Friday, June 9, 2006 | 7:45 a.m.
For the second year in a row, Las Vegas will play host to the Arena Football League's championship game - also known as ArenaBowl XX - when the Orlando Predators and the Chicago Rush meet at noon Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Chicago, playing its fifth consecutive road game, played its way into the championship game despite sporting a dismal 5-9 record six weeks ago. It is Chicago's first ArenaBowl appearance after losing in the conference championship game three times in the past four years.
Orlando, on the other hand, is a veteran of indoor football's grand stage; the Predators are playing in their seventh ArenaBowl but their first since 2000.
Here are the answers to some burning questions heading into the Arena Football League's version of Super Sunday:
1. Question: How did the Predators make it to Arena-Bowl XX?
Led by quarterback Joe Hamilton, the Predators finished the regular season with a 10-6 mark, beat Philadelphia in the opening round of the playoffs and then upset top-seeded Dallas at home in the conference championship game, 45-28.
2. How did the Rush make it to ArenaBowl XX?
The Rush won three of their final four regular-season games to finish at 7-9 and earn a wild-card berth in the playoffs. Chicago scored three road playoff victories - over Nashville, Colorado and San Jose - to earn a spot in ArenaBowl XX.
3. What team has the edge?
It's hard to bet against Orlando and head coach Jay Gruden. Gruden, the younger brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden, has earned seven championship rings in professional football as either a player or a coach. In addition to two AFL titles as head coach of the Predators, Gruden earned a Super Bowl ring when he served as an assistant coach for the Buccaneers in 2002.
Chicago's Mike Hohensee is making his first trip to the ArenaBowl as a head coach but was the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Gladiators in the inaugural ArenaBowl in 1987. The Rush also lost 55-27 at Orlando in Week 10 of the regular season.
4. What if I like arena football but don't care about the two teams playing? What else is going on other than the game?
Plenty. For the kids, several AFL mascots will be at the ESPN Zone at New York-New York Hotel and Casino today at 11 a.m. for the inaugural "Arena Football Mascot Combine."
Also, the AFL will hold its first-ever AFL National Combine - attended by every head coach in the league - 9 a.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium. Hundreds of participants are expected to attend and attempt to earn a spot on an AFL roster. Also on Saturday, the ArenaBowl XX Fan Fest will be held from noon to 11 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. Activities include interactive games, bands, DJs, an AFL video-game tournament (noon in the Cox Pavilion) and an AFL skills challenge featuring some of the top players in the league (5 p.m. at Thomas & Mack).
5. What is the future of ArenaBowl in Las Vegas?
Uncertain. AFL Commissioner David Baker said he would like the game to be played in New Orleans next year as a goodwill gesture to the city, which is recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Baker, however, did not rule out ArenaBowl XXI returning to Las Vegas in 2007 and beyond - perhaps as part of a multicity rotation.
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