Bakersfield and Fresno Begin New Rivalry

May 2, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Bakersfield Blitz News Release


BAKERSFIELD, CA (May 2, 2002) – When the Bakersfield Blitz and the Fresno Frenzy take the field in the Centennial Garden on Saturday night, it will kick off a new rivalry between the two cities, which are separated by only 108 miles. It's the first of three meetings between the two teams this season, with the series winner staking claim to the Valley Cup trophy.

"This is such a great natural rivalry," said Blitz general manager Brad Hoffman. "They don't like us and we don't like them and we can settle it on the football field. They're a bigger city than us and they think they're better than us, but we know we have the better football team and we're ready to prove it."

The Blitz comes into the game with a 3-1 record, after losing for the first time this season against Tulsa last Saturday 48-27. Despite the loss, Bakersfield still sits atop the National Conference West division and holds a two-game lead over both San Diego and Hawaii. The Frenzy brings an 0-4 record into the game after losing a heartbreaker, 62-54, to the two-time defending af2 champion Quad City Steamwheelers on Saturday.

Kickoff for the game is set for 7 pm with the pre-game tailgate party starting at 5 pm in the plaza in front of the Garden. There will be hamburgers and hotdogs, beer and soda to drink, a live band and face painting and a bounce house for kids.

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Centennial Garden box office. Prices range from $7 to $60 per game. This week, show your hometown pride by wearing a local Bakersfield uniform (baseball, football, basketball, etc.) and receive a five-dollar discount on any ticket.

More than two million fans have attended arenafootball2 games in the league's two-year history. In 2000, af2 began its inaugural season with 15 teams. The league expanded to 28 teams in 2001, making it the fastest single-league expansion in the history of sports.



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