Countdown to Kickoff: Storm (0-4) at Sabercats (1-2)

It's a late game, so make sure to check out our web site for the Storm-Sabercats game story.

The Storm is looking to end its worst start in franchise history. The Sabercats are also off to a slow start. Last year, San Jose started 1-4 and 2-5 before winning eight of its last nine games to make the playoffs.

Here are some headlines from around the league:

Barry Wagner, one of the greatest players in Arena history, has signed with an indoor team in Daytona Beach. He spent training camp with the Storm.

Here's a story about it: http://www.mercurynews.com/sabercats/ci_5564657?nclick_check=1

The Monterey Herald has the obligatory story about the controversey surrounding the new substitution rules: http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/sports/17005560.htm

And, finally, here's a story from the San Jose Mercury News about the Sabercats' slow start: http://www.mercurynews.com/sabercats/ci_5564671

Here are three things I'll be interested to see in tonight's game:

1) How will Stoney Case play?

He's bigger than John Kaleo and has a stronger arm. He also spent six years in the NFL, which means he had some talent at one point. Does he still have it? And, if it does, will it translate to the indoor game? Keep in mind, Case hasn't started a football game at any level since 2000. He is confident, as you expect any starting quarterback would be. We'll see if that confidence is founded or unfounded.

2) Mark Word

The defensive end has had an up and down season. Defensive end is a tough position to learn in the Arena League. The rules -- no stunting, no blitzing -- are set up to hinder the pass rush. Still, the Storm needs a good pass rush to take some pressure off its secondary. Word is a big, physical, athletic player who has shown some flashes of brilliance. The Storm needs him to become more consistent.

3) Khalid Naziruddin

I love the way this rookie defensive back plays the game. He got his first start last week -- actually, his first game action in the Arena League, period -- and made several plays. He knows how to hit, and he isn't afraid to do so. I'm interested to see if he can continue to improve and evolve into a consistent force in the Storm's defensive backfield.

Week Five Injury Report

Here's a quick look at the injury report for this week:

Storm (0-4)

Probable: Torrance Marshall, LB, Hamstring

Doubtful: OL/DL Thaddeus Bullard (Back); OL Tom Kaleita (Wrist); Clint Mitchell (Groin); OL A.J. Ricker (Shoulder); DB Bo Rogers (Quad); QB B.J. Symons (Shoulder)

Out: OL Dwayne Morgan (Knee); FB/LB Rodney Filer (Ankle)

San Jose (1-2)

Questionable: DL Alan Harper (Foot); LB Steve Watson (Wrist)

Doubtful:  FB Brian Johnson (Knee); DL Jeffrey Littlejohn (Biceps); OL/DL Tim Martin (Sternum); OL/DL William Obeng (Shoulder); OL Troy Reddick (Knee); QB Scott Rislov (Ankle); WR Cleannord Saintil (Hip) ; DB Brandon Smith (Wrist); FB Shawn Willis (Ankle)

Is this 2007 season fixable?

The Storm is 0-4 for the first time in franchise history. It has demoted its starting quarterback. It has cut a number of players, including two starting defensive backs. It is coming off a loss to a New York Dragons team that started the season 0-2 and scored just seven points in its season-opener.

Is there any reason for hope?

I posed the question to Stoney Case after practice Wednesday. Obviously, he wasn't going to say no. But he brought up this point: last year, he was a member of a San Jose team that went 1-4 in its first five games. That team ended up winning eight of its last nine games and making the playoffs. So, the thinking goes, if the Sabercats can do it, why can't the Storm?

Well, there's plenty of reason for pessimism: Case has never started a game in his three-year Arena career. In fact, the last time he started a game at any level of football was in 2000, when he was playing for the Detroit Lions. The Storm recently lost its starting fullback, and has lost three offensive linemen due to injury. Furthermore, half of its starting secondary from the season-opener is gone.

You can refer to today's St. Petersburg Times for some of the other dirty details, but pretty much it comes down to this: the Storm at or near the bottom of the league in the following categories: red zone offense, penalties, penalty yards, opposing passer rating, and opposing completion percentage.

Quite simply, the only facets of the game in which they've played well are the running game and the kicking game. Which would be great if they were the Baltimore Ravens. But, alas, they aren't.

Then again, this is the Arena League. It doesn't take much to make the playoffs. And once the playoffs arrive, anything can happen. The Storm has already played three of the toughest teams it will face this season. The team truly does appear to be getting better each week. The past two games were its  best two games of the season. It was tied with a powerful Georgia team heading into the fourth quarter of a game two weeks ago. It led New York by 14 heading into the fourth quarter last week.

"We're a good team," Marcum has said. "We just have to prove it to somebody."

So far, that's been easier said than done.

