What’s an owner to do when you find out your team, along with the entire league, plans on going on strike on the eve of the season opener? Well, if you’re the owner of an Arena Football League team, you fire off the first salvo and release every player on your roster, preferably while they enjoy their pre-game meal at a local Olive Garden.

Friday night, the Pittsburgh Power were dining at an Orlando area Olive Garden as they prepared to take on the hometown Predators, even though the players were planning on going on strike after the league and players union were unable to work out a salary increase for the footballers. So Power owner Matt Shaner fired his entire team, which obviously didn’t sit too well with the majority of his players.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review…

“I’m putting food in my mouth and being read, from a piece of paper by our owner, that the Pittsburgh Power as a whole is now terminated,” said former Power center Beau Elliott, who played at Highlands High School and Indiana (Pa.). “Mid-statement, all the players got up and left. Every player got up and left while he was still talking. There were 15 to 20 angry, large individuals.”

The players were looking at increasing their game day checks from $400 a game to $1350, while the league was offering a $100 increase for the majority of players, with starting quarterbacks getting $1675 per game, a proposal that AFLPA executive director Ivan Soto did not think was acceptable.

As for the Power players, some chose to leave the union and re-sign with Pittsburgh, and they, along with a bunch of replacement players, ended up facing off against the Orlando Predators, a game which was showcased on the NFL Network. Unfortunately with both teams missing a large portion of their stars the game certainly lost some of it’s luster.

On the bright side, for the Power players that didn’t leave the union, and are now unemployed, at least they got to enjoy unlimited breadsticks and salad at their final pre-game meal. Say what you will about the Olive Garden, but those breadsticks are to die for.

Read more posts on The Last Angry Fan »