bottle.  The combination of Chris MacKeown and Tom Zetts could work over time.  Mad respect for MacKeown, I never met a coach who was so hell-bent on winning.  Zetts is wrapped up in his real-life world of teaching and coaching to consider making AF2 money, and I can’t blame him.

The pay structure of AF2 is pretty bad.  A player can make $250 if their team wins or $200 if they lose.  No PERS, no cable at the apartment, and no cell phone allowance.  Don’t blame Thunder ownership, it’s not their scale, it is the league’s.

The lack of a profit can be attributed to a few obvious factors.  Winning creates a better opportunity to draw more fans.  I always felt that the early Thunder teams, which featured a local player or two, would draw you 1,000 more fans a game.  Mike Stanec, former Thunder linbacker and YSU alum,  had friends and family at every game that first season, I sat near them once.  Tom Zetts brought in at least 1,000 fans to the last game who probably would not have shown up had he not been suited up.  Coach MacKeown and I had the talk about local talent versus trying to win as to what would draw fans.  He seemed to think winning would be the better cure.  I think its an infusion of both.  Hell, let’s face it, I could have kicked better than Derek Shorejs did this season.  Why not sign a local kicker like Brian Palmer at the beginning of the season?

The other factor I thought that killed the Thunder was parking and concessions.  Granted, the Covelli Centre had the contract drawn up and management knew their hands were tied on promotions.  People paying $6 for a beer and $10 to park does not cut it.  A Scrappers Thursday game takes the same $16 and parks four cars and buys six beers.  Do the math.  It is not financially sound to have a sports team play at the Covelli Centre if they will not bend on parking and concessions.  I am curious to see if the Youngstown Phantoms will have the same problems with the “pricey” costs involved.

I’m not sure if, but rather when, the ownership group will announce the end of arena football in Youngstown.

The Cleveland Browns would like to put 2008 in their rear view mirror and lose sight of it as fast as they can.  In what can only be categorized as ignorant, Braylon Edwards showed up to Browns camp a day late and failed his physical.  Edwards was placed on the Browns Active/Non-Football Injury list.   Great leverage in a contract year would be to show up early and in shape.

Edwards, who led the entire NFL in drops last year with 17, has to be more of a leader.  If Cleveland is going to turn things around this season, everybody has to chip in and try a little harder.  With this being the first major story from Browns camp, it seems like another step backwards for a team trying to overcome the “underachiever” label they earned last season.

Edwards’ contract is done after this season.  He could be fined up to $17,000 for reporting a day late.  He also missed mandatory minicamp in June with an undisclosed injury.  The swirling rumor mill reported he hurt his ankle playing basketball.  Because he missed minicamp, Edwards was to report with the rookies a week earlier than everyone else on the active roster.  Instead, he showed up a day later than everyone else.

• Style Points added an interesting photo to their blog showing you where Braylon’s priorities lie these days, check it out by clicking on the link.

The Mahoning Valley Thunder closed out their season Saturday night.  Unfortunately, the home team was unable to end on a high note losing 63-43 to the playoff-bound Green Bay Blizzard.  The 2-14 record posted by the Thunder does not even come close to the spirit and competitive fire I saw all year.  This team was in more than half of the games they lost.

Personnel changes make a difference whether dealing with a band, a sports franchise, or the office.  Team chemistry needs to develop, it can’t just be inserted and plugged in.  With a high number of coaching changes and team philosophies, the odds of success increase greatly.  The Thunder endured three coaching changes in 2009.  Mike Hold started the season as the head coach.  He was terminated and replaced by Brennan Booth.  Andy Kelly was brought in to run an offense struggling to score.  Eight weeks in, Booth gets knocked down to defensive coordinator, Andy Kelly goes away without ever seeing a steel mill, and Chris MacKeown, the Bill Parcells of arena ball  is hired to run things.  Mackeown has the reputation of making bad teams good, “We want to build on guys that have character like this and play hard every snap.  I have always had an offseason to work on things and this was a new challenge.  I have taken bad teams and turned them around, which I was unable to do here.  We have to get better on offense.  We have to stay healthy to put more points on the board, and we will.  We scored 50 points once while I was here, and that will not happen next year.”

