Seeking NX5 Advice from J Lenihan

I am new to this forum. I "found" Creative Cow back in May when I started to seriously researching a camera to replace my aging Canon GL2. I have been able to "get by"
with my GL2 for maybe a bit longer than I should have, but for what I do, it suffices as I do not have a real need for HD. But I want to upgrade my camera and have the ability of HD and SD and move away from tape. I film a lot of youth and high school football, so the 20x zoom of the NX5 narrowed my choice down quite a bit. I have read with great interest the responses that you (John) have provided on this forum regarding the NX5. I am seeking some of your operational experienced of the NX5 to help me determine if the camera is a good fit for my use.

I film a lot of HS football from the sidelines (hand held) so relying on the auto focus is a necessity. I had read numerous posts regarding the back focus issues of the NX5 and your comments regarding the how the camera tends to "focus" in on straight lines in the background as opposed to a persons face in the center of the viewfinder during low light situations such as in a banquet room.

By looking at your web site and some examples in your posts, I see that you film sporting events. When you film soccer, hockey ect., do you rely on auto focus? If so do you experience any "hunting" that others have experienced with the NX5? With your experience w/ the NX5, do you feel that auto focus can be relied on to capture the action on the field when manual focus can not be utilized? Also, for the wedding videography that you perform, can auto focus be relied on - generally speaking? Do you feel that the CMOS chips and AVCHD format provides you good quality for fast moving (panning) sporting events?

I rely on the viewfinder on my GL2 when I shoot from a tripod or hand held and do not use the LCD screen. In your opinion, can the NX5 be comfortably hand held and the view find utilized to capture sideline footage?

I understand that the NX5 has been around a while and will probably be phased out without an upgrade, but my needs of a long zoom and the ability to not to rely on a tripod all the time limits my options, I believe. Additionally, the cost of the NX5 is at my limits.....I can not justify spending $5k plus at this point on the other offerings from Sony, Panasonic or Canon that receive the most favorable posts regarding the cameras abilities. The new JVC looks appealing, but I may need to purchase before the camera is available.
Thank you for your time.