Tuesday Update: More on Quarterback Situation

We'll hopefully get a chance to chat with Stoney Case at practice Wednesday afternoon. Last night, we talked with John Kaleo about his perception of his release from the team, and it seems to jive with Storm coach Tim Marcum's. Both men seem very realistic about what happened. Marcum said he realized he needed to make a change at quarterback, and that he couldn't justify keeping Kaleo on the bench at the salary he was making. Kaleo, meanwhile, said he had a moment of clarity after a miserable fourth quarter performance helped cost the Storm an apparent win over the New York Dragons Friday night. Kaleo said that, while he feels he still has gas left in his tank, he realized he wasn't able to make some of the throws that he once was. He said he spent the weekend talking to friends about his feelings about retirement, and that by the time he met with Marcum on Monday, he agreed that it was probably time for somebody to take over.

Kaleo showed a lot of class: he thinks he can still do the job, but he also realizes that he is in his 14th year in the league and that, at 0-4, the Storm needs to try something to change its fortunes.

So is Stoney Case the answer? We'll see. Marcum said he wasn't putting Case in the line-up to plan for the future. Which makes sense, because Case isn't exactly a spring chicken himself: he'll turn 35 in July. WIth 12 NFL starts under his belt, Case has proven that he can play the quarterback position. But he has never proven that he can play it in the Arena League. In 2005 and 2006, he was a combined 5-of-8 for 100 yards and one touchdown while playing for the Storm and the San Jose Sabercats.

Marcum didn't rule out making more personnel changes at the quarterback position. He said he had "talked with" and "talked about" other free agent quarterbacks, but that he is sticking with Case for now.

We tried to get in touch with former Georgia Tech star Joe Hamilton, who led the Predators to the ArenaBowl last season, but were unsuccessful in doing so. Hamilton is currently out of the ArenaLeague.

MORE NOTES: Catch 47 didn't show replays of the hit that injured Storm fullback Rodney Filer, and it's probably a good thing: from the sound of it, it was pretty ugly. It could be a career-threatening injury from the sound of it. He's definitely out for this season. . .Don't forget the Storm released defensive back Lynarise Elpheage yesterday in addition to QB John Kaleo. It's the second defensive back in as many weeks that the Storm has released. . .Rookie DB Khalid Nazziruddin drew raves from Marcum. Nazzirdin was flagged for two penalties, one quesitonable, but was a physical force, tackling receivers delivering several hard hits on kickoff. He'll likely slide over to backside DB this week. . .One bright spot, ironically, has been the play of kicker Seth Marler: Signed after week two, the former Tulane standout is 1-of-1 on field goals, 12-of-14 on extra points, and has placed his kickoffs perfectly.

The Anatomy of a Roster Move

The end of the John Kaleo era began Saturday, in the wake of a heartbreaking/frustrating/debilitating/insert-your-own-adjective-here loss to the New York Dragons the night before. It was at that point that coach Tim Marcum decided a change needed to be made at quarterback.

The change became official when the Arena League offices opened Monday and the Storm officially processed the release of John Kaleo.

As Marcum sat in his office Monday afternoon, his mood finally started to reflect the team's start. The first three weeks, the Storm could take solace in the fact that they had played, arguably, the three top teams in the league in Orlando, Dallas and Georgia. And, truth be told, the team did look like it was improving with each game.

But with a loss to a previously winless New York team, the gravity of the first 0-4 start in the history of Marcum's career had officially sunk in. The long-time coach was effusive in his praise of Kaleo's professionalism in handling the release. Marcum said the move was one of the hardest ones he had to make, from both a professional and personal standpoint, and he appeared to mean it. Kaleo and Marcum had some run-ins over the years. Kaleo led the team to its last ArenaBowl title in 2003, throwing for 4,188 yards and 75 TDs. But after the season his relationship with Marcum grew contentious. Kaleo publicly expressed disappointment with the free-agent contract offered him. Later, he and six other players accused Marcum of giving them Arena Bowl rings that contained fake diamonds.

But Marcum and Kaleo patched up their differences this past offseason, and when Storm starter Shane Stafford signed with the Orlando Predators, Marcum acquired Kaleo from Columbus, where he had played in 2006.

"There's no doubt in my mind you can win a championship with either (Stafford or Kaleo)," Marcum said at the time.

After each of the Storm's first three losses, Marcum continued to express confidence in Kaleo. And he really didn't play too bad, throwing three interceptions against nine touchdowns and completing 28-of-39 passes with three TDs and no INTs in a loss to Georgia that dropped the Storm to 0-3.

But against New York, Kaleo was picked off three times and committed three turnovers in the fourth quarter as the Storm squandered a 14-point lead in the final 14:57 of the game.

And less than 24 hours later, Marcum made his decision, though he admitted it was hard on him.

"It bothers me," Marcum said, "especially with a guy that we won the championship with. You get to know not only him, but his family. . ."

Marcum said he gave Kaleo the option of re-signing for less money and backing up Stoney Case. Marcum said Kaleo surprised him by accepting. The two have yet to agree on a salary -- Marcum said Kaleo was making $80,000, half of which doesn't count against the cap because of the league's "franchise player" rules (each team has three franchise players, half of whose salary does not count against the cap). Marcum said he "talked with" and "talked about" bringing in a veteran QB from outside the organization. For now, though, the plan is to go with Case as the starter and Kaleo as the back-up. Former Texas Tech star B.J. Symons comes of injured reserve this week, but Marcum said he will not play into the immediate quarterback picture.

