By Rob Disario
​
Three former Mass Pirates have joined forces on the AFL expansion team Atlantic City Blackjacks. In an age of expanding arena football leagues and teams it’s difficult to keep track of our favorite players. When the 2019 Mass Pirates roster was released I noted three of my top picks were suspiciously absent. I began my search and found Nick Haag, Cornelius Lewis and Kiante Northington in New Jersey. It’s unclear why they moved to the Garden State AFL team, but one may surmise its a bigger opportunity to play. 

After the inaugural 2018 season, Pirate linebacker Nick Haag made a brief, off-season stop at the Carolina Cobras before signing with Atlantic City. Unfortunately for the Cobras, star wide receiver Tyron Laughinghouse also made the move to the Blackjacks. 

Defensive Back Kiante Northington, who wore number 13 for the Pirates was the defensive lucky charm in 2018 with 12 interceptions for 136 yards with one resulting in a pick-six. The DB lead the team with 55 unassisted tackles and 17 assisted. Just a phenomenal all around defensive player. 

Cornelius Lewis was a force on the front line. The loss of the veteran offensive lineman was felt in the Pirates first two games where QB Sean Brackett suffered from a lack of protection being forced out of the pocket on most plays against the Cobras. During the 2018 season, Cornelius Lewis played in 11 games with one reception for 17 yards and a touchdown. Not too shabby.

​Many would contend playing in the once defunct AFL is a step in the right direction for these three former Pirates. Others would argue the money hemorrhaging AFL is one bad season away from closing its doors (...again). But, I think we’d all agree football fans are rooting for Haag, Lewis, Northington and the sport in general to succeed.  

The Atlantic City Blackjacks are the latest in expansion teams of the Arena Football League. Their 2019 season is due to kick off Saturday April 27, 2019 in Philadelphia while the NAL Pirates play their third game at home against the former AFL team, Orlando Predators. 

By RJ Ciancio
​Director of NAL Coverage 

With the New York Streets standing at two wins on zero losses after they demolished the Orlando Predators the main talk about the team is venue choice. In lieu of a lopsided game summary I figured now would be a good time to give my top five options for where I think the Streets could play in a personal worst to the best list. I don’t know about the team finances but, nevertheless here are my top five venues the New York Streets could play at.

At number five we have the Barclays Center. Currently the arena holds around 15,795 for hockey games and 17,732 for basketball. With the New York Islanders, Brooklyn Nets and the Long Island University Blackbirds (who use this as an alternate venue) as tenants it’s clear to say that this relatively new venue is a popular one. With the Streets practice facility in Brooklyn, some people would advocate for this to be higher on the list. I think that since the facility has no past of hosting an arena football team before combined with the fact the Streets don’t have a deal with them and the large capacity that could plunge the team into debt if they don’t draw well is reason enough to not play at the venue for a bit.

For number four we have the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a very well respected venue in the arena football world. The venue hosted the New York Dragons from 2001-2008 and currently hosts the New York Islanders, Long Island Nets, New York Open tennis tournament and will start playing host to the New York Riptide of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) next season. With around 16,170 seats for hockey the venue might be to big for the Streets for now.

Number three is a true oddball as I’ve chosen the Staten Island Pavilion. The Pavillion hosted the Staten Island Xtreme of the National Indoor Football league in 2004, giving and example of a past team playing arena ball in the facility. With 3,000 seats (around the same amount the Westchester County Center currently has for team games) this could be a nice stepping stone venue so the team can get acclimated to playing in the Big Apple.

At number two we have the granddaddy of all sports arenas in the world, Madison Square Garden (MSG). The venue holds approximately 18,006 seats (for hockey) and is the current home to the New York Knicks, New York Rangers and St John’s Red Storm. With the team already agreeing to play multiple games in MSG this season and with MSG Network covering the games the Garden seems like a natural fit. The big question is will the Streets be able to afford the venue full-time? Maybe if they draw well when they play there this year we will have a better idea of how it all works.

My top pick for where the New York Streets should play their home games is the Westchester County Center. I imagine some people aren’t happy about this pick. My big question is why would the team switch venues so quickly. They are already playing in MSG this season and they are under contract to play In Westchester. Unless there is a buy out clause (and we don’t know how much that would cost) why not let it be for a bit as the team grows? I imagine we all want them in the Big Apple but patience is key when running a business and that’s what we need to have with the Streets.

