CITY OF CHAMPIONS UPDATE
There is some bit of news from the Bandits this week, but not so much from the Gods unfortunately since no one from Gods managemnt could be reached for comments in time for publication. Once again this week, I’ll have a couple of interview excerpts from two people involved with both Brisbane team, one from the Gods and one from the Bandits.
The Brisbane Bandits have announced that with the recent "Give 'em the Finger" promotion going over so well, the City of Brisbane has responded favorably and bought out every ticket available for the rest of the regular season. This promotion, which makes the popular foam fingers available at half-price, has been expanded to include the last two games of the season, a two game homestand, to build excitement for the playoffs. Those games will see the Aussie Cardinals and the Zeta Conference’s IC Incinerators visit on, respectively, May 25 and May 27.
With the sell-out, the Bunker (currently holding over 20,000 screaming Bandit maniacs) will be standing room only all year, and Bandits faithful look forward to filling the Bunker for the playoffs. Plans and financing are already in place to expand the stadium with a second level and add luxury boxes during the off season.
In other news, Bandits management decided to trade Center Ulk Armadon to the Belgium Warthogs for cash considerations. Armadon had recently missed multiple practices and film room sessions. Replacing him will be Darius Bates who has played behind Armadon all season. Bates is 2" taller, over 30 lbs heavier, and should prove to be a better long-term fit in the Bandits power attack.
In a related story, last night there was a brawl at a local pub when fans of Armadon, calling themselves "Armadon's Army" picked a fight with other Brisbane fans after receiving the upsetting news about their favorite player. Evidently there is a growing faction in Brisbane who like the newer center Bates, and are calling themselves "The Bates Battalion". Security will be increased at the next home game to insure any rowdies are removed.
Also, a new addition to the offense was the signing of free agent HB Damien Burris, who will be spelling starter Bronco Nagurski in the team’s “Thunder and Lightning” rushing attack. Clifford Pointdexter will be able to focus on his returning duties more. HB Ray Day, the former Lightning to Naguski’s Thunder, has been missing from team headquarters recently which made this additon necessary. Burris is pleased to be joining a team with a winning tradition and was specifically looking to back-up a starter on a successful rushing team.
Like last week, two people, one from each Brisbane team, have graciously accepted to answer some questions for the City of Champions Update this past week: Bandits new starting center Darius Bates, and the agent for the Gods’ OT Jack Slaughter and DE Torvald Whitman, John Haviland (J.H.) Arver.
Bates has been a reliable back-up center since the last half of last season as well as a standout special teams player. He now takes over starting duties at his position and is very excited about it.
He sat down with the Update recently for a round of questions and this is how he described his style to us: “I would say I am more of a run blocking center because I know my guy has the right skills to be able to block for any halfback or fullback. Ask the halfbacks, they love to run up the middle because that’s where I am.”
He specifically mentioned that his best quality was his blocking technique which helps him get those key blocks.
Bates is one of the Bandits players who hates the crosstown rival Gods the most. He grew up a Bandits fan and always hated the Gods’ air of superiority just because they were in a higher league. Now that both teams are in the Pros, Bates can’t wait to play the Gods in the Championship game. He really enjoys the fierce rivalry and compares it to the rivalry between the two Tasmania teams which is nearly non-existent (editor’s note: maybe because both team have combined for just one win)
J. H. Arver is an agent for two of the Gods starters, offensive lineman Jack Slaughter and defensive lineman Torvald Whitman, as well as a third player in a different league. Both those players have been with the Gods since the middle of last season and have been with the team their entire career. Arver shares his players’ opinion about the Gods organization saying: “It's one hell of an organization, man. Very focused, very organized, very driven, and that spreads to the players.”
Contract negotiations were painless on both sides. According to Arver, that comes from his players’ low-key approach. “It probably helped that Jack and Whit kept naming low prices. [laughs] These are two low-key guys, man. They live in the suburbs, they buy their own groceries--none of that "high-life" crap. They just happen to suit up every other day and earn their bread money by knocking the snot out of people.”
When asked to name Slaughter’s and Whitman’s main qualities. Arver pointed out Slaughter’s versatility, “He's agile-enough to keep pace with edge rushers, fast-enough to be a pulling guard, and strong-enough to knock a nose tackle on his butt. He's very football-smart, very technically-sound.” and Whitman’s aggressiveness, “Whit's just out-and-out aggressive, man--borderline crazy. (…) the guy just goes all-out, all the time. There aren't many guys who can play like that, just in terms of having the combination of skill set and mindset that he's got.” He also mentioned Whitman’s thirty-four inches arm
length as the first thing he noticed when the player came to him for representation.
About the new Brisbane kids on the Pro block, Arver had this to say: “They're coming into Oceania Pro, the big league, and I guess they just want us all to know how they got here. I mean, we read the newspapers, we keep up with what's happening in the minors, so I'm not sure all that's necessary. They've really put themselves in a position where they have to succeed, if only to justify how much they've put themselves out there. (…) I'm going to reserve judgment on them 'til this year is done. So many teams flash big in the regular season, then flame out when it's must-win in the playoffs. Talk to me in the offseason and I'll be able to tell you all about the Bandits.”
That concludes this week’s edition of the City of Champions Update. Look for volume 4 next week.
