AAABA Sponsor
Posted: November 28th, 2011, 3:33 pm
November 23, 2011
Search is on for AAABA sponsor
Mike Mastovich
JOHNSTOWN — Three’s usually considered a crowd, but not in the AAABA League.
Commissioner Denny Altimore is hoping the league can find a sponsor by year’s end to take over an existing franchise. From Altimore’s perspective, that scenario certainly would be easier for a new sponsor than the typical task of building a team from scratch.
“We have three franchises returning out of four,” Altimore said. “Roxberry Creamery opted not to return. I don’t want to drop below four teams. It’s not good for scheduling. I want to keep that fourth team and find a sponsor to take it over. We’re looking for somebody to step forward from the business community to sponsor a team.”
In recent seasons, the AAABA League has consisted of as few as four teams (2011) and as many as seven (2005). In the early years of the local league in the late 1940s, there were two seven-team divisions and for a period of time double-digit numbers of franchises participated. An eight-team league was the norm from 1985 through 1997, and the next two years there were seven franchises.
Increasing expenses, difficult economic conditions and a consistently declining population base have affected the league on multiple fronts in the 2000s. The AAABA League leadership has publicly appealed for sponsorship on a somewhat regular basis in the past two decades with varying degrees of success.
Next year’s returning franchises are the Berkley Hills Renegades, Delweld and Martella’s Pharmacy.
“We need to keep this league viable in order to keep the AAABA Tournament viable,” Altimore said. “The tournament exists largely based on what our league produces. We need a strong representative to keep the tournament strong. You see what happens to the crowds once Johnstown is eliminated.”
Johnstown has hosted the AAABA Tournament every year but twice since 1945.
“We’ll retain from the Roxberry Creamery whatever players want to come back,” Altimore said. “The team will be managed by Len Beiter. He will recruit more players but we certainly will enable the Roxberry players who want to return to stay and play.”
So if you decide to pony up a few thousand bucks to sponsor a team, they will give you the guy who has gotten fired four times in the last ten years? Wouldn't you like to, maybe, pick your own coach?
Search is on for AAABA sponsor
Mike Mastovich
JOHNSTOWN — Three’s usually considered a crowd, but not in the AAABA League.
Commissioner Denny Altimore is hoping the league can find a sponsor by year’s end to take over an existing franchise. From Altimore’s perspective, that scenario certainly would be easier for a new sponsor than the typical task of building a team from scratch.
“We have three franchises returning out of four,” Altimore said. “Roxberry Creamery opted not to return. I don’t want to drop below four teams. It’s not good for scheduling. I want to keep that fourth team and find a sponsor to take it over. We’re looking for somebody to step forward from the business community to sponsor a team.”
In recent seasons, the AAABA League has consisted of as few as four teams (2011) and as many as seven (2005). In the early years of the local league in the late 1940s, there were two seven-team divisions and for a period of time double-digit numbers of franchises participated. An eight-team league was the norm from 1985 through 1997, and the next two years there were seven franchises.
Increasing expenses, difficult economic conditions and a consistently declining population base have affected the league on multiple fronts in the 2000s. The AAABA League leadership has publicly appealed for sponsorship on a somewhat regular basis in the past two decades with varying degrees of success.
Next year’s returning franchises are the Berkley Hills Renegades, Delweld and Martella’s Pharmacy.
“We need to keep this league viable in order to keep the AAABA Tournament viable,” Altimore said. “The tournament exists largely based on what our league produces. We need a strong representative to keep the tournament strong. You see what happens to the crowds once Johnstown is eliminated.”
Johnstown has hosted the AAABA Tournament every year but twice since 1945.
“We’ll retain from the Roxberry Creamery whatever players want to come back,” Altimore said. “The team will be managed by Len Beiter. He will recruit more players but we certainly will enable the Roxberry players who want to return to stay and play.”
So if you decide to pony up a few thousand bucks to sponsor a team, they will give you the guy who has gotten fired four times in the last ten years? Wouldn't you like to, maybe, pick your own coach?