ABA Playoffs

[Anonymous Hardhat]

I just saw a posting on another messageboard indicating that the ABA Playoffs might start March 1st.

So, Joe, how does that affect your pro forma for success? If the teams are supposed to play 36 games in order to generate revenue to pay player salaries and other expenses, how are they going to be able to pay these expenses if you are cutting the season short? Oh, that's right, you don't pay player salaries and other expenses.

So, Joe, how does that affect your stability in existing markets and continued expansion into new markets? If the teams are obligated to play 36 games in their venues, how are the existing teams and then new teams going to be able to convince legitimate venues to let them schedule games next year if you are cutting the season short? Oh, that's right, you don't play in legitimate venues.

Joe, you and your league are a joke and a disgrace to professional sports!!! I guess that makes you a hero among your crooked cronies, however, as you continue to expand from 30 (????) teams to 30,000 teams in the next five years in the fatest growing professional league (er, ponzy scheme) in the United States. You would make Amway proud, Joe.

By the way, are you claiming the $10,000/team entry fee on your personal tax returns? After all, it is funding your retirement.... sooner rather than later hopefully.

Anonymous Hardhat

[Sam Hill]

You can never go wrong taking the "under" on the length of the ABA season.

[Anonymous Hardhat]

NOPE.... YOU'RE 100% RIGHT

THE LEAGUES IS...

underdeveloped
underfunded
AND
(soon to be) six feet under

WHILE JOE (THE JOKE) CONTINUES TO...

underutilize his brain
undercut the teams
AND
(ultimately) undermine the league

VERY BAD PUNS, BUT YOU GET MY POINT.

[Common Sense]

You know the sad part is honestly we shouldn't even care about the ABA as sports fans. I mean, does Entertainment Tonight cover actors in high school plays and community theater? No. Joe Newman and the ABA is just like a trainwreck. We shouldn't want to watch, but for some reason we can't turn away and can't quit talking about it.

I just don't understand how the Feds aren't after him yet since he's running his scam accrossed state and international lines!

[Pounder]

You know the sad part is honestly we shouldn't even care about the ABA as sports fans. I mean, does Entertainment Tonight cover actors in high school plays and community theater? No. Joe Newman and the ABA is just like a trainwreck. We shouldn't want to watch, but for some reason we can't turn away and can't quit talking about it.

I just don't understand how the Feds aren't after him yet since he's running his scam accrossed state and international lines!

Here, here... though you should never underestimate the human tendency to watch train wrecks, especially when you look for them the way we do here.

The problem, since cutting the season short is remarkably consistent for Herr Newman, is that I would have said (and probably did say) that this league would be six feet under after the previous two seasons. This thing must be the ugliest damn cockroach we ever saw.

[Sam Hill]

I'm just here for the schaedenfreude.

[dshaw62197]

I think the analogy of a train wreck is appropriate, in regards to our interest in the ABA. Uncle Joe has done such a fantastic snow job that it's a miracle the league has made it this far. Hey Joe, why not just have the playoffs now? Why continue to pretend that there is any semblance of a real season going on at all?

This league is such a joke, yet it's still hard not to watch... kinda like a prime time TV soap that is so bad, it's good.

[Common Sense]

Speaking of watching train wrecks and indestructable cockroaches. I'd love to attend a Newman family reunion. I pray to God as a guest of course! I'm sure it would be priceless to see if all the offspring is as talented as Joe. I'm sure it would be a fast paced, exciting, affordable family reunion conveniently located within a pod of other family reunions. The only problem is nobody would know where the hell it was being held and the kin from out of town would have no money to attend and thus forfeit their attendance. But, it wouldn't really matter, because I'm sure 6 or 7 neighbors would step in, in a second and become family.
(You have to wonder if these people run their whole lives, like this league.)

[johnnydr87]

With the ABA fan base as small as it is already, there's no way you're getting anybody to go there. hahah. in fact, reading the press releases that abalive chugs out should be hilarious.

The biggest fan base is Arkansas' and most of them aren't going to travel to LV just to watch a flippin ABA game.

And sadly, those are the best chances for getting people to watch the ABA champ game.

should have had it somewhere like Arkansas. Good venue, and in the regions of a lot of good teams: nashville (8 hours) and mississippi (5 hours) close to the east, baton rouge to the south (8-9 hours), texas to the close southwest, Kansas city to the north (10 hours), kentucky not too far off...etc .

Las vegas: hardly any good teams in the region, will be sure to be cut in the playoffs.

