Chicago Blaze Pass on 2006 NWBL Season
October 28, 2005 - National Women's Basketball League (NWBL)
Chicago Blaze News Release
Naperville, IL - The Chicago Blaze today announced that they would not participate in the 2006 NWBL season. "We have made this decision with mixed emotions," said Blaze President Joseph McCoy.
On October 7, McCoy was informed by league President Patrick Alexander that there would only be four competitive teams in 2006, including the Blaze. The only teams remaining from the 2005 season are the league champion Colorado Chill and the last place San Jose Spiders. To lose three teams really made us re-evaluate where the league was headed. "Of all the changes that were taking place, this was the biggest one and came as a shock. We were and have always been firmly against a four-team league. We have been adamant about this since our inception in 2001. We were simply unwilling to participate under these circumstances." Since the discussion on October 7, McCoy says that the league has garnered interest for 2006 from as many as two additional cities. "If this was July, that would be fantastic, but three weeks have passed and there have been no formal announcements. I think that Patrick and Mike (Walker) have done a tremendous job keeping the league afloat the past 5 years and it is a testament to their steadfastness. We wish the league all the success in the world for the upcoming season."
Robert Graham, reflected on the decision saying, "This would have been our fifth season and we felt that we were moving in the right direction. We had a lot of things lined up for 2006. We hired a new General Manager, a Vice President of Corporate Partnerships; we were set to hire both a ticket sales team and a sponsorship sales team, we had new commitments from corporate partners, we had verbal commitments from several of our players, and we had an infusion of capital. We were definitely moving in the right direction. But, you have to give your people an opportunity to succeed and Joseph (McCoy) and I did not believe that we could successfully put our business team in a position to succeed. We hope our fan base understands that we struggled with this decision. We've made so many wonderful connections to kids and parents in the community. We share in their disappointment over this missed season." The Blaze are keeping the door open to the possibility of returning in 2007, but will make that decision after the completion of the 2006 season.
The NWBL showcases professional women basketball players from across the nation, including players from the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) who choose to stay in the U.S. to play during the off-season. For more information, follow the NWBL at www.nwbl.com.
National Women's Basketball League Stories from October 28, 2005
- Chicago Blaze Pass on 2006 NWBL Season - Chicago Blaze
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