ABA to Return to Kansas City Under New Ownership
Published on May 12, 2009 under American Basketball Association (ABA) News Release
Indianapolis, IN. The American Basketball Association (ABA) today announced that the league will return to Kansas City, Missouri next season under the ownership of Fame Sports & Entertainment. According to Joe Newman, ABA CEO, "We feel that Kansas City is a tremendous market for the ABA. The key is strong ownership, management, marketing and community relations. In Fame Sports & Entertainment, we believe strongly that the sports and entertainment combined with the business experience of this group will maximize the potential of the team there. We are thrilled to have them as part of the league.
David Francis is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fame Sports & entertainment. Born in Chicago, he holds a BA in Liberal Studies from Iowa State University and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Webster University. In 1999, he married his college sweetheart, Toni Francis, who holds a BA in Family Resource Management for Iowa State and also has her MA in Business Administration from Webster. David then played professional football in the AFL for the Carolina Seminoles and Carolina Rhinos while Toni was on the track team at Iowa State and continues to run marathons. Fame Entertainment & Sports is the premiere sports and entertainment company in Kansas City and manages the careers and brands of professional athletes and entertainers as well as client representation, contract negotiation, endorsements, marketing and brand building. "Owning a professional sports team was a goal of my partners and me," stated Francis. "We've followed the ABA closely and are confident that we can do a great job providing exciting basketball and entertainment at affordable prices. We're ready to go."
Christopher Brown is President and Managing Partner of Fame. Born in Kansas City, where he attended Bishop Hogan High School, in 1992, he was named football All American and was Greater Kansas City's Sport Commission's 1993 Missouri Male Athlete of the Year. In 1993, he attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship where he was a three year starter at center, guard and tackle. In 1998, he played for the NFL Seattle Seahawks. He is married to Monya Brown who holds a degredd in Education.
William Palmer is Chief Operating Officer and a Managing Partner of Fame. Born in Lake Charles LA, he attended Ponca City High School where he played football. He is a perfectionist when it comes to "getting the job done." With 10 years of management and public speaking, he has his degree in Business Management from the University of Northern Oklahoma and is married to Kiara Palmer, who has an MA in Counseling.
For more information, email emailme9916@yahoo.com or call 816 392 0396 or visit www.fseglobal.com or www.abalive.com, www.abastatcentral.com, www.abamagazine.com, www.abagives.com or www.cspnsports.com.
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 May 12, 2009
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