AFL 2005: Week 1: Chicago Rush at Dallas Desperados

[Tannerman]

The Chicago Rush lost their first game of the Arena Football season while playing on the road in Dallas, 66-65 in overtime. Sad. I missed most of the game on TV, but sounds like it was a nail-biter down at the end.

Also, shouldn't the following headline be "Rush fall" instead of "Rush falls"? Maybe I don't understand if they are treating the term "Rush" singular or plural.

RUSH FALLS TO DALLAS IN OVERTIME 66-65

Etu Molden’s two-point conversion attempt in overtime fell one-yard short, giving Dallas (1-0) a 66-65 win over the Rush before 11,229 fans at American Airlines Center Sunday.

The two-point attempt came after Molden scored his career-high fifth touchdown of the game – a four-yard run that cut the Dallas lead to one.

“It was designed to be a quick pass,” said Molden. “They put two defenders on my blocker and hit me before I could get in. I tried to put my head down and bull my way in, but I didn’t quite get there.”

The Rush (0-1) went for the win via the two-point conversion due to the fact that Dallas already had scored in OT on a three-yard run by FB Duke Pettijohn. AFL overtime rules give each team one possession. If the score remains tied after each team has had the ball, the game becomes a sudden-death affair.

The Rush led 59-56 in regulation when Dallas kicker Carlos Martinez nailed a 24-yard field goal attempt with just two seconds left to send it to the extra frame. That came after Rush kicker Keith Gispert hit a 20-yard field goal of his own to give the Rush a three-point lead with just 44 seconds remaining.

The loss erased the second-biggest comeback in Rush history, as the Rush climbed back from 22 points down to not only tie the game, but to take the lead in the third quarter.

“Nothing went right for us early,” said Rush head coach Mike Hohensee. “We threw an interception, we fumbled away a snap and we couldn’t stop them on defense. Before we knew it we were down 35-13. I am proud of the way we battled back, but you can’t spot any team – especially one as talented as Dallas – a big lead and expect to win.

The Rush climbed back into the game in the second quarter, scoring on each of its four possessions – including three touchdowns by Molden – and getting some help from the defense as it cut the Dallas lead to 42-35 at the break.

John Moyer’s sack of Dallas QB Clint Stoerner was the key to the half’s turnaround. With the Rush trailing 42-28, Moyer sacked Stoerner at the Dallas five-yard line and forced a fumble that was recovered on the Dallas two-yard line by Jamie McGourty. Molden scored on the next play to cut the lead to seven, 42-35. Then, after an eight-play Dallas drive that brought the ball to the Rush seven-yard line with two seconds remaining in the half, the Rush blocked a Martinez 22-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

The Rush opened the third quarter the way Dallas opened the game, scoring on its first possession, forcing a turnover, and then scoring again. First, QB Raymond Philyaw hit Molden with a two-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 42-42. Three plays later DeJuan Alfonzo forced a Bobby Sippio fumble, which was recovered by Tony Lukins at the Rush 23-yard line. Three plays after that, Philyaw hit Henry Douglas with a 20-yard TD pass to give the Rush its first lead of the season 49-42. Dallas cut the lead to 49-48 at the end of the third quarter when Ja’Mar Toombs scored on an eight-yard run, the extra-point attempt, however, was no good.

Philyaw, playing his first game since tearing the ACL in his right knee in the AFL semifinals last June, was terrific completing 23 of 33 passes for 262 yards and six touchdowns. His favorite targets were Douglas, who caught 10 passes for 139 yards and two TDs, and Molden, who added five receptions to go along with his five touchdowns.

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[Wally]

I think the title is probably correct. Wouldn't the plural of the word "rush" be "rushes"? Many sports teams have plural names which makes us used to using plural verbs (I am not sure whether that is grammatically correct though.) In this case, the team name is refering to a singular team, the Chicago Rush, which should be singular . . .the team falls . . . the Rush falls.

I think this is correct at least.

[FriarTuck]

Once again, the league really needs to get serious about obtaining some decent officials.

And the results of this game and a few others showed that AFL needs to go back to having preseason games. But it won't do it due to economic considerations. Lots and lots of rust out there.

And the Rush miss James Baron.

[Tannerman]

One observation was that the new Rush uniforms look rather blah. Nike got the contract to redo all league uniforms except for 2 teams and the new Rush jerseys are definetely lacking, mainly with the side piping. Before it was some nice flourishes, now it's just a white line. From what I've read, apparently Nike had a hard time re-creating the Rush's unis from the last two seasons, especially the numbers. So Nike did the uniforms but outsourced the numbers.

[Tannerman]

Originally Posted by Wally

Many sports teams have plural names which makes us used to using plural verbs

Yeah, I guess that's where I'm hung up.

We say the Chicago Bears fall in their game, but then to say that the Chicago Rush falls in their game... well, just odd, as I would think that we are referring to both teams in the sense that they represent a large collective of folks.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by Tannerman

Yeah, I guess that's where I'm hung up.

We say the Chicago Bears fall in their game, but then to say that the Chicago Rush falls in their game... well, just odd, as I would think that we are referring to both teams in the sense that they represent a large collective of folks.

That doesn't mean that is should be plural though. Singular words that refer to a collective group of people are still treated as singular. My question is whether, for the Chicago Bears, the verb used with it should be singular since it is refering to a single team.

[Kidologist]

i wanna go to a RUSH game! When are you going? We want to go when you go so you can explain every trivial bit of the game and all its history while we watch. Sounds like fun.

And I think 'FALLS' sounds right, they are 'The Chicago Rush', right? It would be proper to say then, The Chicago Rush falls to.... Wait, now it sounds good the other way, 'The Rush Fall to...' Either they all fall together, or each of them together falls... or the collective units fall, or te singular group fallss, or the plural company made up of singual individuals falls... fall..., oh, never mind. Whatever.

[Kidologist]

Hey, since when did I become a "Track Laborer" whats with THAT? I wanna be a track demolition crew member!!!