Desperados Announce 2004 Schedule
October 28, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Dallas Desperados News Release
The Dallas Desperados kick off the 2004 Arena Football League schedule on Sunday, Feb. 8 as a member of the Eastern Division â the team's third division in three seasons. The Desperados will be joining Carolina, Columbus, New York and Philadelphia in the Eastern Division. In addition to two games against New York â the defending Eastern Division champions â Dallas will face seven other playoff teams from 2003 â Arizona, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Jose and Tampa Bay, the defending ArenaBowl XXVII champions.
NBC Sports will again be televising weekly AFL games, with the Desperados appearing as many as nine times on the network's featured broadcast.
The Desperados open the season by hosting the Carolina Cobras on Sunday, Feb. 8 at the American Airlines Center. The following weekend, Dallas will play its first ever game against the expansion Philadelphia Soul, hosting the Soul and co-owner Jon Bon Jovi on Sunday, Feb. 15. Dallas closes out the month of February with a two game road trip, traveling to New York to face the defending Eastern Division champion Dragons on Sunday, Feb. 22 and to Columbus to face the Destroyers on Sunday, Feb. 29 in a leap year contest.
Dallas kicks off March at the American Airlines Center against the Grand Rapids Rampage â a playoff team from last year that Dallas edged out for the Central Division title â on Saturday, March 6. Following a trip to Carolina on Sunday, March 14, the Desperados return home to host the Los Angeles Avengers â another playoff team that earned a first round bye in 2003 â on Sunday, March 21. Dallas closes out the month with a bye the weekend of March 27-28.
The Desperados will spend most of the month of April on the road, beginning with a rematch with the Soul in Philadelphia on Sunday, April 4. Dallas then returns home for an Easter weekend match-up with the San Jose SaberCats â the top seeded team in the 2003 playoffs â on Saturday, April 10. Dallas begins a two-game road trip on Sunday, April 18 as it travels to Phoenix to face the Arizona Rattlers. The Desperados have never lost in Arizona, winning on a last-second field goal in 2002 and in overtime in 2003. The final weekend of April will be spent in Orlando, Fla., when the Desperados take on the Orlando Predators on Sunday, April 25. Orlando also earned a bye in last spring's playoffs and advanced to the semifinals before falling to the eventual champion Storm.
The final month of the regular season begins with Dallas hosting the New York Dragons on Sunday, May 2. The Desperados will then make a short Mother's Day road trip to Austin to take on the expansion Wranglers on Sunday, May 9 before traveling north to face the Rush in Chicago on Sunday, May 16. The Rush, another playoff team from 2003, has quickly developed into one of the Desperados top rivals. Dallas then closes out the regular season with two consecutive home games. In the next to last game of the season, the Columbus Destroyers come to Big D on Saturday, May 22. The Desperados close out the regular season with a Memorial Day weekend battle against the defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm on Sunday, May 30 in Dallas.
To be a part of the Desperados quest for their second consecutive division title, visit the team's official website â www.dallasdesperados.com â or call 972-785-4900 to order season tickets. Season ticket packages are available beginning as low as $90 for a nine game package.
DALLAS DESPERADOS 2004 SCHEDULE (All Kickoffs Dallas Time)
DATE REGULAR-SEASON TIME
Sun., Feb. 8 CAROLINA COBRAS 2:00 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 15 PHILADELPHIA SOUL 3:00 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 22 @ New York Dragons (NBC**) 2:00 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 29 @ Columbus Destroyers (NBC**) 2:00 p.m.
Sat., March 6 GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE 7:30 p.m.
Sun., March 14 @ Carolina Cobras 2:00 p.m.
Sun., March 21 LOS ANGELES AVENGERS 3:00 p.m.
BYE
Sun., April 4 @ Philadelphia Soul (NBC**) 11:00 a.m.
Sat., April 10 SAN JOSE SABERCATS 7:30 p.m.
Sun., April 18 @ Arizona Rattlers (NBC**) 2:00 p.m.
Sun., April 25 @ Orlando Predators (NBC**) 11:00 a.m.
Sun., May 2 NEW YORK DRAGONS (NBC**) 2:00 p.m.
Sun., May 9 @ Austin Wranglers (NBC**) 2:00 p.m.
Sun., May 16 @ Chicago Rush (NBC**) 2:00 p.m.
Sat., May 22 COLUMBUS DESTROYERS 7:30 p.m.
Sun., May 30 TAMPA BAY STORM (NBC**) 3:00 p.m.
(NBC**) denotes possible NBC Sports broadcast
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 28, 2003
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- Rampage Release 2004 Schedule - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Crush Reveal 2004 Schedule - Colorado Crush
- Fury Announce 2004 Schedule - Detroit Fury
- Philadelphia Soul Releases Inaugural Schedule - Philadelphia Soul
- AFL Releases 2004 Schedule - AFL I
- Chicago Rush 2004 Schedule Announced - Chicago Rush
- SaberCats Announce 2004 Schedule - San Jose SaberCats
- Desperados Announce 2004 Schedule - Dallas Desperados
- Firebirds Announce 2004 Schedule - Albany/Indiana Firebirds
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