Sockers Ask for Bonuses; Bell Refuses : Kansas City May Earn Nothing From Playoffs

KANSAS CITY — Whenever an athlete says he would play for nothing, some people, undoubtedly, would like proof.

Well, the Kansas City Comets may well be playing for nothing in the Major Indoor Soccer League playoffs.

Unless the Comets win three straight against the Sockers, including today’s 1:35 p.m. game in Kemper Arena, they won’t make a dime from the postseason.

Kansas City swept two games from St. Louis in the wild-card round, but teams don’t get paid for that series. Only the winners get paid in each round thereafter, and the Comets have lost the first two games in their best-of-five quarterfinal with San Diego.

How do the players feel about playing for no pay? Are they ready to create a stir or threaten a boycott?

Not hardly.

“Right now, we’re just glad to be in the playoffs,” said Greg Makowski, Kansas City’s player representative. “I think everyone should get a piece of the pie, but teams are losing money. There haven’t been a whole lot of owners knocking on the door to get in the league. Owners have a right to make money. When they sign you to a contract, they expect you to play a full season, including the playoffs.”

Winning teams in the quarterfinals get $7,500. Semifinal winners, $10,000, and the league champion is awarded $20,000. Thus, the eventual league champion will receive a total of $37,500.

In comparison, each of the Padres was paid $42,000 for losing in the World Series last year.

“It’s silly,” said Steve Zungul of the Sockers. “When you play as many games as we do, you should come up with reasonable money. The winning team should get at least $10,000 a player in the championship. The losers should get $5,000 each.”

As a whole, the Sockers are very upset about playoff payoffs. Even if they win the championship, their $37,500 amounts to just over $1,600 apiece if they split equal shares among 23 players. The team also split $10,000 for winning the Western Division. Recently, the players approached Owner Bob Bell for bonus money if they win their fourth straight championship. Bell refused.

“Our reasoning was that bonuses are the traditional thing in most of the soccer world,” said Ade Coker, the Sockers’ player representative. “We could see Bob Bell’s point of not having to give us the money just because we asked.

“The reason we confronted him to start with was because we hadn’t heard from him. Bob annually talks to us prior to the playoffs and congratulates us. When we talked to him, we already had won the division and home-field advantage but hadn’t heard from him. We thought maybe we should ask.”

Last season, the Sockers heard from Bell. He awarded the team with $30,000 in bonuses on top of the winners’ share.

But this year is different, Bell said, because the team has 12 minority owners it did not have last year. Bell is trying to make the team break even for the first time. He even fired three employees, including President Jack Daley, early in the season to save $175,000.

“Theoretically, the players are right if they think they should get more money for the playoffs,” Bell said. “But the club isn’t making money. I dug into my pocket the last three years to give bonuses. This year, in my situation with the partners, I really can’t do it and the club can’t do it. We have built so much debt that we have to use what we make out of the playoffs to pay it off.”

Bell said the Sockers could realize a small profit if they get to the finals and each playoff series goes the maximum number of games. That does not seem likely.

However, Bell said five or six players on the team have bonus clauses in their contract for winning the championship. Bell said the bonuses total about $45,000.

Beyond that, the playoff revenues will stay with Bell and his partners.

“I never get mad at players for wanting more money,” Bell said. “If they get too much, it’s because the owners give it to them. It’s just like when your kids ask for money. You have to say no. They just don’t understand the economics involved.”

Despite Bell’s stance, the players have not dropped their request.

“He explained his financial situation,” Coker said. “That’s where we stand right now. I don’t know if it’s a dead issue. We’re hoping it’s not.”

The Sockers are also hoping to get championship rings from Bell if they win. The issue has not been decided.

But if Socker players are looking for sympathy, they’re not getting any from Kansas City players.

“If playoff bonuses and championship rings aren’t in their contracts, well, nobody held a gun to their heads,” said Comet Laurie Abrahams, a former Socker. “Their average salary is the highest in the league. To a large extent, they are being paid to win it all. From that point of view, Bob Bell is entitled to be upset if they ask for more.”

Socker Notes

Kansas City has not forgotten the final moments of its 11-7 loss Friday night in San Diego. The Comets are still upset that Socker Coach Ron Newman called a timeout with three seconds remaining to work on a set play. “I’ll remember that when I have a bleeping team like theirs soon,” Comet Coach Rick Benben said. . . . Kansas City goalkeeper Manny Schwartz is uncertain for today’s game. Schwartz left Friday’s game in the second quarter after reinjuring a sprained right thumb. “I didn’t miss a game when this happened before,” Schwartz said. “I guess I’ll be able to play.” . . . The Sockers are 21-2 in their playoff history and have won eight straight playoff games. Currently, they have won six straight games, 14 of 16, 21 of 25 and 25 of 30. The Sockers have beaten Kansas City eight straight times, including a two-game sweep in the 1982-83 playoffs. . . . Jean Willrich of the Sockers celebrated his 32nd birthday Saturday. . . . Today’s game will be broadcast live by KLZZ (600) radio. It will not be televised.