Wanna Bet on the next ABA Champ?

[Fez]

I'll take Vermont, and you can have the rest of the league. Their organization is second to none; they won last year; and they've already assembled an experienced, talented team. Anyone think they won't repeat? If so, who will beat them?

[Strong Island Sound]

It is hard to project things such as this in a league that rosters change so much from year to year. If Vermont is bringing back the bulk of last year's squad, they would have to be right up there. With the Sound, we are also returning many of our veterans from '06 and have picked up some good new players, as well. How that transcends into Ws & Ls remains to be seen.

[barkley34]

Vermont repeat? Why not. Beating opponents who just got done washing cars, taking orders at drive throughs, mopping floors, working construction all day or making bail is not that tough. Fez, this is not a real league, sorry, and the "organization" of any one team at any one time is nothing more than 1-3 people.....so to call them an organization connotates they are a pro team and they are not. So as for Vermont? Sure. Vermont is known as a national powerhouse for pro basketball are they not?

[Fez]

Thanks for the thoughtful response SIS. Barkley: Yawn. "The ABA sucks" "Blah blah blah." You know I've seen those kind of posts on the board about a million times. My point is that despite the ABA's obvious problems (that you so helpfully pointed out), Vermont has a well-run professional organization and will do well because of it. Strong Island is moving in that direction as well. These things are good because it means that minor league basketball has some quality leadership --despite the fact that Joe Newman is completely untrustworthy.

[Strong Island Sound]

Vermont repeat? Why not. Beating opponents who just got done washing cars, taking orders at drive throughs, mopping floors, working construction all day or making bail is not that tough. Fez, this is not a real league, sorry, and the "organization" of any one team at any one time is nothing more than 1-3 people.....so to call them an organization connotates they are a pro team and they are not. So as for Vermont? Sure. Vermont is known as a national powerhouse for pro basketball are they not?

Bark - You do have a few fair arguments and that may be the case with some of the teams out there. I'm not quite sure what your livelihood is, but it's no secret that the players in these minor leagues have to supplement their income with 'day jobs.' And that is no exception with the front office personnel, for the most part. I have my main job and work for the team, too. I also have to disagree with your assessment that the day job is flippin' burgers and the like. I'll make the assumption that you were being a bit sarcastic.

You may feel that a small staff is not considered an 'organization,' but if the people are busting their tails getting something done on a part-time status, that should not be knocked. Having paid employees working with interns is commonplace for small businesses.

[rams80]

Vermont over Strong Island in the "unofficial title game" because Unca Joe booted both out of the league a week before.

[tbayz1]

As far as I know, VT has not resigned Creddle/Cook/Levett, and wasnt that like the core of the team? Thats 3 good players, and if they dont get any back, VT will really miss em

[TheStandard]

He who decides to buy the cracker jack box trophy is the champion

[heavesrock]

That was a few of our best players, but we have resigned Burk, Hyman, and Bryant, who were also the core of our team.

[a1sports]

Thats up for debate if Vermont is a true champ from last year. Arkansas and Rochester left the league and Texas took 16 hours to get to the championship game so...wait a minute its the ABA, and if you kiss Joes ass you win. COngrats ALex you puckered up and won !!

Who ever kisses Joes ass will win this year..check your pucker rankings. Right now its a tie between Vermont and Corning.

Joe always wanted a repeat winner...so save this post. you shall see.

[abie10]

I'll take The Field over Vermont...

Vermont is tough, but this stuff is way to unpredictable. To say 1 will win it all...

[Paul S]

Quebec............................

If they are hosting this post season circus' version of a championship they will be in the POWER WANKINGS by Joe at the end of the year. No question.

Seeing as they will also pay the referees's as Joe has instructed then the refs know what side of the bread is buttered. Considering the Canadian loonie is now worth more than our greenback, the refs will be DOUBLY sure to cash the Canuck-bucks.


Quebec Kweebecwa.

[tbayz1]

Quebec is not worthy of winning anything until they get new jerseys because their current ones are absolutely the most hideous things ever!

[heavesrock]

A1 the response your post is worthy of is stuff it. I'm sick of reading your pointless ravings against Alex Wolff and the State of Vermont.


The Semifinals will come down to Vermont, Corning, TExas, and another team. The finals are anyone's guess.

[bomp]

The Ironmen for sure.

Oh....wrong league! ;)

[a1sports]

Heaves if your sick ..take 2 tylenol. The rest of the sports world knows the ABA champs Vermont is one big JOKE as is the league.. Suck it up and face reality.

DID your boy ALEX sell the team yet, oh no, no one is suppose to know that it is for sale. LOL.

[tbayz1]

Texas might and prolly will make it again, because they play no one, they'll end up playing Larry and his Fakers and get all their wins against the most rinky dink teams

[ABARedWhiteBlue]

Teams are still holding tryout camps. No team, I believe, has settled on their final roster. Nobody knows 2/3 or more of the players that will play yet this season in the ABA (not a knock, but if there are no rosters set, and little to no media coverage of the teams not named Vermont, Halifax, SI, Texas, etc., then how can an educated guess be made?).

