New ABA Franchise...

[BBTV]

"Story"

ABA awards franchise to PhillyBy TOM MAHON

mahont@phillynews.com

The red, white and blue ball is back in Philadelphia.

The American Basketball Association announced yesterday that the Philadelphia Sounds would enter the league beginning with the 2008-09 season. The Fusion played one season in the city, folding in February 2005.

Last night, the Rev. Duane A. Quamina, the Sounds owner, said he is negotating for a home arena.

"We're looking at Temple, which has McGonigle Hall and the Liacouras Center," Quamina said. "We're also looking at Drexel, Penn's Palestra, La Salle's Tom Gola Arena, Villanova and Saint Joe's.

"We're going to call and get some numbers and see which is the best fit for us."

Quamina, 48, has a lot of decisions to make between now and next year, including how much to charge for tickets.

Right now, he says he is certain only that "we'll be affordable and family-oriented."

The ABA's schedule - from November through March - overlaps the NBA's, a factor Quamina considered.

"One thing we already know is that we will have games on days that the Sixers are not playing," he said.

Quamina said he has not contacted the Sixers, but has several ambitious ideas on how the two teams can benefit each other.

"I want to work out a situation with the Sixers where, if they have guys they want to keep close to home, guys they want to develop, they could play for the Sounds. Ideally, I want to have a team made up of 50 percent local talent and 50 percent development players.

"I want it to be like the ABA in the old days, where they'd say [the ABA teams] were a Class B team - until they went out and beat the Knicks."

Quamina said he has talked to several prospective candidates for the head-coaching job.

"We have several people who are interested," Quamina said. "Al Attles, the former NBA player [Philadelphia Warriors] and coach, referred Kevin Butler to me. He was a finalist for the Detroit Pistons assistant coaching position last year.

"I've also talked with LaShun McDaniel by e-mail. He's coached pro ball for 12 years. He's coached the Beijing Aoshen Olympian [also an ABA team] and played in the CBA and in Europe.

"And I talked with Johnny Neumann, who played in the ABA and NBA. He's coached all over Europe . . . Lebanon and Greece."

Quamina, a native of Rochester, N.Y., who now lives in North Philadelphia, said his original plan was to organize a league in Philadelphia.

"I thought I'd have teams from different sections of the city - North, South, East, West - play against each other, with some sort of payment system in place. That way I'd be presenting entertaining basketball for people to enjoy.

"I was telling my idea to Beryl Wolk [a fellow board member in a non-profit organization]. He introduced me to Joe Newman [ABA CEO] and we got to talking.

"One thing led to another, and here we are."

I cannot imagine that anyone will go to these games, especially if they play at some of the sites they are considering. This city supports minor-league hockey as well as any city in the country, but this isn't even minor league basketball. It is likely that some of the high-schools would field better teams than the Sounds. And "Sounds"? Seriously???

[whalersjets]

I went to a local ABA game last "ABA" season cause it was free (and even that was too expensive), worst basketball I've ever seen. Score was 131-109 or something wacky like that, annoying kids screaming the whole time, and theres a freaking 4 point shot.

[BB61]

Philadelphia Sounds... dumb.

I wouldn't immediately discount it because really, minor league teams seem to do pretty decently around here. The Phantoms, KiXX, Soul, Wings, Riversharks, and Barrage have all been around a while, so really, you'd think that this new team would fit in. The difference, though, is that these sports are all minor league alternatives, and they really don't have anyone rivaling them on a "minor-league" level. Though the claim is that they will not play games when the Sixers do, they will still have to contend with the college teams. College basketball is pretty popular here in general, and I think given the choice, fans would want to see college ball over this semi-pro stuff.

[DarkJourney]

Someone put this leaue out of it's misery....................please!

[oz615]

And "Sounds"? Seriously???

hey,the name worked for us for 30 years.

[VitaminD]

BB and Andy, I am disappointed in you both. Sure, it should be singular, but what's not to get about The Sounds of Philadelphia? Stay here, I'll get my Spinners LPs, and some stuff from the O'Jays and Spinners as well. McFadden & Whitehead are rolling over in their graves.

Leaving the name aside, this is an awful idea. There's already enough basketball in the city between the 76ers (OK... in a year or 2, but still), the 6 D-1 teams (gotta show Drexel some love) and 2 competitive high school leagues, who's going to support a minor league basketball team? If they're aiming to book McGonigle Hall, that tells me all I need to know. Hanging out on North Broad Street in the winter with (at most) 3500 people to watch fourth-rate hoops? I'll pass...

[kewp80]

Why is there a team named after a company in the ABA?

