Post by 50yardfan on Jun 24, 2011 13:35:51 GMT -5
SIFL semifinals: Columbus Lions hope home-field advantage better for them this year than Albany Panthers last year
www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/06/24/1631437/sifl-semifinals-columbus-lions.html
Columbus Lions coach Jason Gibson knows that having home-field advantage in the Southern Indoor Football League playoffs is not a guarantee of success. For proof, all he has to do is look at Saturday night’s opponent, the Albany Panthers.
Last year, Albany won the season series against Columbus and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But the Panthers were upset in the semifinals, leaving the door open to the Lions not only hosting the championship game but winning the league title as well.
This year, in an expanded SIFL, the Lions and Panthers are opponents in one of the SIFL semifinals. By virtue of winning the Southern Division -- accomplished mostly by winning 2-of-3 against the Panthers, the Lions earned the right to host the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Last week, the Lions edged Trenton 62-60, while the Panthers crushed Erie 68-43. But it was a 58-39 victory June 4 over Albany that set up Saturday night’s meeting at the Columbus Civic Center.
“It was huge,” Gibson said of that win. “Albany has the same kind of atmosphere. It is a tough place to play. They don’t lose often. It is tough enough to beat them, but playing down there would have made it a lot tougher.”
Albany coach Lucious Davis told the Albany Herald the Columbus Civic Center is a tough place to play.
“It’s a lot of tension,” Davis said. “The atmosphere is great for football, don’t get me wrong. But being a coach and a player in it, it is very intense and nerve-wracking. It’s good to be in, but in a way it’s tough.”
Gibson said the Lions already have sold 3,100 tickets to the game and hope to get close to 4,000 for the game.
“Three of the largest crowds we have had the last three games,” Gibson said. “We don’t lose much here, and that is because of the fans. We have great fans.”
Gibson said he knows the Albany players are thinking about the crowd noise they will encounter.
“I know they are thinking about the crowd noise,” he said. “We earned the home-field advantage.”
Albany center Terrance Smith told the Herald about an encounter he had with a fan at the June 4 game.
“Last game, (the fan) had something to say to one of the players, and he said, ‘Why don’t you put your helmet back on, you are making my baby cry,’” Smith said with a laugh. “We may talk back, but we are more focused on the game. (We acknowledge them) to mess with them. I would say, ‘Yeah, I see you, man. Whatever, man. Sit down and go on about your business.’
“Sometimes the fans make it tough for us to hear what’s going on, on the field,” Smith said. “It can get tough to concentrate on your assignments, but you block it out.”
Notes: Houston hosts Louisiana in the other SIFL semifinal Monday. If Houston wins, the Stallion would host the Columbus-Albany winner July 4. If Louisiana wins, the Columbus-Albany winner would host. If that team is the Lions, the championship game would be played Thursday. The Columbus Civic Center is booked by a Jehovah’s Witness convention the first two weekends in July. … The Ledger-Enquirer reported that the SIFL issued fines but no suspensions after a confrontation at the June 4 game between Davis, the Albany coach and Gibson’s father-in-law, Jerome Blanton. Albany general manager told the Herald that the team was not fined. “Basically, it wasn’t really a fine,” Panthers GM Will Carter told the Herald. “We are donating some funds to the Children’s Miracle Network in Columbus. The matter has been resolved. What happened is that the SIFL, the Albany Panthers and the Columbus Lions came to an agreement and the case is closed and we are moving on, focusing on the game.” Gibson said Thursday that the Lions were not fined.
www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/06/24/1631437/sifl-semifinals-columbus-lions.html
Columbus Lions coach Jason Gibson knows that having home-field advantage in the Southern Indoor Football League playoffs is not a guarantee of success. For proof, all he has to do is look at Saturday night’s opponent, the Albany Panthers.
Last year, Albany won the season series against Columbus and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But the Panthers were upset in the semifinals, leaving the door open to the Lions not only hosting the championship game but winning the league title as well.
This year, in an expanded SIFL, the Lions and Panthers are opponents in one of the SIFL semifinals. By virtue of winning the Southern Division -- accomplished mostly by winning 2-of-3 against the Panthers, the Lions earned the right to host the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Last week, the Lions edged Trenton 62-60, while the Panthers crushed Erie 68-43. But it was a 58-39 victory June 4 over Albany that set up Saturday night’s meeting at the Columbus Civic Center.
“It was huge,” Gibson said of that win. “Albany has the same kind of atmosphere. It is a tough place to play. They don’t lose often. It is tough enough to beat them, but playing down there would have made it a lot tougher.”
Albany coach Lucious Davis told the Albany Herald the Columbus Civic Center is a tough place to play.
“It’s a lot of tension,” Davis said. “The atmosphere is great for football, don’t get me wrong. But being a coach and a player in it, it is very intense and nerve-wracking. It’s good to be in, but in a way it’s tough.”
Gibson said the Lions already have sold 3,100 tickets to the game and hope to get close to 4,000 for the game.
“Three of the largest crowds we have had the last three games,” Gibson said. “We don’t lose much here, and that is because of the fans. We have great fans.”
Gibson said he knows the Albany players are thinking about the crowd noise they will encounter.
“I know they are thinking about the crowd noise,” he said. “We earned the home-field advantage.”
Albany center Terrance Smith told the Herald about an encounter he had with a fan at the June 4 game.
“Last game, (the fan) had something to say to one of the players, and he said, ‘Why don’t you put your helmet back on, you are making my baby cry,’” Smith said with a laugh. “We may talk back, but we are more focused on the game. (We acknowledge them) to mess with them. I would say, ‘Yeah, I see you, man. Whatever, man. Sit down and go on about your business.’
“Sometimes the fans make it tough for us to hear what’s going on, on the field,” Smith said. “It can get tough to concentrate on your assignments, but you block it out.”
Notes: Houston hosts Louisiana in the other SIFL semifinal Monday. If Houston wins, the Stallion would host the Columbus-Albany winner July 4. If Louisiana wins, the Columbus-Albany winner would host. If that team is the Lions, the championship game would be played Thursday. The Columbus Civic Center is booked by a Jehovah’s Witness convention the first two weekends in July. … The Ledger-Enquirer reported that the SIFL issued fines but no suspensions after a confrontation at the June 4 game between Davis, the Albany coach and Gibson’s father-in-law, Jerome Blanton. Albany general manager told the Herald that the team was not fined. “Basically, it wasn’t really a fine,” Panthers GM Will Carter told the Herald. “We are donating some funds to the Children’s Miracle Network in Columbus. The matter has been resolved. What happened is that the SIFL, the Albany Panthers and the Columbus Lions came to an agreement and the case is closed and we are moving on, focusing on the game.” Gibson said Thursday that the Lions were not fined.