ABAs "Bad News" division

[meyes]

I don't even know where to start with this one. Sam, want to help me out with this?

[skippy]

Shouldn't they just rename all the divisions, "Bad Ideas".

[dshaw62197]

Hmmm.... maybe Uncle Joe is thinking of the NHL. "If it worked for them, why not us?"

Actually, this makes sense. Since teams come and go out of the ABA almost on a weekly basis, it makes no sense to have divisions named on geographical distinctions. So, why not name 'em after something (or someone) where no one will have any idea what teams are supposed to be playing?

Besides, can you imagine the league meetings? "Alright Mr. Newman, now about the East Bumfick Blomes. They want to switch from the Issel division to the Nitoliky division." "What? I thought they were in the Barnes division." "Er, Mr. Newman, there is no Barnes division." "Oh. Well, how many divisions do we have?" "Uh, wait one moment, Mr. Newman, I have to check the website..." :roll:

[Sam Hill]

So far the divisions are named after:

Freddie Lewis, who has been involved in the new version of the league (probably because he seems to have few options), so he's just fine with being recognized still.

Marvin Barnes, who's dead and can't protest.

Remember, they said they were going to do this last year, but the "real" ABA legends didn't want to have their name associated with this stuff (and rightly so).

Next up, Wendell Ladner? As soon as they run through the dead guys, they'll have a division named after Warren Jabali, you watch.

[meyes]

A Warren Jabali division could be confusing (convenient) also, because it might also be referred to as the Warren Armstrong division, at least for the first part of the season.
He made one of the most amazing defensive plays I have ever seen for the Pacers against the Colonels at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum. I will have to check the program, he might still have been Armstrong at the time.

[CRUSADERSFAN]

Warren Jabali isn't dead, he's a teacher in the Miami-Dade school system. :)

http://northcounty.dadeschools.net/fs_specialareas.htm

I forget when I found this, but I was really bored, and I saw an article online saying he was a teacher.

[Sam Hill]

I didn't intimate that Jabali was dead.

Though having your name associated with the ABA might be a fate worse than death. :)

[CRUSADERSFAN]

I didn't intimate that Jabali was dead.

Though having your name associated with the ABA might be a fate worse than death. :)

Now that I reread it, I understand what you're saying. The thing I don't get is why a legend like Freddie Lewis continues to get involved with this. :?

[Pounder]

A division named after the extremely chemically altered (not enhanced, mind you) Marvin Barnes?

Makes you think the whole league is a money-laundering front. That explains a LOT.

[dshaw62197]

Good God. So Uncle Joe really IS naming a division after Bad News Barnes? And just when I think this league can't get any worse.

And by my count, there are now, including expansion teams, some 70+ teams in the 2005-06 ABA lineup. Wonder how many divisions ol' Joe will come up with to hold all these teams?