VooDoo news and notes
May 5, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
• VooDoo HAVE A CHANCE TO CLINCH ON SUNDAY: The VooDoo can clinch a spot in the Arena Football League playoffs this weekend. The VooDoo will qualify in their inaugural season in the AFL with a victory over Orlando AND a Dallas loss to Austin.
• DRIVE TO ARENA BOWL XXXVIII: The current AFL standings after Week 13:
Team W L T PF PA Home Road DIV
San Jose 10 2 0 718 566 6-0-0 4-2-0 3-0-0
New Orleans 9 3 0 550 556 5-0-0 4-3-0 3-1-0
Colorado 9 4 0 636 596 6-1-0 3-3-0 3-2-0
Chicago 8 4 0 639 558 4-2-0 4-2-0 4-1-0
Arizona 8 5 0 671 621 4-3-0 4-2-0 2-2-0
Austin 7 5 0 635 625 4-2-0 3-3-0 3-2-0
Los Angeles 7 5 0 687 592 2-4-0 5-1-0 2-3-0
New York 7 5 0 625 554 3-2-0 4-3-0 3-3-0
--------------------
Dallas 6 6 0 592 635 3-3-0 3-3-0 4-3-0
Orlando 6 6 0 572 533 4-3-0 2-3-0 2-4-0
Indiana 6 7 0 637 575 3-3-0 3-4-0 3-2-0
Tampa Bay 6 7 0 634 636 3-3-0 3-4-0 4-3-0
Las Vegas 5 7 0 646 616 4-2-0 1-5-0 1-3-0
Philadelphia 5 7 0 569 570 4-2-0 1-5-0 4-2-0
Carolina 4 8 0 581 663 2-5-0 2-3-0 3-3-0
Columbus 4 8 0 562 642 2-4-0 2-4-0 2-5-0
Detroit 4 8 0 563 630 2-4-0 2-4-0 2-3-0
Georgia 4 8 0 477 610 1-5-0 3-3-0 2-4-0
Grand Rapids 1 11 0 433 649 0-6-0 1-5-0 1-5-0
Standings of teams with same records are shown alphabetically
Playoff Format
Top eight teams, based on overall record, will qualify.
Division winners are not guaranteed a playoff spot.
Seeding will be by overall record using current tiebreaker rules. A division winner always takes precedent over another division opponent in tiebreaker situations.
AFL Week 14 Schedule
Friday, May 7
Detroit at Indiana
Saturday, May 8
Carolina at New York
Chicago at Grand Rapids
Las Vegas at Philadelphia
Sunday, May 9
Orlando at New Orleans
Los Angeles at Tampa Bay
San Jose at Arizona
Dallas at Austin
Georgia at Columbus
BYE: Colorado
• VooDoo REMAIN SECOND IN WEEKLY POLL: The VooDoo’s 9-3 record impressed writers enough to keep them at #2 in the weekly writers poll for the fifth straight week. The weekly poll, which is based on a vote of AFLWA members, ranks the top eight teams in the AFL. The AFLWA is a national organization made up of media members who cover the AFL. New Orleans received 121 points and trails only the San Jose SaberCats (19 first-place votes, 152 points).
• PROTECTING THE QB: One of the reasons for VooDoo QB John Fitzgerald enjoying his finest AFL season is the protection that he has received from his offensive line. VooDoo linemen have surrendered only four sacks this season tying them for first in the AFL in with the Chicago Rush, Las Vegas Gladiators and Colorado Crush. This proves to be an important stat in the win-loss column as the following teams have combined for a 31-18 record, headlined by New Orleans’ 9-3 mark.
• STINGY AT THE START: Getting off to a quick start on the defensive end of the ball has been one of the keys to the VooDoo’s 9-3 start. In the first quarter of games this season, the VooDoo has surrendered only 71 first quarter points. This is the lowest point total that any AFL team has surrendered in a quarter this season. The closest to this mark is the 82 points that the New York Dragons have given up in the first quarter of their games in 2004.
