Funny Story About the Gliebermans

Bernard Glieberman, a Detroit real estate developer and his son Lonnie had owned the Ottawa Rough Riders and in 1994, were allowed to sell the team and then purchase the expansion franchise that ultimately wound up in Shreveport. They were allowed to take a handful of Ottawa players with them, including QB Terrence Jones.

However, the Pirates were another American CFL team that ultimately proved to be unsuccesful on the field. Their first victory didn’t come until the 15th week of their initial season, and in 1995, all their victories were against Canadian teams.

After the 1995 season, the Gliebermans tried to move the team to Norfolk, Virginia but the deal fell through. Notable about the move to Virginia was “the Great Tucker Caper” when the City of Shreveport tried to seize Bernard Glieberman’s 1948 Tucker for defaulting on debts related to the Pirates’ lease at Independence Stadium. Glieberman’s lawyer, Mark Gilliam, tried to escape with the car and hide the vintage auto, but he ran out of gas along the way. The police spotted him, and took the car back to the museum where it was being stored until the case could be settled. You can read more about this story at The Great Tucker Caper.

Man How could we be so Blind to Let them back in?