Dragontales: The Early Years 1999-2004

SplitPersonality1 · 07-11-2003, 11:17 AM

Foreword from the book - Dragontales: Melbourne Football-The First Three Decades

There is no franchise in the NFL with more fan loyalty and support than the Melbourne Dragons…Well, maybe one; the Green and Gold of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Of course, they have been around for just a tad longer than our boys in Red, Black & Gold.

Fans of the Dragons have experienced many highs and lows in the last three decades. The early years of consecutive 2-win seasons; the thrill of winning the division crown; the lasting damage of drafts gone horribly wrong; and of course watching a kid from Rutgers grow into a legend of the game. I have gathered newspaper articles, magazine interviews, media guides and even old coaching notes in preparing to tell the story of the Dragons.

This book was written for all of those folks who like me, have been following this team since those improbable days late in the 20th century, when a most unlikely city was awarded the NFL’s 32nd franchise.

Here’s to Melbourne, Florida – Home of the Dragons

- Sol E. Cismic, former Media Relations Director of the Melbourne Dragons

SplitPersonality1 · 07-12-2003, 01:12 AM

excerpts from Chapter 0 – Pregame Warmup – A Timeline

June 1999
The NFL announced that it had was about to reach a final decision as to which city would get a new franchise. Los Angeles was at the top of the list, but these were still many concerns regarding the ownership and lack of a new stadium plan.

September 1999
Talks break down in Los Angeles and Houston, Texas emerges as the most likely city to get a NFL team. However, late in the month, the Houston ownership group collapses in a sea of litigation and in-fighting. The league calls for a special meeting to decide if there are to move forward with expansion plans.

October 14, 1999
The National Football League shocks the world with the announcement that Melbourne, Florida would be the home of the league’s 32nd franchise. A 32-yr old unknown lottery winner named SplitPersonality1 would be the sole owner of the team.

September 6, 2000
After a two month long contest for the residents of Melbourne to name the team, owner SplitPersonality1 angered fans by rejecting the winning entry. “There is no way in hell I am going to have a f***ing sea cow as the mascot”, said the irate owner in a radio interview. “I mean really, how the hell do you market the “Melbourne Manatees” anyway. This was the first of many controversies the young owner found himself in.

September 8, 2000
The team unveiled the official name – “Dragons” and the first official logo; a fierce gold and black dragon on a field of red. When the initial shipments of replica jerseys were made, they quickly became one of the leagues best sellers.

January 2001
The New York Jets win Superbowl XXXV

September 21, 2001
The Melbourne Dragons announced the hiring of unknown 54 year-old Kelly Matthews as head coach. His previous coaching experience was at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he was known for his rapport with kickers and the secondary. His $2.65M salary made him the 10th best paid coach in the league.

December 29, 2001
Running back Ron Shiver becomes the first player to sign with the Dragons. He had gone undrafted in the 2001 draft.

January 2002
The Buffalo Bills finally get a ring by winning Superbowl XXXVI.

February 18, 2002
SplitPersonality1 surprised everyone at the end of the expansion draft, by cutting all 25 players selected. He then held the now famous press conference where he explained his team philosophy.

“We are an expansion team. We will most likely suck for the first few years. Why should I stock my team with the castoffs and rejects from the other 31 teams? If we somehow post a decent record, can we really feel good about it? These guys I just cut are not my players. I want to build this team from the ground up, using players that no one has any preconceived notions about. Since I can’t fill a 53-man roster will rookies, I will bend my own rules slightly and only have players on the team who entered the NFL in 2001 or later…I also believe in getting as many quality local players as I can. The Melbourne Dragons will make a special effort to get the best players from area schools. I will attempt to have 15% of my team come from the state of Florida. I want to be the team that Floridians think of when they think of pro football.”

