Are you serious?

[Sam Hill]

Gotta be kidding me with this story:

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3113555

Hilarious. "Look, things are going great, even though they're not, so we're putting out a release/story that says you should support them."


Despite rather low attendance numbers, the Frenzy fan base is quickly growing. “The local community has started to really take interest. Also, the local papers sometimes bump the Patriots and Celtics to put us on the front page." (Frenzy GM Dan Savage)

Right. The Patriots are the best team in the NFL and they're bumping them off the front page for you. Okay.

And you had "around 2,000" for opening night and since then you get around 500 but the fan base is "quickly growing." That's the strangest kind of growth I've ever seen.

I mean, I know this Chris Rouhier kid is a complete ABA sycophant, but this is beyond embarassing.

[Houston Caldwell]

Sam, you are so obsessive about the ABA that I begin to wonder if you bear a personal grudge against someone involved with the ABA that you've never told anyone about.
I invite you to check out a particular website; that website address is www.geocities.com/littlepolitico/ABAsite.html. As it happens, that is the website devoted to the ABA of which the aforementioned Chris Rouhier is the administrator. Spend a little time lurking on the message board; what you will discover is that Chris Rouhier is anything but an ABA "sycophant". You will, in fact, find that Chris' opinion of many ABA ownership groups is pretty similar to yours (and mine, for that matter). And you will also find Chris frequently critical of the ABA league administration. Chris' site has no official tie to the ABA, nor does it want any. It values its' independence.
Chris is an ABA WELL-WISHER, which is different from being a "sycophant". He is someone who would like to see a nationally-based minor league professional basketball league based on a fast-paced, athletic, high-scoring style of basketball succeed. To see the follies of the many clearly unqualified ownership groups in the ABA is a source of frustration to him, as it is to me, because the on-court product is worthwhile. But Chris has no qualms about pointing out the flaws of the ABA as currently constituted. And there are many; both of us would like to see someone get this right.
I've been to some ABA games and had a lot of fun watching them. Sam, maybe it's something you should try sometime.

[skippy]

My new favorite ABAism is the spelling of Gallup, NM in the ABA press release....

GALLOP, as in a horse running?

This coming from the leagues PR....ridiculous.

[skippy]

btw, Houston...

That website isn't working right now.

[Sam Hill]

Saying "I'm going to try to be more critical now" as if it's some major revelation doesn't obscure the fact that the guy is a sycophant. That release/story was a total kneepad job.

The ABA has never (thankfully) wronged me, but it's wronged a lot of people. Their business practices and the way Joe Newman deals with people are reprehensible. I take delight in seeing them fail.

The people in the league at the team level who are trying to do the right thing - more power to them. I'm glad to see Arkansas do well and hope that there's a place for them in a league that's run the right way and doesn't have crazy old men spouting complete lies to the media every other day.

And I have seen the ABA live. I'm sick to death of people acting like they've discovered fire or something. Basketball is a pretty entertaining game when it's played by athletic guys with college and pro experience.

You simply cannot separate the actions of the ten guys on the court at a given time from the entire product and its presentation. When teams simply don't show up, don't have enough players, don't have a place to play, change players and coaches on a whim, have deadbeat owners, play in front of 200 people in high school gyms, don't have legitimate broadcasting deals and don't advertise or provide fans with the things they have a right to expect from a professional sports organization, I don't care how "fast paced and entertaining" the ten guys on the court are, about the "innovative rules" or about "affordable family entertainment," it's a joke.

[Pounder]

Why do you want a nationally based minor league? I think the scope of such a thing, given the true DEMAND for it (which isn't much), is beyond the ability of even a competent management team to grasp it. That's why you generally see only the marginally competent trying.

The RIGHT facilities for this are not available, or are already controlled by other leagues. If you're playing in a primarily hockey arena, if you don't have control of the dates, if you can't serve alcohol, if you're in a market where there's just no way you can afford to properly market it, the venture is just not worth it. The CBA barely gets by as it is, to be frank.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Here is another release from the Are you serious?/You've got to be kidding department!:

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3113694

Actually, the title is from that department Detroit Team gets New Ownership, New Management.

No, the Detroit team folded. Plain and simple. Another Detroit team (an entirely different organization called the Wheels) is taking over the Motown Jammers' schedule.

Geez! That's like saying the Baltimore NFL team gets new ownership, new management. When in reality the Baltimore Colts became the Indianapolis Colts. The current Baltimore team is an entirely different organization (the old Cleveland Browns).

Too many attempts at deception in the ABA.

[Houston Caldwell]

Ken, I would say you are probably correct (and I think Chris would probably agree).
There is no question in my mind that a lot of inexcusable BS is going on in the ABA.
What makes the situation worse is that these soap operas are detracting from some pretty decent basketball.
I LIKE the effect the 3D rule (team with ball possession has only 7 seconds instead of 10 to cross midcourt, and a backcourt turnover results in an extra point on any made shot by the "stealing" team) has on the game, even though the team I personally pull for was KILLED by this rule on New Years Eve, when the Mississippi Stingers used 2 3D 4-point plays to erase a 10-point Rhythm lead with 48 seconds left to come back and beat the Rhythm 102-101. This rule keeps what fans there are in the seats till the buzzer, because you never know---

[Sam Hill]

Here is another release from the Are you serious?/You've got to be kidding department!:

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3113694

Actually, the title is from that department Detroit Team gets New Ownership, New Management.


Was that after the old management, which Joe Newman called "A fabulous group of people" went away, despite having had since last February to get it together?

[patmc16]

Well, here we go again. I wonder if "Honest Joe" waived the fees for this version? If so, then maybe they can get away with calling it the same franchise. I'd be very surprised if this is the case.

Bad idea on the name. The original Detroit Wheels or the WFL went like 1-13 before folding in their first season. When you think "Detroit Wheels", you think "losers".

I also wonder where they will play? The UDM Fieldhouse is probably out of their price range, unless they can get more than 200 to a game. I see jr. high school gyms in their future. Gym"s" because they will probably bounce around like the Dogs did in their second season.

According to Joubert, "Detroit has been an integral part of the ABA since it was re-established in 2000. We felt very strongly that the city should be represented in the league - and that it deserves a high-quality organization. Chris and I are working hard to do just that and appreciate the ABA's willingness to work with us.

Ohhhhhhhh Kayyyyyy Being delusional doesn't exactly give me a good feeling about this ownership either. It was really "integral" after the first season. :lol: I hope they intend to market the team at some point.

Newman stated, "We're fortunate to have two very strong individuals at the helm there and are confident that they'll put together a first-class operation and team. Detroit is an important part of the league and we are pleased that we can move forward there."

Just like the first group, eh Joe? Got any snake oil for us to buy? How does anyone take anything this dufus says seriously?

[American Dragon]

Despite rather low attendance numbers, the Frenzy fan base is quickly growing. “The local community has started to really take interest. Also, the local papers sometimes bump the Patriots and Celtics to put us on the front page." (Frenzy GM Dan Savage)


LMFAO!! This guy must think we all just fell off the banana boat.

The Patriots are getting ready to play in their third Super Bowl in four seasons, the Red Sox are readying themselves for Spring Training and the Celtics are moving towards respectability, yet they take a backseat to a team that draws less than most high school teams?

Rigggggggggght.. Blow some more smoke up our asses Dan.. Maybe eventually we'll buy it.

[dshaw62197]

Hmmm.... I can see it now...

The front page of the sports section in the Boston Globe:

BOSTON FRENZY PAYS ELECTRIC BILL ON TIME!


And on the back page of said section....

New England football team prepares for championship game


Yeah. Right.