ABA Franchise Scorecard
First of all, sorry for the layoff. I've been away from the computer quite a bit over the last two weeks and just haven't been had the energy or willpower to post on any of my blogs. Don't worry, though, I'll be back in full force shortly. Just need a refuel.
Anyway, longtime readers have heard me criticize the ABA quite a bit on this blog, all of it warranted. The ABA is, at best, a big joke. At worst it is a massive scam perpetrated by Joe Newman that people continue to buy into and nobody in their right minds can figure out why.
I finally went to my first ABA game two weeks ago and it was worse than I expected (to read my review of the game, head here). There was nothing professional about the Los Angeles Push vs. Long Beach Breakers game and I knew that night that it wasn't going to last long for the Push. And surprise, surprise, the Push have announced that they have suspended operations only six games into the season.
They aren't the first ABA team to have done so. In fact, below is a ABA Franchise scorecard posted on the excellent ABA message board on OurSportsCentral by BreakersFan. Even though I know and everybody knows what a fraud the ABA is, it's still stunning to see just how poorly the ABA is doing this season, worse than ever before. My comments are in bold following the team name...
With the schedule so messed up and the instability such that teams can't even make road trips, even the best run clubs have virtually no chance of making it. I don't think that this league, in this form, will make it until January 1st. You will probably see a handful of teams (Vermont, Manchester, Quebec, Halifax - basically the Northeast teams) break off and do their own thing and the rest will probably fold.
And I hope that this will end Joe Newman's reign of terror on minor league basketball. But it seems like every time one team dies, two crappier franchises spring up in it's place. There are so many suckers with $10,000 to burn out there, Joe could keep this going for years and years and years. It may never end.
Anyway, longtime readers have heard me criticize the ABA quite a bit on this blog, all of it warranted. The ABA is, at best, a big joke. At worst it is a massive scam perpetrated by Joe Newman that people continue to buy into and nobody in their right minds can figure out why.
I finally went to my first ABA game two weeks ago and it was worse than I expected (to read my review of the game, head here). There was nothing professional about the Los Angeles Push vs. Long Beach Breakers game and I knew that night that it wasn't going to last long for the Push. And surprise, surprise, the Push have announced that they have suspended operations only six games into the season.
They aren't the first ABA team to have done so. In fact, below is a ABA Franchise scorecard posted on the excellent ABA message board on OurSportsCentral by BreakersFan. Even though I know and everybody knows what a fraud the ABA is, it's still stunning to see just how poorly the ABA is doing this season, worse than ever before. My comments are in bold following the team name...
48 Teams were included in the 2007-08 ABA schedule announced in August. Since then, 3 more teams have been added to the schedule for a total of 51 teams scheduled for games in 07-08.
As of the minute, 29 of the 51 teams remaining playing, as far as we know. The scorecard:
29 Remain active:
Atlanta Vision - Have not played yet
Bahama Pro-Show - Have not played yet
Beijing Aoshen Olympian - Tentatively have scheduled teams to fly to Singapore to play them. Most likely will never happen.
Boston Blizzard
Chicago Throwbacks
Corning Bulldogs
First State Fusion
Georgia Gwizzlies
Halifax Rainmen - Had a big crowd for their opener
Houston Takers - Actually made a long road trip
Jersey Express
Long Beach Breakers
Manchester Millrats - Had solid opener
Maywood Buzz - Home opener on Friday, fingers crossed
Minnesota Ripknees - Was out, in, out, in...Almost all games against teams that either don't exist anymore or haven't made their road trips
Montreal Royal
Orange County Gladiators - Home opener on Saturday against a team that no longer exists
Orlando Aces - Have not played yet
Quebec Kebekwa
San Diego Wildcats
South Chi-Land Infernos - Have not played yet
St Louis Stunners - Haven't made any of their road trips
Strong Island Sound
Syracuse Raging Bullz - Have canceled their next few games, appear to be folding
Texas Tycoons
Vermont Frost Heaves - Most successful ABA team
West Palm Beach Imperials - Randomly appeared on standings after apparently folding earlier. Have not played yet
West Texas Whirlwinds
Westchester Phantoms
22 Departed:
XXX Anderson Champions
XXX Arkansas Fantastics
XXX Buffalo Silverbacks
XXX Cicero Cometas USA
XXX Detroit Panthers
XXX Flint Tropics
XXX Henderson All-Starz
XXX Jacksonville Jam
XXX Los Angeles Push
XXX Mississippi Miracles
XXX Monterrey Poisen
XXX Pacific Rim Rockers
XXX Peoria Kings
XXX Quad City Riverhawks
XXX Reno Sharpshooters
XXX Rochester Fire
XXX Rock River Fury
XXX Rome Legion
XXX Sacramento Heatwave
XXX San Francisco Rumble
XXX Tucson
XXX Virginia Ballerz
With the schedule so messed up and the instability such that teams can't even make road trips, even the best run clubs have virtually no chance of making it. I don't think that this league, in this form, will make it until January 1st. You will probably see a handful of teams (Vermont, Manchester, Quebec, Halifax - basically the Northeast teams) break off and do their own thing and the rest will probably fold.
And I hope that this will end Joe Newman's reign of terror on minor league basketball. But it seems like every time one team dies, two crappier franchises spring up in it's place. There are so many suckers with $10,000 to burn out there, Joe could keep this going for years and years and years. It may never end.
Labels: Basketball
posted by Brandon @ 12:29 AM
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