The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 and by the early ‘90s had grown from four to 12 teams. Franchises were awarded to all manner of business people who saw the opportunity to become football owners at a relatively low cost. Among them was Ted Gregory, who owned the famous Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati.
1992, the Gregorys were awarded an expansion team which they named the Rockers. One of their first tasks was finding a starting quarterback, which turned out to be someone very recognizable to fans in Southwest Ohio: Art Schlichter. The former Ohio State University star, whose pro career was derailed by a horrific gambling problem, had seemingly gotten his life sorted out and had just spent two seasons with the AFL Detroit Drive. He’d led that team to two postseason appearances, including an Arena Bowl championship.
In hindsight, it was apparent that Schlichter was never able to conquer his demons and the Drive found an easy way to unload him on the expansion Rockers. The Gregorys, however, knew all about Art, good and bad. One of Schlichter’s teammates at OSU was a family friend of the Gregorys named Joe Lukens, a former Moeller standout. Though the star quarterback had struggled off the field, the Gregorys decided to give him a chance-- with eyes wide open.
“I’ll never forget, my brother Tom called me at the Boathouse,” Dean Gregory recalled on Episode 35 of The Cincy Shirts Podcast, “and said ‘hey we just hired Art Schlichter. Whatever you do, don't lend him any money, and don’t cash any checks for him.’”
Twenty minutes later, Art was at the Boathouse meeting with Dean. “He was probably the greatest salesman I’ve ever seen,” Gregory said. Within minutes, Schlichter managed to get a check cashed for $1000. “He came back the next day and repaid me the money. I thought, ‘this is a set-up. He’s going to cash a bigger check next time,’ but no.”
On the field, Schlichter picked up right where he’d left off in Detroit and led the Rockers to a 7 and 3 record and a playoff berth. He also started doing some radio work in town. Attendance averaged over 13,000 a game, near the top of the Arena League. “I’d been working in the restaurant since I was twelve,” Dean Gregory said. “It was the first time I was able to take Saturday nights off since the mid-sixties.”
Other notable players on the Rockers roster included former Bengal Ira Hillary, who went from obscure kick returner to Arena League wide receiver phenom. Career Arena Leaguer Bruce LaSane was also on the team and helped propel them to the playoffs.
Even though they lost in the first round to the Tampa Bay Storm, the Rockers seemed to be looking at a bright future in the Queen City. However, Schlichter could not kick his gambling habit and decided not to return the following season, hoping instead to focus on curing his addiction. He was replaced by former Notre Dame star, and NFL journeyman, Blair Keil.
“The second year wasn’t the same,” Dean Gregory lamented. “They tried to make it a sport. It was more like big-time wrestling at first, but when they tried to make it a sport, it just didn’t work.”
The team’s record dropped the following season to 2 and 10, and with its attendance. Following the 1993 campaign, the Gregorys pulled the plug. “There’s a little Rockets watch on display in the trophy case at the Boathouse,” Gregory added, “and in my dad’s handwriting it says, ‘my two million dollar watch.’”
114 comments
Madison nicolas
CONSULT OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS A QUALIFIED CRYPTO CONSULTANT TO RECOVER ALL YOUR LOST FUND
Have you ever experienced theft of cryptocurrency? Has someone taken your hard-earned Bitcoin through scams or hacking? Be at ease!
Professional cryptocurrency recovery agent OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS can help you get your stolen bitcoin back and take back what is rightfully yours. Contact him right now, and you’ll thank me for it later.
Email address…. (optimistichackergaius @ seznam.cz)
WhatsApp: +1 (601) 460 – 9477
Madison nicolas
CONSULT OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS A QUALIFIED CRYPTO CONSULTANT TO RECOVER ALL YOUR LOST FUND
Have you ever experienced theft of cryptocurrency? Has someone taken your hard-earned Bitcoin through scams or hacking? Be at ease!
Professional cryptocurrency recovery agent OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS can help you get your stolen bitcoin back and take back what is rightfully yours. Contact him right now, and you’ll thank me for it later.
Email address…. (optimistichackergaius @ seznam.cz)
WhatsApp: +1 (601) 460 – 9477
Madison nicolas
CONSULT OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS A QUALIFIED CRYPTO CONSULTANT TO RECOVER ALL YOUR LOST FUND
Have you ever experienced theft of cryptocurrency? Has someone taken your hard-earned Bitcoin through scams or hacking? Be at ease!
Professional cryptocurrency recovery agent OPTIMISTIC HACKER GAIUS can help you get your stolen bitcoin back and take back what is rightfully yours. Contact him right now, and you’ll thank me for it later.
Email address…. (optimistichackergaius @ seznam.cz)
WhatsApp: +1 (601) 460 – 9477
Jotasha Jones
MY HUSBAND LEFT AND DR ISIKOLO GOT HIM BACK TO ME AND I AM AMAZED AND HAD TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS
My name is Jotasha Jones from Florida. When my man left me, I was traumatized and heartbroken and couldn’t get myself for months. I did all I could to get him back but to no avail. I left for another city hoping I could start all over again. I came in contact with another man who I tried my best to be with but it didn’t work out because I could not love him. I knew I still loved and wanted my man back to me. So I began to search for help and that was when I found DR ISIKOLO from different views i read about him. We got talking and I made him understand everything that I needed to know and I believed in him and complied with the procedures. He worked for me and restored the love and connection between me and my man and just after 48 hours as he promised, My man searched for me and we got talking and he came down to see me where i am and we made things up and became happy together again. DR ISIKOLO is trustworthy and he can help you too if you contact him for anything. Just text him via WhatsApp +2348133261196 or read and contact him via website (https://isikolo-temple.com)
Choung
Overcoming Paralysis: How Dr. Murugu Helped Me Recover
My name is Choung, and I’m Vietnamese. On this day, May 23, 2024, I am writing to share my testimony as a sign of appreciation for what Dr. Murugu did for me.
It all started on November 15 last year, when I caught my ex-wife with another man in our home. I sent her out of the house and filed for divorce. A few months later, on January 11, 2024, I woke up paralyzed, unable to move the left side of my body. I quickly called my family, and they took me to the hospital where I stayed for a month and a half. Every test and scan came back clean; the doctors couldn’t determine the cause of my illness.
Friends advised me to seek help outside of medical medicine. We visited various spiritualists across Vietnam, but nothing worked.
Then, we came across Dr. Murugu’s page on Facebook (Revenge Death Spells, Voodoo Love Spells) and decided to give him a try. I explained my problem to him, and he told me that someone dear to me was responsible for my predicament. He promised to reverse it within seven days, and he did. The illness was sent back to the sender, who turned out to be my ex-wife’s mother, and she confessed and she said she was angry that I left her daughter and decided to cast a black magic spell on me to paralyze me.
Once again, thank you, Dr. Murugu, for what you have done for me. I am now well and sound again. You can contact him via WhatsApp or email.
Email: dr.makinidrmurugu@gmail.com
WhatsApp/Call: +90 534 069 3791
https://drmakinidrmurugu.blogspot.com
Website: https://www.drmuruguspellhome.com
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.