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Post by Canton Cougar Fan on Apr 26, 2008 14:49:26 GMT -5
www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x1422622424Heroes don't show for game Apr 26, 2008 @ 01:19 AM The Herald-Dispatch FLORENCE, S.C. -- Huntington's entry in the American Indoor Football Association is apparently history. For now, anyway. The Heroes didn't show up for a Friday game against the Florence Phantoms, who instead played a team put together by the league that was made up of Florence-area players and members of the the Baltimore Mariners practice squad. Huntington head coach Teddy Keaton and his players quit the team because of financial strife with the ownership group two days before the game, the Florence Morning News newspaper reported. Nothing about the situation was reported by the Heroes or on their Web site, www.heroesindoorfootball.com. Florence showed no mercy against its makeshift opponent in a 66-12 victory at the Florence Civic Center. "A win's a win," Florence coach Tavares Bowens said. "We appreciated this team coming out and playing hard under the circumstances. "But as far as we're concerned, we played the Huntington Heroes tonight." Florence squared its record at 3-3. The Heroes, who won last weekend at home, are now 5-2 if the game counts in the standings.
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Post by 123yathatsme on Apr 26, 2008 14:55:21 GMT -5
Wow, what a joke i have nothing else to say.....
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Post by theherohimself on Apr 26, 2008 16:13:52 GMT -5
The biggest joke, is that the Phantoms coach was proud of a win against some local Florence players and a Baltimore practice squad. He could never coach a win against the real Huntington Heroes this season.
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Post by The Stable Master on Apr 26, 2008 16:18:10 GMT -5
baltimore hasnt been real high on their luck this year either
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Post by Free Agent Fan on Apr 26, 2008 21:16:24 GMT -5
There are several versions of reasons and rumors floating around. I have been on the phone non stop with several key individuals. Two sides to the coaches leaving. One is the story of them quiting. Another of them being fired. Several stories on the players. Rumor for the past couple years was that some players were paid above the set league salaries. All under the table. There isn't a problem with Huntington's ownership. Past or present.(Mr. Ramey can't be blamed for this either) It is mainly due to coaches promising extra monies. The league has stepped in to help Huntington out and will continue to do so. They are not a league owned team, nor will be(as i was told). It is a shame that some want to strive to win at any cost. It is also a shame that Huntington has to suffer for that too.(this coming from one of the biggest haters of that team). Teams and coaches should look to Bernie(Reading) and Shawn(Erie) as standards. They do not put up with any shady under the table dealings to get players to play. At any point, during any time, there is always someone better that is willing to come in and play according to the rules. Coaches included.
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Post by theherohimself on Apr 27, 2008 0:01:08 GMT -5
anyone know Lee Haines? Apparently he was our new GM for all of a few days, if that was true IDK, but check out this thread about the Heroes during this weekend. Also checkout NewGuy on here, thats apparently the new short-lived GM www.heroesfans.com/upload/showthread.php?t=6963 |
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Post by goodforthree07 on Apr 27, 2008 6:32:59 GMT -5
the rumors are running rampant....but hey, the article below is not going to make them go away.....On a side note..the Guard/Speed game was one of the best defensive efforts of the year...19-18 was the final.....The Speed had a chance to tie after a late strike.....but were assessed an unsportsmanlike on the touchdown.,.....The Speed's kicker then barely missed the 35 yd extra point...the Guard's kicker hit 3 Uno's which proved to be the difference....Should make this week's game against Huntington interesting to say the least......enjoy! Gunnings given reins to Guard once again By Sammy Batten Staff writer ADVERTISEMENT Another primary part of the Fayetteville Guard’s perfect 2007 season is returning, and several others may be on the verge of coming back. Charles Gunnings, who left the team over a contract dispute with majority owner Richard King last November after leading the Guard to a 12-0 record, will officially rejoin the American Indoor Football Association franchise as its head coach today. “I’m very excited to have him back,’’ Guard general manager Stephenie Brockish said Saturday afternoon. “It’s a sense of familiarity and of picking up where we left off (last year). He’ll bring great things back to this team, not to mention the high expectations he gives us for the playoffs.’’ Gunnings attended the Guard’s game Saturday night in Concord and could not be reached for comment. Gunnings, a Laurinburg native, began the 2008 season serving as defensive coordinator for the AIFA’s Huntington Heroes. But he coached his final game with the Heroes on April 19, three days after Fayetteville dismissed Reggie Pinkney as its head coach in the wake of an 0-3 start. The Guard fell to 0-4 last weekend with interim head coach and former wide receiver Mitchell Galloway running the team, but picked up its first win of the season, 19-18, over the Carolina Speed in Concord on Saturday night. Brockish said the Guard began negotiating Gunnings’ return once he left the Heroes. “We did a lot of talking over the last few weeks,’’ Brockish said. “He wanted to be part of the Fayetteville Guard, and we wanted to have him as part of the Fayetteville Guard organization. “He and Richard sat down and talked. There was no mention of hurt feelings.’’ Fayetteville may not just be getting its head coach back in this deal. According to Brockish, the Heroes have released former Guard players in running back Wilmont Perry, wide receiver Jay Jackson, defensive back Deleon Raynor and defensive back Jesse Parker in the wake of Gunnings’ departure. Brockish said talks had begun to bring those players back to the Guard. “There have been talks but nothing has been determined,’’ she said. “Let me put it this way: if there is a story for that next week I’ll definitely let you know.’’ Gunnings has a lengthy history with arena football in Fayetteville. He played with the former af2 franchise, the Cape Fear Wildcats, then became defensive coordinator for the Guard in 2005 before being named to replace Mike Siani as head coach for the 2007 season. In his first game back as the Guard’s head coach Saturday, Gunnings will have to face his former squad at Huntington. Fayetteville has nine regular-season games remaining. “I told him, ‘You realize my expectations for you are very high.’ He said, ‘Not a problem,’’’ Brockish said. “Between the two of us I hope we can really turn things around and get back on a road that we’re familiar with.’’ Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at battens@fayobserver.com or 486-3534.   |
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Post by theking on Apr 27, 2008 7:47:49 GMT -5
If the players were promised extra money then the team should be fined. You can't tell me that the owners and coaches didn't know what each player was being paild. It seems to me that since Mr. Ramey sold the team there has been problems with players not wanting to play. Maybe the new owner now refuses to pay any extra and these players are not happy with that.
