This news came out on Saturday, but I missed it the first time. With Arena Football League players on strike, the Pittsburgh Power released its entire team just before it was to begin its season Saturday in Orlando. The team was eating in an Olive Garden at the time.
↵↵↵"I'm putting food in my mouth and being read, from a piece of paper by our owner, that the Pittsburgh Power as a whole is now terminated," said former Power center Beau Elliott, who played at Highlands High School and Indiana (Pa.). "Mid-statement, all the players got up and left. Every player got up and left while he was still talking. There were 15 to 20 angry, large individuals."
↵
That sounds like a mean move by the Power's ownership, but unfortunately, the team has all the leverage here -- big guys with NFL dreams probably aren't that hard to find, and these guys are playing for the chance to keep their football careers alive more than they're playing for the money. After the firing, some players evidently left the Players' Association and re-signed with the Power.
↵The typical payment for players was $400 per game last season. Ivan Soto, who represents the union, is seeking $1,350 per game per player.
↵UPDATE: The players' union evidently ended its strike early this morning and sent players back to work.