​

By: Toph Kopchak Head of AFL Coverage
​
One of the final pieces was just set as the Columbus Destroyers get ready to head to Albany NY this Saturday to kickoff the new season. Columbus just added one of the most accurate legs in all of football in Craig Peterson, but we will let him tell you the rest:


My name is Craig Peterson. I was born and raised in Albany, New York and went to Burnt Hills Ballston Lake high school. Last year I played for the Carolina Cobras and our team won the National Arena League championship. After winning the championship, I received special teams player of the year and first team ALL NAL. I also had a team high of 154 points which was good for 3rd in the league. This year, I had an opportunity to compete against 4 other kickers for the job in Columbus. Drew Basil and Tyler Durbin were among the kickers I was competing against. Both had gone to and played football at Ohio State University. Here I was the only kicker there who had never played high school or college football. I was eager and excited to compete for the job against such a talented group of kickers. After 4 long, consecutive days of competition, I came out on top! Every day I went in, I just focused on hitting my ball and being consistent. I was statistically at the top of every category consisting of extra points, field goals, kickoff accuracy and onside kicks. After meeting with the coaching staff afterwards and being awarded the job, I was ecstatic!


How you feel about being in Columbus?


Now that I’ve been here in Columbus for a few weeks I’ve had a chance to go out and explore the city a little bit. I like it here and the fact that Ohio State is right around the corner makes it even more of a football city which I love. Last week I was able to attend a class at Schoenbaum hall at Ohio State with Fred Whitfield, chief operating officer of the Charlotte Hornets, and Eddie George, 9 year NFL vet and former Ohio State running back, speaking to the class about their stories of how they got to where they are today. That’s why I feel as though there is so much to do in Columbus so I’m excited for the upcoming season. It would be ideal if we could bring an arena championship here to this city as the Columbus Destroyers are finally back in the AFL. So I’m blessed to be able to be a part of this great organization and will do everything I can to help this team win football games! #TheReturn.


In 2015 you made 85 XP 11 tackles and a forced fumble...sure you're a Kicker??


Playing in Tampa Bay for the Storm in 2015 was my first year playing football. I had been with the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL only in training camp during 2014 but prior to that I had no football experience. For never playing in a game before, my first season with the Storm went very well. I feel as though I’m not an ordinary kicker standing at 6 foot 3 weighing 225 pounds, but I also like to make big plays like hitting game winning field goals, making tackles, forcing fumbles and hitting bar balls. Everyone always counts the kicker out on the kickoff returns but when I’m on the field it’s always 8v8. Making a big tackle on special teams is exhilarating and forcing a fumble can change the momentum of a game. 


Difference from NAL to AFL?

Being in the NAL was a bit different last year compared to playing in the AFL. That league had the deuce rule on kickoffs which meant that if you kicked the ball through the uprights your team was awarded 2 points. Essentially it’s a 58 yard field goal off a 1 inch tee. This made the kickers in the league that much more important as you could score a touchdowns worth of points just by hitting deuces throughout a game. I had shattered the previous record of 21 deuces in a single season when I recorded my 30th deuce in the NAL championship game. The only other difference in the kicking game is the NAL doesn’t have the bars and nets along the back of the end zones. I missed the bars because getting a bar ball off of a kickoff can be crucial in turning the game around for your team, so I’m excited to have them back. I can’t wait to get this season started!
​

By Rob Disario
​​The return of Massachusetts WR Devonn Brown coupled with the loss of Carolina WR Fabian Guerra made no impact on Saturday’s nightmare in Greensboro. How could that be? you might ask. Unfortunately, Pirate QB Sean Brackett failed to connect to Brown with DB Michael Green breathing down his neck. Add Brackett’s overthrows, missed snaps, interceptions and flags for false starts, the Pirate offense continues its abysmal course into obscurity. One offensive highlight where performances by WR’s Thomas Owens, Mardy Gilyard (2TD) and Lavon Pearson (1TD) who made the game somewhat watchable. 

