Dear Portland,
You finally have professional football. It’s played with eight guys to a side on half a field with (barely) padded hockey boards instead of sidelines, but it’s football.
The Portland Thunder of the Arena Football League have played their first two home games at the Moda Center, and it’s a blast.
Arena ball is a fast-paced game with kicks ricocheting off trampoline-like screens behind the end zones, players getting knocked into the front row of the stands and scores that resemble basketball games more than those of the NFL.
Thunder owner Terry Emmert and his staff have created an atmosphere that is similar to the NBA in more ways than the high scores. Every timeout on the field is filled with contests for young fans, a DJ scratching records and mugging for the camera, and the Thunderettes firing their T-shirt cannons into the audience.
At the most recent game they even rolled a dozen Harleys out onto the field so the team could be announced to the thunderous sound of revving engines. What does any of that have to do with good football? Not a lot, but it’s pretty entertaining.
Other than jamming as much entertainment as possible around the actual game, the main marketing strategy for the team is their reliance on “Home Grown” talent to fill much of the roster. There are a couple former Vikings on the team, most notably Justin Monaghan. The wide receiver has 14 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the first two games. The 2012 Portland State graduate has been the main target for tough yards over the middle, and even holds for extra points.
The local player the Thunder are really banking on is former Duck quarterback Darren Thomas.
T-shirts with his name and number on the back are the biggest sellers on the concourse, and he has been featured prominently on all of their promotional materials. The problem is that so far his skill set doesn’t seem like it’s tailored to the style of play in the AFL, where accurate downfield throws are at a premium.
Thomas has started both games to begin the season and is leading the team in passing, but is sharing time with Nate Enderle, a former University of Idaho Vandal. Both quarterbacks looked far better in the second game than they did in the season opener, so hopefully they are just developing the timing necessary to hit receivers who are already running at full speed when they snap the ball.
If neither quarterback develops into a dominant AFL force, I’m holding out hope for a scenario that could bring some wins and a maximum of entertainment value: Head coach Matthew Sauk is a former AFL-leading quarterback and is only nine days older than Peyton Manning. If the season really hits the fan, maybe he’ll suit up and lead the team himself.
Even with the quarterbacks struggling—and without the coach playing—I’ll be at the remainder of the games. The energy level is high and it’s an excuse to get over to the Rose Quarter on nights when the Blazers aren’t playing, so you can actually park and get a pregame beer without fighting through massive crowds. I’m also hoping to figure out some of the unique AFL rules before the season ends—like a basketball style double bonus where the opposing team gets a first down after your third offsides penalty.
And dropkicks! Dropkicks aren’t just legal, they’re encouraged! Kicker Michael Braunstein hasn’t tried one yet, but extra points are worth two points and field goals are worth four if the kicker dropkicks it through the uprights. I assume Coach Sauk has him working on making that happen.
Games are super cheap, most of the players are guys from the area who probably wouldn’t be playing otherwise, and it’s an exciting night out. What more could you ask for? Even PSU legend Neil Lomax was at the first game, sitting in the first row next to Emmert. Kinda have to enjoy a sport where the owner is potentially in the line of fire, rather than above the crowd in a skybox.
Come out and join me for professional football in Oregon. It’s worth seeing in person, and if any of you sports fans out there harbor hopes of drawing other franchises to Portland someday—say an NHL or MLB club—then those leagues need to see that we support the teams we have.
Sincerely,
Jesse Tomaino
Vanguard Sports Desk