Problems at QB have been there all year.  Davon Vinson was pegged to start but  was replaced, Blake Powers took over for the Thunder and played respectably until breaking his collar bone and landing on IR.  When Powers couldn’t play, Vinson was rewarded the starting job back and was yanked after being ineffective.  Brad Roach was brought in to learn fast and thrown into the fire even faster.  Tom Zetts was a season-ending addition who took over for the injured Roach.  Three coaches + four quarterbacks = mess.

Quorey Payne should add the words “instant offense” to his name.  Payne was exciting to watch all season catching passes and returning kickoffs.  He made it through most of the year until knee problems ended his season.  Payne told me his agent is working on a highlight film to send out to UFL teams.  CJ Brewer missed the last couple of games with a broken hand.  Brewer had the best end zone celebrations I have ever seen with the exception of Jermaine Moye’s display Saturday.  On a Moye from Zetts TD reception, Jermaine mocked The Rock and gave the ball “the people’s elbow“.  I asked Moye about the celebration, “I’m not really a celebration type dude, but I am a fan of The Rock.”  Moye said he is looking forward to playing football and thinks Ohio is the advertised hotbed it has come to be known as.  He also said, as did Quorey Payne, they would love to play here again if there is a team and they don’t end up playing on Sundays.

Tom Zetts enjoyed his brief stint with the Thunder.  “We had a good crowd.  I was happy to see family, friends, teachers basketball players [that he coached],  it was great to see everybody.  I wish we would have pulled that win out for these fans.  We put on a little show for the hometown crowd.”  When asked about his future, Zetts simply said, “You never know, I never thought I would play these three games so you just never know.”

Frashon McGee showed his adaptability by switching to receiver for the last game and had a couple of big catches.  McGee had a tryout with the Buffalo Bills a few weeks back and has the size that Quorey Payne lacks to be a Sunday guy.

I will miss looking forward to Thunder games.  The question has been kicked around locally of whether this team will return to play in Youngstown next year.  I asked one of the owners, Tim Chesney, what the future prospectus of the team were.  ” We [the three owners] will sit down next week and evaluate everything.  I cannot say whether next year will happen yet or not until everything is assessed and looked over.”  I also asked Chesney what he thought of the crowd, “It was encouraging to have a good sized crowd and we thank the fans for their support”  The crowd of almost 4,000 proved that arena football in Youngstown is marketable.

So, before closing the book on 2009, and hopefully looking forward to 2010, there are some thanks to be given.  Thank you to Anthony Farris for always being accomodating and positive.  (The Farris – Aleshere broadcast team feature piece will be up in the next week).  Thanks to coaches Chris MacKeown and Brennan Booth.  They were also very generous with their time and deserve praise for their efforts.  Thanks to Blake Powers, Brad Roach, Davon Vinson, and Tom Zetts, for the constant effort at quarterback.  Thanks to Larry Harrison, the Reggie White of arena ball, for always having a smile and caring about the game results with all of his heart.  Quorey Payne and Jermaine Moye are two very special guys.  They were always polite, always had a smile on their faces, were thankful and praiseworthy of their profiles, and earned my respect as people.  Thank you to the girl who would burn 1,000 calories a night running scoring summaries all over the press area.  Thanks to the stats guys, the television broadcast team, and Scott Jones.  Carlos Spinner, put that camera down and heal up. 

I really hope this team comes back next season because these games are an event and those who attended appreciated the promos and dancers and watching a guy pick his nose on a big screen for a whole minute.  There were memories attached to anyone who attended.  Owners, if you are reading this, the demand is there, the right people are in place, and next year will be a playoff year. 

Some things in life never seem to materialize.  With all of the factors working against the Mahoning Valley Thunder, their 2009 season came to an end on the wrong side of a 63-43 score against the Green Bay Blizzard.  When you add up all of the season-ending injuries, coaching changes, and constant roster moves, it seemed like a nearly impossible task put in front of coaches Chris MacKeown and Brennan Booth.  This game typified what things could have been, as well as, what never materialized.

The Thunder took the opening kickoff and marched 38 yards capitalized by a Tom Zetts to Jermaine Moye 9-yard TD pass for a 7-0 lead, the only score by either team in the first quarter.  Zetts found Pat Clark for a 36-yard TD putting the Thunder up 14-0.

After a Green Bay TD to cut the lead to 14-7, Mahoning Valley’s offense took the field on their own 5-yard line.  Zetts fumbled while eluding a furious Green Bay rush and had the ball jarred in the end zone.  Green Bay pounced on the loose pigskin to tie the game at 14-14.

