Greensboro 66 Stingers 0

[mrbee]

What in the world happened at the game on Sat?

[redzone]

There was a post on the OSC site that said it looked like the Stingers had non regular players. Said the coach (the poster didn't know if it was Miller or not), came out in cargo shorts and a white t-shirt. Said he got angry and tried and was complaining with anyone he could find at the end of the game. Interesting to see if the team actually made the trip or if it was a replacement squad with our unis.

[mrbee]

I'm speechless.

So Corey Miller is no longer the coach of the team?

This is from the Greensboro News & Record:

Revolution blanks shorthanded team

By Darrick Ignasiak
Special to the News & Record

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"I got a phone call today to get some ball players together. It's not like we're throwing anything together. A lot of the guys have arena experience."
-- Earl Rose, Columbia Stingers head coach
GREENSBORO -- Pro football or pickup game? Saturday night at the Greensboro Coliseum, the NIFL held a game that was part of each.

Tempers flared between the Columbia Stingers -- who added a couple of players at halftime -- and the Greensboro Revolution, and the game ended in an fight between a Revolution player and a Stinger.

Greensboro (7-2) put up its first shutout of the season, winning 66-0 in a matchup of two teams owned by Tony Pewonski. The Stingers played with just 15 players. In the closing seconds of the game, a fight broke out.

"The other team was upset that the score was as high as it was," Revolution coach Mitchell Jenkins said.

The start of the game was delayed 20 minutes because there was no chain crew to work the sidelines. Scottie Goldston and Gregory Reid thought they were going to the game to work the chains. They ended up in the game.

Goldston and Reid entered the game for the Stingers in the third quarter. The two play for the semi-pro Carolina Heat, and had played in a Heat exhibition game Saturday.

"They were short of help, and I was called to help," said Goldston, a Page graduate and a student at N.C. A&T.

"We came in here to work the chains," Reid said. "We found out late. It has been crazy because we had a long day. We played at the jamboree in Concord for about four hours."

Stingers coach Earl Rose was hired the day of the game. Columbia had six players from South Carolina dress on Saturday, Rose said.

"Football is football," Jenkins said. "I know it's indoors, but all of those guys have the concept of football. ... With them being shorthanded, we kind of wore them down."

Rose had a stint with the Greensboro Revolution last season as offensive coordinator. Rose said it was impossible to put up a winning game plan.

"What happened was a lot of stuff that was screwed up," Rose said. "The Columbia team never showed up.

"I got a phone call today to get some ball players together. It's not like we're throwing anything together. A lot of the guys have arena experience."

The Revolution intercepted five Stingers passes. Former NFL player Tito Wooten got four and A&T student Justin McAdoo grabbed one.

Also playing for Columbia was Kerry Greene, who played for the Revolution this season and former player Demitri Morrison. Morrison played with Greensboro last season.

"I think because of all of the turmoil and everything that's going on with the league," Jenkins said. "The league needs to get better that way we don't have these types of things to go on."

[redzone]

This is wild. I can hear the announcement now, "the game will be delayed a few minutes. If you have played football and would like to play for the Stingers tonight, please report to concourse B to sign a waiver and be fitted for uniforms and receive your roster spot. As always...thanks for coming to the Revolution game."

On a serios note though, what brought about all these changes?
--was there a defection within the team and they didn't want to go and play?
--was Miller ill, had other owner obligations or had a last second split from the team?
--was there an issue with pay and travel costs that prompted the action taken from team officials?

Right now, there are a lot more questions than answers.

[johngill]

As a former coach of the Columbia Stingers I feel it is only right and ethical to explain to our fans what took place in Greensboro, NC this past Saturday. To do that we must go back to the Saturday afternoon of the Fayetteville game. As late as 5:30 pm, we were still attempting to obtain pads for the side boards. Coach Darby was working very hard to get additional pads for the field. I was back and forth drying uniforms, distributing tickets to the players, and other pre-game activities. Coach Samuels had not arrived and Coach Anderson did not attend that game. Bobby Jackson was with the Fayetteville coach. At this point in time, the Fayetteville coach was very close to putting his team back on the bus and going home. I spoke to him in his locker room attemting to persuade him from doing that. However, the only reason that he didn't do so was as a personal favor to Jackson (I personally heard the Fayetteville coach make such a comment). The coach and Jackson have an extended relationship. Coach Miller and Jackson had several heated telephone conversations concerning the possible cancellation of the game prior to the game. As we all know, we did play the game. Although it was a very heated game, with many arguments, one ejection, and the coaches not allowed on the field after the game started.

One day following the game, Jackson informed me that Coach Miller was in default with his purchase agreement for the team with Pewoski and that he was authorized by Pewoski to take possession of certain property. In addditon, that it was very important for indoor football to exist beyond 2007, that the last 2 games be played. I was informed that all other coaches had not been retained. There were two primary requirements for me to participate. First, we could not play as the Columbia Stingers (Coach Miller owns that name) and since Jackson had possession of the uniforms, the Columbia Stinger logo on the jersey and pants had to be covered. So several players and I went about the process of attempting to put a team together.

