Pioneer News - Coaching Staff Let Go

Coordinators Let Go As Pioneers Look Towards Future
by Gil Elfert
St Louis Post - Dispatch


Pioneer Head Coach/General Manager Ted Kamik announced today that the team does not intend to offer new contracts to Offensive Coodinator Stanley Connor, Defensive Coordinator Vincent James or Special Teams Coach Joey Norton.

Coach Connor, Coach James and Coach Norton worked very hard this season but we feel it is in the best interest of all parties if the Pioneers move in a different direction. All three gentlemen are fine coaches as well as fine people, we sincerely wish them good luck in their careers and thank them for their dedication and hard work.

Cup O' Joe - Week 17 Predictions

We're down to the final week of the first season of AFL play. There are several games that will mean the difference between going on and going home for a bunch of teams here, and we'll lay down our thoughts on the outcome.

Game of the Week: Michigan (9-6) @ Minnesota (5-10): Michigan lost to this Mauler team back in Week 5, and that has to be in the back of the heads of the Panther faithful. But this is a different Panthers team than we saw early in the year. This team wins with defense now, and they should be able to do the same here. But, will the pressure get to them? That's the big question. They haven't played a tough schedule, and this, while it's against a losing team, is a bigger game than they've played in all year. In this one, I think they'll survive, take the division, and head into the playoffs as a 10-win team.

Prediction: Michigan 20, MINNESOTA 17

Other Games (Home team in CAPS):

NASHVILLE 27, Baltimore 20
San Francisco 30, PORTLAND 23
Boston 24, DENVER 20
Indianapolis 31, CLEVELAND 28
KANSAS CITY 21, Chicago 20 (Upset Special)
New Orleans 34, ATLANTA 30
Miami 31, DALLAS 17
CAROLINA 17, Pittsburgh 10
Seattle 37, NEW YORK 14
TAMPA 41, St. Louis 21
IOWA 19, Houston 16
OAKLAND 23, Washington 20
PHILADELPHIA 34, Arizona 31
Los Angeles 35, SAN DIEGO 30
CINCINNATI 30, Louisville 20

Last Week: 8-8
Season: 144-105

Cup O' Joe - Week 16/17 News

Here's the news for Week 16/17:

- One week after Kansas City re-signed Marc Hamdan to a big deal, the Philly Shamrocks have done the same with their quarterback. Michael Armstead signed a four-year extension, worth an estimated $28 million. The Shamrocks will wait until the offseason to work out a deal with Dennis Zimmerman, but they decided not to wait with Armstead. "We want to send a message to the team that we have faith in them," said owner John Comey. "Getting Michael to be here for the long term was a big piece to that puzzle. We want him to lead this team, and we want this team to stick together. And hopefully, Dennis will see that soon after the year." Armstead has been one of the top passers all year: fourth in QB rating (101.8), third in passing yards (3,846), third in completion percentage (66.5), and sixth in TD passes (28).

- Boston will be welcoming back FS Curtis Blakely this week. Blakely, who has been out since the first week of the season, will see time at cornerback this week, where Boston has been short-handed with injuries all year. With such a big week for the Minutemen, getting Blakely back is a bit of a double-edged sword; if he's rusty, the coaching staff will be second-guessed if the team loses. But they need him to suit up and play, as he's as talented, if not more so, then anyone else in the secondary. So, it will be Blakely in at cornerback against Denver.

- Just to describe the HFC situation...Miami's actually in a better situation to get home-field than Los Angeles. LA takes it with a win; however, if they lose, it automatically goes to Miami, regardless of how they do. LA controls their own destiny, but the loss to the Shamrocks has muddied the situation up just a bit. Also, New Orleans clinches the top WC spot, and a date with Pittsburgh, with a win OR a Tampa loss.

The situation in the CFC would take up too many words for this piece, however.

Cup O' Joe - Week 16 Predictions

Not too many key games this week, but one team can clinch home-field advantage...well, two, if the chips fall where they need to for Houston, as a win and a Seattle loss will give them home field in the CFC. But there are a lot of teams with their backs up against the wall, which will make this a very interesting week. Our lead game is...

