Where's the Fury?
by Joseph M. Lenard
Tuesday October 17, 2000

The dasher boards are quiet. The 'War on the Floor' is officially in it's off-season cease-fire. A new Champion has been crowned. Orlando looks forward to celebrating its Title. Nashville looks forward to a chance, next season, for revenge. AFL fans across the country look forward to, and are debating, Arena Football's next challenges.

The buzz about the streets of the Tri-county area surrounding Detroit Michigan can be summed up with the question: Where's the Fury? The uncertainty does not revolve around where the Detroit franchise will be playing, as since mid-1999 it was reported Arena football is back at Palace (Detroit Free Press), in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, even before the franchise received it's official 'Detroit Fury' name. Nor is the confusion over when the franchise will light up the board with it's first touchdown, when the Detroit Fury cancels 2000 arena league season, was reported by Michigan Live in February. The question now is who will be making that first touchdown for the Fury, and literally 'Where is the Fury?'

In preparation for the 2000 season, that was never to be for the Detroit team, the Palace Arena Football team names Mouse Davis as head coach (AFL Press Release), and made several player transactions, most notably when the Storm trade five-time ArenaBowl champion LaFrance to Detroit (AFL Press Release) as well as others. The New arena team acquires ex-Detroit-Drive star LaFrance (Detroit Free Press) , in an attempt to start building a core of players. For 2001, Detroit Arena Football fans are anxious to hear in this preceding off-season just what the likelihood of any of these players showing up in the previously anticipated line-up is?

So, Where is the Fury??

Let's take a look at the Detroit Fury acquisitions, where they came from, individuals involved, and just where they've gone.

TO DETROIT IN TRADE FROM BUFFALO FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION:

WR/DB Wayne Williams (LSU),

in Oklahoma with the Wranglers for the 2000 season
DS Antoine Worthman (Illinois State),

with the Tampa Bay Storm in 2000

TO DETROIT IN TRADE FROM IOWA FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION:

OL/DL Skip McClendon (Arizona);

returned to Iowa Barnstormers

TO DETROIT IN TRADE FROM TAMPA BAY FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION:

OS George LaFrance (Baker)
Free Agent signing with New Jersey Red Dogs for 2000 season

Other players formerly listed on the non-realized 2000 roster:

QB Tony Kimbrough (Western Michigan),
K Billy Stoyanovich (Michigan),
QB Marvin Graves (Syracuse)

Long term Arena Football fans in Detroit are hoping for, and possibly expecting, the return of George LaFrance to a Detroit uniform. Fans, new and old alike, look forward to the potential of seeing their favorite local College heroes on the Fury roster. Regardless of those two things, one thing is certain in Detroit this off-season, there will be a fury-ious (ferocious/passionate) search for talent to fill the Detroit Fury roster in anticipation of a successful first season of play on the floor at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Joe has been around Arena Football since its very beginnings, and was the first to purchase Detroit Drive season-tickets. Upon the announcement of a returning team to Detroit, he formed the '1st Fan - Detroit Arena Football Fan Club' organization. His passion for Arena Football goes beyond that of the AFL as just a sport. In fact if it were not for Arena Football and the Grand Rapids Rampage Joe would not of met his wife, as they met at Van Andel Arena on June 12, 1998 when the Rampage hosted the Houston ThunderBears. Unfortunately plans to Marry at a Rampage Home game didn't materialize, and they were Wed in a Traditional Church Wedding in his hometown of Wyandotte Michigan on March 13, 1999.