Gwizzlies.........Point made

[formerlyknownasfells]

Somehow I don't think I am on Embry's Christmas card list..........

Gwizzlies in the playoffs announced in December?15 fans at a Gwizzlies home ballgame,look like a rec game? Atlanta this,Atlanta that? Know your facts and history before you ever step this way again,ever.If the Vision was all of that, why didn't the AJC and the Atlanta sports media community acknowledge them when the Gwinnett Braves were announced weeks ago? The Atlanta media said,"Gwinnett have three minor league pro sports franchises now".The ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators,the Arena Football team Georgia Forces and the Gwinnett Braves.When I owned the Gwinnett Gwizzlies in 2004,the Atlanta media did mention us as Gwinnett new pro team team and covered us? All those Gwinnett County teams have "very wealthy owners.The Gwizzlies have board members with deep pockets. One board member name is "Bigger" than all of Pro Sports world-wide.His namesake is bigger than Ali,Jordan,Bird,Tiger,Babe Ruth............................................ The Texas team called us late 1:15 in the morning and said they will not come cuz they have only one or two ballplayers with ABA games under their belts.The winner of that game was to play the Vision for the right to play in the ABA finals.?Finally everybody we have ever hired to do PR and write for us have been fired,release,resign or quit cuz they want to run things their way.It want ever happen.

[ABARedWhiteBlue]

Somehow I don't think I am on Embry's Christmas card list..........

Gwizzlies in the playoffs announced in December?15 fans at a Gwizzlies home ballgame,look like a rec game? Atlanta this,Atlanta that? Know your facts and history before you ever step this way again,ever.If the Vision was all of that, why didn't the AJC and the Atlanta sports media community acknowledge them when the Gwinnett Braves were announced weeks ago? The Atlanta media said,"Gwinnett have three minor league pro sports franchises now".The ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators,the Arena Football team Georgia Forces and the Gwinnett Braves.When I owned the Gwinnett Gwizzlies in 2004,the Atlanta media did mention us as Gwinnett new pro team team and covered us? All those Gwinnett County teams have "very wealthy owners.The Gwizzlies have board members with deep pockets. One board member name is "Bigger" than all of Pro Sports world-wide.His namesake is bigger than Ali,Jordan,Bird,Tiger,Babe Ruth............................................ The Texas team called us late 1:15 in the morning and said they will not come cuz they have only one or two ballplayers with ABA games under their belts.The winner of that game was to play the Vision for the right to play in the ABA finals.?Finally everybody we have ever hired to do PR and write for us have been fired,release,resign or quit cuz they want to run things their way.It want ever happen.

Finally everybody we have ever hired to do PR and write for us have been fired,release,resign or quit cuz they want to run things their way.
Let me guess, they wanted to use basic grammar skills and spell-check??

And I think a better title for this thread might be: Gwizzlies... Point Reinforced

[CHris902]

Five things:

a) I got about half way through that thing before I realized that it was an e-mail and not a press release. Although I am still not 100% sure.

b) I like how he attacks the Atlanta Vision for no reason at all.

c) Maybe he should listen to the PR people he hires... "their way" may include doing things properly.

d) I still don't understand how they keep trying to get so much mileage out of having a member of the King family sitting on their board. It's kind of sad and seems to be really opportunistic.

e) I really enjoyed watching the Gwizzlies play in Halifax. What a great game. I am glad that they do things their way.

[The Sweeper]

Would you even be able to understand a Gwizz Chwitmas Cawd?

[skippy]

Part of owning a professional sports franchise is occassionally having negative things written about you and your team.

The amount of time that a franchise like the Gwizzlies spends responding to the very limited press they receive is indicative of the lack of professionalism they possess.

Since we know that members of the ABA f.o. and teams, coaches read this forum, I will say it again. {and again, and again}

DO not respond with email to articles you deem negative with immature and self-aggrandizing statements. Do not pick fights with individuals who buy ink by the barrelful and/or possess a large pulpit than yourself.

Read some books about responding to negative media. Or better yet, do what you can to stop garnering negative media. Also, read a book about writing press releases if you insist on putting them out yourself.

Excluding the NIFL and Tuckman, I can't think of any other instance of minor league owners actually making their own case appear worse by responding so stupidly to critics than I've seen by various ABA owners and personnel throughout the years.

