Get ready to rumble, War on I-4 Friday
March 1, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Orlando Predators News Release
Orlando, Fla. (Mar. 1) -- Arena Football's greatest rivalry takes center stage on Friday night when the Orlando Predators travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Storm in a season-opening tilt for both teams.
It will be the 40th edition of the War on I-4 and kickoff is slated 7:30 p.m. from the St. Petersburg Times Forum. Central Florida Brighthouse customers can watch the action on Channel 21. The game will also be broadcast live on WQTM 740 A.M. beginning with a 6:50 p.m. pre-game show.
Predators head coach Jay Gruden begins his 8th season as head coach and 10th season overall with the Predators. He brings a 76-44-0 record into the game and is coming off a National Conference Championship season where he led the Predators to a record 7th ArenaBowl appearance.
Although he has seven new faces on his 20-man roster, Gruden enters the season optimistic that the Predators will be able to extend their league-record 15 consecutive playoff appearances - the longest active streak in American professional sports.
"We have some questions about our secondary and we are not very experienced back there," Gruden said. "But that's my only real personnel concern. We've got three great wide receivers, a great pass rush, solid fullbacks and linebackers, a good offensive line and a top-ranked quarterback."
Even though his secondary is inexperienced, Gruden remains confident that they will perform well. "They are young, but we believe they are talented. If they mesh together, there's no question we should once again challenge for a title."
The signing of free agent quarterback Shane Stafford was the biggest off-season move the Predators made. Stafford played five seasons at Tampa Bay and was the marquee free agent of the 2006 off-season. He threw for 169 touchdowns in the last two seasons.
"We had a great quarterback in Joe Hamilton but we believe Shane is just a little better and that's why we made the move," Gruden added. "When you have an opportunity to get better at any position, you have to do it. It's the nature of the business."
As for facing his former teammates, Stafford down plays his role. "Rosters change so fast in this league, it doesn't really matter that we are playing Tampa Bay. They have a lot of guys I didn't even play with last year. What does matter is going out, executing and trying to get a win."
Gruden who played six seasons for Tampa Bay and created a stir when be became the head coach of the Orlando Predators in 1998 agrees. "It's a great rivalry and it's always a very spirited and emotional game. But it has nothing to do with me having started my career there or Shane having played there last year. The rivalry is bigger than that. But more importantly, this is our opener and it is a conference game and it is a division game. Those factors matter a lot more to me."
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