Gladiators hit rock bottom

Even considering how mediocre and disappointing the Gladiators have been in their five seasons in Las Vegas, the organization seldom hit a low point like this one.

The Orlando Predators shut out the Gladiators' offense in the first half. Las Vegas' defense allowed touchdowns on all but one full drive.

Fans at the Orleans Arena, seemingly the entire announced crowd 5,684, booed the Gladiators off the field at halftime, appalled at the 34-point deficit that resulted in a 69-34 loss.

Sunday's defeat was the seventh in a row for the Gladiators (1-8), who host the Los Angeles Avengers next Sunday.

Gladiators coach Danton Barto said the rest of the season can be considered an audition for next year.

"I think we're all crazy if that's not happening. I mean, myself included," Barto said. "I've talked to (owner) Jim (Ferraro) in the past, and what he's said to me has been very candid about just keep working hard, but you know ... people's minds change. Players, I told them, we're all in a dogfight for our livelihood."

This game didn't make that fight easier, especially with the Gladiators trailing 34-0 at halftime and 41-0 early in the third quarter.

"I'm not a coward; I'm not going to run," Barto said. "I don't enjoy being booed by my own fans. I don't enjoy listening to a fan tell me that I suck and (Utah coach) Danny White should be here. That's not fun. That's not fun for anybody. But I understand it.

"We do suck right now, so we've got to find a way to turn it around."

Gladiators wide receiver Thabiti Davis said the players haven't given up.

"We've got to play ... a more consistent game and more complete," Davis said. "If we play a more complete game in all three phases, we'll be better off."

Barto said the problems against Orlando (5-3) were due more to lack of execution than players giving up.

Orlando's pass rush, which sacked Las Vegas quarterback Brian Jones four times, dominated the Gladiators. Las Vegas already ranked last in the 19-team Arena Football League with 19 sacks allowed.

The pressure shut down the Gladiators' offense in the first half.

"We didn't even really have the opportunity to get in a rhythm out there in that first quarter," said Jones, who completed 28 of 44 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns. "It just seemed like problems came in bunches for us. It was a sack, then it was a penalty, and it was a fumble, and we really had no rhythm out of the gates."

A defense that failed to slow Orlando didn't help the offense. Predators quarterback Shane Stafford completed 17 of 20 passes for 255 yards and six touchdowns, and backup Jake Eaton was 4-for-6 for 65 yards and a TD.

Though the defense made five stops the week before at Colorado, the unit mostly has been a sieve. Going into this week, the Gladiators were second to last in scoring defense, allowing 63.4 points per game.

"We're just right now so inconsistent as a team," Barto said. "It's like we show up for one side for a quarter, and we don't show up for the other. The last two games, we played great on offense, except for the third quarter of the Colorado game. This week, we didn't play a great half.

"We stunk, and you hope that your defense picks you up. Good teams do that, and that didn't happen today."