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Cleveland Gladiators, Columbus Destroyers to face off for first time
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Saturday, Mar 15, 2008
CLEVELAND: Are sports rivalries born or made?
Usually they begin with some sort of animus on the part of one team, the other or both. Ohio State-Michigan and all of the intensity associated with it benefited from geography at first, then intensified in the late '60s when the student (Bo Schembechler) dared to challenge the master (Woody Hayes).
The Cavaliers' intense battles with the Chicago Bulls in the late '80s came from the frustration of watching Michael Jordan smash their playoff dreams with ''The Shot.'' To a lesser extent, a rivalry with the Bad Boys of Detroit, the Pistons, was born when the Motor City madmen, a physically imposing team, elbowed their way past the Cavaliers during their heyday.
And, of course, there's the Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, a rivalry that always smoldered but evolved into a white-hot affair after Joe ''Turkey'' Jones planted Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw on his head and Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert did his best to dismember Brian Sipe on the field.
The Arena Football League can only hope something resembling these adversarial relationships develops between the Cleveland Gladiators (2-0) and Columbus Destroyers (0-2). The two teams meet for the first time in an AFL divisional battle at 8 tonight.
''I think you have the makings of a great rivalry there,'' said Chris McCloskey, vice president of communications for the AFL.
Indeed it's something that would benefit both teams and the league in terms of creating and maintaining viable and stable franchises, given the proximity of the cities, but the kind of grudging respect that often typifies these situations can't be false, according to some.
''It's hard to manufacture. You still have to have good football out on the field,'' Gladiators coach Mike Wilpolt said.
The host Destroyers are defending Eastern Conference champions and coming off an appearance in last year's Arena Bowl.
''That's something we want to get and they're probably treating us as a little bit of an expansion team,'' Wilpolt said. ''They don't want to lose to the new team on the block.''
Team President Bernie Kosar knows a thing or two about fearing and loathing opponents on the gridiron. As quarterback of the Browns he knew the importance of playing — and beating — the Steelers. He confessed that although he kept a calm, cool demeanor on the field during games, he was all nerves and emotion, especially for the Steelers games.
His coaches knew it and his teammates knew it, he said. Having grown up in the Youngstown area, where the region is split between Browns fans and Steelers fans, he had a special affinity for the rivalry. But he realizes that it has to be a natural thing.
''You can try to manufacture enthusiasm,'' he said. ''You can try to manufacture rivalries. You can try to manufacture energy, but a lot of times I think it comes from within.''
Wilpolt said it will take time.
''The thing about it is the coaches are very familiar with one another,'' he said. ''The players know each other, but something has to happen on the field to make it a rivalry. There has to be good, competitive games that come down to the last whistle.''
There is some familiarity; the teams scrimmaged during training camp. Quarterback Raymond Philyaw said there was a little bit of trash talking on both sides.
''Better that it counts now. I know there's going to be a lot of trash talking on their side and with their fans,'' he said. '' I had the opportunity to play there in the past, so I know what to expect from their fans. I told the offense, all we have to do is go up on them early, score and keep scoring.''
According to the Gladiators, circumstances in this inaugural meeting between professional teams from Cleveland and Columbus might accelerate the evolution of the rivalry.
''If you listen to the guys talk about what I think about, we have a chance to be three games up on them three games into the season with the tie-breaker of winning head to head and being 2-0 in our division,'' Kosar said. ''I think this game is going to be real aggressive and I think they are going to play with a kind of desperation knowing this could be a make-or-break game for them for their season.''
Philyaw knows that the winner has limited time to savor the victory, however.
''You get to have bragging rights until the next time you play,'' he said.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
CLEVELAND: Are sports rivalries born or made?
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