AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

AFL Quick Hitters: Conference Championships

Published on June 3, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


THE DRIVE TO LAS VEGAS: Home-field advantage has always played a crucial roll in the road to the ArenaBowl. In the 18-year history of the ArenaBowl, 34 of the 36 teams to compete in the championship game started on their respective journeys with a home playoff game, including all 18 ArenaBowl Champions. The only team to reach the ArenaBowl with out a home-playoff game is the Orlando Predators, who accomplished the feat twice en route to ArenaBowl IX and XIII. Orlando looks to make the third time the charm as they take on the Georgia Force this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

THREE IS THE CHARM: The No. 3 seeds now have an 18-14 all-time record in the AFL playoffs, including 2002 when the Chicago Rush advanced to the AFL semifinals before losing to Arizona. The No. 3 seeds, however, have an undefeated 3-0 record in the ArenaBowl -- the 1993 Arizona Rattlers, 1994 Tampa Bay Storm and 1999 Albany Firebirds, who each won the title as the No. 3 seed. The Rush, who lost in the semifinals in 2002 and 2004 as a No. 3 seed, once again find themselves the No. 3 seed and one win away from their first ArenaBowl appearance.

HOME SWEET HOME: In the past, home-field advantage has proven very beneficial to teams in the Semifinal Round of the playoffs. In the thirty-two semifinal games played in AFL history, the home team owns a convincing 24-7 record (the August 12, 1989 game between Pittsburgh and Denver was played at a neutral site) giving them an all-time win percentage of .750. The seven teams that earned semifinal road victories are listed below.

THE NEW KING: The defending ArenaBowl Champion San Jose SaberCats will not be seen in the AFL semifinals (now Conference Championships) for the first time since 1999, after loosing to the Central Division Champion Colorado Crush in the Divisional Round last Sunday. The Orlando Predators, the only team remaining with ArenaBowl experience, will be playing in their 11th semifinal, against the Georgia Force. If the Force were to win this Saturday, ArenaBowl XIX will be third overall, and first since ArenaBowl II to feature two teams who will be playing in their first ArenaBowl.

IT'S A CLEAN SWEEP: The Colorado Crush finished the season tied with the best record in the American Conference and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Crush's Central Division rivals, the Chicago Rush, are the No. 3 seed, but swept the Crush in the regular season. The Crush and Rush meet this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, as the Rush try to become only the fifth team to earn a trip to the ArenaBowl after going 3-0 on the season against the same team.

IT'S GOOD TO BE NO. 1: Fifteen No. 1-seeded teams have reached the ArenaBowl in its 18-year history. In three of the last six seasons, the No. 1 seed has been eliminated in the postseason. In 1999, 2000 and 2003, the top-ranked team lost in the playoffs - Tampa Bay lost in the first-round of the postseason (1999) to Orlando, San Jose lost to Nashville in the quarterfinal round (2000) and were defeated by Arizona in the semifinals (2003). This season, the No. 1-seeded Georgia Force could become the first team to remain undefeated at home when they host the Predators, who were the first team to eliminate a No. 1-seeded team (New York) prior to ArenaBowl.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO: Two of the top five finalists for Coach of the Year remain in the hunt to become ArenaBowl XIX champions. Colorado head coach MIKE DAILEY and Georgia head coach DOUG PLANK will be leading their teams in their respective conference championship games this weekend. Only Dailey owns an ArenaBowl ring, which he earned as head coach of the Albany Firebirds in 1999. Plank previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Rattlers, who appeared in the last three ArenaBowls. Dailey and the Colorado Crush host the Chicago Rush in the American Conference Championship this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. Plank and the No. 1 seeded Force host the Orlando Predators in the National Conference Championship this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from June 3, 2005


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