• VooDoo MILESTONES: The following individual marks could be set by VooDoo players this Sunday vs. Orlando:
If the VooDoo defeat the Predators this Sunday, they will become the first-ever Arena Football League team to win 10 games in their inaugural season. OS Aaron Bailey needs 10 receiving yards to break his season-high yardage total of 1102 with the Carolina Cobras in 2002. Bailey needs three receptions to for 75 on the season and 11 for 250 career catches. Bailey needs five touchdown receptions for 30 on the season. OL/DL B.J. Cohen needs one touchdown reception for 10 in his career. Cohen needs one forced fumble to tie his career-high of 3 in 2001 with the Orlando Predators. QB John Fitzgerald needs five touchdown passes to reach 50 for the season. Fitzgerald needs six touchdown passes to reach the mark of 100 for his career. Fitzgerald needs 295 passing yards to reach 6,000 for his career. FB/LB Dan Curran needs 28 yards to reach the 300-yard mark for the season. Curran is currently the AFLÂ’s leading rusher with 272 yards and 17 touchdowns through 12 games. Last yearÂ’s leading rusher in the AFL, Los AngelesÂ’s Chad Dukes, ran for 223 yards in 14 games. San JoseÂ’s Barry Wagner scored 18 rushing touchdowns in 16 games last season to lead the AFL. OL/DL Tim Martin needs one reception to tie his career-high total of five in 2003 with the Dallas Desperados. Martin has already set a career high with two TD receptions. DS Monty Montgomery needs nine tackles to reach 75 for the season. DS Chris Pointer needs 0.5 tackle to reach 50 for the season.
• VooDoo ON THE AIRWAVES: VooDoo and AFL fans will enjoy plenty of chances to watch the newest team in New Orleans both live and on various on radio and television programs throughout the 2004 season.
Every VooDoo game will be broadcast on WWL 870-AM or WSMB 1350-AM. The Voice of the VooDoo, Chris Kenyon, will handle the play-by-play. Selected Saints coaches, players and front office personnel will serve as color analysts. Saints safety and special teamer Steve Gleason will handle color for the Orlando matchup. SundayÂ’s game will be broadcast on WSMB. WWL will broadcast The Mike Neu Show with VooDoo Head Coach Mike Neu each Tuesday from 9-10 pm as Kenyon and WWLÂ’s Kenny Wilkerson co-host. Fans can call into the show or submit questions for Coach Neu through the clubÂ’s official web site, GoVooDoo.com.
Up to 10 of the VooDooÂ’s 16 regular season games are scheduled to be telecast by NBC (WDSU-TV 6 in New Orleans). Cox Sports Television will telecast most of the remaining VooDoo games on regional cable with each telecast starting with a 30-minute pre-game show. This SundayÂ’s contest between New Orleans and Orlando will be seen on NBC in 20 percent of the U.S. (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and northern Florida). Allen Bestwick will handle play-by-play, former AFL QB Mike Pawlaski is the color analyst and Rich Lenz will be the sideline reporter. Cox will air Inside VooDoo with Mike Neu, a 30-minute show, each week. Inside VooDoo with Mike Neu will air this week on Thursday, May 6 from 5:30-6 pm and will be replayed on Sunday, May 9 at 12:30 pm.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 5, 2004
- AFL injury report - AFL I
- San Jose-Arizona rivalry renewed on NBC this Sunday - AFL I
- AFL Q&A: Tampa Bay Storm Coach Tim Marcum - AFL I
- Moms get in free for Dallas at Austin AFL matchup this Sunday - Austin Wranglers
- VooDoo news and notes - New Orleans VooDoo
- New Orleans VooDoo to hold first annual “Yummy Mummy” contest Sunday - New Orleans VooDoo
- AFL to set regular season total attendance record this season - AFL I
- Georgia Force hires nnie Davis as Offensive Coordinator - Georgia Force
- Austin Wranglers game notes - Austin Wranglers
- Philadelphia Soul game notes - Philadelphia Soul
- Columbus Destroyers game notes - Columbus Destroyers
- Dragons DS Corey Johnson Awarded by AFL - New York Dragons
- Who says division games don't matter? - Albany/Indiana Firebirds
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