What confused this analyst, was the fact the Pirates made no attempt to alter their offensive approach after a painful first quarter. Albert Einstein once said “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity.” The Pirate play-callers repeatedly tried the “2018 Brackett-to-Brown” long bomb when their focus should have pivoted to their short game. By the third quarter they seemed to learn this, hitting Owens, Gilyard and Brown along the boards for short gains. Quayvon Hicks' running game was again deployed helping keep Cobra defense in check. But at this point it was too late. 

Massachusetts’ frustration was clearly visible when OL Mitchell Bell was ejected in the third quarter for a penalty saved for a high school, JV team. The last thing anybody needs is stupid penalties created by frustrated linemen. Alas, the Pirates drop to 0-2 and return home on April 27 to face the 1-1 NAL expansion Orlando Predators. Only time will tell whether the Cobras are really that good, or if the Pirates are really that bad.

An all-new episode of AFT Buzz hits the airwaves this week with two star players appearing on the show.
Columbus Lions' star wideout Bones Bagaunte comes on the show to discuss his impressive opening week with the team, why he decided to play in Columbus this season and how the team is evolving every moment into a tougher opponent, especially when they host the Jacksonville Sharks this weekend.
West Michigan Ironmen defensive end/linebacker Nick DeKraker also joins the show before their big matchup with the West Virginia Roughriders. DeKraker talks about what it was like to play football again after his hiatus, the buildup for the game this weekend and what it will take to win.
Host Brice Burge also discusses why Oakland is a risky location for IFL expansion, the familiar face that will be Omaha Beef's new quarterback and regular segments like the Pick6 and Facebook Question of the Week.
​AFT Buzz is available on multiple networks and available as a podcast after initial broadcast. 
Where to listen:
920 WON The Apple: Fridays, 7 p.m. Eastern https://live365.com/station/920-WON--The-Apple-a09178
Action VR Network: Saturdays, 3 p.m. Eastern http://mixlr.com/action-vr-network/
Western Reserve Radio: Wednesdays, 6 p.m. http://edge1-a.exa.live365.net/a60106
Podcast: https://www.mixcloud.com/aftbuzz/

​By Rob Disario-The 2019 NAL season started just as the Carolina Cobras planned in Worcester, Massachusetts. During the off-season, Cobra management worked diligently to acquire new talent and retain last seasons playmakers. NAL champion quarterback Charles McCullum and wide receiver Fabian Guerra returned to put the hurt on the Mass Pirates to begin the season. 

The game started as many expected with the well orchestrated, well staffed Pirate defense at the top of their game. After making a goal line stand, the Cobras got a second chance after a defensive “out of the box” penalty. Nevertheless, the new Pirates defensive line was poised to make a bold statement. But that was not to be.  

NAL MVP Sean Brackett had a solid start, picking up where he left last season. On first down of their second possession, the skeleton crew breathed a collective sigh of relief when Brackett launched a thirty yard, end zone bomb to Mardy Gilyard. Thus, the “Brackett to..” story began….or so we thought. 

The two offenses traded first half touchdowns and the contest remained competitive. The turning point in the game came late in the second quarter when Cobras defensive back Michael Green intercepted Brackett. This set up Carolina to improve their lead by two touchdowns. The half ended with Brackett unable to connect from the five yard line and turning the ball over on downs. The teams went back to the locker room with the Cobras on top 27-14. 

For Pirate fans, the second half was like having Captain Hook perform a prostate exam. Fundamental mistakes by the Mass Pirates gave Carolina the easy win. Brackett had no protection in the pocket, being knocked down more times in the second half than all of last season combined. Add the missed snaps and fumbled balls, Sean Brackett didn’t have a chance to launch one down the field. Meanwhile, Carolina Cobras struck blow after blow essentially ending the game in an “OMG, shut-the-scoreboard-off” Cobra 54-22 win. 

So, hats off to Billy Back and his Cobras. A win well deserved to set a new standard in the National Arena League. 

By Rob Disario- We all remember how the 2018 Massachusetts Pirates season ended: NAL MVP quarterback Sean Brackett injured in week 15 essentially ending the teams’ inaugural season championship dream. It appears Pirate ownership learned a valuable lesson and signed all-conference QB Alejandro Bennifield. After finishing his 2016 collegiate season with the second most single season touchdown passes in Tennessee-Chattanooga history, Bennifield attended mini-camp with the New Orleans Saints before signing with the Memphis Express of the now defunct AAF. It appears Bennifield will fill a much needed vacancy in the swashbuckling offense. 

