Q and A with Tom Doyle

by Chris Rouhier, www.ABAsite.tk
August 17, 2005 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Maryland NightHawks


Tom Doyle owns the Maryland Nighthawks. Under his ownership, the Nighthawks came one game from the ABA championship. He is considered one of the top owners in the ABA, and many thanks go out to him for agreeing to do the Q and A.

Q: Why did you join the ABA?

A: My involvement in the ABA, beginning in 2004, was initially as the main sponsor for the Maryland Nighthawks. When I learned that Maryland was having a professional basketball team, I contacted the organization at that time regarding sponsorship possibilities. Additionally, I represented two players who had made the team. Subsequently, when the original ownership group began to falter, I initiated discussions with the league about taking over the Maryland franchise and in January of 2005, midway through the season, I became the owner of the Nighthawks.

Q: Did you explore other minor leagues (basketball or otherwise)?

A: I had been contacted at some point by another professional basketball league, however, the opportunity with the ABA was very timely and I am pleased that I did take over the franchise.

Q: What is your background in sports?

A: From a participation end, I competed in sports through college. I received several scholarship offers for Division II and Division III basketball coming out of high school. However, I decided to attend Montgomery Junior College for the first 2 years. I then went to the University of Maryland and was a member of the power lifting team and competed in the Nationals in successive years. Subsequent to my graduation from law school and beginning my law practice, I represented many professional fighters performed legal services for various boxing promoters. I also have represented basketball players over the course of the past several years.

Q: What do you think is the biggest obstacle to achieving success with your team?

A: Starting a professional basketball franchise is really no different than any other start-up business. Gaining customer, and in our case fan, support is always a challenge. As long as the league is providing the things that are necessary for us, that is a schedule and viable franchises to play, then our work will be to get fans there. I am very confident having now moved the team to Montgomery County, Maryland, where I am from and my law practice is based, that we will be very successful. We have already begun to entrench ourselves in the community, and the response has been wonderful. It is the first time in the history of Montgomery County, Maryland that a professional sports team will be playing in the county and the swell of support is already noticeable. I do not feel there are necessarily any "obstacles" that will stop us from our success. I am more of a believer that success is a result of one's own desire to succeed. As long as there are teams that will be showing up to play at our home games, we will be successful.

Q: How is the team going to solve some of the attendance problems from 2004-2005?

A: When I took over the Nighthawks in January of 2005, I was not really concerned about attendance. While I certainly wanted fans to attend games, it was always my desire to bring the team to Montgomery County, Maryland and therefore, my interest was in putting the best players on the court for the remainder of the season and ensuring the team's success. We did achieve this goal, missing the championship game by only one game. There was really very little marketing that we did from the point in time that I took over the franchise, other than what was already in place by the previous ownership group. I am quite confident that the marketing plan we have in place will assure very good attendance at our home games at Montgomery College Knights Arena.

Q: A recent newspaper article said that a lot of the key players from last season will be back. Can you name some? Also, will anymore "name players" such as Lawrence Moten be brought in?

A: We are very pleased that the players from last year's team do want to come back and play and likely, we'll have spots for most of them. Obviously, if any of the players have lucrative offers overseas or, in the case of at least one player, looks by NBA teams, then we will not stand in the way of the opportunity for these players. As always, we are in the market for not only "name players," but quality players and have engaged in preliminary negotiations with several overseas players, as well as a few former NBA players. I am not at liberty at this time to discuss this. However, if we do finalize any of these deals, we will announce these to the public immediately. What I can assure you is that the Maryland Nighthawks will again be one of the best teams in the league. I am not interested in having a losing franchise and will continue to strive to have the Maryland Nighthawks as the ABA Champion.

Q: What will define a successful year for your team off the court?

A: Establishing the Maryland Nighthawks in the community and being recognized as an organization that gives back to the community will certainly be something that I wish our area will recognize at the end of this season. To build name recognition within our community, not only because we are a professional basketball franchise, but because we do give back to the communityas an organization, from the management to the players, is something that I am hopeful will be recognized at the end of the 2005-2006 season.

Q: What are your impressions of the regulations the ABA has implemented?

A: I am encouraged by the new regulations and certainly, it is a step in the right direction. I have been one of the biggest advocates of reform in the league since my entrance into the ABA in January of 2005. I am hopeful that the league will require teams to adhere to the standards and requirements that they have implemented, as this will go a long way to ensuring the long-term success of this league. Certainly, from the point in time that I became involved in the ABA to date, the movement with the league is entirely in the right direction. Just like any new business, any new or emerging league will have struggles, but I am confident that there are many good organizations with many talented business men and women that will continue to work collectively to make this league a huge success.

Q: Are there any that you would like to have seen added, but were not?

A: I am pleased with the regulations that have been implemented at this time. My main focus is to see that the rules and regulations are followed by the franchises and enforced by the league.

Q: How do you view the ABA versus other minor league basketball (CBA, NBDL, etc.)?

A: This is an interesting question and, I think, an interesting answer from my point of view is we are the ABA and those leagues are what they are. The focus of the ABA and the franchise owners in our league should be on making the ABA a success and not concerning ourselves with these other leagues. The CBA, the NBDL have their own problems and struggles and our concentration should not be on these leagues but our own. If the franchise owners in the ABA provide to fans great basketball and great entertainment at very affordable prices, the success of the individual franchise, and of the league will follow. Quite candidly, I am not concerned with a team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or anywhere else, that is not a team playing in the ABA. My focus, as should other franchise owners, is on the ABA.

Q: Have you secured a venue for the upcoming season?

A: We will be playing all of our home games at Montgomery College Knights Arena in Rockville, Maryland in Montgomery County. I am very proud to be playing at this institution, as I am a graduate of the college and was an adjunct professor for nine years. Additionally, my father was the Dean of Students at the Montgomery College Takoma Park campus for over 20 years, and upon his passing, we established a scholarship, the Joseph T. Doyle Memorial Scholarship Fund. The early support we have received from the Colege has been terrific and I look forward to being able to give back to the College throughout the season.

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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