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Hester tries to change stumbling ABA

by Chris Fells
July 25, 2007 - American Basketball Association (ABA)


Okay, okay, I just can't seem to take it anymore. I have been quiet about the American Basketball Association for some time now, but the things the league has been doing of late have made me laugh. Of course, I am easily amused, but that is another story in itself.

First, the good of what has been going on. I have been talking with ABA VP of Operations Brad Hester about the state of the league, and to his credit, he has been very honest about the shortcomings of the ABA. As opposed to CEO Joe Newman, at least by appearances, Hester wants to do something about the problems that have plagued this league for the last seven years.

To review, the ABA has seen over 70 teams fold since its rebirth back in 2000-2001. Franchises are supposedly awarded when the $10,000 "market reservation" fee clears the bank, which is the league's only source of income, but several teams have joined on installment plans or without paying at all. Because of this, the league has no motivation to keep teams in the league. If one folds, another comes in and the ABA has, potentially, another ten grand in its pocket. There have been countless problems with players not being paid, franchises moving in mid-season, teams being added in mid-season, and revelations that owners have criminal records after their franchise was on the books. Owners fold teams without notifying fans, and some teams have had up to four arenas in one season. Combined with the fact the ABA is facing numerous lawsuits, and SEC filings that state the league is 17 million dollars in debt but has only $450,000 in assets, this is a league that is in trouble.

Hester is the VP of Operations for the league and also the stepson of CEO Newman. He was brought into the league last season after running a Lowe's in Anderson, Indiana for five and a half years. Hester comes from a sports background having played and lettered in three sports in his high school career. In college, Hester played football for two seasons.

When Hester first joined the ABA, he was facing a league in total chaos. Teams were folding left and right, stats and standings were never updated on the league's website, and the schedule had to be changed and modified seemingly every other minute. There were, and still are, public relations problems, and Newman is known for tearing apart fans and media who question him on the league's issues. Hester sees these problems and is working to bring revenue into the league and improve its image.

Last year the league only played 63 percent of its schedule, a number that has been consistent over the years with teams folding and moving in mid-season. This is an issue Hester has had to deal with since he came to the ABA last year. It can't be any less than a Herculean task to maintain a schedule, ensure games are played, and maintain the league with teams being in constant flux. To combat the issues with teams missing games, Hester is requiring teams to post a three thousand dollar performance bond. The bond will pay for expenses if a team fails to make a game, therefore reducing the financial burden on the team expecting to play and attract fans in their home arena. If a team does not miss a game, the money from the bond is returned to the team with interest. If the same team misses a second game, they will be removed from the ABA. This is a far cry from what has been expected from teams in years past.

Another issue fans and scouts have had is the fact that virtually none of the teams in the ABA keep individual and/or team stats. As a result, scouts have a difficult time figuring out which ABA teams to look at for their domestic or international squads. To combat this issue, Hester is requiring all teams to purchase and use JocTrac, a scoring system used by many college teams, which can track the most minute of stats. JocTrac also has the ability to transmit game stats straight into the ABA website, which will allow fans to see what is going on with their favorite teams, and allow scouts to have a better idea of who is doing what. This is something that has not been done in years past.

Hester would also like to see functioning team websites in place for all ABA members, that has not happened yet. As we are in the 21st century, fans will look to the web for updates on how teams are doing, news on the team, stats, etc. In the last couple of seasons, there have been very few teams with updated websites, therefore reducing the amount of exposure they receive from the media, and in turn fans. It is difficult for a team to attract fans to the arenas if no one knows they are around. Some of the websites that are running have obviously not been proofread. Take for example the Georgia Gwizzlies, a team ironically enough named after a misspelling of "Grizzlies." When I looked at the Gwizzlies site a couple of weeks ago, there were 32 grammatical and spelling errors. Other sites either don't exist, or are running but with numerous broken links. This is a problem Hester acknowledges and knows that for PR sake has to change. The date teams were required to have this done was July 1st, but the majority of teams have failed to meet this deadline.

What all of this comes down to is if Newman fully backs Hester on these radical changes. In years past, Newman has not been strict with teams that do not meet their obligations to the league. Rules tend to be bent depending on who the owner is, and the statement, "The team has been removed from the league for failure to meet its obligations" is simply a line. Multiple sources have told me that only one of the 70 teams to fold in the last six years has been suspended by the ABA. The rest of the teams have simply gone out of business without a trace, only to be replaced by another team either during the same season, or the following.

Newman and the league are facing numerous PR issues. Many e-mails have been posted on various websites by fans in which Newman calls fans names, degrades them, and attempts to humiliate them. Combined with the fact that Newman adds very little real news about the league on the ABA website, by his own doing, he is helping to ruin the reputation of the organization.

Newman has said that he wants the league to have 100 teams and for it to be the largest professional sports league in the country. If he continues to expand the league by simply taking a check, or a promise, and not conducting any sort of due diligence on prospective owners, he will not come close to that number. According to multiple current and former owners, bank records are not checked, background checks are not done, nor is it even checked to see if a team has a venue in which to play. If the first check clears, you are in; it appears that plain and simple.

The latest in the ABA's woes are the lawsuits that have been filed by Steven Jaloza and Salvatore Fradella. The Marion County (Ind.) Circuit Court found Friday that Newman and partner Dick Tinkham had unlawfully converted the LLC that controlled the ABA license, in which all four had an interest, into a corporation, cutting Jaloza and Fradella out in the process. Though damages have yet to be determined, the decision could potentially end up costing the ABA its license, forcing ABA teams to cease and desist using the ABA name and logo.

The ABA has tremendous potential with the low cost of tickets, and the accessibility fans have to the players and coaches. The Vermont Frost Heaves proved that this season as they turned out fans in droves to the Barre Auditorium and to their second home in Burlington. This potential can only be reached by all of the teams if Newman listens to those who surround him. He has to relinquish some of his power and trust those with ideas that will improve the league. No longer can Newman have a set of rules and not enforce them. If he does not enforce the regulations Hester has suggested, this is a league that may not exist in two seasons. Fans will no longer support a league that says it will do one thing and then does another.

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.

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American Basketball Association Stories from July 25, 2007


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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