ABA CEO Spin History ...

[The Magician]

http://dreamteamsportsjournal.blogspot.com/2006/07/qa-with-joe-newman-ceo-of-aba.html

Dream Team Sports Journal
Monday, July 10, 2006
Q&A With Joe Newman, CEO of The ABA

DTSJ: As a CEO and Commissioner of the ABA, would you want to be listed as an arbitrator for contract/payment disputes between coaches/players and management?

Joe Newman: We have had relatively few disputes between coaches/players and team management/ownership. Teams seem to be able to take care of their own business quite well. When something extraordinary comes up, either Dick or I get involved and try to resolve the issue. We're pleased that it doesn't happen often. For the ABA model to succeed, it is a team effort - on and off the court.

Oh really :confused:

DTSJ: Can I get a final thought or comment from you to all my readers?

Joe Newman: The ABA isn't perfect. When you grow from 7 teams to 60 (and we've already taken 10 new market reservations for 2007), you are bound to have problems. But what we've done is put together a league that will play over 1200 games this season, employ over 700 players, over 120 coaches, over 600 staff and management personnel, over 300 referees - a league that will rent nearly 10,000 hotel rooms, 1200 venues - and provide exciting, fast-paced professional basketball at affordable prices to hundreds of thousands of fans.

Now, that's some real inaccurate data ...

[The Magician]

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=3796

ABA: Exclusive: With Co-Founder and Chairman Joe Newman
Jarrod Rogol
November 21, 2005

... the ABA is making quite an impact and quite a statement in the world of professional sports ...

And by chance, what kind of impact and statement has been made?

[The Magician]

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=2708734
An interview with Joe Newman
by Clint Corey
01/14/02

CC: What are some marketing tactics this year's league will use to get people in the stands?

JN: As far as marketing "tactics," which is not a term we use, teams are concentrating their efforts internally by getting into schools, churches, youth leagues, local service clubs, local government etc., rather than with large advertising dollars. We are trying to establish ourselves within the communities, and it is beginning to work. We have replaced the big bucks with elbow grease and hard work - the American way. We're not buying our way into the hearts of the community. And we are doing things at the games that will establish long term loyalty ...

Interesting ... When is the last time the ABA CEO did a good day's work for the league?

[robster2001]

And by chance, what kind of impact and statement has been made?

The impact would be a sick *splat*, and the statement would be "duh?".

:D

[The Magician]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A29649-2004Dec2?language=printer

For ABA, It's Dribble and Drive
Fledgling League Serious About Expansion Plan Despite Struggles
By Dan Steinberg
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 3, 2004; Page D01

At the close of the Maryland NightHawks' training camp last month, Andrew G. Haines, the founder and co-owner of the area's newest professional sports franchise, gathered his team on a set of bleachers and began a lighthearted game of American Basketball Association trivia.

The prize? Vouchers for an all-you-can-eat pizza-and-pasta lunch worth $5.75, no small thing for players whose training camp salary consisted of a $20 per diem. Players earned coupons for identifying the city Haines lives in, his daughter's first name and the team's opening-night opponent.

When the group was asked a more pressing question about the league -- "How many teams are in the ABA?" -- even Haines didn't know the answer. The players' guesses ranged from 32 to 48, with starting forward Jason "The Birdman" Williams perhaps closest to the truth.

"No one knows," Williams said. "They could be folding as we speak."

The next day -- the ABA's opening day -- the league announced that its Calgary franchise would be replaced on the schedule by the Visalia (Calif.) Dawgs. A few days later, league chairman Joe Newman said the Calgary franchise had returned.

Four years ago, Newman and his partner Dick Tinkham-- who helped found the original ABA in 1967 --brought back a league made famous by tri-colored balls and the flashy dunks of Dr. J. After ending last season with seven teams, the new ABA embarked on an offseason of prodigious expansion, in which a $10,000 "market reservation fee" and a promise to follow league guidelines were the primary starting requirements.

