This is What Happened at the owners meeting

[ABA06er]

A1Sports was there most of the info he posted in the other thread was very on point. However some progress was made , WE FINALLY GOT JOE TO GO ON RECORD SAYING NO MORE EXPANSION TEAMS FOR THIS SEASON!!!!

Food was really good as I am sure a1 sports will tell you.

A1 sports we may not agree on much but I think we will agree that the lady representing the Halifax Rainmen was HOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!

Almost made the trip worth while.


I did see the North East went a leg up on everyone again , I walked by a seperate room on my way to take a bathroom break and noticed the following teams having a seperate meeting from the North East Region

1. Vermont
2. Brooklyn
3. Newark
4. Syracuse
5. Corning
6. Halifax

CapeCod was not in the meeting however Vermont sat at the same table as CapeCod at the 8 hour meeting so they were already on the same page. The woman from Halfax sat on the other side of Vermont and I believe Corning sat right behind Vermont out of the northeast expansion teams Halifax and Corning seem to answer the hard questions the best, Syracuse owner was very quiet , that bothered me a lil.

It would be nice to see the south east tighten up like the North East , I have my hand in a team in the south east , it would be nice to see some owners step up, the West Coast is a lost cause.



Ps. Felix from the Jacksonville Jam recieved executive of the year.

[The Magician]

... Felix from the Jacksonville Jam received Executive of the Year.


That's what I'm talking about ... Congrats Felix! :mrgreen:

[tbayz1]

thats quite the N.E. division

-Vermont is the only proven team and best team, and very well run, organized, professional etc.....

-Newark-are they even still playing lol, does anyone in all of Newark care bout the team, how much longer can this team survive

-Brooklyn-didnt play that bad, but played one home game, still questionable future, but an owner with money

-Syracuse & Corning & Halifax- 3 new unproven teams, so we'll see how they pan out

-And you still got Buffalo, Strong Island, Montreal, Quebec and Cape Cod, but some of those team owners were not in attendence

-A nice possible division woulda been Buffalo, Rochester, Corning, and Syracuse, but thats not gona happen

-And for once ABA06er and a1 agree!!!! omg i thought id never see the day!!

[ABA06er]

Cape Cod and Strong Island were in the house.

Buffalo had a previous engagment, how ever Buffalo did win an award, something like a giving back to the community award. They are very deserving of that.

[nksports]

WE FINALLY GOT JOE TO GO ON RECORD SAYING NO MORE EXPANSION TEAMS FOR THIS SEASON!!!!

To Joe, that probably means none over the 60 or more teams he promised for 2007-08. And that probably, to him, doesn't include replacement teams for those that fold pre-season and in season.

[ABA06er]

Actually it is all done this year for expansion , they are trying to get the Divisions out to the owners by Friday, and schedules released much much earlier then last year.

In that aspect things are going much better then last year , should have less scheduling conflicts right from the get go. The owners meeting actually meant something this year , things did get done.

[a1sports]

So "buffalo had a previous engagement" ? Looks like about 30 other teams had a previous engagement. Your as strong a league as your weakest team, this translates that the ABA is zero. Owners left that meeting confused and unsure, I mean the ones that have a business brain, the rest just left whistling Dixie.
Put a schedule tomorrow, it wont matter, teams will fold and games will be missed. To say things are better is just a spin.

No smart owner is going to stay and the circus will continue untill public money runs out.

Meanwhile over at the PBL....looks like things are moving in a professional way. From what I learned today, the PBL may accept one - two aba teams, they already have enough applications for 12 solid teams. They are planning 4national try-out camps in NY, Chicago, Miami and LA, with NO 150 dollar registration fee. So Joe may try to have a contract signed by existing teams to stay in the ABA, but since this is a membership system not a franchise, The ABA teams can do what ever they want.

[carterpatterson]

This was my first owners meeting. I concur with many things said earlier in this thread. Joe did state that their would be no more expansion teams for 2007-2008.

I want everyone to know that both Joe and Brad were contrite and upfront about the problems of the previous season. This is the first time that I've met either one. I spent more time with Brad than Joe, but I can tell you that they listened to our suggestions and are implementing a better plan for next season.

Its not my place to make the announcements of what the league is going to do. I'm sure ABA06er and a1sports have probably told you everything.

The league has addressed the absolute need for all teams to finish their schedule.

We addressed the possibility of joining Fiba.

We talked about a better playoff format, and ending the season earlier.

We talked about the divisions structure.

The Total Luxury Group will now offer to be the online store for any team that wishes to allow fans to order and ship their favorite ABA team's apparel.

