Season 3

GLOBAL SPORTS PROGRAMMING NETWORK

June 29th, 2001

Franchise Records

By Ron Chambers

1) Brooklyn 172-50 .775

This is the only team in the league to have won there division all three

years. They have won the conference twice and finished second in season 1.

The Rage have had one of the most stable line-ups in th eleague. They

finished seaosn 3 with three of their original staters still starting. They

have had their share of tragedy with their projected starting point guard,

Bill Meyers, dying in a car accident between seasons 1 and 2, but have still

managed to be very stable. They will face a huge test this off-season with 3

starters as free agents and 2 key resrves also being free agents. Any owner

in the league would be a little nervous with 5 players from their 8 man

rotation on the free agent market.

2) Colorado 163-59 .734

Colorado has gone from the worst team in the Pacific Division in season 1 to

a record setting season in season 3. I have a hard time imagining that their

record of 73-7 this season will ever be broken. They and Brooklyn are the

only teams to ever win over 80% of their games in back to back seasons. This

team is built around the best player in the league, Boom-Boom Casey, which

means as long as he stays they will be good. It is doubtful that they will

be able to resign both Boom-Boom and Steve Peterson who are both free agents

so they will likely drop a notch but don't expect them to drop too far.

3) Midland 156-66 .0703

The bad news for Midland is that they took a step backwards this season. The

good news is that they are in a much better salary cap situation than

Brooklyn or Colorado so they should be better next season than this season.

They traded away their chances at a title during the off-season to make sure

that they would be good for years to come. Most observers expected this team

to drop much further than they did but even after dismantling their team

they still managed to go 51-29.

4) Berlin 150-72 .676

This team has always been a step away. They have finished second in their

division once and third twice. Still, they have a better franchise record

than any team who has ever finished above them. They are a nother team who

had serious salary cap issues but traded away Pete Bento and Mike begley for

Horace colbert which buys them another season. A big part of their success

has been super star Jerry Simms who is signed to a long term deal. Their

current concern is rookie stand out Dave Williams who due to being drafted

late in the second round only has a one year contract.

5) Cincinnati 149-73 .671

Cincinnati took much the same approach as Midland in the of-season. They

dealt away many of their top players only retaining their best star, Jim

McCarthy. What this has done is make them unable to win a championship this

year but made them have a bright future. They were also able to acquire

several first round picks ove rthe next few seasons. None of them look like

they will be top picks but if tthey draft well they may find the role

players they need.

6) Boston 140-82 .631

They may only be ranked #6 but no team ahead of them has a championship like

they do. This is a team that is built entirely around their top 5 players.

There is NO depth and they have no first round pick this year so their is

little chance of them acquiring any. Their real problem will start to show

up after season 4 when their second set of super stars becomes free agents.

They are currently the best team in the league 1-4 but their is no way they

will be able to keep all 4 stars.

7) London 140-82 .631

After two seasons this was the best team in the league. Then they went

32-48 last season after being hit by retirements. They have some talent and

their own first round picks for the next two seasons but it will be hard for

them to get back to their past glory. They should look at what has happened

in Nebraska and take heart that something good can be made out of nothing.

8) New York 138-84 .622

This may surprise a lot of teams but despite their love of trading New York

is one of the top franchises in the league. They are one of only 5 teams to

have a winning season every year (Midland, Cincinnati, Berlin and Brooklyn

are the others). If you look at their roster today it is very good their

problem is that isf you look at their roster last season it was very good

and TOTALLY different. Unless this team learns to hold on to tallent and get

better by tinkering with the roster not over hauling it they will never

reach contention status. But, they could probably still be one of the better

teams year in and year out.

9) Roswell 138-84 .622

I'm already expecting to hear the complaints. Yes their record is the same

as New York's and yes I ranked them after New York. In fact Roswell will

have a legitimate complaint, they did reach the finals last season. So why

the lower ranking? I would love to blame it on them trading away Boom-Boom

Casey but that wasn't actually it. They had resigned Tom Perkins to a long

term deal and then they traded him and their starting Center. They could

have been serious contenders this season but they game it all up because of

fear of the cap. They went from the WBA Finals to 42-38.

10) Albacete 87-73 .544

'Cete is the clear stand out among expansion teams. They have 20 more wins

than Tokyo who is second among expansion teams. the have the ability to

recognize quality and get ahold of it. Unfortunately, none of their top

players have long term contracts. But, the spacing of when the contracts

expire is pretty well spaced so they should be able to deal with it.

11) Nebraska 114-108 .514

They one the Championship in season one but they were only the 5th best team

in the West heading into the play-offs. Nothing like getting hot at the

right time. After season 1 a lot of their vetrins chose to retire and they

struggled in season two only winning 21 games. Along comes a new owner and

along comes new success. Brandon Morfeld ttok over the team near the end of

season two and totally revamped them during the off-season. With a 35 game

increase in the win column he stands a good chance at executive of the year.

12) Sydney 112-110 .505

Season 1 they were one of the best teams in the league. In season 2 they

were okay. In season 3...welll when does season 4 start? They actually have

some hope for season 4. They won't be a top team but they have some tallent

and 3 first round picks so if they draft well they should be improved.

13) Montana 110-112 .495

This is a franchise that gave up their future in season 1 for a championship

and then didn't win one. Then in seson 2 they were very bad along with most

of the Pacific Division. Then they got new management moved to Montana and

look to have a future. They don't have mush as far as picks over the next

few seasons so free agency will mean a lot to them.

14) Cancun 109-113 .491

Over half of their wins came in season 3. They have a ton of young tallent

and should be a team to watch in the future. Scott Nicholson has a chance at

developing into one of the best players in hte league.

15) Washington 106-116 .477

This is another team that had a huge turn around this season.What's scary is

that they have 8 first round picks over the next 3 years. They will be a top

team for years. What will be important for them is deciding what tallent to

sign to long term deals and what tallent to let go.

16) S. Carolina 99-123 .446

This team has always been hard to get a read on. Most people thought that

chaging ownership mid season was a good move but the team went into a tail

spin. In Defense of the new ownership SC had a much easier schedule in the

first half of the season than the second. But, more than that this is a team

with out an identity, which I think we will se develope in the off-season. I

expect this team to be at least a little better next sesaon.

17) Winifred 97-125 .437

From bad to good to bad. They made some poor decisions in the off-season in

regards to free agents and had some player retire. But, they have 3 first

round picks and some cap room so they should improve.

18) Tokyo 67-93 .419

They have some great young tallent and $21 million dollars under the cap so

expect to see them much higher on this list next year.

19) Maine 91-131 .410

This franchise has been middle of the road for three seasons. They have some

key free agents and some cap space but no picks. this off-season will be

very inportant if they want to improve.

20) Adelaide 85-137 .383

They were one of the bright stars of the WBA when they were in Marysville,

but Adelaide hasn't been as kind. As with many teams this is a key off

season. They have a couple of low level first round picks and some cap money

so they could make a step in the right dirrection.

21) Gabon 83-139 .374

For two years they were the joke of the WBA now the Rookie all-stars as they

were often called during the season finished the season with the 3rd best

record. They have a ton of tallent and 2 more first round picks this season.

They will be a mjor player for a long time.

22) New Orleans 59-101 .369

They have a couple of first round picks one of which will be very high and

they will have a ton of cap space. At the very least they should be able to

buy a competative team.

23) Indiana 82-140 .369

It's hard to say it depends a lot on how the new management does.

24) Baltimore 81-141 .365

This is another tyeam that could see huge changes but they have a nice core

if they can hold on to it.

25) Chacarita 58-102 .363

I thought this team was going to be better than they were this year. They

have some good tallent but, we'll have to watch to see how they build around

it.

26) Varese 78-144 .351

They have a new owner that is looking forward to starting from scratch and

that is about all he has. At worst he should be able to draft better that

the team did the last two seasons.

27) Bermuda 32-128 .200

Imagine that an expansion team that was worse in their second season!

28) Myrtle Beach 25-135 .156

This franchise really floundered to start with but i actually think they

have a plan now and I expect them to be improved next season.

June 22nd, 2001

Spitting Fit

Nick Barton of New Orleans is usually a calm veteran but today in Chacarita he couldn't take it any more. Chacarita has a reputation for abusive fans but they have typically only taken it out on rival Albacete. Today Barton got fed up after a relentless verbal attack from a fan and spit in his face. The league has suspended Barton for one game.

June 22nd, 2001

A Sad Day in Montana

Today is a sad day in Montana as fan favorite Fred Fryman was in a car accident. While the team is relieved that he was not killed the will miss his presence on the court for the rest of the season and in the play-offs.

June 19th, 2001

League Update

Ray Valdes will miss tomorrows game due to the stomach flu. Broderick Tillman strained his sholder and will miss his next 10 games.

May 26th, 2001

No Davidson No Problem

By Homer Simpson

(New York)- The fans here are going wild after the Firestorm defeated the Berlin Blaze 91-86. The Firestorm who played the game without star pg Kelvin Davidson. He was the emotional leader today after he turned an ankle against roswell. His two replacements Roger Starr and Junior White had a combined 23 pts and 3 assists 6 turnovers and 4 steals. The Firestorm only had 16 assists but they beat Berlin in every other one.