​In an exclusive AFT interview, Pirates owner, Jawad Yatim was excited to talk about his recent quarterback add: "Having Alejandro here in Mass. is a big plus for our organization. The security of having 2 QB's on the roster that you fully believe in is an ideal component of a championship team. We still have to go out there and execute week in and week out, but we feel great about where our QB situation is at the moment."

On the other side of the ball, team management has gone out of their way to assure their defensive roster dominates the NAL. They signed explosive players such as Georgia Tech DB Lawrence Austin, former New England Patriot defensive lineman Joshua Augusta and Massachusetts local DB Jason Matovu. This defensive roster is sure to keep opposing teams points at a minimum. 

Check out the Pirates v. Cobras opener on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA or streaming 7pm on Youtube Live. 

If you haven't had a chance to watch last week's game between the Quad Cities Steamwheelers and the Green Bay Blizzard, you need to it. It was an instant classic, down to the wire, filled with excitement, wackiness and all you could ever dream of from an indoor game.

It was also kids day at the Resch Center and the first opportunity for a number of kids to really understand what indoor football means. Getting close to the wall and maybe getting a souvenir from a player, hearing the pads crunch in the tackles, being a part of that crowd going nuts when the Blizzard took the lead; all aspects of the sensory aspects of live sports that can be difficult to put into words. 

And it was a great crowd too. Many of the fans weren't sure what to expect from Green Bay as they've won three close games with late scores or lost in absolute blowouts. But they won the week before in Quad Cities and had a chance to be 4-2 for the first time since 2005. 

Those fans were treated to one of the most electric IFL games of the season, with big returns, huge sacks and both teams taking the lead in the final minute. Some of the plays were a little absurd and there was some extracurriculars happening in the first half, but for hockey-friendly Wisconsinites, it wasn't anything that would detract from the good.

The parents there also had so many great opportunities. Some of them remember the old AF2 rivalry being renewed after a long ten years. Others were happy to have a family event where the ticket prices weren't going to break the bank to bring the kids along. Even more got a chance to share the rich football tradition of the area in a new way to improve the cultural bond between generations. All knew how important a good memory like that could mean for fostering the relationship between parent and child.

If you weren't there and watched the online feed, the commentators did a great job of pushing forward the ambiance of the arena. It was a call that was honest and one that showed they were true fans of the game without being a homer. Between the late-game heroics and the play by play getting strained under all the excitement, it provided the perfect complement to what was on the field. The only negative is that watchers saw the post-game laser light show advertised and didn't get a chance to see it.

I'm not saying that the other franchises and other leagues don't have these opportunities and connections. Since starting to cover indoor football, I've had a chance to add a number of front office members and players on social media. They all respect and even cherish the times they read at local elementary schools and interact with kids at events. But when you pair this mentality with good arena staff and stellar gameday operations crews, it creates an environment where everyone can be a kid again.

This time I actually had a friend and his eight-year-old son attend this game. My friend is a blue-collar man and his wife served in the military. They have three children, but the youngest two stayed home with their mother this time. 

It was both of their first experience's with the sport, and had already bought tickets for the matchup. Then he won front row tickets through a local business and got upgraded to the 15 yard line. Before the game they got to speak with some of the players in warmups and his son got a hug from BJ Hill. Another player told them about how close everyone got and how important it was for the game. Other players were just as happy to have them as the fans were to be there. 

You pair that direct contact with a game like that and you create permanent, positive memories. They're memories that can remind you of big moments of your childhood, like that time your dad took you to see Jim Abbott pitch against the White Sox on your eighth birthday. Or it could give you the warm fuzzies when things aren't so good, reminding you about the love and care fostered by an experience like this. 

If you think this might be reading a little too into this, I asked my friend how his son enjoyed the experience. This is what he said: 

"(My son) was reserved at first, then followed my lead and got all into slamming pads and screaming. He was so pumped with that finish. As a dad that was the best part. Got a big hug and a thank you afterwards. That's all you can ask for."

All around, I'm pretty proud that I get a chance to cover, and therefore promote, this sport. It's a real opportunity for all to get out there and keep striving towards loftier goals, whether that is professionally or personally. Thanks Green Bay and Quad Cities for letting us feel like kids again.