[rimrockerfan]

Word around town is that the Rim Rockers will play their first playoff game on March 8, second round will be March 13 if they win. If Arkansas gets through those 2 games a "Final Four" type weekend will be held on the 18th and 20th at Alltel arena in NLR, with a guarantee of 2 games each day. Of course for this to happen Arkansas must win rounds 1 and 2, but if they do, and they can, it would be a decent wrap up to the season and then who knows what will happen after that.

[Sam Hill]

By my math, it would seem then that the playoffs are less than a month away.

You think the league would announce that sometime soon, wouldn't you?

Maybe at the All-Star Game on Monday, which will be seen by dozens of people who aren't glued to the TV in Africa.

[Sam Hill]

This from the Long Beach Telegram:


The Jam were ranked No. 9 in the most recent ABA power rankings, a poll that determines which teams will make the playoffs. When the poll was released Monday, the league said that it hadn't determined how many teams will make the playoffs and that "more than 20' of 26 teams still functioning could get berths. The league compares its power rankings to the college football's Bowl Championship Series, although it doesn't spell out exactly how the rankings are formulated.

I think they said at the beginning how they were going to determine them, but it was so complicated, my eyes glazed over (kind of like their overtime rules).

Playoffs/tournament is, what, three weeks away? And no one has an idea who's in or who's close to being in? Nice.

[Houston Caldwell]

The last game of the ORIGINAL Rhythm schedule (I have it in front of me) was/is scheduled for Saturday, February 26. The Rhythm actually started their schedule first, so I don't know how many teams originally had March games scheduled. The Rhythm had a December home cancellation of a Tuesday night game wih Jacksonville that was never replaced, so they will probably end up playing 33 games (out of 36 originally scheduled) with 17 at home (counting the Sparta game); the Gleason game actually replaced a ROAD game.

[Sam Hill]

You're right, Nashville was originally supposed to finish up Feb. 26, but there were many games scheduled originally (for what that's worth) up until Sunday, March 13 (Tijuana at Long Beach was the final game).

[dshaw62197]

At this rate, it's hard to see that there will even be 16 teams left to play in the playoffs. I wonder what "system" Uncle Joe will come up with if there are only, say, 8 or 10 teams left? I can see it now: "We believe that having a playoff series of 7 and a half teams really lets fans in on the action." :lol:

[Sam Hill]

Well, Joe doesn't know how many teams they have left, but he figures 16 of them will start the playoffs March 5 (a bit earlier than scheduled - who had that in the pool?):

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3128995


"The top eight teams will play a home game. The first home game can be between March 5-10. The second round will be played at the higher seed between March 11-16. The semi-finals will be played on March 18 or 19 with the finals on March 20. The semi-finals and finals will be played at a site to be determined later this week.

“The top eight teams will have home court advantage. The top eight teams will also have a considerable financial advantage. Therefore, the playoffs will have revenue sharing to help offset the cost of travel and to help pay players who have earned a spot in the playoffs. The home team will receive 85 percent of ticket sales. The visiting team will receive 15 percent of ticket sales. If you have 5,000 people at $20 per head, the Home Team will receive $85,000; the visitors $15,000.

Everybody's hoping to get to go to Arkansas in the first round, since that's the only place in the league you have a chance to get 5,000 people at $20 per head.

Can't wait to see what 15 percent of the gate is on a Monday night in Utah. Good luck with that one.

[BBall Fan]

That will be some enticement for teams like Harlem and Maryland to travel out west for a playoff game.

Let's see, $10 x 200 x 15% gives them about $300 for their travel costs!!

At least now we know why they've got the crazy playoff seeding scheme. That way, they can arbitrarily seed teams to minimize travel costs. Oh wait... that would be a good idea. Never mind, they wouldn't even have thought of that!!

[Sam Hill]

So here's the deal:

Playoffs start next Friday (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3130086).

Games to be hosted by and on:

Fri, Mar 4 Kansas City
Sun, Mar 6 Mississippi
Sun, Mar 6 Harlem
Sun, Mar 6 Long Beach
Sun, Mar 6 Maryland
Mon, Mar 7 Utah
Tue, Mar 8 Arkansas
Thu, Mar 10 Texas

With opponents to be named later.

Now, get this: the semifinals and finals (I'm going to guess they're hoping to God that Arkansas wins its first two games and can host the Final Four) are going to be on Monday and Tuesday March 14th and 15th.

What are you people, morons? Oh, wait, you are. I keep forgetting.

