Cleveland Gladiators
Cleveland Gladiators | |
---|---|
Established 1997 Folded 2019 Played in | |
League/conference affiliations | |
Arena Football League (1997–2017)
| |
Current uniform | |
Team colors | Red, black, white |
Mascot | Rudi |
Personnel | |
Owner(s) | Dan Gilbert |
President | Kerry Bubolz |
Head coach | Ron Selesky |
Team history | |
| |
Championships | |
League championships (0) | |
Conference championships (1)
| |
Division championships (3) | |
Playoff appearances (10) | |
1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 | |
Home arena(s) | |
|
The Cleveland Gladiators were an
The Gladiators announced that they would not play the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to renovations on Quicken Loans Arena that required it to close during the NBA offseason and were granted a two-season hiatus. Before the team could return in 2020, the league filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations.[2]
Team history
New Jersey Red Dogs (1997–2000)
The New Jersey Red Dogs entered the
The AFL's intention was to add only New Jersey and Nashville for 1997. However, well after the awarding of the Red Dogs and Kats franchises, the owners of
The Red Dogs were led by head coach John Hufnagel, who had been a quarterback and offensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. After his time with the Red Dogs, Hufnagel went on to be an offensive coach for several National Football League teams, including the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. He then became the head coach of the CFL's Stampeders for the 2008 season, and won the Grey Cup in his first season at the helm. Hufnagel brought in several players with CFL experience to the Red Dogs, including QB Rickey Foggie and offensive specialist Larry Ray Willis. The team's other main receiver was Alvin Ashley, a player whose small size (150 lb.) made him unlikely to play in the NFL but suited the more compact Arena game.
The Red Dogs slumped late in their first season, losing 4 of their final 5 games to finish 9–5, then losing to the Orlando Predators in the first round of the playoffs.
The Red Dogs finished 8–6 in 1998, their second season, and won their first playoff game in Albany against the Firebirds.
Hufnagel left the Red Dogs after the 1998 season for a job with the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and he was replaced by Frank Mattiace, a former defensive lineman for the New Jersey Generals of the USFL. Star Larry Ray Willis was traded to the Milwaukee Mustangs Following those losses, the Red Dogs slumped in 1999 to their first losing season, going 6–8, despite winning 3 of their first 4.
The Red Dogs made a significant trade following the 1999 season, a trade they never got to benefit from. New Jersey sent Alvin Ashley to the Orlando Predators for wide receiver/defensive back
In 2000, the Red Dogs, without Wagner, Ashley, and offensive mainstay Chad Lindsey, fell to 4–10. Foggie lost his job as starting QB, replaced by Tommy Maddox, at the time a failed NFL quarterback. Head coach Frank Mattiace left the team in mid-season and was replaced on an interim basis by Kevin Guy, a former defensive back/wide receiver who had played two full seasons with the Red Dogs.
New Jersey Gladiators (2001–2002)
Before the 2001 season, the New Jersey team was sold to
The Gladiators reached the lowest ebb in franchise history during the 2001 season, winning only 2 out of 14 games. The club's top receivers attained roughly half the number of yards that Larry Ray Willis had achieved in each of the franchise's first two seasons, and the rushing leader was quarterback Maynor himself.
In
A few weeks before the start of the 2003 season (the first one to begin in February instead of April, and the first one in which the league's games would be televised weekly by NBC), owner Ferraro moved the team to Las Vegas. The AFL schedules for the 2003 season had already been devised; so the Las Vegas Gladiators would play that season in the Eastern Division of the National Conference, before shifting in 2004 to the American Conference's Western Division.
Las Vegas Gladiators (2003–2007)
The Gladiators relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the 2003 season and played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This arena was also the home of a previous Arena team, the Las Vegas Sting, in 1994 and 1995. In 2007, in an effort to increase attendance, the Gladiators moved to the Orleans Arena. The move did not have the desired effect; the Gladiators averaged 5,383 fans in 2007, down from 10,115 in 2006.
The Gladiators competed in the Western Division of the AFL's American Conference. The team went 31–50 in five years in Las Vegas, making the playoffs once.
