New Orleans VooDoo and San Jose SaberCats to face off on Saturday for AFL's best record
April 29, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
The 9-2 New Orleans VooDoo will return to the airwaves on Saturday, May 1, when they face the 9-2 San Jose SaberCats at 10:00 p.m. CST. The game is scheduled to be televised regionally on Cox Sports Television.
Saturday's contest will feature the only two 9-2 teams in the Arena Football League. In addition to the game marking a battle for the best record in the AFL, it also plays a key role in the playoff seeding process for the AFL where the top eight teams based on overall record qualify. Under this process, division winners are not guaranteed a playoff spot, thus increasing the important of the overall record. The team with the top record in the AFL is guaranteed home field advantage throughout the AFL playoffs, including the right to host Arena Bowl XVIII on June 27. The highest remaining seed will host the Arena Bowl.
Saturday's game promises several excellent storylines on the field. San Jose is led by QB Mark Grieb, the top rated passer in the Arena Football League. Grieb will face the AFL's third ranked scoring defense in the VooDoo, who have held opponents to an average of 44.4 points per game this season. San Jose features the league's top ranked scoring offense, which has averaged 59.1 points per game.
Saturday's television broadcast will feature Todd Kalas handling play-by-play, New Orleans Saints running back and former Pro Bowl special teams selection Fred McAfee doing color and Harry McCulla handling sideline reporting duties. The broadcast will feature a half-hour pregame show prior to the game at 9:30 p.m. The game will be re-broadcast on Cox Sports Television on Sunday at 7 p.m. The game can also be heard on WSMB-1350 AM. Chris Kenyon will handle play-by-play and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Brian Young will serve as a guest color analyst for the broadcast. One of New Orleans' top free-agent acquisitions of the season, the Saints lured Young from the St. Louis Rams. Kenyon will also host a pregame show on WSMB at 9:30.
NBC will also broadcast an important AFL matchup on Sunday, featuring New Orleans' Southern division rivals Orlando Predators and Tampa Bay Storm. The contest will be shown live locally on WDSU-TV 6 at 2 p.m. This is an important game for New Orleans, as the VooDoo are scheduled to face the Predators in a Southern Division contest next Sunday at 2 p.m., which will be broadcast on NBC. The Orlando-Tampa Bay game will be called by the top NBC team of Bob Papa and Pat Haden.
For more information on the New Orleans VooDoo, a club owned and operated by the NFL's New Orleans Saints, please call 504-731-1700, or visit www.govoodoo.com.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 29, 2004
- Must-see matchups: week 13 - AFL I
- Fury Host Rush Sunday on NBC - Detroit Fury
- ESPN Radio 920 to delay Gladiators broadcast this Sunday - Las Vegas Gladiators
- New Orleans VooDoo and San Jose SaberCats to face off on Saturday for AFL's best record - New Orleans VooDoo
- AFL Q&A: Detroit Fury QB Andy Kelly - AFL I
- Detroit Fury game notes - Detroit Fury
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
