Blaze fans get own victory

It turned out to be a record-setting first season for several Utah Blaze players — and plenty of local fans were there to see it, too.

Just as the Blaze rallied late in the season to make the Arena Football League playoffs, the team's fans helped the Blaze to a come-from-behind victory in the attendance battle.

Entering the final week of the season, the Blaze were second in the AFL in attendance, averaging 15,304 fans per game. The Philadelphia Soul, winners of two straight AFL attendance titles, were averaging 15,463 fans — but they had a road game in the regular-season finale.

So when a sellout crowd of 16,855 showed up Friday night in the Delta Center to watch the Blaze edge the Kansas City Brigade, Utah vaulted to the top of the attendance chart. For the season, the Blaze averaged 15,498 fans — 35 more people per game than the Soul in Philadelphia.

"This is a great accomplishment for the entire Blaze organization and the greatest fans in the Arena Football League," said Blaze president Jason Jones. "It is a reflection of the type of ownership we have with the Garff family and the type of people here in the state of Utah. We are truly honored."

Following the Blaze and the Soul in attendance were the Kansas City Brigade (15,234), Colorado Crush (15,009) and Tampa Bay Storm (14,820).

The AFL, as a whole, had a good season, attendance-wise. The league's total attendance for the 2006 regular season was 1,782,475, which ranks as the second-highest total in league history behind 2004.

The 2006 season attracted just 45,104 fewer fans than 2004, which had 1,827,579. But if you look at it on a per-game basis, 2006 beats 2004. There were 19 teams and 152 games played in 2004 for an average of 12,024. This season, with 18 teams and a total of 144 games, average attendance per game was 12,378.

ON-FIELD RECORDS: Utah's offense set nine AFL expansion records, while the Blaze defense also reached the top spot with total tackles and assisted tackles.

Individually, Siaha Burley set the expansion records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His 1,934 yards receiving was tops in the league this year — 14 yards more than Colorado's Damian Harrell. It was also the second-highest in league history, behind only Arizona's Calvin Schexnayder's 1,982 in 1998.