Media to Ignore ABA

[a1sports]

From more than a few MAIN stream media people. Amongst themselves they have decided to give NO coverage to the ABA anymore.

It has been de-classified as a professional sports league. Conditions of its ownership and business attitude were sited as the main reason.

In other words....SHAM

Not surprised are you?

[Fells]

From more than a few MAIN stream media people. Amongst themselves they have decided to give NO coverage to the ABA anymore.

It has been de-classified as a professional sports league. Conditions of its ownership and business attitude were sited as the main reason.

In other words....SHAM

Not surprised are you?

I am main stream media, and will continue to cover the league. Just for clarification, what and whom do you mean by "main stream media"?

[Juicemann13]

yeah seriously

waht do you mean by that.

it isnt like it is its own identity or something

[Fells]

Main stream media covers the ABA ....

If hes talking about ESPN not covering the ABA then I would agree with that as national sports doesent cover Minor League anything.......


But this post by A1 sports is 100% false, as usual he has no sources to back it up....

Guess his date stood him up and he was bored and had to come up with something for attention for the night......

Refer to my rant post. Guys, this crap needs to stop!

[QC_Hawks_fan]

Main stream media covers the ABA ....

If hes talking about ESPN not covering the ABA then I would agree with that as national sports doesent cover Minor League anything.......


But this post by A1 sports is 100% false, as usual he has no sources to back it up....

Guess his date stood him up and he was bored and had to come up with something for attention for the night......

Did I miss something, what does this comment have to do.......WAIT, I almost was drawn into this debate. ABA06er, please take a moment and close your mouth. personal attacks like this is what children do, so either you are a child or you are just acting like one.

I read the opening message as such, "The ABA does not receive any NATIONAL coverage"

I know there is plenty of local coverage on many of the teams, the QC Riverhawks had a reporter dedicated to the team, as did the Peoria Kings and the Sauk Valley Rollers were covered very well in print. Did I mention the QC Riverhawks also had local television coverage. It may not sound like much but TV coverage out here on the Mississippi River will broadcast out nearly 100 miles in each direction (based on the satellite/cable company) so more folks, yeah us rednecks and farmers too, are exposed to professional basketball, which is a treat.

[rams80]

I'm sure the Journal Star will diminish its already miniscule coverage of the team, so people can stop accusing them of showing bias.

[OneBetter]

I am main stream media, and will continue to cover the league. Just for clarification, what and whom do you mean by "main stream media"?

Hey Fells, who do you work for? Do you work for one of the local Vermont newspapers?

[OneBetter]

Main stream media covers the ABA ....

If hes talking about ESPN not covering the ABA then I would agree with that as national sports doesent cover Minor League anything.......


But this post by A1 sports is 100% false, as usual he has no sources to back it up....

Guess his date stood him up and he was bored and had to come up with something for attention for the night......

ESPN does cover Arena Football League and minor league lacrosse. You can find information on all of those sports on their website, so your statement is not entirely true.

While A1 does not word what he is trying to say very well sometimes, he does have an odd way of actually being proven true in the end. A1, can you provide additional details?

[Fells]

Hey Fells, who do you work for? Do you work for one of the local Vermont newspapers?

I am the Sports Director for four ESPN Radio stations in Vermont and am a freelance writer for the Vermont Guardian, Varsity Magazine, and d3football.com. (Not that the last two mean anything in the context of the ABA.)

[OneBetter]

I am the Sports Director for four ESPN Radio stations in Vermont and am a freelance writer for the Vermont Guardian, Varsity Magazine, and d3football.com. (Not that the last two mean anything in the context of the ABA.)

That's very impressive, Fells. I've read some of your articles here on Our Sports Central as well as the Vermont Guardian, and I have the utmost respect for you. In my personal opinion, you are most professional person on these boards and I have a high amount of respect for your writing.

My brother attended Norwich for a while. I'm sure you cover their sports teams, correct? I've also been to a few Vermont Expos games back when they were known by that name. Do you cover them as well?

[Chuck the Writer]

Here's the situation regarding media coverage of the ABA.

As far as I can tell, in the past seven years in the ABA's history, the team's "major" coverage received, in which a national media outlet such as NBC, ESPN, the New York Times or something along those lines, actually mentioned the ABA in an article of some merit, include the following:

1. The ABA2000's initial formation
2. The Ashley McIlheinny / Sally Anthony incident
3. The signing of Sun Ming Ming
4. The "offer" to trade Randy Gil for Ron Artest

That's essentially it. And that doesn't count the Vermont Frost Heaves getting blogged in SI.

This is true of most minor leagues at this time, including the D-League (national news when the Austin Toros' mascot interfered in a game, or when one of the Dakota Wizards cold-cocked a teammate and knocked him out during practice) and the CBA (see Richardson, Micheal Ray). Minor league basketball isn't going to get the national positive coverage unless they're doing something that the NBA isn't.

Think about this - it happens in other minor league sports. When do you hear anything about a minor league baseball team on ESPN (not including a major leaguer going down to the farm for a rehab start)? It's when a batter kung-fu kicks a catcher at the All-Star Game, or when a top-round draft pick flips a bat at the umpire, or the coach goes on a tirade and pulls the bases out of their stumps.

Same thing in minor league hockey. Nobody's going to mention if such-and-such had a five-point night, but if there's a massive brawl where goaltenders are beating the snot out of each other and the players are fighting the fans in the stands, that's going to make the news.

Besides, if anybody's expecting the ABA to receive even "agate" coverage in most newspapers, it would help if they actually put together a statistics package that could be uploaded to the AP every night.