Florida football would never be the same.

tucker342 · 07-12-2003, 10:19 AM

Great set up

I'll be reading

SplitPersonality1 · 07-13-2003, 05:24 PM

excerpts from Chapter 1 – 2002: Beginnings

The Draft
Defensive Tackle Bubba Hodges becomes the first player selected by the Dragins in the 2002 draft. When questioned about the pick, Coach Matthews said the following:

“Defense was our first priority, followed by a solid O-Line. I think that our current QB, Jackie Benton, will blossom in time. A good or great QB from the draft would have probably been wasted on this team as it stands. That’s why we chose Bubba”

Below is the 2002 draft through the eyes of Head Scout Gilbert Ondre

Rnd 1 - Bubba Hodges, DT, Georgia Tech – is a decent player now and had All-Pro potential – hopefully he pans out
Rnd 2 - Claude Pannell, DT, UCLA – should be a good match to Bubba
Rnd 3 - Derrick Massey, G, Central Michigan – unspectacular but solid
Rnd 4 - Britt Fisk, RB, Tennessee – an average RB
Rnd 5 - Kenny Whelan, WR, Wake Forest – not great, but not bad for a 5th rounder
Rnd 6 - Derrick Compton, G, Oregon – potential breakout guy
Rnd 7 - Omar Miller, C, Boston College – why was this guy still around in round 7???

Training Camp 2002
Scout Gilbert Ondre received an answer as to why center Omar Miller was still in the draft in round seven. He was not a very good football player. In fact, most of the first seven draftees were busts. DT Bubba Hodges, expected to anchor the defensive line for the foreseeable future, never started a game in his three-year career with the Dragons. He was probably the biggest bust since the Packers chose Tony Mandarich back in 1989. To make matters worse, RB Dan Shiver, the first player picked by the Dragons, was rated 4th out of 4 in running backs…on an expansion team.
The only bright spot was that QB Jackie Benton improved a bit as camp progressed. He was still perhaps, the worst starter in the league, but showed signs on becoming at least an average quarterback.
All in all, the first training camp for the fledgling franchise was an unmitigated disaster

