Running back Jacob Saylors sprints in for a touchdown. Photo by Marcelina Enriquez.
The St. Louis Battlehawks returned to the Dome at America’s Center, a.k.a. The Battle Dome, Sunday evening to exact revenge on the San Antonio Brahmas. The Brahmas knocked the Battlehawks out of the playoffs last year, just one game before the championship, so this particular matchup was the perfect home opener for the Battlehawks and their faithful fans.
Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht, whose only coaching experience is as head coach of the Battlehawks, faced off against football mainstay Wade Phillips. Phillips—who has been coaching for over fifty-five years and has been an assistant coach, defensive coordinator, and head coach of numerous NFL teams—is still a force at 77 years old, as his Brahmas had a winning record last season and made it all the way to the championship game. Basically, you can be as old as your mid-60s and say you have childhood memories of Wade Phillips coaching.
The Battlehawks came soaring into their home stadium after a week one win against the Houston Roughnecks 31-6, while the Brahmas were limping from a week one 9-33 defeat against the Arlington Renegades. As the team emerged from the tunnel and smoke, the crowd of faithful Battlehawk fans erupted in a voice 32,115 fans strong. The fans are by far one of St. Louis’ best weapons. While other teams draw home crowds well less than 10,000 to a game, the “Ka-Kaws” have consistently drawn crowds around 30,000 or more for the last two seasons, plus the inaugural season before Covid ended it in 2020.
At one time, the ferocity of the Battlehawks fandom seemed to come at least somewhat as a protest against the NFL Rams and their owner, Stan Kroenke, who left St. Louis after twenty seasons in 2016. St. Louis Rams fans were dedicated from the beginning as they shelled out big bucks for PSLs (Personal Seat Licenses), plus the additional season ticket prices. Despite a rough start in St. Louis, the Rams would be competitive through most of the 2000s and appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one of them in a season that literally inspired a Hollywood movie. Despite the love that the city and paying ticket holders had for the team, Kroenke would become sole owner of the team and from the get-go was determined to move the Rams back to the huge market of Los Angeles and build a stadium that rivaled Babylon itself.
As time has gone on, the fandom seems to be more about the Battlehawks and St. Louis sports and less to do with a bad break up. For example, a group of buddies from Imperial, MO, that I met were too young to attend much less remember the Rams. Andy, Chase, and Adam have been Battlehawk season ticket holders for the last two years and they say they come for atmosphere. “It’s like a party when you’re in the Dome!” said Andy.
Not all Battlehawk fans are against the Rams. Bobby, 29 from South County, literally grew up with the St. Louis Rams and is still a fan of them despite them being gone nearly ten years. For Bobby, the Battlehawks represent the spirit of St. Louis sports. Bobby who loves the Cardinals and is a fan of the new St. Louis City SC MLS soccer team in St. Louis, says that the Battlehawks represent the football piece of that St. Louis fandom.
Battlehawks super fan Gruffy, decked out in Battlehawks colors from head to toe, said that the Battlehawks represent everything that is good about St. Louis sports. “After our NFL team was abruptly taken away, the Battlehawks have proven that they are here for the city and the fans and in return we have continued to show up for them. It’s like a mutual commitment between the team and the fans.”
David Overton of Wood River, Illinois, says that the team represents the blue collar character of the region that just loves football. “After being burned twice, first by [Bill] Bidwell and the Cardinals [who left St. Louis for Arizona in 1987] and then Kroenke and the Rams, we just yearn for football, so we have moved past those old teams. This is our team. We have ownership with the Battlehawks.”
At the Battlehawks games, Ka-Kaw is the law and the fans can be whoever they want to be. Many fans dress up in Battlehawk costumes, Mardi Gras like beads and chains, and blue Battlehawk jerseys that surely compete with top tier teams in sales. The Ka-Kaws still tailgate at various locations and show up together in large groups. Many fans are strangers who have gotten to know each other the last few years and know each other along with the players on a first name basis.
When going to a Battlehawks game, you see other ways that the city and sports have collectively moved on in time. Where you once saw the dominance of Anheuser-Busch products, you now see major sponsors like CBD Kratom Cannabis Dispensary’s sprawling cannabis leaf where you once saw the sprawling wings of the Budweiser eagle. Another major sponsor is the festive-looking, fruity-flavored drinks, Beatbox. Beatbox fits well with the younger, party atmosphere of the Battlehawks fans while also touting 11.1% alcohol! Kids, don’t touch momma’s juice boxes.
And it doesn’t hurt that the team wins. Despite not winning a championship in the short existence of the league (first the XFL and now the UFL), the Battlehawks have had winning records. In fact, going back to last season, the team is 5-0 at home. At least part of the Battlehawks success comes from the team’s strong identity and vision. Just as the fans are not looking to the past or the future of NFL in St. Louis, it seems that much of the organization calls St. Louis their professional home. Thirty-one players returned this year to fill out the 50-man roster. That sort of consistency in a second-tier league is unheard of in other sports. It seems to show that this team is not just a placeholder for all involved, but something original and unique to the city of St. Louis, the management, the coaches, and the stars of the game, the players.
Both the fans and the players did their parts in this symbiotic relationship last night. The fans were loud and rowdy from the pre-game to the final whistle, filling the large space of the dome with deafening noise that caused San Antonio to have several delay-of-games and helped keep the Battlehawks energy up. The Battlehawks came out and dominated their opponent for a second week in a row. The defense held the Brahmas to just a field goal and a touchdown while recording four sacks and an interception. The Battlehawks racked up three touchdowns and two field goals. Manny Wilkins solidified his position as the starting quarterback with another proficient game behind the center. He had 162 yards passing and no interceptions while also running for 60 yards to keep the Brahmas’ defense out of place all night. Star running back Jacob Saylors rushed for 54 yards and three touchdowns. The Revenge of the Hawks was never in doubt. Battlehawks win, 26-9. The Battlehawk fans, undefeated. | Ryan Parker
