Let me the get the obvious out of the way first - the whole point of the Arena Football League is to entertain, to be fast, hard-hitting and high-scoring.
So, you kind of notice when one particular guy stands out as a little more entertaining, a little quicker than most.
You don't see too many Calvin Johnson-like behemoths catching passes in the AFL, but rather tough as nails waterbugs that can get up from some very violent collisions but also maneuver around most of them.
That's new Mustangs receiver Andrae Thurman, who came to Milwaukee by way of a four-team trade in mid-April.
Thurman, who played for the Packers in 2004 and 2005, was the offensive player of the game in the Mustangs' win over Philadelphia last week and has quickly become a favorite of QB Gino Guidugli.
Now, if Thurman could still play in the NFL, I'm sure he would be. He's dropped some passes already here in the first half against the Cleveland Gladiators that perhaps offer some insight as to why he's not.
But, the skill set he does have is eye-catching. You can't help but stay focused on No. 4.
The opposition is, too. In the second quarter the entire Cleveland secondary paid attention to him as his route took him up the middle and then veered to a the let corner of the end zone - leaving Milwaukee native Jared Jenkins wide open in the other corner for a TD.
Heck - even I watched Thurman down the field on that pattern.
He's only been in Milwaukee a short time, but he's definitely worth your attention.
Jim Owczarski is an award-winning sports journalist and comes to Milwaukee by way of the Chicago Sun-Times Media Network.
A three-year Wisconsin resident who has considered Milwaukee a second home for the better part of seven years, he brings to the market experience covering nearly all major and college sports.
To this point in his career, he has been awarded six national Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, breaking news and projects. He is also a four-time nominee for the prestigious Peter J. Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, presented by the Chicago Headline Club, and is a two-time winner for Best Sports Story. He has also won numerous other Illinois Press Association, Illinois Associated Press and Northern Illinois Newspaper Association awards.
Jim's career started in earnest as a North Central College (Naperville, Ill.) senior in 2002 when he received a Richter Fellowship to cover the Chicago White Sox in spring training. He was hired by the Naperville Sun in 2003 and moved on to the Aurora Beacon News in 2007 before joining OnMilwaukee.com.
In that time, he has covered the events, news and personalities that make up the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, NCAA football, baseball and men's and women's basketball as well as boxing, mixed martial arts and various U.S. Olympic teams.
Golf aficionados who venture into Illinois have also read Jim in GOLF Chicago Magazine as well as the Chicago District Golfer and Illinois Golfer magazines.
