ABA announced major expansion

[CJPhillips]

(Canadian Press) April 1, 2007: At first one might think this to be an April Fools' Day joke but American Basketball Association's CEO and co-founder Joe Newman is nothing but serious with the announcement that a 16-team Canadian league will be part of their league structure within in the next two years.

"We have had great success with the two current franchises (Montreal Royals and Quebec City Kebekwa) and already have solid commitments from Halifax (Rainman) and Mississauga (Wolves) for next year," said Newman, from the ABA league office in Indianapolis, Indiana. "Our (2007 ABA) All Star game was held in Halifax and they did a tremendous job."

Newman, who founded the league in 1999 with Richard Tinkham, has made recent headlines with an in-house legal battle which eventually saw former NBA player John Salley resigning from the board of directors.

Despite the fact that more 58 teams have closed up shop during the league's brief tenure, Newman believes that Canada is ready for it's own league.

"We already have secured four teams and have interest from seven others for the next two years," said Newman in regards to the league which finished the 2006-2007 season with 38 teams.

"Already Ottawa (Ontario), Windsor (Ontario), Winnipeg (Manitoba), Calgary (Alberta), Edmonton (Alberta), Lethbridge (Alberta) and Vancouver (British Columbia) have expressed interest with at least three of them getting ready for the 2007-2008 season."

Newman added that "interest has also been shown" from London (Ontario), Thunder Bay (Ontario), Regina (Saskatchewan), Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) and Victoria (British Columbia).

The ABA has already seen two Canadian teams fold with the Calgary Drillers and Niagara Daredevils.

"This is great family entertainment and an excellent caliber of basketball," said Newman, who added that franchise fees are now at $100,000.

Newman added that the league will be naming a commissioner for the Canadian content and that they are close to signing a 20-game television package with a national network in Canada.

[DaveHolmes]

Link or it didn't happen.

[Minor League Man]

Is that real or have you been hanging around Chuck the Writer? (If it is real, could you link it, please?)

[rams80]

Wasn't international travel one of the causes of ABA troubles this year?

[storm]

There is no TV deal and there will be no team in Edmonton as Sport Management Group had told Mr. Newman where he could take the ABA as I have met the owner and they had checked up on the ABA and a employee of SMG had told me they would not get involved with the ABA. I have contacted these other cities about this so called canadian basketball league and there have been no leases or no ownership groups that have shown interest and have contacted all the sports stations and they have never heard about Joe Newman or the new league as the only thing one station executive said they have had discusions with an IBL team. I phoned the ABA and they said all I had to do was send a cheque of 20,000 US and I could have my very own ABA team as there was no ownership check or nothing what a joke. I wish there was a all Canadian League but I know the Sled Dawgz and the Saskatoon team will have Canadians on the team.

[DaveHolmes]

There is no TV deal and there will be no team in Edmonton as Sport Management Group had told Mr. Newman where he could take the ABA as I have met the owner and they had checked up on the ABA and a employee of SMG had told me they would not get involved with the ABA. I have contacted these other cities about this so called canadian basketball league and there have been no leases or no ownership groups that have shown interest and have contacted all the sports stations and they have never heard about Joe Newman or the new league as the only thing one station executive said they have had discusions with an IBL team. I phoned the ABA and they said all I had to do was send a cheque of 20,000 US and I could have my very own ABA team as there was no ownership check or nothing what a joke. I wish there was a all Canadian League but I know the Sled Dawgz and the Saskatoon team will have Canadians on the team.

You went through all that trouble instead of just doing a 10-second Google search to confirm it was fake?

Wow.

[Shootmaster_44]

Even if today wasn't April Fools Day, I still couldn't take anything seriously that comes out of Joe Newman's mouth.

[CJPhillips]

Oh boy....it took me at the most two minutes to write a few fake press releases and everyone gets up in arms?
Once created another fake basketball league on the Internet - http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianprofessionalbasketball/?yguid=122543252 - many years ago and had agents and players contacting me?
My background was 30 years in daily print and television with a main focus on hoops. Also have countless published articles with the NBA and various other leagues and organizations around the world as a basketball historian and that is why I find the Internet so amusing.
I could write that there were 8-foot-10 17 year-old twins found in the outbacks on Mongolia and were about to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers and people would believe.
This is not "The Sky is Falling" but just a blip on your screen.

But my 20 question Q and A tomorrow on www.frozenhoops.com with the Edmonton Sled Dawgz will be factual....or my name is not Howard Hughes....oops I mean Curtis J. Phillips

[Shootmaster_44]

Oh boy....it took me at the most two minutes to write a few fake press releases and everyone gets up in arms?
Once created another fake basketball league on the Internet - http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianprofessionalbasketball/?yguid=122543252 - many years ago and had agents and players contacting me?
My background was 30 years in daily print and television with a main focus on hoops. Also have countless published articles with the NBA and various other leagues and organizations around the world as a basketball historian and that is why I find the Internet so amusing.
I could write that there were 8-foot-10 17 year-old twins found in the outbacks on Mongolia and were about to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers and people would believe.
This is not "The Sky is Falling" but just a blip on your screen.

But my 20 question Q and A tomorrow on www.frozenhoops.com with the Edmonton Sled Dawgz will be factual....or my name is not Howard Hughes....oops I mean Curtis J. Phillips

Nice work, though if you had made it any other league it would've added to he credibility of it. Was the other post a work of fiction though? I certainly hope Saskatoon is in the running for an IBL team.