Cleveland Gladiators (2008–2017)
2008 season
On October 16, 2007, it was announced in a press conference that the Gladiators would be relocating to
On March 3, the Gladiators played their inaugural game in
Cleveland won its first playoff game in 10 years with a 69–66 win over the Orlando Predators. Raymond Philyaw threw for 436 yards (the second-most yards in AFL postseason history) and eight touchdowns, receiver Robert Redd caught a franchise best 204 yards and four touchdowns, and Brandon Hefflin had two interceptions and recovered a key fumble late in the game to seal the victory. The following week, the Gladiators advanced to their first conference championship game in team history when they beat the Georgia Force in the divisional round 73–70. Raymond Philyaw had eight touchdown passes and Robert Redd and Otis Amey each caught three touchdowns in the win. The 61 points scored by both teams in the second quarter was also an AFL record for combined points in a quarter. The Gladiators then traveled to Philadelphia to face the Soul in the National Conference Championship game. Unfortunately, their season ended one game short of the Arena Bowl with a tough 70–35 loss.
2009: AFL suspends operations
The National Conference Championship would be the Gladiators' last game for almost two years. The
2010 season
During their first season in two years, the Gladiators hovered around .500 for the majority of the time. Highlights of the season included blowout victories over the Utah Blaze and the Iowa Barnstormers, but there were also some close losses attributed to poor special teams play. On July 17, during their 15th game of the season, the Gladiators were officially eliminated from playoff contention when their division rivals the Milwaukee Iron defeated the Orlando Predators. The Gladiators finished their 2010 campaign with a 7–9 record.
2011 season
The Gladiators returned in 2011 with Steve Thonn once again serving as head coach.
Through 2011, the Gladiators were very strong at home but often mediocre on the road. Though they finished with a 7–1 record at Quicken Loans Arena, they were only 3–6 in away games. But the season ultimately ended with success, as the team beat their newest rival, the Pittsburgh Power, to clinch the American Conference East Division and guarantee a spot in the playoffs. This was the second time in three seasons that Gladiators will enter the playoffs while in Cleveland, as well as the first time they have clinched the East Division.
The team entered the playoffs with a 10–8 record to face the Georgia Force in the first round. Despite playing at home, the Gladiators played poorly in the second half and were eliminated from contention, losing 50–41.
2012 season
On January 17, 2012, the Gladiators were sold to
2013 season
The Gladiators' 2012–2013 offseason saw the departure of veteran quarterback John Dutton, who had been with the team for the past three seasons. The team's fifth season in Cleveland was a struggle, as the Gladiators never were able to have any long sustained success over the course of the year, finishing at 4-14 (tied with Pittsburgh for the worst record in the entire Arena League).
2014 season
The Gladiators began the 2014 season winning their first nine games, more than doubling their entire win total from the previous season (four). They didn't lose a game until being defeated by the Pittsburgh Power 48–34 on May 31 – more than two months into the season. On Saturday June 7, 2014, the Gladiators set a team record for points scored in a game when they defeated the Iowa Barnstormers 86–49.[12] On July 12, 2014, following their 50–47 overtime win over the San Antonio Talons, the Gladiators clinched the East Division Championship, and the #1 seed in the American Conference for the 2014 playoffs.[13] On July 26, 2014, the Gladiators set an AFL record for wins in a single season by going 17–1 after defeating the Tampa Bay Storm, 56–49. This gave the Gladiators home field advantage throughout the 2014 AFL playoffs.[14][15] On August 2, 2014, the Gladiators defeated the Philadelphia Soul, 39–37, on a last second field goal by Aaron Pettrey in the first round of the AFL playoffs to advance to the American Conference finals.[16] On August 10, 2014, the Gladiators defeated the Orlando Predators 56–46 to win the American Conference Championship, and advance to the ArenaBowl for the first time in franchise history. In ArenaBowl XXVII, the Gladiators were defeated by the Arizona Rattlers, 72–32.[17]
2015 season
The Gladiators opened the 2015 season by winning their first two games; however, on April 11 in an ArenaBowl XXVII rematch, the Gladiators lost to the Arizona Rattlers 49–41 in their home opener. Overall, the Gladiators were not able to replicate the success of 2014, finishing with a regular season record of 8–10, second in the East Division. This overall record did qualify for the 2015 AFL playoffs, drawing the East Division Champion Philadelphia Soul in the first round. The Gladiators' season ended on August 15 when they lost to Philadelphia 47–35 in the first round of the AFL playoffs.
