The orange that roared: Fans deliver a shock

It would be hard to fathom a Spokane Shock arenafootball2 game without attending one. Especially during the playoffs.

To go to a game would be to hear the deafening roar that accompanies the first kickoff being run for a touchdown, as Charles Frederick did Saturday night. The announcer was nearly inaudible, save for the muffle of his scream coming from speakers.

And it would be hard to understand the fans of the Shock without perhaps being one, or watching them go wild in their seats nearly every play. But it might help to talk to John Taylor and Don Stumm, who are considered the two biggest fans.

“When in the (NFL) do you get two consecutive timeouts called because of the fans?” Taylor said. It’s part of the reason why he’s such a fan.

“The fans are actually part of the game,” Stumm said, his hair spiked into a triple Mohawk spray-painted blue and orange.

Taylor and Stumm were given a gift certificate and a plaque signifying their fandom during the Shock’s annual banquet on Wednesday. Taylor was the first person to purchase season tickets, and Stumm is considered the Shock’s biggest online fanatic for posting so much on the team’s Web site.

The two have placed Shock stickers on the backs of their vehicles. Taylor went so far as to cover the entire back window of his Chevrolet Suburban with a Shock sticker after getting permission from team owners, and even purchased personalized license plates that read “GOSHOCK.”

The love of the Shock goes beyond the arena, though, they said. It’s a love for all things pigskin. Taylor said he could not have been happier to gain an af2 team in Spokane, allowing his football obsession – he’s a Seahawks fan during NFL season – to span the entire year.

“My wife knows not to plan anything on the weekends,” Taylor said, smiling. “It’s her birthday next weekend, so she’s probably pulling for a loss tonight.”

Stumm and Taylor stumped for the Shock during a tailgate session Saturday afternoon prior to the game. They cooked hamburgers and hotdogs and rallied with other fans.

Even though these two are considered the biggest fans, it by no means indicates that other fans are dull. Far from it.

Take the Orange Crush, a group that met at church and comes together on weekends in bright orange jumpsuits and wacky helmets. They, too, have Shock syndrome.

“We love sports … and we love Spokane,” said the group’s leader, Jay Beal. “We’ll cheer for anything.”

In section 216, where Taylor sat just below them, the Orange Crush looked down on the crowd and the field and screamed.

“You can’t leave a game with a voice,” said Adam Fox, another Crusher.

Beal said the group has been trying to expand and that the only requirements are a love for the Shock and a willingness to have a good time.

“We view the whole fan base as the Orange Crush …” Beal trailed off as Fox interrupted and said, “We just take it over the edge.”

As Crush members watched the game, standing at all times in their excitement, other fans held up signs for the team and screamed through lips painted the blue and orange Shock colors.

During the color guard presentation, game-goers could not resist taunting players from the Bakersfield Blitz. As the guard came to a halt and presented the flags, the arena’s silence was broken by the shout of one fan who hollered “You’re going down Bakersfield!” to which the crowd cheered for nearly half a minute.

“The crowd is pumped up every play,” Taylor said. “It’s quite an experience for a fan, I think.”