There is some bit of news from the Bandits this week, but not so much from the Gods unfortunately since no one from Gods managemnt could be reached for comments in time for publication. Once again this week, I’ll have a couple of interview excerpts from two people involved with both Brisbane team, one from the Gods and one from the Bandits.
The Brisbane Bandits have announced that with the recent "Give 'em the Finger" promotion going over so well, the City of Brisbane has responded favorably and bought out every ticket available for the rest of the regular season. This promotion, which makes the popular foam fingers available at half-price, has been expanded to include the last two games of the season, a two game homestand, to build excitement for the playoffs. Those games will see the Aussie Cardinals and the Zeta Conference’s IC Incinerators visit on, respectively, May 25 and May 27.
With the sell-out, the Bunker (currently holding over 20,000 screaming Bandit maniacs) will be standing room only all year, and Bandits faithful look forward to filling the Bunker for the playoffs. Plans and financing are already in place to expand the stadium with a second level and add luxury boxes during the off season.
In other news, Bandits management decided to trade Center Ulk Armadon to the Belgium Warthogs for cash considerations. Armadon had recently missed multiple practices and film room sessions. Replacing him will be Darius Bates who has played behind Armadon all season. Bates is 2" taller, over 30 lbs heavier, and should prove to be a better long-term fit in the Bandits power attack.
In a related story, last night there was a brawl at a local pub when fans of Armadon, calling themselves "Armadon's Army" picked a fight with other Brisbane fans after receiving the upsetting news about their favorite player. Evidently there is a growing faction in Brisbane who like the newer center Bates, and are calling themselves "The Bates Battalion". Security will be increased at the next home game to insure any rowdies are removed.
Also, a new addition to the offense was the signing of free agent HB Damien Burris, who will be spelling starter Bronco Nagurski in the team’s “Thunder and Lightning” rushing attack. Clifford Pointdexter will be able to focus on his returning duties more. HB Ray Day, the former Lightning to Naguski’s Thunder, has been missing from team headquarters recently which made this additon necessary. Burris is pleased to be joining a team with a winning tradition and was specifically looking to back-up a starter on a successful rushing team.
Like last week, two people, one from each Brisbane team, have graciously accepted to answer some questions for the City of Champions Update this past week: Bandits new starting center Darius Bates, and the agent for the Gods’ OT Jack Slaughter and DE Torvald Whitman, John Haviland (J.H.) Arver.
Bates has been a reliable back-up center since the last half of last season as well as a standout special teams player. He now takes over starting duties at his position and is very excited about it.
He sat down with the Update recently for a round of questions and this is how he described his style to us: “I would say I am more of a run blocking center because I know my guy has the right skills to be able to block for any halfback or fullback. Ask the halfbacks, they love to run up the middle because that’s where I am.”
He specifically mentioned that his best quality was his blocking technique which helps him get those key blocks.
Bates is one of the Bandits players who hates the crosstown rival Gods the most. He grew up a Bandits fan and always hated the Gods’ air of superiority just because they were in a higher league. Now that both teams are in the Pros, Bates can’t wait to play the Gods in the Championship game. He really enjoys the fierce rivalry and compares it to the rivalry between the two Tasmania teams which is nearly non-existent (editor’s note: maybe because both team have combined for just one win)
J. H. Arver is an agent for two of the Gods starters, offensive lineman Jack Slaughter and defensive lineman Torvald Whitman, as well as a third player in a different league. Both those players have been with the Gods since the middle of last season and have been with the team their entire career. Arver shares his players’ opinion about the Gods organization saying: “It's one hell of an organization, man. Very focused, very organized, very driven, and that spreads to the players.”
Contract negotiations were painless on both sides. According to Arver, that comes from his players’ low-key approach. “It probably helped that Jack and Whit kept naming low prices. [laughs] These are two low-key guys, man. They live in the suburbs, they buy their own groceries--none of that "high-life" crap. They just happen to suit up every other day and earn their bread money by knocking the snot out of people.”
When asked to name Slaughter’s and Whitman’s main qualities. Arver pointed out Slaughter’s versatility, “He's agile-enough to keep pace with edge rushers, fast-enough to be a pulling guard, and strong-enough to knock a nose tackle on his butt. He's very football-smart, very technically-sound.” and Whitman’s aggressiveness, “Whit's just out-and-out aggressive, man--borderline crazy. (…) the guy just goes all-out, all the time. There aren't many guys who can play like that, just in terms of having the combination of skill set and mindset that he's got.” He also mentioned Whitman’s thirty-four inches arm
length as the first thing he noticed when the player came to him for representation.
About the new Brisbane kids on the Pro block, Arver had this to say: “They're coming into Oceania Pro, the big league, and I guess they just want us all to know how they got here. I mean, we read the newspapers, we keep up with what's happening in the minors, so I'm not sure all that's necessary. They've really put themselves in a position where they have to succeed, if only to justify how much they've put themselves out there. (…) I'm going to reserve judgment on them 'til this year is done. So many teams flash big in the regular season, then flame out when it's must-win in the playoffs. Talk to me in the offseason and I'll be able to tell you all about the Bandits.”
That concludes this week’s edition of the City of Champions Update. Look for volume 4 next week.
