Can Vermont Do It?

[panchess]

That is, play all 36 games on their schedule. I don't believe it has been done in the Joe Newman era.

[The Sweeper]

We play Newark in Barre tomorrow night, then on the road to Montreal on Sunday. Montreal visits next Thursday in Burlington. The last four games are on the road against Rochester, Montreal (two more) and Quebec City, I believe. Should be no problem, unless something arises out in Rochester, but I highly doubt it.

[TEN]

It's kind of sad that a thread titled "Can Vermont Do It?" has nothing to do with winning but with PLAYING A COMPLETE SCHEDULE!

Of course, in the trainwreck of a league that the ABA is...who cares if Vermont, or Rochester, or whoever can do it! Champions of a dysfunctional league filled with dysfunctional teams.

Hell the championship trophy is probably make out of paper-mache!

[AConcernedCitizen]

That no team in the Joe era has ever played a complete schedule?

[BreakersFan]

I do not think that any team has ever completed a regular season schedule in the new ABA.....

[panchess]

It is ironic that the 2001 eight-team ABA had their teams complete a 44-game schedule, with the table basically looking like the D-League, CBA or some other normal league, though I am guessing it was supposed to be 48 games. The season actually got into April.

ABA Standings History

2000-2001 Standings (ABA2000)
East W L PCT. GB
Detroit Dogs 24 20 .545 ..
Memphis HounDawgs 19 22 .463 3.5
Indiana Legend 18 24 .429 5
Tampa Bay Thunderdawgs 15 26 .366 7.5

West W L PCT. GB
Chicago Skyliners 31 12 .721 ..
Los Angeles Stars 28 13 .683 2
Kansas City Knights 24 17 .585 6
San Diego WildFire 8 33 .195 22

2001-2002 got a little raggy...


2001-2002 Standings

Team W L Win % Games Back

Kansas City 35 5 .865 0
Southern California 23 14 .622 9
Phoenix 19 15 .559 11 1/2
Detroit 11 17 .393 16 1/2
Kentucky 12 21 .363 18
Indiana 10 22 .313 19 1/2
Las Vegas 7 20 .259 20

After taking 2002-2003 off, 2003-2004 looks like 2001-2002.

2003-2004 Standings. 32 is the most games played here. I am assuming other teams folded

Team W L Win %

Long Beach 24 7 .774
Kansas City 23 9 .719
Juarez 18 12 .600
Fresno 13 16 .448
Tijuana 12 18 .400
Las Vegas 10 18 .357
Jersey 3 23 .115

2004-2005 started with 38 teams. 13 of them played less than 15 games, and the only one to play more than 28 was the 28-5 Arkansas RimRockers, who went to the NDBL.

2005-2006 started with 60 teams or so (based on memory, I couldn't find a web site with them all on it). Of them, 26 finished at least 15 games. Maryland (24-10) had 34 games, as did San Jose (29-5). Indiana (28-4), Beijing Aoshan (19-13), Bellingham (18-14) and Harlem (19-13) had 32. Rochester was 24-4 in the regular season.

Of those teams, San Jose went to the CBA and moved to Minot, ND; Indiana went to the CBA, Bellingham folded (after the owner committed to the CBA), Harlem moved to Tampa Bay and then folded, and only Beijing and Maryland remained in the ABA for the next season.

This year started with about 55 teams. Of them, I believe only Vermont can complete a full 36-game schedule.

[psbf]

Panchess, if you include Beijing, you may want to consider the Xplosion, who also had a 19-13 record, finishing as high as 7 in the power rankings last season, and earned a first round bye, before losing to Bellingham in the second round. We also moved to the CBA. I'm not sure why you left us out.

[The Magician]

This year started with about 55 teams. Of them, I believe only Vermont can complete a full 36-game schedule.

The Jacksonville Jam have played 32 games going into today's game against the Palm Beach Imperials.

They should complete their 36 game schedule! :mrgreen:

[Sam Hill]

The first year was supposed to be a 48-game schedule, I think. They cut off the season a couple of weeks (or maybe only a week, I forget) early so that the finals could be on TV (or so Joe said - you saw what happened...or maybe you didn't, because it wasn't on TV).

[The Sweeper]

Good to hear that another team is going to complete their 36 game season. We beat Newark last night 124-75. Game was a sellout (1650) as well.

[panchess]

..I didn't include playoff games, and got the numbers for last year off the ABA web site. I certainly wouldn't leave the Xplosion out on purpose!

The question was whether a team finished its regular schedule or not. Playoff games are extra.

I don't know the answer, but I would guess the original ABA schedule was supposed to be 48 games like the CBA.

