As crazy as it sounds, that whole one-day work stoppage thing might have actually been the key to saving the rest of the 2012 season for the Arena Football League. Four days after the Cleveland Gladiators didn't show up to play against the Pittsburgh Power, causing the first forfeit in the league's 25-year history, the first truly good news came out of the labor dispute between the AFL and the AFLPU. AFLPU Executive Director Ivan Soto stated in an e-mail on Wednesday morning that a deal between the two sides is close.
The Cleveland Gladiators are officially on strike for tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Power, and the end result was the first forfeit in AFL history.
Through its history, Friday night has always been the night of big time action in the Arena Football League. Yesterday was no exception, as all sorts of news came flying fast and furiously in Orlando, where the Orlando Predators were beaten by the Jacksonville Sharks 55-37 to kick off Week 12 of the season.