I wonder if Coach Keaton is getting paid what he was promised in his contract. Why would he resign if he was getting paid. That is like cutting your own throat to prove a point.
Hopefully Huntington can get this figured out before they are embarrassed beyond repair. Who paid these "players"?
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Post by Canton Cougar Fan on Apr 27, 2008 9:54:07 GMT -5
Like Joe said, there are several different versions making their way around the league.
All I can say is that the hot and heavy rumor around the championship weekend last year was that the Lakeland players were being paid well above the league mandated $250 + $50.
The same rumor was out there this year about Huntington. Who was the head coach in both instances and now where are both franchises?
Lakeland is dead and Huntington is on life support.
Joe also hit the nail on the head referring to Bernie. That Reading organization has their excrement together.
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Post by theherohimself on Apr 27, 2008 11:59:27 GMT -5
You guys are way off! Sorry, but that is not how Keaton operates. The rumor is because you guys cannot beat Keaton, sorry thats the way it is. Wherever Keaton ends up, he will beat up on no-good teams like Canton, Erie, Express... whoever you put in front of him, he will knock down. You may say, "well, we beat him once in regular season". Ha Ha. Then he beat you when it mattered, the championship. Dont hate- Appreciate!
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Post by Daytonadan on Apr 27, 2008 12:11:27 GMT -5
There are several versions of reasons and rumors floating around. I have been on the phone non stop with several key individuals. Two sides to the coaches leaving. One is the story of them quiting. Another of them being fired. Several stories on the players. Rumor for the past couple years was that some players were paid above the set league salaries. All under the table. There isn't a problem with Huntington's ownership. Past or present.(Mr. Ramey can't be blamed for this either) It is mainly due to coaches promising extra monies. The league has stepped in to help Huntington out and will continue to do so. They are not a league owned team, nor will be(as i was told). It is a shame that some want to strive to win at any cost. It is also a shame that Huntington has to suffer for that too.(this coming from one of the biggest haters of that team). Teams and coaches should look to Bernie(Reading) and Shawn(Erie) as standards. They do not put up with any shady under the table dealings to get players to play. At any point, during any time, there is always someone better that is willing to come in and play according to the rules. Coaches included. Nice spin, Joe. |
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Post by bluecatsguy on Apr 27, 2008 12:44:05 GMT -5
There are several versions of reasons and rumors floating around. I have been on the phone non stop with several key individuals. Two sides to the coaches leaving. One is the story of them quiting. Another of them being fired. Several stories on the players. Rumor for the past couple years was that some players were paid above the set league salaries. All under the table. There isn't a problem with Huntington's ownership. Past or present.(Mr. Ramey can't be blamed for this either) It is mainly due to coaches promising extra monies. The league has stepped in to help Huntington out and will continue to do so. They are not a league owned team, nor will be(as i was told). It is a shame that some want to strive to win at any cost. It is also a shame that Huntington has to suffer for that too.(this coming from one of the biggest haters of that team). Teams and coaches should look to Bernie(Reading) and Shawn(Erie) as standards. They do not put up with any shady under the table dealings to get players to play. At any point, during any time, there is always someone better that is willing to come in and play according to the rules. Coaches included. I have to respond to this. These guys were not paid anything extra THIS YEAR. I was there when most of them signed with the Heroes and they did so under the terms of the league standard. i do know for a fact that, in the past, they did pay his players under the table, but that was not something that happened under Coach Keaton. He and I were on the same ground about that issue. This coaching staff would not have walked out for ANY reason, unless there was no other option. THey had gone before without getting paid, but at some point you have to draw the line. |
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Post by Free Agent Fan on Apr 27, 2008 13:06:08 GMT -5
There is a huge difference between walking out and being fired. I could go into details about the conversation about what transpired. But, it is not message board material. I have gotten the "extra pay" topics from more than one reliable source. I know atleast one player on Huntington's squad(also was on Lakelands) that was getting $700/game.
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Post by bluecatsguy on Apr 27, 2008 13:12:10 GMT -5
There is a huge difference between walking out and being fired. I could go into details about the conversation about what transpired. But, it is not message board material. I have gotten the "extra pay" topics from more than one reliable source. I know atleast one player on Huntington's squad(also was on Lakelands) that was getting $700/game. If that is the case then a lot of things changed after I left. I stand behind, however, what Coach Keaton and I believed in when I was the GM. |
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Post by theherohimself on Apr 27, 2008 15:40:09 GMT -5
Joe place foot in mouth. I was previously banned for making claims not even as absurd as yours. Keaton would never stand for that, my many conversations with him he awlays made sure every player was at the same $250/game salary. He even said the league allows a player to get paid more, but he didn't want to do that. I do not know who your sources are, but apparently they aren't all the way there.
To be honest, we will never know the whole story. I do know that the coaches walked. They were not fired. The players walked, not fired.
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