YSU Alum and Mineral Ridge graduate Brian Palmer kicked a 45-yard FG tying a franchise record to give the Thunder a 17-14 lead.  Palmer had three FG’s on the night (45, 35, 22) and made all but one extra point.  He also had a great night kicking the ball off.

On the very next possession, Green Bay QB and former Cincinnati Bearcat, Gino Guidugli found his favorite target Nate Forse for a 47-yard touchdown putting the Blizzard back on top 21-17.

Mahoning Valley responded as Moye caught a pass from Zetts and made a great run-after-catch to slip into the end zone and put Mahoning Valley back on top 24-21.

After another Green Bay drive and TD, Palmer kicked a 35-yarder to cut the Green Bay halftime lead to just one point at 28-27.  The first half was a perfect example of what could have been for the Thunder’s 2009 season.  They played with fire and intensity, minimized mistakes, and were playing dead even with a 9-6 team.

Unfortunately, any level of American football plays two halves.  The Thunder jumped on top riding another Palmer kick from 22 yards to take a 30-28 lead.  Green Bay scored the next two TD’s and had a 42-30 lead in the fourth quarter.  The Thunder tried to battle back as Zetts found wide receiver convert Frashon McGee for a 27-yard TD to cut the lead to 42-36.  Unfortunately, the Thunder got no closer than the six-point deficit and went on to lose 63-43.  The last Thunder TD came on a 31-yard pass from Zetts to McGee.

Tom Zetts finished the game 20-43 for 272 yards and five TD’s.  Jermaine Moye led Mahoning Valley with 8 catches for 108 yards and two TD’s.  Gino Guidugli was 23-32 for 271 yards and 4 TD’s for Green Bay.  Turnovers played a big role in this game as Mahoning Valley coughed it up three times compared to Green Bay’s one.

There will be plenty more Thunder coverage over the next couple of weeks including a season summary I will be compiling.  There will also be a feature on Christian Aleshere and Anthony Farris, the voices of the Thunder.  I interviewed seven people including an owner, Tim Chesney, after the game about the future of this team playing in Youngstown again next season – look for bits and pieces coming soon!

The Mahoning Valley Thunder will close out their 2009 season at home this Saturday when they take on 9-6 Green Bay.  Mahoning Valley is coming off of their second win of the 2009 season, a 41-39 victory over Albany.  The win broke a two-plus year road losing streak and snapped a 13-game losing streak for Mahoning Valley.  What made the win so improbable was losing CJ Brewer on the opening kickoff.  Brewer was going to be the guy who picked up the slack for injured leader Quorey Payne.

Coach Chris MacKeown was pleased with the effort of his team.  “We started the game with one healthy receiver, CJ breaks his hand on the opening kickoff, Moye is forced to play a position he had never played before.  We played the game with two defensive backs at receiver, we’ve got a quarterback who is making his first start ever, we’re on the road against a team fighting for a playoff spot, and we end up getting a victory on the road.  It was huge.  I’m excited about how we did it under those circumstances.  We eliminated mistakes and won using our formula.”

Frashon McGee will get the call at receiver this week.  “The H is an important spot which CJ was going to fill.  You have to be intelligent and read the defensive coverages, the H has to get us into good situations.  McGee will play there for us this week”, commented MacKeown.

Should be a good crowd this week with hometown favorite, Tom Zetts, making his first home start at quarterback, reduced beer prices, and coming off of a big win.  MacKeown commented on the potential crowd, “I will be disappointed if we see less than 5000 people here Saturday.  Although people might look at the record and say, I’m not going.  Tom Zetts is starting at quarterback, got a win in his first start,  and I hope Youngstown comes out and supports one of their native sons.”

Zetts was not as optimistic about 5000 fans.  “I wouldn’t be disappointed, 5000 is alot of people.  That would be a huge boost and I hope we have a good crowd, I’m looking forward to it.”  Zetts also commented on his future in football when asked if this was it, “I couldn’t tell you.  I thought I was done when I left YSU, and then I thought I was done when I played in Italy, who knows, maybe this is it, maybe it isn’t.  It’s too soon to tell.  I am going to try to keep myself in shape in case anything ever comes up.”

The Mahoning Valley – Green Bay contest is Saturday night at The Covelli Centre.  Beer is selling at a greatly reduced price, Tom Zetts will want to put on a show for family and friends, Coach MacKeown wants the second consecutive win, and the Thunder want to deliver against a playoff team to prove their underachievements this season.  Come and watch!