2016 season
For the 2016 season, the AFL featured eight teams, due to a number of teams either folding or moving to other indoor football leagues. As part of the restructuring, the Gladiators were moved from the American to the National Conference, so as to give each conference four teams. They finished the regular season at 7–9, third place in the National Conference.
In the first round of the AFL playoffs, the Gladiators rallied and defeated the
2017 season
In 2017, the AFL was reduced from eight teams down to five, due to teams folding or transferring to other leagues. With only five teams, the AFL essentially played a round-robin style 14 game schedule, with the top four teams at the end of the season advancing to the playoffs. The Gladiators finished at 5–9, clinching third place and a playoff spot. Cleveland would go on to lose to the #2 seed Tampa Bay Storm 73–59 in the AFL semifinals to end their season.[18]
Suspension of operations: 2017
In September 2017, it was announced that Quicken Loans Arena would be undergoing significant renovations during the 2018 and 2019 basketball offseason so as not to conflict with its primary tenant, the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.[19] However, as the AFL season runs into the basketball offseason, the Gladiators had to take a two-year leave of absence beginning in November 2017 with hopes to return for the 2020 season.[20]
When the renovations were completed, the league suspended all city-based team operations for at least the 2020 season putting the Gladiators' plans on hold.[21] The AFL filed for bankruptcy November 27, 2019, and ceased operations.
Notable players
Final roster
Cleveland Gladiators roster | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Fullbacks Wide receivers
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen |
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Kickers
|
Injured reserve
Other league exempt
League suspension
Inactive reserve
Refuse to report
Recallable reassignment
Rookies in italics |
Arena Football League Hall of Famers
Cleveland Gladiators Hall of Famers | ||||
No. | Name | Year Inducted | Position(s) | Years w/ Gladiators |
---|---|---|---|---|
13 | Clint Dolezel | 2012 | QB | 2004–2005 |
-- | George LaFrance | 2011 | OS |
2000 |
-- | Stevie Thomas | 2012 | WR/LB | 2001 |
Individual awards
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-Arena players
The following Red Dogs/Gladiators players have been named to All-Arena Teams:
- QB Shane Austin
- FB Marlion Jackson
- FB/LB Frank Carter
- WR/DB Alvin Ashley (2)
- WR Otis Amey, Ben Nelson, Dominick Goodman (2), Collin Taylor
- OS Marcus Nash
- OL Adam Tadisch, Shannon Breen, Joe Madsen, D. J. Brandel
- OL/DL Robert Stewart(3)
- DL Anthony Hoke, Willie McGinnis (2), Randy Colling
- LB Tim Cheatwood
- DB Marrio Norman, Marvin Ross
- DS Damon Mason
- K Steve Videtich (4)
- KR Larry Beavers
All-Ironman players
The following Red Dogs/Gladiators players have been named to All-Ironman Teams:
- WR/DB Alvin Ashley (1)
- DS/KR Adrian Lunsford (1)
All-Rookie players
The following Red Dogs/Gladiators players have been named to All-Rookie Teams:
- FB/LB Jermaine Younger
- WR/DB Dimitrious Stanley, David Saunders, Dennison Robinson
- OS Michael Lewis
Head coaches
Head coach | Tenure | Regular season record (W–L) |
Postseason record (W–L) |
---|---|---|---|
John Hufnagel | 1997–1998 | 17–11[22] | 1–2[22] |
Frank Mattice | 1999–2000 | 9–15[23] | 0–0[23] |
Kevin Guy | 2000 | 1–3[24] | 0–0[24] |
Lary Kuharich | 2001 | 2–12[25] | 0–0[25] |
Frank Haege | 2002–2004 | 25–21[26] | 0–2[26] |
Ron James
|
2005–2006 | 13–18[27] | 0–0[27] |
Danton Barto | 2007 | 2–14[28] | 0–0[28] |
Mike Wilpolt | 2008 | 9–7[29] | 2–1[29] (2008 AFL Coach of the Year) |
Steve Thonn | 2010–2016 | 61–61* | 3–4 (2014 AFL Coach of the Year)[30] |
Ron Selesky | 2017 | 5–9[31] | 0–1 |
(*) One loss occurred via forfeit
Front office/Coaching staff
Cleveland Gladiators staff | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office[32]
|
Head coach Assistant coaches
|
Media
WKRK-FM was the team's radio home. Tony Brown serves as play-by-play announcer, while WKRK-FM personality Dustin Fox serves as color analyst for home games. Select home games also aired on regional sports network Spectrum Sports (Ohio), during which the feed is simulcast on the radio. WHBC host Kenny Roda served as field reporter for televised games.
