Los Angeles Avengers Football Team

It finally happened. It was too late and too small a group for anyone in the NFL to care about, but here it was anyway: evidence of a passion for professional football on display at the Coliseum. It was beating in the hearts of the 200 men who came to open tryouts Saturday for the Avengers, L.A.'s Arena Football League expansion team. This really wasn't about the Avengers. Coach Stan Brock said he probably would invite only three or four of these players to training camp.

Whenever the struggling Los Angeles Avengers, who have lost all of their three games, believe they are going through tough times, they'd better check in with Victor Hall. Now in his seventh Arena Football League season, Hall, 31, has overcome more obstacles than most people would in three lifetimes. A 6-foot-4, 265-pound lineman and tight end, he has gone through two shoulder surgeries, reconstructive ankle surgery, thumb surgery and Achilles' tendon surgery to keep playing football.

The Avengers probably won't make the Arena Football League playoffs after getting routed Friday by the Carolina Cobras, 66-28, before 13,242 at Raleigh, N.C. Maybe it's just as well, considering how the Avengers, who conclude the regular season next week in Oklahoma, are running out of players. rQuarterback Harry Leons, playing only because Todd Marinovich (elbow) and Tony Graziani (knee) are out for the season, separated his right shoulder in the first quarter and won't play against Oklahoma.

The new Los Angeles Avengers will step out on new turf tonight at Staples Center, making their local debut in an Arena Football League exhibition against the Oklahoma Wranglers. For some players, it will be a grand opening--and a grand closing as well. The Avengers have 32 players in training camp but must set their regular-season 24-man roster by Monday morning. "There are some guys on the bubble and it's hard to evaluate a player at practice," Coach Stan Brock said.

Last week, Avenger receiver Greg Hopkins was down on the farm. This week, he's in vogue. Hopkins just returned from his family's farm south of Pittsburgh, where he delivered nine calves during the Avengers' off week, a prelude to his life after football. What his time in the sport has provided was on display in the New York Times magazine this week.

The death of Pat Tillman still weighs on the mind of Avenger lineman Jeremy Staat, a former college teammate. Tillman, who played at Arizona State and then in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, was killed in a firefight April 22 in Afghanistan when his Army Ranger patrol was ambushed near the village of Sperah. "It's almost too much to even take in, to fathom," Staat said Friday. Staat said the experiences he shared with Tillman at Arizona State created a unique bond and friendship.

Last year, the Los Angeles Avengers were a new franchise in the Arena Football League. This year, the Avengers are a new team. Only three players--linemen Brett Clark and Victor Hall, and receiver-defensive back Anthony Rice--remain from the team that began the 2000 season. Before it was over, 56 players had spent at least one week on the Los Angeles roster as the team went 3-11. "We didn't have the luxury of saying, 'We need to fill one spot,' " Coach Stan Brock said.

Sonny Cumbie threw four touchdown passes, including three to Kevin Ingram, to lead the Avengers past the New Orleans VooDoo, 48-36, Saturday night. Cumbie completed 28 of 42 for 228 yards. Lenzie Jackson had 10 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown for the Avengers (2-1). Andy Kelly was 30 of 46 for 305 yards and threw five touchdown passes to Tyronne Jones for the VooDoo (2-2). Jones caught 13 passes for 121 yards.

Ed Hodgkiss has coached the Avengers since October 2001, and his 52-42 regular season record ranks among the best among Arena Football League coaches in their first six seasons in the league. But Hodgkiss understands he will always be judged by his team's success in the postseason, and he considers the 2008 Avengers capable of winning the franchise's first Arena Bowl championship.

at Georgia Force, 4 PDT Site -- Gwinnett Center. Radio -- 570. Records -- Avengers 2-0, Force 0-2. Update -- Avengers quarterback Sonny Cumbie has 14 touchdown passes and has had three passes intercepted. The Avengers are giving up only 37.5 points a game, best in the league. Force quarterback Chris Greisen has 10 touchdown passes and has had three passes intercepted. -- Chris Foster

Ed Hodgkiss was fired by the Avengers on Tuesday, three days after his team failed to qualify for the Arena Football League playoffs for the second time in three years. Hodgkiss had a 58-58 mark in his seven years with L.A., including a 1-5 postseason record. Although six of eight teams in the American Conference qualify for the playoffs, the Avengers finished the season 5-11 and last in the Western Division.