The result is a 35-team league of huge ambition but chaotic reality, in which even the number and location of teams fluctuates virtually weekly and the financial stability of teams is a source of worry for some players, many of whom played overseas or are veterans of myriad other minor leagues. Newman describes ABA owners -- about 70 percent of whom are women or minorities, he says -- as hard-working entrepreneurs. But a few have already had trouble securing venues, and records show some, including Haines, have had past financial troubles.

When asked about the pace of expansion, the 67-year-old Newman replied: "Why not? Why so many newspapers -- because there's markets for newspapers. Why so many Wal-Marts, why so many McDonald's, why so many Lowe's and Home Depots? . . . Where there's a market for a product or service, it will be successful."

Some observers are slightly less bullish than Newman.

"You can't keep track of every franchise when you expand that rapidly," said Bill Chambers, the general manager of The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, where the NightHawks play their home games. That venue has already seen two minor league basketball teams come and go, with some games attracting barely 100 spectators.

"Minor league sports are just littered with people who love the sport and just lost pots of money," said Miles Wolff, who founded baseball's independent Northern League and has owned a dozen minor league baseball and hockey teams. "If these folks don't have any experience running a professional sports team at the minor league level, their odds aren't good."

Although Chambers said the NightHawks have done a better job of marketing than their local predecessors and he hopes the team succeeds, he is realistic about the ABA's chances.

"It's going to be interesting to see how many teams are left three months into the season," he said.

Newman said he believed every team would make it through the year, "because I'm the eternal optimist, and because I see glasses as half-full instead of half-empty, and because I've got fingers crossed on both hands, and I've got my legs crossed." :eek:

Learning on the Fly

Haines, the 26-year-old Maryland NightHawks founder, has owned several professional and semi-pro football teams in addition to a variety of small businesses. He said he has made most of his money from starting and then selling a chain of window treatment businesses in his native Pennsylvania. Haines, who lives in Lancaster, Pa., was originally awarded his ABA expansion franchise in Hershey, Pa., but moved the team to Maryland in June when he had trouble finding an arena in Pennsylvania that could accommodate the team.

Pennsylvania court records show that five civil judgments totaling more than $50,000 have been entered against Haines, his wife and their former businesses in Montgomery and Berks counties in Pennsylvania.

"I don't expect to ever see this money," said Earl Seeger, vice president of finance at Elmar Window Fashions, a window coverings supplier that has a judgment for more than $34,000 against Haines and his wife in Montgomery County. "I just can't imagine this guy would be running a basketball organization -- he couldn't run a little window treatment company."

Haines said the debts stem from his being "young and naive" and without legal counsel when he went into business at the age of 19. He said the dollar amounts on several of the judgments are inflated, and that several were the result of contractors taking advantage of his naiveté. He said he is being advised on the judgments by a family friend and plans to work out settlements with his creditors as soon as possible so he'll be able to buy a house in Pennsylvania.

"I've learned a lot from these mistakes," Haines said. "I think I'm a little bit smarter with my business dealings so I don't put myself in a bad situation."

The Pottstown Police Department has an arrest warrant for Haines issued in 2001 for writing $717 worth of bad checks to a community television station; Haines said he thought the matter had been taken care of, but he would look into it. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue also filed a tax lien for more than $2,000 against one of Haines's former companies in July, public records show. Haines said he hadn't known about the lien, but would also look into that situation.

Haines recently took on a local partner for the NightHawks: Montgomery County medical malpractice/personal injury lawyer and sports agent Tom Doyle. Haines and Doyle expect to have a budget of between $600,000 and $700,000 for the NightHawks, about half of which will be spent on marketing and arena rent.

They have already broadcast about $150,000 worth of television and radio advertising (some of which was given in trade), have purchased a $3,400 mascot costume and are sending out staff members daily to pass out fliers and brochures. They initially hoped to average about 1,500 fans for their 18 scheduled home dates in the 5,000-seat arena.

The NightHawks have a glossy pocket schedule, offices in Glen Burnie and several local sponsors. They have changed general managers and lost an assistant coach and assistant general manager since arriving in Maryland.

