ABA showcases its best in Little Rock
Published on February 14, 2005 under American Basketball Association (ABA)
Utah Snowbears News Release
For those of you that do not want to read anything positive about the ABA, stop reading. NOW! Thursday and Saturday nights at the Alltel Arena in Little Rock Arkansas was a showcase for all that is good in the ABA. The Utah Snowbears and the Arkansas Rimrockers faced off in two classic ball games, with each team winning one game and the respect of all that witnessed.
First and foremost, let me congratulate the staff, arena attendants, executives, players, coaches, sponsors and fans of the Arkansas RimRockers. First class from head to toe, the Arkansas group are the standard for "how to" for all of the ABA owners and such for the future. From a wonderful facility to a video screen for replays, up to date pre-game information, top notch dance team, wonderful hotel and fully considerable transportation in and around town, the Arkansas folks show that it can be done right. Southern hospitality and warmth made the time in town perfect, and should be said so publicly.
I have been around the league and in ABA cities, and it amazed me how easy the folks there made it seem. That only leads me to say that the effort and pride taken in doing the job properly is a full-time task, and I wouldn't want to lessen the efforts made by saying they made it look easy. I saw the work and preparation and left impressed.
The players from Arkansas are "professional" and passionate. But the word that came to mind was classy, and that held true even when they disagreed with calls or didn't get the outcome they played so hard for. The games were hotly contested and both were tied in the final two minutes, and the crowd was SPECTACULAR. Knowledgeable fans, positive even when heckling the Utah bench, made the games for fun to be a part of. Utah and Arkansas respected one another and it showed in how competitive the games were. And most importantly, when the games were over, they shook hands and were professionals. The ABA should be proud. ABA fans should be proud.
From pre and post game shows for the fans, an autograph session from the WWE's Shawn Michaels, great prize giveaways and wonderful pre-game and timeout performers, it was a weekend for basketball fans to enjoy. For the 13, 000 fans that saw the games, I am sure that they got their moneys worth. For those of you that didn't get to be a part of it, you missed out.
The two teams cant meet again until the playoffs, but if they do, it should be amazing to be a part of. Make time, you will not be sorry.
Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.
American Basketball Association Stories from February 14, 2005
- ABA showcases its best in Little Rock - Utah Snowbears
- President's Day Jam - Maywood Laguneros
- Pat Bradley joins RimRockers front office staff - Arkansas RimRockers
- Nashville's Youth Encouragement Services receives ABA balls - ABA
- Snowbears stay on top after weekend split - ABA
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
