New Orleans VooDoo News and Notes
April 7, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
• VooDoo REMAIN IN SECOND PLACE IN AFLWA POLL: The VooDoo’s 7-1 start impressed the Arena Football League Writers Association enough to keep them to #2 in the weekly writers poll for the third consecutive 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 108 votes with three first place votes. The San Jose SaberCats held onto first place in the poll with 117 votes and 12 first place votes.
• VooDoo MILESTONES: The following individual marks could be set by VooDoo players this Friday at Orlando:
With one receiving touchdown, OS Aaron Bailey will set a new season high for receiving TDs with 20, His previous high of 19 was set in his rookie season with the Carolina Cobras in 2001. With 19 TD receptions and one kickoff return for a touchdown, Bailey already has a career mark for scores in a season. Bailey also needs 83 receiving yards for 3,000 career. OL/DL B.J. Cohen needs three tackles for 100 in his career. Cohen also needs one touchdown reception for 10 career. FB/LB Dan Curran needs 10 yards to reach the 200-yard mark for the season and three yards to reach 400 career. Curran is currently the AFLÂ’s leading rusher with 190 yards and 12 touchdowns through eight games. Last yearÂ’s leading rusher in the AFL, Los AngelesÂ’s Chad Dukes, ran for 223 yards and 12 touchdowns in 14 games. QB John Fitzgerald needs 189 passing yards to reach the 5,000-yard mark for his career. OL/DL Tim Martin needs one reception to tie his career-high total of five in 2003 with the Dallas Desperados. Martin has already set a career high with two TD receptions.
• AFL TO BREAK ATTENDANCE MARK ON FRIDAY: The Arena Football League is expected to surpass the one-million mark in attendance for the ninth consecutive season when the Orlando Predators host the New Orleans VooDoo at TD Waterhouse Centre on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Through nine weeks, the League has drawn a total of 989,993 fans in 80 games, an average of 12,375 fans per game. This will be the fastest that the AFL has ever reached the milestone (one million in 88 games in 2003). The League still has eight full weeks remaining on its 2004 schedule. This season’s 12,375 average represents a nine-percent attendance increase vs. 2003 when the League averaged 11,397 fans. With eight weeks remaining, the AFL has had 11 sellouts, including one by the VooDoo against Carolina on March 27.
• FRIDAY’S VooDoo GAME ON TAPE DELAY ON COX SPORTS TV: The VooDoo game at Orlando will be televised on tape delay on Cox Sports Television (approximately 10 pm) immediately after the conclusion of the New Orleans Hornets-Boston Celtics game which is scheduled to begin at 7 pm.
• 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 television 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. SaturdayÂ’s game will be broadcast on WSMB and Saints RB Fred McAfee will serve as color analyst. WWL will broadcast The Mike Neu Show with VooDoo Head Coach Mike Neu each Tuesday from 9-10 pm as Kenyon and WWLÂ’s Kenny Wilkerson co-host. Fans can call into the show or submit questions for Coach Neu through the clubÂ’s official web site, GoVooDoo.com. Due to a scheduling conflict, this weekÂ’s show will be broadcast tonight from 9-10 pm.
Ten of the VooDooÂ’s 16 regular season games are scheduled to be telecast by NBC (WDSU-TV 6 in New Orleans). Cox Sports Television will telecast the remaining six VooDoo games on regional cable, including this FridayÂ’s contest at Orlando with each telecast starting with a 30-minute pre-game show. Todd Kalas will handle the play by play and Harry McCulla will handle sideline reporting duties. Various local celebrities and selected Saints coaches, players and front office personnel will serve as color analysts. Saints Pro Bowl CB Ashley Ambrose will serve as color analyst for the upcoming game. 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, April 8 from 5:30-6 pm.
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 7, 2004
- Drive to ArenaBowl XVIII continues on NBC Sunday - AFL I
- SaberCats game at Dallas televised locally on NBC11 - San Jose SaberCats
- Arizona's Cooper looks for milestone on Saturday - AFL I
- Colorado Crush game notes - Colorado Crush
- New Orleans VooDoo News and Notes - New Orleans VooDoo
- Orlando Predators game notes - Orlando Predators
- Chicago Rush game notes - Chicago Rush
- AFL to reach one million attendance mark for ninth consecutive season - AFL I
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