Such flux has surrounded several ABA teams. In August, the Gwinnett (Ga.) Gwizzlies -- so named because of a typo -- saw their head and assistant coach resign and be hired by a different ABA franchise; the league announced the moves on the same day. Later, a new Gwinnett head coach was hired and then resigned, the league office awarded the team to a different ownership group, the franchise changed its name to the Atlanta Mustangs and the second coach returned, according to a team spokeswoman.

Teams were awarded to a 29-year-old independent pop singer in Nashville; a group headed by a minister in Ontario, Calif.; a California distributor of the Western Outlaw Cowboy Hard Hat and devices that make it easier for women to urinate while standing up; and a community activist in Georgia who has run and lost races for five political offices. An all-Native American expansion franchise was launched and then scrapped; and a Vancouver franchise, which said it would use primarily Chinese players, named Jim Harrick head coach, although Harrick quickly told reporters that announcement was incorrect.

Prospective Little Rock owner Dwan Andre Brown was convicted on six counts of wire fraud in February, according to news reports. He was removed from ABA consideration when league officials learned of the legal troubles, Newman said. Mary Liss, the founder of the Portland Reign, has filed for bankruptcy twice in the last two and a half years, records show. A Pittsburgh franchise folded before it played a game, leaving employees who told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette they were owed money; that franchise was immediately replaced by a different western Pennsylvania franchise.

Newman declined to discuss the league's background check procedure for prospective owners. Speaking generally, he said: "I judge it on the telephone. If they sound like the kind of character I'd like to have in the league, we bring them in. And if they prove not to be, we get rid of them just as quick." He said he has taken franchises away from "half a dozen owners who haven't done what they're supposed to do."

Newman said yesterday that the ABA has 35 teams, including one in Baton Rouge, La., that replaced an Oklahoma City franchise this week. The Colorado franchise isn't listed in the standings posted on the league's official Web site, and the Calgary team is not yet listed on the schedule, but Newman said yesterday that both teams were still in the league.

[The Magician]

Some of the expansion teams have thrived at the box office; the Arkansas RimRockers, whose roster includes five former University of Arkansas players including Scotty Thurman and Todd Day, have averaged more than 4,400 fans in three games, a spokeswoman said.

Newman said he already has 40 franchise "reservations" for next year, including one in the District headed by an ownership group he declined to identify, one in Baltimore and one in Norfolk. More than 1,000 people have filled out the Web-based form requesting ownership information, he said.

Local owners Haines and Doyle aren't convinced about the league's expansion plans -- "more isn't necessarily better," Doyle said -- and they've recently grown frustrated with some of their fellow owners, who don't seem to be taking the league as seriously as they are.

"I didn't think there'd be people like that," Haines said. "I thought everyone would be doing things like us."

Hungry Players

NightHawks teammates Jamal Shivers and Curtis Yarbrough, former schoolmates at Friendly High, have ambitious feeding plans for their complimentary all-you-can-eat lunch at Cici's Pizza several days before their season begins.

"As many [slices] as I can get down," Shivers says.

"Until I start feeling woozy," Yarbrough says.

Minutes later, Yarbrough interrupts his feast, walks in the rain to his car and retrieves several NightHawks brochures and ticket discounts for a curious family in the adjoining booth.

The team's players, most of whom are veterans of several minor league operations, are acutely aware that their paychecks are dependent upon fan support, a fact driven home by the commissions Haines has offered them for selling season ticket plans. In the locker room before the season opener, several players used their cell phones to call friends, giving directions and needling them to come to the arena.

They understand that "the ABA is probably the least stable of all the professional leagues," as one player said, and they maintain both high hopes and a wry sense of humor about their prospects.

"If we don't have the attendance that we need, [if] we don't have the support from the community that we need, nobody's gonna stay here and lose money," Jason Williams said. "It's a sad reality, there's nothing fake about it. You could have a three-to-four game winning streak, be in first or second place in your conference. And still, if your team's not grossing what it should in terms of attendance, you could fold that day."

