Preparing for an ABA Collapse, an alternative

[dbaproball]

Many in the ABA are preparing for a possible ABA collapse before the start of this season.

Legal problems, teams folding or leaving, and overall lack of organization is leaving many teams uneasy and without confidence. Yet, they must protect their businesses.

To maintain a proactive position, several current ABA teams are in the planning stages of creating a consortium to continue their basketball operations in a more successful manner.

This consortium is known as the "Delta Basketball Association" or the DBA. (Why "delta"? "Delta" means change.) The DBA will be run totally by majority vote of the team owners, who will elect a chairmen to preside over meetings.

There are NO league fees. The DBA will provide the following initial infrastructure at no charge to any member team:

- initial logo and web design
- web portal services that will include team information, schedules, statistics, press releases, message boards, and more
- a facilitation of the initial charter and league rules for the team owners (who all will maintain a seat on the Board of Directors and can change the rules or charter at any time.)

These initial services may expand or be assumed by different entities under the direction of the Board of Directors after the initial league meeting.

The DBA infrastructure will be provided at the discretion of the team owners and will be funded totally by sponsors, donations, and web advertising. DBA creators are prepared to self-fund these services in the absence of any additional funding in effort to facilitate the new association.

Initial meetings are proposed to be held by web conference in July. The DBA is fully prepared to begin operations for the 2007 - 2008.

Discrete inquiries can be made by contacting dbaproball@gmail.com. Interested teams must be prepared to present their ability to meet operational requirements to the Board of Directors, who in turn must approve membership by majority vote.

Imagine this....the teams actually run the league......

[SignGuyDino]

In many cases, the teams in the league DO run the league. They appoint a Commissioner who basically does what they want him or her to do. NASCAR and the XFL two that were controlled from a single ownership group. One turned out well.

You think Bud Selig is allowed to be a loose cannon Commissioner? He's a good Commissioner (yes, I dared said it) because he doesn't do anything until he gets the votes behind him.

The ABA suffers from bad and frankly deceitful management. If a handful of owners are so despearate to own a team they'll enable Uncle Joe to get away with anything, that's their problem and I wouldn't want them in another league. They can pull out anytime, you know.

And I have always been against any professional league having an official message board on their site. Far too many reasons to mention but you look at the old AAFL board with all the spamming and you can come up with a couple right there.

Are you talking about this fall to start play? It's already too late to start a professional league then.

When someone starts a league, he or she has to find credible owners with real experience. If it don't work out it don't work out. Try again next year or try something else.

[bomp]

This is good news. Hopefully these teams will leave prior to the end of the ABA.

There are issues of course like under financed owners and performance bonds but this is a move in the right direction.

It is clear that these owners see the handwriting on the wall. Though it would have been better if they never gotten involved with the ABA. At least they are learning and I congratulate them for that.

Good luck!

[SignGuyDino]

I should also mention this really needs to be in the "General Basketball" forum until and unless this DBL becomes a legit league.

Again, I'm for ANY and EVERY legitimate league. Just don't say that anything suggested is something revolutionary.

What minor league basketball needs to finally be successful are legitimate ownership groups and management. It could honestly be argued that the same possible owners should be helping the IBL, USBL, or WBA. Only one of those leagues can dare claim it's on the way up right now. But all three seem pretty legitimate.

Yeah, I'm in a bad mood. Doggone Powerball....

[dbaproball]

SignGuy, we can't disagree with your comments. ("Teams actually running the league" was meant a bit rhetorical.) But, unfortunately many teams may be left without options and without time to plan if things were to crash quickly.

The DBA will exist solely to help them prepare to continue their existing operations without having to start from scratch. The modest services and organization proposed can be assembled in time to be a parachute for this season.

We essentially want to create an organized owners group that can act quickly if it must. The DBA would be more than pleased to be able to remain dormant. In fact, we hope we do not have to exist at all.

This forum is one way to get the word out about the DBA consortium as an option, but if we have posted inappropriately we will correct it.

[SignGuyDino]

I'd do your wikipedia summary before anyone else does. And I'd get a website registered before anyone else does, and a good one. Any clown can steal a site in 3 minutes on godaddy.

[tbayz1]

theres not too many good owners out there, a select few, most of them left for another league, so with ABA owners, a board of directors should be interesting

DBAproball, i like this plan, it is a good alternative in case of the ABA finally collapsing

[dbaproball]

Clearly, we will need to be more selective up front, and not repeat the sins of the past. We will likely have to decline requests to join for this very reason.

