Gladiators’ exit could bring new team

Today's announcement in Cleveland of the Gladiators' move there will mean the end of the Arena Football League in Las Vegas after five seasons, but probably not the permanent demise.

AFL commissioner David Baker said Monday he hopes to bring the league back to Las Vegas in time for the projected 2010 opening of a 20,000-seat arena just off the Strip.

Baker said the league long desired to find a club in Miami or Cleveland for Gladiators owner Jim Ferraro -- the cities where he has the closest ties -- while seeking local ownership to run the Las Vegas franchise.

"Jim still loves Las Vegas, and we had to do a lot of convincing to get him to leave Las Vegas," Baker said. "But the best way we thought this could be fixed ... is frankly by giving the Gladiators a fresh start someplace else and doing it under a structure where some of the same mistakes would not be repeated.

"(The league is) working to get a good ownership group there in Las Vegas so that as the new arena comes on board, we could really launch this thing in the right way and build a product everybody could be proud of."

Ferraro called it "a mutual decision" between himself and the AFL to take the club to Cleveland, which might remain the Gladiators.

"I was really the only absentee owner in the league," Ferraro said Monday from Jacobs Field in Cleveland before the Indians-Red Sox playoff game. "I love Las Vegas. I'll miss having a team there. I thought about staying. It was a very difficult decision to leave Las Vegas. I went back and forth for weeks."

The league has mandated that Ferraro satisfy all debts, including refunds to those who bought 2008 season tickets as well as paying $56,000 to the Thomas & Mack Center for unfulfilled dates after the team's late move to the Orleans Arena this past season.

Ferraro said he would meet those financial obligations, adding, "I feel bad for the loyal fans we have there in Las Vegas. Unfortunately there just weren't enough of them."

Shrinking crowds were one of the Gladiators' many problems. Baker made clear the league was not happy with the way the club was run, but was satisfied Ferraro owned up to the shortcomings.

"Frankly, it was not a product that the rest of us were very proud of," Baker said.

"The product wasn't good," Ferraro said. "I take responsibility for that. We didn't have good operators. I take responsibility for that."

Baker said Ferraro must meet an operational standard in Cleveland and pay a relocation fee of about $4 million that includes penalties if certain conditions are not met.

As for the AFL's future in Las Vegas, the ArenaBowl was scheduled to return next year, but Baker said the championship game might not return until later.

Beyond that, Baker said the league still considers Las Vegas a prime destination for a team with local ownership.

There could be competition for the local football dollar by two start-up leagues. The United Football League is considering placing a team here next August, and the United States Football Association plans to open in the fall of 2009.

"In my 12 years in the Arena Football League, this was one of the most debated and contentious issues that I've come across," Baker said of letting the Gladiators relocate.

"(Las Vegas) is consistently one of our highest markets in terms of TV ratings. We thought we had a good start there. We've got a core of good fans."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2914.