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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

AFL Kicks Off This Friday

April 17, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


CHICAGO (April 17, 2002) - The Arena Football League (AFL) will kick off its 16th season this weekend, April 19-20. Sixteen teams, including the expansion Dallas Desperados, owned by NFL's Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones, and the Atlanta-based Georgia Force, will play in the 2002 season.

The 14-week regular season schedule is followed by a postseason consisting of four Wild Card playoff games, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal contests and the championship game -- ArenaBowl XVI - on Sunday, August 18, televised live on ABC.

The 2002 season marks the last time the AFL schedule will open in April. Beginning in 2003, the AFL's regular season will kick off in February and will be shown live on NBC on Sunday afternoons with up to four regional telecasts each week.

Highlights of 2002 opening weekend schedule include:

** An East-meets-West match-up on Friday, April 19 inside Los Angeles' STAPLES Center, featuring the high-scoring New York Dragons and the third-year L.A. Avengers, led by first-year head coach ED HODGKISS.

** Often dubbed the "Green Bay of the AFL," defending ArenaBowl Champion Grand Rapids Rampage begin their quest for a second title, by hosting intra-state rival, the Detroit Fury, this Saturday, April 20. More than two million fans on ABC and a standing room only crowd in Van Andel Arena watched last August as the Rampage claimed a 64-42 victory over the Nashville Kats.

** Also in Week 1, the first-ever regular season game at Philips Arena in Atlanta, featuring the Georgia Force (formerly Nashville Kats) and the two-time ArenaBowl champion Orlando Predators on Saturday, April 20. Orlando is led by Arena Football Hall of Fame quarterback JAY GRUDEN, who returns to the playing field after five years as a coach, including four seasons and two ArenaBowl Championships as the Predators head coach.

All 2002 opening weekend games:
Friday, April 19
New Jersey Gladiators @ Buffalo Destroyers, 7:30 PM ET
Chicago Rush @ Indiana Firebirds, 8:00 PM ET
New York Dragons @ Los Angeles Avengers, 10:30 PM ET
Saturday, April 20
Dallas Desperados @ Carolina Cobras, 7:00 PM ET
Detroit Fury @ Grand Rapids Rampage, 7:30 PM ET
Toronto Phantoms @ Tampa Bay Storm, 7:30 PM ET
Orlando Predators @ Georgia Force, 7:30 PM ET
Arizona Rattlers @ San Jose SaberCats, 10:30 PM ET

For a complete regular season schedule and preseason game results, visit the AFL's official Web site, www.arenafootball.com.

The Arena Football League consists of 23 teams (16 active for 2002 season), including eight in the 10 largest U.S. media markets. An additional seven expansion teams have already been approved to begin to play over the next three years. Early last month, NBC Sports and the AFL reached a broadcast agreement to begin in 2003.

Current AFL ownership includes: Jerry Jones, Jerry Jones Jr., and Stephen Jones, Dallas Desperados (NFL's Dallas Cowboys ownership); William Ford Jr., Detroit Fury (Vice Chairman, NFL's Detroit Lions); Jerry Colangelo, Arizona Rattlers, (owner, NBA's Phoenix Suns and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks); Dan DeVos, Grand Rapids Rampage (vice chairman, NBA's Orlando Magic); Charles Wang, New York Dragons (owner, NHL's New York Islanders); Rogers Communications, Toronto Phantoms (ownership, MLB's Toronto Blue Jays).

Additionally, six NFL owners have applied or been approved for ownership of future AFL expansion teams, including Tennessee Titans' K.S. Bud Adams, Jr., New Orleans Saints' Tom Benson (New Orleans Voodoo), Denver Broncos' Pat Bowlen, Washington Redskins' Daniel Snyder, Jacksonville Jaguars' Wayne Weaver, and San Francisco 49ers' Denise DeBartolo York.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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