ABA Expansion

[Notch Novelty]

Man, I think he could be selling you about anything and you guys would buy it as long as you guys could design the logo.

Mad Mac, leaves out some key things.....LOCATION AND LOCATION

Is this going to be in high school gym, barn, or actual arena?

seating? etc.

The ABA looks more and more like the USBL but that's insult to the USBL.

Where will this team be located? what city and state? team office?

I will assume you guys that no team in the ABA has made single dime but good luck to Mad Mac and friend(s).

[gosioux76]

Man, I think he could be selling you about anything and you guys would buy it as long as you guys could design the logo.

Mad Mac, leaves out some key things.....LOCATION AND LOCATION

Is this going to be in high school gym, barn, or actual arena?

seating? etc.

The ABA looks more and more like the USBL but that's insult to the USBL.

Where will this team be located? what city and state? team office?

I will assume you guys that no team in the ABA has made single dime but good luck to Mad Mac and friend(s).

This, my friends, is the rain on your parade.

[Mac the Knife]

As usual notorious you're spouting off like the clown that you are, speaking without listening. And as usual, I find myself needing to put you back in your proper place...

First, I'm not SELLING anything. I've never said he or I was seriously soliciting potential owners. I only said I was considering investing. I'd never expect or ask anyone to actually kick in any money until there's something real to put money behind - I won't even commit my own money to something like this unless and until my friend show's me he can raise what he claims to need first.

Second, I never have suggested anyone doing a logo for this team once. Never suggested it, don't think I even friggin' mentioned it. Maybe my friend would like to do a Buffalo Stampede-type contest here, maybe he has something of a team identity in mind already. We haven't discussed it, and frankly until he shows me he's got the jack to get the ball rollin' on this, I'm not going to ask him.

Third, I thought I'd given the location - Raleigh, NC. I also mentioned (albeit not directly) what would be the playing site - J.S. Dorton Arena, which seats roughly 5,500 and is available for reasonable rates considering its size. I don't think I'd ever get involved in a pro basketball project involving a high school gym. That's bush league, and if anywhere other than Dorton is proposed (the ESA is too expensive a facility) I won't personally be a party to it.

Fourth, I never for a minute have thought or said this would make money; in fact, I've said the exact opposite - I personally expect to lose every dime I put into it should this come to fruition. No question about it. If I don't, I'd be surprised.

But for my money I'll have...

- A helluva lot of fun,

- Some added pride as a minority partner in a pro hoops team,

- A new part-time job with a toehold in pro sports,

- Great seats at home games,

- Cool clothes, caps and other stuff with the team's name/logo (whatever it'll be), and, let's not forget...

- Depending on the breaks, one hellaciously good tax write-off on the financial loss each year the team exists.

Don't worry about those who might be trying to start a franchise in a real league... just stick to your fantasy leagues. They are more to your speed.

[Notch Novelty]

.........

[Mac the Knife]

It's all a moot point, as it appears my friend has pulled the plug on this.

Apparently he asked his contact within the ABA some questions which he/they refused to answer, citing confidentiality. My buddy tells me he wouldn't be party to any business deal where full disclosure among partners (or prospective ones) wasn't the rule, particularly on what he described as "simple, basic questions." While I didn't get into specifics with him, the fact that he called me at 6:45 in the morning to give me this information and to vent leads me to believe he's more than a little pissed right now.

Frankly I'm a little disappointed, but I completely understand - I sure wouldn't put my money into something when the person proposing it is asked a question and replies with something like, "we can't tell you that, but trust me, it'll work."

Guess I won't get the tax write-off and the cool stuff after all.

[Notch Novelty]

ABA will be gone in a year but how about we form a group and try and bring back the OHL to Niagara Falls?

[Ez Street]

I do see the logic to what Andy was saying. It's easy to get wrapped up in dreaming about owning franchise. I fell into it myself. But the risk probably out numbers the gain. Yes it all would be so fricken awesome, but it's a dicey proposition.

[yh]

It's all a moot point, as it appears my friend has pulled the plug on this.

Apparently he asked his contact within the ABA some questions which he/they refused to answer, citing confidentiality. My buddy tells me he wouldn't be party to any business deal where full disclosure among partners (or prospective ones) wasn't the rule, particularly on what he described as "simple, basic questions." While I didn't get into specifics with him, the fact that he called me at 6:45 in the morning to give me this information and to vent leads me to believe he's more than a little pissed right now.

Frankly I'm a little disappointed, but I completely understand - I sure wouldn't put my money into something when the person proposing it is asked a question and replies with something like, "we can't tell you that, but trust me, it'll work."

Guess I won't get the tax write-off and the cool stuff after all.

Eh, I'm sure there will be other opportunities. Minor league sports are hot and you live in an area that should see a fair share of opportunities over the next several years. It may take some time, but I would venture to guess something else, and perhaps better, will come along. Independent, low minor league baseball is very popular; keep that in mind.

[Mac the Knife]

Well, my friend was a lot hotter on the idea than I was; I met with him last night and he looked as if someone'd shot his cat or something. Poor guy.

He apparently inquired with his contact about some of the league's alleged corporate sponsorship deals, trying to find out what to expect in terms of sources for revenue streams and what his team-level commitments would be (would the team have to wear logos on their jerseys, for instance?). He specifically told them he wasn't asking for dollar amounts or what could be considered privileged information. That's when his contact said that even what he was asking was privileged information... that if he ponied up the expansion fee, they'd tell him then. He got pissed and pulled the plug right then and there. Can't say I blame him. They were basically asking him to buy a car without looking at it, let alone going for a test drive or looking at a CarFax report.

As for me, I was thinking about it solely for the sake of enjoyment, putting in X amount expecting to lose it but having some fun along the way - just like a trip to Las Vegas or some other vacation spot I suppose. To tell the truth, basketball is the least favorite of the 'big four' sports to me.

[marlinfan]

pettite and clemens just bought a share of a minor league team with nolan ryan.

just wondering: how much is a minor league team, do they make money, and how much does it cost to run one?

*thinks about a long time dream*

[yh]

Surprisingly enough, I can understand why the ABA would be this secretive, but would want to know more about what the conditions would have been with respect to the deposit being asked for.

Sponsorships are part of a company's business model and thus considered trade secrets. In order to keep trade secrets just that, a business must have the other party enter into a confidentiality agreement and that agreement must be supported by valid consideration (i.e. CASH). I am sure that the ABA's principals don't want to disclose these trade secrets and other more detailed terms with prospective owners until the prospective owners have something to lose as well. Accordingly, a deposit would be an appropriate thing to request in exchange for more information. It would have been nice had your friend been told whether any or part of the deposit would have been refunded had he decided to back out after receiving more detail - maybe he ways, I don't know. All I'm saying is that asking for money before disclosing more info is a fairly common way of doing this kind of business.

And again, I'm sure there will be other opportunities for you and your friend - perhaps even better ones than the one that just went away.