ABA In Saskatoon?

[Shootmaster_44]

Does anyone think that with the explosion of ABA teams that Saskatoon could end up with one? I know the Hawks had a terrible time with fans and the like, but I think Saskatoon is a basketball city. With the right amount of promotion, it could be successful. If the Storm and Slam used to draw anywhere from 2,500-5,000 for a regular season game, then I'm sure there is enough basketball fans out there to support an ABA team. I mean for the NBL finals in 1993, I believe the game I was at had 11,000 fans. If the team promotes itself well, people will come.

The only draw back could be that the ABA is expanding too fast. I think it will collapse under its own weight. Can you imagine the travel costs of a team going from Calgary to Juarez? Its ridiculous, if the ABA wants to make this work, they should divide the teams into regions. The teams would play most of their games in their region and travel say to each other team once. This way the Calgary Drillers will not have to go to Juarez several times a season. I'm sure this league is a bus league and taking a bus from Calgary to Juarez, Mexico would be insane. That would be at least a day and half of straight driving. That would be nuts.

[CRUSADERSFAN]

Well i really doubt Calgary would play Juarez a lot. :D However, I belive part of the reason for expansion was to set up regional reivalry. So, say, Philadelphia would have Maryland, New jersey, Harlem and Boston close to it, and Pittsburgh fairly close to it, but in the North Central Division. I think you're right, the teams could play a far away team once or twice. If there were only 7 teams again this year, can you imagine a small budget team like Philly having to fly out to Long beach all the time? That's part of the reason that the league is expanding.

[meyes]

The ABA is already divided into six divisions with from five to seven teams per division. Most games will be played within the divisions with some others with teams in a nearby division. There will still be some fairly long road trips, Calgary to Vancouver to name one, but some teams are so close they could almost play the first half in one teams' home and the second half in the others' without having to lengthen the half time break.
This is going to work almost like six leagues playing with common rules, under a common name.

[Pounder]

It ain't gonna work, regardless...

...but I'm surprised Saskatoon hasn't been named yet. I'm similarly surprised about Winnipeg, Regina, Flin Flon, and Iqaluit. :D

[Micro67]

This is going to work almost like six leagues playing with common rules, under a common name.

Exactly, it would be good if the league could link up with other leagues and just guarantee a playoff slot to the the winner in that league.

[meyes]

It would be difficult for an ABA team to play a team from another league in a post-season tournament setting because of rules differences. It could be done, but ABA rules are different enough that a team from another league, playing under ABA rules, would be placed at a disadvantage. An ABA team, playing by another leagues rules, would be at a disadvantage, though probably not as much as in the first scenario. Trying to play under some, but not all, of the ABA rules would create too much confusion for everyone.

[CRUSADERSFAN]

Some sort of "World Series" of minor league hoops would be exciting though, I doubt many players would get confused by the rules. Something should be worked out here.

[meyes]

I am more concerned about the guys with the whistles being confused by using rules with which they are unfamiliar or inexperienced.

[meyes]

I am more concerned about the guys with the whistles being confused by using rules with which they are unfamiliar or inexperienced.