Central Texas Pro Sports Roundtable

Hosted by AJ Hoffman of AM 1300 The Zone, the guys who run all of Central Texas’s most popular professional sports teams will meet in an open forum to discuss the opportunities for local athletes and those who aspire to work in the sports industry as well as talk about the challenges and opportunities of operating in Central Texas.

Panelists include:

Host: A.J. Hoffman - AM 1300 The Zone
Jay Miller (Owner/COO/President) Round Rock Express	Peter Lubell (COO) Austin Toros	Jack Dixon (Director of Operations) Austin Turfcats
Kyle Dalton (Director of Marketing) Austin Aztex	Brian Spieles (VP of Marketing) Texas Stars	Matthew Payne (Executive Director) Austin Sports Commission

Austin Turfcats Can’t Upset Swashbucklers

The Austin Turfcats were heading to hostile territory for tonight’s SIFL championships against a team that has shown little weakness during its 12-1 season. As they have most of the rest of the competition this season, the Louisiana Swashbucklers scored early, scored often, and scored more.

The Austin Turfcats finish their inaugural season short of the championship but have much to be proud of - including drawing nearly 4000 fans to their final homegame of the season last weekend, a barn-burning, back-and-forth affair that needed an Overtime to determine a winner.

Tonight’s game, on the other hand, was anything but “back-and-forth”. The Swashbucklers ran up an early 21-0 lead in the first quarter and capitalized on Turfcats errors to hold that 21 point difference right to the final score of 59-38.

The Turfcats join the Austin Toros as the second pro team in Austin to come just short of a championship this season. The Toros were knocked out of their playoffs in a semi-final game most observers believed was a matchup of the two best teams in the NBA’s D-League 2009 season. Both the Toros and the Turfcats promise to deliver more exciting pro sports in 2010.

Join The Texas Testosterone Festival for The Central Texas Pro Sports Roundtable on Saturday August 15. More details very soon!

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Turfcats to Face Swashbucklers, Get a Bus

And not in that order either. The Swashbucklers did what was expected and pound the living daylights out of the Houma Conquerors earlier tonight to earn the right to face the mighty Austin Turfcats in the Southern Indoor Football League Championship game.

The bad news is the Turfcats have to travel to Louisiana to face the 11-1 Swashbucklers. The good news is the Turfcats will take you to the game on their bus. And there is a casino at the end of the line so you can win cash money at the tables, like any civilized society should be legally allowed in the twenty-first century.

Tickets to ride the bus are $85 and include great seats at the game, transportation back and forth, and an almost sure-fire hug from your favorite Lady Cat. Not to mention you’ll at least break even after an hour or two at the poker tables. The bus rolls out at 6:00 AM on Monday, July 27. Cheer the Turfcats on to their first SIFL championship.

“To book your seat contact Jack Dixon at (866) 969-TCAT (8228), or via e-mail at jack@turfcats.com no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 23rd.”

Turfcats Advance to SIFL Finals with Victory over Mudbugs

Last night’s near-capacity adfirmative.com field witnessed an exciting, back-and-forth, semi-final throwdown between the Austin Turfcats and the Acadania Mudbugs that needed overtime to settle who heads to the SIFL finals next weekend. The Turfcats came away with the victory 56-49, able to hold the Mudbugs off the scoreboard in Overtime.

The Louisiana Swashbucklers (10-1) are heavy favorites in Monday night’s other semi-final game versus Houma Conquerors (3-8) but Turfcats fans will be cheering on the underdogs for one more chance to see the home team at Travis County Expo Center next weekend. A Swashbucklers victory sends the Turfcats to Louisiana for the finals, rather than hosting the finals in Austin.

Turfcats Sweeping Hurricanes, Start Playoffs at Home

The Austin Turfcats have been fortunate this season, perhaps. Rival Texas Hurricanes were on the schedule for four of the Turfcats eleven regular season games and they have taken care of business at each opportunity. Their second meeting provided a scare needing a fourth quarter rally to squeeze out a 41-34 victory. Taking the lesson to heart, the Turfcats gave the Hurricanes little room to breathe tonight in College Station, riding a 22-0 halftime lead to a 36-12 final score.

The Turfcats had already secured a home playoff game July 18 at 6:30 PM and look to be playing the Acadiana Mudbugs for a chance at the SIFL championship. If the Louisiana Swashbucklers defeat their opening round opponents, as is expected, the Turfcats will travel to Louisiana for the SIFL’s “Super Bowl”. We’ll be at the game so be sure to drop by and say hello.

