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Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report

by Dan Krieger
August 18, 2008 - American Basketball Association (ABA)


BASEBALL

Atlantic Baseball League: A downtown ballpark planned for Yonkers (NY) that is to become home to an ABL franchise is still facing opposition about project financing. A 6,500-seat Yonkers ballpark has been in the development phase since it was first proposed in 2002.

South Atlantic League (SALLY): It does not appear that two Low Class-A SALLY teams will be shifting to the Low Class-A Midwest League for the 2009 season. Previous reports had the Lake County Captains and the Bowling Green (KY) team, which will be the relocated Columbus Catfish, moving from the SALLY to the Midwest League.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association Development League: A group of investors in Portland (ME) is still interested in acquiring an NBA D-League franchise that would become part of the league's Northeast expansion plans.

Premier Basketball League: The PBL officially announced the Battle Creek (MI) Knights, formerly of the International Basketball League, will be part of the 2009 PBL season. The league's revamped web site has 15 teams listed: Augusta Groove, Battle Creek Knights, Buffalo Dragons, Chicago Throwbacks, Detroit Panthers, Halifax Rainmen, Manchester Millrats, Maryland Nighthawks, Montreal Sasquatch, Quad City Riverhawks, Quebec Kebs, Reading Railers, Rochester Razorsharks, Vermont Frost Heaves and Wilmington (NC) Sea Dawgs. Missing from the list are teams from last season called the Arkansas Impact, Dallas Defenders, Jacksonville Slam and Rock River Fury, along with a previously announced expansion team called the Toronto Lazers. The league issued a new rule preventing one owner from owning multiple franchises, so the owner of the Quad City Riverhawks and the Rockford-based Rock River Fury teams decided to shutdown the Fury.

American Basketball Association: The ABA now has Santa Monica (CA) listed as a location for a 2009-10 expansion franchise. The Rio Grande Valley Silverados franchise, based in McAllen (TX), has left the Continental Basketball Association and joined the ABA. The franchise has been relocated to Beaumont (TX) where the team will be called the Southeast Texas Mustangs in the 2008-09 ABA season. The ABA also announced it has added a team in the town of Corbin (KY) in eastern Kentucky. This team is listed as the Kentucky Warriors. The league confirmed that a team will play in Owensboro (KY) for the 2008-09 season. A proposed team in Bowling Green called the Kentucky Mavericks moved its home court to Owensboro and has recently come under new ownership.

United Regions Basketball League: The United Basketball League, which started play in 2008 with a spring/summer schedule, has been reorganized as the URBL. During its early development, the UBL was originally called the Regional Basketball League. The new URBL team list has the Converse Flight, San Antonio Soul and Bexar County Barons, along with proposed teams in Houston, Austin and Louisiana.

Continental Basketball Association: The Rio Grande Valley Silverados, based in McAllen (TX), lasted only one season. The franchise has switched leagues to the American Basketball Association and has moved to Beaumont (TX) as the Southeast Texas Mustangs for the 2008-09 ABA season. The CBA's Butte Daredevils franchise is without its home venue from last season and apparently would not be part of the 2008-09 season, if the CBA does operate.

Texas Professional Basketball League: The TPBL announced a new team called the East Texas Trailblazers, based in Crockett (TX), will be part of the 2009 TPBL season.

FOOTBALL

United Football League: The UFL, a proposed rival to the National Football League, plans to start play in 2009 with six teams in Hartford (CT), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, Orlando and San Francisco.

American Professional Football League: The owner of the Nebraska Extreme team in the semi-pro indoor APFL has decided to discontinue the team. The Extreme played one APFL game in 2007 and changed its name from the Omaha Extreme to the Nebraska Extreme prior to the 2008 season. The team was never able to find a home venue and played only four road games in 2008.

Continental Indoor Football League: The CIFL's former franchise called the Chesapeake Tide, based in Upper Marlboro (MD), is under new local ownership and a new team is expected to take is place next season. The Lehigh Valley Outlawz franchise, based in Bethlehem (PA), is reportedly in the process of being sold and it is uncertain if the team will be relocated.

HOCKEY

Midwest Hockey League: The new single-A professional MWHL has announced that an organization called the Chicago Bulldogs will have a franchise based in Darien (IL) for the league's inaugural 2008-09 season. Additional franchises in Indianapolis, Evansville, Columbus (IN) and Louisville were announced previously, but the Columbus (IN) Rage is no longer listed on the league site. The Evansville Icemen site lists a 2008-09 franchise called the Michigan Stars, based in Kalkaska, along with 2009-10 expansion teams called the Slashers and Thunder.

Central Hockey League: The CHL's Odessa Jackalopes have signed an affiliation agreement with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League and will feed players to New York's American Hockey League affiliate called the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

SOCCER

Women's Professional Soccer: The WPS announced that an Atlanta expansion franchise has been added for the 2010 season. A Philadelphia franchise is also expected to join in 2010. The WPS previously announced seven teams that plan to start play in 2009. The league continues to consider additional potential franchises for both the 2009 and 2010 season. A team called the Atlanta Beat (2001-03) played in a prior women's pro league known as the Women's United Soccer Association.

United Soccer Leagues (Second Division): After two seasons in the USL's Second Division, the Bermuda Hogges must cut expenses or the team could be forced to disband. Bermuda is the only overseas franchise in the Second Division.

Premier Arena Soccer League (Pro Division): The PASL Pro Division officially announced its fourth team for the 2008-09 season will be the Colorado Lightning, based in Loveland (CO). The three other teams announced previously were the Wenatchee (WA) Fire, Stockton (CA) Cougars and 1790 Cincinnati. At least eight teams in the United States paid deposits for the 2008-09 season and other teams are expected to be announced in the near future.

OTHER

Major League Lacrosse: The MLL's Philadelphia Barrage recently played the last of five neutral-site "home games" on the 2008 12-game schedule. The Barrage played its neutral-site games in Virginia Beach (VA), Dallas, St. Louis, Cary (NC) and the Portland (OR) area. The MLL took control of the franchise prior to the 2008 season and decided the team would play all 12 games on the road and play five "home games" in various prospective expansion markets.

Dan Krieger is the creator of "Leagues, Teams & Nicknames", which tracks the changes in league alignments, franchise movements and team nicknames in today's sports world. The latest version can be found at http://www.lulu.com/content/2533047. Dan can be contacted at dankrieger@leaguesteamsnicknames.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.

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American Basketball Association Stories from August 18, 2008


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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