To hell with the NCAA tournament - you're not competing with that. Nobody who gives a rat's behind about the NCAA tournament gives a rat's behind about the ABA. If you're going to split the gate (even partially) with the road team to defray some of their travel costs (good luck with that on Sunday night at the rec center in Maryland), you need to have a chance to draw some people.

This is after they said (first post on this page) that the final would be on the 20th.

And unless Arkansas hosts it and makes it to the final, you're sunk.

BTW, season cut short again. What's that, four in a row now?

[meyes]

Well, Sam, at least the league is consistent about something!

[dshaw62197]

Maybe Uncle Joe is hoping to stretch the playoffs until March 17. "We know that St. Patrick's Day is a great time to watch ABA playoff action! Just like Valentine's Day was a boon to our all-star game viewership."

The only holiday this league is "great" for should be Nov. 1 - All Souls' Day, the day of the dead.

[johnnydr87]

So here's the deal:

Playoffs start next Friday (http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3130086).

Games to be hosted by and on:

Fri, Mar 4 Kansas City
Sun, Mar 6 Mississippi
Sun, Mar 6 Harlem
Sun, Mar 6 Long Beach
Sun, Mar 6 Maryland
Mon, Mar 7 Utah
Tue, Mar 8 Arkansas
Thu, Mar 10 Texas

With opponents to be named later.

Now, get this: the semifinals and finals (I'm going to guess they're hoping to God that Arkansas wins its first two games and can host the Final Four) are going to be on Monday and Tuesday March 14th and 15th.

What are you people, morons? Oh, wait, you are. I keep forgetting.

To hell with the NCAA tournament - you're not competing with that. Nobody who gives a rat's behind about the NCAA tournament gives a rat's behind about the ABA. If you're going to split the gate (even partially) with the road team to defray some of their travel costs (good luck with that on Sunday night at the rec center in Maryland), you need to have a chance to draw some people.

This is after they said (first post on this page) that the final would be on the 20th.

And unless Arkansas hosts it and makes it to the final, you're sunk.

BTW, season cut short again. What's that, four in a row now?

I'll have to look into this...but the reason why they might be pushing this tournament early is because Alltel Arena in Little Rock might have something planned. If Alltel Arena is occupied during NCAA tourney, then that means that they would have to have it somewhere else, where there would be less fans......

So, like you, I'm assuming they want it in Arkansas, and they don't give a rat's ass if it's on Monday or Tuesday if they have to get it in Arkansas.

I'll check into the Alltel schedule and see if they're hosting anything...

[johnnydr87]

My conspiracy theory might be a little off, but only a little.

If you look at the Alltel Arena events schedule, http://www.alltelarena.com/cgi-bin/calendar.pl

They already have those weekends (in which the ABA tourney takes place) booked up by:
March 4,5,6 (Fri,Sat,Sun): Home Builders Trade Association Trade show
March 11,12 (Fri, Sat): Arkansas State Basketball Championship Finals
March 19, 20(Sat, Sun):Allison Kraus and Union Station, Blue and Black comedy Tour

That probably explains the Monday and Tuesday finals for the ABA tourney.

However, they don't have anything booked up for the weekends during the NCAA tourney.

[dshaw62197]

So, let me get this straight: St. Louis is in the playoffs with a 9-19 record? God, I hope this team goes all the way. BTW, I think the "final power rankings" or whatever Uncle Joe calls them actually includes 16 teams. Does anyone know if all 16 of these teams are actually in existance?

[Sam Hill]

After changing the teams that are in, they've changed the format:

Instead of a Final Four, the final will be held at the home floor of the highest remaining seed. Duh.


According to Joe Newman, ABA CEO, "When we announced the Final Four concept, we had many calls and emails asking what would happen if the home team was not in the playoffs and would that affect attendance at the Championship Game? We polled the owners and the consensus was that having the Championship Game at the highest seed's home court would not only reward the team for its good play throughout the season but would reward the fans who have followed the team also. Being a very flexible league and open to good ideas, we have made the change. The key is winning the first three games."

The key is you're the only moron on Earth who didn't think of this two fricking weeks ago.

Joe can't seem to figure out what to have for breakfast unless he gets calls and emails on it. Calls and emails, calls and emails. We get lots and lots of calls and emails.

"We polled the owners and the consensus was that if Arkansas wasn't in the thing, we had a snowball's chance in hell of drawing anybody."

That's what you should have said.

Tell me again how many years one man can run a basketball league and not figure out the elementary stuff?