Besides - Crazy Joe doesn't want the kind of publicity that a series of angry owners would give if they ever went to the press (see Miracles, Mississippi; Pit Bulls, Florida; RimRockers, Arkansas; Rollers, Hammond).

[Fells]

That's very impressive, Fells. I've read some of your articles here on Our Sports Central as well as the Vermont Guardian, and I have the utmost respect for you. In my personal opinion, you are most professional person on these boards and I have a high amount of respect for your writing.

My brother attended Norwich for a while. I'm sure you cover their sports teams, correct? I've also been to a few Vermont Expos games back when they were known by that name. Do you cover them as well?


First of all, thank you for your kind words, they are greatly appreciated.

Yes, I try to get down to Norwich whenever I can. Norwich is an outstanding campus with some class individuals as students. They have a great hockey program and have strong academic traditions.

As far as the Expos, who are now the Lake Monsters, I do some writing on them, as well as do PA when the regular guy is out, as well as doing some of their on field promotions. (I guess I am the bullpen guy.) This year, I am planning on doing a "Life in the Day of a Monster" article in which I would take BP, shag flies, go in the clubhouse, and sit on the bench. Somehow though, with my knees, I think I will be doing more meandering around than doing anything productive.

[TheStandard]

1. NBA TV : They have broacasted the USBL Finals! The EBC at Rucker Park. The Rucker League. The Euroleague. This year the Finals in Puerto Rico but if you have Directv Para Todos programming you can see all those games on 414 or online through tutv.puertorico.pr . NBA TV broadcasts D league games.

2. Directv's Minor League network: They will stay away from it like Enron stock.

3. ESPN: They have done the D league on many occasions. They do Arena Football. They have done the Major league Lacrosse. They do the womens pro softball league. Hell If ESPN even does D3 Basketball once in a blue moon. What does that say of ABA???

4. Versus: Not even this fledging network will dare to touch that! CBA maybe?? PBL maybe along with a directv partnership?? ABA hell no.

5. MY NETWORK TV: The push more crap than informercial channels not even them will dare to do the ABA. Well I do love the IFL on MY Network TV.

6. ION TV: ABA 1970's games perhaps lol.

7. USA Today, Washington Post, New York Times, New York Daily News, Orange County Register, LA Times any MAJOR MARKET PAPER: wont give it coverage. Do I see the New York Daily News talking about ABA Games like if they were even high school games HECK NO! Heck if the New York Post that creates stories on lies wouldnt even dare to do ABA.

Its plain and simple. Would you cover a league that completes all of its games??? YES. Would you put on tv a proven product yes.

It took a trillion years for the Arena football league to get a true tv contract nationwide! Now they are on sports biggest stage. ESPN.

Why would the ABA get a game on ESPN.

Gee that would be so nice to see NBA announcers call a game and say ladies and gentlemen todays game is cancelled due to lack of payment on the arena. Heres Joe Newman to spew his crap and throw even us ESPN under the bus!

[Juicemann13]

Refer to my rant post. Guys, this crap needs to stop!

Opps,

sorry fells, I was agreeing with you, and looking back at what I wrote, I didn't make it clear. Sorry.

[Fells]

Opps,

sorry fells, I was agreeing with you, and looking back at what I wrote, I didn't make it clear. Sorry.

Don't even worry about it. I didn't take it as such.

[Strong Island Sound]

From more than a few MAIN stream media people. Amongst themselves they have decided to give NO coverage to the ABA anymore.

It has been de-classified as a professional sports league. Conditions of its ownership and business attitude were sited as the main reason.

In other words....SHAM

Not surprised are you?
A1- you are most likely correct when you state that main stream media will not cover the ABA. Being part of the media myself (Editor-in-Chief of New York Sportscene magazine, freelance sports writer as well as being Director of Media Relations for the Sound), I would relate 'main stream media' as being the big daily newspapers, SI, TSN, ESPN Mag, ESPN, etc. But these entities did not cover the league previously, barring a mention or two about Ming and Alex Wolff.

Where the ABA does receive coverage are the smaller publications, local news broadcasts, etc. On Long Island, we have received a few articles over the past two years in Newsday, the Long Island Press and on News 12 and FOX 5 Morning Show, in addition to the pieces in Sportscene.

I can't speak for other areas other than the info posted here and on the other boards, but in NY the big league teams have so much going on there is not much space for minor leagues. Even the Ducks, who are huge out here, don't receive the coverage they probably deserve in Newsday.

By the way you worded your thread, you imply that you are on the inside of all the action and that you know something that we all want to know about. Why not just come right out and say, "I spoke to so and so, and he informed me that his publication, the XXX, is no longer covering the ABA because the league did XXX."

Wouldn't that be a bit more credible? I for one would like to know who you conferred with, because I feel that I may be in the position to do a little damage control on behalf of the ABA and try to correct some of the problems that caused them to feel that way.

[Pounder]

Think about this - it happens in other minor league sports. When do you hear anything about a minor league baseball team on ESPN (not including a major leaguer going down to the farm for a rehab start)? It's when a batter kung-fu kicks a catcher at the All-Star Game, or when a top-round draft pick flips a bat at the umpire, or the coach goes on a tirade and pulls the bases out of their stumps.


...or an outfielder literally proves that he'll run through walls for his team (there's a bobblehead of that in Portland, BTW)...

...or a fed-up hockey skill player pitchforking a goon...

...I trust y'all see where I'm getting at.

[ABA06er]

Its Hard For The National Media To Not Talk About The Aba When The Aba Has Players Being Drafted By The Nba

See My Sun Yue Post For More Details !