Kaleo released

The team today released quarterback John Kaleo. Still without a win, the Storm will turn the reins over to Stoney Case. Coach Tim Marcum said Kaleo, who is in his second stint with the team and helped lead the Storm to the championship in 2003, may return as a backup if contract details can be worked out.

Storm Downgraded by Dragons, 59-52

By the end of the season, they might have to change their name to the Tampa Bay Drizzle. It's not looking good right now, and it feels a little bizarre typing those words, because even after a 59-52 loss to New York dropped the Storm to 0-4, they still looked like the better team out there tonight. In the end, it comes down to turnovers, and the Storm made too many of them. Quarterback John Kaleo said after the game that "the loss is on me," and he was probably right. The defense played as well as it has all season, forcing four turnovers and getting some good play out of rookie defensive back Khalid Naziruddin. The receivers made plays when they were put in positions to do so. Even the line play was solid.

It came down to four fourth-quarter turnovers, three of them committed by Kaleo. The last -- an interception on a desperation heave as time expired -- was inconsequential, but an earlier pick and a fumbled snap both set up Dragons touchdowns.

Make sure to check out our coverage in the St. Pete Times tomorrow, as well as our coverage throughout the week.

Filer Breaks Ankle: Doesn't Look Good

It was tough to tell what happened late in the second quarter, but it's obvious that it was pretty ugly. Storm fullback Rodney Filer broke off a short run and was tackled hard near the wall by the home bench, and did not get up. The game was paused for five to 10 minutes as Filer was attended to. Eventually, he was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off with his left leg heavily bandaged. The official word from the Storm is that it is a broken left ankle. Filer gave a thumbs up as he was carted off. He also waved his arms up and down to pump the crowd up. So far, no official word on how long he is out for.

Filer was having a career year. He scored a touchdown against the Dragons, his ninth rushing touchdown of the season (the team record for rushing touchdowns in a season is 15).

Countdown to Kickoff: New York-Tampa Bay

I'm sitting here in the St. Pete Times Forum about an hour and a half before kickoff, and I'm looking at the five ArenaBowl banners hanging from the rafters in the West end zone, and I'm thinking, "Man, 2003 really wasn't that long ago."

But four years after its fifth ArenaBowl championship, the Storm finds itself here, on a Friday night, desperately needing a win to avoid the first 0-4 start in franchise history. You have to think that if the team can't pull out a win tonight against a winless New York Dragons squad that is without its star quarterback, things could get ugly.

Keys to victory: Make Rohan Davey make mistakes. The former LSU star has a huge frame and a strong arm, but he has thrown as many interceptions (4) as touchdowns this season and is still feeling his way around the indoor game. To do that, the Storm must get some pressure up front and force Davey to make some quick, and, ideally, bad decisions. . .And what about offense? You have to think the Storm needs to continue to get veteran wide receiver Lawrence Samuels the ball. After struggling the first couple of weeks, Samuels caught 12 passes last week. But a lingering concern is the fact that he caught no touchdowns. Given the team's red zone struggles, it needs to make use of Samuels' big frame and considerable experience once it gets near the goal line.

Keys to defeat: It sounds cliche, but at this point, most of it is mental. Quarterback John Kaleo needs to avoid throwing any interceptions, but, more importantly, the defensive backfield needs to avoid some of the mistakes its made in recent weeks.

Prediction: Storm 62, New York 38

Am I wrong in predicting a blowout? We'll see.

Hump Day Riff-Raff: Injury Updates, Boston Market, Filer Award, Etc.

After practice today, fullback Rodney Filer and lineman Thaddeus Bullard were sitting on a park bench eating Boston Market. That doesn't really qualify as big news, but I'm a big Boston Market Mac and Cheese fan, so it merits inclusion. In between bites of mashed sweet potatoes, Filer grinned about his recent touchdown production. Primarily a blocking back during his days at the University of Iowa, the AFL veteran has exploded this season for eight rushing touchdowns. He had four last week against Georgia, the sixth time in team history someone has reached that mark. Earlier this afternon, he was named ArenaFan.com's Ironman of the Week, for what that's worth. . .

Injuries: As expected, rookie lineman Tom Kaleita was placed on injured reserve. However, the Storm expects him back at the end of that four week period, which is a better prognosis than he was getting yesterday. Turns out, Kaleita didn't have actual surgery to repair bones in his wrist. Instead, doctors used a non-invasive procedure to fix the injury, and the lineman could be back in the starting line-up at mid-season...Also, fellow lineman Dwayne Morgan is expected to miss three-to-five weeks with a knee injury.

Proof's in the Puddin': Storm Drives this Season

It's hard to judge Arena Football in "stadium football" terms. The easiest way I've found to judge a team's success is to break it down by possessions, much like college basketball. Yardage totals are kind of moot in the game. And if you look at the possessions the Storm's opponents have had this season, you'll see how much they've struggled defensively. Teams have scored on 24 of their 31 possessions against the Storm. Not including possessions at the end of the game or the half, they've scored on 24 of 28 possessions.

