Despite Winless Record, The Cobras are Keeping the Faith
Chuck DiLullo
Sunday March 9, 2003
Defensive Coach Flint Flemming said, "We (the coaches) are demanding more of them and they (the players) are demanding more of themselves. The guys are flying around a little bit more, getting back to the grass-roots of football and having fun."
Hold echoed this sentiment. "That`s the key. You have to have that whether you are 0-5 or 5-0. The bottom line is that if we are going out and practicing like this and carrying that energy into the game, we have a chance. No one is giving up."
The Cobras have added seven-year AFL veteran Ron Lopez to the roster, joining Robert Hall as a 1-2 QB punch with a wealth of experience for a team looking for stability at this position - the first five games saw four different starting QB`s. Lopez last played in the league in 2001 and has 11,712 career passing yards and 187 touchdowns. Coach Hold had not yet made up his mind on Thursday`s practice as to who would start on Sunday versus the Las Vegas Gladiators (2-3).
"I haven`t really made that decision yet. We are trying to get a guy in here that will take control of this team and lead this team," said Hold. "I don`t really know what I am going to do at quarterback yet."
As of Saturday morning the decision still had not been made according to a team source.
The Cobras have faced more challenges than just instability at the quarterback position. They are faced with an IR list that now eclipses 10 players (including Ben Bronson, the team`s leading receiver). The team faces an up-hill battle but still feels they are poised to not only gain their initial victory but to turn the corner and make a run at the playoffs. The turnover of personnel has been a difficult issue for the coaching staff to deal with and they understand that chemistry is key to turning this season around.
"We have some fine, quality football players and we talk about chemistry in our player personnel meetings," said Flemming. "Nobody likes losing and nobody excepts it. We are having some arguments. People are calling people names and this means that we are not excepting defeat."
Being 0-5 and making the playoffs would not be a precedent-setting event in the AFL. Flemming played on the 1999 Milwaukee Mustangs, a team that started the season 0-5 and still made the playoffs.
Hold still feels very strongly that the Cobras have a shot at the playoffs. "Absolutely. We still have 11 games left. Our goal from the get-go was to make the playoffs. We are 0-5 and have played some crappy ball," said Hold, "but we have a new week this week and we can turn the ship around and that is our mindset right now. Three teams got in last year at 6-8 and the playoffs are still a realistic goal for us."
The Gladiators will be making a change at quarterback this week, going with 11-year veteran Todd Hammel. Jay McDonagh suffered through a very difficult game at home in a lopsided 75-37 loss to the defending champion, San Jose SaberCats. Gladiators` head coach Frank Haege said, "Right now, (Hammel) gives us our best chance to win."
No matter who the Cobras start at quarterback, the opposing matchups will be intriguing with both teams turning to veteran players to win this game.
"The Gladiators are a playoff team from last year," said Flemming, "Coach Haege is a very, very smart coach and if I go into this game thinking I am going to stop them, I will go crazy. I will try to slow then down and take away something they do well."
The Cobras are looking for the right combination of players to turn this season around and head this team in the right direction. Hold understands the difficulties working with different faces every week, saying, "We are going to make changes until we find the right mix and once we do and we keep getting better, there is no reason we cannot go to the playoffs. There is nothing out of reach."
Hold has a vision for this team past this season and understands the importance of generating wins to promote this vision. "I do but it is so hard to think about that. We are so worried about getting that first win because if we don`t get a win here more sooner than later, there may not be a future for me," said Hold. "I love coaching this game because it is fun. I can`t think of a better town for me to coach than Charlotte because I left Phoenix, where I grew up, and came to the University of South Carolina in Columbia just 80 miles down the road. And I can`t ask for a better city to be in. And now we got to go out and get some wins so me and these guys can be here next year. To coach Arena Football and to say it is your job is simply awesome."
Chuck DiLullo works for a manufacturer of process control instrumentation as a sales engineer. He has been a fan of professional, college and high school football since he could walk. Chuck is originally from Philadelphia and he became a huge Arena Football League fan while living in Buffalo. Chuck has lived in Charlotte since 2000 with his wife & three children.
