New Orleans VooDoo News & Notes
February 26, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
* VooDoo MOVE UP IN AFLWA POLL: The VooDoo's 3-0 start and 55-52 victory over the Georgia Force impressed the Arena Football League Writers Association enough to catapult them to #4 in the weekly writers poll. The VooDoo moved up in the poll this week from their debut at #8 last week. The weekly poll, which is based on a vote of AFLWA members, ranks the top eight teams in the Arena Football League. Founded at the start of the 2004 season, the AFLWA is a national organization made up of media members who cover the AFL. New Orleans received 92 votes this week up from 27 votes last week.
* PROTECTING THE BALL: One of the primary reasons for the VooDoo's 3-0 start is their proficiency in preventing turnovers and taking advantage of opportunities for takeaways. The VooDoo defense has forced four turnovers, while the VooDoo offense has surrendered only one fumble. VooDoo QB John Fitzgerald has not thrown an interception and is yet to be sacked this season. New Orleans' +3 turnover differential is ranked fifth in the AFL. This week's opponent, Las Vegas, is tied for third with a +4 differential.
* PHOTOS AVAILABLE TO MEDIA: Action photos of the Orleans VooDoo are available for use by local, opponent and national media by contacting Justin Macione of VooDoo media Relations at (504) 731-1848 or at macionej@saints.nfl.com.
* VooDoo ON THE AIRWAVES: VooDoo and AFL fans will enjoy plenty of chances to watch the newest team in New Orleans both live and on various on radio and TV programs throughout the 2004 season.
Every VooDoo game will be broadcast on WWL 870-AM or WSMB 1350-AM. The Voice of the VooDoo, Chris Kenyon, will handle the play-by-play. Various local celebrities and selected Saints coaches, players and front office personnel will serve as color analysts. Saints WR/KR Michael Lewis will be the color commentator for this Sunday's game, which will be broadcast on WSMB. WWL will broadcast The Mike Neu Show with VooDoo Head Coach Mike Neu each Tuesday from 9-10 pm as Kenyon and WWL's Kenny Wilkerson co-host. Fans can call into the show or submit questions for Coach Neu through the club's official web site, GoVooDoo.com.
Ten of the VooDoo's 16 regular season games are scheduled to be telecast by NBC (WDSU-TV 6 in New Orleans), including this Sunday's contest at Las Vegas (2 pm CT), and will be seen regionally in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, central and western Tennessee, southern Arkansas and Nevada. Cox Sports Television will telecast the remaining six VooDoo games on regional cable, with each telecast starting with a 30-minute pre-game show. Cox will air Inside VooDoo with Mike Neu, a 30-minute show, each week. Inside VooDoo with Mike Neu will air this week on Thursday, Feb. 26 from 5:30-6 pm and will be replayed on Sunday, Feb. 29, prior to the Las Vegas game from 10:30-11 am.
NEW ORLEANS VooDoo (3-0) AT LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (1-2) SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 29, AT 3 P.M. ET (2 P.M. CT)
(TV: NBC - BILL WEBER, PAT SPERDUTO and MITCH ROBERTS)
Last week, Las Vegas QB CLINT DOLEZEL bypassed the 25,000 yards passing mark, with 222 yards passing in only three quarters of action to become just the fourth player in AFL-history to reach the milestone (New York Dragons QB AARON GARCIA, Arizona Rattlers QB SHERDRICK BONNER and Detroit Fury QB ANDY KELLY have all surpassed 25,000 yards)... Dolezel also threw five TD passes to bring his career total one shy of 500... Following his second seven reception game for the season, OS TERRILL SHAW finds himself two shy of reaching the 300 reception plateau... On the season, he has caught 22 passes for 298 yards and four TDs... The Gladiators had the most outstanding defensive performance in the team's history last Sunday, holding the Grand Rapids Rampage to only 14 points... The previous mark was 20 on May 11, 2001 against the Detroit Fury (57-20)... The undefeated New Orleans VooDoo hit the road to Vegas with offensive weapons FB/LB DAN CURRAN, OS AARON BAILEY and QB JOHN FITZGERALD. Curran had seven carries for 21 yards and two TDs last week, as Bailey caught five passes for 52 yards with three TDs. Fitzgerald enjoyed his most effective performance in a VooDoo uniform, as he was 15-of-26 passing for 237 yards with five TDs.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 26, 2004
- New Orleans VooDoo News & Notes - New Orleans VooDoo
- Storm sign kicker Mike Black, place Kinney on injured reserve - Tampa Bay Storm
- Buich to make first start close to home - Grand Rapids Rampage
- AFL injury report - AFL I
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