02/02/2012 10:48 AM
My name is Tom Traver, and I am an Orlando Predators fan.
I absolutely love this team and the game of Arena Football. In 1992, I went to a Predators game out of curiosity. One game is all it took… I have been hooked ever since.
I have been a season ticket holder since 1994, and cannot wait until the 2012 season starts!! I have an immeasurable amount of pride for Orlando's ONLY World Champions, THE Orlando Predators!!! I bleed red and black!!! Believe it! Another hardcore fan told me that, besides our mascot Klaw, I have become the face of the Predators.
At games, I can always be found with my yellow cat eye contact lenses in place, and my game-played Cory Fleming, Kenny McEntyre, or Barry Wagner jersey. Nothing but the real thing for me! To top it off is my Predhead, made by fellow fan Richard Grieb. I have become known for my signs I bring to games, the "Predators Advisory", and the "IN YOUR FACE" signs. Both have gotten their fair share of TV time, but most notable was during the broadcast of the 1999 ArenaBowl from Albany, NY. At halftime, ABC used my "Advisory" sign during a segment explaining Arena Football to the viewers. I had the honor of being in the opening video for every Preds’ home game for the 2011 season. Other honors have been being included in the 1998 ArenaBowl Championship video, being on the 1999 schedule poster, and having my pic on a season ticket one year.
For me, the pride and promoting does not stop when the season ends. I am always thinking "PREDATORS." With claws being a major theme with the Preds, I carry that into custom Predators fan-oriented items. Instead of a football crashing into my trucks window, I have claws ripping their way out. I make clawmark hood ornaments that look like real claws tearing through metal. I can't forget the 3-D, one-of-a-kind Predators claw license plate either.
I always tell people that have never been to an Arena game to go to just one Predators game. One game is all it will take. I tell them they can buy a ticket for the whole seat, but they'll only use the edge of it. There isn't anything you can do on a weekend night that matches the excitement, electricity, and camaraderie of a game in our Jungle!
I LOVE THIS TEAM!!! I LOVE THIS GAME!!!
-Tom Traver