That risk wasn't enough to dissuade the NightHawks from joining what for many is a home-town team. Other ABA franchises have earned headlines for attracting big names: former NBA players Cedric Ceballos, Dennis Rodman, Olden Polynice, Felipe Lopez, and Trajan Langdon have signed with ABA teams, according to the league, and Tree Rollins, Ike Austin and Nate Archibald accepted leadership roles with ABA franchises.

The NightHawks, who are coached by former Harlem Globetrotter James "Twiggy" Sanders, have a different sort of drawing power. Of the 10 players on their opening night roster, seven played either high school or college basketball in this area, and the team recently recruited former Maryland standout Johnny Rhodes.

The players said they joined the NightHawks to play in front of family members, to get a shot at an overseas contract, to "dump that 9-to-5 as long as I can," as Yarbrough put it. Their current team, like every ABA franchise, faces a salary cap of $120,000. Haines said most players receive between $200 and $500 a week.

"If you're not humble," noted Shivers, "playing in the minor leagues will humble you."

Sparse Crowds

Six hours before the NightHawks' season began, General Manager Rick Matsko still didn't know what to call his opponents.

The New Jersey Jaguars, it seemed, were no longer the Jaguars, although Matsko, a 27-year-old former minor league pitcher in the Cleveland Indians organization, wasn't sure exactly why or when they had changed their name. The pre-printed tickets said the NightHawks would face the New Jersey Shorecats, but Haines said that wasn't right, either.

The scoreboard at the arena was changed from "Jaguars" to "Jersey," and soon after New Jersey's coach and owner, Ron Eford, arrived, he told Matsko, "We're the SkyCats." New Jersey's players said they hadn't known what they would be called until they got to the arena.

The NightHawks distributed more than 1,000 tickets for opening night, many free or discounted, but 10 minutes before game time less than 100 people were in the stands. The final attendance figure was 505, including Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson.

But finding a paying customer in the crowd without an affiliation with the team was no easy task. One group of eight came from Chick-fil-A, a team sponsor. A dozen fans were members of guard Antar Parkman's family. A group of 20 was there to support center Kevin Robinson. Anton Jenifer, a point guard from Baltimore who played at Bowie State and is no longer with the NightHawks, said he had 42 friends and family members at the opening game.

Unaffiliated fans offered mixed opinions; many said they enjoyed the game and planned to come back, a few complained about ticket prices -- $7 gets you in the door and floor seats go for $50.

"This is not the same ABA they had a long time ago, this is nowhere near -- this looks like just adult league basketball," said Kevin Pierce, 46, of Greenbelt, who bought tickets to opening night for himself and his son and said he would return for another game. "This is the first night, you can't expect miracles."

The NightHawks rallied for a 106-95 season-opening win. After the game, children -- including that night's official cheerleading squad, which hailed from Kettering Middle School -- mobbed the players, who stayed on the court for more than a half hour signing autographs, visiting with friends and celebrating before a postgame meal of pizza.

Another home game against New Jersey the following night drew 214 fans; the NightHawks are scheduled to play 20 of their 36 games against just three of the league's teams. The NightHawks played their third home game on Wednesday, and drew 203.

Players' contracts are not guaranteed, so next week could bring an entirely new Maryland roster.

"That's the business," Williams said. "Welcome to the minor leagues."

*** The ABA hasn't changed much under the ABA CEO, now has it ... ***

[robster2001]

Oh, that's rich. The same Andrew Haines who got run out of the indoor football league he founded (AIFL -> AIFA)... the same Andrew Haines who may or may not be paying players in the new MAHL... *he* was an ABA owner? Damn, these crooks find their own level, don't they...

[The Magician]

http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4595357-1.html

ABA Leases Venues, Lines Up Team Owners
By John Morell
Publication: Amusement Business
Date: Monday, October 16 2000

The old red, white and blue ball will be bouncing again in arenas around the U.S. this winter, as the new American Basketball Assn. 2000 starts its first 60-game season Dec. 26.

