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
Albert Harry
I was impatient to carry out necessary research but I really wanted to jump on the crypto trading and investment buzz. Unfortunately for me, I invested 104,700 GBP worth of bitcoin with a fraudulent company. I was happy to watch my account grow to 187,575 GBP within a couple of weeks. But I didn’t realize I was dealing with a scam company, until I tried to make an attempt to withdraw. I made a withdrawal request, and noticed my account was suddenly blocked for no apparent reason. I tried contacting customer support, but all to no avail. I needed my money back at all costs, because I couldn’t afford to let it go. So I tried all possible means to make sure I recovered my scammed bitcoin. I did a lot of online searching for help, and tried to see if there were other people who had any similar experience. I stumbled upon a cryptocurrency forum where a couple of people mentioned that they had been through the same process but were able to recover their lost cryptography funds with the help of EVIL HACKERS RECOVERY. So I filed a report on recoveryevilhackers@ gmail.com and he was able to help me get back all my lost funds within 1 weeks I feel indebted to him. Apart from trying to express my gratitude to them once again using this medium, I will recommend anybody who wants to recover scammed bitcoin, stolen cryptocurrency, funds lost to binary options forex, investment and any other form of online scam to reach out to recoveryevilhackers@ gmail.com
Alejandro Henry
My name is Alejandro Henry, I am a teacher. Have you ever been a victim of a scam? Lost your wallet or money to fake hackers online? I implore you to contact this trustworthy hacker and recovery expert EVIL HACKERS RECOVERY COMPANY. I was a victim of fake people posing as binary options and bitcoin investors, I lost a sum of $35,800 and BTC from my bitcoin wallet to these fakes. It took a while before I realized they were scams and this really hurt. Then an in-law of mine heard about it and recommended me to a specialist with the address. He helped me recover my lost bitcoins in less than 72hrs and the fakes were caught and made to pay for what they did to me. If you have lost any amount to online scams and you’re seeking to recover them, in fake hackers, online dating scams, BTC wallet hacks, or fake binary investors. Reach out to: recoveryevilhackers@ gmail.com to help you, and you will be so glad you did so, best belief.
Kate J Murchison
CONSULT CRYPTO RECOVERY CYBER SECURITY EXPERTS
The Rustik Cyber Hack Service team is a renowned group of experienced cryptocurrency analysts and advisors specializing in stolen crypto recovery. In the rapidly evolving world of cryptocurrencies, the risk of theft and hacking poses a significant challenge to investors and traders. Recognizing the need for expert assistance in recovering stolen funds, the Rustik Cyber Hack Service Team has emerged as a trusted and reliable resource for individuals and businesses alike. With their extensive knowledge, innovative strategies, and successful track record, the Rustik Cyber Hack Service Team aims to safeguard crypto investments and restore financial security for their clients. The Rustik Cyber Hack Service Team is a group of experienced cryptocurrency analysts and advisors specializing in stolen crypto recovery. We understand the complexities of the crypto industry and have a deep knowledge of its inner workings. With the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies, the need for analysis and advisory services has become paramount. The crypto market is highly volatile and can be unpredictable, making it crucial to have expert guidance in navigating this complex landscape. In the crypto space, expert analysis and advice services have many advantages. They aid in the identification of possible risks and opportunities, offer insights into market trends, and support the process of making well-informed investment decisions. Through the utilization of professionals’ skills, both individuals and corporations may optimize their profits and minimize any potential losses in the cryptocurrency market. Cryptocurrency theft has become a significant concern as the value of digital assets continues to rise. Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities in blockchain technology, leading to the loss of millions of dollars worth of crypto. Stolen crypto recovery refers to the process of recovering lost or stolen cryptocurrencies. It involves investigating blockchain transactions, tracing the flow of funds, and working alongside law enforcement agencies to track down and reclaim stolen assets. The Rustik Cyber Hack Service Team specializes in this complex and challenging task, offering their expertise to those who have fallen victim to crypto theft. With the increasing incidence of cryptocurrency theft, the Rustik Cyber Hack Service Team plays a vital role in the crypto industry by providing expert analysis and advisory services in stolen crypto recovery. Their exceptional expertise, extensive experience, and innovative strategies have led to numerous successful recoveries, earning them a reputation as a trusted and reliable partner. Call Rustik Cyber Hack Service through Email: ( rustikcyberhackservice@gmail.com or contact(at)rustikcyberhackservice. com ) Get more information on their Web site: https://rustikcyberhackservice.com/ and easily reach out to Rustik Cyber Hack Service through WhatsApp:+ 1.38.63.48.78.38 or Telegram: @rustikcyberhackservice
CYBER SECURITY EXPERTS
Christine Allen
Hi peeps. My name is Christine Allen and I have had tough and horrible experiences in my past relationships and I indeed waited till I met my husband and after we met, we fell in love and got married. After two years of our Union, he changed and started acting weird and eventually left me and our son. I Did all I could to get him back but all was fruitless. I came in contact with the comments and what everyone was saying about Dr Isikolo. I reached out to him and he responded and gave me his best effort and support to make my marriage work again. He was the one who made it known to me that my husband was taken from me by another woman and he cast a love reunion spell that reunited us back together and he came back home to me and my boy. Indeed no one out there has lied about Dr Isikolo and his good works. My husband came back home 48 hours after he did the work for as promised. Reach out to him now and be assured he will help you. You will have to email him now via: isikolosolutionhome@gmail.com or text him on WhatsApp him on +2348133261196
Donald Flanery
I’m giving a testimony about Dr. Isikolo. i won $17.000.000USD in lottery games. I took an advice from some person who talked about this great spell caster called DR ISIKOLO the person placed a testimonies on a blog saying how DR ISIKOLO helped him win the lottery by sending him the winning number i was curious and i thought it was all joke not until i contacted this spell caster to know for myself how this work cause i have spend a lot buying tickets and i never won. I contacted him and he told me the necessary thing that need to be done and i did it and he told me to wait for 3 days and truly he gave me the winning numbers to play the lottery which i did and luckily as he assured me, i won $17.000.000USD and it was unbelievable. i am sharing this testimony with you that if you want to win the lottery this is the way online tips can help you, contact him on his isikolosolutionhome@gmail.com or Whatsapp him on +2348133261196 is the only answer.to that your problem of winning the lottery
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.