E-Hawks demise was a long time coming

Published 6:06 am Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Movers cleaned out the Everett Hawks office Sunday.

It’s now as though the indoor football team never existed. It’s as though it never played a down in Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center.

It’s as though not one Hawks check ever bounced. It’s as though the Hawks never let a debt go unpaid. It’s as though the state never had to send one notice to the team about unpaid taxes.

It’s as if owner Sam Adams never set foot here.

More than a few in Snohomish County who did business with Adams wish he never had.

The Everett Hawks are gone now, succumbing to a slow, lingering death that ended in a pool of red ink. Adams says he’s lost $3 million on the team since 2005. Michael Tuckman, who obtained a 49-percent share in the team only a month ago, said the team still leaves a debt in mid-six figures. Included is more than $60,000 owed to the events center and more than $6,000 to the state Employment Security Department for unemployment insurance taxes dating back to 2005, according to a June Snohomish County Superior Court filing.

Although the Hawks were paid up on $9,400 they owed the state Department of Revenue in state taxes, penalties and interest since the first quarter of 2006, the team still owes a much smaller amount to be in full compliance.

In June, “Downtown” Dennis Wagner, owner of the Hawks’ office building, filed an eviction summons against the Hawks in Superior Court, claiming they owed $6,400 for two months of unpaid rent and trash-collection fees.

Not a pretty picture, is it?

The team’s financial problems came to public light last year, when it was discovered the team was piling up debts with the state and contracted workers. Some filed suit against Adams and the Hawks for outstanding debts. Some received checks from the Hawks, but were told by banks that the account had no such funds.

Adams blamed sloppy office work by incompetent employees. Because of his playing obligations as a defensive tackle with the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos in the past three years, the 14-year NFL player said he could not devote the time needed in Everett to oversee day-to-day operations.

He vowed, however, that he had the right people in place and that the team’s financial problems were behind it.

A year later, the Hawks dissolved.

It’s a merciful death. The team’s credibility had been on life support for some time.

In addition to money problems, Adams hired and fired high-level employees at an almost comically rapid rate. Since their inception in 2005, the Hawks totaled four coaches and seven general managers. One GM, Elvis Ahlborn, predicted a front-office turnaround and boasted that great things would happen upon his hiring in November 2006. His tenure lasted two weeks.

The revolving door, losing records, continuing financial problems and increasingly frustrated business community damaged the Hawks’ image and led to declining game attendance.

How weird has it gotten? Tuckman’s role now appears up for debate. On Monday, Adams said he didn’t know why Hawks officials introduced Tuckman as part owner and team president.

And why doesn’t arenafootball2 say who may or may not own the team’s rights?

The confusion is typical of the way the team was run since the beginning.

To his credit, Adams took responsibility Monday for the team’s demise and, in his words, “failing the fans.” The unfortunate and inexcusable aspect of Adams’ saga is the length of time he waited to sell even a minority share, allowing money problems to proliferate and public trust to deteriorate.

Tuckman may or may not be able to keep arena football in Everett in some form. His desire is there. Whether the capital is remains to be seen. Thanks to Adams, Tuckman likely will face a skeptical group of area business owners, who won’t fall for the same shenanigans twice.

One favorable factor in Tuckman’s quest: Adams won’t have anything to do with it.

Sports columnist John Sleeper: sleeper@heraldnet.com.