Since Orlando missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs in the season opener, the Storm has come up with a defensive stop on just two of 24 possessions.

Here are the results of the Storm's 31 defensive series of the season.

1. Touchdown (Orlando, 1 play, 34 yards)
2. Touchdown (4-45)
3. Touchdown (1-19)
4. Downs (6-23)
5. Missed FG (4-8)
6. Touchdown (4-47)
7. Field Goal (9-37)
8. Touchdown (8-28)
9. End of Game (1-0)
10. Touchdown (Dallas, 1-30)
11. Touchdown (5-33)
12. Touchdown (5-28)
13. Touchdown (4-30)
14. End of half (6-18)
15. Touchdown (0-0)
16. Touchdown (2-41)
17. Interception (4-9)
18. Touchdown (4-48)
19. Touchdown (9-45)
20. Touchdown (4-45)
21. Touchdown (Georgia, 1-4)
22. Touchdown (3-30)
23. Touchdown (3-44)
24. Touchdown (4-46)
25. Interception (5-11)
26. Touchdown (3-13)
27. Touchdown (5-49)
28. Touchdown (8-42)
29. Touchdown (1-22)
30. Touchdown (0-0)
31. End of Game (4-15)

Mondays with Marcum: Kaleita out for Awhile

We  sat down with Storm coach Tim Marcum yesterday in his office in the bowels of the St. Pete Times forum. Offensive co-ordinator Pat O'Hara was breaking down film, but Marcum was sitting with his feet on his desk talking about defense. As you know, the Storm waived defensive back Leroy Smith yesterday, and Marcum seems genuinely concerned that the team is currently ranked dead last in the league in opposing completion percentage and opposing quarterback rating.

I asked Marcum what, exactly, he expects out of an Arena League defensive back. After all, these guys aren't exactly put in a position to succeed. But here's what he's after: two or three stops per game. Often times, that's all it takes to win. The Storm only managed to stop the Force on one possession, getting an interception in the end zone at the end of the second half. Much like basketball, Arena football is a possession game. Here's a stat for you: the Storm has only stopped its opponent from scoring on four possessions all season, and one of those came on a missed field goal.

Dallas scored on all but one possession. Orlando on all but two. And Georgia all but one (not including the final possession of the game).

Kaleita Out: The first major injury of the season is starting offensive guard Tom Kaleita, who had surgery to repair an unspecified wrist injury and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. Marcum declined to give a timetable on his return, but it sounds like it will be awhile. Kaleita injured the wrist after catching a 7-yard screen pass in the first quarter. He will likely be replaced by rookie Geir Gudmundsen, who played collegiately at Albany State.

More Injuries: Actually, it's only one injury: starting defensive end Tom Briggs skipped practice Monday as a precaution. He suffered a leg injury in the loss to Georgia, but said afterward that he should be OK.

Dodging a Bullet: The Storm won't have to stop one of the Arena League's top quarterbacks next week as Aaron Garcia is still on the Dragons' injured reserve list. Though Marcum said Rohan Davey has played well in Garcia's stead, the former LSU star and New England Patriots back-up did throw two interceptions last week in a loss to Chicago that dropped the Dragons to 0-2.

Storm defensive back Leroy Smith released

                                           

The first casualty of the Storm's defensive struggles is defensive back Leroy Smith, a second-year defensive back who had started all three of the team's games. A former Florida State player, Smith was part of a defensive secondary that gave up several big plays in a 62-47 loss to Georgia last week.

The Storm currently ranks 13th out of 19 teams in scoring defense, giving up an average of 57.3 points per game. A better gauge of the Storm's struggles is the fact that opposing quarterbacks have a combined 132.0 rating against them, the worst mark in the league. Orlando's Shane Stafford, Dallas' Clint Dolezel and Georgia's Chris Greisen have completed 74 percent of their passes against the Storm. Again, that is the worst mark in the league.

Marcum emphasized that he wasn't pinning all of the blame on Smith, but that "something had to be done." To fill Smith's spot on the roster, the Storm is planning on calling up former Texas Tech defensive back Khalid Naziruddin from the practice squad.

Storm loses 61-47 on two bad bounces

This is the way it works in Arena Football: a fumble, a mis-judgment on a kickoff, and all of a sudden a tie ball-game becomes an insurmountable 21-point deficit.

It took less than three minutes of the fourth quarter for it all to happen, but by the time the dust (or artificial turf residue) had cleared, the Storm was well on its way to a 61-47 loss to Georgia and an 0-3 start to the 2007 season.

“All of a sudden, Arena Football snatched us by the you know what," coach Tim Marcum said after the game, which gave the Storm its first winless three-game start since 2002.

The Storm battled, and if Marcum is looking for some glimmer of silver lining in this otherwise dismal start, he can start there. But against a Georgia team that was near flawless, the Storm needed to be flawless itself, and they failed in their quest to do so.