We have selected Jock Trac as the stat software for all teams. There as a rep there and it is very impressive. If hooked up correctly, then all teams could in theory have up to date stats provided on their websites DURING the game. If you go to Vermont's website, click on a game, and drill down as far as you can. You can pull up shot charts on any player, any game.

We talked about due dates for all teams to secure venues, home dates, and other items to insure that they would be included in 2007-2008.

To sum it up...I drank the kool-aid...and it tasted good! I enjoyed meeting the other owners and if we execute the plan as designed, I think 2007-2008 will be successful. I think you all probably know it already...but OSC is widely read by many many teams and executives.

[a1sports]

Im stealing this line from a previous owner.>>>> There is a honeymoon period with Joe and the ABA, you really want to believe what he says he will do but after your second owners meeting you realize you have been lied to.

Nothing will happen.

Call the other 42 previous owners. Just call the last 5 best run teams that left the ABA, they will tell you all you need to know and then you can save money from your honeymoon dream.

Nothing will be enforced, its all talk and talk is cheap.

You heard Joe at the meeting..."We will never fine teams" Thats what most of these owners want to hear. They dont get it.
Then again, you could be one of those owners who doesnt have at least $250,000 to operate a team BUT if you do, the other teams dont and this will sink you. Go ahead..force a team to come play a game. Hasnt worked in 7 years.

[ABA06er]

If you believe in what you say so much why are you still personally involved with the ABA, you were clearly at the meeting so you took the time to book air line tickets and all of the other expenses it takes in getting there and you either own a team or work for one.

Then you sit here and bash it , it must be good enough that your still here , so if you believe in what you say on this sports forum then you my friend are the joke.............

As for myself and many , many of the owners I met with this weekend , everyone left with a better feeling then last year.

Changes were actually made and not just said " we will look into it " he actually has done it , and revenue sharing is in place on merchandise and the stat program is in tact and its a zero tolerence policy on all the rules and regulations put in at the owners meeting you dont prove you have it all done by august you dont play.

These restrictions are all firsts in the ABA.

So why not just come out and tell us who you are because we already know who you are.......... you are the owner from St. Louis who sat in the corner all weekend rolling his eyes and looks like if he was given a 1st grade math test he would score below the class average.

[communityhoops]

OK - The meetings are over and it seems that, to very little surprise of many, few things have changed and there will be many positive changes.

I would like to offer to anyone - owner, fan, vender, CEO - whoever was at the meetings, the chance to verbally state their thoughts of the meetings.

You can e-mail me your contact information and I will set up an audio interview with you that will not be edited. I am even willing to set up a conference call with 2 or more of you with the same objective, to create an audio interview that will go unedited.

No limits to get your point(s) across.

Please note that I hope to get everyone that wants to do this by Wednesday night so I can post them all at once on Thursday.



interviewrequest@communityhoops.com

[The Magician]

Here's a question for Joe Newman if you feel inclined to ask him ...

"Joe, with all the challenges that were presented to the league body at the ABA meetings, can you tell us what the "Role of the ABA CEO" will be heading into the 2007-2008 season ... And how will you face those challenges as CEO?"

[preeths]

This was my first owners meeting. I concur with many things said earlier in this thread. Joe did state that their would be no more expansion teams for 2007-2008.

I want everyone to know that both Joe and Brad were contrite and upfront about the problems of the previous season. This is the first time that I've met either one. I spent more time with Brad than Joe, but I can tell you that they listened to our suggestions and are implementing a better plan for next season.

Its not my place to make the announcements of what the league is going to do. I'm sure ABA06er and a1sports have probably told you everything.

The league has addressed the absolute need for all teams to finish their schedule.

We addressed the possibility of joining Fiba.

We talked about a better playoff format, and ending the season earlier.

We talked about the divisions structure.

The Total Luxury Group will now offer to be the online store for any team that wishes to allow fans to order and ship their favorite ABA team's apparel.

We have selected Jock Trac as the stat software for all teams. There as a rep there and it is very impressive. If hooked up correctly, then all teams could in theory have up to date stats provided on their websites DURING the game. If you go to Vermont's website, click on a game, and drill down as far as you can. You can pull up shot charts on any player, any game.

We talked about due dates for all teams to secure venues, home dates, and other items to insure that they would be included in 2007-2008.

To sum it up...I drank the kool-aid...and it tasted good! I enjoyed meeting the other owners and if we execute the plan as designed, I think 2007-2008 will be successful. I think you all probably know it already...but OSC is widely read by many many teams and executives.