"We're looking forward to an exciting year of basketball," said Joe Newman, co-founder of the league. "This game continues to be hot and we're addressing a real need for basketball entertainment."

The new league picks up where the old ABA, which dissolved in 1976, left off. It was formed by Newman, owner of Alliance Broadcasting Group, and Dick Tinkham, one of the founders of the original American Basketball Assn. in 1967. "We intend to bring a great, entertaining package to the fans," said Newman. "That was what drove the original ABA and that's what we'll be doing."

The eight teams are located in major markets: Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kansas City, Mo.; Memphis; Norfolk, Va.; and Tampa Bay, and new franchises are expected to be announced this month.

"In many of these cities, we're playing in arenas that used to have NBA teams, such as the Forum in Los Angeles and Cobo Arena in Detroit," said Newman. "Fans around those arenas want the opportunity to see great basketball in their neighborhoods again."

ABA 2000 officials believe the talent is available to create a second quality league. They're targeting athletes cut from NBA squads who normally go overseas to play in European professional leagues. Newman said he believes many of these players would prefer to play in the U.S. if given a choice.

"We haven't had pro basketball here since the NBA's Kings left for Sacramento," said Bill Langley, deputy director of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City. "The feeling around town is that this is going to be big."

The inaugural schedule is expected to be available before the end of the month, and arena managers are waiting anxiously for it. "We're not expecting any conflicts, since we have mainly one-night shows," said Jeff Foreman, director of operations for the St. Pete Times Bayfront Arena in St. Petersburg, Fla., which will be home for the Tampa Bay Thunder Dawgs.

CUTTING COSTS

Unlike the NBA, the ABA 2000 schedule will feature teams playing two games against each other over consecutive nights to reduce travel costs.

Newman said he and Tinkham worked to attract minority ownership of the franchises, and sold franchise rights for just $1. The price was good enough for an ownership group headed by Gary Elbogen, which bought three franchises.

"We want our franchisees to put their money into their teams. If they do that and they do well, we'll all do well," said Newman. "We told them that they're free to sell TV and radio rights and corporate sponsorships."

A national TV deal is still being hammered out, according to Newman. Wilson Sporting Goods has the license to sell the ABA 2000's multi-colored ball, and negotiations are under way with two other sporting goods companies for merchandising rights for clothing.

Estimates for team revenue are guarded, but sources indicate the teams are expecting approximately 60% of their revenue to come from the gate, with the remaining 40% from TV, radio, licensing and corporate sponsorship deals. Expenses are estimated to amount to 20% for arena rentals and travel expenses, 45% for player salaries and the remaining 35% for overhead expenses.

Besides the distinctive ball, the ABA 2000 will feature rules to create high-scoring games. Players, for instance, can't "foul out" as in conventional basketball. "One of the biggest problems with college or NBA basketball is that the fans come to see a particular star play, then he gets into foul trouble early in the game and sits on the bench," said Newman. "In our league, he'll still be in the game."

Another issue ABA 2000 addresses is ticket price. "Keeping tickets reasonably priced is one of our goals," said Newman. "Tickets will range in price from $18 to $24, which will put a night of basketball entertainment within reach of the average family." The league estimates first year attendance will average 5,000 per game.

The league will also be featuring a "Special Ticket Program" to make seats more accessible. Teams will set aside a small percentage of their seats that are located throughout the arena, including court side and premium seats, for seniors, teenagers, families with children, military personnel and the disabled. These tickets will sell for $6 to $8 each and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis at box offices.

The arenas that will be playing host to the new ABA 2000 teams are looking forward to their hopefully long-term tenants. Teams will basically be paying a rental fee for each game, with some teams sharing in concession revenue if sales reach a particular level. "It's safe to say that we're cautiously optimistic," said Foreman. "If they're successful their first season, they may want to renegotiate and we'll certainly take another look at the contract."

Just Think, You could get a Market Reservation for just a BUCK$ ... WOW!

[The Magician]

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7195599.html

Austin, ABA play blame game as Snowbears quit playoffs
From: Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Date: March 15, 2005

It's over for the Snowbears -- and, boy, is the end ugly.