Recently acquired Johnny Brose lit up the glass with 16 rebounds and 7 offensive boards in 30 mintues. Pete Benton and Mike Begley each acquired in the Hoarce Colbert deal played pretty good as Benton had 18 pts and 12 borads before fouling out 30 minutes in. Begley had 13 pts and 8 boards in 41 minutes. They all played great but the star of the game goes to Scooter Jacobs. he didnt score the most pts on the team but his defensive skills led to the victory. He held Rookie sensation Dave Williams to 19 pts one of his lowest totals all season. He held Williams to 33% shooting and Williams turned the ball over 7 times. Jacobs had 14 pts 7 assists and 6 steals in his 41 minutes.

Notes- Colbert had 25 pts and 15 boards in his first game in a Blaze uniform. One fan was arrested after trying to throw a battery at Colbert. He missed and it hit another fan. The other fan was treated for minor injuries and released. The guy who threw it will be in jial for the next 45 days.

May 26th, 2001

Liz Lester Reports...

"HI all, Liz Lester here in the Colorado dressing room, after their crushing of Myrtle Beach, and off course we speak with the man of the day, STEVE PETERSON. Steve, an incredible individual effort of you tonight!!! "

" What can i say Liz...I can tell you that Myrtle beach isn't a top team, and that i have to thank my team mates who helped me get there, but anyway you turn it, a quadruple double like this is just plain great!!! "

" I can understand you're all smiles now, Steve. Do you think performances like this will get you the recognition outside of Colorado that you somehow lacked this year? "

" I don't think so, Liz. Some people just want to believe hype instead of overall ability. You have to be the best at one thing to get noticed by the casual fan. A player like me, who can do it all, and do it well, is only valued by the knowledgable fan. But perhaps a quadruple double will get me some attention! "

" And you deserve that, Steve, with the numbers you put up in this Colorado team!! You should be a certainty for the All Star game. For now, back to the Studio in Denver! "

"Thank you Liz.....and for those that haven't seen the game, here are Peterson's numbers in the Myrtle Beach game:

FG FT 3P REB

MIN M-A M-A M-A O-T A PF BLK TO STL PTS

Steve Peterson 42 10-17 0- 0 1- 3 5-12 16 5 0 2 11 21

May 25th, 2001

And Another Trade

As Trades start to go through PF/C Jimmy Waters of New Orleans is

packing his bags up to move to Boston, While G Tim Elliot and F Steve Felix

will be packing for New Orleans.

As their final game rolled through Felix scored 2 points and blocked a

shot in a quick 7 minutes. While Tim Elliot once again didn't play behind

Jeff Baileys 48 minutes.

While Boston Bound Waters led New Orleans in his final game with 20

points (off 9-14 from the floor 2-2 FT line) 7 rebounds and 4 blocks with 1

TO and 2 Steals in 29 minutes of play.

(Note : Don Sanford was also released and picked up by boston to make this

trade possible he played 2 minutes in his last game with NO)

We asked the players what they thought of the trade their replys were :

Waters - "I loved New Orleans even though we have been struggling, but its

all in the best plus Boston has a very powerful team and I think I can help

shake things up out in the East."

Elliot - "I'm glad this went through my lack of play throughout the year has

kindof discouraged me but I know I'll be treated better out here"

Felix - "I really had found a home at Boston even though I didn't see the

floor a whole lot I liked it but i'll turn in my chance to go all the way

for a little exposure anyday"

Who got the better deal New Orleans or Boston? by the stats above it

looks like Boston but you will be suprised once the season rolls on.

May 22nd, 2001

WBA NEWS

In a late press conference this afternoon in Baltimore, Maryland, the

Golden Beavers announced they had reached a trade agreement with Midland,

holding true to the expectations of many in the league who had expected

Baltimore to deal their all star center Marty Williams. Williams joins

his 4th team in the last 2 years as he, back-up point guard Phil Nixon,

and a second round pick in season 5 were sent to Midland for rookie

center Burt Rodriguez and 2 first round picks in season 6, inluding that

of Myrtle Beach which the Beavers are counting on to be a high lottery

one.

The long expected departure of Marty Williams was caused due to the

managements belief that they would be unable to resign him at the end of

the year. With arguably the best point guard in the league, Stub

Madison, and a young, well rounded player Mike Sewell accompanying

Williams on the list of Baltimore free agent names, the standout center

was left being the odd man out, and so was shipped to Midland for

solidity of the cap and a look towards a promising pick in the future.

Midland adds a very solid player to their roster as they attempt to take

control and win their division with a little added rebounding and

strength inside. Trading away a young prospect, if a rarely used one in

Rodriguez and a couple 1st rounders in season 6, Midland makes no secret

on their hope to be better now. With the acquisition of Williams,

Midland management now turns to the promise of this upcoming postseason,

and afterwards will worry of the free agency issues with 3 of their

stars, including Williams.

On the other side of the deal, Baltimore's made no secret that they

believed that they had no hope of resigning three of their starters and

by moving Williams for what they feel is market value, no more, no less,

the Beaver management feels like they've killed two birds with one stone

by getting a nice package in return for nothing (had Williams left as a

free agent) and two, placing themselves in a position from which they can

have a realistic chance at resigning the remaining two starting free

agents in Madison and Sewell. "The teams that are able to handle their

cap the best will be the teams who thrive in the future, and we feel like

today we made a decision that yes, may have lost us a playoff spot, but

hopefully will have eventually won us years among the top if we're able

to followthrough on our plans this key offseason.", said Pedja Jurisic,

the coach/gm.

...the team has also publically admitted to shopping around Mike Sewell,

another free agent coming up this offseason, though they have said that

with the departure of Williams, they are currently only testing the

market for their promising small forward and while they would not

hesitate to ship him away for the right price, do not feel as though they

must make a deal including him before the trading deadline. "We like Mike

a lot, but we are well aware of his contract situation and if that is

somehow best resolved by moving him, we are listening to offers" said a

Baltimore front office person, and added "...we'd like nothing better

than Mike returning to this organization next year, but we don't know

what he's thinking, and as much as we'd rather have him sign a long term

deal than any type of trade involving him, if we can get market value for

him instead of risking losing him or overpaying, we would consider a

trade that would provide that for us."

May 21st, 2001

Yet Another New York Trade

New York and Nebraska reached agreement on a deal today.

New York Gets: C Frank Fitzgerald, SG/SF Sam Connor, and 3 million in

Season 4

Nebraska Gets: PF/C Hick Hiller, SG/SF Ed Bryant, and Berlin's Season 8 2nd

New York's GM said that this move was a positive step forward. He believes

this move provides NY with the dominating Center they have been searching

for and is a perfect compliment to his frontcourt mates. New York has been

busy during this week off and used the time to restructure his frontcourt.

Acquiring Fitzgerald will fill the hole left by their deaprted star Center.

New York also gained 3 million of cap space for next season which they

intend to use to resign many of their top players. They also gain depth

with Sam Connor who nebraska had just recently signed off of free agency.

New York was excited about Connor and believed he could contribute.

On Nebraska's end it was all smiles as well. Coach Morfeld said "We would

NEVER have been able to resign Fitz with so many top tier players on the

roster. I mean, the fact was that Fitz was only a back-up Center here in

Nebraska and we feel that Hick Hiller will be just as productive if not more

so than Fitz. Hiller is the better rebounder of the two and he shoots a

high % to complement the other shooters on the team. Then we also get a

player we are VERY excited about in Ed Bryant. The kid is only 18 and we

see extreme potential in him. We felt we couldn't get any better value for

Fitz who we would lose after the season anyway. Then we also slipped in

Berlin's Season 8 2nd as added value." "And as far as what we gave up,

Connor never played for us, and the 3 mill in Season 4 is easily affordable

as all the big name players of ours will be free agents the next season. So

we are very happy to have Ed Bryant on our roster and Hick Hiller should

replace Fitz as a solid sub behind McFarland."

May 19th, 2001

Rookie Leaders

WESTERN CONFERENCE POINTS LEADERS:

1. Clifton Banko, ROS 21.5

2. Kent Mercer, CAN 21.0

3. Lou Gonzales, TOK 20.9

4. Eugene LaMaitre, MID 16.2

5. Camron Diaz, MID 16.0

6. George Foster, SYD 14.2

7. Ethan Hunt, TOK 14.1

t7. JD Yetman, NO 14.1

9. Arnold Pine, ADE 13.8

10. Raul Qvevdo, CIN 12.7

11. Kris Calhoun, IND 12.0

12. Benjamin Myers, BRM 11.8

13. Jesus Dienes, TOK 11.4

t13.Pete Merritt, COL 11.4

15. Gus Rizzolo, COL 11.2

16. Bernie Cobb, NO 11.1

17. Charlie Jones, IND 11.0

18. Heiko Van Brandt, COL 10.8

19. Burt Rodriquez, MID 10.3

20. Casey Curtis, ADE 9.2

t20.Dexter Kodak, NEB 9.2

t20.Shawn McKick, CAN 9.2

WESTERN CONFERENCE REBOUNDS LEADERS

1. Kris Calhoun, IND 15.9

2. TJ McFarland, NEB 11.5

3. Kent Mercer, CAN 9.9

4. Bernie Cobb, NO 9.5

5. Heiko Van Brandt, COL 9.1

6. Camron Diaz, MID 7.9

7. Lou Gonzales, TOK 7.4

8. Gus Rizzolo, COL 6.7

t8. Jim Wilson, MID 6.7

10. Eugene LaMaitre, MID 6.3

WESTERN CONFERENCE ASSISTS LEADERS

1. Charlie Jones, IND 6.8

2. Ethan Hunt, TOK 6.7

3. Drake Bacheman, NEB 6.1

4. Heiko Van Brandt, COL 5.7

5. George Foster, SYD 5.3

EASTERN CONFERENCE POINTS LEADERS

1. Dave Williams, BER 26.4

2. Otto Hameleers, GAB 21.0

3. Magic Toby, CHA 20.2

4. Derek Vinyard, GAB 19.8

5. Kevon Duke, WSH 19.6

6. Parker Mason, WSH 18.1

7. Jerry Bramson, GAB 16.7

8. Shane Strom, BRK 15.8

9. Shawn Newman, MNE 15.2

10. Tyler Durden, WSH 14.3

11. George Krieger, SC 13.3

12. Lou Boone, MB 12.4

13. Cristobal Dasher, WSH 12.2

14. Al Zarra, BRK 11.5

15. Myron Faris, VAR 11.1

16. Bruce Johnson, MNE 10.8

17. Leon Berthelson, GAB 10.7

18. Jim Donnelly, LON 9.8

19. Willie Toth, GAB 9.5

20. Marcellus Hoover, SC 8.8

EASTERN CONFERENCE REBOUNDS LEADERS

1. Jerry Bramson, GAB 11.7

2. Derek Vinyard, GAB 9.8

3. Cristobal Dasher, WSH 8.9

4. Al Zarra, BRK 7.6

5. Peter Langstraat, SC 6.8

6. Dave Williams, BER 6.6

7. Bruce Johnson, MNE 6.5

8. Abu Zimmerman, BOS 5.8

t8. Parker Mason, WSH 5.8

10. Blaine Brooks, GAB 5.7

WBA POINTS LEADERS

1. Dave Williams, BER 26.4

2. Clifton Banko, ROS 21.5

3. Kent Mercer, CAN 21.0

t3. Otto Hameleers, GAB 21.0

5. Lou Gonzales, TOK 20.9

6. Magic Toby, CHA 20.2

7. Derek Vinyard, GAB 19.8

8. Kevon Duke, WSH 19.6

9. Parker Mason, WSH 18.1

10. Jerry Bramson, GAB 16.7

11. Eugene LaMaitre, MID 16.2

12. Camron Diaz, MID 16.0

13. Shane Strom, BRK 15.8

14. Shawn Newman, MNE 15.2

15. Tyler Durden, WSH 14.3

16. George Foster, SYD 14.2

17. Ethan Hunt, TOK 14.1

t17.JD Yetman, NO 14.1

19. Arnold Pine, ADE 13.8

20. George Krieger, SC 13.3

21. Raul Qvevdo, CIN 12.7

22. Lou Boone, MB 12.4

23. Cristobal Dasher, WSH 12.2

24. Kris Calhoun, IND 12.0

25. Benjamin Myers, BRM 11.8

26. Al Zarra, BRK 11.5

27. Jesus Dienes, TOK 11.4

t27.Pete Merritt, COL 11.4

29. Gus Rizzolo, COL 11.2

30. Bernie Cobb, NO 11.1

t30.Myron Faris, VAR 11.1

WBA REBOUNDS LEADERS

1. Kris Calhoun, IND 15.9

2. Jerry Bramson, GAB 11.7

3. TJ McFarland, NEB 11.5

4. Kent Mercer, CAN 9.9

5. Derek Vinyard, GAB 9.8

6. Bernie Cobb, NO 9.5

7. Heiko Van Brandt, COL 9.1

8. Cristobal Dasher, WSH 8.9

9. Camron Diaz, MID 7.9

10. Al Zarra, BRK 7.6

11. Lou Gonzales, TOK 7.4

12. Peter Langstraat, SC 6.8

13. Gus Rizzolo, COL 6.7

t13.Jim Wilson, MID 6.7

15. Dave Williams, BER 6.6

WBA ASSISTS LEADERS

1. Parker Mason, WSH 9.9

2. Leon Berthelson, GAB 8.4

3. Antonio Swift, ALB 8.3

4. Jim Donnelly, LON 7.0

5. Charlie Jones, IND 6.8

6. Ethan Hunt, TOK 6.7

7. Drake Bacheman, NEB 6.1

May 19th, 2001

Bye Bye Colbert, Bye Bye Roger Rabbit

We just recieved word a few minutes ago that Berlin and New York have made a

blockbuster deal. Berlin sent Pete Benton and Mike Begley with 2 seconds to

the Firestorm. New York traded Horace Colbert along with Ron OHara to the

Blaze.

"We felt that we needed to rebuild now and with Dave Williams and Colbert

it puts us in a chance to be dominant in the near future," said Coach

Williams as he left the court a few minutes ago.

"It was a really tough trade for us to make. Colbert's been a great

player on the team and although hes been playing great for us we knew the

only way to get farther is to get some veteran leadership and a good sf as

what we did with Benton. Begley aint shabby either. I expect them to both

contribute greatly to our team. Also getting Cinci's season 4 2nd and

Berlins season 8 2nd couldnt hurt so much," said Coach Goodstadt a few

seconds ago.

This will really affect each team as it now looks like Berlin is beginning

to rebuild. They already have 3 stars on their team but it looks like if

Coach Williams will be able to pay them all will depend on Jerry Sims who is

getting paid 9 mil. Colbert will be worth at least 9 million when he gets

out of his contract season 4.

New York on the other hand now looks like they will be able to dominate.

Although they are not a top team they are close to it and there is rumors

that Eddie Jacobson is available. Coach Goodstadt has cleared 9 mil in cap

space for after season 4 and can now use it for season 3. New York needs one

more quality guy at the sg or sf position and they will be close to being

what they need.

For now it looks like Berlin and New York flipped teams. Both will make

the playoffs but it now looks like New York will be the team that goes far

not Berlin.

May 18th, 2001

Mr. Riddle goes to Washington

The Washington Monuments would like to announce that they have acquired

Center John Riddle from the Sydney Machine Techs. To get Riddle, Washington

gave up backup center Fred Cane and 2 first round draft picks this season

(Washington and Roswell). Before the trade, Washington was already one of

the best teams in the league. They proved that they could beat any team in

the league when they beat the then undefeated Colorado Pioneers on Day 24.

Word around the league was that Washington was a definite playoff team, but

wasn't a championship contender because they lacked a great center that all

championship teams have. Washington has now gotten their man. Riddle, who

has been an MVP candidate for the last 2 seasons, is averaging 24.5 points,

9.5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1.4 steals, and shoots over 50% from the field.

Riddle said this after right before his departure late last night from

Sydney, "I have mixed emotions right now. I loved playing for Sydney and

expected to play for them the rest of my career. They however, wanted to

move in another direction, and I respect that decision. I am grateful for

the opportunity to play in the Monuments organization. They have a great

team over there and they have a sellout crowd every night. I'm glad Shaun

Ramirez traded me to Washington and not a place like New York where that

crazy owner would probably trade me if I missed a couple of shots in a row.

Once again, I just want to say how grateful I am to play in Washington. I

think we have a real shot to win it all and I look forward to the

opportunity." Owner/gm/coach Sam Plummer said this about his recent

acquisition, "John Riddle is a true professional and will add much needed

leadership to our young team. I want to wish the best of luck to Fred Cane

in Sydney. He has done a remarkable job for our team over the last 2

seasons." With John Riddle now in Washington, there is debate around the

league as to whether or not Washington is now the team to beat. They have

one of the best starting 5's in the league and have one of the league's best

benches too. They were good enough to beat some great teams before they had

Riddle, and now they're even better-- offensively and defensively. Look out

WBA, D.C. is making some noise.

May 14th, 2001

Another New York Trade

In New York’s 16th, yes 16th trade of the season the Firestorm have sent recently acquired Clifton Banko to the WBA’s newest .500 team: the XT. Roswell received Billy Christianson, Billy Lopez and a future first to go along with the sharp shooting Banko. In typical Goodstadt fashion, the Firestorm GM sends away a player in which just a few short days ago was one of the franchises prized players, but fell short of expectations and did not provide the rebounding force that NY needed up front. In another case of “giving up” on a player, Roswell sent expected Perkins replacement Eddie Jacobson packing, along with one of the XT’s hottest players Hick Hillar, Junior White and a 2nd. “I did it cause I need a rebounding PF and with Jacobson and Hillar I got what I wanted” expressed Goodstadt. He later stated that “White aint’ half bad” and that “Christiansen and Lopez aren’t the greatest things”. Who putt this guy at the helm in NY anyway?

The trade sparks a small rebuilding movement for the only pro sports team in New Mexico. The team has stated, “This move is not the last, but does not in any way indicate that the core of the team will be altered.”

In another note: Firestorm GM Steven Goodstadt was seen playing an enthusiastic game of monopoly with several little kids in the “play room” of his house Saturday evening. Apparently the Coach was heard calling Roswell GM Bryan Hasho a “loser” for not playing. The phones at the local sports radio station (WFAN) have been ringing off the hook with angry fans calling for a new coach. The decision remains to be seen.

