All The RAGE: A Fan's Perspective of the Iowa Rampage
Jeremy Poore
Wednesday April 24, 2024
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” – Michael Corleone The Godfather Part III
It’s been a long time since I have put finger to keyboard and typed anything about indoor football in Iowa. It’s been over 20 years since I fell madly and deeply in love with the game, was an Omaha Beef season ticket holder, a beat writer for the Beef, and then ended up starting a little known website called IndoorFootballFan.com.
After that I really burrowed myself into the game on both sides of the fan/business aisle. I spent countless hours talking with super fans, players, commissioners, owners, and I know if I went back and looked at how many hours Jake Hiffernan (founder and former owner of the Iowa Blackhawks) and I talked about ideas and plans. Jake gave me a shot as his GM for a season. I gave it my all that year (a year where the economy took a nose dive) and lived my dream for a brief time (or what I thought was my dream) of running a sports franchise. After I failed at that I went back to the “real world” of being a network administrator and once the Iowa team left the Mid America Center I kind of left indoor football.
Flashforward to today. My nephew, Zane, is a football nut. He’s a freshman in high school currently and eats, breathes, and loves football. I’d taken him to the occasional Beef or Bandits games in the past so he has been very familiar with the indoor game. He bugged me for a month to take him to a UFL game in St. Louis. I was starting to look at flights, motels, and tickets to take him at the end of May and then at 6am on a Monday morning, while watching the news, I saw turf being installed in the MAC. I investigated a bit further and saw that the AFL was back and the Iowa Rampage was a part of it. By mid-morning we had front row season tickets to the Iowa Rampage.
This fan’s impressions after the scrimmage vs the Omaha Stockmen
First off, it felt I was home again. From walking into the MAC and running into old friends, reminiscing and catching up, to walking down to the front row to sit almost exactly where I sat the last time I attended a home game in the MAC. You all have heard folks talk about that familiar smell and the sights and sounds that bring you back, well I got to experience all of that 12 years later.
The game started off with a Rampage team that looked pumped up and ready to go. As with any team playing in a scrimmage you could tell there were things they still needed to work on both offensively and defensively. By the time the game reached the fourth quarter the Rampage appeared to be firing on all cylinders. Their defense was almost stifling with a pair of pick sixes towards the end of the game. Their offense was throwing the ball all over the field. And of course their special teams was…special. (Nice to see former Iowa Hawkeye kicker and Council Bluffs native, Caleb Shudak out there kicking). The Rampage went on to win 47-15 and this fan had a fun time. Now I am ready for the next home game on May 11th at the MAC. Mostly for the tailgate, hanging out with my “football family”, and enjoying some more fun Rampage action. But I am also looking forward to start getting to know some of the players, coaches, and folks who put on this show that we enjoy.
So this article thus far has been mostly about getting to know me, my background, and the little I know about the Iowa Rampage. I wanted to also reach out to Rampage staff throughout this season to do a Q&A session for each article. This week I wanted to reach out to GM Tony Doremus. Tony has been a fixture of indoor and now arena football in Council Bluffs since the beginning and a guy I’ve worked with in the past. I know he is passionate about the city, the game, and the fans and I wanted to get his perspective on the upcoming game against the Rapid City Marshals.
Tony, you've been involved with the city of Council Bluffs and the indoor football scene in Council Bluffs since its inception. Can you tell me what keeps you coming back?
It’s my passion for the game, since the days of the Iowa Blackhawks, I coached one year, but realized to make it work, I had to offer ideas, sales to sponsors, Jake Hiffernan accepted my role, and the rest was a blast.
- What are the biggest differences you see with the arena game vs the indoor game?
Rules! It’s crazy enough with the nets, but the IRONMAN players, going both ways and only 1 offensive and defensive specialist really makes you look at your roster, makes your coaches work harder, and players MUST be coachable, that has been preached at every tryout and practice.
- You've got one home game under your belt. As a GM what are you doing to get prepared for the next home game?
We will have media breaks, try to be around the 8-minute mark of each quarter and on field games between the quarters. The game you attended on April 17 was mainly to get the team on the field, moving a lot of players around, tempo and flow of the game, and to get that first WALL HIT!
- Who are three guys I definitely need to do a Q&A with this season for the ArenaFans.com articles?
Rakkeem Cato, he was just elected into the Class of 2024 of the Marshall University Hall of Fame. Chris Elmore of Syracuse, and Caleb Shudak, local Lewis Central, University of Iowa, and NFL Tennessee Titans kicker.
- The Rampage visit Rapid City this Saturday. What kind of game do you see this being?
After cutting from 35 to 24 and only dressing 21, seeing what the staff as put together, see how they work now as a unit, I think it’s great that we start on the road our first two games. It takes pressure off the team
- Last question, Tony, what in your opinion defines a successful first season for the Iowa Rampage?
Council Bluffs and Omaha coming together to support this. This league has a deep history, it’s the only American sport that has an US patent, also in Canada and Mexico. We have great sponsors that have jumped on board. Starting from scratch makes it a challenge as the GM. And our front office staff Kelsie Rollins, Morgan Noel, and Whitney Cox have been HUGE with our team!
Final Thoughts
I came back into this with the attitude that I am just going to enjoy every second of it. I think all too often it’s easy to find yourself getting wrapped up in the negatives. For me, life’s too short for that. I’m looking forward to that first tailgate on May 11th. I’m looking forward to giving the side judge some playful grief. I’m looking forward to RAGING with the RAMPAGE!
As for this weekend – I will be rooting from afar and hoping to find the game either on a feed or a YouTube channel. Regardless I’ll be cheering for the Rampage as I look for Coach Jackson and crew to get a close win out in the Black Hills. Until next week – KEEP RAGING!!! It’s time for RAMPAGE!