In the end, a game that the Storm had fought hard to stay competitive in slipped away with a couple bounces of the ball. The first came on a fumble by normally sure-handed receiver Lawrence Samuels with 9:35 remaining. Georgia had just taken a 47-40 lead on a 1-yard run by fullback Matt Huebner, and the Storm had the ball near midfield when the veteran caught a pass from John Kaleo. Huebner, who also plays linebacker for the Force, tackled Samuels, stripped the ball, and fell on it on the Tampa 22-yard line. On the next play, Force quarterback Chris Greisen hooked up with Derrick Lee on a 22-yard touchdown pass that gave the Georgia a 51-40 lead and all the breathing room it would need.

The Storm failed to field the ensuing kickoff and Force specialist Willie Gary recovered the bouncing ball in the end zone that gave Georgia a 61-40 lead with 7:43 remaining.

“In Arena Football, the ball bounces crazy all the time,” said Storm fullback Rodney Filer, who tied a franchise record with four rushing touchdowns. “It happened at a time where we couldn’t do anything about it.”

Thanks in large part to Filer, the Storm managed to hang around with a Georgia team that features perhaps the top wide receiver trio in the entire league. The former University of Iowa fullback and AFL veteran set a career high with 43 yards on 10 carries. He scored on runs of 7, 3, 4 and 14 yards, the last of which tied the game at 40.

Last week, Filer had three rushing touchdowns in a loss to Dallas last week and now has eight on the season. Still, the fullback said, "I'd trade all those touchdowns for a win."

As, it seems, would everyone in the Storm locker room. The team is off to its worst start since 2002, having dropped games to Orlando, Dallas, and, now, Georgia to start the season. There is cause for some hope, though. The Storm rebounded to finish 6-8 and make the playoffs in 2002 and it has already played three of the top teams in the league this season. Marcum said he saw plenty of positives against the Force, particularly offensively. Quarterback John Kaleo threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns on 29-of-38 passing. Samuels, despite his fumble, caught 12 passes for 112 yards, and former Bucs receiver Karl Williams caught the first touchdown pass of his AFL career. Still, the Storm gave up too many big plays, and for the third straight week allowed its opponent to score on its first play from scrimmage.

"At some point," defensive end Tom Briggs said, "getting better doesn't cut it."

First time's not a charm: Opening play struggles continue to haunt Storm

Nobody expects a defensive struggle when it comes to Arena Football games. But Storm coach Tim Marcum did say earlier this week his team needs to do a better job early in games, particularly on the first play from scrimmage.

Against the Force Saturday night, the Storm allowed an opponent to score a touchdown on its first play from scrimmage for the third straight week. This time, the defense didn't get much help from the special teams as Georgia returned the opening kickoff 46 yards to set up first and goal on the Storm 4-yard line. The Force then quickly capitalized as quarterback Chris Greisen hooked up with wide receiver Derek Lee on a touchdown pass.

Notebook: Days of our Kickers Continues: Sievers gone, Marler In

So, the Todd Sievers experiment didn't exactly work out. In fact, it never even really began. After releasing kicker Matt Leach (who had replaced Bill Gramatica) Tuesday, the Storm brought in Sievers, who kicked for Austin last year. In fact, Sievers was actually in Tampa and ready to take his physical. But according to Storm coach Tim Marcum, Dallas called and offered Sievers' agent more money, and Sievers left as fast as he arrived.

So now the Storm appear ready to place their place-kicking responsibilities in the hands of Seth Marler, a former Tulane standout who won the Lou Groza award as the nation's top kicker in 2001. Marler was the Jacksonville Jaguars' kicker in 2003, when he hit 20-of-33 field goals.

MORGAN INJURED: Guard Dwayne Morgan injured his left knee in practice Wednesday afternoon. He is doubtful for Saturday's game against the Georgia Force. He has an MRI today. Morgan will likely be replaced in the starting line-up by Geir Gudmundsen, a rookie currently on the team's practice squad.

What do Jay Feely, Rich Fall, and Terry Belden all have in common?

They are all kickers. And they've all been released by Tampa Bay Storm coach Tim Marcum. Marcum laughed a little bit when asked about his legacy of kickers, but insisted he just wants someone who can kick the ball between the pipes and hit the net on occasion. In his career with Detroit, he says he used just two kickers.

We had a little fun and compiled a list of all 23 kicking moves he has made during his 13 years with the Storm.

Pick up the St. Pete Times to check it out. Or just click the link below:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/15/Sports/Just_for_kicks.shtml

Bendross Traded; Marcum: Shaw needs to be on the field

7:58 p.m.: Something had to give at the wide receiver position, and it wasn't going to be long-time veteran Lawrence Samuels or recently-acquired players T.T. Toliver and Terrill Shaw. So the Storm shipped Demetris Bendross, an up-and-coming player who could be a future star, to Nashville in exchange for defensive lineman Tim McGill. The move is pending league approval, but the Storm does not anticipate any objection.

The Storm also activated former Bucs wide receiver Karl "The Truth" Williams from the practice squad. Williams is expected to see action this week.

Bendross, a third-year player who had 55 receptions and 11 touchdowns last season, caught 13 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the Storm's first two games of the season. However, coach Tim Marcum said the team needs to pave the way for more playing time for Shaw, whom the team acquired after he set franchise records in Dallas for receptions in a season (111) and receiving touchdowns in a season (37). Shaw has just four catches for 75 yards with no touchdowns this season.

