ABA expansion getting a lil out of hand.

[WIZ Kid]

Does anyone else see the writing on the wall ? Last time I saw a league expand this fast was the NIFL. And we all know where they are right now.
Hershey PA being the newest team and cities in Florida seam to want back in. And some of these announced expansion teams are not even commited yet. They don't have Names Logo's, Web Sites. Offices, Coaches, Office personnel. Or even contact numbers where they can be reached.

I suggest that the league commisioner make sure that none of these owners are affiliated with the TIPS organization. ( LOL )
But,.........in all honesty. WHY SO FAST !? Is the league in financial trouble ? And hoping that expansion fee's and team due's are gonna help?
Not criticizing yet. YET ! Just wondering.
And by the way !!!
Since when did Minot ND. Become Minot City ND ? HUH ? :?:

[Pounder]

Vaporware sometimes requires a degree of perceived popularity, no?

If everyone's jumping in, then we should, too. Such is the basis of the scam, eh? (Oh, golly, bite my tongue, and please excuse my Swahili... scam? How dare I? Since I am a Duck- U. of Oregon, '88, I'm all too familiar with that "walks and talks like a Duck" cliche.)

The thing that gets me here is that the ABA is expanding so much that people with actual money (the target of the, um, "movement") may decide that this deal is getting overcrowded or diluted, and not want to join for that reason. Don't you just pity Mr. Newman? (That all presumes that people with money are going to join a club with a small-time Nashville rock singer and a known scam artist landing in Portland without a lease... or a place to lease)

[Sam Hill]

Here's what I love: The last several releases when they announce an expansion team.

Hershey:
Indianapolis, IN. Joe Newman, ABA Co-Founder, today announced the sixteenth expansion team for the record-growing professional basketball league - Hershey, Pennsylvania. Newman stated, "We are very pleased to have Hershey as part of the league. Located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, it fits incredibly well into our divisional concept. And the ownership group is outstanding."

Cincinnati:
Indianapolis, IN. Joe Newman, ABA Co-Founder, today announced the 15th expansion team for the fast growing league - Cincinnati, Ohio. According to Newman, "Everyone thinks of 3-D as the ABA's signature rule that creates the fast-paced, exciting high scoring games. However, in the case of Cincinnati, 3-D means three very determined, decisive divas that have been awarded the team. They bring a tremendous amount of drive, experience, talent and energy to the league. This should be fun."

Jacksonville:
Indianapolis, IN. Joe Newman, ABA Co-Founder, today announced the 14th expansion team in the fast-growing league - Jacksonville, Florida. According to Newman, "Jacksonville is a city that has been targeted as an ABA city from day one. We've had several interested ownership groups, but until now, we didn't have the right group. We do now in Zachary T. Hoxie and Homer S. Jackson and well-known Jacksonville businessman, Larry Jacobs, who will serve as GM of Basketball Operations."

Boston:
Indianapolis, IN. Joe Newman, ABA Co-Founder, today announced officially that Boston will be the 13th expansion team in the rapidly-growing pro basketball league though the news was leaked earlier by Paul Revere IX. According to Newman, "Just kidding about Paul, but we are absolutely thrilled to have a team in Boston and Massachusetts, the "birthplace of basketball." He continued, "Ian Naismith, the grandson of the founder of basketball attended our recent Expansion Team meeting and was pleased to know that the possibility existed. Ian, the possibility is now reality."

Charlotte:
Indianapolis, IN. Joe Newman, ABA Co-Founder, today announced the 12th team in the record-growing pro basketball league - Charlotte, North Carolina. According to Newman, "We know that the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats are starting next season, but the ABA and new owners felt strongly that the market was large enough and basketball fan support great enough to handle two teams. We believe that fans will love the fast-paced, high scoring, entertainment filled ABA style of play - at ABA affordable prices."

Learn to write a lead a little differently if you're going to doing any more of these, would you, please?

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Well, I don't know if ABA expansion has gotten out of hand, but I DO know this league (and other leagues like it) might want to invest a little time (and money) in a city before announcing a proposed new franchise for that city. See below:

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/news/050204/Sports/ST001.shtml

Sneaking up on a town is not the way to make a good first impression. Had the owners spread around a little cash before-hand, they could have already secured the land they needed to build their proposed 5,000/6,000 seat arena...since the implication in this article is that they already have the funds to build it. :roll:

[meyes]

The list of expansion teams at ABAlive now lists the Utah Snow Bears, and not the Minot City Freeze. Same owner, same logo with different letters. No announcement, no details.

[Pounder]

...and now Hermosillo, Mexico, too!

BTW, no arena secured there, and absolutely no news about Utah other than the sudden name change, so we've gone from two "real" new teams to one.

Anyone really think there's going to be a season?

[meyes]

I believe the league will play but I will be surprised if all the announced teams participate this season. I think the league will likely play with the number or participating teams being in the middle to upper teens.

[Sam Hill]

Now Fort Worth is in:

http://www.abalive.com/news/releases/20040505.html

You gotta love the email address of the new owner: igotdmoney@aol.com.

Puh-leeze.

[sportsnut]

I agree. As much as I'd like to see the ABA succeed, you have to wonder whether or not most of these teams will even make it to their first training camp, let alone their first game. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for expansion in any league. But 20 teams all at once? I don't know! :?

[Pounder]

I'd like to announce a team in Walla Walla, Washington.

What league, you ask? We don't need no freakin' league!

Credibility? Just as much as all these ABA announcements.

(BTW, I absolutely, positively confess my guilt to falling in love with the phrase "We don't need no freakin' league!")

[CRUSADERSFAN]

May 6, 2004- "pounder" today announced the addition of Walla Walla, Washington to the record growing basketball league.
" I hope to bring this high flying, fast paced exciting brand of basketball to the fans of Walla Walla. We are pleased to be joining the league. We have a unique financial plan and we are ready to get going."
Details about name, venue, logo & coach will be released shortly.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Pounder]

BTW, it's now February 97th, and I'm drooling uncontrollably in anticipation of the announcement of the Portland venue due by the end of the month.

[CMc]

According the the Indy Star article, the league is not requesting expansion fees, but the exansion teams are posting is a $10,000 rights fee for the market.
That's only 190,000 split between 7 teams and the league office. Not alot of money, only around 25K per team.

Should be a Win-Win for all involved. It is still a wait & see, but so far this coming season is WAY AHEAD of previous years. You have many teams announcing GM, coaches, TV deals, player signings.
Before, you were lucky if a roster was released the day of the first game.

[Pounder]

Hmmm, if I'm to take you at your word, it's "rights" fees, not "franchise" fees.

So, if Joe Newman has to take the league and run, nobody actually owned a franchise. Who gets hosed? Or is my ode to semantics a bit much?

Of course, who knows, it could be a setup where some of these folks are in on the gig, and they're trying to scam sponsor money.

Or, hey, it's a video game league!! The unadulterated thrill of it all!!!!

I haven't had too many looks at my DirecTV sports package of late, so I'll actually assume that Comcast Sports Southeast does exist. Poor suckers.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

...confusion like you have never seen at the start of the ABA season.

What we have here with all this expansion, in such a short period of time, is a variation on the Pyramid Scheme. Only the people at the top are making money. The old Brooklyn Bridge routine is also thrown in with this market rights business. How can you, in good faith, sell rights to a market that does not have a venue for you yet?

[Sam Hill]

You just used "ABA" and "good faith" in the same thought.