The betting public always thinks that football is over in February. But for a small amount of degenerate gamblers like me the Arena Football League season starts March 1. That's right, this week the schedule for the 21st season of the AFL was released. The countdown to '07 kickoff is less then 90 days away. Let the handicapping begin!

The first game of the season is on March 1 when the Columbus Destroyers visit the Nashville Kats. The AFL is starting in March this season, which is about 5 weeks later than it has been in the last couple of years. The 19 AFL teams will play a 16-game schedule over 17 weeks and each team receives one bye week. The AFL Playoffs begin on June 29 with Wild Card Weekend. The season will end with the big game, ArenaBowl XXI on July 29. The last two years the ArenaBowl has been in Las Vegas, but I'm hearing that ArenaBowl XXI will be held in New Orleans.

As I looked through the 17 weeks of team schedules I've noticed that there are quite a few Thursday and Monday games this year. Of course there are Saturday games, but what struck me were fewer Sunday games and some weeks with no Sunday games. This has to be because NBC is out of the picture and maybe the new network (whoever it might be) wants to show games on primetime Mondays, Thursdays as well as Saturdays.

The 2007 season brings as back the New Orleans VooDoo. The New Orleans VooDoo was forced to take a one-year hiatus due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The last game New Orleans played was on May 22, 2005, which they lost, 51-40, to Orlando. The Voodoo's first game is on March 3 at Utah. Their first home game is on March 9 against the Philadelphia Soul. Like I said in the beginning of this article, ArenaBowl XXI, I'm hearing is being played in New Orleans.

I'm a big fan of the Arena Football league, so check back to Doc's Sports for future articles, league previews and odds for this upcoming 2007 Arena Football season.

Thanks
Vegas Sports Informer.