NBC to broadcast Tampa Bay-Orlando on Saturday

Published on February 5, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Orlando Predators News Release


ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 5) -- The Orlando Predators will receive the first of up to 10 network exposures this week as NBC televises the team's season opener against the Tampa Bay Storm on Sunday at 3 p.m.

The entire state of Florida, as well as Ohio and portions of West Virginia and Kentucky will receive the broadcast of the game; which is Arena Football's longest-running and most storied rivalry.

Dave Hammond and Pat Sperduto will call the action for NBC, with J.P. Peterson serving as sideline reporter. Hammond will handle play-by-play duties; while Sperduto, the former Head Coach of the Nashville Kats, will provide color commentary.

Tampa vs. Orlando is one of five games being broadcast on NBC-TV. The network will also broadcast Grand Rapids at Chicago, New York at Georgia, and Los Angeles at Arizona.

The top broadcast team of Tom Hammond, Pat Haden and Louis Johnson will broadcast the New Orleans at Philadelphia game. The game which will be seen in most of the Northeast, as well as Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arkansas will be the first game for the two expansion teams. New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson owns the VooDoo, while a group headed by rock icon Jon Bon Jovi owns the Philadelphia franchise.

For the Predators, it will mark the return of Jay Gruden to the role of Head Coach. In his first stint as head coach (1998-2001), Gruden guided the Predators to three consecutive ArenaBowl appearances and a pair of titles. He resigned following the 2001 season, signing a two-year deal to play quarterback for the Predators.

Gruden led the team to back-to-back appearances in the AFL semifinals during his return to the playing field, but took over again as Head Coach after the tragic death of former Head Coach Fran Papasedero in a June, 2003 traffic accident.

Gruden will face an Orlando roster significantly different from the one he played on just one year ago. With free agency, more than 60% of the Predators roster changed over from the 2003 season – a fact that has not overly concerned Gruden.

"We lost some outstanding veterans but we gained some great ones to. This will be a different team than last year's but one that we believe can compete for a championship."

Although the Predators resigned their top three receivers from a year ago, the team will look significantly different on Sunday. Thabiti Davis was traded to Detroit in the pre-season and Travis McGriff was placed on the injured reserve list on Wednesday with a pulled hamstring. Gruden will counter by starting newly acquired players George Williams (2004 free agent) and James Bowden (acquired in trade) along side of veteran wide receiver/linebacker Cory Fleming. Nine-year veteran Bret Cooper and rookie Lin-J Shell will back-up at receiver.

PREDATORS NOTES: By placing Travis McGriff on IR, he will miss both the season opener against Tampa Bay and the home opener against Austin on Feb. 13...the Predators have a bye week in the third week of the AFL season...Season tickets continue to be a hot item with the Orlando Predators...the team is closing in on 9,500 season tickets and have been averaging more than 100 new season tickets per day during the last week...the team is hoping to sellout it season opener in the 13,600-seat TD Waterhouse Centre...Lin-J Shell continues to battle for playing time...Shell took the long-way to the Orlando roster, paying $50 to attend a tryout camp in Orlando last November and earning an invitation to training camp...Shell then proceeded to make Orlando's 24-man roster and is challenging for playing time.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 5, 2004


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