[Sam Hill]

Now, as near as I can tell on this (because I'm going off the ABA website, so take it with a grain of salt if you feel you must), these are the actual ABA standings this season. This doesn't include forfeited games, I've counted all the games where a score was listed on the ABA website and it wasn't a forfeit, so what we have here is in indication of games actually played and won:

Ranked by number of games played

Team............P...W....L..Pct.
Arkansas.......33...28...5..0.848
Ontario........29...15..14..0.517
Kentucky.......28...16..12..0.571
Long Beach.....28...18..10..0.643
Nashville......28...18..10..0.643
St.Louis.......28....9..19..0.321
Utah...........26...25...1..0.962
Los Angeles....25...13..12..0.520
Texas..........25...16...9..0.640
Kansas City....24...16...8..0.667
Maryland.......24...15...9..0.625
Tijuana........24....8..16..0.333
Carolina.......23....9..14..0.391
Mississippi....23...20...3..0.870
Bellevue.......20....6..14..0.300
Boston.........20....5..15..0.250
Harlem.........20...14...6..0.700
Orange County..20...10..10..0.500
Central........19....3..16..0.158
New Jersey.....19...10...9..0.526
Atlanta........18....5..13..0.278
Georgia........18....2..16..0.111
Colorado.......16....5..11..0.313
Pennsylvania...16....8...8..0.500
Calgary........15....5..10..0.333
Cincinnati.....15....6...9..0.400
Las Vegas......14....8...6..0.571
Detroit........12....4...8..0.333
Louisiana......12....2..10..0.167
Philadelphia...12....3...9..0.250
Portland.......12....4...8..0.333
Fresno.........11....4...7..0.364
Hermosillo......9....3...6..0.333
Chicago.........3....1...2..0.333
Jacksonville....3....2...1..0.667
Oklahoma City...0....0...0..0.000


There were 18 teams who played at least 20 games (an arbitrary cutoff for purposes of this discussion). Here are their rankings purely in terms of W/L Pct. as well as their final ABA playoff seeding:


Rk..Team...........GP....W...L...Pct...Seed
.1..Utah...........26...25...1..0.962..1
.2..Mississippi....23...20...3..0.870..3
.3..Arkansas.......33...28...5..0.848..2
.4..Harlem.........20...14...6..0.700..7
.5..Kansas City....24...16...8..0.667..6
.6..Long Beach.....28...18..10..0.643..8
.7..Nashville......28...18..10..0.643..N/A
.8..Texas..........25...16...9..0.640..4
.9..Maryland.......24...15...9..0.625..5
10..Kentucky.......28...16..12..0.571..10
11..Los Angeles....25...13..12..0.520..11
12..Ontario........29...15..14..0.517..15
13..Orange County..20...10..10..0.500..N/A
14..Carolina.......23....9..14..0.391..N/A
15..Tijuana........24....8..16..0.333..16
16..St.Louis.......28....9..19..0.321..14
17..Bellevue.......20....6..14..0.300..13
18..Boston.........20....5..15..0.250..N/A


In the playoffs but not in that list because they didn't play enough games were Las Vegas (8-6, the 9th seed) and New Jersey (10-9, the 12th seed).

Other notes:
1 - All the teams were originally to play 18 home games, but only one (Arkansas) did. Long Beach, Ontario, Texas and Utah all played 15 home games.
2 - No one played 18 road games. Arkansas, Kentucky, Nashville and Orange County all played 15 to lead the league.
3 - Jacksonville played 1 home game, while Philadelphia played 2.
4 - Jacksonville and Chicago played two road games, while Hermosillo played three.
5 - No team played its originally-intended 36 games. Games played ranged from 33 (Arkansas) on the high end to 3 (Chicago and Jacksonville) on the low end, though Oklahoma City's only ABA game was a forfeit loss.

If you were going to do this the right way based on the final power rankings (the ABA ones - for what those are worth), the first round playoff matchups should have looked like this:

Tijuana at Utah
Ontario at Arkansas
St.Louis at Mississippi
Bellevue at Texas
New Jersey at Maryland
Los Angeles at Kansas City
Kentucky at Harlem
Las Vegas at Long Beach

And eventually that's what we got, after they originally announced it one way and then sent St.Louis to Mississippi and Tijuana to Utah.

[Houston Caldwell]

Nashville Rhythm record was 21-10 in actual games played (forfeits not counted). But you're right, ABA website leaves, ahem, something to be desired as a source.

