Gladiators stumble at home

Adam Candee

Monday, March 17, 2003 | 8:58 a.m.

If timing is everything in life, someone needs to find a new watch for the Las Vegas Gladiators. A pair of sticky gloves and a mild sedative would not hurt either.

Las Vegas committed four more turnovers and 18 deadening penalties en route to a sloppy and numbing 68-48 loss to Chicago on Sunday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Gladiators (3-4) gave the 8,324 fans in attendance little to cheer about for a second consecutive home game, not a good strategy for the latest niche sport looking to make it in Las Vegas.

"The disappointing part is just the lack of discipline," Gladiators coach Frank Haege said. "The penalties were unbelievable, really embarrassing -- offside, unsportsmanlike conduct, those kinds of things. That's, to me right now, the biggest concern."

For all the focus the Gladiators are putting on reducing their errors, little has changed in this area in weeks. Las Vegas added to its usual false starts and offside flags by engaging in a number of shoving matches with Rush players, with Gladiators fullback Frank Carter earning a fourth-quarter ejection for his role in a scuffle.

"We're killing ourselves," Gladiators wideout Mike Horacek said. "Physically, we've matched up with everybody we've played. We've matched their intensity, but sometimes I think we might be a little too intense and get caught up in little battles on the field, which we can't do. We've got to be mentally tougher."

The Rush (3-4) tossed plenty of their own paint into the repulsive tapestry, turning the ball over four times and taking 16 penalties. Las Vegas, however, compiled enough miscues into an eight-minute stretch midway through the game to end any chance at victory.

"We get ourselves out of rhythm a lot by jumping offsides, turnovers," Gladiators quarterback Todd Hammel said. "Mental mistakes like that, they get you down in a hole and it's hard to fight back."

The momentum turned on the final play of the first half, when Chicago's Anthony Ladd picked off Todd Hammel and returned the ball 43 yards to the end zone for a 34-27 halftime lead. The Gladiators were poised to score on the drive, and the sour taste from blowing the 14-point swing lingered into the third quarter.

The Gladiators then wasted a Jeroid Johnson interception right out of halftime by missing a field goal, and Chicago swiftly responded with a 48-yard TD heave from Chad Salisbury to game MVP Antonio Chatman to extend the lead to 14 points. Chatman caught six passes for 116 yards and four TDs, and also had 128 kickoff return yards.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Gladiators' Sedrick Robinson, one of the league's best return men, fumbled and Ladd recovered it at the Las Vegas 3. Rush fullback Bob McMillen dragged two Gladiators into the end zone on the next play that gave Chicago a comfortable 48-27 edge that Las Vegas momentarily challenged late.

In his second start since replacing Jay McDonagh, Hammel struggled at times against a heavy Chicago pass rush. Hammel finished 22-of-44 for 257 yards, with five touchdowns and three interceptions, two of which were returned for scores.

"Mistakes have been happening, and I don't think we've really looked in the mirror and (said), 'I'm not gonna do that next week,"' Horacek said.

In the mediocre Eastern Division, Las Vegas still owns a share of first place going into Sunday's game at Buffalo.

"Anytime you can be 3-4 and tied for first, that's a hell of a deal," Horacek said.