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Arena Football Players Still Uneasy About League

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 11, 2008

While Wednesday's developments regarding the Arena Football Leauge's future was hailed by Storm principal owner Dr. Bob Nucci as a step in the right direction, it did very little to ease the minds of one very important group in the league – the players.

The AFL board of directors voted Wednesday "not to suspend the 2009 season at this time" according to a statement from the league, a result that does keep players' hopes alive to take this field this season but still leaves them in limbo on whether or not they will have a job in what is currently a very tough economy.

"I'm just trying to stay positive," Storm veteran lineman Nyle Wiren said. "It's hard to do, but there's nothing else you can do."

Reports began to swirl nationwide this week of the league's impending doom, and they certainly caught the players' attention, both Wiren and Storm quarterback Brett Dietz said. And while the tumultuous times will continue for the AFL players until a definitive response from the league regarding the 2009 season is issued, the most recent developments – including statements made Wednesday evening by Tampa Bay Storm head coach and general manager Tim Marcum that the 2009 season would be played – were deemed positive.

"It's definitely good news," Dietz said, "but I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket just yet."

Added Wiren: "At least they're talking about it, which is a big thing."

The players seem willing to do their part to keep the league afloat, including taking a reduction in salary. Grand Rapids Rampage veteran Ahmad Hawkins, the team's AFL Players Association union representative, told The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press that players have agreed to a pay cut – reducing the salary cap from $2 million to $1.4 million.

Wiren, the Storm's AFLPA union rep, said the topic of pay cuts had been among those discussed by the league's union reps but that nothing had been agreed upon or finalized. Still, the idea seems like it would meet little resistance from around the league, both Dietz and Wiren said, adding they've spoken with several other players about the issue.

"A lot of guys right now would take the pay cut and play rather than not play at all. That's kind of making sense. We want to keep the league," Dietz said. "I would agree to [a pay cut]. Of course, there's a certain line you would have to draw and I don't know where that line would be."

A quick resolution to the current dilemma seems to be the most important to the players. The AFL's statement Wednesday night offered no timetable for a resolution but rather "the board [of directors] will continue to meet regularly to examine any and all long-term structural improvement options for the AFL."

And if the announcement that comes is a positive one, Dietz said the AFL won't miss a beat despite all the recent postponements regarding various league operations, such as the compilation and release of the 2009 schedule and the start of free agency.

"If anyone can have a quick turnaround, it's the arena league," Dietz said. "We've been preparing like we're going to have a season. It's not like we're a new league starting from scratch."

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