Season-by-season records
Mascot and in-game entertainment
The Gladiators' mascot was a Trojan warrior dressed lion character named "Rudi",[34] and the team also features cheerleaders known as the "Goddesses".[35]
References
- ^ "The Cleveland Gladiators Will Play In Arena Bowl Championship". cbslocal.com. 10 August 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014.
- ^ Gleeson, Scott (November 27, 2019), "Arena Football League files for bankruptcy, ceases all operations", USA Today, retrieved November 27, 2019
- ^ "Arena Football Team Runs Into Name Problems". New York Times. January 19, 1997. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017.
- ^ "New Jersey Set Record With 91 Points". Lakeland Ledger. June 22, 1997. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ^ "New Jersey Red Dogs acquire Barry Wagner from Orlando". www.cgi.canoe.ca. Canoe Inc. September 23, 1999. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Red Dogs become Gladiators". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. February 16, 2001. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
- ^ "Cleveland to compete in Arena Football League". www.arenafan.com. ArenaFan. October 16, 2007. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008.
- ^ Mike Starkey (November 28, 2007). "Cleveland Arena Football team to be named Gladiators". www.cleveland.com. Cleveland Live LLC. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011.
- ^ Dennis Manoloff (December 7, 2009). "Indoor football returns in 2010 as Cleveland franchise takes part in 'Arena Football 1'". www.cleveland.com. Cleveland Live LLC. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009.
- ^ "Dan Gilbert buys Arena League team". www.espn.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 17, 2012. Archived from the original on May 18, 2014.
- ^ Dennis Manoloff (June 8, 2012). "Cleveland Gladiators players' strike causes forfeit loss to Pittsburgh Power". www.cleveland.com. Cleveland Live LLC. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012.
- ^ Anonymous (24 December 2014). "Latest News". Cleveland Gladiators. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014.
- ^ "Gladiators Win East Division, Lock Up First Place In American With Overtime Win". cbslocal.com. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014.
- ^ "Cleveland Gladiators on Twitter". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-18.
- ^ Anonymous (24 December 2014). "Latest News". Cleveland Gladiators. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014.
- ^ "Aaron Pettrey saves the Gladiators season". cbslocal.com. 2 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014.
- ^ "Rattlers Roll to ArenaBowl Three-peat, 72-32". Archived from the original on 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2014-08-24.
- ^ jjanavicius (14 August 2017). "Gladiators Outlasted by Storm". Cleveland Gladiators. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017.
- ^ "Cleveland Cavs announce Quicken Loans transformation will go forward". Cleveland.com. September 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017.
- ^ "Cleveland Gladiators to take 2-year hiatus during Q renovations". WKYC. November 28, 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Cleveland Gladiators remain on hiatus, are monitoring Arena Football League's uncertain future". Crain's Cleveland. October 29, 2019.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: John Hufnagel". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Frank Mattice". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Kevin Guy". Archived from the original on 2008-10-19. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Lary Kuharich". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Frank Haege". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Ron James". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Danton Barto". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ a b "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Mike Wilpolt". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ "Gladiators Thonn, Selesky Named NET10 Wireless Coaches of the Year". cbslocal.com. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014.
- ^ "ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Ron Selesky". Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ Anonymous (24 December 2014). "Front Office Staff". Cleveland Gladiators. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- ^ Anonymous (23 February 2015). "Football Staff". Cleveland Gladiators. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ "Rudiarius "Rudi" The Lion". Cleveland Gladiators. Archived from the original on 2016-09-09. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
- ^ "Gladiators' Goddesses". Cleveland Gladiators. Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2014-04-30.