"We kind of felt like we had to make the trade to  get Terrill Shaw on the field," Marcum said.

In return, the Storm gets McGill, a former defensive lineman at Illinois who spent most of the 2004 season on the Jets' practice squad and briefly spent time in 2005 with the Dolphins.

Marcum said McGill is a guy who can give the team a big push up the middle. He doesn't anticipate him starting this week, but said he could challenge Ernest Certain in the future.

Monday Notebook: Kicker Carousel Continues

During the 2003 season, the Storm used six different placekickers.

This year, they are on pace to use 16.

The Storm parted ways with kicker Matt Leach, who was signed last week to replace Bill Gramatica. Leach was informed Monday that he has been released, though the move will not become official until Tuesday. The team is expected to sign Todd Sievers, who kicked for the Austin Wranglers last season, making 14-of-25 field goals and 90-of-105 extra points.

Storm coach Tim Marcum declined to comment on the move until it had been processed with the league.

Here's a story from that 2003 season, when the Storm used six different kickers.

CHANGES ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE: As expected, Marcum made a change in the offensive line, replacing veteran center Rod Williams with free agent signee Marcus "Snowball" Owen. Owen was flanked by guards Dwayne Morgan and Tom Kaleita.

"Those will be the guys for right now," Marcum said.

Marcum said the threesome did a better job than last week's group, which allowed 12 pressures and three sacks. Marcum said the Storm gave up four pressures this week.

WALKING THE LINE: Marcum declined to rip the officiating in Dallas (apparently the threat of fines works), but he did make it clear that there were some "controversial calls," that could have made a difference in the game.

"I didn't say they were bad calls," Marcum said, "because I don't want to get fined. But there were some questionable calls and, quote, non-calls. When the Dallas radio comes on and says, 'I don't know about that one,' there must have been controversial calls. But you've got to overcome them."

The Storm had an interception overturned when Torrance Marshall was ruled to be out of the linebacker's box (in the Arena league, the 'Jack' linebacker isn't allowed outside of a certain area).

OMINOUS START: For the second straight game, the Storm allowed an opponent to score on its first play from scrimmage. Last week, it was Predators quarterback Shane Stafford hooking up with DeAndrew Rubin. This week, Desperados quarterback Clint Dolezel hit wide receiver Will Pettis with a 30-yard touchdown pass.

"It's foolish to give up the deep ball like that," Marcum said. "Make them throw the ball in front of you, come up and make the tackle. To give up a backside post, there is no excuse for it"

PROPS: Two days after falling to 0-2, Storm coach Tim Marcum was matter-of-fact about the team's start. He said there is no panic, that he was actually encouraged by the way the team played in a 59-40 loss to Dallas. Marcum said quarterback John Kaleo (25-of-43, three TDs, one INT) played well, as did fullback Rodney Filer (seven carries, 31 yards, three touchdowns). Wide receiver T.T. Toliver caught nine passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Stafford Chatting at 3 p.m. on ESPN.com

Former Storm QB Shane Stafford will be chatting on ESPN.com today at 3 p.m.

The veteran still owns a place in Tampa and says he tries to get back here every week.

Log on to ask him where he'd rather spend a Saturday night: Banana Joe's or Orange Ave.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=14931

Storm Debris: Thursday, March 8, 1:34 p.m.

GRUDEN AND MARCUM HAVE ANOTHER THING IN COMMON: They both hate the new rule that forces coach to remain on the sidelines. Last week, Storm coach Tim Marcum called it "miserable." This week, Orlando coach Jay Gruden griped to the Orlando Sentinel.

"Trying to call plays and see the game, I feel like I'm in a cage," Gruden said. "I can't see the down and distance. Our headsets didn't work. It was an absolute ridiculous experience. There's no coach in the NFL that can do that; they can roam from the 30[-yard line] to the 30, and they can see and talk and communicate to the players. Not us. We're locked in a cage."

STORM NEMESIS COULD SEE IR: According to the Sentinel, Predators wide receiver Jimmy Fryzell, who had 10 catches against the Storm last week, could land on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury he suffered in the game.

VOO DOO LOOKING TO REBOUND: New Orleans fell to Utah on the final play of the game last week, a 23-yard field goal by Steve Videtich. Quarterback Andy Kelly threw for eight touchdowns and wide receiver Darnell McDonald caught 12 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. This week, the Voo Doo has a tough game against Columbus, which beat Nashville 58-56 last week. New quarterback Matt Nagy, formerly of Georgia, had a solid debut, throwing seven touchdowns against one interception.

WIDE OPEN: You'd think that Tampa Bay could already claim at least one victory over Dallas, considering the Storm's signing of former Desperados star Terrill Shaw in the offseason. But it doesn't sound like Dallas has missed a beat. In a story in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, quarterback Clint Dolezel quarterback Clint Dolezel said the team's receiving corps is as talented as it was with Shaw. "We're going to be as good as last year's group,"  Dolezel, who threw for a league-record 105 touchdowns in 2006, told the paper. "I'm going to figure out what they're good at, and what they're not good at. I'm going to accentuate their strengths."