at Tampa Bay, 4:30 PDT Site -- St. Pete Times Forum. Radio -- 570. Records -- Avengers 5-10, Blaze 7-8. Update -- Only in the Arena Football League can a team have a 5-10 record and still be alive for a playoff berth. The Avengers need a win coupled with losses by either Colorado, Grand Rapids or Utah to make the postseason. Even if Los Angeles loses, it can still qualify for the American Division playoffs if Utah loses and Colorado and Grand Rapids win.

vs. San Jose, 7:30 p.m. TV -- None. Site -- Staples Center. Radio -- 570, 1220. Records -- Avengers 4-8, SaberCats 8-5. Record vs. SaberCats -- 0-1. Update -- San Jose, the defending ArenaBowl champion, has won three games in a row and five of its last six to move into first place in the Western Division. The SaberCats hold a 3 1/2 -game lead over the Avengers, who lost at San Jose, 70-42, on April 26. The Avengers are fifth in the American Conference but have lost two games in a row and four of their last five.

at Chicago, 5 PDT TV -- ESPN2. Site -- Allstate Arena. Radio -- 570 (delayed until 7 p.m.), 1330. Records -- Avengers 4-7, Rush 8-2. Record vs. Rush (2007) -- 1-1. Update -- The Avengers have lost three of their last four games, including last week's 52-48 home loss to New York. In that game, quarterback Sonny Cumbie played well after replacing starter Tim Hicks in the first half and nearly led the Avengers to a come-from-behind victory. Chicago, which already has clinched a postseason berth, knocked the Avengers out of the playoffs last year with a 52-20 victory in the divisional round.

Six of the eight teams in the Western Conference will qualify for the Arena Football League playoffs this season. For the Avengers, that may turn out to be a good thing. A 52-48 loss to the New York Dragons on Saturday dropped the Avengers to 4-7 with five regular-season games to play.

The Avengers have not had many bounces go their way this season, but veteran wide receiver Kevin Ingram recovered two key turnovers on kickoffs Saturday night to help L.A. defeat the Arizona Rattlers, 66-59, at Staples Center. In ending a two-game losing streak, the Avengers' defense stepped up in the second half and quarterback Tim Hicks made several big plays, including a winning touchdown pass to Timon Marshall.

vs. Arizona, 7:30 PDT, FSN West (10:30 tape delay) Site -- Staples Center. Radio -- 570, 1220. Records -- Avengers 3-6, Rattlers 4-4. Record vs. Rattlers -- 1-0. Update -- Sonny Cumbie completed 15 of 29 passes for 267 yards and seven touchdowns to lead the Avengers to a 65-33 victory at Arizona on March 10, but since then the Avengers have struggled on defense. In losing their last two games and six of their last seven, the Avengers have given up 70 or more points four times.

at San Jose 7:30, Prime Ticket Site -- HP Pavilion. Radio -- 570, 1220. Records -- Avengers 3-5, SaberCats 4-4. Record vs. SaberCats (2007) -- 0-1. Update -- Avengers fullback Lonnie Ford is the ninth player in Arena Football League history to rush for 700 or more yards in a career. Ford has scored six touchdowns this season. Tim Hicks and Sonny Cumbie have combined for 2,551 yards passing and 51 touchdowns for Avengers, who may play both quarterbacks tonight.

vs. Cleveland, 7:30 Site -- Staples Center. Radio -- 570, 1330. Records -- Avengers 3-4, Gladiators 3-3. Record vs. Gladiators (2007) -- 1-0. Update -- After scoring a 79-62 victory over Utah last week, the Avengers will be shooting for their second win in a row against the Gladiators, who are playing their first season in Cleveland after moving from Las Vegas. Tim Hicks started at quarterback the last two weeks for the Avengers, but Sonny Cumbie also could play.

vs. Utah, 7:30, FSN Prime Site -- Staples Center. Radio -- 570. Records -- Avengers 2-4, Blaze 0-6. Record vs. Blaze (2007) -- 1-1. Update -- After starting the season with two victories, the Avengers have lost four games in a row, including a 67-54 defeat at Colorado last week. For the season, the Avengers have been outscored, 280-181. In 2007, the Avengers ended the regular season with a 47-37 loss to Utah and then defeated the Blaze in the playoffs, 64-42. -- Lonnie White