On Thursday, June 7th Jackson , several players, and I met to discuss playing. It was decided that we would work one more day to see what type of team we could put together. On Friday, June 8th Jackson called me and let me know that the insurance had been cancelled by Coach Miller (Coach Miller had paid the premium). This was just another obstacle in playing the game. Friday afternoon we had 14 players present. Prior to any practice, I reviewed with all present, what we were faced with. I had maintained that we needed a minimum of 15 Stinger player for us to participate in the game. I explained to each player present, the lack of insurance. At that time only one of the 14 elected not to particpate due to the lack of insurance, travel money, and pay. That was completely understandable. During our meeting, Coach Miller and Coach Darby arrived. I had an extended conversation with Coach Miller and Coach Darby. After that, the meeting was over. When I left, Coach Miller and Coach Darby was talking to several players. As of that day, indoor football was no longer fun.

On Saturday morning we met at the prearranged location. We had five players meeting here. Two were driving from Greenville and two from Charlotte. In Greensboro we had a total of 8. One from Charlotte, did not make the trip.

During the trip to Greensboro, I had many telephone conversations with Jackson. During one of those calls he informed me that he had contacted Earl Rose, the former OC of the Stingers that left prior to the start of the season, to obtain additional players for us and "assist" with the game. On the way, Kent Meredith, Tony Bixler and I discussed via telephone a viable offensive game plan. On the phone I spoke with Rose and he asked what "we" wanted him to do. As per my discussion with Jackson, I explained to Rose he needed to assist with the defense and organization.

I was not comfortable with the number of players that were actual Stingers to begin with. Prior to the game, two players and I were covering the Sting logo on the jerseys and and pants. Jackson and I had a difference of opinion about covering the logos. I told Jackson we needed to discuss that. Jackson told me, "we don't have anything to discuss". That was the second strike. The first being the number of players.

After Rose arrived, he took charge. He pulled out his laminated plays and gave them to one of the qbs less than 2 hrs before the start of the game and told him "to study them". This did not make sense at all. We had 3 wrs, 2 qbs, 1 rb, and 1 ol from the Stingers. It did not make any sense to put in a new offense. Prior to getting to Greensboro, our game plan was to maintain our regular offense. Made sense to us.

After seeing Rose swing into action, I asked Jackson what role did Rose have. Jackson replied, "we were going to do it together". That was not in Rose's plan. With that information (strike 3), I told Jackson that I was going back to Columbia.

I spoke to several players on Sunday and they indicated that Rose displayed the same personality characteristics that he did prior to leaving the team before the season started. Those characteristics were yelling and screaming at the players, saying negative things about the players, and not allowing allowing any imput from the qbs. Talk about setup for failure.

We had been told that there was no money for travel or food. The Greensboro paper reported on Sunday that Rose had been "hired" on Saturday to coach the team.

Betrayed doesn't begin to describe the feeling. I regret that I spent one second attempting to do what I thought was right. It is regretable that hindsight is 20/20.

I can only speak for myself. The goat rodeo that took place in Greensboro was not necessary. The game should have not been played. I am sure that this season is a poor example of indoor football. Greensboro certainly had a top-of-the-line field first class field. Much higher quality than what we played on. Makes you want to say mmmmmmmmmm.

It is almost a certainty that this mess called the Columbia Stingers will end in court. This fact is a shame. This could have been the best show in town. In retrospect, this team was setup for failure. It is time to turn out the lights on the Stingers.

[stingercenter]

sure is. and the court action has already began. All of the stinger players vs. columbia stingers llc

[mrbee]

Before you get hepped up on suing an LLC you need to understand the following:

By suing a Limited Liability Company, you can only hope to take the assets of the company.

Since its obvious to all of us that the Stingers have little to no assets, how could any of the players possibly recover any back pay?

You're digging yourself a bigger hole by hiring an attorney and court fees that will never be recovered.

[augustaspartans]

Folks this is a mess I hate to see it. Just like Augusta who will flop in two weeks so it appears the Stingers will join them.

Can this mess be stopped yes I will summon my friends by cell phone tomorrow and see if we cant find somebody to buy this team. Columbia deserves a team and would support one If we get one I will park a dump truck on one side of the arena and one on the other and throw the trash out. Arena football can make it in Columbia if you would just listien.

[redzone]

John, thanks for shedding some light on the situation. It seems as though you were snookered. After reading most of the posts on the board, I feel great majority of people want to have indoor football in Columbia and see it succeed. If the Stingers fold and and the Colonial Center is burned from having future indoor teams play there, I still think there are other options out there such as the new hockey arena or the Coliseum. Even though John answered a lot of questions as to what took place, the totality of the situation poses even more questions.

[augustaspartans]

one way or the other arena football needs to stay in Columbia if this is allowed to happen Columbia will never field another team ever again. It will be black marked on everybodys list.