May 7th, 2001

Team Spotlight: Bermuda Bombers

By Brad Moore

Bermuda has had one of the worst runs in the WBA. They were an expansion team that has fallen prey to some questionable and downright bad management decisions. They made just one trade before the season which was to acquire Joe Brown, Ted Groth, Colorado's Season 4 1st, and Washington's Season 6 2nd for Tyler Durden and their own Season 6 1st. The best thing out of this deal for Bermuda is that it gives them a pick a lot sooner to maybe get them a steal late in Round 1 to make a small step in the right direction. The bad thing was losing Durden, an almost certain starter, while picking up two players who are only marginally talented. As it stands right now only Varese and Myrtle Beach are worse off than Bermuda this season and I won't even say they are worse teams. When you look down the starting lineup of Bermuda it is a who's who of Nobodyville. Al Wood, Bill Milligan, Benjamin Myers, and Dennis Thomas. The lone player for Bermuda that sparks any interest is fan favorite Rod Lawrence.

At PG Bermuda starts off with Al Wood. Wood is a decent passer when he has someone who can shoot on his team and an average defensive player. He's probably the second best player on this team. At SG Bermuda plays Bill Milligan. Milligan is 38 and falling apart at the seams. This position could use a huge upgrade and Bermuda feels the lack of any adequate play maker here. At SF they play Rod Lawrence, their one go to guy. Lawrence rebounds well for his position and is a threat to score. He is the one guy that can cause any team in the league trouble if he gets on. Then at PF is Benjamin Myers. Myers is young and will need time to develop, but could turn into a decent player in a couple seasons which is something Bermuda should aim for. They're not gonna stop the Titanic from sinking, but maybe they can raise it from the ocean floor if they tie the chains up right!! Then at Center they start Dennis Norton. Who?? Exactly. I don't know either. But I do know this--in order to be successful in this league a team MUST have a dominating Center--just look at Tokyo's change. Norton is 31 and past his prime.

The bottom line is that Bermuda has an old team. And instead of being old and good as is the case most times, they are old and bad. And that is the worst case scenario to be in. The young teams are already better than Bermuda and only getting farther ahead year by year. Bermuda needs to make smart management decisions and slowly try to mold this team into a young team with potential. But they need more active management and better value in their trades.

May 7th, 2001

Team Spotlight: Berlin Blaze

By Brad Moore

Berlin exemplifies WBA success. They are in the top 5 winningest teams all time. Not many teams can boast of being in such an elite category. A large part of their success is coaching. Dave Williams knows exactly how to get the most from his players and is great at breaking down other teams in the league. A great example of this is rookie Dave Williams (the player). This guy thrives under Coach Williams gameplans, but would most likely be only above average with anyone else calling the shots. Coaches success doesn't come from making trade after trade to perfect his team, but only making smart trades right when his team needs them. He is selective about his deals and knows which players he wants and goes after them. But that is easy to do when you have such a great team to begin with. He makes smart free agent acquisitions and has a real vision of where his team will be in the future. In all, Coach Williams provides the best coaching in the league and some smart managerial skills.

At PG Berlin employs Henry Jordan. Jordan is a good shooter with average passign skills for a PG. But he has plenty of targets to choose from. He also plays solid defense and keeps his fouls down. At SG is the amazing rookie Dave Williams. This guys success has come as a shock to myself although had he been drafted by Coach Williams I would NEVER have called him a bust. Coach Williams has perfected this guys game and I have no doubt a LARGE amount of his success is due to Coach Williams. But lets not be stupid here, no doubt the guy could always score and he rebounds well for a SG. He just needs to pick up some defense and he could be nearly unstoppable. The sad part is that he will be a free agent after the season and we all know bidding will be high for such a young scorer. At SF is the veteran Jerry Sims. He was the recipient of a huge long-term contract this season. He's only 27 and he will be an impact player for many years to come, but Berlin may still regret this contract in its last few seasons and may possibly look to move Sims to a weaker team for his last few years. A lot depends on how the aging process tolls on him. But right now Sims is a dangerous player, able to both score and rebound and he stays out of foul trouble. I must admit I was a little shocked by the size of his deal, but Sims is an instrumental part of the Berlin team. At PF Berlin goes with Pete Benton. Benton is only an average rebounder, but is an excellent scorer. He also stays out of foul trouble which allows him to play solid minutes every time out. Then at C is Mike Begley. Begley is also only an average rebounder. But he plays good solid defense and is also a great scorer.

Berlin is a top rebounding team however I see that they can be taken advantage of in the frontcourt. A large part of their rebounding advantage comes from the SG and SF positions. They beat you at rebounding right there, not with the big men (who are both good rebounders, just not great). In all this is a very complete team. But they have a good number of free agents after the season and we'll see what happens then. As far as this seasons trades go Berlin made 3 of them. The first was getting Chanda, Begley, 2 million dollars, and London's Season 4 2nd for Reggie Goode, Berlin's Season 4 and 8 1st's and Berlin's Season 4 and 5 2nd's. Chanda and Begley were hige acquisitions, but a lot of this trades analysis will depend on whether or not Berlin is able to keep both these players long term. If so, then Berlin got a pretty average deal, but if they lose those guys they gave up a LOT of draft picks, some of which could be quite high if Berlin needs to rebuild. No doubt the deal helped them this season, but the long term effects are pending. The next trade they acquired Dave Williams and Tokyo's Season 6 1st for Charlie Elkington and London's Season 4 2nd. What a STEAL!!! Williams is better than Elkington, PLUS Berlin stole a 1st for a 2nd!! That was a shrewd deal by Williams who knew exactly what he was getting in Williams the player!! The last deal Berlin made was a cap related issue in which Nebraska helped him out by taking McCauley and Berlin's season 6 2nd for Cincinnati's season 4 2nd. It was a good deal for Berlin and Nebraska later traded McCauley anyway.

Berlin will be a top contender through this season and if I had to guess i would say that Dave will probably have them somewhere towards the top every season. But it will be interesting to see what happens in free agency this season for Berlin and what they end up with for next season, especially after trading their draft picks. If they don't get the guys back that they need, they could be in for a rebuilding process.

May 5th, 2001

Team Spotlight: S.Carolina Hurricanes

by: Jay Bilas

The no-name players of South Carolina are located in a no-name city, play in a no-name stadium and they're coached by a no-name kid..... anyway... who are these no-names? Who Knows? Who cares? In the meantime, we shall call them "Hurricanes."

As South Carolina's original team was shaping up in season one, their front court was looking sharp-- featuring Dave Short and Marty Williams. However, GM/Coach Corey Daubanton quickly traded them away for the future, and thus their season was over.

With many picks, SC's season two draft was practically disastrous... SC traded away the #3 pick, and received the #5 and 33 picks. South Carolina also had the #8 pick-- unfortunately, they traded that pick and the #33 pick away for Ed Kane, who they eventually traded for McCauley... who they eventually traded for Gene Allen.... yikes! South Carolina basically took Gene Allen as the #3 pick... that hurt. However, the Hurricanes did snatch Paul Wilson at the #5 spot.

South Carolina made the best of season two, posting a respectable 48-34 record, and the #6 seed in the East. The team was very balanced-- they had seven guys average double digits, including Gene Allen (18.1), Ed Bryant (16.0), Pat McDaniel (14.5), and a few others. South Carolina also had the leading rebounder in the league, Paul Wilson, who averaged 15.2 boards per game in season two. In the playoffs, the Hurricanes stole game one from the Berlin Galaxy, but they dropped the next three games, and were eliminated.

Having the youngest team in the league, the SC staff expected a great off season... it never came. 18-year old Charlie Brown received a nice multi-year contract from the Hurricanes; he was suppose to have a breakout season this year, but he has turned out to be a bust thus far. "He has Jermaine O'neal-type potential-- it will take a few years for him to blossom," said a WBA Scout. A few years? South Carolina needs him now! Who can they rely on now? ah yes, their draft pick, Marcellus Hoover-- the Burger King HS Player of the Year. Actually, it will take him a few years to blossom as well... on to Plan F: Sign free agents..... South Carolina picked up injury-prone free agent, George Krieger. Krieger can score a lot, but to get him SC had to cut someone... that someone was Ed Bryant.... why? why? why? Why cut an 18-year old?

Throughout the history of this franchise, many questions have been asked... but, very few answers in return. "Daubanton is an unpredictable one," said former SC player, Wes Ford. "He's kind of like that Billy Haywood person from that baseball movie-- trying to fit in, and show the guys he can run the show. Though I'm still wondering why he didn't want to re-sign me... perhaps when you reach 25, you're considered old and useless. Maybe if I show him the ladies, he will 'show me the money.' Without me, South Carolina is hurting for a bench captain-- i just don't think Charlie Brown has the experience to deal with the pressure."

At the start of season three, the Hurricanes started out 9-3, and were surprisingly doing well. Many analysts, including myself, didn't think this South Carolina could keep up the pace. South Carolina has proven they can score, with Pat McDaniel and Gene Allen averaging above 16 per game... but, they forgot about defense! I think the Hurricanes miss Wes Ford... not really. What South Carolina really lacks, is a big time star. I'm not talking about a Paul Wilson type... South Carolina needs a versatile player, who can carry them under pressure situations. Until then, South Carolina will stay as a .500 team, and fight for a playoff berth.

April 28th, 2001

Team Spotlight: New York Firestorm

New York has been a very effective team the last couple seasons in the

WBA. Last season they made the playoffs only to be knocked out early on.