Game of the Week:

Philadelphia (7-7) @ Los Angeles (13-1): The Shamrocks got back into the race with a win over San Diego last week. But they have to go into a do-or-die situation against the top team in the league, Los Angeles. Can Michael Armstead and Dennis Zimmerman fire back at the Marshall's 1-2 combo of Sammy Baw and Sammy Hoambrecker? I think they can, and this might be a high-scoring battle. That said, the Shamrocks' front seven, the weakness of the team all year, will be their downfall in this game. The Shamrocks' season will be ended by their inability to stop Hoambrecker, who should romp for over 200 yards.
Prediction: LOS ANGELES 44, Philadelphia 37 (8-5, GoTW Predictions)

Other Games (Home Team in CAPS):

Dallas 30, ST. LOUIS 16
WASHINGTON 34, Denver 24
Nashville 27, PITTSBURGH 26
Cincinnati 31, INDIANAPOLIS 28
SEATTLE 38, Cleveland 20
HOUSTON 48, New York 24
Carolina 20, BALTIMORE 17 (OT, Sets up Match for Division Title next week)
MIAMI 47, Kansas City 16 (yes, lots of routs being predicted this week)
CHICAGO 21, Iowa 20 (Iowa almost pulls off the major upset)
Tampa 31, ATLANTA 26
BOSTON 23, Minnesota 7
San Diego 38, LOUISVILLE 25
Portland 27, MICHIGAN 23
NEW ORLEANS 31, Arizona 21

Last Week: 9-7
Season: 136-88

Cup O' Joe - Week 15/16 Rumblings

Here's the news for Week 15/16:

- We gave a list of the top FAs to be in last week's issue. Well, cross one name off that list. Kansas City will reportedly sign QB Marc Hamdan to an extension before their game against Miami, showing faith that he is their long-term QB, and assuring themselves that they will have a quarterback capable of guiding a team next season. Rumor has it that the team was looking at taking QB Pat Banks with their first pick; now, that has shifted to an offensive lineman or a wide receiver, meaning WR Leon Loville (LSU) or OT Montae Griffin (Georgia) are now the front-runners for their selection. Hamdan hasn't been surrounded by much talent this year, and it shows. He is tied with New Orleans' John Williams for most INT in the league (22), and while he's thrown the fifth-most yards in the league, it's come at just a 53.5% completion rate. Nevertheless, Hamdan is Kansas City's QB for now, and the future.

- Speaking of quarterbacks, Pittsburgh has announced that, if it comes down to it, QB Billy Rolovich will start next week at Carolina. Rolovich, out with a broken foot, has been fitted with a special boot that will allow him to play and take a little bit of punishment. "It's like four pillows were wrapped around his foot," said head coach Bill Doran. He has also been named the backup quarterback today against Nashville. Robin Pirtchett threw two costly interpcetions in the Pride's 27-16 loss to Louisville, causing the team to speed up the recovery of Rolovich's foot. If Pittsburgh wins this week, or if Carolina loses, they win the division. If they lose and Carolina wins, the two will square off next week for the division title.

- An interesting scenario took shape in the LA/Cincy game last week. Here's a look at the sequence:

Cincy Ball, 1-10, 7:23 left, 1st Q: Leonard Smith is sacked in the endzone for a Marshalls safety

Cincy Ball, 7:23 left, 1st Q: J. Anderson kicks the ball off to JoJo Anthony, who runs it back for a 56-yard touchdown.

Cincy Ball, 3-23, 5:24 left, 1st Q: Leonard Smith is sacked, fumbles...Ed Coan picks it up for Cincy, but is tackled in the endzone for a safety.

Cincy Ball, 5:24 left, 1st Q: J. Anderson kicks the ball off to JoJo Anthony, who runs it back for a 65-yard touchdown.

Two safeties, followed by two kickoff returns for touchdowns by the same player, within two minutes of one another. If anyone doesn't think Los Angeles is going to win the title, it shouldn't take much convincing.