reprinted from The Atlanta Vindicator, Tuesday, August 27, 2013
ATLANTA - Atlanta Flying Fleet GM Mickey Lollis blamed his team's preseason loss to the minor league Birmingham Vulcans this weekend on the presence of advertising patches.
"I don't want to take away anything from what (the Vulcans) did on the field, but when you see the outcome, the two teams that were matched up. I think what happened was obvious. Yes, it was because of the patches. It had to be."
The Fleet lost to the Vulcans 64-40 in their first game wearing the sponsorship patches of the Comfort Suites, a nationwide hotel chain that is affiliated with Choice Hotels, Inc.
The Fleet had been 2-0 and had won their first two preseason games, not wearing any advertising patches, by the scores of 645-492 and 285-256. Their win in the UWFFL Preseason opener on August 4 against the San Francisco Reign Fire set multiple league records for votes received.
"You're gonna tell me that a team gets almost 650 votes without a patch and then only gets 40 votes when wearing a patch is just a coincidence? I was born in the dark, but not last night."
"I don't think it says anything about Comfort Suites. I've always had a great time every time I've ever stayed in one of their hotels. Friendly people. Nice mattresses. Always a good night's sleep. The staff is always wonderful."
"If I have anything to say about the Comfort Suites that is not complimentary, it would be, and it's not their fault, but the occasional jackass that I'm usually behind when I'm checking in. It's always the same kind of guy -- he had a request because he wanted to be on a particular floor, and they didn't have it. This one guy the other night -- he complained that the luggage carts wheels were low on air. Can you believe that!? The luggage cart! Who complains about that?!"
"What a jackass."