The Utah Snowbears' playoff run -- and likely the franchise itself -- came to an abrupt and angry end Sunday night.

Owned by former NBA player Ike Austin, the Snowbears issued a statement Sunday night, formally withdrawing from the ABA playoffs.

"I have no choice but to cancel the rest of our 2004-05 Snowbears season. This is a sad, regrettable day that all of us wish could have been avoided." Austin said. "I have decided that having the team play the remaining games under current ABA situations and circumstances would not be in the players' best interest or my own."

Both sides are pointing to each other as the cause of Utah's sudden departure from the ABA.

ABA co-founder and chairman Joe Newman calls Utah's move "irrational and borders on complete nonsense."

Money and the league's inability to conform to its own standards and rules was cited by the Snowbears. "We were the only team that actually followed league command," said Derrick Pearson, Utah's media relations director. "We played when they told us to, and we did everything they asked."

Newman doesn't see it quite the same way.

"Ike Austin has been totally uncooperative and inflexible in a number of ways and has been guided only by self-interest," Newman said in his release.

Strong words from both sides were plentiful Monday in a number of releases from both sides.

"I don't want to butt heads in this thing. If you look at our motives, we were 27-1 and vying for the ABA title, just ask yourselves 'Why?' " Pearson said Monday afternoon.

This is where both sides agree.

The championship tournament, much like the NCAA tournament, was heading into its "Final Four." The Snowbears, the highest remaining seed in the tourney, was scheduled to host the semifinals and finals, according to the league format.

Maryland and Bellevue, who hadn't played its quarterfinal yet, agreed to fly to Salt Lake and wrap up its quarterfinal and begin the final games "a day late" according to Newman.

This is where they disagree.

Utah claims that the league asked the Snowbears at the last minute to foot the bill -- including airfare and hotel -- for Maryland and Bellevue.

Newman refutes the claim, citing Maryland and Bellevue's deep financial backing as proof that Utah would not have been burdened.

"That is absolutely, unequivocally total nonsense," Newman said.

Austin also claims that the league itself is indebted to him for officiating he paid for when visiting Los Angeles.

Newman acknowledges the debt but claims that Austin was absent for a advertisement that reportedly cost the ABA nearly all of the sum that Austin is demanding.

"My figure shows that we owe Ike something like $90. To disrupt the ABA playoffs for that kind of money is absolutely dumb," Newman said. "No one has asked anything from Ike. I am repulsed by the lack of cooperation we have received."

The Snowbears claim that the uncertainty surrounding the ABA and its teams frustrated the team to its very end.

"Whether or not teams will show up, what's going on, all these things happen in the ABA. When putting together a schedule, it would be nice to know at least a day in advance," Pearson said.

Newman offered his own explanation of events, saying that Utah's sudden departure may show that the team "might be hiding something." Newman claims the ABA has lived up to their promises, Ike has not.

"I think Ike showed no regard for his sponsors and most of all for his fans. His was nothing more than a cheap shot -- and he should be ashamed of himself," Newman said in his release. "The decision was similar to his decision not to participate in the ABA All-Star game. No good reason."

Newman goes on to say that Utah was deficient in promoting their franchise and the ABA.

"The fact that he drew only 100 to 200 fans to his games with the outstanding team he had and the affordable prices he offered is also shameful."

The Snowbears deny the claim that Newman made on its attendance record.

"Games against Los Angeles and Long Beach drew over 1,500 fans, but no league officials were there so they would have no way of knowing," Pearson countered.

Both sides are claiming that a return is likely, just on their own terms.

"Utah is a great place. Salt Lake City is a great city. We'd love to bring the ABA back, just not under the current owners," Newman said.

"The Snowbears will be back. We're just going to sit down and watch for a little while," Pearson replied at the end of his conference.

The ABA will continue its playoff with the winner of Bellevue vs. Maryland playing the winner of Arkansas vs. Mississippi playing for the title.

What has changed with the ABA CEO and the ABA? (Nothing)