[Sam Hill]

Here's what I had for Nashville, HC, you tell me what's missing:


11/13/2004...Georgia 88 at Nashville 109
11/20/2004...Atlanta 85 at Nashville 118
11/21/2004...Atlanta 108 at Nashville 111
11/26/2004...Nashville 118 at Carolina 101
11/27/2004...Nashville 99 at Carolina 93
12/01/2004...Nashville 115 at Maryland 98
12/03/2004...Arkansas 106 at Nashville 103
12/04/2004...Kentucky 110 at Nashville 124
12/07/2004...Nashville 80 at Mississippi 117
12/10/2004...Boston 100 at Nashville 115
12/14/2004...Jacksonville at Nashville (Not Played)
12/15/2004...Nashville 102 at Carolina 91
12/16/2004...Nashville 90 at Georgia 87
12/31/2004...Nashville 101 at Mississippi 102
01/04/2005...Nashville 134 at Georgia 112
01/06/2005...Nashville 115 at Georgia 104
01/12/2005...Nashville 111 at Arkansas 117
01/13/2005...Carolina 100 at Nashville 95
01/15/2005...Carolina 96 at Nashville 97
01/16/2005...Nashville 111 at Atlanta 100
01/19/2005...Nashville 116 at Boston 112
01/21/2005...Nashville 129 at Boston 117
01/22/2005...Arkansas 118 at Nashville 110
01/26/2005...Nashville 116 at Arkansas 127
01/28/2005...Philadelphia at Nashville (Not Played)
01/28/2005...Kansas City 94 at Nashville 96
01/29/2005...Philadelphia at Nashville (Not Played)
01/29/2005...Kansas City 109 at Nashville 110
02/05/2005...St. Louis 130 at Nashville 116
02/11/2005...New Jersey at Nashville (Not Played)
02/12/2005...New Jersey at Nashville (Not Played)
02/18/2005...Nashville 114 at Kentucky 120
02/19/2005...Kentucky 118 at Nashville 109
02/25/2005...Carolina at Nashville (Not Played)
02/26/2005...Georgia at Nashville (Not Played)

[patmc16]

According to Joe Newman, ABA CEO, "Being a very flexible league and open to good ideas, we have made the change."

Ya, I guess so, if you define "very flexible" as allowing anyone who wants a team into the league even when they have no finances or experience necessary to actually operate a sucessful franchise. Being "very flexible" must include the schedule too. "If you don't have the money to play, or you just don't feel like it, no problem. We're very flexible." I guess it is a "good idea" to make last minute calls to the nearest team to play when the scheduled visitor doesn't show, or doesn't exist anymore. It is a good idea not to totally screw your 20+ fans by not playing at all.

From beginning to end this has been a freakin' joke.

[Houston Caldwell]

Sam,
Thank you. You ARE illustrating a point about relying on the ABA website.
Rhythm defeated Atlanta Vision on 2/11 and 2/12 and defeated Reigning Knights by 52 points on 2/26. MG.

P.S.-All 3 games were in Nashville.
BC

[Sam Hill]

Well there you go.

But I'm sure Joe has his hands full with teenagers posting fake news stories on websites, so he can't deal with it today. :)

[Houston Caldwell]

Also (realize this is nitpicking) the 12/31 game against Mississippi was played in Sparta, TN ,but was technically HOME game; the St.Louis defeat in Gleason was tecnically a ROAD game (although played in front of pro-Rhythm crowd, as Gleason Ashley MacElhiney's hometown). Doesn't change home/road game numbers.

[meyes]

Utah pulled away late to oust defending champion Long Beach Wednesday night. The game was close until the final couple of minutes. A 3 by Derrick Dial gave the Jam the lead just after the fourth quarter began. Dial hit a bunch of threes and scored a lot of points. I haven't heard the totals yet.

[Sam Hill]

And Utah then pulls out of the playoffs?

WTF IS THAT?

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3134802


"I have decided that having the team play the remaining games under current ABA situations and circumstances would not be in the player’s best interest or my own."

What, did they figure they weren't going to host the final if they got in it, because they'd draw like 300 people and Arkansas would likely get 8,000 or more? Is that it?

Taking your ball and going home?

I mean, I can see being ticked if you go 27-1 and you can't host the final (if that's it), but (again, if that's it) you have to be realistic. Utah had no chance to outdraw what Arkansas is going to be able to draw if they're in the final and host it. No way, no how.

If that's not it, I look forward to hearing the exact reason. If we ever hear it.

I mean, Ike, it's not in your best interests or anybody's best interests to be in the ABA in the first place. WTF were you thinking?

