Rush, GM Polisky win AFL awards

The Chicago Rush won the 2008 Arena Football League Commissioner's Award, given to the league's organization of the year, and Rush president/general manager Mike Polisky was named the league's executive of the year, the AFL announced Friday night at its annual awards banquet.

It's the second-consecutive year - and the third time in the last five seasons - the Rush has won the award, which honors excellence in the front office as well as on the field. The Rush is just one of two teams in league history to have won the award more than twice.

It is the first time Polisky has been honored.

"It's a terrific honor for our organization," Polisky said. "I believe we have the best staff in the Arena Football League, and the organization's success is a tribute to the hard work of everyone - from ownership, to our coaching staff and players, to our tremendous front office."

The Rush posted an 11-5 record and won the Central Division title for the second-consecutive season and fourth time overall, while averaging a record 15,874 fans in 2008. Rush fans filled Allstate Arena to 99 percent of capacity this year, including selling out five of the team's eight regular-season games. Much of the success with the crowds was due to a more than 20 percent climb in season ticket sales from 2007 - the eighth-consecutive season in which season ticket sales have risen - and a 30 percent rise in group ticket sales.

In addition, corporate partnerships - including working relationships with Allstate Insurance, Bank of American, Budweiser, Discover Card, Meijer and Pepsi - increased by 16 percent in 2008 and ranked among the top in the AFL.

The Rush again was the most-televised team in the AFL, with eight games broadcast nationally on either ESPN or ESPN2, and saw its TV ratings rise by 40 percent this season.

The team's success led to the Rush being featured in a series of national commercials for Discover Card and a pair of commercials for ESPN's SportsCenter.