The Utah Blaze brought a new game to local television viewers via Fox Sports Net on Saturday — and it was an auspicious beginning.
Not just because the home team went on the road and brought back a 48-35 victory over the San Jose SaberCats, but because the Arena Football League game couldn't have looked more made-for-TV if it had been designed that way.
It was exciting, fast-paced, high-scoring and entertaining from beginning to end.
And the beginning and the end were mercifully close together. From the kickoff to the final second, only 2 hours and 40 minutes elapsed — and that included a 10-minute delay when a San Jose player was injured 2:30 into the game.
For those of us accustomed to watching local college football games drag on for 3 1/2 hours if we're lucky or 4, 4 1/2 or 5 hours if we're not, the game time alone was a revelation.
This was not our fathers' football game. For fans not familiar with the AFL game, some of the rules were, well, goofy. But in a good way.
Particularly if you were rooting for the Blaze, you had to be tickled by the kickoffs. When the ball is kicked to the opposite end of the field, once it bounces off the net either team can recover it. And Utah recovered two of its own kickoffs, resulting in 10 points. (A not inconsiderable factor in the team's 13-point win.)
Compare that to your average kickoff in your average college or NFL game. Sure, there's the occasional big return that's nothing short of thrilling, but the vast majority of those kickoff plays are routine and, well, downright dull.
And if you were somewhat confused by the indoor rules, you weren't alone. One play confused both the FSN announcers and, for a few moments, the officials — none of whom seemed entirely certain what to do.
Utah's Kevin Hunter intercepted a pass in the end zone, ran around for a bit, was tackled and fumbled the ball past the end line.
"They're going to say touchback, I believe. Safety," play-by-play man Barry Tompkins said without any assurance of which call was correct.
"I don't know if that is a safety or a touchback," said analyst Mike Pawlawski.
Neither, apparently, did the officials, who huddled together for several moments before declaring it was indeed a touchback and Utah would take over at the 5. (Another change from what outdoor football fans are used to.)
Much to their credit, the FSN announcers admitted they didn't know how the ruling would go. It's always better to admit you don't know than to pretend knowledge you don't have.
(A lesson NFL analysts in the Dan Dierdorf mold ought to learn.)
But it's one thing to admit you don't know and another to excuse your actions a little too much.
"I know the offense, if you fumble that ball out of the back of the end zone, it's a safety. That's the extent of my official of that rule," Pawlawski said. "They get paid for this stuff, I just gotta come up here and comment on it."
Um, aren't you getting paid to comment on it? You're not a volunteer, are you?
"It's early in the season. This is our preseason," Tompkins said.
Ooooh, better to say nothing than to make lame excuses like that.
I don't know all the rules, either. But then I'm not getting paid to comment on the game.
I'm just getting paid to comment on the commentators.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com