The OSC interview: Philadelphia Soul Announcer Ari Wolfe
by Fran Stuchbury
Published on May 16, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul
Ari Wolfe is entering his second season as the Philadelphia Soul play-by-play announcer. Wolfe also does NFL sideline reporting for Fox Sports and has done play-by-play announcing for NFL Europe the past two seasons.
Prior to joining the Soul, Wolfe was the TV/Radio announcer for the Albany/Indiana Firebirds for six seasons.
Fran Stuchbury: What's your take on the Soul's disappointing loss to the Columbus Destroyers?
Ari Wolfe: I thought both teams, considering they are out of the playoff race, competed really hard. I think for Columbus they should feel really good about it. I've heard they are not going to make a coaching change there, so I think for them it's about building for the future. If I'm Columbus, I'm real proud of the way that they played and competed today. For Philadelphia, it's a tough loss. At this point you were hoping to get to .500, win your last three games. I think this team has to continue to learn how to win and learn how to manage an Arena game.
FS: Did you enjoy the time you spent doing Albany/Indiana Firebirds games?
AW: Indiana Firebird games were great, but it was even better when they were the Albany Firebirds. We won a championship, and I had the chance to learn from Mike Dailey who is now the head coach in Colorado about how to manage games, about how to be in the right situation given time and distance. I've seen it done the right way. I know if we get the right people here, with what this organization has in terms of the ownership and the fans, this can be one of the great franchises, but there is still a learning process.
FS: Are you disappointed to no longer see the Firebirds a part of the AFL?
AW: It broke my heart. I actually cried about it. That team and that organization meant the world to me. It was a really special thing and there are a lot of people who worked for that organization who are going get together ArenaBowl weekend at Vegas, spend some time together because we were almost like the Green Bay Packers of the AFL. We were in that tiny town of Albany and managed to win a championship and be competitive every year so it was a heck of a run.
FS: Speaking of ArenaBowl, what two teams will wind up there June 12th?
AW: If you asked me a couple of weeks ago I would have had a completely different answer. I really do like Georgia in the National Conference and in the American Conference it's pretty wide open. I would say that the team that has sort of defied the odds and overcome the most has been Los Angeles. They lose Al Lucas, a terrible tragedy, and they find a way to be resilient and win the division. They have a chance this week, if they win and Colorado loses, to have home field advantage. I think Colorado and Los Angeles are the best teams out there. If it's in Colorado, I'll take Colorado. If it's in LA, I'll take LA.
FS: Do you enjoy doing NFL Europe games?
AW: I love doing the NFL Europe games, but I most prefer being an announcer with a team, where you are part of it, you have an interest in who wins the game. NFL Europe games are great, I enjoy them, but this is my team. I'm the voice of the Soul, so I want to be where I care about the outcomes. Days like today hurt a little bit, but I'd rather care (about the team) than just do a game in Europe.
FS: What do you think about the future of NFL Europe? Do you think it's going be around?
AW: There is always so much speculation about if it is going come back. If you're in my shoes, you hope that it does. It's a neat opportunity, not just as a broadcaster but also for the life experience. From the NFL, I always hear it is a very close vote, half the owners love it, half the owners hate it. They will go through it all again whenever that NFL meeting is, and hopefully they will continue it.
If you have any questions or comments about this interview, feel free to drop me an email at arenazone@yahoo.com, and I will be more than happy to get back to you.
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
