Tempers flare as Gladiators prepare for stretch run

Adam Candee

Thursday, April 28, 2005 | 9:32 a.m.

Sure, Ron James wanted intensity in the Gladiators' first practice in almost two weeks.

Watching his starting quarterback pulling off his shoulder pads and attempting to fight an already injured defensive back probably isn't what the coach had in mind.

Clint Dolezel had to be restrained from going after injured cornerback Dameon Porter after the two exchanged words off to the side of a full-contact drill toward the end of Wednesday's practice. Dolezel, who is also a member of the coaching staff as offensive coordinator, eventually walked off the turf at Sam Boyd Stadium and into the locker room. He stayed inside until the team began meetings after practice.

"I've never seen him that mad," Gladiators fullback/linebacker Frank Carter said of Dolezel.

The Gladiators returned to the field for the first time since last week's bye as they prepare for a crucial conference game Sunday at Chicago. James decided to shake off the rust by putting his players in shoulder pads for a more spirited practice session, adding in more contact.

Unhappy with the sloppiness of the session, James called for a full contact drill toward the end of practice. After his unit took a turn, Dolezel became upset with part of the drill and yelled some comments in no one's general direction. Porter responded to Dolezel from across the field and the quarterback challenged him, taking off his pads and starting toward Porter before being restrained by a few teammates.

"It was a combination of a couple of things," Dolezel said. "It got past my boiling point and not many people have seen me like that."

Minor scraps in practice are not at all unusual in football, though most tend to happen during the dog days of training camp. Hoping to help his team "snap back into reality" with an uncommon late-season hitting session, James did not mind Dolezel's intensity.

"He's a competitor," James said of Dolezel. "It's better that he leaves the practice field rather than hurting himself, hurting Porter or hurting the team."

The Gladiators would be wise to reserve some of that fire for the Rush. Las Vegas and Chicago are tied with Los Angeles at 7-5, and only two of the three teams will make the American Conference playoffs. San Jose (8-4) and Colorado (8-4) lead the Western and Central Divisions, respectively.

Carter said that regaining focus is not a problem for an experienced team like the Gladiators, but readjusting physically after taking a week off following a win at Philadelphia is a challenge.

"Everybody on this team all being veterans, we all know what to do," Carter said. "Once we get our legs back, everything else will go back together."

The team practices today and Friday before traveling Saturday to Chicago. The game will be televised at 10 a.m. on NBC (KVBC Ch. 3.)

Carter said he is also at about 90 percent in his second week back from a high ankle sprain. Lineman Joe Burch may play his first game in 10 weeks after spraining his knee Feb. 11 against New York.

Porter, though ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken arm suffered Feb. 26 at Nashville, will not play at Chicago.