Cashing In On Sports
Another Shot
By Guy Junker

Dwayne Woodruff accomplished one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. He went to law school while playing for the Steelers. Law books and playbooks at the same time. Now he's a judge, elected last month to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. This guy can tackle a challenge. And he has quite a challenge ahead of him as part owner of Pittsburgh's new ABA team, the Xplosion.

"I've always loved basketball," says Woodruff, who played at New Richmond High School outside of Cincinnati. "And it's great to have a team in my backyard. With the right management and financial backing, I think it will work."

Financially is where the Xplosion have an advantage over previous efforts to make pro basketball work here. The Xplosion's main financial backing comes from brothers Dan and Ozzie Silna. Their money dates back to the original days of the ABA.

The Silna's owned the Spirits of St. Louis and helped broker the deal that merged the ABA with the NBA in 1976. But when the NBA absorbed the Spurs, Nuggets, Nets and Pacers, the Spirits and Kentucky Colonels were left out. The Silna's bartered a deal that paid them $2.2 million, but also gave them 1/7 of the TV revenue of the four teams that merged into the NBA. The deal was in perpetuity - which means as long as there is an NBA, the Silna's will be collecting. It could mean as much as $250 to $300 million from the next NBA TV contract alone.

Money is not an issue. Fan interest is.

Less than 2,000 fans attended their first two home games at Mellon Arena. Xplosion CEO Richard Hersperger says they "could have financial success with a decent fan base." His target is 4,500 per game. They play 14 of 18 home games at the Arena with the other four at the Petersen Events Center - a huge step up from last year's Pennsylvania Pit Bulls, who played in Penn State McKeesport's gym.

But the digs come at a cost. The Arena rents for more than $20,000 per game. The Pete costs about half that, and ideally they would like to make that their home. But Pitt wasn't ready to commit to a deal.

There are lots of positives in this group, from Woodruff to GM Freddie Lewis, the McKeesport legend who starred in the original ABA. The roster includes former NBA players with local roots like Armon Gilliam and Myron Brown, and a mixture of young talent led by Josh Murray, whose next stop is probably the NBA.

Pittsburgh's sports past is littered with carcasses of pro basketball teams like the Wrens, Pipers, Condors, Piranhas and Pit Bulls. Hersperger says the team will tough out this first year and "will be back next year no matter what."

Deep pockets versus fan apathy. It will be interesting to see which wins out. Perpetuity is a long, long time.

Guy Junker co-hosts the "Junker & Crow Show" from 10 to 1 on ESPN Radio 1250.