By Brandon Judd
A name and attitude can finally be put with the newest professional team in Utah.
During a press conference at the Delta Center on Thursday, the Utah Arena Football League team was given a name, the Utah Blaze, a logo and announced AFL superstar Hunkie Cooper will join the franchise as an assistant coach.
?We wanted a name that captured the essence of Arena Football,? Blaze president Jason Jones said. ?We wanted a name that would embody the attributes of one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and we wanted a name that was synonymous with the team we are going to put on the field in 2006.
?Blaze is that ferocious brand of fire that spreads quickly and is very difficult to contain. It?s fast, it?s hot and it?s loud. We ensure you that the Utah Blaze will embody all these attributes.?
The team logo is a flame that forms a ?B,? and the Blaze?s colors will be orange, black and silver.
Utah head coach Danny White joked with the mostly LDS audience the name wasn?t even his top choice.
?That was my second favorite name,? White said. ?I actually wanted to be called the Mad Mormon Maniacal Murdering Marauders, but the league said that name was too long.?
With a name to go by, the Blaze must now prepare for their inaugural season in the AFL, which starts in January 2006. White said the franchise, with a name in place, can now work towards its goal of becoming world champions. He also said the league?s style of play will appeal to the fans in the Salt Lake City area.
?This will be the hottest ticket in town,? White said. ?It has the speed, it has the high scoring. It has the violent collisions, and it has the proximity of the fans being close to the action where they can actually be involved and so active in the game.?
Cooper said the excitement has already caught fire in the area.
?I know a lot about this game,? he said. ?This is the most excitement I?ve seen about Arena Football in a long time.?
Cooper comes to Utah after playing 13 seasons in the AFL with the Arizona Rattlers. During his time there, he set various records and earned numerous awards, including becoming one of only two players to earn AFL MVP (1993) and AFL Ironman of the Year Awards (1999, 2000) in his career. Cooper also won the ArenaBowl XI Ironman Award in 1997 and is the AFL?s career leader with 20,587 all-purpose yards.
?Hunkie Cooper is a household name in Arizona,? White said. ?He is the prototype Arena Football player.?
Cooper, who will be the receiver/linebackers coach, will join White and Lee Leslie, the team?s other assistant coach, on the coaching staff. White brought in Cooper after serving as his head coach in Arizona, where White coached for 13 years. During his stint with the Rattlers, White led the team to ArenaBowl championships in 1994 and 1997 and ArenaBowl berths in three other seasons ? 2002, 2003 and 2004. White?s 141 wins as a coach are second best in league history.
?I can guarantee you this,? Cooper said. ?This team will go from the bottom to the top in a hurry because of the system Danny White puts in and the people he puts into the system and the type of background he comes from. Are all presentable people you aren?t afraid to take home.?