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Mike Bovino, Director of Public Relations for
the United States Basketball League, announces
that Birmingham is one of eleven cities being
considered for one of the four expansion
franchises planned for the 1987 season. Bovino
said that all eleven cities have been contacted
about the possibility of becoming one of the
expansion teams. Birmingham's Mayor, Richard
Arrington, was sent a letter two weeks ago. "We
haven't heard from Mayor Arrington. But we take
that as an encouraging sign. It makes us think
he is taking his time and not rushing into
things" Bovino said. Arrington said he has not
yet acted on the letter but he would.
The USBL, which plays a thirty-game season
during the summer, will be entering its third
year of operation. The new franchises will cost
around $250,000 each, and will bring the
league's membership to eleven franchises. Manute
Bol of the National Basketball Association's
Washington Bullets and Spud Webb of the NBA's
Atlanta Hawks are two NBA players who have once
played in the USBL. "These names will certainly
get your attention. Those names speak of
quality, the kind I would be pleased with,"
Arrington said.
According to Bovino, the USBL particularly
liked Birmingham. "You have three fine buildings
in the Civic Center, the Fair Park Arena and
Boutwell Auditorium. Of course, the
(16,000-seat) Civic Center is a little too big
for our needs," Bovino said.
The team would need to average only 1,500
fans, at an average ticket price of $5, to break
even. |
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