[WJMorris3]

BB and Andy, I am disappointed in you both. Sure, it should be singular, but what's not to get about The Sounds of Philadelphia? Stay here, I'll get my Spinners LPs, and some stuff from the O'Jays and Spinners as well. McFadden & Whitehead are rolling over in their graves.

Leaving the name aside, this is an awful idea. There's already enough basketball in the city between the 76ers (OK... in a year or 2, but still), the 6 D-1 teams (gotta show Drexel some love) and 2 competitive high school leagues, who's going to support a minor league basketball team? If they're aiming to book McGonigle Hall, that tells me all I need to know. Hanging out on North Broad Street in the winter with (at most) 3500 people to watch fourth-rate hoops? I'll pass...

You forgot about Mother, Father, Sister, Brother... after all, they recorded "The Sound of Philadelphia".

[VitaminD]

BB and Andy, I am disappointed in you both. Sure, it should be singular, but what's not to get about The Sounds of Philadelphia? Stay here, I'll get my Spinners LPs, and some stuff from the O'Jays and Spinners as well. McFadden & Whitehead are rolling over in their graves.

Leaving the name aside, this is an awful idea. There's already enough basketball in the city between the 76ers (OK... in a year or 2, but still), the 6 D-1 teams (gotta show Drexel some love) and 2 competitive high school leagues, who's going to support a minor league basketball team? If they're aiming to book McGonigle Hall, that tells me all I need to know. Hanging out on North Broad Street in the winter with (at most) 3500 people to watch fourth-rate hoops? I'll pass...

You forgot about Mother, Father, Sister, Brother... after all, they recorded "The Sound of Philadelphia".

Too true. I was trying to stay away from the more esoteric TSOP acts, as the genre (including the song of the same name) was more about the sound and the production more than the performers. A few acts made a name for themselves, but many never got much publicity and became relegated to the margins, like Ma/Pa/Sis/Bro.

[youcan'tseeme]

How many teams are in the ABA now?

[PeytonManningRocks]

Hey, it could be worse. They could be the Soundzzz!

[Dilbert]

Wikipedia lists the following as the teams of the aba

Red Conference

Beijing Aoshen Olympian

Bellingham Slam

Big Valley Shockwave

Gallup Outlaws

Henderson All-Starz

Hawaii Hurricanes

King County Royals

Las Vegas PROLYMs

Long Beach Breakers

Maywood Buzz

Orange County Gladiators

Sacramento Heatwave

TBA (Santa Fe, New Mexico)

San Diego Wildcats

Dragones de Tijuana

Tucson Flames

White Conference

Anderson Champions

Arkansas Fantastics

Cometas de Chicago

Chicago Throwbacks

Detroit Panthers

Houston Takers

Kentucky Retros

Veneno de Monterrey

Peoria Kings

Quad City Riverhawks

Rio Grande Valley Silverados

Rochester Fire

Rock River Fury

St. Louis Stunners

Texas Tycoons

West Texas Whirlwinds

Blue Conference

Atlanta Vision

Baltimore Bay Lions

Brooklyn Comets

Buffalo Silverbacks

Cape Cod Frenzy

Corning Bulldogs

TBA (Dover, Delaware)

Georgia Gwizzlies

Halifax Rainmen

Jacksonville JAM

Jersey Express

Miami Tropics

Mississippi Miracles

Montreal Royal

Norfolk Ballerz

Ontario Red Wolves

Orlando Aces

Palm Beach Imperials

Quebec City Kebekwa

TBA (Richmond, Virginia)

Strong Island Sound

Syracuse Bullies

Tennessee Mud Frogs

Vermont Frost Heaves

2008-09 expansion teams

Alexandria Wind Jammers

Birmingham Magicians

California Eagles

Corpus Christi, Texas

Lawton, Oklahoma

Ohio Aviators

Philadelphia Sounds

Phoenix Phantoms

Providence, Rhode Island

Shreveport-Bossier Stallions

Southern Alabama Bounce

Tampa Bay Strong Dogs

Twin City Ballers

Waco Wranglers

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

[BaltimoreFan]

I see Baltimore is getting another team. This one is playing at the Baltimore Arena so I may actually go to a game next year. We had another team that made it through one year but folded after a few games last season.

It's a shame that this league is such a joke. It might be able to work if it was run better. The biggest problem is there are too many teams. I imagine they could do well if they signed college players that don't make it. If the league was serious it could probably keep the college players from going overseas (staying in the country be more appealing). I know I'd be more willing to watch a team of former Terps (Byron Mouton played on the Pearls roster for a while, if I'd have know I'd have tried to see him)>

[Don]

what the hell is with some of these nicknames?! the Frost Heaves? Kebekwa?! Bay Lions?! wtf is a Bay Lion?! count me out.