A Rivalry Arising

April 28, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz News Release


When two teams meet from the same state, a rivalry usually grows. But, when the new team in town acquires seven key players from the other team's reigning championship team, now that will stir up the pot.

The Tulsa Talons have been in business since the existence of arenafootball2. With an overall 55-19 record, the Talons have been a dominate force in the af2 from the start and recently won the 2003 ArenaCup championship. The Talons are led by the all-time af2 points and touchdown leader offensive specialist Mitch Allner and vivacious veteran fullback/linebacker Corky Martin.

The expansion Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz are the new kids on the block, but have come out of the box incredibly strong by hiring 2-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Gary Reasons as Head Coach and offense extraordinaire Sparky McEwen as Offensive Coordinator. They piled in gifted athletes like Johnell Jones, Drew Mitchell, James Landers, and former Talons Craig Strickland, Timon Marshall, Johnnie Balous and a list of others.

In the first meeting between the teams on opening night in Tulsa, the Dawgz and Talons put on a show. As the Dawgz announced their starting lineup, the Tulsa fans let 2003 ArenaCup MVP and former Talon Craig Strickland know how much they appreciated him leaving with a blare of boos. The game was back-and-forth throughout most of the first half. The Dawgz came out of halftime with a series of scores. The Dawgz led by 15 with three minutes to go, but the lead slipped away with one second remaining as Talon QB Michael Wall hit Bjorn Barre with a 46-yard touchdown pass to go into overtime. The Yard Dawgz held the Talons from scoring in the first drive in OT and then Dawgz QB Craig Strickland found Timon Marshall for a 10-yard touchdown and a victory.

This weekend, as the Talons enter the Ford Center, it will be interesting how the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz fans will react to the rivalry.

Dawgz OL/DL James Landers has played against the Talons for three years while he was with the Wichita Stealth and he acknowledges the rivalry. He believes the Oklahoma City crowd will have a lot to do with the outcome of the game.

"I do not like Tulsa. I don't think that's a secret," Landers said. "I am pumped for this game and would love for the fans to help make a difference in the game. Fan support will be a key factor in the game."

Dawgz General Manager Ben Buckland knows how intense the rivalry between these two teams can become.

"It's difficult to understand from the outside looking in," Buckland said. "However, when you get involved in it, the rivalry is so intense you get swept up pretty quickly."

The Dawgz look to pick up a win against Tulsa after a heart-breaking loss in Hidalgo last week. The Dawgz fell to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados 44-41. It was the same Dorado team the Dawgz defeated 55-17 at home in week 2. The Dawgz found their faults and look to get back on track in Week 5.

"I don't think we were all on the same page last week," Dawgz OL/DL Johnell Jones said. "We got caught up in the moment but we will be okay. It won't happen again."

Dawgz Head Coach Gary Reasons is thrilled to get back on the field at home in the Ford Center.

"It will be good coming back to play at home," Reasons said. "The fans make a big impact on the game and hopefully we will have a near capacity crown to help us to victory against our turnpike rivals."

The Talons-Dawgz rivalry is just at its naissance, but at this rate, be prepared for some intense battles for years to come.



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