The Cleveland Gladiators were an Arizona Rattlers team away from reaching the ArenaBowl and possibly being crowned champions in 2016. In 2017, they have a much better chance to get there.
The Cleveland Gladiators Look Glorious Going Forward
The Gladiators were one of the best teams in the Arena Football League in 2016. They have a very explosive offense that could beat anyone that wasn’t the Rattlers. They even were able to beat the Philadelphia Soul in two of their three meetings.
Quarterback Arvell Nelson was a very good quarterback for Cleveland. He was able to make plays with his arms and his legs. He also had two great receivers in Collin Taylor and Quentin Sims to make plays.
The Gladiators lost two of their best players on defense. Joe Powell is bouncing around the NFL and Marvin Ross has signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League. Still, a few good signs and they’ll have a good defense once more.
Cleveland also announced that head coach Steve Thonn wouldn’t be returning to the team in 2017. Thonn led the Gladiators to their lone ArenaBowl appearance in 2014. They will now be coached by Ron Selesky, who’s been with them for six of the last seven seasons.
Not only does this team have a lot of talent, but they’ll have a lot of pressure on them. The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA title. The Cleveland Monsters are currently the AHL champions. In baseball, the Cleveland Indians fell just short of a World Series title. Even the Cleveland Browns won a game.
Now the Gladiators must prove to the country that Cleveland is a title town. Pending a few defensive signings, the Gladiators should be the favorite to win the ArenaBowl, too.
The Soul are probably the favorite by the league being defending champions. But the Gladiators know how to shut the Soul down. The league should keep an eye on the Gladiators. They’re in the driver’s seat to win their first ArenaBowl title in franchise history.
