An Erstwhile History Lesson: Life and Death of the Portland Prowlers

[Pounder]

The following is an e-mail I received third-hand five years ago... from a source that definitely did not want to hear any negative news about the Portland Prowlers, therefore I tend to trust it. At worst, it's some sad personal testimony open to obvious scrutiny. At best, it could be considered a lesson in how not to conduct sports business... so, Minor League Man, pay close attention.

I have had to post this in two parts.

From “the Ref in the Endzone”: This isn’t good news, but it is information which explains much about what has been happening behind the scenes in the Prowler’s organization. Remember the “someone stole the white footballs” line??? This explains that there was no money, even to buy more footballs. Michael Shockley was one of the original members of Endzone Enterprises, as you’ll find out as you read down. There’s a good possibility that there won’t be a team in Portland, looks like you’ll have to travel down to Medford…..

I’m not real sure what to do with the information…..

From a man identified as Michael Shockley:

Well I just read the board today and see some one doesn’t like me very much. Apparently he has had something to do with the team as he knows about the tee shirts. I wonder if he knows I had them printed at my expense and gave them to the team. The leftovers were sold by Terri Rodrigues in our office to the public. Interestingly, she gave the proceeds, about $200, to Highsmith to give to me. He claims his wife, who has since left him, kept the money.

Since I’m barred from posting and I’ve seen your posts over the course of the past several months, I’ll give you some inside info, not very sexy but factual, which might explain some things.

Endzone Enterprises is a Washington LLC originally formed with 6 members in Tacoma to place an IPFL team in the Tacoma Dome. Michael Highsmith formed the group and purported to have a lease nearly negotiated for the 2000 season.

He is a native Tacomaite and had been involved as an owner in a semi-pro team for several years. He had been approached by James Attaberry who knew that a mutual acquaintaince, Dick Suess, had a IPFL franchise for sale. Attaberry is a young hotshot with a PR firm in Seattle, High Five Promotions. His goal was to place a team in Tacoma and be the marketing entity for the franchise. His long term goal was to expand into becoming the marketing firm for the entire league.

Highsmith and Attaberry approached two private capital bankers known to Highsmith’s father, as investors. Kevin Byrne and Bob Coleman were interested in the proposal and a group was born. Kevin asked an attorney he knew for some document production for the group who in the end became interested in the deal also. Tom Oldfield became the 5th member. Highsmith ran into (coach) Richard Harris and learned of my interest in Arena Football. Highsmith contacted me and we met to discuss the deal. He told me that he really didn’t have another opening in the group and besides he was trying to limit the group to all Tacoma businessmen, which I’m not. His plan was for the 5 members already committed, 1 uncommitted Tacoma guy and Dick Suess to own 8 equal shares, Suess owning 2 shares in exchange for the franchise.

Eventually it became evident to Highsmith that only he, Byrne, Coleman, and Oldfield were the only contributing members, as Attaberry and Suess had no money and the un-named other guy decided to opt out. Highsmith contacted me to say he had revised his all Tacoma rule and invited me to join. I declined because of Suess’ involvement and his reputation. A week or so later he called back to say Suess was out and did that interest me? In the end I agreed to join based on Highsmith’s assurance that the lease with the T-dome was in the bag and his business plan as developed with Attaberry’s input.

This was October 1999. In December 1999 after being literally thrown out of the T-dome’s director’s office, we had no lease and were told we would never have a lease. Apparently Attaberry had worked with the Dome and Rainiers AAA baseball team and left in a storm. Mike Coombs, the T-dome’s director, told Mike Storen, the IPFL commissioner, that anybody in business with Attaberry was never going to do business with the dome.

At that time all the members were only invested to the amount of $1,000 each and it looked like that was that. Then the Forest Dragons decamped for Oklahoma City. HS and Attaberry hustled to Portland and, long story short, made a deal with the Rose Quarter and the Prowlers were born. Attaberry was just sure he could successfully market the team even though we only had 4 months to set everything up, including fielding a team.

I was against it. Trying to own a team 180 miles in another town meant absentee management and I felt it was a prescription for disaster. Nonetheless we went forward. I realized we had a big job and suggested we divide the responsibilities in order to have any hope of success. I was not interested in the business end of the franchise as I have my own business to run. I became the director of football and left the business to Highsmith and the marketing to Attaberry.

Through my connections, Guy Benjamin agreed to move to Portland and become the Head Coach. Since he knew no one to help coach in Portland and had about 2 months to get a team ready, I asked Richard Harris and Kerry Justin to help. This meant Richard, Kerry and me had to drive from Seattle to Portland 2 times a week for practices and then the weekend for games. We did this for nearly 26 weeks.

