Osceola’s Sippio ruins ArenaBowl trip for Predators
Long-time public-relations professional Dan Pearson was wearing an Orlando Predators Arena Football League shirt while walking his dog when former Osceola High standout Bobby Sippio slowed his car and lowered a window.
“Saw your T-shirt and I had to stop,” Sippio said. “I play a little bit of arena football. I love it when I see fans wearing an arena football shirt.”
Pearson could not help but laugh when he realized who it was.
“I know exactly who you are,” Pearson said with a grin. “I’m actually the P.R. guy of the Orlando Predators. You stole a [championship] ring from me.”
The encounter came just two months after Sippio caught 10 passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns while helping the Chicago Rush beat the Predators 69-61 in ArenaBowl XX on June 11, 2006, in Las Vegas.
“That guy was so prototypical of what makes a great arena league wide receiver,” said Pearson. “He was so big, strong and physical.”
Pearson spent 14 seasons working with the Preds during the AFL’s heyday in the 1990s and in the mid-2000s while NBC provided weekly national broadcasts of games from 2004-06.
ArenaBowl XX was the last championship-game appearance for the Preds, who had won titles in 1998 and 2000 with current
hours apart. Players will also undergo a baseline serology (antibody) test as part of a physical exam that also includes a temperature check and the completion of a screening questionnaire.
PCR tests detect an active COVID-19 infection, typically via a nasal swab or saliva test. Serology (antibody) tests detect the presence of antibodies in response to a COVID-19 infection.
MLS is partnering with BioReference Lab to provide and process PCR tests and antibody tests for all clubs prior to travel, as well as in Orlando during the competition.
Individuals who test PCR positive will not travel and will be isolated and overseen by club medical staff. Contact tracing will also be triggered to identify close
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Jay Gruden serving as head coach.
The 2006 team featured record-setting quarterback Joe Hamilton, who played college ball at Georgia Tech, and former UCF wide receiver Jimmy Fryzel.
contacts. Individuals who test PCR negative but serology positive may travel to Orlando if they are asymptomatic.
Upon arrival in Florida, all individuals will immediately receive an additional PCR test.
During an individual’s first two weeks in Orlando, that person will be tested every other day. After those first 14 days, players, coaches and officiating staff will be tested regularly, including the day before each match.
In addition, temperature screenings and health questionnaires will be required for all individuals traveling to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex or providing services at the hotel and convention center where MLS league and club personnel will be staying.
Hamilton threw for six touchdowns and ran for another in his final AFL game for Orlando. Fryzel caught 10 passes for 98 yards and one score in the loss while Javarus Dudley led the team with 10 catches for 117 yards and 4 TDs.
A positive response to the daily questionnaire or a temperature check above 100.3 degrees must be reported and the individual in question will be isolated immediately and PCR testing will be performed.
Anyone in the MLS group will be asked to wear face coverings or masks, social distance and observe best hygiene practices. Disney staff will frequently disinfect surfaces.
During matches, players, coaches and officials are asked to exercise care when spitting or clearing their nose.
Players, coaches and officials on the bench or technical area are required to wear masks and practice social distancing to the extent possible.
Players involved in the game are asked not to exchange
and New Zealand. And within 10 days of the sustained protests, Minneapolis banned the use of police choke holds and upgraded the charges against police officer Derek Chauvin and his three cohorts.
Now it’s time to do the dirty work and get down in the trenches where longterm, substantive change is made. If athletes want to make a real difference, it’s not just about kneeling during the national anthem; it’s about campaigning and contributing during local elections. If coaches want to make a real difference, it’s not just about putting out a prepared statement; it’s about throwing around your influence with local leaders and politicians.
I’ve said many times, there’s no more powerful voice in the city of Gainesville than Florida Gators football coach Dan Mullen. There’s no more powerful voices in North Carolina than Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams. There’s no more popular voice in Kansas City than Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
on.”
The Tour and its TV rights partners are looking to players to do more than let their clubs do the talking while enlivening what otherwise could become a sterile telecast.
CBS sports chairman Sean McManus will employ a “confession cam” — in the words of Nantz — encouraging players to visit a tent during their rounds and answer a question before a camera.
The network also will ask players to wear microphones to record their personal reactions, along with their interactions with caddies.
“Players are beginning to realize they can play a real role in making the product more interesting at home,” McNanus said.
Television execs
have
ArenaBowl XX was played on the date of Pearson’s wedding anniversary, which falls two days after his birthday. It proved to be a bittersweet moment in an otherwise eventful week while flanked by his wife and young son.
“That was an incredible four-day experience, but it was sort of sad when the [game] was over,” said Pearson.
It turned out that rumors of NBC’s intent to dissolve its partnership with the AFL were true.
“I remember walking out of the arena afterward with [NBC announcers] Pat Haden and Tom Hammond, and they both looked at me and said, ‘It’s sad it’s over because we actually had a lot of fun doing it,’ ” said Pearson. “They talked about how they had grown to like the game a lot, but at the same time we all knew it was over.” jerseys or ball.
Masks or face shield protections should be used during press conferences or interviews.
Anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms or tests positive will be isolated.
A test-based plan or symptom-based plan will determine an individual’s timeline for a return to play or work.
Players who test positive will be required to undergo cardiac testing before receiving final clearance from club medical staff to return to training.
Contact tracing is also mandatory in case of a positive COVID-19 test.
Garber said there is no set number of positive tests that would trigger suspending play.
kiss the
There’s no more influential voice in the state of South Carolina than Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. Ditto, Nick Saban in Alabama and Ed Orgeron in Louisiana.
“We’ve talked about it a long time and we’ve had a lot of discussion about it for a long time, but quite frankly nothing has changed,” Martins says. “This cannot continue. Clearly, there is far too much social injustice in this country. Our intention and my intention is to provide leadership in our community so we can make significant changes.”
As the NBA gets ready to converge on Disney World, it sounds like Martins and the rest of the league are tearing a page from the playbook of Mr. Disney himself.
“The way to get started,” Walt Disney once said, “is to stop talking and start doing.” pushed for players to be mic-ed up for some time but have been met with resistance. Much, however, has changed since the Tour shut down operations March 13 at the Players Championship.
Nantz, 61, is eager to see how a game built on tradition is able to adapt.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the game,” he said, “to go before a sportsstarved nation and have a chance to create a wider fan base than it’s ever been before. A lot has to be personality driven. We need to hear from the players.
“It’s something that’s not obtrusive. It’s an opportunity for players to invest in their own game.”