2002 Roster and Scouting assessments



From the desk of Gilbert Ondre of the Melbourne Dragons

  Position/Player         Current Est  Future Est     Exp   Sgnd

  QB  Jackie Benton                 4          10       2   2003   

  QB  Chuck Sevcik                  4           7       1   2002   

  QB  Conrad Money                  3           5       2   2003   

  RB  Adrian Anglin                 6          10       2   2003   

  RB  Britt Fisk                    9           9       1   2005   

  RB  Henry Huntley                 7           7       2   2005   

  RB  Dan Shiver                    4           6       2   2004   

  FB  Marshall Jones                5           7       2   2003   

  FB  Jerald McDaniel               6           6       2   2003   

  TE  Myron Burgess                 5           5       2   2003   

  TE  Wayne Henry                   4           5       2   2003   

  WR  Kenny Whelan                  7          10       1   2004   

  WR  Roderick Briggs               8           8       1   2002   

  WR  Wendell Dunlap                5           8       2   2003   

  WR  Josh White                    5           8       2   2004   

  WR  Jared Legette                 7           7       2   2004   

  WR  Wayne Stafford                7           7       2   2004   

  WR  Jake Wyatt                    7           7       1   2005   

   C  Alfred Kemp                   3           8       1   2002   

   C  Omar Miller                   4           4       1   2004   

   C  Walt Wells                    2           4       2   2002   

   G  Derrick Compton               7           7       1   2003   

   G  Deron Capstick                3           7       2   2003   

   G  Derrick Massey                6           6       1   2004   

   G  Devin Donaldson               5           5       2   2004   

   G  Myron Devine                  2           5       2   2004   

   T  Riddick Lincoln               2           8       2   2004   

   T  Les Prince                    4           7       2   2005   

   T  B.J. Barokas                  4           7       2   2004   

   T  Zach Hughes                   3           7       2   2004   

   T  Sherman Hernandez             2           2       1   2002

   P  Jeffrey Bercich               6           6       2   2002   

   K  Gino McCord                   7           9       2   2002   

  DE  Donovan Edwards               8           8       2   2003   

  DE  Matt Allen                    4           7       2   2003   

  DE  Melvin Cordell                4           6       2   2003   

  DE  Anthony Cahill                4           4       2   2003   

  DT  Claude Pannell                8          10       1   2005   

  DT  Craig Gonzalez                5           5       2   2004   

  DT  Bubba Hodges                  2           5       1   2006   

  DT  David McIntyre                3           3       2   2004   

  DT  Quinn Glenn                   2           3       2   2004   

  LB  Lawrence Nogas                4           9       2   2004   

  LB  Cedric Van Pelt               2           8       2   2003   

  LB  Bill Travis                   2           6       2   2004   

  LB  Leo Van Pelt                  5           6       2   2004   

  LB  Arnold Hammond                5           6       2   2002   

  LB  J.R. Ramirez                  3           5       2   2004   

  CB  Pete Warfield                 6          10       2   2004   

  CB  Emmitt Hickman                5           8       2   2003   

  CB  Maurice Clemons               5           6       1   2005   

  CB  Victor Baxter                 5           6       2   2004   

  CB  Ernie Purnell                 4           4       1   2005   

   S  Pete Emmons                   3           6       2   2004   

   S  Kenny Sims                    3           6       2   2004   

   S  Reggie Clayton                5           5       1   2005   

   S  Sammie Joyner                 4           4       2   2003

07-12-2003, 01:12 AM	#2
SplitPersonality1 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Grafton, WI	excerpts from Chapter 0 – Pregame Warmup – A Timeline June 1999 The NFL announced that it had was about to reach a final decision as to which city would get a new franchise. Los Angeles was at the top of the list, but these were still many concerns regarding the ownership and lack of a new stadium plan. September 1999 Talks break down in Los Angeles and Houston, Texas emerges as the most likely city to get a NFL team. However, late in the month, the Houston ownership group collapses in a sea of litigation and in-fighting. The league calls for a special meeting to decide if there are to move forward with expansion plans. October 14, 1999 The National Football League shocks the world with the announcement that Melbourne, Florida would be the home of the league’s 32nd franchise. A 32-yr old unknown lottery winner named SplitPersonality1 would be the sole owner of the team. September 6, 2000 After a two month long contest for the residents of Melbourne to name the team, owner SplitPersonality1 angered fans by rejecting the winning entry. “There is no way in hell I am going to have a f**ing sea cow as the mascot”, said the irate owner in a radio interview. “I mean really, how the hell do you market the “Melbourne Manatees” anyway. This was the first of many controversies the young owner found himself in. September 8, 2000* The team unveiled the official name – “Dragons” and the first official logo; a fierce gold and black dragon on a field of red. When the initial shipments of replica jerseys were made, they quickly became one of the leagues best sellers. January 2001 The New York Jets win Superbowl XXXV September 21, 2001 The Melbourne Dragons announced the hiring of unknown 54 year-old Kelly Matthews as head coach. His previous coaching experience was at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he was known for his rapport with kickers and the secondary. His $2.65M salary made him the 10th best paid coach in the league. December 29, 2001 Running back Ron Shiver becomes the first player to sign with the Dragons. He had gone undrafted in the 2001 draft. January 2002 The Buffalo Bills finally get a ring by winning Superbowl XXXVI. February 18, 2002 SplitPersonality1 surprised everyone at the end of the expansion draft, by cutting all 25 players selected. He then held the now famous press conference where he explained his team philosophy. “We are an expansion team. We will most likely suck for the first few years. Why should I stock my team with the castoffs and rejects from the other 31 teams? If we somehow post a decent record, can we really feel good about it? These guys I just cut are not my players. I want to build this team from the ground up, using players that no one has any preconceived notions about. Since I can’t fill a 53-man roster will rookies, I will bend my own rules slightly and only have players on the team who entered the NFL in 2001 or later…I also believe in getting as many quality local players as I can. The Melbourne Dragons will make a special effort to get the best players from area schools. I will attempt to have 15% of my team come from the state of Florida. I want to be the team that Floridians think of when they think of pro football.” Florida football would never be the same. Last edited by SplitPersonality1 : 07-12-2003 at 01:13 AM.

