Tri-City Fever Plays Arena Football

Many people enjoy football, but often times seeing a professional football game costs more than many can afford. Add travel and hotel expenses and seeing a big game can be an expensive proposition. But now there is an alternative. Arena football has been around for a number of years now. The field is indoors and is half the size of an NFL field: 50 yards long and 28 yards wide. There are no sidelines; when a player hits a dasherboard, he is out of bounds. Most of the rules are the same as the NFL, but there are a few exceptions. One big difference: scores tend to be high, due to the smaller size of the field. This is especially exciting for younger kids, who tend to get bored if there isn't much going on. The season starts in the spring, from March to July.

Arena Football is not confined to big cities. Medium-sized and smaller cities across the country are homes to Arena Football team and there multiple leagues. Kennewick, Washington is the home of the Tri-City Fever. In its first year in 2005, the Fever was a member of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). Though the team got off to a slow start, the Fever ultimately won the league championship in their first year of existance! Even more exciting as the fact that the team got to play the championship game in front of the home crowd at the Toyota Center in Kennewick. The Fever had the better record against its opponent, the Rome Renegades. It was also fun to see some local talent on the team, such as Jeremy Bohanan, an outstanding athlete from Pasco High School, just across the Columbia River.

In 2006, the team stayed in the National Indoor Football League. Its win-loss percentage was better. However, the opposition was tougher. Though the team still reached the playoffs, it did not make it past the second round. It was disappointing for the fans, who had high expectations because of the previous year. However, the team still made a good showing, particularly with all the personnel problems throughout the year.

In 2007, financial problems with the league arose. Many teams folded. One team had its arena sold out from under them. Some others only existed on paper, but had no players or coaching staff. The Fever had a standing lease on the arena, but it remained up in the air whether the NIFL would continue to exist or if the team would seek affiliation with another league. Ultimately, the NIFL folded. Ownership of the Fever was purchased from an investment group with offices in Salt Lake City. The owners purchased franchise rights for the Arena Football League 2 (Af2). The Arena Football League (AFL) is considered the top professional level of arena football. The Af2 is one level down from that league. News of the move was welcome to fans, who hoped the larger league was financially secure and would ensure arena ball stayed in the Tri-Cities. Unfortunately for the team, it was a rebuilding year. The team did not have the polish it did in year's past, though it did have some outstanding players. Once again, the team reached the playoffs, but did not advance past the first round.

In 2008, the Fever played its second year in the Af2. On the strength of past performance, the Toyota Center sold over 3,000 season tickets for an arena that holds only about 6,000. Some enhancements were made to the stadium, such as the addition of casual end-zone seating. More giveways and promotions were added. Unfortunately the team had personnel issues once again. No one seemed to mesh and when they didn't, the personnel were changed again. No one seemed to get in the groove. The team finished with a 4-12 record, the worst in its history. No playoffs were in the cards for the team this year. Fans called for the head of the head coach, who seemed to have made poor coaching decisions throughout the year. Speculation is running wild as to who will replace him.

In 2009, our family intends to renew our season tickets, despite the fact that the team did poorly. We feel this is not the fault of the team, but of management. We still have high expectations and we look forward to next year's season. It may not be on the level of an NFL game, but we are pretty excited not to have to leave town to see a professional football game. The players and staff are much more accessible to the public and make many public appearances throughout the season. In the smaller arena, there is no such thing as a bad seat. Tickets only cost a fraction of an NFL ticket. Everything is visible, exciting, and loud! Parking is free and it only takes a few minutes to exit the stadium. There is a lot to be said for Arena Football.