[Common Sense]

This had better be the final straw. Any of the zombies that repeatedly come on here defending the ABA better look at this and not only give up on the joke that is the ABA, they should also write their newpapers and call their tv stations asking for investigations into this whole scam. Come on people, as paying fans and season tickets holders (granted very few) you are entitled to more than your teams just deciding to not play the playoffs or quitting half way through them!!!!!

[Anonymous Hardhat]

I can't wait for the 4pm online press conference. I have to believe that Joe and the ABA did something pretty serious to elicit this response from Ike Austin and the Utah Snowbears. It just reinforces my earlier posts about the need for reform in the management ranks of the ABA. If a team is able to make a unilateral decision to not play any more playoff games without fear of reprecussions, then management has lost control.

By the way, does anyone find it equally insane that Joe Newman is still putting out press releases about expansion into Hawaii on the same day that one of its premiere teams is putting out a press release about not playing any more playoff games. If he was truly concerned about the welfare of the ABA and its member teams, I would think that he would be focused on the playoffs and not upstaging them with 10 team expansions, Hawaiian expansions, etc. I would also think that he would be focused on making sure that his existing teams are actually playing the playoffs than making sure that Hawaii has overcome its travel obstacles for the 2005-6 season. These actions are further evidence that he is expanding this league for his own benefit and not the betterment of this league.

[Sam Hill]

I'll be curious to see how they do a "Final Three."

Maybe two teams will play and the winner will play at Arkansas.

[hoopsjr]

no question, utah got mad at having to travel to arkansas for the final, after having to go there during the regular season...

i think the league tried to help...in getting maryland and bellevue (as earlier reported) to go to utah, and the winner would play the next day in salt lake...bad luck for them, the gym was not available...

unfortunately, this is no good for utah...where will they go? they do not draw enough for the cba, there are no other pro leagues out in utah, nevada, etc...if ike austin wanted out, he should have got out a while back...

[johnnydr87]

no question, utah got mad at having to travel to arkansas for the final, after having to go there during the regular season...

i think the league tried to help...in getting maryland and bellevue (as earlier reported) to go to utah, and the winner would play the next day in salt lake...bad luck for them, the gym was not available...

unfortunately, this is no good for utah...where will they go? they do not draw enough for the cba, there are no other pro leagues out in utah, nevada, etc...if ike austin wanted out, he should have got out a while back...

I wasn't aware that Utah would have to play at Arkansas. I thought the higher ranked team got to play the home game.....hmm....

[Sam Hill]

That was pure speculation on my part.

If I had a chance to have my final in front of 300 people in Utah or 6,000 or more in Arkansas, there's no question which way I'd go.

Competitive concerns are one thing. But money rules the roost. Especially in this league. I wouldn't blame the league at all for just saying "Look, if Arkansas is in it, it only makes sense to have it there" and be done with it. No spin, no nothing. Just because it'll be better attended. Arkansas has proven they can draw a crowd.

But we don't know that's the deal. And if that is the deal and Utah threw a hissy, I'd lose all respect for them. You have to play through stuff like that.

I had no respect for Nashville for declining to play in the postseason when they'd earned it, and I'd have no respect for Utah for pulling out because they couldn't host the final in front of friends and family.

[rimrockerfan]

First of all, Utah did not HAVE to come to Arkansas, they chose to.

Secondly, I don't believe that Utah would have been "forced" to come to Arkansas for a final. I do believe that it would have been better for the league and yes even for Utah, financially, to come to Arkansas where they probably would have made more money because of the attendace possibilities.

It certainly doesn't speak well of Ike Austin and that is a shame because I was impressed not only with their team but also with him when they were here in Arkansas. Unfortunately this is the kind of thing that happens when there is a weak "central" office.

Arkansas, let's win this thing and move on to greener pastures!

[Anonymous Hardhat]

From the ABALive.com website...

ABA STATEMENT ABOUT UTAH SNOWBEARS AND ABA PLAYOFFS

14-Mar-2005
Indianapolis, IN -- The Utah Snowbears announced that they would not participate in the remainder of the ABA playoffs. There were no good reasons for Utah's decision. There were not even good excuses. The decision was a major disappointment to the staff, management, coaches, players and fans of the team and of course to the ABA.

The Snowbears were scheduled to meet the winner of the Bellevue/Maryland game. To facilitate Utah and to expedite the playoffs, both Bellevue and Maryland agreed to play the game in Utah with the winner playing in the semi-finals in Salt Lake City. It was a generous gesture by both Bellevue and Maryland.

It was Ike Austin's decision to withdraw from the playoffs. The decision was similar to his decision not to participate in the ABA All Star Game. No good reason.

