Post by Canton Cougar Fan on May 7, 2007 10:04:22 GMT -5
Courtesy The Canton Repository www.cantonrep.com
CANTON The Canton Legends won Sunday's American Indoor Football Association game at Memorial Civic Center against the Danville Demolition, 72-14.
But the real winners were the Legends organization and the fans who stuck around for a game that started 31/2 hours late.
Chet and Carol Lenartowicz of Canton and their children - Celene (12), Carlton (10) and Connor (7) - arrived for the scheduled 5 p.m. kickoff, then returned at 7 p.m. after a problem with the Demolition's bus pushed back the start.
"We've been wanting to come to a game for a long time," said Chet, the principal at Madge Youtz Elementary. "We'll stick around unless it gets too late."
Connor, for one, wasn't entertaining even a thought of an early exit.
"It is a school night," dad reminded everyone. "But we're excited. I want to see Rashan Hall. I had (the Legends linebacker) in math class."
For the most part, the fans didn't care about the late start. Or the delays.
They strolled the Civic Center concourse. Younger fans picked up free blue-and-white hand clappers at the door and worked them into a high-decibel frenzy. Some adults took smoke breaks outside, and plenty hit the food stands inside.
The Jazz Dolls twirling team broke the initial tedium by performing on the field during the delay.
"It's been a long day," Beverly Waites of North Canton said just prior to 8:30 p.m. kickoff. She and her daughter, Nicole, 13, were with the Jazz Dolls, a group of 50 local girls ages 3 to 17. "We got here at 1 p.m. to practice. Then we left and came back at 4."
Still, mother and daughter hung around to watch their first Legends action.
"The girls were supposed to do a pregame and a halftime show," said Nancy Lawrence of Jackson Township, whose daughter Angela, 12, also is with the Jazz Dolls. "We just wanted to perform to get some interest in the group."
"The girls got to perform," Waites said, but with the crowd constantly shifting in and out, "unfortunately it didn't work out like it was planned."
Terri Lowe of Canton brought her two children and a friend. She went outside at 6:45 to catch some air and a break from the cascade of noise inside.
"I got here at 4:45," Lowe said. "I wish I had known about the delay ahead of time. But the kids are having fun. That's what matters. And as long as I can get a break, it's OK with me."
Charlie Gates and Mike Nix of Akron took it all in stride.
"It was kind of funny," Nix said. "They were treating it like a rain delay (for baseball). But we'll stick around, depending how good the game is."
All Legends co-owner Joe Hoffman could say was: God bless his fans.
"That's the last thing we need," he said of delay. "And (Danville) doesn't need that hiccup either. But it's nice to hear that the fans are having a good time and bearing with us. We really appreciate them."
The delays proved to be as good, maybe even more fun, than the game itself.
Reach Repository sports writer Jim Thomas at (330) 580-8336 or e-mail: jim.thomas@cantonrep.com
CANTON The Canton Legends won Sunday's American Indoor Football Association game at Memorial Civic Center against the Danville Demolition, 72-14.
But the real winners were the Legends organization and the fans who stuck around for a game that started 31/2 hours late.
Chet and Carol Lenartowicz of Canton and their children - Celene (12), Carlton (10) and Connor (7) - arrived for the scheduled 5 p.m. kickoff, then returned at 7 p.m. after a problem with the Demolition's bus pushed back the start.
"We've been wanting to come to a game for a long time," said Chet, the principal at Madge Youtz Elementary. "We'll stick around unless it gets too late."
Connor, for one, wasn't entertaining even a thought of an early exit.
"It is a school night," dad reminded everyone. "But we're excited. I want to see Rashan Hall. I had (the Legends linebacker) in math class."
For the most part, the fans didn't care about the late start. Or the delays.
They strolled the Civic Center concourse. Younger fans picked up free blue-and-white hand clappers at the door and worked them into a high-decibel frenzy. Some adults took smoke breaks outside, and plenty hit the food stands inside.
The Jazz Dolls twirling team broke the initial tedium by performing on the field during the delay.
"It's been a long day," Beverly Waites of North Canton said just prior to 8:30 p.m. kickoff. She and her daughter, Nicole, 13, were with the Jazz Dolls, a group of 50 local girls ages 3 to 17. "We got here at 1 p.m. to practice. Then we left and came back at 4."
Still, mother and daughter hung around to watch their first Legends action.
"The girls were supposed to do a pregame and a halftime show," said Nancy Lawrence of Jackson Township, whose daughter Angela, 12, also is with the Jazz Dolls. "We just wanted to perform to get some interest in the group."
"The girls got to perform," Waites said, but with the crowd constantly shifting in and out, "unfortunately it didn't work out like it was planned."
Terri Lowe of Canton brought her two children and a friend. She went outside at 6:45 to catch some air and a break from the cascade of noise inside.
"I got here at 4:45," Lowe said. "I wish I had known about the delay ahead of time. But the kids are having fun. That's what matters. And as long as I can get a break, it's OK with me."
Charlie Gates and Mike Nix of Akron took it all in stride.
"It was kind of funny," Nix said. "They were treating it like a rain delay (for baseball). But we'll stick around, depending how good the game is."
All Legends co-owner Joe Hoffman could say was: God bless his fans.
"That's the last thing we need," he said of delay. "And (Danville) doesn't need that hiccup either. But it's nice to hear that the fans are having a good time and bearing with us. We really appreciate them."
The delays proved to be as good, maybe even more fun, than the game itself.
Reach Repository sports writer Jim Thomas at (330) 580-8336 or e-mail: jim.thomas@cantonrep.com
