By Keith Jarrett
Asheville Citizen-TimesStaff Writer
Remember the ill-fated Asheville Smokies, a failed attempt at bringing minor-league pro basketball here a few years ago?
That ended after about a month with a bunch of bounced checks and the arrest of the league president in Asheville for his tendency to rubberize currency.
Recall the indoor football league that held its all-star game here a couple of years ago with the hope of placing a franchise in the Civic Center?
The game was lame and the promoter skipped town owing about $40,000, he and his dreams one step ahead of the authorities, never to be heard from again.
How about the dearly departed Asheville Smoke, the city's hockey team that failed after four years with the nice-guy owner possessing the business savvy of Ralph Kramden filing bankruptcy in arrears of nearly $2 million?
Against that backdrop of big dreams and little capital Asheville may or may not be set to welcome its newest entry into the might-be-here-today, could-be-gone-tomorrow world of minor-league sports.
The World Hockey Association2, with six teams in Florida, Alabama and Georgia in its first year of existence, plans to bring a franchise to the Civic Center to begin play in November.
Civic Center director David Pisha said the league has already paid $5,000 for startup costs and is expected to write another check soon as part of the arrangement for coming here.
But stories and checks are already bouncing around that suggests this is another league that may be one payroll commitment away from extinction.
Players leaving the WHA2 less than one month into the season told stories of not getting paid or being asked to take cuts to make payroll.
Last week, a minority owner and general manager of the league's team in Jacksonville resigned and said his shares of the team "(are) worth nothing."
Scott Allerding, who declined comment to the Citizen-Times earlier this week, told the Jacksonville Times Union that his team - despite leading the league in attendance with an average of 4,157 per game - was struggling financially and receiving little support from majority owner and WHA2 president David Waronker.
The newspaper also reported the team bounced a $27,213 check to a company for programs and a judge has issued a writ of garnishment against the team in a $70,000 lawsuit.
This week the league announced several schedule changes without explanation and the Macon franchise hired a season- ticket holder with no apparent background in hockey as a minority owner and vice-president.
Waronker has answered the claims of Allerding and the ex-players with counter charges of sour grapes by disgruntled employees, and says in effect these are typical growing pains of a new league.
He also offers assurances the WHA2 is stable and will continue.
All that could be so, but given Asheville's recent history and bad luck with fly-by-night minor leagues, it makes one wonder about the long-term viability of the WHA2.
And Pisha may want to get that next check to the bank ASAP before it perhaps starts skidding like a rubber puck on thin ice.
Web posted on Feb. 22, 2004
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