[psbf]

I believe you, Panchess. To my knowledge they did play every game and the couple that I did not attend, I read about in the paper.

[meyes]

This is from memory, not checking records, but I am pretty confident about this.
The first season of this ABA was scheduled to be 56 games. All games were being played as scheduled when the league announced that the season would be shortened in a few weeks to accomodate a televised post season.
I know that more than 4 games where whacked off the season.
The newly rescheduled post season was played, almost as scheduled, but there was no TV.
The post season was juggled a bit because a hockey team unexpectedly got into post season play and had first rights to the arena.

[waynemorrell13]

How did vermont go from being 20 and 5 to 27-5 almost overnight. No one has said anything about it either. Something sounds fishy and i want to know whats going on. I think they know Texas might jump ahead of them if they didnt get more wins on the season than Texas. Explain!

[rams80]

How did vermont go from being 20 and 5 to 27-5 almost overnight. No one has said anything about it either. Something sounds fishy and i want to know whats going on. I think they know Texas might jump ahead of them if they didnt get more wins on the season than Texas. Explain!

The ABA is being less than effective at maintaining the standings again? We have enough posters from Vermont that I believe any "shenanigans" on their part would be quickly found out.

[jamesaba]

How did vermont go from being 20 and 5 to 27-5 almost overnight. No one has said anything about it either. Something sounds fishy and i want to know whats going on. I think they know Texas might jump ahead of them if they didnt get more wins on the season than Texas. Explain!

Simply go to www.vermontfrostheaves.com - they have the whole schedule with boxscores there. All the games the Frost Heaves have won have been played - no forfeits or anything.

[The Sweeper]

He speaks the truth. The only times that our schedule was changed was right after the Wonders folded (Newark filled in for them in Burlington) and when the problems with the Fame arose (Bellingham played 2 games in Barre, instead of one). I believe our away game in Brooklyn was substituted by an away game in Montreal, I could be wrong on that though.

[Fells]

How did vermont go from being 20 and 5 to 27-5 almost overnight. No one has said anything about it either. Something sounds fishy and i want to know whats going on. I think they know Texas might jump ahead of them if they didnt get more wins on the season than Texas. Explain!


Here is your explanation in a nutshell........Vermont has played every game on their schedule. They have been played in front of real fans,(to the tune of about 1,500 per night including 600 when the windchills were 30 freaking below zero.) have not played a rec league, and their box scores can be found on their website. Next!!! You don't have any ammo against the Heaves; they are the class of the ABA.

[Fells]

He speaks the truth. The only times that our schedule was changed was right after the Wonders folded (Newark filled in for them in Burlington) and when the problems with the Fame arose (Bellingham played 2 games in Barre, instead of one). I believe our away game in Brooklyn was substituted by an away game in Montreal, I could be wrong on that though.

You are correct on the road game. The Heaves did go to Montreal instead of Brooklyn.

I would love to make it to the game on Thursday, but I have a high school semifinal game at the Aud to broadcast. To show the class of Alex Wolff, here is a little story......

I coach baseball in Burlington, and there is a kid there who is having a real tough go of it. His mother is very ill, and he really needs a boost. (By the way, he has a 4.0 gpa in a tough area, so this is one amazing kid.) I asked Alex if he could give a discount so this kid, and another coach and his son could take him to the game. He wouldn't give a discount.......The tickets were comped and will be left for the gang at will call.

The story serves two purposes. First off Wayne, don't take shots at Vermont because you will not win. Secondly, there is going to be one very happy and loyal fan at that game. He wouldn't normally be able to afford it, but because Alex has a heart of pure gold, he gets to go to a game. With all of the negativity surrounding the league, this gave me a chance to tell you all about some of the good.

[waynemorrell13]

I have seen the two best players from vermont play in Antonio Burks and the other shooter who played in the All-star game. They can only shoot and are not fast and cant defend. I havent seen the rest of the players but unless they got alot more coming out of thier starting five they are in trouble. Those two were probably in the bottom 6 out of 23 players in the all-star game. I would take just Rob Sanders or Jamiel Statten or Beacham over them.

[waynemorrell13]

Did Anybody see the All-Star Game. Who was the best player there.

[The Sweeper]

The 'other player' is Aaron Cook, the winner of the 3-point shooting contest. If you want to see the team in action, head over to Google Video and search "Frost Heaves". Most of the stuff there was shot by me.

[heavesrock]

Oh of course. Why does Vermont, one the best teams in the ABA, get more criticism than any other team. Teams are folding all over the place, not showing up for games, not paying their players, and all anyone can talk about about is how bad Vermont is. Get a clue people.