[williamhughes11]

Somehow I don't think I am on Embry's Christmas card list..........

Gwizzlies in the playoffs announced in December?15 fans at a Gwizzlies home ballgame,look like a rec game? Atlanta this,Atlanta that? Know your facts and history before you ever step this way again,ever.If the Vision was all of that, why didn't the AJC and the Atlanta sports media community acknowledge them when the Gwinnett Braves were announced weeks ago? The Atlanta media said,"Gwinnett have three minor league pro sports franchises now".The ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators,the Arena Football team Georgia Forces and the Gwinnett Braves.When I owned the Gwinnett Gwizzlies in 2004,the Atlanta media did mention us as Gwinnett new pro team team and covered us? All those Gwinnett County teams have "very wealthy owners.The Gwizzlies have board members with deep pockets. One board member name is "Bigger" than all of Pro Sports world-wide.His namesake is bigger than Ali,Jordan,Bird,Tiger,Babe Ruth............................................ The Texas team called us late 1:15 in the morning and said they will not come cuz they have only one or two ballplayers with ABA games under their belts.The winner of that game was to play the Vision for the right to play in the ABA finals.?Finally everybody we have ever hired to do PR and write for us have been fired,release,resign or quit cuz they want to run things their way.It want ever happen.

Is this a late April Fools joke? :rolleyes:

"Finally everybody we have ever hired to do PR and write for us have been fired,release,resign or quit cuz they want to run things their way.It want ever happen."

Would their way include the ability to write press releases in the English language?

"One board member name is "Bigger" than all of Pro Sports world-wide."

If you are comparing names, there's only one in all of professional sports history that comes close to Muhammad Ali, and I don't think Pele would bother with a small time basketball team. (I'm a soccer fan, but I hold both in equal regard. As Ali said at Pele's retirement match: "Now, there are two of the greatest".)

If you are referring to having Martin Luther King III on your board, then he hasn't come close to the legacy of his father (Jr., who is for me, a white male, one of the greatest Americans that ever lived.) or grandfather (Sr. who many say was the better preacher.). If this is the case, then both of them are probably rolling over in their graves for invoking their names into your argument. As great as Martin Luther King Jr. was, on a worldwide basis, more people recognize the names of Ali and Pele.

"The Texas team called us late 1:15 in the morning and said they will not come cuz they have only one or two ballplayers with ABA games under their belts.The winner of that game was to play the Vision for the right to play in the ABA finals.?"

Why were you disqualified again? :rolleyes:

[meyes]

Where to start....
I'll just go with this. If Embry Malone ever decides to act as his own attorney to defend a parking ticket, he will probably get the death sentence.

[nksports]

Finally everybody we have ever hired to do PR and write for us have been fired,release,resign or quit cuz they want to run things their way.It want ever happen.

They probably got fired after wanting to get paid. After all, this is the ABA.

"It's not about white power. It's not about black power. It's about green power. M-O-N-E-Y. So in conclusion, it's time to get off the dime and take the show on the road."

[Paul S]

Meyes is right...........where to start????

I'm with Chris why suddenly attack the Vision for no reason and it took two readings and a base knowledge of the Gwizzlies Eubonix to figure out this was an email. There is also a veiled threat in this to Chris. "Know your facts and history before you ever step this way again,ever."

Embry you aren't from the 'hood, so your tough ghetto talk isn't impressing anyone and maybe if MLK3 saw the type of ridiculous emails you send around to the only website on the planet that cares about this funky little league he wouldn't be so appreciative.


My best and only advice to the Gwizzlies is to simply tell you to go back and re-read Skippy's post. FYI - the NIFL is a disaster that is on par with the ABA and Tuckman is an absolute train wreck of a hockey league Joe Newman type. These are not people/entities that you or anyone would want to be associated with.

Just focus on your own backyard and let things fall into place, we are all rooting for minor league hoops and the Gwizz, but not when you say things like this.......

[tbayz1]

He still can't type up a press release that is easy for all of us to read and comprehend!

Eye luv da Gwizz :D

[formerlyknownasfells]

Meyes is right...........where to start????

I'm with Chris why suddenly attack the Vision for no reason and it took two readings and a base knowledge of the Gwizzlies Eubonix to figure out this was an email. There is also a veiled threat in this to Chris. "Know your facts and history before you ever step this way again,ever."