But the Firestorm are back for this season with a new look. After last

season they cleaned house making 15 deals so far in Season 3. Whether these

deals made the team better or not remains to be seen as the Firestorm have

started off 10-7 this season. By scanning down their long list of trades it

is amazing how often you see them acquire a player or draft pick only to

deal it away shortly after. They have a very high player turnover rate in

New York. Only 2 of their starters remain the same as last season and those

are the backcourt duo of Kelvin Davidson and Scooter Jacobs. Kelvin

Davidson is one of the WBA's elit point men. He runs the show quite well

for New York. He is an excellent passer and can put the ball through the

hoop when no one is open. Jacobs is all about scoring. He is the main go

to man on this team for jump shots. Jacobs is the teams leader and all the

other players look to him. He's worn the uniform longer than most of the

guys and started for New York as long as I have known. Their backcourt is

not a question mark for New York as I think anyone in the league would agree

they are very talented.

The forward positions are another matter altogether. Roy Robinson has

lost his shooting touch and can no longer hit shots with consistency. And

he doesn't even bring a dominating rebound style to the New York lineup.

The SF slot is quite weak on the team in my opinion. Then there is newly

acquired rookie Clifton Banko. There is no doubt this guy can lead Indiana

in scoring, but can he score 20 a game in New york?? I don't think so Tim!!

Banko will be an effective offensive player I believe, but when he is

forced to share the ball his offensive numbers will drop and he doesn't play

defense or rebound at all. New York will take a huge hit on the boards by

playing him at PF and will also play worse defense. The forward slots on

this team are highly suspect in my opinion and are going to be the major

difference in this teams wins and losses.

Now for their Center--Horace Colbert. This guy can win games for New

York. He rebounds and plays solid defense and he can score too. Getting

him was one of the smartest moves by New York management all offseason. It

brought in a dominating center which all the top teams must have. He has

proven his worth this season so far by dominating some games.

New York is a borderline playoff team in the Eastern Conference. They

are in need of a large rebounding presence at PF which it seems most teams

in the league are. So it will be very difficult to find one. They could

also use some help at SF. New York doesn't have very many draft picks left

either. It seems that every time they stockpile draft picks they end up

dumping about 3 or 4 of them all at once in some deal. So this team will be

looking to make deals and sign key free agents to get back to where they

have been in the past.

My final prediction is that if the Firestorm can acquire a SF or PF that

can rebound or if they avoid all injuries then they will make the playoffs.

But it will be a long hard season for them and they need to remain focused

and take it one game at a time. If they do that they have the talent at the

guard spots and at center to surprise some teams. I don't think there is

anyone they can't beat, but there aren't many teams that can't beat the

Firestorm either. It will just depend on how well those forwards stand up

on any given day.

Brandon

GSPN writer

April 28th, 2001

Team Spotlight: London Disco

by Al W. Bush

For the first 2 seasons of the WBA, the London Disco were a championship

caliber team that put fear into the hearts of many. Yet, despite being the

WBA's all-time leader in wins for a franchise heading into this season,

London came up short in their ultimate goal of winning a championship. I

use the phrase, "came up short" loosely. It started in the preseason

tournament in Season 1 with a loss in the championship game. They dominated

the Eastern Conference in the regular season and playoffs, and found

themselves in the League Championship against the underdog, Fernie Fire

Starters, who have now relocated to Nebraska. The heavily favored Disco

fell behind in the series 0-3, putting their Championship hopes in serious

doubt. London eventually lost to Fernie 4-2 ending their comeback bid.

London management shook things up a bit in the offseason after their

disappointing loss in the Finals. Other owners around the league felt that

London took a few steps back and their chances of getting back to the Finals

were very slim. London tried to prove their critics wrong by having a great

pre-season. They reached the pre-season championship game, but once again

lost. They were tabbed as the Buffalo Bills of basketball. Three

consecutive chances to win a championship and all three ended in defeat.

London was poised to have a great regular season and did, finishing in 3rd

place with 50+ wins. London steamrolled their opponents in the first 2

rounds, with both series ending in sweeps. London seemed ready to make

another run at a Championship Final. A division rival in the Boston

Massacre was the only thing that could stand in their way. Boston proved to

be the better team by sweeping the Disco in 4 games and later on won in the

WBA Finals against Roswell. After their season ended, London decided to

evaluate their team as a whole. London management felt their season was a

failure, but instead of blaming their players, they blamed themselves. The

well-respected Andy Dawkins stepped down as owner of the Disco. Dawkins

however, left in the middle of the offseason and ownership of the team was

transferred to David Song. It took a while before Song could officially

take over and London was at a standstill in negotiations with their free

agents. Their young, budding superstar in Buck Jones was a free agent and

was seeking a long-term contract. Jones got what he wanted by signing to a

tune of a 7-year $70 million contract, but with the Winifred Rebels. Jones'

flee to North America immediately made London a worse team and started to

put the future of the Disco in doubt. Song was forced to go in the

rebuilding mode in hopes of one day bringing the once proud London franchise

back on the map of the WBA's elite. Acquisitions of 24-year old center,

Charlie Griffin (18.6 pts., 11.9 rebs.), and the Foreman brothers (Maury and

Steve) highlighted a wild off-season. Though London has struggled out of

the gate early thus far (6-11), their current 3-game winning streak, and

recent wins over quality teams like Brooklyn and Tokyo, give Disco fans

something to cheer about while their team goes through the dreaded

rebuilding stage. If everything goes according to plan, in a couple of

seasons, the Disco should be fighting for a championship. Well, maybe

runner-ups. Let me remind you of a quote by former Notre Dame football

coach, Lou Holtz, after his team finished 2nd in the country in the polls

one year. "If you finish second in the country, they call you an idiot. If

you finish last in medical school, they call you doctor."

April 26th, 2001

Will the Pretenders be Contenders?

After getting Banko, can the PRETENDERS become CONTENDERS?....I think defensively Banko isn't that great at all...he can't rebound can't steal the ball or block at the PF position. But of course, as we all know, he can

defintely shoot the ball. Can this lead New York to the top of their division or even in to a title contender? I know this might sound kinda crazy but having too much offensive minded player on one team can actually hurt the team overall. For example, everyone made fun of Marc when he traded Taylor for Van Brandt and Peterson. But look at him now ..he's won 16 str8 and is

prolly the favorite to win it all. He got better defensively and overall he got a great PG and a solid PF who can rebound and score. I think that having two great players on one team that always need to shoot the ball does not

allow 1 of them to flourish, therefore, hurting the team overall. We'll see how Davidson, Colbert, and Banko work out in NY.

April 21st, 2001

WBA and Drugs

Last year both Pee-Wee Stoddard and Sam Sewell lost their season's due to drug activities. While Stoddard spent the time in jail for criminal offenses Sewell missed the season due to violating the leagues drug policy. "We take this issue very seriously," said league Commissioner Rondall Reynoso. "We feel players in this league should be model citizens. Whether they like it or not a lot of kids look up to them so we have taken a very hard line on illegal drug usage. Last year the league lost two stars to drugs you think players would learn." Unfortunately, some players don't learn. Ray Johnson of Berlin was suspended today for the remainder of the season after he was found to have violated the league drug policies.

April 21st, 2001

Flying Can's in Colorado

In today's game against Adelaide a fan hit Eric Salazar on the Ankle with a full beer can. Salazar's ankle is swollen and he will miss monday's game. Police are still looking for the suspect but believe it was unintentional and that the fan was actually trying to hit an Adelaide player.

April 20th, 2001

The Nebraska Perspective

Coach/GM Morfeld: "Nebraska is VERY glad to have Wayne Taylor and we plan

on treating him with the highest respect and regard as a superstar. As for

his locker room presence it is amazing. The guy is only 18 and already he

motivates and challenges the other players. He raises this team to a new

level. But, that's what we all expected. He will be a truly amazing player

in this league for a long time and he seems to like it here in Nebraska."

PTS Sports also interviewed Wayne Taylor about the trade:

PTS: Wayne, were you shocked by being traded?? What went through your

mind??

Wayne: I was completely shocked! I had been told for a LONG time that I

was untouchable and would play my entire career in Colorado. I mean, there

were always rumors and teams asking, but I never thought any of them would

ever put forth an offer Colorado would accept. I never really minded

playing alongside Casey. We always got along pretty well and I realized I

was a developing player. But I suppose eventually our egos may have

clashed. And as far as what went through my mind.... I don't even remember.

I just know I was sad the day i had to clean out my locker and walk out of

the locker room. I left behind a lot of friends. But it all changed once I

got to Nebraska, put on the uniform, and heard the reaction of that crowd

just for me. It was amazing.

PTS: So, are you happy with the deal?

Wayne: Of course. I love it here in Nebraska. Lay back and watch some

college football, go to the world's largest zoo, and I got myself a nice

Nebraska girl too (smiling)

PTS: Awwww--watch it young man--you're only 18!!

Laughing

PTS: Well, good luck this season, do you think you'll need it??

Wayne: Luck is always good to have, but skill is better. At Nebraska we

have skill. But the luck will be what can push us over the top!

PTS lastly interviewed Garth Donohue

PTS: So, what was your reaction to the trade?

Garth: Well, it was awesome to hear that Wayne was coming to play here. I

think it really made all the guys ears perk up when it was announced. I

remember when we heard it from Coach Morfeld we were sad for Peterson and

Heiko, but remember that this team has 14 brand new players on it so it

wasn't like we had all been together for very long. I think this team will

only get better as the season goes on. As we all start to form our team

identity. But no doubt Wayne brings a presence to the locker room. The guy

is an amazing player, but an even more amazing person. He gives to

charities locally and he loves to sign autographs wherever he goes. He just

loves the people that make basketball what it is and the fans here in

nebraska have fallen in love with him. I think he will be here for life--if

he ever left I think it would kill Nebraska basketball. He has so quickly

become an icon of a sport and a team.

