ABA Expansion Problems Already!

[The Magician]

The 2007-2008 ABA Expansion team http://www.abalive.com/expansion/, the Rome Knights, http://www.romeknights.com/, (AKA, WBA/Rome Gladiators), who were preparing for the start of their 2007 World Basketball Association (WBA) league campaign, seem to have imploded!

As reported at USBASKET.COM
http://www.usbasket.com/wba/wba.asp

Staff Changes
by Bobby Rouse - Apr 14, 2007

The Rome Gladiators entire staff of coaches, general managers, director of player personnel, & director of media relations have all voluntarily resigned from their respective positions. The staff resigned due to the lack of professionalism, and honesty of ownership.

WOW! :eek:

From the ABA Meeting, just 72 hours ago ...

Rio Valley owner ... "Joe are you screening new owners?"
Joe ... "We screen everybody"
Rio Valley ... "We have been around for a year waiting to play and you didnt screen us."
Joe ... "Ok, I'll screen you guys today.

Hmm ... The ABA CEO and the ABA Executive Leadership already being thrown in a position to be put to the test!

Will the Rome Knights' ABA Market Reservation be revoked for the 2007-2008 season?

What say ye owners?

[tbayz1]

O well one less team to worry bout, they dont need to be replaced with another market either, the ABA needs to get rid of a few teams, around 60 IMO is too much, and too many new teams that fold make the league looking even worse than they already are

[The Magician]

Any inquiries made by the ABA League office regarding the Rome Knights organization today?

I mean ... with what was said by the CEO in the latest press release by the league:

ABA league meeting concludes
04/15/07 - American Basketball Association (ABA)

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3453765

"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."

You would think they would want to be on top of things - asap???

[Minor League Man]

And I thought Rome was one of the stronger expansion teams around...

[Sam Hill]

"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."

Doesn't he say that every year?

[The Magician]

Doesn't he say that every year?

Yes He Does ...

[bomp]

And I thought Rome was one of the stronger expansion teams around...

Oh, c'mon now!!!!! You know that Rome is burning! :D

[Minor League Man]

Oh, c'mon now!!!!! You know that Rome is burning! :D
How well do you think Joe can play the fiddle?

[preeths]

And I thought Rome was one of the stronger expansion teams around...

Who said you were wrong? Strength is relative.

[The Magician]

Gladiators move towards third championship
04/17/07 - World Basketball Association (WBA) Rome Gladiators

A changing of the guard happened last week as owners Alexis Prasinos, Anita Crump, Jacob Faulkner and Elena Brown hired Gerald Oliver as Head Coach and General Manager.

"Oliver brings over 30 years of coaching and development experience with him which is what our players and staff need to get to the next level. Oliver has coached teams in the CBA, USBL, ABA, Canadas NBL as well as in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks under George Karl. One of the top 10 minor league coaches of all time as well as CBA coach of the year. We are very honored and humbled at the fact he will be leading us all to new levels of excellence." Said Anita Crump owner. Olivers first challenge will come this week as The Gladiators will donate their time and skills to helping the community with several events encluding The Tour D Georgia, visits to elementary schools and will conclude with a Charity game set for this weekend.

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3454823

[The Magician]

In the Rome News-Tribune 4/17

http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/68...ews799033.html

Gladiators’ coach, owners part ways
04/16/07
From staff reports

Cabral Huff is no longer the head coach of the Rome Gladiators and the Rome Knights — that much, at least, is for sure.

The details of his exit, however, are a matter of dispute.

Huff and Elena Brown, the co-owner of the Gladiators and Knights, gave conflicting accounts of the situation when the two were reached by phone Monday night.

Huff said he and his entire coaching staff resigned their positions late last week. But Brown said that Huff and his staff were let go.

Huff said on the phone that he and his staff “never got any answers to the questions we had begun asking regarding some things that were taking place in the organization.”

In an e-mail sent out Monday morning, Huff wrote that he and his staff, which was working on a volunteer basis, had resigned “due to the lack of professionalism, and honesty of ownership.”

Brown on Monday night said that Huff and his staff were let go because they “were not getting us where we needed to go.”

Brown said the Gladiators/Knights named Gerald Oliver as the teams’ new coach Thursday morning. Oliver was a former assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Gladiators, the two-time champs of the WBA, are scheduled to open the season in May. The season has been pushed back because of some illness in the league’s front office.

The Knights are members of the ABA, and are scheduled to play their first season in Rome this winter.

[The Magician]

Go to this thread: ABA Owner Arrested & Jailed

http://www.oursportscentral.com/boards/showthread.php?t=5822