Embry you aren't from the 'hood, so your tough ghetto talk isn't impressing anyone and maybe if MLK3 saw the type of ridiculous emails you send around to the only website on the planet that cares about this funky little league he wouldn't be so appreciative.


My best and only advice to the Gwizzlies is to simply tell you to go back and re-read Skippy's post. FYI - the NIFL is a disaster that is on par with the ABA and Tuckman is an absolute train wreck of a hockey league Joe Newman type. These are not people/entities that you or anyone would want to be associated with.

Just focus on your own backyard and let things fall into place, we are all rooting for minor league hoops and the Gwizz, but not when you say things like this.......

The scary thing is this was an official release and is even in the release section of OSC. Just scary.......

[Paul S]

It just boggles the mind.........there is no business school, book, guerilla marketing or class that would teach you to put out a press release filled with spelling errors, bad grammar and a thinly veiled threat.

[Sam Hill]

Again...Paul...(not Paul S, Paul Reeths)...bubbala...why do you put these things online?

[preeths]

They're sent by the team rep to our press release account, and it was titled a "rebuttal." I cleared up our different email accounts with Embry just a couple of weeks ago after a misunderstanding, so if it was meant for me personally, it should have gone to a different address and been addressed to me. We're not publicists. If a team puts out a release, we will post it. It's up to them to make sure they want to put it out. 99.9 percent of the time, it's not a problem.

[CHris902]

I can't believe they actually press released that.

I find ABA teams/the league's use of press releases to be really confusing. Does Malone really think that any news outlet will read this and contact them for a story/run a story off of this thing? Would anyone other than OSC readers even know what this thing meant? (and even we have a lot of trouble figuring out what it says)

It's the same thing with Joe's "look at what we're selling!" press releases. Does he think anyone will actually run a story about this crap? Or is his hope that an intern who checks press releases in the news room will buy some rocks?

The only reason these things get read is because OSC puts press releases up no matter what, even if it doesn't run a story on them.

It's like these people don't know what press releases are for. (Okay.. correction. It's not "like" they don't know what press releases are for. They don't know what press releases are for. Period,)

[rams80]

The scary thing is this was an official release and is even in the release section of OSC. Just scary.......

*blinks*

That...was...a press release?!

Can they please revoke the Gwizzlies franchise for sheer management stupidity? If I worked PR for them, I'd quit too. And lie about it on my resume.

[Paul S]

Just to re-iterate................

PReeths said this was a personal email, not a press release. Somehow, the surprise of nobody, it was sent to the OSC press release inbox, not the OSC personal email account.

Still, its a jack-a55 move by any yardstick.

[Pounder]

You should see my one hand clapping.

Family friendly, Embry?

Classic!

(DISCLAIMER: Pro sports should be adult-friendly first IMO. I highly doubt a press release with a veiled threat represents that, either.)

[The Sweeper]

Family friendly, Embry?



A Gwizz game could involve the whole family...Mom and dad get to enjoy the game, and the kids get to do part of their homework by correcting the latest Gwizz press release

[Sam Hill]

We're not publicists. If a team puts out a release, we will post it. It's up to them to make sure they want to put it out. 99.9 percent of the time, it's not a problem.

Paul - it's your site, and thank God for it and for you.

But you don't think that the stuff you post reflects in some small way on you? You don't think quality control should be a part of the process? I'm not getting on you, I'm just wondering if you can expound. You're not publicists, but you are (or should be) an editor as well as a facilitator.

If something didn't meet basic standards, don't you think that running it as is reflects a bit on the place you're running? (And I know this one wasn't meant to be a press release, I'm just saying in general since you made the comment above.)

[CHris902]

Atlanta this,Atlanta that? Know your facts and history before you ever step this way again,ever.If the Vision was all of that, why didn't the AJC and the Atlanta sports media community acknowledge them when the Gwinnett Braves were announced weeks ago? The Atlanta media said,"Gwinnett have three minor league pro sports franchises now".The ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators,the Arena Football team Georgia Forces and the Gwinnett Braves.When I owned the Gwinnett Gwizzlies in 2004,the Atlanta media did mention us as Gwinnett new pro team team and covered us? All those Gwinnett County teams have "very wealthy owners.The Gwizzlies have board members with deep pockets. One board member name is "Bigger" than all of Pro Sports world-wide.His namesake is bigger than Ali,Jordan,Bird,Tiger,Babe Ruth............................................

