Shaw re-signed

The Storm made a key re-signing today, keeping Terrill Shaw in the fold for another two seasons. Shaw came on strong at the end of the season, stepping up big in the absence of T.T. Toliver.

The Storm has already re-signed linebacker Torrance Marshall and lineman Tom Kaleita.

Dietz named co-Rookie of the Year; New contract next?

Normally, I'm not a big fan of people sharing awards. Co-Coaches of the Year? Co-Players of the Year? Just man up and pick a stinking winner. There's no such thing as a co-President of the United States. There's a winner and a loser.

But. . .

Brett Dietz is cool with it, and the numbers really are close, so I can't argue with the fact that the Storm quarterback was named the AFL's co-Rookie of the Year along with Kansas City wide receiver Charles Frederick.

Dietz was informed of the honor during a live interview on ESPN News, recorded at the WEDU studios of Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa. He said he was legitimately surprised.

"I didn't know when they were going to announce it,"

Frederick and Deitz are friends. They both played in af2 last year, and they both began this season with the Kansas City Brigade (Dietz was signed off the Brigade's practice squad seven weeks into the season).

Dietz started the Storm's last eight games and was an integral part in their dramatic turnaround. The Storm was 1-6 before his arrival and 8-2 after it. In nine appearances, he completed 199-of-302 passes for 2,395 yards with 47 touchdowns and seven itnerceptions. His 119.29 quarterback rating ranked seventh in the league.

Projected over 16 games, Dietz would have passed for 4,258 yards, 84 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Frederick didn't finish in the Top 10 in the league in any receiving category, catching 115 passes for 1,397 yards and 27 touchdowns, but he added 130 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, and also returned 34 kicks for 609 yards.

Dietz had talked to Frederick earlier in the day before learning of the award.

"I didn’t even think it would be an option to be co," the quarterback said, "but I think its cool that it’s co, because I think he deserves as well."

Next up for Dietz is his wedding (he and wife Dana are getting married the week after the ArenaBowl). He is hoping to line up some try-outs with NFL teams, though he admitted that he has "no idea" about his chances of landing in an NFL camp.

Dietz's contract with the Storm runs through next season, but Storm coach Tim Marcum said he plans on re-working the deal to give Dietz a salary more commensurate with an AFL starter (Dietz had zero leverage after signing of the KC practice squad).

"I'm going to do it because it's the right thing to do," Marcum said.

Dietz talked with Marcum this morning, but he said there is no hurry to re-work the deal.

Wild Card Playoff TV Ratings

According to Chris McCloskey of the AFL, Saturday's Wild Card games on ESPN were the highest-rated and most-viewed Arena Football games of the year on the ESPN networks. The Storm's loss to Columbus achieved the second-highest local rating in the country. Nationally, it achived a 0.5.

Here they are:

Market Local Rtg
Columbus, OH 1.7
Nashville 1.3
Tampa-St. Pete 1.3
Charlotte 1.2
Tulsa 1.1

To: ProFootballTalk.com; Re: The AFL's Image

For those of you who don't cover the league on a day-to-day basis (meaning everyone except me), here's some insider information: the AFL is fiercely protective of its image. And I'm not talking thunderstorm fierce. I'm talking wild hyenas on a zebra carcass fierce.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the league, um, objected to a story that an NFL gossip web site published stating that John Elway wanted to turn the AFL into a minor league for the NFL, a la NFL Europa. The story suggested that Elway might have to force current commissioner David Baker out of office.

Anyway, FWIW, here's the link.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm