Game summary
In the first quarter, Orlando made the opening move with WR/DB Barry Wagner getting a two-yard touchdown run, as well as a two-point conversion run. Tampa Bay responded with quarterback Jay Gruden completing a 10-yard touchdown pass to WR/LB Stevie Thomas, along with FB/LB Cedric McKinnon rushing into the end zone for the two-point conversion. The Predators responded with quarterback Pat O'Hara completing a four-yard touchdown pass to WR/LB Alex Shell, yet the Storm immediately answered with OS George LaFrance returning the kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, it was all Tampa Bay; Gruden and LaFrance hooked up with each other on a 3-yard and a one-yard touchdown pass to take the lead going into halftime.
In the third quarter, Orlando drew closer as Wagner returned a blocked field goal three yards for a touchdown, yet the unfazed Storm went back to work with Gruden and Thomas hooking up with each other again on a 35-yard touchdown pass (with a failed PAT).
In the fourth quarter, the Predators played some catch-up as OL/DL Flint Fleming got a 14-yard touchdown run, yet Tampa Bay put some distance between themselves and the Predators with Gruden getting a one-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak (with a failed two-point conversion) and WR/DB Tracey Sanders returning an interception 47 yards for a touchdown. Orlando got another touchdown with O'Hara completing a three-yard touchdown pass to Wagner with exactly one minute left, but there was no "Miracle Minute" for the Predators as the Tampa Bay Storm got their third ArenaBowl title in five seasons.
The Orlando Predators are a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team is currently owned by John Cheney, and play its home games at Amway Center.
ArenaBowl XVII was played on June 22, 2003 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida before a sellout crowd of 20,496. The Tampa Bay Storm earned their AFL record fifth ArenaBowl title, by defeating the Arizona Rattlers, 43–29. The win was just months after the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, making Tampa Bay the first metropolitan area to simultaneously hold both NFL and AFL championships.
ArenaBowl XIV is widely hailed as one of the most exciting games in ArenaBowl history, ranking alongside classics such as ArenaBowl XVIII and ArenaBowl XIX. Featuring two teams from the Arena Football League's Southern Division, the game went as a Southern Division game might be expected to: a low-scoring, largely defensive struggle. In the end, however, Orlando Predator kicker David Cool converted a 19-yard field goal as time expired to give the Predators a 41-38 victory over the Nashville Kats and their second ArenaBowl title in three years.
Patrick O'Hara is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the pass game analyst for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo, Orlando Predators and Tri-Cities Fever. O'Hara also served as an assistant coach for the Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Storm.
ArenaBowl XX, held on Sunday, June 11, 2006, was played to determine the championship of the 2006 season of the Arena Football League (AFL). For the second consecutive year, the game was played at the neutral site of the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. It pitted the National Conference Champions, the Orlando Predators, against the American Conference Champions, the Chicago Rush. The Chicago Rush won 69–61. This game was televised on AFL on NBC, and was the final game played under the AFL's contract with NBC.
Arena Bowl XIII was the 1999 edition of the Arena Football League's championship game. The game was played on August 21, 1999, at the Firebirds' home arena, MVP Arena. The title game featured the #8 Orlando Predators and the #3 Albany Firebirds. The Predators were coming off their first Arena Bowl title, while the game was the Firebirds' first appearance in 10 seasons.
Arena Bowl '87 was the Arena Football League's first Championship Game. It was played on August 1, 1987, at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the game, the #2 Denver Dynamite defeated the #1 Pittsburgh Gladiators by a score of 45–16.
Arena Bowl '88 was the Arena Football League's second championship game. The game featured the number 2 Detroit Drive (9–3) against the number 1 Chicago Bruisers (10–1–1). With 37 combined points it is the lowest-scoring ArenaBowl in history. Chicago's 13 points are the fewest points by a single team in Arenabowl history.
Arena Bowl '89 was the Arena Football League's third Arena Bowl. The game featured the #2 Pittsburgh Gladiators against the #1 Detroit Drive. Both teams finished their seasons at 3-1, yet the Drive greatly led in points against (84-147).
