The USBL awarded an expansion franchise to the Lehigh
Valley Area, PA. The new team, owned by the River City
Sports Company, will be called the PA ValleyDawgs. River
City Sports Company part Owner Jim Jennings will serve as
President and Darryl Dawkins will coach the team (USBL).
IBL NOTES: In St. Louis, Joe Lyons wrote that RiverCity
Basketball (not affiliated with River City Sports)
"declined" an offer to join the CBA and went "in a different
direction" to become the ninth city to join the IBL. The
team will play its 32 home games in the new 11,200-seat St.
Charles County Family Arena. The facility has a completion
date of mid-September (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/9)....In
Richmond, Jeff White wrote that the IBL has been "all but
silent ... about developments in Richmond," whose franchise
is owned by Charles and Wanda Gill. The two "declined" to
reveal how much they paid for the team, but "hope to hire a
president within 90 days, preferably someone with a
connection" to the area. IBL VP/Business Ops Greg Smith
said that the league "is trying to attract national
sponsors" and "will pay for a national marketing campaign to
launch the league" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 12/10).
