Head to Bloomington tomorrow night. I’ve never been much of a fan of football, let alone indoor football, but I do appreciate the skills and physical sacrifices required to play the game. It’s not easy to be a football player.Â
I agreed to be the Public Address announcer for the Bloomington Extreme this season first and foremost because I love working for the guys that run the show in the beautiful new U.S. Cellular Coliseum. But now I find myself becoming a fan.Â
Unlike the Peoria teams that seemed to have a few guys more at home in a jail cell than on a football field, the Extreme is loaded with players who are complete gentleman, playing the game for the love of it and the fun of it, and they’ve put together an exciting, fun to watch, talented team. They’ve got past stars from Illinois State, Western Illinois, the Universities of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, just to name a few. And these guys are genuinely nice guys as well as talented players. They sign autographs and mingle with fans on the field after games. They laugh, they get their pictures taken with no complaint, they’ve yet to have a scuffle or altercation of any kind on the field, they don’t showboat (much…football players, by nature, love to be in the spotlight), and they appreciate the people that come to watch them.
Over 6,300 people were there two weeks ago. The place is the best venue around, it’s the perfect size for these parts, it has all the modern amenities you’d expect from a new building, and the crew puts on a tremendously entertaining show. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should get there. If you haven’t been to an Extreme game, give it a shot. It’s cheap, it’s fun, and it’s air conditioned. Three for three.
3 responses so far ↓
1
Anon E. Mouse
// Jun 7, 2007 at 1:34 pm
I don’t think the Peoria dig was called for.
The indoor football game can be a lot of fun, if managed well. I think you know the eXtreme is managed well. The Pirates/Rough Rider were (eventually) not. (I never knew what to make of Greg G.)
BTW, the UHL story just keeps getting murkier and murier, doesn’t it?
2
bjstone
// Jun 7, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Bobby Sippio. Chazz Moore. Will Bumphus. Ken Williams. I know there were more. I stand by what I said.
And yes, the UHL situation is very unsettled. Still hearing anywhere from 6 to 8 teams to start the season.
3
Anon E. Mouse
// Jun 8, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I am getting good at spotting rumors thathave something to them vs those that are just fantasy. Someone mentioned the otehr day the possibility of adding Toledo. Well, the Sports Arena looks a lot like the Sears block in Peoria – it has been torn down. There isn’t anyplace to play.
Now McBurney is the first credible UHL source acknowledging, for the first time, that there are actual negotiations with other leagues (the CHL and ECHL).
He calls this “Plan B”.
I wonder what “Plan A” is.
Mostly, I am surprised that the word “Plan” comes nto play, because it doesn’t seem that there has ever been much of one.
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