There werenÕt any millionaires vying for the ArenaCup Saturday night at the Orleans Arena.
No international endorsement deals. No cable television coverage. And probably no celebrity girlfriends overshadowing the game either.
The AF2Õs ArenaCup 10 was certainly not the NFLÕs Super Bowl — especially if you look at the final score of the Spokane ShockÕs 74-27 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.
Although the hits were just as hard and the risk of injury just as high, the 40 AF2 players from Spokane and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton competing for a championship were lucky if they earned a few extra hundred dollars for capturing that title.
The appeal is something greater than fame and fortune.
ÒNobody loves football as much our players do,Ó Pioneers head coach Rich Ingold said.
ÒThatÕs what this league is about. We want guys who love the game. Believe me, there are a million players out there who are good enough, but they wonÕt sacrifice for the game. These guys here have really sacrificed to play this game, and they want to keep the dream alive.Ó
That dream of making a career out of a game they love is what motivates the majority of AF2 players to work other jobs to support themselves during the 18-week regular season.
Most AF2 players earn $200 to $500 per game with a minimum $50 victory bonus — not exactly the $310,000 minimum rookie salary in the NFL.
ÒItÕs not a big paycheck, but this is a chance to open doors,Ó said Spokane quarterback Nick Davila, who played at the University of Cincinnati. ÒI got cut from the Cleveland Browns and most guys in this league have been at that level. We got a taste and we want some more of it. Right now this is the only other American football league until the (United Football League) starts.Ó
Davila had a spectacular game Saturday night, completing 24 of 33 passes for 272 yards and six touchdowns without an interception.
Although the upstart UFL will certainly provide opportunities for some AF2 players to return to traditional 11-man football, the harsh reality is that the collapse of the Arena Football League will force a number of these players out of football.
Before suspending all operations for the 2009 season because of financial instability, the AFL employed more than 350 players, earning a minimum of $31,000, in 15 cities.
According to Kurz, more than 40 percent of the AFLÕs players came from the AF2.
Some players are already beginning to prepare for the bleak minor league football opportunities by training for other jobs.
Davila is studying to earn a teaching degree while teammate and Las Vegas native Jeff Van Orsow is close to obtaining a commercial pilot license.
ÒItÕs hard to think about it being over, but there is life outside of football,Ó Van Orsow said. ÒA lot of us have good tape from this season to show to other coaches, so you never know.Ó
But for one more night, the Spokane and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players had an outlet to showcase their football abilities under the Las Vegas spotlight.
ÒA number of bubble guys who didnÕt make the NFL are sitting at home on their momÕs couch,Ó Ingold said. ÒThese players are here out of pure love. This is a great venue for our championship. ItÕs a first-class opportunity for everyone.Ó
Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or at steve.silver@lasvegassun.com.
Copyright 2009 Las Vegas Sun
