State Of The Law - Message From The Owners
May 18, 2004 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Laredo Bucks News Release
LAREDO, Texas â The Laredo Law, fresh off their victory over the defending af2 champion Tulsa Talons, are preparing this week to get a little payback against the Rio Grande Valley Dorados this Saturday night. The Law's record does not tell the story of a rapidly improving team that is starting to come together.
"Football is a team sport", said Law CEO and former NFL player, Kiki DeAyala. "In football, it takes a while to learn to play together If one player makes a mistake on any given play, then the whole play is disrupted. Head coach Scot Maynard has done an outstanding job of staying focused, improving his talent level, believing in himself and his system."
In the last three games, the Law's offense has produced plenty of offensive firepower, however turnovers and mental mistakes have put the defense in a difficult position.
"The af2 game is designed for high scoring offenses," continued DeAyala. "If you give the opposing team 4-5 extra chances to score, then it's hard to win. The victory on Saturday against last year's league champion Tulsa, shows Laredo fans that this team is coming on strong."
Quarterback Rocky Perez has emerged over the last two weeks. The San Antonio native has thrown nine touchdown passes against just one interception and the offense has averaged 52.5 points per game with Perez at the helm.
"I am impressed with the quality of athlete we have on the field. I would not be surprised to see a few of these guys at an NFL camp after the season," added DeAyala.
This year has been a learning experience for the team, staff and coaches of the Laredo Law. The first year franchise has had to start from scratch but things are starting to come together.
"This team has overcome quite a bit of adversity so far this season," said DeAyala. "Playing in the shadow of the Laredo Bucks championship run and starting a team from scratch is a difficult job. Now that we know that we can beat the best team in the league, I expect our players to use that confidence boost to pick it up a notch and get on role."
While the Law displays tremendous athletic skill on the field, equally important is their commitment to get involved in the community. Law players visited over 25 local schools last week to encourage children to follow their dreams.
"The Law players remind me of the first year of the Bucks. Few people remember that the Bucks lost the first five games in their first year before coming home to play. This Law team knows how to win now, and I expect us to put together a string a victories in the next few weeks. Plus the game is a lot of fun and seeing the fans catching and keeping the footballs that go into the stands and watching the kids getting players autographs after the game is great to see," finished DeAyala.
Laredo is on the road the next two weeks. The Law returns home on June 5th against Oklahoma City. For tickets call 956-726-GAME (4263) or go on line at www.laredolaw.com.
AFL NOTES
NBC Sports and the Arena Football League have mutually agreed to extend their landmark - and profitable - revenue sharing broadcast partnership through 2006. NBC and the AFL, are in the second season of a two-year deal, partnered in March 2002 with a groundbreaking agreement which, among other things, carries no rights payment, renews at NBC's option; and calls for NBC to share in revenues derived from the increasing value of AFL franchises. While the original deal included a four-year option for NBC after the second season, the parties mutually agreed to a two-year extension. In the two seasons since the AFL has been broadcast on NBC, the League has shown unprecedented growth, including teams in five new markets. In addition, per-game attendance is up 22 percent and the AFL has set total attendance records in consecutive years. The League added new marketing partners in Nestle' Baby Ruth and Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership, while ADT and U.S. Army renewed their sponsorships at record levels.
ABOUT THE af2
In four short seasons the af2 has nearly doubled in size from 15 teams to 25. arenafootball2 promotes a fan friendly attitude with autograph sessions on the field for the home team after each game. The af2 and the AFL strictly adhere to a Fans Bill of Rights which is unique to any major sport. The Fans Bill of Rights includes: every fan is entitled to a wholesome environment for guests and family members, free of violence, profane gestures and language or rude and invasive behavior that could in any way interfere with a first-class entertainment experience; every fan demands that we maintain absolute respect for the game of Arena Football and maintain the integrity of the finest of fair competition at all times; every Fan deserves our very best effort on a consistent basis, on every play on the field, every action in the stands, every call to our office, and every involvement in our community.
For ticket information contact the Laredo Law at (956) 726-GAME (4263) or visit www.laredolaw.com.
Central Hockey League Stories from May 18, 2004
- Core Leadership Back for Another Round - San Angelo Saints
- State Of The Law - Message From The Owners - Laredo Bucks
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.