WIDE OPEN, II: The Storm has another great group of wideouts to defend next week, as well. In a season-opening win over Arizona last week, Georgia quarterback Chris Greisen completed 25-of-30 passes for nine touchdowns and one interception. His top three receivers -- Troy Bergeron, Chris Jackson and Derek Lee -- each had at least 95 yards receiving. Bergeron led the way with nine catches for 138 yards and six touchdowns.

STACKED DECK: The AFL Writers' Association confirmed what most already suspected: the Storm is in the midst of one of the toughest three-game stretches in the league. Tampa Bay's first three opponents are all ranked in the top four in the league.

Here's the Poll. . .

1.        Dallas Desperados 1-0 (15) 212
2.        San Jose SaberCats 1-0 (1) 179
3.        Orlando Predators 1-0 173
4.        Georgia Force 1-0 (1) 162
5.        Utah Blaze 1-0 121
6.        Austin Wranglers 1-0 106
7.        Kansas City Brigade 1-0 (1) 78
8.        Colorado Crush 0-1 75
9.        Philadelphia Soul 0-0 71
10.        Columbus Destroyers 1-0 61
T11. Chicago Rush 0-1 50
T11. Grand Rapids Rampage 1-0 50
Others receiving votes: New Orleans VooDoo 25, Arizona Rattlers 20, Nashville Kats 10, Los Angeles Avengers 6, New York Dragons 3, Tampa Bay Storm 2.

Cha-cha-cha-changes?

Sounds like changes in the starting line-up might be brewin'. The Storm practiced for a couple of hours today, and I wouldn't surprised to see a shake-up on the offensive line. As you might recall, the unit had its struggles in the season opener against Orlando. Coach Tim Marcum didn't single out the offensive line when he said that there would probably be some shuffling on the first team before Saturday's game against the Desperados, but it would make sense.

Make sure to check out the St. Pete Times tomorrow for our Storm notebook. It'll probably keep running Thursdays throughout the season. I talked to Tom Briggs a little bit about his two years in Dallas, when the franchise was just starting out. He said the team's recent success doesn't surprise him at all.

Some other odds and ends that didn't get into the paper tomorrow:

Dallas quarterback Clint Dolezel has a ton of respect on this team. Briggs calls him the Desperados "missing piece" (Dolezel signed with the club as a free agent prior to last season, then promptly led them to a 13-3 record). Wide receiver Terrill Shaw also spoke very, very highly of Dolezel.

Speaking of T-Shaw, we'll probably be running a feature on him in Saturday's paper. Here's a little hint: he's not exactly happy that Dallas low-balled him in free agency and then threw money at Marcus Nash.

As always, feel free to let me know what you all want to know about the team. Drop a line here on the blog or shoot an email to dmurphy@sptimes.com

Morning Coffee: Tuesday, March 6

Every week we'll take a look around the Arena League at some of the major plot lines and interesting stories coursing through the sport.

TAMPA: Here on the home front, the Storm will practice this morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in preparation for Saturday's game at Dallas. The Desperados (or, if you are Dan Quayle, Desperadoes) were close to making league history this weekend when they drubbed New York 60-7. It took a touchdown pass from Dragons back-up -- and former LSU star and Patriots back-up -- Rohan Davey to avoid the second shutout in AFL history. Here are details from the Dallas Morning News. Stay tuned here, we'll get a complete preview of the Desperados up soon.

ELSEWHERE: Tired of reclamation stories from New Orleans yet? Well, here's another one, this time on the Voo Doo's return to the city, which ran in the Times-Picayune. N.O. lost its opener, but played well. Keep in mind the ArenaBowl is being held in the city this year. . .Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock opines on the Kansas City Brigade here. . .One of the interesting subplots of the offseason came when Georgia Force QB Matt Nagy left the team for Columbus. Here are some details from the Columbus Dispatch on the switch, which helped bring John Kaleo back to the Storm. . .A story from the Chicago Sun-Times on how defense is key for Chicago this year.

Looks Like It's Leach

Matt Leach was at his parents' house in Sarasota Monday afternoon, but the former University of Florida kicker said he has signed a two-year contract with the Storm and will likely be with the team in time for this weekend's game against Dallas.

The team has not made an official announcement, but it looks as if Bill Gramatica's tenure with the Storm is over.The former USF kicker missed all four of his extra point attempts and one of his field goal attempts in Friday's 52-27 loss to the Predators. Afterward, coach Tim Marcum did everything except wave a pink slip in front of reporters, telling the media to "make your own conclusions" about how he was going to address the kicking game.

Gramatica made less than half his field goals (12-for-30) last season, and was 94-of-108 on extra point attempts. Leach, meanwhile, didn't miss an extra point in his last two years at Florida, hitting 41-of-41 his junior year (2003) and 49-of-49 his senior year (2004).

Leach had been working as a recreation therapist in Gainesville, but said he will take a leave of absence for as long as his Storm career lasts.

Grab tomorrow's St. Pete Times for more details.