Hilariously enough the "AJC" did talk about them in an article that came out today (http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2008/04/02/gwinnettsports_0403.html).

For more than 40 years, downtown Atlanta has been the region's home of major league sports. It still is. But the metro area's second pro sports market has developed in Gwinnett County, just up the road from the big leaguers: [...]
• The Atlanta Vision, a minor league basketball team, moved from DeKalb County two years ago, playing this season at the Gwinnett Convention Center.

Embry Malone just can't win.

[Pounder]

Paul - it's your site, and thank God for it and for you.

But you don't think that the stuff you post reflects in some small way on you? You don't think quality control should be a part of the process? I'm not getting on you, I'm just wondering if you can expound. You're not publicists, but you are (or should be) an editor as well as a facilitator.

If something didn't meet basic standards, don't you think that running it as is reflects a bit on the place you're running? (And I know this one wasn't meant to be a press release, I'm just saying in general since you made the comment above.)

Sam, I wouldn't blame Paul for throwing baby toys at you right now. The man has enough on his plate.

It is most clearly an organization's job to proofread itself, not the medium.

[Sam Hill]

Do you think newspapers proofread releases before they run them? Do you think they edit them? Do you think they edit what their own writers write?

And I'm not meaning to draw Paul R. into a big discussion. If he doesn't have time or doesn't want to deal with it, that's fine. We just have a difference of opinion. I personally wouldn't put anything on my medium (whatever that medium might be) that didn't meet certain standards.

And it's not like you have to proofread what the Gwizzlies put out. It's all crap. It's all written by people with GEDs or less.

[Paul S]

Well Sam I agree with you to a point, if this was CNN or BBC......

In this instance though

- The Gwizzlies releases are always like this, Paul would need a P/T intern to clean these up and thats frankly not his problem
- The threatening (and half-baked) nature of this means it should be kept in its original form.
- OSC has always been a way to 'link' to other sites, original material has been a small part of the page.

The beauty of OSC is it gets you to a place that you can find out about minor and independant leagues, its a way of helping you bridge the information gap. Its not supposed to be an information producer per se. Problem with the Georgia Gwizzlies is once you bridge that information gap there isn't a whole lot on the other side.

[skippy]

I "think" what Sam is trying to say is, "If it was known that if it was accidentally sent to the press release email and was intended as a private email, why was it posted as a press release?"

Either way, carry on.

Great site.

[preeths]

Just to re-iterate................

PReeths said this was a personal email, not a press release. Somehow, the surprise of nobody, it was sent to the OSC press release inbox, not the OSC personal email account.

Still, its a jack-a55 move by any yardstick.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. This appeared to be a press release, not a personal email. It was not addressed to me and was titled as a rebuttal. It was sent to our press release address, and I had clarified the difference between sending releases and emails to Embry just a couple of weeks prior.

[preeths]

Paul - it's your site, and thank God for it and for you.

But you don't think that the stuff you post reflects in some small way on you? You don't think quality control should be a part of the process? I'm not getting on you, I'm just wondering if you can expound. You're not publicists, but you are (or should be) an editor as well as a facilitator.

If something didn't meet basic standards, don't you think that running it as is reflects a bit on the place you're running? (And I know this one wasn't meant to be a press release, I'm just saying in general since you made the comment above.)

Have you seen how many releases we receive in a day? Remember, OSC isn't just an ABA site or a minor league basketball site. We cover all the minors. There is no practical way we can edit all the releases we receive, nor should we. First, we don't work for these teams and leagues. Second, that can open up a can of worms if something gets lost in the translation.

Professional organizations need to communicate professionally. Regardless, they can still try to communicate through OSC, but the responsibility for their communications falls on them. Not a problem with over 99 percent of the organizations we cover.

[Sam Hill]

Fair enough. I didn't think about the volume.

And, skippy, no, that's not what I was saying at all. Mistakes and accidents happen. That's fine.

But one ancillary point I was making stands: you could simply send anything from the Gwizzlies to the trash, because you don't have to do any editing or even glance at it to know it's going to be garbage.

Except, as Paul S aptly points out, for its entertainment value, which adds spice to life.