I know next-to-nothing about arena football (and what I do know I learned from snatches of conversation from my friends in the athletic department at Florida State University), so when I heard that Jacksonville would soon be home to an arena football team, I had mixed feelings. After all, if we’re struggling to hold onto our NFL football team, what possible market could there be for an arena football team, right?
Well, if Saturday night’s Sharks game is any indication, quite a bit, apparently…
My husband, Chris, and I were lucky enough to win some tickets from our friends at SMCJAX, so we joined their crew in one of the boxes Saturday night to enjoy the game. Once I got over the shock of seeing such a small field (with walls for out-of-bounds, no less), I really got into the game, much to my husband’s chagrin. I’m a pretty enthusiastic [loud] spectator, I guess.
The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena was nearly packed with screaming fans, so at least I wasn’t alone in my enthusiasm. We’ve even got body painters already and it’s only the second home game. The game itself seemed to fly by and the last quarter had me on the edge of my seat. We were winning up until the last 23 seconds of the game, when the Tulsa Talons scored a touchdown, taking the score to 60-56.
Peering through my fingers for the last plays of the game, I held my breath to see how things would play out. When the Sharks took a bite out of the Talons in the last play of the game, scoring one final touchdown and bringing us a victorious 62-60 final score, I flew out of my seat and screamed myself hoarse.
I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about a sporting event. And that’s when it really hit me. With less expensive ticket prices, a fresh spin on a game that’s become an integral part of being “American” and a record that hints at a promising season, the Jacksonville Sharks might be exactly what the folks in Jacksonville are craving.