I'm curious though as to what exactly are the mechanisms of enforcement for these rules and regulations? We've seen promises of change in the past, and it hasn't happened. I hope those in the league can see why we're somewhat doubtful that these will take hold. Unless people at every level of the ABA can be held accountable for their actions, I'm not sure we've seen anything.

The ABA still has an alarming number of under-funded owners. Unless the league pours money on them, some of them will be in severe financial difficulties early in the season. You can't build a skyscraper on sand, but that's what it appears the ABA tries to do year in and year out.

[a1sports]

In order to produce a short documentary on how one man make takes advantage of others I had to be there. This will all be put together by fall and out in the spring 2008.

So Chichester or Joe or Brad or relatives, you will finally become stars.

But back to the core of the problem....nothing will be done different in the ABA than the previous 5 years. Its all "Joe speak". Do I enjoy it? Yes, Do I feel bad for the owners and poor fans that are suckered into this, of course I do. Is this great subject matter for a documentary, you bet !!!

We will have probably a few minutes on chichester in the documentary, still waiting to get confirmation from your employer, NY state correctional services. They take a long time in answering a freedom of information request.

[tbayz1]

can you please explain on "buffalo had previous engagement"

heres a simple way to help solve some ABA problems, get rid of teams, no more expanding for a long time, and have owners who can actually keep a team playing for the whole season, but Newman and Co. is jus to stubborn and dumb to realize that

2007-2008 season here we come....

[ABA06er]

Expansion has been ended for this season , unless you were one of the couple of potential owners who were at the meeting you are not aloud to join and from what I understand those few owners who were there are even on a short one week time clock. This is a first for the ABA and I aplaud them for it.

[Minor League Man]

Expansion has been ended for this season , unless you were one of the couple of potential owners who were at the meeting you are not aloud to join and from what I understand those few owners who were there are even on a short one week time clock. This is a first for the ABA and I aplaud them for it.
Then again, last year Joe said he was done with expansion in April.

Well, we got several more until the Minnesota Ripknees' announcement just before the season began!

[carterpatterson]

Preeths...your points are good. "How will the rules by enforced?" There were details discussed but since they are not yet "firmed", I don't want to comment on them.

There were alot of teams not there, however, this meeting is typically for the new owners. There is another league meeting later in the year and I would hope that every team will have a representative.

[The Magician]

ABA league meeting concludes
04/15/07 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3453765

Indianapolis, IN. The American Basketball Association (ABA) held its Annual Spring League Meeting in Indianapolis on Thursday and Friday, April 12 & 13 at the Airport Radisson Hotel. With over 60 current and expansion teams represented, the meeting was deemed "a huge success" by ABA CEO Joe Newman. "I believe it was the best meeting yet because the owners participated in an open forum, provided extraordinary input and established a variety of new standards and requirements designed to improve the league and to eliminate the problems of the past. We have a talented ownership group with tremendous experience in sports, business, entertainment and other disciplines; the sharing of knowledge is critical to the success of the ABA - and this meeting was electric. I believe everyone left with a very good feeling about the future of the league." Other subjects included:

* The introduction of ABA Apparel, LLC., a joint venture between the ABA and International Apparel Group, Inc. to design, manufacture and distribute ABA branded apparel. IAG principals Janon Costley and Orande Gadsden introduced new designs, merchandise and programs to the owners.


* The introduction of the new Spalding red, white and blue basketballs, the Official Balls of the ABA. Representatives from Spalding showed a variety of new product including replica balls, mini-balls, Krunk balls and other designs that are now available via the ABA website (www.abalive.com). Spalding also showed the new ABA ball that will be featured in the upcoming Will Ferrell movie, "Semi-Pro."


* The introduction of ABA Media, a new division that will include over-the-air TV, webcasting, podcasting, text messaging, and radio broadcasting. According to Paul Riley, ABA VP of Business Development, "Our objective is to bring the excitement of ABA basketball to fans around the world in a variety of ways and we will be announcing several new initiatives shortly. The interest in the ABA is phenomenal."


Also included in the meeting was a discussion of The Keys to Success, those things necessary to operate a successful team both on and off the court. Brad Hester, ABA VP of Team Operations, reviewed the problems with scheduling, statistics and travel this past season and presented new guidelines for the upcoming season. Press and community relations, web site development, internship programs, marketing and ticket sales, sponsorships, tryout camps and ABA rules were also covered in detail. "All teams seem to be on the same page this season; they are all working together to insure that things go smoothly and are making extraordinary progress - and it's only April," stated Hester. "This should be a great season."


