Detroit Closes Out Season Amid Controversy
Neal Ruhl
Friday May 28, 2004
The contest will feature the two teams that have given the ball away the most in the league, with each team sitting at a –21 in the takeaway/giveaway statistic.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that we would turn the ball over 30 times this season,” said Fury head coach Tom Luginbill. “If you think about it, that is more than two turnovers a game. You are just not going to win football games when you do that. Our record is deserved.”
Off the field, there are rumors that the Fury will not be back to continue play next season.
“There has been no decision made,” said Dave Wieme, Director of Operations for the Fury. “After the season is over, we will see where we are at.”
One of the rumors is that the Fury will be purchased by a group that may move the team to Cleveland to begin play next season.
“It has been difficult with the rumors being out there, and the losing, and the injuries,” said Luginbill. “But I believe that in these times of adversity is when a good coach is made. The record goes next to my name and I understand that, but anyone can go out there and be a good coach when you are 11-5. 10 years down the road I may point to this year and say, ‘hey, that season taught me a lot.’”
The talk of the Fury folding is another example of how the Arena Football League doesn’t have a level playing field for all of its teams. Some teams can afford to plunk down big contracts to players, while other teams have to play from behind the eight ball. This type of situation is detrimental to the health of the league and the AFL will never be taken seriously until there is some franchise stability.
Two or three teams moving every year doesn’t give the league any kind of credibility, and selling your soul to NBC doesn’t get the job done either. What other league receives almost nothing from its television deal? With salaries the way they are, the money is made off television, not off ticket sales. With the AFL being in the current state it is in, it will just continue have franchises circling around and going from city to city. It’s too bad, because it really is a great game.
On the air
Catch ArenaFan’s own Neal Ruhl during halftime of the Detroit Fury game this Saturday on WDFN 1130 AM.
Neal Ruhl lives in the Metro Detroit Area where he has covered the Detroit Lions as well as the Motor City Bowl.