April 20th, 2001

A visit to Pueblo, Home of the Pioneers.

by Liz lester

After their Domination of the pre-season, and now their storming out of the gate to a league best 10-0 record, the time is ripe to visit one of this years leading contenders for the WBA title, the Colorado Pioneers.

The franchise, wich saw a major turnaround last year, after acquiring All star Boom Boom Casey and drafting teenager Wayne Taylor, saw another major change of direction with the trade of Taylor to nebraska during the preseason. To start of our visit to Colorado, we will talk about that trade with Colorado's huge, and i mean that literally, Boom Boom Casey.

"Boom Boom, Surely you must have ben suprised at seeing Taylor go. It was tought that you two would be the core of this Colorado team for ages."

"Yes Liz, i was a bit suprised at first. But after a few training sessions with the guys that were brought in, i saw the wisdom of the trade...Wayne and Me were getting in eachohters way sometimes, both wanting to dominate. These new uys are totally differnt. They play a totally differnt game. They rebound, they steal....And they pass the ball to me..now that is something wayne would not do. Wayne has his own team to shine on now. Peterson is just plain huge, and van Brandt is to me the most underrated player from the draft. Nobody talks about him, but the guy is just so intense, and he plays without making any mistakes....his defense is soo huge. Sure we wil miss Kodak, who's a great guy next to being a good player and Taylor, but for the team, Peterson and van Brandt are what we needed. "

" What do you think this season will bring Colorado? "

" Liz, anything less then a place in the conference final would be a disgrace, and anything less then a place in the championship game a dissapointment..We have the tools to win it, and we should go for it"

"Thank you, Boom Boom Casey "

Next stop in our visit here in Colorado is Steve Peterson, one of the top pg's ever to play in this young league. Steve is a young man himself still, even though he plays as a veteran, as are most of this Colorado team.

" Steve, Happy in Colorado? "

" Liz, i love it here....we have a great team , a coach who knows his stuff ( Marc Hameleers has several great honors to his credit, not in the least last years GCBA title with Amsterdam; Liz Lester) and the skiing resorts are not to far. What more can you want?"

" Not suprised you were traded twice in short sucession,a nd that there were some rumors that Mr Hameleers tried to trade you and Wright for his Son and Berthelson of Gabon?"

" Well, almost everyone wants to have me, so no, i am not suprised. I was suprised at the suggestiont hat i might be traded to gabon,a nd that Mr Hameleers was dismantling his potential WBA winning team. I guess his love for his son is big..and Otto is a good player as well, although a bit slow at times. But Gabon didn't like the deal at all..even insulted me and wright a bit int he proces...thank God i won't be playing there. Mr Hameleers and wright and me had a long talk....The air is clear here now,a nd we won't be traded,not even for Otto. We're here to get that trophy"

" Your contract ends after this season. Will you stay here at Colorado, or leave?

" No comment so far, Liz, no comment. We have a season to play first, games to win, and losses to bounce back from. After the season we will see. Mr Hameleers told me however that there will be cap space for me to resign, and that he wants me to. We will see...."

The final Station for now, here in our Colorado, is the Big Guy ( and i do not mean length) Himself, Mr Hameleers.

"Mr Hameleers, undefeated in pre season, undefeated in the regular season, even though you had some tough games, when will it end?"

" Hopefully never liz, hopefully never. But we cannot really expect this to last much longer. There are just too many good teams out there. I will be happy if we can secure home court advantage throughout the post season, but even that will be toough. I expect a lot of teams close together this year, wich is good for the league. Off course i think we CAN win it all, but so can at least 5 other teams, with a few outsiders next to that...oh, and just call me Marc, Liz!"

" Ok Marc, i will. Two questions, why trading Taylor, and didn't you give to much in that trade? and why did you try to trade away Peterson?"

" We had too many people making the shots..and to few people grabbing the rebounds and making the passes. This trade corrected that, and made us a lot stornger. Peterson we all know is huge, and van Brandt played under me in Amsterdam. He's gonna be a star in two years, and even now he's just what this team needed. Indeed, in hindsight, we may have given up a pick too mcuh, but not that much....We gained two huge players, in a year that we could win the Title..that was too good to pass up.

As far as trading peterson, It was a mistake. I wanted my son to play here in Colorado, even though the trade would have weakened my team this year. That was stupid, and i apologized to wright and Peterson,who both have been huge this year. They will stay. Period. After this year, i hope i can get them to resign for us...Perhaps Otto can play for us in the future, one day, when his days of free agency are there. We will see. In any case, I will not endanger this franchise to get him."

"thank you Marc..any last remarks?"

" Yeah, i wanna wish Taylor the best in Nebraska....The Nebraska managment is capable and I think, no KNOW , that Taylor will be huge there. he deserves the best, and being a team leader may suit him a lot more then being 2nd fiddle to Boom Boom...We will miss his upbeat attitude in the drssing room,as we will miss Dexter's, and there will be days in the future that we will curse ourselves for trading him. But i really believe this was the best for Colorado AND Wayne Taylor."

" This was Liz Lester, Colorado correspondent for GSPN news "

March 31st, 2001

Season Preview

By Will Davidson

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Pacific Division:

Colorado Pioneers: With the West being much weaker than it has been in the

past, and with Colorado's phenomenal young guns, Casey and Taylor, I think

that this team has a shot at beating Los Angeles' season one winning

percentage of (.871) 1st in division.

Nebraska Sun Warriors: Here's a team that has absolutely none of the same

players that it had on opening day a season ago. That is good news if you

followed them at all last season. Now with another block bluster trade in

the works, look for Nebraska to win 60+ games. 2nd in division.

Tokyo Diablo: No kidding. With Gonzalez, Beard, Taylor, Dickenson, and

Hunt, this team can shoot. No doubt about that. They will also get a fair

share of rebounds and Gonzalez' interior defense can stifle even the likes

of Colorado's Casey. If any rookie will get into the All-Star game, this is

the most likely candidate. 3rd in division.

Roswell XT: Adding another quality player to this team could put them right

back where they were last season, but without Perkins this team is 'only' a

.600 team. I just don't see this team getting the rebounds they did last

season, but they will still make the playoffs, again. 4th in division.

Sydney Machine Techs: This team has a little bit of talent, but Riddle can'

t win the games by himself. After him they have Foster and not much else.

Riddle will win some games for Sydney, but the other front court players

need to be able to rebound a lot more than they are capable of. 5th in

division.

Montana Knights: New owner, new team. The previous owner apparently had a

rummage sale before he disappeared. The new guy J has already made a few

trades, and although none seem to be blockbuster deals, this team will be

much improved over last season's debacle. 6th in division.

Adelaide Aces: Another team that had very little in any form of management.

Not much here for the new owner to use to turn things around. So, it will

be a long season for the Aces. Their goal for this season should be to try

for 15 wins which won't be the lowest amount in the league this season. 7th

in division.

Midwest Division:

Midland Thunder: The thunder will roar in the Midwest this season. Some big

additions to this team include Latham, LaMaitre, and Diaz will boost this

team to the top of the division and the number 2 seed in the Western

Conference playoffs. Holt will once again compete for the scoring title with

Casey. 1st in division.

Cancun Outlaws: The combination of Nicholson, Mercer, Burke, Dobson,

Foster, and Gaston, make up the beginnings of a very good team. The average

age of these 6 is just 20.7 with non being older than 22. Watch out for

these guys! 2nd in division.

Cincinnati Cyclones: With a couple of questionable trades, this team goes

from top tier to scary. Scary in that I'm surprised that with the quality

of ownership this team has that these trades occurred. Management may have

been worried about the possibility (or lack of) to re-sign some players and

could use the new found cap space to start a full fledged rebuilding.

Actually, this team isn't a bad one, at all. 3rd in division.

Winifred Rebels: The best of the rest. These next 4 teams are relatively

equal, but I give the nod to the Rebels. Better management and coaching here

than any of the others. That, and they still have Jones and Lopes. 4th in

division.

New Orleans Felony: A few decent players here, but not enough to compete on

a daily basis in this league. A couple of well planned trades could turn

this team around . 5th in division.

Indiana Shakers: Looks like Banko will be the leader on this team, but he

is just a rookie. It's rarely a good sign when a rookie is the best player

on a team and this is no exception. 6th in division.

Bermuda Bombers: The best player on this team is probably Rod Lawrence, but

if he is to step up, he'll have to learn to play 'D' under control a lot

more. They run their own version of Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense. It's

the Bermuda Triangle Offense.. 7th in division.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Atlantic Division:

Berlin Blaze: Not saying that the Blaze run away with this, but I honestly

feel that Berlin has a legitimate shot at winning the division. If not, the

difference between 1st and 2nd in this division is minimal, 2 games tops.

1st in division.

Boston Massacre: Definitely the favorite in this division. Especially since

they are the returning champion. With Yeager, Bailey, Short and Henderson

this team does have a great shot at repeating. 2nd in division.

Gabon Giants: It causes a major lump in my throat to say that Gabon's got

game. Hard to believe but the laughing stock of the league for two straight

seasons suddenly has a very bright future. Their ungodly number of quality

rookies will amaze the league this season and for many more. 3rd in

division.