Maryland will play Bellevue and the winner will play the winner of the Arkansas/Mississippi game for the ABA Championship.

The ABA would like to apologize to the staff, management, coaches, players and the fans of the Utah Snowbears. You had a great season. You deserved better. Hopefully, the ABA will return to Utah next season under new ownership. Thank you.


WELL, I GUESS THIS ANSWERS THE QUESTION OF WHETHER IKE AUSTIN WILL KEEP THE UTAH SNOWBEARS IN THE ABA FOR NEXT SEASON. STAY TUNED... UTAH SNOWBEARS LIVE PRESS CONFERENCE AT 4PM MST.

[Sam Hill]

But nothing was said when Nashville decided not to participate in the playoffs.

Or, rather, it was said it was an act of mercy - the human thing to do after Nashville had been through so much.

Hey, Ashley McIlhenny had moved past it. She was ready to go. The players wanted to play. But Ms. Xanax On The Rocks didn't want to do it. And that was okay.

I love this, though: "There were no good reasons for Utah's decision. There were not even good excuses."

Because Joe would know a good excuse when he saw it. It's defined as "any excuse that I personally make." Anyone else's excuse is no excuse. Joe's excuse is a great excuse.

[Anonymous Hardhat]

Joe didn't attend the ABA All Star Weekend (LOL?) either, what was his excuse or reason? He had just as much an obligation to be there as the CEO of this league (LOL?) as the Utah Snowbears' players.

[Sam Hill]

Whatever the "archived press release" on the Snowbears' site is, I can't open it. My computer tells me it's a .pls file, and opening it as text shows that there should be an .mp3 file, but the address is all wrong.

So I don't know what they said.

[slapshot]

Since it seems we've all been banned for various nebulous reasons from the ABA Yahoo! message board - no doubt to protect Joe's fragile (that's pronounced "frah-gee-lee") ego - perhaps Chiefster can make a note of our questions and ask them for us - :roll: However, there's also a good column recently in the Naples Daily News about the team supposedly playing there next year. Bottom line opinion - "don't bother".

[CRUSADERSFAN]

Well, Sam, basically everything Newman said was wrong, the players, staff and managment(which he apologized to)helped make the decision, and also the team claims that a marketing plan was impossible because of the uncertainty(sp?) in the league. I'll agree with that one.

Also, the team has cut ties with the ABA.

[pudealee]

Sam - I used Music Match Jukebox to stream the file. In a nutshell, the league screwed them over, and they decided to opt-out. I don't know I blame them.

[dshaw62197]

Well, Uncle Joe must be having nightmares right about now... the league spent the whole season hyping Utah's record, now only to have the team walk out of the playoffs. How fitting. Now if only the other teams left would do the same. That way the "world's fastest-growing professional sports league" would be left without a champion for its "record-setting" season. :roll:

[meyes]

I just listened to the press conference. What was said made sense and sounds like it is the straight story. It is clear that the Snowbears and Joe Newman won't be involved with the same league again. I will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[Common Sense]

Joe Newman is saying that Utah cheated it's fans by deciding not to play any more playoff games and he finds it sick?!?!
Are you kidding me? He is a moron even beyond what I thought. (Hard to believe, but true.) In the same release he says that to speed up the playoffs Bellevue and Maryland were to also play their playoff game in Utah, but he doesn't see how that would cheat the fans of whichever city was to host that game?
I can't believe you comes up with this crap and put it out for people to read and doesn't know the ignorance of his ways.
I'm sorry, we've watched this like a train wreck. We've watched to laugh and make fun, but in the name of minor league sports, in the name of business ethics, in the name of common sense. Joe Newman and everything about the ABA needs to go away forever!

[Pounder]

http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600118738,00.html

Ike Austin is saying that the league demanded Utah put up Bellevue and Maryland on their dime.

Haven't I heard that one before about Crazy Joe?

[Sam Hill]

This is soooooooo classic.

[meyes]

All other parties concerned now say, and Derrick Pearson agrees, that Utah was never asked or expected to pay any expenses for Belleview and Maryland. Since that was given as a major factor in Ike Austin's decision, in my opinion, he made a major mistake.
I do understand Utah's frustration at the changing schedule and that is something the league needs to address BEFORE the start of next season.
There are times when unpopular, hard decisions need to be made, but it is important to have your fact straight and not make decisions as significant as this in the heat of anger.

[Sam Hill]

I agree. If that was a major part of their decision and it's not true, and it's just about scheduling ("you said it would be done by March 15"), then that's bogus.

