Players are “starting to quit” the Sacramento Mountain Lions as “mounting money troubles are plaguing the United Football League,” according to Steve Large of Sacramento's KOVR-CBS. Players said that they “aren’t getting paid as promised.” One player yesterday said, “We had a meeting yesterday. We tried to hammer out a solution as far as the whole pay situation, things like that. We really didn’t get anything resolved.” Mountain Lions players heading into their third game of the season today “haven’t been fully paid for the first two games and describe a cash shortage creating poor practice conditions with no weight rooms and meals of hot dogs and stew.” Mountain Lions Owner Paul Pelosi “issued the first payroll checks Tuesday, but for only $1,000.” The players are “owed $3,500 per game.” A game is “still scheduled” for today at Raley Field (SACRAMENTO.CBSLOCAL.com, 10/9). In Omaha, Steven Pivovar noted the Omaha Nighthawks “skipped their regularly scheduled practice Monday to meet with team officials concerning questions about the league and its commitment to them.” Players have “yet to be paid their full checks for their first two games,” although Omaha GM Matt Boockmeier said that the players “did receive a small portion of their first check last week.” Both Boockmeier and Nighthawks S Stuart Schweigert said that there was “nothing contentious about Monday’s players meeting in Omaha.” Boockmeier said, “Our players are on board. They understand the nature of any kind of start-up business and that there are going to be struggles” (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 10/9).
