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Playoff tune-up for RiverRats By Richard W. Kozak, Jr.  |
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If one had one of those pre-printed Erie RiverRats schedules from the beginning of the season, fans would see one glaring difference from the schedule now listed on the RiverRats website at www.erieriverrats.com.
Last week, the ‘Rats concluded their American Indoor Football Association regular season schedule with a pretty darned good 10-4 record. That record is good enough for a playoff spot, but with a bye week before the team finds out its final playoff seeding, what’s one of the most successful teams in Indoor Football to do?
Schedule a game against another league’s upper echelon teams, that’s what.
Actually, the recently scheduled game between the Erie RiverRats and the Rochester Raiders, formerly champion of the Continental Indoor Football League, is one part exhibition, one part playoff tune up, and one part fact finding mission.
The ‘Rats are one of the most straight forward, up front, progressive organizations in all of professional sports and head honcho Jeff Hauser will come right out and tell you that this game is full of nothing but positives for all parties involved. Most of all, it gives the ‘Rats a top notch sparring partner to ready the team for what is hoped to be a long run in the AIFA playoffs.
In 2009, the Rochester club won’t be a stranger to Erie fans or the AIFA in general. After an undisclosed dispute with the CIFL, the undefeated Raiders chucked the team’s defense of its title and set a destination for greener pastures in the AIFA. Hauser and company saw this as an opportunity to better their own club.
“We’re looking forward to developing a nice rivalry with Rochester starting next season. Both of us have had success on the field, and our arenas are less than three hours apart. This is an opportunity in a no-pressure situation to get to know their team and organization better,” said Hauser.
While that might be first and foremost in the minds of the politically correct, both Hauser and head coach Shawn Liotta know that three weeks of inactivity before the biggest game of the year is tough on team unity and physical sharpness. A team needs to stay game ready and the Raiders are certainly game for this opportunity to show off in front of their fans.
Hauser added, “There is a 3-week lag between our last game and our first playoff game, which is quite long. Those players who need the rest will get it, but with some new faces on our team and limited practice time, there will be those who will benefit from additional reps in live game situations.”
The game is also an opportunity on a few fronts and goes a long way for team unity.
“We’ll take the opportunity to evaluate 4 to 6 players on our 30-man roster who haven’t been active every game,” nodded Hauser.
Another positive aspect about the game in Rochester demonstrates what kind of owner Hauser is for his players. In a game run by snake oil salesmen and other charlatans, Hauser is a man of integrity in chase of an elusive championship. First and foremost, his players are on his mind.
“The game represents a revenue generating opportunity, and our players will get an additional game paycheck,” said Hauser matter of factly.
In a league where the top players play for the love of the game, another paycheck helps to ease the pain of life’s financial realities. Players get that.
Hauser knows that if you keep your team happy, good things will happen.
If Erie fans are lucky, they’ll undoubtedly be happy when rewarded with the city’s first Indoor Football championship.
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