DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Picture in your mind Roger Goodell rolling out the RCA Dome turf with Tony Dungy and spending three hours patching up tears in the turf.
 Not to say the World Indoor Football League's Gary Tufford or the Daytona Beach Thunder's Leon Bright in the same league as those above-mentioned and well-known National Football League counterparts. We know that. We also were going to make a joke about the Colts' run defense, but that was before they held Larry Johnson and Jamal Lewis to a combined 85 yards over the past two weeks.
 Nevertheless, here was our commissioner helping out the Thunder operations in the first reminder that the season is fast approaching -- getting the field back into prime condition after a year in storage.
 Tufford's days as a coach and director of operations came in handy during the two-day task assisting Thunder Vice-President of Operations Brad Humphrey and his crew, which included the Thunder coaching staff.
"I'm always concerned about 1) player safety and 2) public appearance," Tufford said. "It's the little things like this we need to perfect if we'ree going to set a standard in indoor football. Our staff's available to help out our teams in all these operations. The fact that I am working on this myself is reflective of my experience of course but more importantly I want it to look and feel the way it should. I am always concerned with the details of what it takes to attain professional standards and at the end of the day this field will be ready to play on and look great." 
Minor damage occurred during moving the field and storage necessitated the maintenance. 
"When our fans come to the Ocean Center to see us win a championship, they'll be focused on the players," Humphrey said. "Every now and then, I'm going to be looking at the field and thinking about what it takes to make this work. That's a good feeling. 
"It's also good to be on the same page with the Ocean Center staff," Humphrey added. "Co-operation with the building will be essential to a successful game day." General Manager Jeremiah Johnson also aided in the fun and festivities, along with a unique participant -- by Sgt. Gregory Goss of the Daytona Beach-based U.S. Army reserve Air Defense Artillery unit, who will help lay the field down before each of the seven home games.
 Tufford's visit to Florida included meetings with the Thunder front office as well as the Osceola Ghostriders.
 The WIFL begins play February 11 with the Thunder hosting the Augusta Spartans.