07-13-2003, 05:24 PM	#4
SplitPersonality1 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Grafton, WI	excerpts from Chapter 1 – 2002: Beginnings The Draft Defensive Tackle Bubba Hodges becomes the first player selected by the Dragins in the 2002 draft. When questioned about the pick, Coach Matthews said the following: “Defense was our first priority, followed by a solid O-Line. I think that our current QB, Jackie Benton, will blossom in time. A good or great QB from the draft would have probably been wasted on this team as it stands. That’s why we chose Bubba” Below is the 2002 draft through the eyes of Head Scout Gilbert Ondre Rnd 1 - Bubba Hodges, DT, Georgia Tech – is a decent player now and had All-Pro potential – hopefully he pans out Rnd 2 - Claude Pannell, DT, UCLA – should be a good match to Bubba Rnd 3 - Derrick Massey, G, Central Michigan – unspectacular but solid Rnd 4 - Britt Fisk, RB, Tennessee – an average RB Rnd 5 - Kenny Whelan, WR, Wake Forest – not great, but not bad for a 5th rounder Rnd 6 - Derrick Compton, G, Oregon – potential breakout guy Rnd 7 - Omar Miller, C, Boston College – why was this guy still around in round 7??? Training Camp 2002 Scout Gilbert Ondre received an answer as to why center Omar Miller was still in the draft in round seven. He was not a very good football player. In fact, most of the first seven draftees were busts. DT Bubba Hodges, expected to anchor the defensive line for the foreseeable future, never started a game in his three-year career with the Dragons. He was probably the biggest bust since the Packers chose Tony Mandarich back in 1989. To make matters worse, RB Dan Shiver, the first player picked by the Dragons, was rated 4th out of 4 in running backs…on an expansion team. The only bright spot was that QB Jackie Benton improved a bit as camp progressed. He was still perhaps, the worst starter in the league, but showed signs on becoming at least an average quarterback. All in all, the first training camp for the fledgling franchise was an unmitigated disaster 2002 Roster and Scouting assessments From the desk of Gilbert Ondre of the Melbourne Dragons Position/Player Current Est Future Est Exp Sgnd QB Jackie Benton 4 10 2 2003 QB Chuck Sevcik 4 7 1 2002 QB Conrad Money 3 5 2 2003 RB Adrian Anglin 6 10 2 2003 RB Britt Fisk 9 9 1 2005 RB Henry Huntley 7 7 2 2005 RB Dan Shiver 4 6 2 2004 FB Marshall Jones 5 7 2 2003 FB Jerald McDaniel 6 6 2 2003 TE Myron Burgess 5 5 2 2003 TE Wayne Henry 4 5 2 2003 WR Kenny Whelan 7 10 1 2004 WR Roderick Briggs 8 8 1 2002 WR Wendell Dunlap 5 8 2 2003 WR Josh White 5 8 2 2004 WR Jared Legette 7 7 2 2004 WR Wayne Stafford 7 7 2 2004 WR Jake Wyatt 7 7 1 2005 C Alfred Kemp 3 8 1 2002 C Omar Miller 4 4 1 2004 C Walt Wells 2 4 2 2002 G Derrick Compton 7 7 1 2003 G Deron Capstick 3 7 2 2003 G Derrick Massey 6 6 1 2004 G Devin Donaldson 5 5 2 2004 G Myron Devine 2 5 2 2004 T Riddick Lincoln 2 8 2 2004 T Les Prince 4 7 2 2005 T B.J. Barokas 4 7 2 2004 T Zach Hughes 3 7 2 2004 T Sherman Hernandez 2 2 1 2002 P Jeffrey Bercich 6 6 2 2002 K Gino McCord 7 9 2 2002 DE Donovan Edwards 8 8 2 2003 DE Matt Allen 4 7 2 2003 DE Melvin Cordell 4 6 2 2003 DE Anthony Cahill 4 4 2 2003 DT Claude Pannell 8 10 1 2005 DT Craig Gonzalez 5 5 2 2004 DT Bubba Hodges 2 5 1 2006 DT David McIntyre 3 3 2 2004 DT Quinn Glenn 2 3 2 2004 LB Lawrence Nogas 4 9 2 2004 LB Cedric Van Pelt 2 8 2 2003 LB Bill Travis 2 6 2 2004 LB Leo Van Pelt 5 6 2 2004 LB Arnold Hammond 5 6 2 2002 LB J.R. Ramirez 3 5 2 2004 CB Pete Warfield 6 10 2 2004 CB Emmitt Hickman 5 8 2 2003 CB Maurice Clemons 5 6 1 2005 CB Victor Baxter 5 6 2 2004 CB Ernie Purnell 4 4 1 2005 S Pete Emmons 3 6 2 2004 S Kenny Sims 3 6 2 2004 S Reggie Clayton 5 5 1 2005 S Sammie Joyner 4 4 2 2003 Last edited by SplitPersonality1 : 07-13-2003 at 05:37 PM.

07-12-2003, 10:19 AM	#3
tucker342 Pro Starter Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Iowa City, IA	Great set up I'll be reading

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