Clark, "ABA Accentuates the Positives, Eliminates the N

[minorleaguehoopz]

4. We've booked hundreds of hotel rooms and purchased hundreds of plane and bus tickets as well as booking 126 nights of venues that might be empty were it not for the ABA being there. We do impact local communities.
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The venues are empty with the ABA there.

[almostbasketball]

I'll be here all week. (http://www.earthstation1.com/SFXs/SFX_Wavs/rimshot.wav)

[JAKMAN]

Now ABA is trying to launch in Vegas w/ Master P and Kobe's dad. Furthermore, they don't have any set venue. This league is falling apart at the seams. It won't last another month at this rate.

And to think, they had ONE WHOLE YEAR to get this in order. That is absolutely unacceptable.

[not so fast]

I think Master P can finance the whole league if he wants, so I wouldn't be so sure the league is in that much trouble. I can only hope it works for the players that have worked and traveled to play many at their own dime.

The only team that is having serious problems right now is Jersey.

[almostbasketball]

...except for the fact that Vegas is supposed to play tomorrow, and I don't think they have any players. Or a coach. Or any of the little things you need to have to have a team.

I'd say they're in trouble. I'd say when Kansas City, which used to get 2,000 a game, is getting 300 and 500, that they're in trouble.

And it's not whether Master P could finance the whole league, it's will he?

[TEN]

Not a good sign when the league puts out a media release highlighting how badly the league is going and apologizing to people. The fact that this league was dormant for a year to prepare for this is comical.

But they have booked a lot of hotel rooms and arenas!

They are doing their part for the economic recovery!

[Rocky]

ABA. It's FANtastic.

[almostbasketball]

It's shades of Joe Newman. That's exactly the kind of stuff he used to say, about what a great thing it was that they were providing jobs and entertainment and using arenas and things.

Taking up space is what they're doing. And not particularly well.

By the way, Jersey is running the Joe Newman playbook to perfection (http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,866520,00.html).

[meyes]

The Rattlers web site now lists a 16 player roster, coach, assistant coach, trainer, and GM. Check out who is the GM. This league does keep doing some stupid things but they keep pulling off positive surprises, too. They don't quit, and that I do admire. Hopefully, soon, they will start to get it all right.

[BBall Fan]

It looks like the deck of cards that is the ABA is already starting to crumble. I am actually surprised that Jersey even played a game.

The only reason they are still in the league at this point is because of the schedule. If they were forced to play any other road games (i.e. a trip to the west coast of Mexico) they would have folded by now for failure to pay travel costs. The way this crazy schedule is set up, they don't hit the road until Dec. 30th.

We'll see how this plays out over the next couple of days but look for Wayne Butler to pull the plug again. At least this year he managed to play 1 home game, although it sounds like most of the 80 people that showed up came for the kids game at halftime!

Who's next, Fresno or Vegas?

:oops:

[not so fast]

The vegas team I think is okay from what I have heard, I hope so anyway, they have one of my hometown guys on the team. Master P wants to play and if he wants to play all season, then he will see that it happens.

the jersey team is in a disarray. Not to knock the owner, I only talked to him once on the phone, but it appears he does not have a clue as to how to run a team. Its too bad, because I still think these other teams seem to be financially stable enough to survive thier season.

In actuality, the league might be wise to drop them anyway due to their location on the east coast with all of their other teams being west.

[almostbasketball]

meyes, please tell me you don't think Ruby Richman is a good move. If that's the guy they're counting on to make Las Vegas legit, they've got no chance.

And I have a hard time believing that Mark Jackson is playing for this team, but I guess stranger things have happened. But that Mark Jackson from St.John's is 6-3, not 6-4, and I'm not 100% sure he's as tall as 6-3.

[meyes]

I wrote "Check out who is the GM." I didn't offer any opinion about whether that is good or bad. I know he was the GM of the Slam and the Chicago Skyliners. That is all I know about him.

Are you accepting info on an ABA roster as accurate? Many pro rosters list heights and weights that are questionalble.

[almostbasketball]

I just wasn't sure it was that Mark Jackson. Apparently it is. But he didn't make the trip last night. Las Vegas does have a team, but they lost last night in Juarez.

Oh, yeah, we had the score and the story (http://almostbasketball.tripod.com) before the ABA's website did.

And Ruby Richman couldn't organize a trip to the men's room.