June 2, 2007 was the last time the Mahoning Valley Thunder won a road game.  July 17, 2009  will go down as the beginning of a new streak, a road winning streak as the Thunder upset the Manchester Wolves, 41-39 in front of nearly 5,000 fans hoping to see their Wolves clinch a playoff spot.  The Thunder also canned a 13-game losing streak to pick up their second win of the season.

Tom Zetts, making his first start,  was voted the Russell Offensive Player of the game on 12-24 passing for 236 yards with five TD’s and just one INT.  Manchester QB Mike Potts had better numbers on 31-48 for 337 yardswith four TD’s and one pick.  Zetts, however, continually made the big play when he had to in leading the Thunder upset of the Wolves.

Remember four short weeks ago when the Thunder had a 20-0 lead on the Wolves at the Covelli Centre?  They had a 19-0 lead in this contest, and actually trailed 39-35 with :53 left in the game.  Zetts found Pat Clark for a 34-yard TD lifting the Thunder to a 41-39 lead with ten seconds left.  Mahoning Valley unsuccessfully attempted a two-point conversion.  Mike Alston blocked a 27-yard game-winning field goal attempt to secure the victory for the Thunder.  Alston finished the game with that blocked kick, four tackles, a sack, and a broken-up pass.

Jermaine Moye caught 5 passes for 93 yards and two TD’s.  CJ Brewer injured himself (dislocated finger) on the opening kickoff and never returned.  The Thunder were already playing the game without their biggest weapon, Quorey Payne, who was placed on IR earlier in the week. 

The Thunder close out the year against Green Bay at home this weekend.  Can Zetts lead the team to a two-game season-ending winning streak?  Should be a good week to catch the game.

The Mahoning Valley Thunder traveled West in hopes of ending their losing streak to take on the Peoria Pirates.  The team was optimistic about their chances in Illinois, but the way this year has gone, optimism is a tough sell.  Mahoning Valley trailed 49-7 at halftime and ended up losing 76-34.  Two offensive mistakes in the first quarter, a fumble in the end zone recovered for a touchdown, and a 31-yard interception return created a hole too big for the Thunder to pull out of.

The Thunder played a much more respectable second half, as each team scored 27 points.  For Peoria, Brando scored three defensive touchdowns in the game on interception returns of 31 and 45 yards and recovered the fumble in the end zone for another.

For Mahoning Valley, Brad Roach started the game and went 4-7 with 2 INT’s.  Tom Zetts was inserted for the Thunder and went 19-36 for 256 yards and two TD’s.  Zetts also was picked off three times. 

I am sure the abscence of Quorey Payne in this game hurt Mahoning Valley’s chances.  CJ Brewer did his absolute best to pick up the slack finishing the game with 10 catches for 187 yards and a TD.  Brewer also added three rushing touchdowns for the Thunder.

New kicker, YSU’s Brian Palmer, was 5-6 in PAT’s, a glaring improvement over the shoddy kicking the Thunder had become accustomed to in games past. 

For the Thunder it is the 13th consecutive loss this season.

Mahoning Valley Thunder Coach Chris MacKeown insists that Tom Zetts is now with the team because he is a player, not because he is a local guy to promote as a ticket selling scheme.  Zetts enjoyed a very successful career at Boardman High School and later with Youngstown State University.

As a member of the Penguins, Zetts recorded school bests for pass attempts (1,094), completions (654), touchdowns (51), yardage (7,643), 200-yard games (13) and completion percentage (59.8). His 8,277 total offensive yards are also tops in Penguins history.

Zetts spent the 2008 season with the Parma Panthers of the Italian-American Football League.  In his only season at the controls he guided his Italian Panthers team to the EFAF Cup Championship.  At season’s end, Zetts returned to the area and coached at Duquesne.

The Thunder contacted Zetts in the Spring to be a part of the team, but Zetts is very devoted to his job at Boardman High where he teaches a couple of levels of algebra.  His involvement in Spartans extra-curricular activities limited his time.  With three weeks left in the Thunder season, he wanted to take the time to see what he could do while still young and in good physical condition. 

Zetts told me he is thrilled to be a part of the Thunder and maybe getting the chance to play in front of family and friends.  Because of his familiarity with the area, a few of Zetts’ new co-workers have tried to make him tour guide for Youngstown nightlife and places to meet a pretty girl.  A chuckling Zetts replied that he is happy and that with a great girlfriend he doesn’t do too much solo nightlife activity.

