PBL adds franchise in Lima, Ohio

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ThreePop
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PBL adds franchise in Lima, Ohio

Post by ThreePop » Sat Sep 21, 2013 4:31 pm

CHICAGO—The first of several anticipated expansion teams has officially been added to the Premier Basketball League in advance of the 2014 season.
The Lima Express, based in Lima, Ohio, officially signed Friday to become the league’s sixth team. The league is expected to play the 2014 season with a total of twelve teams.
“I count the opportunity to own a team in the Premier Basketball League a great blessing, and I am excited beyond what words can say,” said Express owner Lewis Shine. “It’s the best-run minor basketball league in America, and I look forward to building the Lima Express into a team that will benefit the City of Lima and everyone involved, and a team that Lima can call its own," Shine said.
“We welcome Mr. Shine and the Lima Express into the PBL,” said Ed Schumer, commissioner of the PBL. “They’ve got a great organization, and we look forward to helping them be a successful, solid member of this league for many years to come,” Schumer added.
The Express plan to name a head coach and general manager in the upcoming months. The team colors are red, white and navy blue, and the logo features the front end of a steaming old-fashioned locomotive.
The team’s website is under construction, but will soon be available at http://www.thelimaexpress.com. Their Facebook page is The Lima Express, and on Twitter and Instagram, they can be found at @TheLimaExpress.
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The mission of the Premier Basketball League is to provide its member teams with the tools necessary to succeed both on and off the court, its players with opportunities and connections to further their playing careers, and most of all, its fans with an affordable, positive entertainment experience. In essence, the PBL strives to live up to its name as the top minor basketball league in the nation.

LightningMan
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Post by LightningMan » Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:03 pm

A nice, hardworking town. It has a chance to succeed there. Thing is, the ABA has been through there once or twice, so I'm not optimistic.

ThreePop
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Post by ThreePop » Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:24 pm

The new owner is a young, very sharp guy, and he's receptive to getting some input from other teams about what's worked elsewhere in the PBL. He's really eager to do things the right way and be around for the long haul, so we're optimistic. Hopefully we'll have one or two more announcements late this week/early next week, too!

turbocamyes
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Post by turbocamyes » Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:41 pm

The article doesn't mention it but Lewis Shine was the GM/Head Coach of the Explosion last year.

http://www.limaohio.com/sports/local/ar ... 0f31a.html

They were 14-7 by my count:

[html]Date Visitor V Sc Home H Sc
10/27/12 Pontiac Firebirds 101 Lima Explosion 95
11/03/12 Cleveland Am Pro’ers 105 Lima Explosion 99
11/04/12 Cleveland Am Pro’ers 102 Lima Explosion 105
11/10/12 Lima Explosion 125 Peoria Pride 101
11/11/12 Pontiac Firebirds 93 Lima Explosion 98
11/18/12 Oakland County Cowboys 128 Lima Explosion 138
11/24/12 Detroit Hoops 126 Lima Explosion 133
12/01/12 Lima Explosion 140 Michiana Monarchs 147
12/02/12 Michiana Monarchs 113 Lima Explosion 122
12/08/12 Lima Explosion 120 Pontiac Firebirds 133
12/09/12 Pontiac Firebirds 120 Lima Explosion 123
12/16/12 Oakland County Cowboys 106 Lima Explosion 135
12/22/12 Lima Explosion 140 Indiana State Warriors 214
01/12/13 Lima Explosion 90 Detroit Hoops 143
01/13/13 Cleveland Am Pro’ers 110 Lima Explosion 134
01/20/13 Cleveland Am Pro’ers 130 Lima Explosion 153
02/10/13 Oakland County Cowboys 128 Lima Explosion 149
02/23/13 Lima Explosion 126 Pontiac Firebirds 145
02/24/13 Cleveland Am Pro’ers 124 Lima Explosion 123
03/02/13 Oakland County Cowboys 112 Lima Explosion 135
03/03/13 Oakland County Cowboys 87 Lima Explosion 157
03/09/13 Michiana Monarchs 124 Lima Explosion 154
03/10/13 Chicago Steam 128 Lima Explosion 111[/html]

