"Mid-statement, all the players got up and left," former Power center Beau Elliott told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Every player got up and left while he was still talking. There were 15 to 20 angry, large individuals."
The AFL Player's Association was calling for an increase in the $400 game checks paid to most players on each team. The union demanded a 300 percent increase in the minimum salary. AFL owners countered with a $100 raise.
Shaner told the newspaper that some players split from the union and returned to the team in time for Saturday night's game. Those who didn't were stuck in Orlando and forced to return to Pittsburgh on their own.