Albecete Burning Hell: Another team with some great possibilities. With

Blackstone, Chapman, Cummings, Jarvis, Newman, and Reardon, who knows the

limit? Still, they will have some troubles against the top teams in the

league while punishing the mediocre teams. 4th in division.

Maine Mountaineers: After McCarty, Young, and Stewart this team doesn't

look very impressive. And with Young on the block, this team will be

building for the future. 5th in division.

Varese Roosters: Well, at least this team has Frank Constantini. 6th in

division.

London Disco: Nope, nothing to see hear. Move along. 7th in division.

Mid-Atlantic Division:

Brooklyn Thunder: Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. The best rebounding

team in the WBA has the luxury of not having to compete with Berlin or

Boston in the same division. Basically, the same team as last season, but

some instant offense from the bench in Shane Strom. 1st in division.

Washington Monuments: I don't see this season as being Washington's season,

but this team has made huge strides towards their ultimate goal. This is

another must see team and watch out for them in very near future. 2nd in

division.

New York Firestorm: . Colbert and Davidson will lead this team places if

Davidson can stay healthy for key games. But, I can see another 1st round

defeat in the play offs. Still, how many teams have made it the playoffs

every season? 3rd in division.

Chacarita Burriers: .Toby can light up the scoreboard but as we all know,

no rebounding means, no playoff success. 4th in division.

South Carolina Hurricanes: With smarter moves on draft day, this team could

have jumped a couple of spots in the standings. 5th in division.

Baltimore Golden Beavers: .History has not been kind to the Beavers and I

have to believe that something will go wrong once again for this team. I

believe the team should and very well could finish better than this, but I

have this funny feeling.. 6th in division.

Myrtle Beach Mighty Gophers: This team is about half as good as Gabon's

worst ever. 7th in division.

March 29th, 2001

The Bowen Rankings

Pacific Divison:

In my opinion, it's very unlikely that Colorado won't win this divison. "Brick-Brick"

Casey is looking for a championship this year, instead of an MVP award... There are a

lot of decent teams in this division... team 2-7 aren't too far apart... with a trade

or two, you may be surprised where some of these teams will finish.

1. Colorado

2. Nebraska

3. Tokyo

4. Roswell

5. Montana

6. Sydney

7. Adelaide

Midwest Divison:

it's likely that this is the weakest divison... Midland shouldn't mind that; they have

a great starting five, and great depth. Most of the teams in the Midwest will be

fightining for a playoff spot... Cincy could be a surprise, but 3rd is a safe bet.

Winifred took a hard hit in the off-season, and it's likely that they won't see the

post-season...

1. Midland

2. Cancun

3. Cincinnati

4. Bermuda

5. Winifred

6. New Orleans

7. Indiana

Atlantic Divison:

The early favorite, has to be the defending champs, Boston Massacre... with the "Big

Four". However, Albacete, Berlin and Gabon could test Boston. All three should make

it to the playoffs, and all three could be a scare, pending on their trades. As for

the other three teams... dust yourself off, and try again....

1. Boston

2. Gabon

3. Berlin

4. Albacete

5. London

6. Maine

7. Varese

Mid-Atlantic Divison:

And the Winner is.... New Yooor.... wait, Brooklyn. NY has a decent 5, but no

depth... they could struggle in the regular season, if injuries occur on a regular

bases. Brooklyn on the other hand, has a strong starting 5, and bench. Washington

could give Brooklyn a problem, but the early edge has to go to the 2-time divison

champs...also, they're a two-time one and out team.... infact, no team from the

Mid-Atlantic has ever won a playoff series!! could this be the year???? no

1. Brooklyn

2. Washington

3. Baltimore

4. New York

5. SC

6. Chacarita

7. MB

.... actually, teams 2 through 5 are fairly close... Chacarita isn't too far behind in

the playoff hunt....

March 29th, 2001

The Morfeld Preview

WBA Preview

Adelaide--This team will be in for a long season. Arnold Pine turned out to

be not such a great draft pick so most of the pressure will be on Casey

Curtis to perform. And he isn't good enough to carry a team to the playoffs

alone.

Albacete--They will be a good team this season. Bill Blackstone, Larry

Chapman, Harry Jarvis, and Shawn Newman should be enough of a nucleus to put

this team into the playoffs and in good shape. Blackstone is one of the

league's 10 million dollar men and is a top scorer. Jarvis is also neaqr

the top at his position.

Baltimore--This team should be better than last year. Porter and Delaney

will address some key needs for the team. But I wouldn't hold my breath for

a playoff spot just yet. Another good draft and they will be right there

though. At the very least they will be entertaining to watch with such an

underappreciated draft.

Berlin--Now you can never count out a team coached by Dave. Especially

after someone let him get ahold of Dave Williams. Sims, Valdes, Chanda,

Williams, Benton, and all the others, Dave's team looks poised for another

great season. In fact, he may even have a better team than last season.

Bermuda--They have Rod Lawrence, but I don't think he can take this team to

the playoffs. They traded away the future last season and wound up with a

lot of retiring guys. So it will be hard for them to get things turned

around in this city. They need a lot of trades for top young talent or at

least some major free agency actions.

Boston--This team will once again be a major player in the title race. They

have a great backcourt in Henderson and Bailey and Bill Yeager will be a

force inside. Abu Zimmerman and John Erickson were also huge additions to

complete the center of this team. I expect them to make a run to repeat.

Brooklyn--Like Dave's teams, you can never discount Rondall's either.

Brooklyn will once again be quite dangerous. A.J. Schulz will be one of the

leagues top players and Al Zarra and shane Strom are rookie steals. Rondall

has solid depth and will once again be a playoff team.

Cancun--Well, they made some trades on draft day to move up in the draft and

they paid off. Mercer is one of the best rookies there is and Adam Birkett

is a great defensive force inside. Shawn McKick will also be a decent PG.

Scott Nicholson was a force inside last season and will again be a key

element. This team is borderline playoffs to me. If Mercer is the man

inside and Nicholson steps up with him they make it in.

Chacarita--This team will have some struggles this season as well, but they

are moving in the right direction. They drafted a couple big men to bang

around inside and hopefully keep them respectable. But don't look for them

in any brackets come playoff time.

Cincinnati--This team will take a drop off from last season as they go

through a rebuilding process. They traded away star PG Steve Peterson to

Nebraska in exchange for 2 draft picks next season and 3 players whose

salaries will be paid by Nebraska. This leaves them huge cap space this

season. They will have their major star in McCarthy who will still lead

them to a respectable record. They could still be a playoff team.

Colorado--What can I say?? This is probably the best team in the league.

Boom-Boom Casey and Wayne Taylor are just amazing players and will be two of

the best in league history. They have young guards but they are skilled and

this team has a ton of depth. they are definitely built to make a run this

season.

Gabon--This team had so many top draft picks it would be impossible to not

have a turnaround. I think these guys will be able to compete with just

about anyone in the league as they can get great performances from so many

guys. Otto Hameleers, Jerry Bramson, Leon Berthelson, Derek Vinyard...

Stop the insanity. Maybe this will teach teams not to trade all the draft

picks to one team!! They ARE valuable!! Especially the high ones!!

Indiana--This team won't turn too many heads this season. They have made

minor improvement over last season, but will still be a long ways out of a

playoff spot. They need to find a go to guy, but i don't think there is one

on their roster.

London--This team has talent, but I don't think they are as good as they

have been in the past. Swift and the Foreman's will give them some solid

play and Pierce Shea is a coaches favorite. With good coaching this team

could make the playoffs. But they too will be searching for a go to man.

Maine--Well, this team has managed to make it to the playoffs the last 2

years just barely. And I don't see any reason why they couldn't squeak in

again. I don't see the all-star levels of talent here, but they obviously

can do something right!! They do have a pretty even all around team.

Midland--Midland also made some trades prior to draft day to move up into

the top 6. This turned out well as they selected Camron Diaz and Eugene

LaMaitre. Both of these players will make immediate impacts for this team

and turned their rebuilding process into a very fast one. Latham and Starr

will also be major contributors. Jose Hayes and George Holt are two of the

leagues best as well. This team will be in the playoffs.

Montana--Well, they signed tom Perkins in the offseason to 10 mill a year

and made moves on several other key players. Elkington, Brose, Combs, and

Salmon will all help to lead this team to a probably playoff spot. If their

coach has great ability I think they get in.

Myrtle Beach--This team will once again finish towards the bottom of the

league. They didn't get any high draft picks or sign any key free agents so

not sure how they could expect to turn anything around at that pace.

Nebraska--They made major trades all offseason and finally have what they

were looking for. 14 brand new players!! They drafted Van Brandt and

McFarland who will be key inside forces for them and traded for Steve

Peterson and Garth Donohue to create one of the leagues best backcourts.

Schulz will also be a huge factor. This team will focus on the long ball as

they have great 3-point shooters.

New Orleans--J.D. Yetman will probably be this teams bright spot. They can

also count on a high draft pick as long as they kept their own. Hopefully

this will allow them to start to build something. No playoff spot here.

New York--This team has title contender written all over it. Jacobs,

Davidson, Colbert, and Robinson should lead this team in a big way. They

also have a very talented bench. With the right coaching I don't see any

reason why this team couldn't compete with the best. Look for them as a top

seed in the playoffs.

Roswell--This team took a step back from last season. They traded away

Perkins and now Greene is left alone inside. They still have an amazing PG

in Ed Kane and Junior White is a decent SG. They will be a playoff team no

doubt, but don't expect as much as last season from them when they had twin

towers inside.