Storm Debris: Odds and Ends from Friday's Game

There are always three different perspectives from which to view a game: that of the optimist, that of the pessimist, and that of the realist. We'll take a look at all three while breaking down the Storm's 52-27 loss to Orlando Friday night.

SCORING

The pessimist: The Storm's total of 27 points is tied for the ninth-lowest single game scoring output in team history.

The optimist: Because of the rivalry, Storm-Preds games tend to be lower scoring. Of the 10 lowest single-game point totals in team history, six have come against the Predators. Besides, the Storm more than doubled the 13 points it registered last April against Orlando (which, by the way, is the lowest mark in team history).

The realist: The offense wasn't as bad as the scoreboard indicates. If Bill Gramatica had hit all of his kicks (four extra points and two field goals), instead of missing five of them, the Storm would have scored 34. An interception in the end zone also cost the team six more points. Still, even if the Storm hadn't made the aforementioned mistakes, it still probably would have lost to an Orlando team that, for now, is clearly superior.

THE OFFENSIVE LINE

The Pessimist: On a few plays, the line would have been more of a help if it had simply turned around and yelled, "Look out." The front three allowed three sacks and four tackles for loss, and was particularly shaky in the first half.

The Optimist: The unit improved as the game progressed. With a new quarterback, a couple of new wide receivers and a rookie (Tom Kaleita) on the offensive line, the timing is bound to be off in the beginning.

The Realist: The line didn't play as well as it needed to, but there is no reason to panic. . .yet. It will be interesting to see how the front three look this weekend against Dallas.\

JOHN KALEO

The Pessimist: He was out-played by the man he is supposed to replace. Forget the edge that Shane Stafford had in yards, touchdowns and completion percentage: Kaleo threw two interceptions, Stafford threw none. In a game in which the number of possessions each team gets is vital, those two turnovers hurt.

The Optimist: It was Kaleo's first game back in the Storm uniform, for crying out loud. Two of his top receivers (T.T. Toliver and Terrill Shaw) are new to the system as well. He's got a rookie lineman in front of him. Of course timing is going to be off. Besides, 24-of-37 isn't horrible.

The Realist: The jury is still out. Kaleo made a bad decision to throw the ball up in the end zone, where it was picked off, but he was also under a good amount of pressure for much of the game.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS

The Pessimist: There were a couple of dropped balls, plus a critical fumble by Demetris Bendross in the first quarter that set up a Predators touchdown. Besides, it's not a good sign with your leading receiver is held to just four catches and 30 yards, as Lawrence Samuels was.

The Optimist: What's not to like about this re-vamped receiving corps? Bendross finished with 10 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while newcomer T.T. Toliver recorded seven catches for 96 yards and a score. Terrill Shaw also made a great play to fight off press coverage and catch a ball over his shoulder that set up a touchdown run.

The Realist: There's a lot to like about the wide receivers. Bendross is an emerging star, while Toliver and Shaw both bring their own strengths to the position. It will be interesting to see how Samuels fits in to the equation. As long as all four are happy, though, it's difficult to see the position not being a strength for the team this year.

OVERALL

The Pessimist: Two straight blowout losses to Orlando? It's going to be a looong season.

The Optimist: Hey, they played better against the Preds than they did last season.

The Realist: It's just one game. We'll see how the team rebounds on the road this week.

Boos for Stafford?

Stafford Back: Shane Stafford was officially introduced to the St. Pete Times Forum crowd at 7:20 p.m. The reception? Hardly warm. There were a few cheers, but they were overpowered by the boos. Stafford finished second in the league with 4,795 passing yards last season for the Storm, completing 408-of-650 passes with 86 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in the process.

Series: Orlando swept Tampa Bay last season, giving the Predators a 20-19 edge in the all-time series.

Predictions: David Murphy, Times Staff Writer: Storm, 42-34. Izzy Gould, Times Staff Writer: Predators, 58-52

Morning Coffee: A Chat with the Commisioner (and other interesting tidbits)

I spoke with AFL commissioner David Baker for about a half hour yesterday. We're planning on publishing our season preview (as well as an in-depth look at the Orlando game) in Friday morning's paper. But I figured I'd pass along some of the highlights to you all.

1) Expansion: It sounds like there is a good chance that there will be an expansion team in Washington D.C., possibly by next season. Baker said there are five or six cities interested in hosting teams, but spoke specifically about Washington. Asked if it could happen by '08, he said, "That is a possibility.

2) 10-year plan: In 10 years, Baker said he would love to see AFL teams operating internationally. He said they've had talks with Monterey, which recently opened a new arena. He said he could see the AFL thriving in places like London and Canada. "There are brand new arenas being built," Baker said. "I think this is a great international product."

3) The perception that the NFL is starting to run the AFL: Baker said he does not listen to criticism that executives like Jerry Jones and John Elway are making the league too much like the NFL.

"I have no fears whatsoever about the integrity of our game," Baker said. "We are a quality football product. It is still, 'Throw the ball, catch the ball, and hit someone real hard.' But I am also not under any mis-impression that it is NFL football. . .We're not trying to be more like the NFL. We're not trying to be like the NBA or the NHL or any other league."