Utah Blaze: Team looks to 'cap' off slump

Skull caps are one of the "in" apparel items for football players these days. The form-fitting caps are worn under the helmets for comfort and to soak up perspiration and are particularly popular for the players who shave their heads bald.

It wasn't only the Utah Blaze players wearing skull caps on Tuesday at practice, however. The entire Blaze coaching staff was donning the head wear, too. The result, was, well, interesting — to put it nicely.

"It's not a good look for a middle-aged white guy," said candidly honest defensive coordinator Ron James.

Still, James, head coach Danny White and the other coaches wore the black skull caps as a sign of unity with the players.

"These are our rally caps," explained White, whose black skull cap was visible underneath his usual Blaze baseball cap.

At 0-8 halfway through the Arena Football League season, White, it seems, is willing to try anything in an attempt to change his team's fortunes.

"I am so close to the edge," White admitted.

But he has yet to jump.

"It's been a real challenge," said White, one of the all-time most successful coaches in AFL history. "This is not something I've ever dealt with before."

Week after week, loss after loss, White maintains that his team has enough talent to win games. When asked if the Blaze could beat the 6-2 New Orleans VooDoo this Friday night on the road, White didn't hesitate.

"Yes, we can" beat New Orleans, White said. "There is not a team in the league we can't beat."

NO FIRE SALE: While White's previous Arizona Rattlers and Utah Blaze teams have never struggled like this one has to win games, he's been around the league enough to know that every year there is a team or two in a similar position.

The difference is that White is convinced that the Blaze organization won't simply throw in the towel and try to cut costs as much as possible in the final weeks of the year like most other AFL franchises do in similar predicaments. Since AFL contracts are not guaranteed, teams with losing records often release their highest-paid players and use only low-paid veterans and rookies in the final games to reduce their financial losses.

White said he has received assurances from Blaze owner John Garff that the team will continue to be fully funded throughout the final half of the season and the Utah fans should be grateful to the Garffs for that support.