By KEITH GRANT
Stray footballs sailed overhead, whistles blew and coaches barked orders and encouragement while some 180 athletes sprinted, stretched, blocked and listened. And more than anything, hoped.
With New York's most storied football team preparing for the Super Bowl in Tampa, the area's newest team has arrived fresh from the "Dust Bowl." The former Iowa Barnstormers are readying to take over the Nassau Coliseum as the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.
The franchise best known for producing St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner has brought most of the two-way playing squad along to Long Island, but that didn't stop nearly 200 local hopefuls from turning out to get a look from the coaching staff at an open tryout last weekend.
In shorts and sweats, the fit and not-so-fit wannabe professional athletes filled the New York Jets indoor practice bubble at Hofstra University on Saturday, Jan. 20.
Although the quarterback position is firmly held by Aaron Garcia, who threw an AFL-record 92 touchdown passes last year and was rewarded with a three-year contract to remain with the team in New York, Long Beach resident Brian Tacher was among a few QB hopefuls who went through passing drills. He didn't make the cut, but Tacher felt good about his performance despite a few years of rust.
"I did well in the drills," he said after his workout. "They told me I need to keep the ball up a little. But I'll be back in March" for a second open tryout on the 3rd, just before the opening of training camp.
"I've gotta get back in the weight room and get my strength up, and run the boardwalk a little," Tacher said. "I'll work hard and come back, and hopefully get a little further."
The left-handed passer last played organized football for Hewlett High School before graduating in 1992. He then played four years of college baseball upstate at Geneseo, where football wasn't offered. However, after a few years of flag football, Tacher decided to give the Arena League a shot.
"I haven't played organized football in eight or nine years, so I'm rusty," Tacher, a stockbroker, said.
He was far from alone, as the tryout brought out all levels of athletic conditioning. Despite having imited roster space, Dragons head coach John Gregory did see some talent in the crowd that he hoped to get a second look at. But what most impressed him was the turnout.
"I was very impressed with the number of athletes that turned out, Gregory said. We had a great turnout, and the quality was there as well. All in all, it was an outstanding tryout camp."
Many of those who took advantage of the open camp were former players at local schools such as Hofstra, Stony Brook, St. John's, Fordham and C.W. Post, and the playing experience of the whole group ranged from the Austrian Professional League to semipro leagues to none at all. A self-proclaimed couch-potato quarterback and family man gladly cut up his knees on the indoor turf field and walked away smiling, telling Gregory he would be back for the next tryout camp in March.
The Dragons will be one of 19 teams competing in the Arena League's 15th season, which runs April through August. The Barnstormers reached the ArenaBowl twice in its brief history behind Kurt Warner, but were beaten both times. After six successful years in Des Moines, the franchise was bought Nov. 1 by New York Islanders owners Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar.
With limited advertising thus far, the team has sold more than 1,000 season tickets, according to public relations director Rocky Bonanno.
"That's pretty good considering we've really only been doing in-house promoting during Islander games so far," he said.
The Dragons will begin their 14-game regular season on April 21 when they play host to the Toronto Phantoms at the Coliseum. On the bench will be veteran professionals, talented rookies and perhaps a dreamer or two who took a chance on a Saturday afternoon.
Dragons to audition cheerleader/dance team
The New York Dragons of the Arena Football League will conduct an audition for a cheerleader/dance squad on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale. Dragons dance coach/choreographer Phyllis Holly will lead the audition from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m..
The Dragons are seeking experienced, athletic dancers. Applicants must be 21 or older and should wear fitted clothing and dance shoes. They are also encouraged to bring head shots and a resume. High school or college cheerleading and/or dance team experience is beneficial.
Dancers who make the squad will receive prominent exposure, as well as pay for games and promotions. In addition to performing at Dragons home games, the squad will make appearances at team promotional and charitable events.
The New York Dragons begin their inaugural season of play in the Arena Football League with a home game against the Toronto Phantoms on Saturday, April 21. The Dragons play seven home games during the regular season plus one preseason home game.
The AFL will kick off its 15th season in April with a record 19 teams, including new markets Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Long Island and Toronto, the AFL's first Canadian team. Last year, the AFL exceeded one million spectators for a fifth straight season, and its developmental league, arenafootball2, surpassed 800,000 in its inaugural season.
The NFL holds an exclusive option to acquire an equity interest of 49.9 percent in the AFL, subject to the approval of NFL owners. Currently, four NFL team owners, the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, Washington Redskins' Daniel Snyder, New Orleans Saints' Tom Benson and Detroit Lions' William Ford Jr. (with partner Palace Sports & Entertainment) own AFL franchises.
