2003 AFL Season

Originally written by GCEDW

This is the first of a planned series of the historical national TV coverage for the Arena Football League, covering from the official launch of the league in 1987 to 2008.

First up is 2003, and major changes were on the horizon. First, the AFL signed an exclusive 2 year deal for national TV coverage on NBC, replacing previous TV coverage on TNN, ESPN, and ABC. NBC would typically televise between 3 and 4 regional games per week, usually on Sunday at 3pm. For their top announcing crew, NBC used the Notre Dame Football announcing team of Tom Hammond on play-by-play and Pat Haden as the analyst. Other talent that was used included Dan Hicks, Mike Breen, and Eli Gold on PBP, and analysts Charles Davis, John Riggins, and Ray Bentley. As a part of the deal with NBC, games were moved to Sundays instead of Fridays and Saturdays, the regular season was expanded to 16 games from its previous 14 games, and the AFL changed their season to start in February and end in June, instead of its previous April to August format.

Dallas Desperados

Grand Rapids Rampage

Chicago Rush

Indiana Firebirds

San Jose SaberCats

Los Angeles Avengers

Arizona Rattlers

Colorado Crush

New York Dragons

Detroit Fury

Las Vegas Gladiators

Buffalo Destroyers

Tampa Bay Storm

Orlando Predators

Georgia Force

Carolina Cobras

Regular Season

WEEK 1, 2003:

Sunday 2/2:

Dragons-Desperados, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

SaberCats-Rattlers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

Predators-Rush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, John Riggins

Force-Crush, NBC, 3:00 (regional).  Dan Hicks, Charles Davis

WEEK 2, 2003:

Sunday 2/9:

Storm-Predators, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Rush-Desperados, NBC, 3:00 (regional).. Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

SaberCats-Avengers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Dan Hicks, Charles Davis

Gladiators-Rattlers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, John Riggins

WEEK 3, 2003:

Sunday 2/16:

Desperados-Predators, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Avengers-Crush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

Rush-Firebirds, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Dan Hicks, Charles Davis

SaberCats-Force, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, John Riggins

WEEK 4, 2003:

Sunday 2/23:

Desperados-Fury, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Avengers-Rush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

Storm-Rampage, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis

WEEK 5, 2003:

Sunday 3-2:

Desperados-Rattlers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Predators-Dragons, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

Crush-Firebirds, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Allen Bestwick, Charles Davis

Force-Avengers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, John Riggings

WEEK 6, 2003:

Sunday 3-9:

Avengers-Dragons, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Rampage-Force, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis

SaberCats-Rush, NBC, 6:00 (west coast). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

WEEK 7, 2003:

Sunday 3-16:

Predators-Storm, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Dragons-Fury, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis

Crush-Rattlers, NBC, 6:00 (west coast). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

WEEK 8, 2003:

Sunday 3-23:

Force-Predators, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Rush-Dragons, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

Rattlers-SaberCats, NBC, 6:00 (west coast). Eli Gold, Charles Davis, Dave Burns

WEEK 10, 2003:

Sunday 4-6:

SaberCats-Desperados, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Force-Storm, NBC, 12:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis

Predators-Rattlers, NBC, 6:00 (west coast). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

WEEK 11, 2003:

Sunday 4-13:

Rattlers-Avengers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Desperados-Firebirds, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

Rush-Crush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis

WEEK 12, 2003:

Sunday 4-20:

Gladiators-Predators, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Desperados-Rush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

Crush-Storm, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis

WEEK 13, 2003:

Sunday 4-27:

Avengers-Desperados, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Storm-Dragons, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

Rampage-Rush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis

WEEK 14, 2003:

Sunday 5-4:

Storm-Desperados, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Avengers-Rattlers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis, Marty Snider

Storm-Firebirds, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Allen Bestwick, John Riggins

WEEK 15, 2003:

Sunday 5-11:

SaberCats-Storm, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Rattlers-Rush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

WEEK 16, 2003:

Sunday 5-18:

Desperados-Rampage, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Firebirds-Rush, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

Storm-Force, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Bill Weber, John Riggins

Postseason

WILD CARD ROUND

Saturday 5-24:

Force-Desperados, NBC, 3:00. Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Marty Snider

Sunday 5-25:

Gladiators-Rattlers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis, Lewis Johnson

Fury-Rampage, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Bill Weber, John Riggins, Dave Burns

Rush-Dragons, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

QUARTERFINALS

Saturday 5-31:

Fury-Storm, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Marty Snider

Force-SaberCats, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Allen Bestwick, John Riggins, Dave Burns

Sunday 6-1:

Dragons-Predators, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

Rattlers-Avengers, NBC, 3:00 (regional). Eli Gold, Charles Davis, Dave Burns

SEMIFINALS

Saturday 6-7:

Predators-Storm, NBC, 3:00. Mike Breen, Ray Bentley, Dave Burns

Sunday 6-8:

Rattlers-SaberCats, NBC, 5:30. Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson

ArenaBowl XVI

Sunday 6-22:

Rattlers-Storm, NBC, 5:00. Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson, Marty Snider