Arena Bowl '90 was the Arena Football League's fourth Arena Bowl. The game featured the #2 Dallas Texans against the #1 Detroit Drive. Both teams finished their seasons at 6-2, yet the Drive led in points for (326-299) and points against (215-308).
ArenaBowl '91 was the Arena Football League's fifth ArenaBowl. The game featured the #2 Tampa Bay Storm (8-2) against the #1 Detroit Drive (9-1). The Storm were in their first season in Tampa, Florida since moving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and having spent their first four seasons as the Pittsburgh Gladiators, while the Drive were trying to win an unprecedented fourth-straight ArenaBowl title.
ArenaBowl '92 was the Arena Football League's sixth Arena Bowl. The game featured the #2 Detroit Drive (8–2) against the #1 Orlando Predators (9–1). Earlier in the regular season, these two teams met with the Predators winning 50–49 in the "Miracle Minute."
ArenaBowl '93 was the Arena Football League's seventh Arena Bowl. The game featured the number 3 Tampa Bay Storm (9–3) of the National Conference against the number 1 Detroit Drive (11–1) of the American Conference. The Storm defeated the Drive by the score of 51–31, winning their second ArenaBowl in team history, and their second one in three years.
ArenaBowl VIII was the Arena Football League's eighth ArenaBowl. The game featured the #3 Arizona Rattlers (8–4) of the American Conference against the #1 Orlando Predators (11–1) of the National Conference. The Rattlers were making their first ArenaBowl appearance in their three-year history, while the Predators were in their second ArenaBowl in their four years in the league.
ArenaBowl X was the Arena Football League's tenth ArenaBowl. The game featured the #2 Tampa Bay Storm of the National Conference against the #1 Iowa Barnstormers of the American Conference. Both teams ended their regular seasons at 12–2, yet Iowa had a better conference record. For the Storm, they were hoping to get their fourth championship title in six overall appearances, while the Barnstormers were trying to win their first league championship game.
ArenaBowl XI was the Arena Football League's eleventh ArenaBowl. The game featured two American Conference teams, the #2 Iowa Barnstormers (11–3) against the #1 Arizona Rattlers (12–2). Iowa was coming from losing ArenaBowl X to the Tampa Bay Storm and were still looking for their first championship title, while Arizona was making its second appearance after winning ArenaBowl VIII against the Orlando Predators three seasons ago. Now, they were trying to acquire their second league title.
ArenaBowl XII was the Arena Football League's twelfth Arena Bowl, which took place August 23, 1998. It pitted the #4 Orlando Predators (9-5) of the National Conference against the #1 Tampa Bay Storm (12-2), also of the National Conference. This was the second and final ArenaBowl to have the "War on I-4" rivalry on the big stage. For the Predators, it was their fourth ArenaBowl appearance in their eight years of existence. This year, they were under the command of first-year head coach Jay Gruden. For the Storm, this was their eighth overall appearance as they were going for their fifth ArenaBowl title in eight seasons. Not only did they face their arch-rivals from Orlando, but they also had face their former star player in Jay Gruden.
The 2002 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 27th in the National Football League (NFL). It was one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, ending with a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.
The 2007 Tampa Bay Storm season was the 21st season for the team in the Arena Football League and 17th in Tampa. They tried to improve upon their 7–9 record from 2006 in the Southern Division, and looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The apparent cause of their turnaround from an 0–5 start was the replacement of John Kaleo at quarterback with Brett Dietz. Whereas they were a combined 1–6 under Kaleo and the injured Stoney Case, they were 8–1 under Dietz. On June 13, two weeks after being placed on "left squad", T.T. Toliver was released by the Storm and subsequently signed with the Orlando Predators. On June 23, they clinched the #3 seed in the National Conference, and hosted a home playoff game vs. the #6 seed in the National Conference, the Columbus Destroyers. Unfortunately for the Storm, Columbus beat the Storm with a 56–55 win.
The 2007 Orlando Predators season was the 17th season for the franchise. They finished the season with an 8–8 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Soul, 41–26.