Once there are teams, and once the games begin, then you can make a more definitive pick as to who will come out on top.

Remember, we had one 'informed' source tell us how bad Vermont would be last season:

Vermonts team = weak

rochesters team = solid but not as good as last years

buffalos team = the front runners

Corning Bulldogs = next years champions

Like i said vermont is made up of crappy d-2 and d-3 players and a few guys who played d-1 but were role players at best
just because you played on a good team but were not good does not mean you are good now , ok ?

It takes a good GM to make things happen , Vermont signed thier roster way to fast , Buffalo laid back and waited and landed a late cutt 7'2 center from the supersonics and another late NBA cutt in Kueth Duany the former star from syracuse university , face it Buffalo's talent is farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr beyond that of Vermont , Vermont would be lucky to beat a high school team from Vermont .......oh wait they dont even use a shot clock yet in high school basketball in vermont , that should explain alot about the state of basketball in Vermont
:p

GO BULLDOGS!!!!!!!!!!

I do not care who the ownership is , when you have players as soft as Vermont's they are not going to stand up to the team Buffalo has put together , its just a fact. Like I said if you think Alex Wolf can take a below average roster full of d-2 and d-3 bums and win games against Buffalo and Rochester then maybe you should suit Alex Wolf up , like I said he suited up last year for Maryland in a stunt to get publicity for Vermont. Not only that but Vermont is playing on the smallest Courts in the history of Pro Basketball , why dont they just play in someones driveway , wouldnt the court be longer ?;)


Go Bulldogs!

Just as I said Vermont's roster is weak , Basketball USA ranked them at the bottom of the north east just as I do. As I also stated Rochester and Buffalo will be at the top , just as Basketball USA has stated.

Face it , a good sports writer from SI and a bad team , does not = wins


CORNING BULLDOGS!

You are actually making reference to cutt d-3 basketball players and being good ?
If thats your best argument for Vermont's team being good then good luck.
The facts dont lie , they have a bad team , good managment but a bad team.
The managment wont be the ones trying to hang with the Buffalo's and Rochester's on the court this season so stop with all the great managment talk the facts are they didnt do a good job putting together a team ( wait I think that might mean they dotn have good managment ) damn so what does Vermont have ? A guy who can write a sports article ? And they have a roster full of weak former d-2 and d-3 players.
But then again we are talking about Vermont , a state in which has not even put a shot clock in the high school basketball game yet , HAHAHAHAHa:idea:

If Vermont has such good managment then why are they not the best team in even there region of play ? Even you say they are the third best team , USABasketball sais they are at the bottom of the North East Region and I agree with that. The fact is this "great managment" but together a "bad team" so again I ask what makes them so great ???? Does Alex Wolf being able to write an article make him great managment , if so then why are they not anywhere near as talented as Rochester and Buffalo and other teams in the North East. The fact is Alex Wolf is a hell of a sports writer with good ideas but no actions.

So what Vermont has is a bad team put together by Alex Wolf.
The smallest courts to play basketball on in the history of pro basketball.
Alex Wolf couldnt even get a real gym ?
And they play in a state in which no one could give a rats ass about basketball.
Suit Taylor Coppenrath up and you might actually win a game, but not even the "great Alex Wolf" could land him on the roster. Apparently he was to eager to scout at the last place games between d-3 and d-2 colleges.
:cry:

[heavesrock]

Heaves if your sick ..take 2 tylenol. The rest of the sports world knows the ABA champs Vermont is one big JOKE as is the league.. Suck it up and face reality.

DID your boy ALEX sell the team yet, oh no, no one is suppose to know that it is for sale. LOL.


Stop making up lies. Alex is not selling the team. Email Alex if you want proof. That's what I did.

[a1sports]

oh yes he told you hes not selling....Why not call a relative of his in Rochester, New York and ask them...oh thats right you dont have connections to the truth.

[heavesrock]

Well then since I don't have the connections why don't you fill me in. What is he selling the club for? To whom?

[rams80]

Well then since I don't have the connections why don't you fill me in. What is he selling the club for? To whom?

You know he never delivers anything substantive, so why bother asking him. Whenever people start calling him on these things, he just runs.

[tops804]

....With the instability of this league?
Like asking an 8 year old what he plans on doing after he retires...

Trying to keep it positive:
(Let's see what the team rosters and attendances look like first.)

[jamesaba]

You know he never delivers anything substantive, so why bother asking him. Whenever people start calling him on these things, he just runs.

A1 also said the league was being shut down by 'such-and-such-a-date' about 5 times and none of it ever came true.

Alex already sold the team. He sold small investment shares to a multitude of owners when he started the team...one being Tom Brennan the former UVM coach. And he wrote in one of his SI.com columns last year about someday selling the team's stock to the community to create a perpetually ongoing concern that would thrive long after he was gone.