They lost to Chicago in the playoffs. They also were beat 214-140 by the Indiana St Warriors.

nksports
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Post by nksports » Mon Sep 23, 2013 8:42 pm

The Ohio Mixers of the CBA played there for a couple of years in the 1980s.

tops804
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Post by tops804 » Tue Sep 24, 2013 12:53 am

Decent city to set up shop in. I've often felt Ohio was underserved when it came to minor league winter basketball. Aside from Dayton's Air Strikers & Canton's Charge, we haven't seen much of it lately. (I don't count the ABA Rockers, or much else ABA wise).

CBA Columbus Horizon existed, long ago. Canton was once looked at by the CBA, but that never materialized in the early 1990's.

Ohio teams would make a good bridge between the PBL teams in the Western portion of the Midwest & New England/Eastern states.

Not to mention, I'd take the expense of a trip to Lima before wasting my money on NBA tickets & downtown parking for the Cavaliers.
Last edited by tops804 on Tue Sep 24, 2013 12:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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LightningMan
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Post by LightningMan » Tue Sep 24, 2013 2:10 pm

[quote=""tops804""]Not to mention, I'd take the expense of a trip to Lima before wasting my money on NBA tickets & downtown parking for the Cavaliers.[/quote]
I park in the rapid transit lots on the edge of town/just outside it for free and take the train in. I only park in town when I have guests who can't make the walk.

turbocamyes
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Post by turbocamyes » Tue Sep 24, 2013 2:44 pm

[quote=""LightningMan""]I park in the rapid transit lots on the edge of town/just outside it for free and take the train in. I only park in town when I have guests who can't make the walk.[/quote]

As a lifelong Cavs/Browns/Indians fan who has lived most of his life in exile, I can say that I love walking around downtown Cleveland. I was there the first week of August and initiated my two young kids in the losing ways of Cleveland sports. We watched the Indians lose to the Tigers. In fact, since 1991 I am 0-18 at Indians games in Cleveland, including the last three games at the old Municipal Stadium. Haven't been to a Browns or Cavs game, don't want to jinx their winning ways.

nksports
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Post by nksports » Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:45 pm

[quote=""tops804""]Decent city to set up shop in. I've often felt Ohio was underserved when it came to minor league winter basketball. Aside from Dayton's Air Strikers & Canton's Charge, we haven't seen much of it lately. (I don't count the ABA Rockers, or much else ABA wise).

CBA Columbus Horizon existed, long ago. Canton was once looked at by the CBA, but that never materialized in the early 1990's.

Ohio teams would make a good bridge between the PBL teams in the Western portion of the Midwest & New England/Eastern states.

Not to mention, I'd take the expense of a trip to Lima before wasting my money on NBA tickets & downtown parking for the Cavaliers.[/quote]

There was an Ohio-based minor league, The World Basketball League, that ran from 1988 to 1992, when its founder was caught embezzling money from another business to keep the league going. It had two Ohio teams — Youngstown (where the league was headquartered) and Dayton.

tops804
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Post by tops804 » Wed Sep 25, 2013 3:05 am

[quote=""nksports""]There was an Ohio-based minor league, The World Basketball League, that ran from 1988 to 1992, when its founder was caught embezzling money from another business to keep the league going. It had two Ohio teams — Youngstown (where the league was headquartered) and Dayton.[/quote]

Mickey Monus = just slightly ahead of his time in retrospect to how some of these leagues were kept afloat with what was seemingly "pixie dust" at the time. It was also a twist of irony that the Pride, were bringing the Northeastern area of Ohio it's only champion in what seemed like forever. I remember well being somewhat glued to the TV set when Youngstown beat Calgary in the finals when they weren't expected to in 1989.

IBL saw it's share of Ohio teams too. I only listed the winter leagues/teams. As there's a marked difference between attending minor league basketball in the summer in Ohio (warm, sunny, late nights) versus the winter (snow, wind, cold, dark early, yuck).
Adios, OSC message boards. (2007-2017)

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