There are some good owners in the ABA who are simply trying to ride it out and hope the storm passes. Some have had chances to go to other leagues (and in retropsect probably should have), and some simply believe in the nostalgia of the red/white/blue ball.

Others think they can change the league, but how many 100s of Ks do you go through until there is a change? Things simply aren't changing, but are in fact getting worse.

These owners don't want to leave. Who wants to run a league? That takes away from the mission of running a team. But, they will likely have to leave, and if they have to leave, they want to have some control over the governence of their businesses. The new PBL (even though a game hasn't been played) and CBA are good leagues we believe, and our attempt to organize is not a knock against them. In fact we believe there will be cross-league opportunities down the road.

For now, we want an option other than having to close our doors because there is no solid organization, and in the end, believe we can come away much stronger...perhaps even gain a little respect, if not as "former ABA teams" than as the cooperative DBA. Please stay tuned.

[Alumni96]

It is good to know that their is at least the semblance of a plan to fall back on if and when Newman finally finishes circling the bowl.

[rider]

The DBA makes a lot of sense, you have to believe that the owners are not all crazy! They have to despite the party line understand the seriousness of the ABA reality. Everyone is hammering the ABA owners the proof is public! They have the option of moving on to another league which is costly and most don't have those type of dollars or they can silently form the DBA and simply wait for the ABA to desolve. Some of the teams will continue others will fold but there in control at no entry expense and no one looking up their skirt.The season will happen under the ABA or the DBA or most likely both. Under both labels they will simply "get through" the season barely alive.

Joe will sell the league actually the asset (the ABA license) not the company to a third party who will re organize the league for the following year.The teams know that the purchase means the new owners plan doesn't include anyone who doesn't have substance. Its already in the works, Joe isn't stupid either he knows he is a beat up old man and the gig is over! The only issue is the NBA providing in writing confirmation that the license can be sold.The new potential owner isn't stupid either.

Everyone should relax it will all play out as described above unless a government body or the NBA shuts it down first but I don't believe that will happen , the wheels of justice move slowly!

[zeke41]

Weeeew....a breath of fresh air. I was just thinking I might have to take a break from all the negative. This is good. Justice for the teams and owners - make sure the season gets played.

I hope I've inferred correctly - Joe is looking to retire. I hope that is true. He's not a good CEO. I would commend him for stepping down, should he choose to do so. After all the backlash, it would be difficult for any man to accept defeat after all of these postings.

[tbayz1]

Joe needs to go away, thats the only way this league can at least turn it around, we can all go on and on and on about Joe, but to summarize it all up, he is probably the worst CEO in all of sports and he needs to step down, retire, or what ever it takes to get him out of power

Joe as CEO is a no no

That is the biggest solution to the ABA's problem, by getting a new CEO, front office a board etc... That can resolve these problems

[Fells]

Weeeew....a breath of fresh air. I was just thinking I might have to take a break from all the negative. This is good. Justice for the teams and owners - make sure the season gets played.

I hope I've inferred correctly - Joe is looking to retire. I hope that is true. He's not a good CEO. I would commend him for stepping down, should he choose to do so. After all the backlash, it would be difficult for any man to accept defeat after all of these postings.

Joe won't retire, he will have to be either forced out somehow or the league will have to fold. Joe is too stubborn, which mind you, his stubbornness has kept this league going, to resign.

[Pounder]

Thought came to mind, only relevant because this was posted on the ABA board:

Did Uncle Joe run a team PRIOR to ABA2K?

[TheStandard]

when you can find suckers like many or hell all of these owners that want to lose money look so embarassed when a team shows up wearing jerseys with masking tape or with some 80 year old. if you have 10 and are willing to suffer through folding teams cancellations teams refusing to travel. joe lying about everything including himself i guess this is for you

[DazedAndAmused]

anybody know who the ring leaders are?

[bomp]

anybody know who the ring leaders are?

Why do you want to know?

[DazedAndAmused]

...and if i disclose more, my CIA cover will be compromised! (jk) if there is an undercurrent of teams preparing to go their own way before the start of the season, i know there will be interest in knowing where these teams may be concentrated by other teams contemplating their futures. they obviously leaked their plan for some reason.

[The Magician]

Have you seen that ABA Stock Price lately?

[nksports]

It closed at $.045 (four and a half cents).

[The Magician]

Are you still out there???

Some of these ABA teams might need some help getting through the fire ...

[sportsnut2000]

Yeh what ever happened to this DBA League