Despite basketball fizzles, give Swish a chance to sizzle

Sports fans throughout the Mahoning Valley have got to admire the courage, spunk and vision of Dave Stambul and Dennis Paige, owners of Youngstown’s newest professional basketball franchise, the Youngstown Swish.

After all, repeated attempts over the past 20 years to establish and keep professional or semi-pro hoops teams in the Valley have all fouled out.

Remember the Youngstown Pride of the World Basketball League? The Pride disbanded in the early 1990s after its shameful owner got caught up in and was later convicted of scores of fraud and embezzlement charges.

Remember the Youngstown Hawks, a member of the International Basketball Association? The team high-tailed it to Saskatoon, Canada, in its debut season after dismal attendance at its Valley base, the South High Field House.

And remember the Mahoning Valley Wildcats? This team in the International Basketball League played one winning season at the Struthers High Fieldhouse before the league snatched it away to Lansing, Mich., in 2006.

Learn from failure and success

Some may instinctively advise Stambul and Paige to ignore the long history of failure. Such advice, however, would be misguided. If they do not learn from past foibles, they may well be doomed to repeat them, and the Swish could find itself atop the rubbish heap of failed Valley basketball squads.

Fortunately, the owners appear to be savvy and headed for a strong go at success. They obviously realize the value of strong leadership, which was sorely lacking in the Pride. Stambul, for example, has a college degree in sports management and seasoned experience in coaching and playing collegiate basketball.

They also appear to be fully aware of the need for a strong, attractive and safe venue to call home. That’s why they’re working diligently to book some of its games at the Chevrolet Centre in downtown Youngstown. We’d encourage them to avoid high school settings, which likely played a role in the doom of the Hawks and Wildcats. Such settings may tend to cheapen at least the appearance of professional play.

While learning from failures, Stambul and Paige must also have a vision for proven recipes for success in Valley minor league sports.

The best place to start would be scouting out our undeniably most successful operation, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, which is preparing for its 11th baseball season in 2009. Clearly the team has done many things right — not the least of which have been aggressive and creative promotions and active community involvement. The team consistently ranks among league leaders in attendance and support.

Potential assets of ABA team

On the surface, the Swish and its league — The American Basketball Association with its signature red, white and blue basketballs — look like a great fit for the Valley.

Stambul has said that the ABA thrives on a family-friendly and hometown-roots philosophy. Building a Swish fan base will be made all the more easy with an accent on entertainment, low ticket prices and a healthy helping of Mahoning Valley players.

Too, unlike some of the lost basketball teams of the past — and of the recently departed SteelHounds of the Central Hockey League — the Swish will be able to profit from lesser travel expenses and greater regional rivalries.

In its inaugural season next fall, the Swish will be squaring off against ABA squads from Cleveland, Canton and Columbus and — through planned interleague play — possibly even Pittsburgh.

A successful Swish would bring benefits well beyond the basketball court as well. Another solid and successful tenant at the soon-to-be-renamed Chevy Centre could only help to improve the arena’s bottom line and serve as another cog in downtown Youngstown’s ongoing rejuvenation.