South Carolina--Gene Allen is back. But unfortunately the rest of the team

is gone. I wouldn't bet on a playoff spot here either. They will play some

decent games, but they won't be able to win when it comes right down to it.

Sydney--George Foster is a nice pick and John Riddle is one of the best

Centers in the league. But I still don't see this team playing in the

postseason. These two players need at least another guy tht is capable of

pulling the load to push them to the next level.

Tokyo--Lou Gonzales was a major acquisition and will have an immediate

impact. But for a center he really doesn't pull weight as a rebounder.

This will hurt Tokyo. They are no doubt better in my mind, but they still

have a ways to go to be a plyoff team. Jerry Dickenson and Beard will help

take some of the load off of gonzales and with some superb performances a

playoff spot isn't unattainable, just unprobable.

Varese--This team could be the worst in the league having done nothing to

improve itself despite having the 12th draft pick. Which it wasted on Myron

Faris. Archer can play PG and score, but this team won't threaten too many

people in its current form.

Washington--This team also made good draft picks by getting Kevon Duke and

Parker Mason. Durden and dasher will also be great players. This is

another example as to why teams need to pay attention to trading 1st rd.

picks. They are valuable. Washington will be a playoff team most likely

unless Duke's lack of defense and mason's turnover problems catch up with

them. But they do have depth as well.

Winifred--Winifred got a huge bonus in getting prized free agent PG Buck

Jones. They will also have some decent depth along with that. But this

team may struggle to make the playoffs without a true star scorer. They may

need to trade for one or just try and move Jones and rebuild.

March 15th, 2001

World Class Franchises

You wonder who the most successful franchises have been through 2 seasons of

the WBA? Here are the standings through 2 seasons. Tiebreakers go to the

teams who have been to the playoffs more or who have compiled the better

post-season record.

Rank Team W-L W% GB

1.) London Disco 108-34 .761 --

Has always been a real threat to win it all. They always make it far into the post-season, but can never win the "big game". Expect a drop off in the win column over the next couple of seasons.

2.) Midland Thunder 105-37 .739 3.0

One of the best run franchises in the league. Jay Vincent can run his team with the best of them. He proves me right after a nice off-season.

3.) Brooklyn Rage 105-37 .739 3.0

I don't think anyone enjoys playing this team. Well, except in the playoffs. Will Rondall ever win a playoff series?

4.) Cincinnati Cyclones 99-43 .697 9.0

This team has a very good nucleus and Matt Mitchell is one of the better coaches. I don't know if Matt will be able to keep his nucleus intact after this season though.

5.) Roswell XT 96-46 .676 12.0

They had a breakthrough year and fell just short in the championship. Bryan Hasho needs more stability though. He has to learn to stop trading his players every time they have a bad game.

6.) Sydney Machine Techs 92-50 .648 16.0

This team had a great 1st season, but their level of play is starting to drop off drastically. It'll be interesting to see how the new owner will shake things up.

7.) Berlin Blaze 92-50 .648 16.0

Everyone knows Dave is the best coach in the league. This season will determine if he's as good of a gm as a coach. He was able to lock Jerry Sims up for 7 years, so that's a good sign. But now there is talk that Sims might be on the move.

8.) Colorado Pioneers 90-52 .634 18.0

As long as Marc Hameleers has Boom-Boom Casey and Wayne Taylor, this team will be very good. Marc will need to get a guard to complement them.

9.) New York Firestorm 90-52 .634 18.0

This team is a lot like Roswell. One bad game from a star player and they're gone. The short term is bright for New York, but all the way through season 8, they only have 1 first round pick. At some point, this team will have to start to rebuild. The Pretenders, as I like to call them, have NOTHING to show for all those first rounders they traded away. They've never finished in first and they've never won a playoffs series.

10.) Boston Massacre 80-62 .563 28.0

Corey Bowen is one of the top gm's in the league. He knows how to handle the salary cap and has a great nucleus in the Four Headed Monster. They're coming off a championship season and are well-deserving of it.

11.) Winifred Rebels 78-64 .549 30.0

They went from horrific to teriffic in one season. Age has caught up with this team. They are headed downward instead of upward. Regan is a good gm, so he can turn it around.

12.) Los Angeles Stars 75-67 .528 33.0

This team doesn't even closely resemble the team from Season 1. The future doesn't look bright for this team. That is unless the new owner is a genius. He has a lot of work ahead of him.

13.) Adelaide Aces 71-71 .500 37.0

They surprised everyone in Season 1 by being really good. They surprised everyone in Season 2 by being really bad. They won't surprise anyone anymore. This is a bad team and will be bad for a long time.

14.) Varese Roosters 70-72 .493 38.0

This is the closest to "hand-off" ownership you will ever see. I don't even think they have ever made a trade. This team is headed to the bottom in a hurry. A major disappointment after a great first season.

15.) New Orleans Felony 37-43 .463 40.0

For being an expansion team, this is going to be one of the better teams in the West. Give them maybe 2 more seasons and this will be one of the best teams in the league.

16.) South Carolina Hurricanes 67-75 .472 41.0

This is definitely one of the teams on the rise. Half their team is made up of teenagers, but by the time the teens start to be really good, their contracts will expire.

17.) Albacete Burning Hell 36-44 .450 41.0

Pedro has proven to be one of the best gm's in the league. He has made great moves thus far in the offseason and he still has plenty of draft picks. They will be perennial contenders.

18.) Maine Mountaineers 63-79 .444 49.0

This team NEVER gets any publicity despite qualifying for the playoffs both seasons. They are only 1 of 7 teams to do so. Dugyik Tamas has done a nice job with his team, but they could be much better than they have played.

19.) Nebraska Sun Warriors 58-84 .408 54.0

Before Brandon Morfeld stepped in, it looked as if the Season 1 champs were in serious trouble. As soon as Brandon took over, he shook things up and has made Nebraska a very dangerous team. They're not going to be a great team this season, but watch them over the next couple of seasons. Brandon is one of the top 5 gms and coaches out there.

t-20.) Bermuda Bombers 27-53 .338 54.0

I don't quite understand why Bermuda gave up its entire future to make a playoff run when I think they were something like 4-32 at one point. This team has serious problems and they will for a long time.

t-20.) Chacarita Buriers 27-53 .338 54.0

Sergio Bernardou has taken the normal approach for an expansion team. He's been very patient and has a nice mix of veterans and young players. Sergio is one of the most underrated gms.

22.) Indiana Shakers 53-89 .373 59.0

This was once a proud franchise and has had a lot of great players come through it. They are in a very similar position like Los Angeles. However, this team does have some draft picks to work with so if the new owner knows what he's doing, they'll be good in a couple of seasons.

23.) Cancun Outlaws 52-90 .366 60.0

This team is starting to put things together. Patrick McGregor has been very patient with his team and it will pay off for him. Could be one of the up-and-coming teams.

24.) Myrtle Beach Might Golfers 17-63 .213 64.0

Robert Williams has been very patient with his team and is taking the old-fashioned approach with an expansion team. It would have been nice if he still had his first round picks for this last draft. If he did, he would have been better a lot sooner.

25.) Washington Monuments 44-98 .310 68.0

Giving up on the first 2 seasons will pay off for Sam Plummer. With the players drafted this season along with the future 1st round picks they have, this team will be a perennial contender.

26.) Tokyo Diablo 11-69 .138 70.0

This expansion team is starting to put things together. They have a few good young players, but I think they're still a season or 2 away.

27.) Baltimore Golden Beavers 41-101 .289 71.0

This team was a major disappointment last season. If the players on this team can avoid their long history of injuries, then this team can be a good team year in and year out. That's a big IF though.

28.) Gabon Giants 18-124 .145 94.0

This team has been a laughing stock for 2 seasons, but much like Washington, it will pay off. It took them 2 seasons to amass 18 wins. It will probably take them less than half of season 3 alone to match that total. This will be a force to be reckoned with in a couple of seasons as long as Simon Drapeau can coach.

March 6th, 2001

Player Retirements Announced

The following players have annonced that they will retire during the off season.

Bill Stanley

Mike Hinton

Carl Haney

Dave Hildebrand

Jim Maisel

Fred Phelan

Floyd Clancy

Frank Darden

Fred Larkin

Fred Lopez

Jim Scott

Joe Covington

Ferris Stottlemyre

Woody O'Dea

Joe Honda

Joe Johnson

Joe Montgomery

John Lind

John Moore

Johnny Quinn

Kent Franco

Leo Beamon

Marv Ward

Mike Stewart

Ned Foley

Otis Lake

Patty Jones

Paul Thorpe

Ray Bush

Roy Lynch

Scott Baldwin

Thomas Coombs

Tom Fitzgerald

Tom Lane

Tom Rapp

Chuck Herman

Walt Mullin

Barry McCormick

Curtis Bridges

Matty Quinn

Mike Byrd

Woody Benitez

Arnie Drake

Dave Thompson

Jeff Miller

Bennie Gardner

Jerry Haas

Butch Bailey

George Harrelson

J.J. Hernandez

John Wolfe

Larry Henrich

John Moore

Moe Jensen

Dave Booker

Fred Lopez

Jim Mendoza

Matt Corbet

Tim Smith

John Grant

Fred Workman

Johnny Mitchell

Ken Lacy

Lou McNamara

Ralph Carlson

Ryan Hatfield

Steve Walters

Bill Leary

Earl Baldwin

Jim Lopez

John Ferguson