Post by Deep Purple on Mar 14, 2007 16:48:30 GMT -5
I guess we have to take all this with a grain of salt. I have had conversations with Jack over the last 2 seasons, doing some player appearances with him, as well as doing stats for home games last year. None of that involved me getting paid, so I cannot shed any light on the financial side of things. Maybe they just didn't get along. Here is what the Phantoms are saying:
Phantoms dispute ex-coach's allegations
Tuesday, Mar 13, 2007 - 11:03 PM
Shawn Singleton
Morning News
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Less than 24 hours after Charlie Brown’s resignation as coach of Florence’s indoor football team, the Phantoms returned his salvo.
In a letter addressed to Phantoms management on Monday, Brown said a clash with the front office over pay and personnel led to his sudden departure.
The former Washington Redskins receiver said that the Phantoms had not paid him for his last game, a 43-40 loss to Huntington on March 3 at the Florence Civic Center.
But Phantoms general manager Jack Bowman said the entire staff had been paid, and that Brown wasn’t — and still hasn’t been — present to pick up his check.
“We pay everyone within seven days of each game. (Brown) came in Friday night for practice and the office was closed,” Bowman said. “Nobody’s trying to hold any money back from anyone.”
“I haven’t seen (Brown) since the Huntington game,” Phantoms owner Joey Shannon said. “Everyone else has been paid on time.”
Brown disagreed, saying that this isn’t the first time an incident like this has happened.
“This is about the third or fourth time this has happened,” Brown said by telephone Tuesday. “(Shannon and Bowman) aren’t being honest.
“Any time that you have to chase down the owner and general manager to get paid, there’s a problem.”
Bowman went on to say the team has turned a profit, and that there are no financial troubles for the Phantoms.
“We have shown a profit this season,” he said. “Every game we’ve played, we have gotten a check from the arena.”
“(The Phantoms) are in good financial standing with the Civic Center,” Civic Center general manager Kendall Wall said. “They’re a great tenant and we have no problems with them.”
Brown’s assertion that his former team undermined him on player issues stemmed from a contentious relationship with running back/receiver Rafael Cooper.
“(Cooper) is not a team player. When he was cut from the NFL, he spent a lot of time looking for other teams to play for, but his time has passed,” Brown said. “He is a prima donna who doesn’t want to help the younger players.”
In the letter, Brown said he had wanted Cooper dismissed from the Phantoms for conduct detrimental to the team. Brown said Bowman promised him the player would be released, but he wasn’t.
“We have an ownership group, a general manager, an assistant general manager and a director of player personnel,” Bowman said. “We are a structured organization, and all of us make player decisions, not just the coach.”
Cooper is still on the Phantoms’ roster. The former Louisville standout has caught two touchdown passes this season and rushed for another.
“(Brown) perceived the problem was solely Rafael Cooper, but there were other problems,” Bowman said. “As former NFL players, Rafael and several others wanted more input in the offense. Everyone couldn’t get on the same page.”
Once again, Brown disagreed with Bowman on the rift that developed over Cooper.
“I had problems with (Cooper) from the beginning. I wanted him off the team because he was becoming a cancer,” Brown said. “It had nothing to do with offensive philosophy.”
Brown also said Shannon was too hands-on with the players. The former Phantoms coach also said Shannon let the players get away with too much.
“I had two players break curfew when we played at Lakeland,” Brown said. “I went to Joey about these players, and he did nothing about it.
“I cannot coach undisciplined players. But it’s his team, I guess.”
Shannon defended his approach as an owner, taking the loose comparison to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as a compliment.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I am not going to invest a ton of money into something and then turn total control over to someone else,” Shannon said. “That just makes no sense to me.”
In the end, however, the team asserts many factors led to a coaching change.
“There were all sorts of stumbling blocks when Charlie was here, even in training camp,” Bowman said. “There were many other factors that he didn’t list.
“But he’s a class guy, and I truly wish nothing but the best for him.”
Phantoms dispute ex-coach's allegations
Tuesday, Mar 13, 2007 - 11:03 PM
Shawn Singleton
Morning News
Email to a Friend Printer Friendly
Less than 24 hours after Charlie Brown’s resignation as coach of Florence’s indoor football team, the Phantoms returned his salvo.
In a letter addressed to Phantoms management on Monday, Brown said a clash with the front office over pay and personnel led to his sudden departure.
The former Washington Redskins receiver said that the Phantoms had not paid him for his last game, a 43-40 loss to Huntington on March 3 at the Florence Civic Center.
But Phantoms general manager Jack Bowman said the entire staff had been paid, and that Brown wasn’t — and still hasn’t been — present to pick up his check.
“We pay everyone within seven days of each game. (Brown) came in Friday night for practice and the office was closed,” Bowman said. “Nobody’s trying to hold any money back from anyone.”
“I haven’t seen (Brown) since the Huntington game,” Phantoms owner Joey Shannon said. “Everyone else has been paid on time.”
Brown disagreed, saying that this isn’t the first time an incident like this has happened.
“This is about the third or fourth time this has happened,” Brown said by telephone Tuesday. “(Shannon and Bowman) aren’t being honest.
“Any time that you have to chase down the owner and general manager to get paid, there’s a problem.”
Bowman went on to say the team has turned a profit, and that there are no financial troubles for the Phantoms.
“We have shown a profit this season,” he said. “Every game we’ve played, we have gotten a check from the arena.”
“(The Phantoms) are in good financial standing with the Civic Center,” Civic Center general manager Kendall Wall said. “They’re a great tenant and we have no problems with them.”
Brown’s assertion that his former team undermined him on player issues stemmed from a contentious relationship with running back/receiver Rafael Cooper.
“(Cooper) is not a team player. When he was cut from the NFL, he spent a lot of time looking for other teams to play for, but his time has passed,” Brown said. “He is a prima donna who doesn’t want to help the younger players.”
In the letter, Brown said he had wanted Cooper dismissed from the Phantoms for conduct detrimental to the team. Brown said Bowman promised him the player would be released, but he wasn’t.
“We have an ownership group, a general manager, an assistant general manager and a director of player personnel,” Bowman said. “We are a structured organization, and all of us make player decisions, not just the coach.”
Cooper is still on the Phantoms’ roster. The former Louisville standout has caught two touchdown passes this season and rushed for another.
“(Brown) perceived the problem was solely Rafael Cooper, but there were other problems,” Bowman said. “As former NFL players, Rafael and several others wanted more input in the offense. Everyone couldn’t get on the same page.”
Once again, Brown disagreed with Bowman on the rift that developed over Cooper.
“I had problems with (Cooper) from the beginning. I wanted him off the team because he was becoming a cancer,” Brown said. “It had nothing to do with offensive philosophy.”
Brown also said Shannon was too hands-on with the players. The former Phantoms coach also said Shannon let the players get away with too much.
“I had two players break curfew when we played at Lakeland,” Brown said. “I went to Joey about these players, and he did nothing about it.
“I cannot coach undisciplined players. But it’s his team, I guess.”
Shannon defended his approach as an owner, taking the loose comparison to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as a compliment.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I am not going to invest a ton of money into something and then turn total control over to someone else,” Shannon said. “That just makes no sense to me.”
In the end, however, the team asserts many factors led to a coaching change.
“There were all sorts of stumbling blocks when Charlie was here, even in training camp,” Bowman said. “There were many other factors that he didn’t list.
“But he’s a class guy, and I truly wish nothing but the best for him.”