***** continues on next post *****

[Pounder]

Fast forward to March 15 after tryouts, practices and team selection, we were two weeks from the first game and Benjamin went back to Hawaii not to return. Heart problems. I prevailed on Richard, as my best friend, to take on the job. The success of the football program is self explanatory. Mike Storen told me that it was the best program in the league.

Meanwhile, over at confusion central, Attaberry was stumbling all over the place with sales and sponsorships. His proforma of $400K in sponsorships topped out at about $40K most of which was never collected. His target of 1500 season ticket sales topped out at about 200 and the necessary 3,800 walkups averaged at about 600. He gave away another 1,500 each week unknown to us. Obviously we were in serious financial difficulty. By week 5 of the season each of the members except Attaberry had invested an additional $40K each and it was apparent to me that we would lose 5 or 600K at the rate we were going. Attaberry finally threw in the towel and quit. Why not? All he had in was $1,000. He had kept several thousand dollars in what few receipts we had and had been paid for his marketing efforts, as little as they were, to date.

At that point I gave notice that I would invest no more, partially because it was patently obvious where we were headed and partially because the other members led by HS refused to reimburse me $12K I had paid on the team’s behalf or count that as a contribution. I was simply another unsecured creditor. From that point forward I simply played football and cut my losses. The season completed partly because another member bought in (what could he be thinking?), and the remaining members fronted a few more bucks to keep the doors open. In the end the players got paid because I threatened to go to the media with the story. Remember the guy at the radio station who said we were broke? My threat to again go to the media failed to get the Coaches paid however as HS figured out that I wouldn’t do it because I didn’t want to tarnish it for the players, etc. So he stiffed Coach Harris $4K in salary and $4K in reimbursements, he stiffed Coach Justin $1,200 in salary, Erik (Wilhelm) $2,500 in salary and $1,500 in expenses and Mike Skladaney for $2K. The worst thing, however, was Phil Pompeo, the co-offensive coordinator. He was Highsmith’s partner in the semi-pro team and best friend. He stiffed him for $7,500. He did have enough $ to go to St. Louis for a meeting of the executive board for the league and take Toddman along. Got his little ego boost at most everybody’s expense.

I caused all kinds of **** even to the point of involving the League Commissioner, Mike Storen. In the end after several months of harassment, Highsmith paid Kerry his $1,200 but only $2,800 of the money he owed Richard. Erik slickered Highsmith out of his money by stringing him along promising to play and be head coach this year, and when paid, bade Highsmith adios for LA. Poor Skladaney and Pompeo got nada.

Bob Coleman has notified the group that he has taken my position and will not be investing any additional cash. With 3 of the members refusing to contribute, the remaining members have also ceased to contribute and Highsmith is out of business. He is stringing this out in the vain hope of continuing his dream of owning a football team. Maybe a white knight will ride in and dump a load of cash on him to lose. He can continue to hold his coveted position on the executive committee. Man is nuts, lost $100K of his own money, his family and most of his mind as a result of this lopsided dream. Sad.

That’s the story in a nutshell, you have my permission to quote, publish, repeat or trash any or all of this and I will not have the slightest problem.

One final thing, our equipment manager, Karl Mosley, who is the equipment manager for Lake Oswego HS, got pissed about his treatment by Highsmith, and quit the week of the Championship game. As such it fell to me to collect all the gear after the final game. I gathered about 50% that night, brought it to Seattle, washed, sorted and stored it in my warehouse. Two weeks later, Highsmith collected about another 30% from the players who hung on to it until they got their final check and SENT it to me to put with the other gear. I have no idea where the other 20% is. I have the gear still. I have never held it ransom. Highsmith has never asked for it and it remains today in my warehouse.

I have no idea who you are but you now know more than anyone else except the people involved mentioned above. Makes for an interesting soap opera if it wasn’t for all the dough lost.

Happy footballing

Mike Shockley

[Robert J. LaHue]

Wasn't High Five Promotions the same company that was supposed to handle sponsorships for the Southern Oregon Heat during the first season of the NIFL? If so, I think they tanked to about 10% of the promised revenue there, too...

[Pounder]

Bumped due to recent reference.

BTW, I never did follow up with who promoted Southern Oregon, but Eugene certainly smelled fish when the attempt to move was made.

[BananaCat]

Here's two articles on the Prowlers (from this great site no less) that shed more light on their existence, and their defeat at the hands of Fourcade's team: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=2707697 and http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=2707712