MCFFU: THE NEW YORK GLADIATORS 2010 SEASON

 

 

Coach/Owner John LaCorte and Team GM Brian "Buck" Cureton

 

When you mention the Gladiators, people have very polarized opinions about the team, owner and coach John LaCorte and team GM Brian “Buck” Cureton.  Most of it comes from their unorthodox way of building the team along with their aggressive recruiting practices.  LaCorte decided to start the Gladiators with Buck and a few players who where looking for a fresh start, after breaking apart from Deathrow (NY) following the 2009 World Championships in Miami.

Unlike anywhere else in competitive flag football, New York has quickly become known for its fierce recruiting.  Get who you can, when you can and how you can.  It’s like some sort of a “New York Yankee Mentality”.  Granted some take it further than most and though the method has yet to provide consistent results in regards to winning it all, its still a popular practice. 

In the beginning it was tough for the Gladiators to attract key players and keep key players.  And after the teams’ spirits dropped when the losses began to pile up early in the season, building and maintaining the team became even more difficult.   

• St. Patty’s Day NIT (0-3)
• Connecticut NIT (1-2)
• Charlotte NIT (2-2)
• Williamsburg (3-1)
• Atlantic City (1-2)
• Albany NIT (3-1-1)
• Atlanta Nationals (4-1) (won)
• Rhode Island NIT (5-0) (won)
• New York Nationals (2-1-1)

 

The first half of the season the Gladiators were 7-10 on the circuit (From March to June – St. Patty’s NIT to Atlantic City).  They were never mentioned as a true contender, nor were they listed as a team to beat.  QB issues, inconsistent roster and the lack of team chemistry all aided in their sub .500 start and relentless ridicule on the circuit.

The second half of the season was a completely different story.  The Gladiators finished at an impressive 14-3-2 and (2) tournaments wins.  From August to December they doubled their win total, decreased their losses by 1/3 and won 2 of their last 4 tournaments.  If you add in their World Championship results, the Gladiators finished the year at 19-3-3, with 3 tournament wins and 1 World Championship.

There were two things that can be attributed to their quick turn around; traveling to tournaments such as Charlotte and Atlanta together and an unfortunate tragedy regarding one of their key players – each played a role in bringing the team closer together. 

When it comes to traveling, the further you travel with your team the more team unity you can build.  The fact that you know less people, you tend to stick together more and communicate better.  You’re often more focused when in areas where you know fewer people.  When competing close to home with familiar teams your communication and focus is not as strong  with the team because you are just as familiar with other teams and players as you are with your own – so the travel played a major role into helping build the Gladiators team unity.

Then there was the sudden death of #57 Guard Tyrone Bell due to a blood clot found in his leg last September.  The 27 year old former ECU standout was considered an emotional leader and showed his commitment to the team following his sister’s graduation last August.  Bell took a Greyhound bus to Atlanta after missing the Saturday pool play round to help jump start the Gladiators on Sunday who were on the verge of elimination at 0-1-1.  His death was a huge loss to the Gladiators both on and off the field; yet the team became even closer following this tragedy finishing the circuit at 7-1-1.

The Gladiators experienced it all during the 2010 season.  At one point they were considered the circuits’ worst team and now they are the circuits’ best team.  Johnny is adamant about not being caught up in the “paying players” thing, which has become sort of a taboo in 9man.  He says that travel assistance is done from time to time if needed and available, but payments for playing are not part of the Gladiators format.

Regardless of how anyone feels about the Gladiators, the team is a close bunch that loves to travel and compete, and on top of that they won the toughest tournament of the year.  This year, they plan on hitting almost every tournament on the circuit except for Alabama.  Missouri is a stretch, but not out of the picture.  But expect to see the Champs in NY, CT, MD, VA, NJ, GA and TX and also expect the Gladiators to be in the running for another title in 2012. 

 

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