'86 Chronology-Fire Sale!

Event Date: February 16th, 1986

Event Description: 'Slingers Assets Seized

Source: UPI

Movers enforcing a court order against South Texas Sports, parent company of the U.S. Football League Gunslingers, removed equipment worth an estimated $100,000 from the team's offices for auction, the San Antonio Light reported.

Wednesday's bulk confiscations were directed by lawyer Phil Hardberger, who obtained a $627,651.42 judgment against South Texas Sports last October on behalf of 52 former team members who had not been paid for months.

“We are taking everything that is not nailed down and some that is," Hardberger said. "Anything that can be moved will be moved."

Items seized included office furniture, photographic equipment, jerseys, helmets, a copying machine, two team buses and a pickup.

Last week the Texas 4th Court of Appeals rejected an appeal of the judgment filed by Marynell Maloney, lawyer for South Texas Sports. Maloney also failed Wednesday to get a temporary restraining order to block the confiscations.

Maloney claimed the items taken did not belong to South Texas Sports, but to Gamblers owner Clinton Manges personally.

“This is all Clinton Manges’," she said. “He (Hardberger) has a judgment against South Texas Sports, not Clinton Manges. If he (Hardberger) was really working in the best interest of his clients, he would work with Mr. Manges on this. Mr. Manges fully intends to pay the players, as soon as he gets the money.”

Former Gunslinger cornerback Pete Raeford, the first player in team history to get a touchdown at Alamo Stadium, said something had to be done.

“I'd rather get my total paycheck, but this is a first step,” he said. “It's personally satisfying, seeing them take it all.”