For Georgia, It’s Just Game One

Matt Eichenblatt
Saturday July 7, 2007

Cue the music!  

If there was ever a time to have a DJ at practice, it was Friday morning at the Georgia Force practice facility in Flowery Branch. No, the team didn’t need a beat to warm up to while they were in their stretch lines; rather they needed someone to play ‘Eye of the Tiger’ on a continuous loop to go along with the overall theme of the practice that day, and for the past two weeks: focus.

If you are a fan of the Georgia Force, you certainly have a lot to be proud of: the franchise record of 14-2, the unblemished home mark of 8-0, the unstoppable receiving corps, the record breaking quarterback, the sack imposing defensive line, and the two time coach of the year; really, you could go all day. 

But if you ask anyone dressed in their unfamiliar jersey Friday morning, a team tradition before games, there is nothing to be proud of… yet.

“I won’t look back at the records and accolades until the end of the season,” asserted Force quarterback Chris Greisen.

“This whole week has been focus, and nothing but. The record and season was like the perfect storm. I learned under Clint [Dolezel] in Dallas, then I got a chance to work with Steve Thonn, combine that with this fantastic offensive line and incredible receiving corps—now we just have to finish it off.”

But to dig deeper into the 2007 Georgia Force, you have to start at the beginning. While a lot of teams have Arena Bowl aspirations at the beginning of training camp, there really are only four or five teams that truly have a chance to win it all; fortunately, Georgia at the beginning of the season was one of those teams. So when it came time to ‘break it down’ for the first time during camp earlier this year, what did the team decide to do it on? You guessed it, ‘championship.’

“I know it sounds cliché, but this team’s only goal this year was to win the Arena Bowl,” remarked Georgia Head Coach, Doug Plank. 

“If you look at some of the things we’ve done, go undefeated in the Southern Division, get a bye, none of that means anything unless we win it all. This team has unfinished business and when it’s done, then we can pat ourselves on the back.”

All rah-rah from the Head Coach aside, the team really is buying into the theme that it’s championship or bust. There was never a celebration after clinching the Southern Division, no champagne uncorked after going undefeated at home, not even a well deserved meal to celebrate the accolades the team has accumulated over the past seventeen weeks; in this team’s mind, unless they win the Arena Bowl later this July, all the work they have put in as an organization is a colossal failure.

The Force have a lot going for them heading into this week’s divisional round matchup with the Philadelphia Soul. For one, this will be the healthiest the team has been all year. After a four week stint on IR, Derek Lee will be back in action for Georgia, once again reuniting the fearsome trio of him, Troy Bergeron, and Chris Jackson, something that offensive Steve Thonn is well aware of, “The thing with D Lee is his athletic ability, the ability to make that big play, and that type of thing makes him incredibly valuable.”

Besides having a healthy team for the playoffs, the Force also have another advantage going into their game Sunday night, and that is a veteran presence. 

For many players on Georgia’s squad this year, this will be their best shot at an Arena Bowl title. Players like Chris Jackson and Jermaine Smith have been AFL players for quite a while now, and both know how hard it is to capture a title in this league. So when it came down to practice the past two weeks, they took it upon themselves to be the leader that everyone expected them to be.

“The team’s focus the past two weeks has been awesome, mainly because of the effort and determination our veterans have given us,” said Coach Plank. “When you have players like Chris Jackson going out there and taking every drill as serious as possible, it’s infectious, no doubt about it.”

While you have to love the praise Plank gives his veteran players, the most valuable veteran presence that the team has is him. Coach Plank has coached in numerous Arena Bowls as an assistant and Head Coach, and has played in countless big games in the NFL and College. His hunger for an Arena Bowl championship is just as large as his players, because he’s been the bridesmaid so many times.

Even when he jokingly laughs and says, “I’ve seen a lot of confetti fall in my day, unfortunately it’s never for us,” you can see behind the grin and stout demeanor the burn to finally be on top. 

With so many veterans on the team with unfulfilled championship dreams, this team looks hungrier than ever. For players who have been in the league years before the ESPN and NBC television contracts, a championship would be that much sweeter—just ask Chris Jackson.

“It would mean everything. I don’t think it meant so much the first couple years as you try to get used to the game, and you try to build a little success for yourself. Now that you have all the individual accolades it’s all about that ring.”

As Sunday inches closer, the Force are doing all they can to get that little extra something to give them an advantage, that quite frankly, they might already have. But with so many players with bare fingers, the team won’t leave anything to chance.

Regardless of the outcome Sunday and in weeks forward, Force fans should be proud of the team they cheer for; not only are they an outstanding football team, they are a great group of guys. This team loves playing the game, and they love doing it together. There are no Bobby Sippio’s or T.T. Tolliver’s there complaining about not getting the ball enough. For receivers like Chris Jackson, Troy Bergeron and Derek Lee, it’s the team success that keep’s them going. 

“You’ve got to realize there are only so many balls to go around,” remarked Jackson. 

“As long as you know your big games are going to come around every two or three games, but that you get to share a lot of the success, that’s what it all boils down too. Everyone has to take their role and be happy with it, because in the end it’s all about the wins, and when your 14-2, I don’t care how many balls I catch.”

If the Force win Sunday night, don’t look for too much celebration; rather, look for a few polite handshakes, a prayer at midfield, a modest press conference, and a few bags of ice. 

After all, beating Philadelphia means only one thing: One down, two to go.