jmhonline
12-03-2004, 09:06 AM
This might interest you guys from a player's perspective about the current state of the ABA:
1. Tryout for team (actually one of the financially stable teams) and they offer me a contract for over $2000 which is not bad as you will see below. Only catch is that I have to decide right then and there two months before training camp with a $25,000 buyout clause if I go overseas, etc. They "say" coach will definitely not enforce that and owner most likely won't enforce that. Ask to take contract to my agent. Told I have to decide right then and there and agent can look at a copy after I sign it. As you can imagine, I turn it down.
2. Make another team and invited to vet camp only contracts won't be signed until five days of vet camp. If you get hurt, oh well. No trainer and no place to workout. You can't even get ice after practice. Fight almost breaks out at practice with dirty play. Agent says salaries look to be in the $1200-1700 range. Per dium is missing after second day of practice. We have 2-a-days with the second practice late at night with not enough time to stretch, eat, rest, and sleep before it is time to get up for the next practice in the morning. With no trainer and conditioning work in both practices, injuries waiting to happen especially with not much time to recover from one practice to the next. One player sprains ankle at first practice and is only able to ice it all week with no treatment available. I leave.
3. Fly out to other team and made to wait in offices over six hours rather than go to hotel to rest/sleep. 2nd day of tryouts made to wait over an hour after leaving hotel and making me late with no time to warm up. All players only offered $300/wk. No thanks.
4. Team owner and coach for next team keep calling about me playing for them (season is starting). Do you have a trainer? "no, not yet". Do you have a place for us to workout? "No, not yet". No thanks.
5. Another coach says they really need my position filled. Pay is $250/wk. No thanks
6. Another team is calling my agent (season well under way). Pay is only $300/wk and are having a tryout at player's expense. No thanks.
As you can see, many teams are horribly screwed up financially and don't have player's best interests in mind which is understandable seeing how screwed up they are.
1. Tryout for team (actually one of the financially stable teams) and they offer me a contract for over $2000 which is not bad as you will see below. Only catch is that I have to decide right then and there two months before training camp with a $25,000 buyout clause if I go overseas, etc. They "say" coach will definitely not enforce that and owner most likely won't enforce that. Ask to take contract to my agent. Told I have to decide right then and there and agent can look at a copy after I sign it. As you can imagine, I turn it down.
2. Make another team and invited to vet camp only contracts won't be signed until five days of vet camp. If you get hurt, oh well. No trainer and no place to workout. You can't even get ice after practice. Fight almost breaks out at practice with dirty play. Agent says salaries look to be in the $1200-1700 range. Per dium is missing after second day of practice. We have 2-a-days with the second practice late at night with not enough time to stretch, eat, rest, and sleep before it is time to get up for the next practice in the morning. With no trainer and conditioning work in both practices, injuries waiting to happen especially with not much time to recover from one practice to the next. One player sprains ankle at first practice and is only able to ice it all week with no treatment available. I leave.
3. Fly out to other team and made to wait in offices over six hours rather than go to hotel to rest/sleep. 2nd day of tryouts made to wait over an hour after leaving hotel and making me late with no time to warm up. All players only offered $300/wk. No thanks.
4. Team owner and coach for next team keep calling about me playing for them (season is starting). Do you have a trainer? "no, not yet". Do you have a place for us to workout? "No, not yet". No thanks.
5. Another coach says they really need my position filled. Pay is $250/wk. No thanks
6. Another team is calling my agent (season well under way). Pay is only $300/wk and are having a tryout at player's expense. No thanks.
As you can see, many teams are horribly screwed up financially and don't have player's best interests in mind which is understandable seeing how screwed up they are.