We have a saying - "Shut up and play."

Utah should have just shut up and play.

Again, though, neither I nor too many others know all of the circumstances and it doesn't appear to me as though Ike Austin has made it perfectly clear what the deal really was.

[Sam Hill]

And in a nice little bit of hyperbole, the Maryland Nighthawks pat themselves on the back (http://www.abalive.com/news/releases/?newsid=2005031706001) for making it to the semifinals of this rinkydink league by default when Utah pulled out:


"No other professional sports team has accomplished this much in their first year of existence."

What are you, morons? There have been teams in professional sports that have won championships in their first year of existence. Do you think professional sports begins and ends with this freaking league?

[johnnydr87]

And in a nice little bit of hyperbole, the Maryland Nighthawks pat themselves on the back (http://www.abalive.com/news/releases/?newsid=2005031706001) for making it to the semifinals of this rinkydink league by default when Utah pulled out:


"No other professional sports team has accomplished this much in their first year of existence."

What are you, morons? There have been teams in professional sports that have won championships in their first year of existence. Do you think professional sports begins and ends with this freaking league?

haha... this is the Arkansas rimrockers' first year too (and maybe the MS stingers)

[ABARedWhiteBlue]

Actually, the entire final four (not capitalized) was made up of first year-teams.

Maybe Maryland thought it deserved the honor because they come first geographically - "No other professional sports team [located this close to Baltimore] has accomplished this much in their first year of existence."

[dshaw62197]

"No other professional sports team [located this close to Baltimore] has accomplished this much in their first year of existence."

If that's the case, it's a real tragedy for the Nighthawks, because the Baltimore media hasn't even mentioned the team's run for glory.

And anyway, hasn't every first-year league had a championship winner? All the Maryland people would have to do is read up on their ABA history -- if I recall correctly, ALL of the teams in the '68 playoffs were first-year teams.

Sorry to rain on the Nighthawks' parade, but I have to seriously question just how much this team has really "accomplished." Although in this joke of a league, just making to the postseason is an accomplishment, I guess. :roll:

[TEN]

The 2000 Dodge City Legend posted the best record in the USBL and won the Post-Season Festival in their first season (15th season for the league) in the USBL. I would assume that the Legend probably drew 20 times more fans per game than the Maryland team did.

Something else to add to this thread....The Maryland Mustangs of the USBL won the Eastern Division in their first year in 2001. Also played at Showplace Arena....so the Nighthawks probably have some work to do to be the most sucessful team ever to play in their arena.

Looks to me like Maryland is probably fourth most successful first year franchise in the ABA...this season!

[Anonymous Hardhat]

I'm curious. Does anyone know if the ABA or the Arkansas RimRockers
tried to get live television coverage (either nationally or
regionally) for the championship game? If so, why didn't it happen?
If not, why not?

If this league and the teams truly want to showcase the ABA as a
legitimate minor league for professional basketball, why wouldn't it
showcase its best franchise in its best arena in a championship game
against a "Cinderella" team? I know that the knee-jerk reaction will
probably be money, but it would have paid for itself tenfold to have
people take notice that this league exists and can draw 8-10,000 for
a championship game. Besides, a regional or national network
probably would have given a decent rate (with some ability to sell
airtime to the league sponsors) to provide content in timeslots that
don't have hockey and that are competing against March Madness. The
other knee jerk reaction will probably be that it would have been
impossible to pull off because of the unpredictable nature of the ABA
playoffs. Regardless of the reason, the ABA should have tried to
make it happen. While I realize that March Madness is giving everyone
their fill of basketball on television, I think it would have drawn
some positive national exposure to a league that badly needs it.

Just a wild thought. I'm interested in other people's thoughts on
this topic.

[Sam Hill]

Why don't they show it on their high school audio/visual club network. The one that Joe thought "millions" watched the first game on?

Has anybody seen the ABA on television this year? Anybody?

[dshaw62197]

Has anybody seen the ABA on television this year? Anybody?

Hell, Sam, has anyone seen an ABA game LIVE this year? :roll:

[dshaw62197]

Oh, and the Maryland Nighthawks (or whatever their name is) just saw the Greatest Season of a First-Year Team in the Recorded History of Professional Sports come to an end. Thus the ABA championship is set between Bellvue and Arkansas.

For Uncle Joe's sake, let's hope both teams show up. :oops:

[meyes]

Yes, I saw two ABA games live this year. I attended a Reigning Knights of Georgia game vs Carolina, and a Nashville game vs the Georgia Mustangs.
I enjoyed the both.