2006-2007 Awards were presented to the following:


League Champion Vermont Frost Heaves

League Runner-Up Texas Tycoons

Executive of the Year Felix Krupczynski, Jacksonville Jam

GM of the Year Mike Healey, Vermont Frost Heaves

Coach of the Year Will Voigt, Vermont Frost Heaves

Expansion Team of the Year Vermont Frost Heaves

Lifetime Achievement Award Tom Chichester, ABA Director of Officials

Special Recognition Award Tom McGinn, Quad City Riverhawks

Special Recognition Award Ian McCarthy, Cape Cod Frenzy

Special Recognition Award Burrel Lee III, Maywood Buzz

Special Recognition Award Reggie Davis, Sacramento Heatwave

Special Recognition Award Quentin & Akilah Townsend, The Atlanta Vision

Special Recognition Award Tony Dominguez, Bellingham Slam

Community Service Award Modie Cox, Buffalo Silverbacks.

For more information, visit www.abalive.com.

My questions would be ...

Were there honestly over 60 teams represented?

Was the meeting honestly a huge success?

Was it emphatically the best meeting ever?

And, was the meeting truly electric?

Spin Spin Spin ...

[tbayz1]

already with the lies

too bad there was 60 teams and wasnt too electric if the St. Louis owner was sitting by himself in a corner(lol) according to ABA06er, which means it wasnt too electric

and lets see if Hester's "Keys To Success" meeting helps or pays off in the 2007-2008 season, lets see if all the teams complete their schedules and finish the season...

and in the "ABA Media" paragraph, lets see how that pans out...


If these things like the "Keys to Success and ABA Media" and other things mentioned and discussed actually pan out, the season might be an improvement, but thats a long shot, a very long one!! I dont believe anything the ABA plans to do unless in fact it really happens or works, what was said is just talk, talk, talk, there should be no more talking, things need to be DONE!!!!!!!

[a1sports]

The meeting can be summed up in 2 words, Confused and disappointed.

Again, the owners that have a business mind were confused and dissapointed. The others have no idea whats going on or what to do.

By noon Friday, 3 owners left having heard enough of the same BS as the previous year. I bet they do not come back to the ABA.

Two other owners said what a waste of time and It was all lip service again by Joe, Brad is getting like Joe. I like how Joe would jump in when some owners ahd ligit question to save Brad. NOw we all know that Brad, as he said, "Loves people" and is a "people person", Brad what aisle are the 2 x 4s in? No one in the basketball world respects this league.

At least count, when you subtract Rochester and Vermont and Jacksonville, Maryland the average ABA attendance per home game last year was 32. There you go. A great job CEO. A meeting that meant totally NOTHING. Owners that have no idea where you are coming from or where the truth lies.
Seven years later no one cares or goes to the games.

My count was 27 owners out of 62.

[preeths]

Expansion has been ended for this season , unless you were one of the couple of potential owners who were at the meeting you are not aloud to join and from what I understand those few owners who were there are even on a short one week time clock. This is a first for the ABA and I aplaud them for it.

Well, now we see the league has an out. Any expansion now will only be from owners who were at the meeting. So you're saying, no matter how good the ownership group, no matter who might drop out, no matter how good the credit, we will not see any expansion in the ABA for the 2007-08 season after April 22, one week from today?

[ABA06er]

I just recieved a credible e-mail from someone who was at the ABA league meetings as to the real identity of a1 sports and it was just what I thought.


A1 Sports is the owner of the St. Louis Stunners , the most under funded team in the American Basketball Association , the guy sat at the owners meeting looking cracked out of his mind and doesent have two nickels to rub together or a pot to piss in.

Great Job A1 Sports......... no wonder your pissed off about the meeting it probably took you collecting cans for 3 months for those plane tickets. You wouldnt have been happy if you accidently landed in Disney World.

[ABA06er]

Preeths , expansion is over , the potential owners who were at the meeting are on the clock....

Owners are getting a copy of the 2007-2008 divisions this friday and most of the scheduling will be done by July instead of the end of September.

The ABA is making strides to correct the problems of the past seasons , this is the first sign of going in the right direction we have seen in the ABA for some time now , this is not joe newmans doing , this is the owners standing up to get things fixed.

I believe Vermont was the one who wanted to get the schedules done early , another owner complained and complained about expansion , Joe said nomore expansion........ Joe and Brad listned and put in new rules at the meeting.