Zetts said he didn’t hear much about the Steve McNair tragedy other than the fact that he was dead.  He was in San Diego enjoying a visit with his brother. 

Tom likes to watch Two And A Half Men and Sportscenter.  He is a Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers fan, but credits the emergence of cable television and TBS for his liking of the Atlanta Braves.

Zetts told me all of the places he has been, nobody has the selection of good pizza like Youngstown.  His favorite place is Belleria, but said he enjoys pizza from many places in the area.

Tom is a country music fan.  His favorite artist is Pat Green.

Zetts, like every other Thunder player likes video games.  He has a PS3 and is currently playing Call of Duty 4.  He also enjoys tinkering with some sports games.

Tom Zetts is a welcome addition to this team.  He knows his role and says he is not here to take Brad Roach’s job.  Coack MacKeown says that the person who plays will be the person who puts the team in the best position to win.  I like both Zetts and Roach and would not want to make that decision. 

Patrick Wells is one of the newest members of the Mahoning Valley Thunder.  He has led the team in tackles the past couple of games, and has been a difference maker on a defense that seems to be improving every week.

Wells grew up in Dayton and played his high school football in the Cincy hotbed.  Wells played his college ball in Michigan at Ferris State.  He was recruited to go to camp with the Cleveland Browns after Ferris State.  ” I got calls to go to many camps as the most-recruited guy at Ferris State.”

Wells said he likes the area and really likes eating at Antone’s.  He told me that the fried cheese and chicken parm are out of this world.

Patrick likes to play Call To Duty with QB Brad Roach.  “We got here about the same time and we have gotten to be pretty good friends.”

Wells said he does not have the time to watch too much television.  He will watch Sportscenter when it comes on, but other than that he would rather spend his spare time lifting weights and working out.

Wells is in a retro music mode right now.  He is on a Bone, Thugs, & Harmony kick.  However, with the fast-paced practices and workouts, he said he has been listening to slower and calmer music to unwind.

We briefly discussed the deaths of stars like Steve McNair and Michael Jackson.  I asked Wells who might be next.  “If Eminem died, it would shock people.  He mistreated his body early in his career.  That would be a real suprise.”  Granted, Wells is not wishing death on anyone, just merely doing his best Nostre Damas at my request.

Wells was well-spoken and seemed focused throughout the practice I attended.  He will be around for awhile if the opportunity does not present itself at the higher levels.

Mahoning Valley Thunder Coach Chris MacKeown knows that when players have a bye week, that the first day back can be sluggish and that the lazy relaxed feelings need to go away.  With just two road games and a home finale against Green Bay on July 25, the moves come late in the season.

The Thunder added Youngstown State’s Tom Zetts to the roster.  Coach MacKeown likes what Zetts brings to the team and says that Zetts and YSU’s former kicker, Brian Palmer, were not brought in just because they are from the area.  “I don’t care where guys come from, I have had guys from Japan on my teams.  As long as they help us win, I don’t care where a player comes from.  Are people gonna come because there are local guys?  Do you sacrifice wins?  He [Zetts] would have been here sooner, but he is so commited to his school.  Tom Zetts and Brian Palmer were not signed because they are local guys, they were signed because they can play.”

I asked Coach MacKeown what he would do with both Zetts and Brad Roach at quarterback.  “We will play the guy that gives this team the best chance to win.  The best guy is gonna play.  Brad has an advantage because he has some game experience.  Tom’s first day was better than Brad’s first day, Tom will tell you, he has a lot of learning.  I’m excited because I think we have two quarterbacks that can get it done.  With Brad we scored 53 points, and if we kick half of the PAT’s against Wilkes-Barre, we score 50 points again.”

MacKeown also stressed that there are two ways to put people in the seats, by winning or by loading up a roster with local talent.  “When I was at Louisville, there were local guys up and down the roster and they would draw 14,000 a game but lose.  When I was brought in to win, there were hardly any locals left, and the attendance dropped a bit, but we won and went deep into the playoffs.  Unfortunately, here we didn’t have the winning or the locals, so the formula to put bodies in seats is still untested.”

WR Quorey Payne who leads the team in almost every offensive and special teams category was not in practice.  He is dealing with a knee injury and will be re-evaluated by Thursday.