Los Angeles Avengers Football Team

The Avengers got their first media full-court press Tuesday when print and broadcast reporters descended on their training facility at West Los Angeles College. But things really got interesting when a visitor arrived. New York Jet wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who played football at West Los Angeles and USC before going to the NFL, dropped by at the invitation of owner Casey Wasserman.

The Los Angeles Avengers made a lasting impression in their Arena Football League debut, defeating the Arizona Rattlers, 54-47, in exhibition play before 11,947 at America West Arena in Phoenix. Despite having only six practice days, the expansion Avengers played Arizona, the defending Western Division champion, to a 14-14 standoff in the first quarter, and never trailed after taking a 20-17 lead on fullback Andy Chilcote's two-yard run in the second quarter.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Chris Martin returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and the Grand Rapids Rampage scored a team-record 56 points in the first half in their 84-49 victory over the Avengers on Sunday. James MacPherson was 17 for 30 for 215 yards and five touchdowns, and Martin finished with 249 yards on kickoff returns for the Rampage (2-2). Martin returned the opening kickoff 55 yards for a touchdown.

It's not as if the Avengers didn't know what Chris Jackson could do to an opponent. Jackson played for the Avengers for five seasons and caught 157 touchdown passes. What really killed the Avengers on Thursday was their own mistakes, and maybe the fatigue of playing three games in 11 days. Jackson caught six touchdown passes for Philadelphia on Thursday, the Avengers' offense gave up 16 second-half points, and the Soul scored a 71-34 Arena Football League victory.

As Stan Brock's NFL career was winding down in San Diego in 1995, the 16-year offensive tackle had an idea of what retirement might be like: Go back home to Beaverton, Ore,. and become a high school football coach. "Just kinda kick back and have a good time," Brock said. Instead he got involved in the Arena Football League, first as a broadcaster for the Portland Forest Dragons, then as their coach.