[The Magician]

I just recieved a credible e-mail from someone who was at the ABA league meetings as to the real identity of a1 sports and it was just what I thought. A1 Sports is the owner of the St. Louis Stunners

You are saying that A1 is Mr. Earl Childress or Mr. Jerome Gregory of the St. Louis Stunners organization?

Mr. Childress was one of the owners who had quite abit to say on the Owners Conference Call that was facilitated by Mr. Daniel Imperato.

Mr. Jerome Gregory was on ABA All Access Radio which was just recorded at the ABA meetings in Indianapolis.

http://www.audiosportsonline.net/ABA/AllAccess.htm?abalive
ABA All Access Show # 37
Listen from 59:40 to 01:08:30

Mr. Gregory mentioned that there will be an expansion team in the league this year in Cape Girardeau, Missouri http://www.cityofcapegirardeau.org/

Sooooooooo ... Does your source, and you, really know who A1 is :confused:

[a1sports]

Ok owners you were at the ABA "meeting", You all know that there were no more than 30 owners TOPS at this meeting. YET, you see How Joe spins it in his ABALIVE posting that "over 60 Owners were present". He cant tell the truth about a simple number attending, shouldnt that alone amongst the 100 other lies get you thinking? Where are all the former ABA owners? CBA?, D-league?, PBL? You buy his line he suspended them. Oh yea..he suspended Rochester, yup, averaged 4,617 fans a game. Top notch organization but Joe suspended them and all the other owners who went to different leagues.

A simple rule you learn in journalism school, " Never lie to the media, for they will expose you" The media knows all about the ABA but the owners dont??

At this point Id like to hear others that post here why these owners buy into this stuff and stay in the ABA. Your comments will be appreciated.

[ABA06er]

Earl Childress is the poster "a1sports" he owns the poorly run st. louis stunners.

He sat in the corner at the ABA meetings and snickered at every comment and many times got up and paced back and forth, I did not need my inside source to figure out who A1 Sports was but it was nice to have it confirmed.

[DaveHolmes]

Earl Childress is the poster "a1sports" he owns the poorly run st. louis stunners.

Well he is an ordained reverend - where do you think all that money's going?

Here's his church:

http://www.christembassychurch.com/

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1699/earldw1.jpg

[preeths]

I have spoken to A1Sports on the phone, and it is not Earl Childress.

[tbayz1]

yea i dont think hes that dude either, sounds like he has more brains than Earl Childress who owns St. Louis, that like stopped playin their games in mid-Feb according to OSC, and i dont think a1 was sitting in a corner during the meetings either

a1 can u at least tell us if your an owner to involved with an ABA franchise?

[Alumni96]

Lol. A1 probably showed up posing as Earl Childress. He is an investigative reporter you know. Good old cloak and dagger stuff. :mrgreen:

[bomp]

Ok owners you were at the ABA "meeting", You all know that there were no more than 30 owners TOPS at this meeting. YET, you see How Joe spins it in his ABALIVE posting that "over 60 Owners were present". He cant tell the truth about a simple number attending, shouldnt that alone amongst the 100 other lies get you thinking? Where are all the former ABA owners? CBA?, D-league?, PBL? You buy his line he suspended them. Oh yea..he suspended Rochester, yup, averaged 4,617 fans a game. Top notch organization but Joe suspended them and all the other owners who went to different leagues.

A simple rule you learn in journalism school, " Never lie to the media, for they will expose you" The media knows all about the ABA but the owners dont??

At this point Id like to hear others that post here why these owners buy into this stuff and stay in the ABA. Your comments will be appreciated.


Joe:

One word for you! PLUGS! That wig looks far out though.

A fool and his money are soon parted. I collected a few more clients at the meeting. More suckers who lost money riding on the Good-Ship Joey!

No intelligent business man or woman would be caught dead with the ABA.

[patmc16]

A1 Sports is the owner of the St. Louis Stunners , the most under funded team in the American Basketball Association , the guy sat at the owners meeting looking cracked out of his mind and doesent have two nickels to rub together or a pot to piss in.

Assume for a moment that this is 100% right on. This is the calibur of ownership Unk allows in the league? Doesn't have 2 nickels to rub together? I'll bet the franchise fee check cleared though. Then again, that's really all that matters isn't it?


another owner complained and complained about expansion , Joe said nomore expansion........ Joe and Brad listned and put in new rules at the meeting.

So.... the no more expansion decision was made on the spur of the moment by Crazy Joe with no discussion with anyone else and all because one owner complaned? Ya... I'm sure he will stick to that one.