The ABL women's professional basketball league begins its
inaugural 40-game season tonight. Eight teams are featured in a
four month schedule culminating in an ABL championship in
February. The eight teams: New England Blizzard, Richmond Rage,
Atlanta Glory, Colorado Xplosion, San Jose Lasers, Seattle Reign,
Columbus Quest and Portland Power. In San Jose, a sell-out crowd
of 4,500 is expected tonight at the Event Center for the Glory-
Lasers (Al Levine, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/18). The game will be
seen on BayTV (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/18). Reebok's VP/U.S. Brand
Marketing Jo Harlow: "The ABL is about basketball, period, not
about putting women in tights or out there for entertainment"
(Barbara Huebner, BOSTON GLOBE, 10/18). For more information on
the ABL, one can access its site on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ableague.com (THE DAILY).
READY OR NOT: Even though the ABL starts play "amid an
unprecented wave of interest, its success isn't ensured" (DETROIT
NEWS, 10/17). In Tampa, Katherine Smith notes, "They're coming,
all right. But are we ready?" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 10/18). In New
York, the Richmond Rage's Jackie Joyner-Kersee is profiled by
Jere Longman of the N.Y. TIMES under the header "For Joyner-
Kersee, The Longest Jump." Attendance of 3,000 a game is
considered break-even for the league (N.Y. TIMES, 10/17). ABL
co-Founder/VP Gary Cavalli projects losses of $1.5-4M this year
(TAMPA TRIBUNE, 10/17). Of the ABL's 80 players, seven played on
the '96 U.S. Olympic team, 44 played in a national championship
game and 38 were All-Americans (Glenn Nelson, SEATTLE TIMES,
10/16). The league also is eyeing a Southern California
franchise in Long Beach State (Earl Gustkey, L.A. TIMES, 10/18).
KING DAVID? The viability of two women's pro leagues is
examined in many markets, with the WNBA debuting in June.
Reebok's Jo Harlow: "It's definitely a legitimate question
whether two leagues can succeed. ... I don't think that just
because the NBA is involved, you can make the assumption its
league is naturally going to be a successful one" (Glenn Nelson,
SEATTLE TIMES, 8/16). WNBA's Dir of Basketball Development Carol
Blazejowski, on two leagues co-existing: "The jury is still out."
ABL co-Founder Cavalli: "I'm open to talking to them (NBA). ...
from my standpoint, it would be more of an association" (Lorraine
Kee, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 10/17). More Cavalli: "It's kind
of like David and Goliath, except (NBA Commissioner) David
(Stern) is Goliath" (Jill Dorson, FT. WORTH STAR TELEGRAM,
10/16).
MARKETING: Sports marketers say "just one element of ABL
marketing has been plentiful: confusion," according to Bruce
Horovitz of USA TODAY. Nike walked away from ABL meetings
"shaking their head," as they reportedly "grew frustrated with
the ABL's disorganization." ABL projections for first-year
merchandise sales, originally at $5M, have been reduced to less
than $1M. Several ABL players also objected to how much makeup
they were asked to wear during the filming of a Reebok
commercial. But, the ABL has "made some smooth marketing moves,"
by selecting mid-size markets where women's basketball "is
already a hit," and grass-roots efforts have sold "thousands of
season tickets at everything from local YWCA's to high school
basketball games" (USA TODAY, 10/18). Cavalli on competing for
sponsors: "There's been a lot of sponsors that have adopted a
wait and see attitude toward the ABL" ("SportsView," CBNC,
10/17).
TV: The ABL's TV deal with SportsChannel is for 12 regular-
season games and post-season. It also has deals with local
affils. Cavalli: "I would like to have a better TV situation
that carried more markets than SportsChannel (Liz Robbins,
Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/17). In terms of ratings, Cavalli is
"expecting a 1, hoping for a 2, and a 3 would be great" (Jill
Dorson, FT. WORTH STAR TELEGRAM, 10/16). CNBC's Sharon Epperson
notes without TV "viewers it will be difficult for the [ABL] to
build up celebrities with the same household name recognition as
Michael Jordan or Shaquille O'Neal" ("SportsView, CNBC, 10/17).
WNBA: Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander is "actively pursuing"
a WNBA franchise and "insiders" tell the HOUSTON CHRONICLE Eddie
Sefko that "he has a decent chance of landing a team" (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 10/18). The 76ers won't be among the "initial group"
to host a WNBA team, but "is likely to be one of the first
expansion franchises" should the WNBA succeed (Mel Greenberg,
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/18). In Cleveland, Cavs VP/Sales &
Marketing Jim Kahler, said Cavs Owner Gordon Gund is "very
interested" in a WNBA team (Liz Robbins, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER,
10/17).
