Owner shares blame in Haege’s penalty

Adam Candee

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 | 9:18 a.m.

Any attorney worth his retainer advocates for his clients through the good and the bad.

So even though you will not find him anywhere on the incriminating videotape of Frank Haege's post-ejection tirade from 10 days ago, Gladiators owner Jim Ferraro is willing to shoulder some blame for his coach's outburst.

"Part of it is my fault because I think Frank feels some pressure from me," said Ferraro, a Miami-based trial lawyer.

While backing Haege "100 percent" in the wake of the coach's two-game league suspension handed down Monday, Ferraro also made no secret of his frustration with the Gladiators' 3-4 record. Ferraro said that the suspension does not put added pressure on Haege, but losing always causes more strain.

"Pressure naturally builds over time if we're hanging around .500 all the time," Ferraro said. "It's not acceptable to Frank and to me, it's not acceptable."

After watching his team struggle through a mediocre first year in Las Vegas, Ferraro opened his wallet this past offseason to add marquee players like quarterback Clint Dolezel and receivers Terrill Shaw and Marcus Nash.

So far, although the team is improved, the results are not.

"We can't be muddling around .500 ball here," Ferraro said.

Ferraro spoke with Haege after the coach threw his headset into the stands, ripped off his shirt and slammed it down, and sprinted off the field after being tossed for arguing a call with officials during the fourth quarter of Las Vegas' March 14 home victory against Arizona.

His message to Haege: It's great to fire up the team and the fans, but there are limits.

"I want him to remain competitive, but he has got to follow the protocol out there," Ferraro said.

Speaking Tuesday for the first time since the league announced the suspension, Haege thanked Ferraro for standing behind him.

"He's been very supportive," Haege said. "Obviously he knows we need to go along with whatever the league decides, but he's been supportive of my situation."

Ferraro said the league "did what they have to do" in suspending Haege for two games without pay beginning April 5, fining him $10,000 and placing him on probation for the rest of the season. During the suspension, Haege cannot attend any team practices or games, or otherwise help the team prepare.

The Arena Football League prides itself on a friendly atmosphere and dreads gaining an unwanted outlaw image.

"It's not the XFL here," Ferraro said. "One thing the league is very sensitive about is not looking like the XFL."

Ferraro added with a laugh: "I guess when you wing your headset into the stands, it's not too fan-friendly."

Haege will have a chance to have his suspension reduced to one game and his fine cut to $1,000 if he travels to New York to meet with AFL commissioner David Baker to review his misstep. Haege said that Baker already called to get his side of the story before issuing the discipline and that he does not know what to expect from the meeting in New York.

"I talked to the commissioner privately and I kind of knew what was going to happen," Haege said. "No major shock."

The first unsportsmanlike penalty Haege received against Arizona was the first flag thrown against him in 17 years of coaching. He picked up his second just a minute later.

The silver lining -- if there is one -- for Haege is that he eventually was vindicated by the league about the situation that caused him to snap. After reviewing Haege's claim that Arizona defensive specialist Tom Pace was illegally playing on offense, AFL officials determined that the coach was correct.