Mavericks move to Owensboro
July 29, 2008 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Kentucky Mavericks News Release
The Kentucky Mavericks ABA basketball team in Bowling Green, KY has worked hard to find a place to host the fifteen (15) home games on their schedule. They have been looking at every option possible but could not find a venue.
Yesterday an official for WKU stated on the local television news report that the offer to the Mavericks was a break-even deal. The below statement was taken yesterday prior to the airing of the above-mentioned interview. Upon request the owner Jason Smith said he would gladly provide a copy of the quote that was given to him by the WKU for use of E.A. Diddle arena.
The team's CEO Jason Smith stated," We have no choice but to move the Kentucky Mavericks to Owensboro. We have bent over backwards in order to work with athletics department at WKU, we had the ABA ready to accommodate any scheduling problems." Smith made it clear, " This (scheduling) was not an issue, what was an issue is that E.A. Diddle is just far too costly," said Smith. "Diddle arena is wanting to charge fifteen times more than what the city of Owensboro has quoted for the use of the Sports Center located in downtown Owensboro".
Smith added, "We have checked with other college arenas to see what they would charge and Diddle is still as much as ten times more," Smith continued about the arena saying, "Not only are the rental and management charges inflated, Diddle would keep all proceeds from parking, and concessions, plus levy a two dollar charge on each ticket sold there." Referring to the tickets through WKU box offices on the campus.
"And to make it even more impossible they were asking for a percentage of all of our merchandise proceeds." Indicating the shirts, towels, programs, calendars, and other promotional items to be sold at games. Smith went on to say, "Bowling Green is suffering because of the restricting conditions and limiting ways for any operation, sports or other, to survive with costs that high from the only arena in town."
The Mavericks have never asked the city or county for any monetary support unlike the semi-pro baseball team who is getting a proprietary stadium built on the backs of the taxpayers.
"We are trying to do some good for the community but with terms like this we could never put anything back into the community, much less survive to the next season." We understand Western needs to make some money but this is what some folks call a fleecing," he finally said.
Reportedly the team has tried to work something out with the local school system to make use of one of the high school arenas. The Mavericks view was that with this type of venue it makes giving back to the community even more achievable, and the possibilities endless. With the team roster being comprised of so much local talent there has been talk of having each home game being played for a specific school, or school system. Each game would have some portion of ticket sales, parking fees, and/or other donated to the school of the week. But by-laws in the school system make that impossible, so again the community loses.
The Mavericks want it very clear that they love South Central Kentucky and they were open to any way possible to keep this team here, but had no support, and no choice. Please contact the Kentucky Mavericks office for further information.
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 July 29, 2008
- Georgia Gwizzlies Sign Leaping Phenom - Georgia Gwizzlies
- TEXAS CITY RANGERS ANNOUNCE FIRST PLAYER SIGNING - ABA
- Mavericks move to Owensboro - Kentucky Mavericks
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.
