Bad Sportsmanship, Bad Travel Plans, Bad Timing All Plague Pirates
Steve Robinson
Wednesday May 22, 2002
Bear with me.
ITEM ONE:
PEORIA-QC: The Next Chapter:
It did not take long for the next chapter in the Peoria-Quad City rivalry to be written. It came as quickly as the final gun of May 10’s torpedoing of the Steamwheelers.
As with the end of most contests, the two head coaches, unless there is some underlying animosity between them, usually shake hands at midfield before either celebrating or licking wounds.
Following that game’s final gun, however, Steamwheelers head coach Rich Ingold passed on shaking hands with Cowdrey, instead, opting to get back into his team’s dressing room.
“I went out to midfield, just like coaches always do,” Cowdrey said. “And (Ingold) just turned around and went in toward (his locker room). I don’t know how else to explain it, other than the fact that I went out there and he didn’t.”
For his part, Ingold said, “I didn’t think there was a written rule (mandating handshakes). It was nothing against Bruce Cowdrey.”
But something was brewing prior to the game which had been rumored about before to the opening kickoff. As a courtesy, the Pirates send game tape to their next opponent, usually using an overnight mailing service.
According to Jim Preston, Pirates director of football operations, Ingold called the Pirates’ office to complain that there was no tape in the overnight package Quad City had been sent.
“We mailed the tape the Monday before the Quad City game, but the Steamwheelers said there were statistics but no tape in the package,” Preston said.
“I thought we had a tape in there, and we’ve never had this kind of problem
before,” Preston disclosed. “(Ingold) called and the tape was not in the package, and so, we sent a tape out to him the next day.”
“Everything that happened off the field (prior to the game) was blown out of proportion in other media reports,” Ingold said of stories written in the Quad Cities about the incident. “I don’t want to get caught up in the sideshow. I don’t ever want to come across as having anything against Bruce Cowdrey. I won’t ever say anything against Bruce Cowdrey.
“Next time though,” Ingold said about future interviews, “I’ll keep my comments close to the vest.”
I had also heard that there had been words exchanged between these two coaches prior to the game starting. Can’t confirm or deny that personally. But, next time, Rich, shake hands.
More fur will fly June 1 when Peoria travels to The Mark in Moline.
ITEM TWO:
Do You Know The Way To…Bakersfield?: Picture it: Three vans, 19 players, and trouble reading a road map. The Pirates have had their troubles with road games this year. They had to wait for a relief driver for 30 minutes halfway through their 10-hour trip one-way to Bossier City earlier this season. Then, the bus for that trip was too small for the players, the coaches, and the equipment to fit comfortably.
This time, upon getting to Los Angeles International Airport, instead of renting a bus and hiring a driver, the comedy continued as the team rented three vans and tried to get from L.A. to Bakersfield. Sources say it took an hour and a half alone to rent the vans. Another four hours was spent trying to get to Bakersfield.
ITEM THREE:
You Haven’t Kicked Since When…?: With kicker Todd Kurz sidelined during the first quarter of the Bakersfield game, finding his replacement among guys who either had not kicked since high school or had no kicking experience whatsoever was an unusual challenge, to say the least.
“At halftime, I took (offensive specialist Robert) Meyer and (defensive lineman) Ken Bouie aside and tried to show them how,” Kurz said. “It was pretty funny.” Kurz said neither Meyer or Bouie had had any kicking experience since high school.
Hopefully, Head Coach Bruce Cowdrey will find a kicker by the time the winless Louisville Fire visits Carver Arena for Saturday’s 7:30p.m. kickoff.
Steve Robinson, a freelance writer since 1984, has written about the Peoria Pirates since the Pirates were members of Indoor Football League, beginning in 1999. He covers the Pirates currently for the Bloomington IL Pantagraph.