The final regular season game, the fourth meeting with the Texas Hurricanes, is scheduled back in College Station this Saturday and should be a great warm-up game for the rapidly approaching playoffs.

Turfcats Come From Behind to Beat Hurricanes

Whoever bought the Texas Pirates mid-season and turned them into the Texas Hurricanes must have spent the first half of Saturday’s game checking to make sure the same team on the field was the one he’d paid for. The Hurricanes ran up a 20-0 lead in the first quarter and looked to be the fresher team on the field.

However, the Turfcats roared back in the second and fourth quarters behind solid defense and great special team play to ultimately win 41-34.  This was the Turfcats last remaining home game of the season but three road games remain before the playoffs, two against this now imposing Hurricanes team.

The Turfcats next take on the Acadiana Mudbugs on Monday night in a battle for second place in the Southern Indoor Football League.

Turfcats can’t hold back Swashbucklers

The Austin Turfcats played an odd weeknight matchup against the Louisiana Swashbucklers tonight but couldn’t keep the home team off the scoreboard. The Swashbucklers beat the Turfcats 60-47.

The Turfcats will have to lick their wounds and return to the field with just 5 days rest. They play the final home game of the season this Saturday against the Texas Pirates at 6:30. The Turfcats will look to run the table on their last three games of the season for the chance to rematch the Swashbucklers in the post-season.

Turfcats Spoil Texas Crunch’s Indoor Football Debut

The saying is “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” The Turfcats killed the Crunch in the first half of last night’s game and then ran up a 71-15 score on an emotionally wrecked North Texas team.

The Turfcats lead 29-9 going into halftime and then began the second half with a 42 yard kickoff return from Darrick Wallace and three plays later the Turfcats had scored again. This was promptly followed by a deep kickoff and a safety scored when Barrett Dallmeyer of the Turfcats sacked Crunch QB James Wilson in the end zone.

The Turfcats had interceptions, fumble recoveries for touchdowns, long kickoff returns, blocked field goal attempts, and put on a clinic of domination inside adfirmative.com field.

The Turfcats continue to hold on to first place in the Southern Indoor Football League, tied with next week’s opponent, the Louisiana Swashbucklers. The Turfcats’ next home game is June 20 against the Texas Pirates. See you there.

Turfcats Whup Pirates - Rematch This Weekend

The Austin Turfcats protected a 16-0 first-half lead against the Texas Pirates Saturday to win 38-20 on the back of tenacious defense and special teams. It was the first of a home-and-home series with the Pirates. A blocked field goal for a touchdown, an interception, fumbles all played to the Turfcats favor in an exciting match of hard-hitting indoor football. So… why did the Turfcats leave the field with a minute left in the game?

The Turfcats improve to 4-1 to tie for the lead in the Southern Indoor Football League with the Louisiana Swashbucklers.

The Turfcats face the Pirates in Houston Saturday and their next home game will be against an opponent to be announced. The Florida Kings have been expelled from the league leaving the Turfcats temporarily without an opponent for their next game at home.

A Busy Saturday in Central Texas

Keep an eye out for us on Saturday at all these places.

Starting at noon at the Travis County Expo Center is the Mean Streets Car Show with Playboy model Shannon Shay (fans), a Neon Glow Off by Annihilator Customs (fans of Annihilator), and Live Music from boatloads of bands, including the band with the official theme song of The Texas Testosterone Festival, Downsiid (big fans). There’s a bunch of other stuff as well - definitely a great afternoon is in store.

Your Austin Turfcats, the professional indoor football team, take to the field at 6:30 to face rival the Texas Pirates. The Turfcats are 3-1 and tied for the lead in the Southern Indoor Football League.  Indoor football is a blast, folks. Besides, we’re not the only ones needing a football fix in May. The Turfcats play at adfirmative.com field in the Travis County Expo Center so you don’t have far to go.

From the Turfcats, make your way to Bikini’s Bar and Grill for UFC 98, Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida, Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes, and the return of the mighty Pat Barry.

Cars and motorbikes, playboy model, football, mixed martial arts, beautiful women in bikinis serving us two pound hamburgers and cold beer… Thrown together, all this stuff is like a testosterone festival unto itself. Tough job, but we have to do it. Honey, we’ll be gone all day on Saturday.