The Topeka Sizzlers, originally the Kansas City Sizzlers, were a
professional basketball
In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larg ...
team based in
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
from 1985 to 1986 until they relocated to
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...
where they played from 1986 to 1990. The Sizzlers were members of the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
(CBA).
Bernard Glannon purchased a new CBA franchise on June 28, 1985 which he nicknamed the "Sizzlers". During their first and only season in Kansas City the team played their home games at
Municipal Auditorium. Citing the over-saturated sports market in Kansas City, Glannon re-located the Sizzlers to Topeka, Kansas before the 1986–87 season. The team used
Lee Arena
Lee Arena serves as the home to the Washburn Ichabods
The Washburn Ichabods are the athletic teams that represent Washburn University, located in Topeka, Kansas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primaril ...
on the campus of
Washburn University
Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 u ...
while construction of
Landon Arena was completed.
A group of 14 investors led by married business partners Jim & Bonnie Garrett purchased the Topeka Sizzlers from Glannon before the 1988–89 season. The Garretts put the team up for sale during the 1989–1990 season. A group of investors led by
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
attorney Robert Wilson purchased the Sizzlers and re-located them to Washington. The
Yakima Sun Kings
The Yakima SunKings are a basketball team located in Yakima, Washington, covering the central Washington sports market of Yakima, Tri-Cities, and Ellensburg and plays at the Yakima SunDome. The team competed in the Continental Basketball Associat ...
, as the Topeka franchise would become known during the 1990–91 season, went on to win several CBA championships during their 18-year existence.
A lawsuit was filed by the Garretts in 1991 alleging Glannon misrepresented the value of the Sizzlers franchise. The
Shawnee County, Kansas
Shawnee County (county code SN) is located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 178,909, making it the third-most populous county in Kansas. Its most populous city, Topeka, is the state ...
District Court jury who heard the original case sided with Glannon and a judgement was issued in his favor for the remainder owed to him by the Garretts ($205,000). The
Kansas Court of Appeals
The Kansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the U.S. state of Kansas.
History
The Kansas Legislature created the first Kansas Court of Appeals in 1895, to help the Kansas Supreme Court with an increasingly heavy casel ...
upheld the jury's judgment in 1992.
History
Kansas City (1985–86)
Kansas City businessman Bernard Glannon announced on June 27, 1985 that he had worked out a deal to purchase an expansion franchise in the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
(CBA) for $500,000. CBA owners approved the expansion franchise, named the "Sizzlers", during a conference call vote on June 28 following two weeks of negotiations between Glannon and CBA president Jim Drucker.
The Kansas City Council unanimously approved a five-year lease of
Municipal Auditorium by the Sizzlers in July 1985. The auditorium was the home of the
Kansas City Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division ( ...
who had relocated to
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
following the
1984–85 National Basketball Association (NBA) season.
During the first CBA college draft in 1985 the Sizzlers were awarded the first overall pick. They selected
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
Regan Truesdale
Regan Truesdale (born July 31, 1963) is an American former college basketball player at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He was twice named Southern Conference Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Player of ...
from
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. ...
. On August 5, 1985 the CBA held an
expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion ...
for the Sizzlers. The 13 other CBA franchises were able to protect five of the 13 players on their rosters.
Bill Ficke was hired to be the Sizzlers
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
from the 1985–86 season.
By November 1985 the Sizzlers had sold over 1,400
season ticket
A season ticket, or season pass, is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.
History
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' has illustrative quotations which show the term ''season ticket'' used in the United States in 1820 ...
s according to ''
The Sacramento Bee
''The Sacramento Bee'' is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its foundation in 1857, ''The Bee'' has become the largest newspaper in Sacramento, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 2 ...
''. The ''
Los Angeles Daily News
The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media.
The offices of the ''Dai ...
'' reported that Kansas City was acting as the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
farm team. After the Lakers cut
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
Earl Jones,
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
Pat Riley
Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also se ...
told the ''Daily News'' that if Earl cleared waivers then he would sign with the Sizzlers "where he can keep a hand in with us".
![KCMO Auditorium and ConventionCenter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/KCMO_Auditorium_and_ConventionCenter.jpg)
The Sizzlers' home opener in December 1985 at Municipal Auditorium drew an attendance of 7,012, which at the time was the seventh largest crowd in CBA history. After nine home games the Sizzlers were averaging an attendance of 3,186, which was second in the CBA.
The
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is one of two agencies that supply deposit insurance to depositors in American depository institutions, the other being the National Credit Union Administration, which regulates and insures cred ...
(FDIC) filed a lawsuit against Sizzlers owner Bernard Glannon in January 1986 for his alleged delinquent payment on a loan for his defunct venture, the Indian Springs State Bank, which was eventually revealed to have dealings with
organized crime
Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
members. Glannon claimed that the FDIC had only filed the lawsuit on his behest to settle.
During a game on January 8, 1986
Danny Salisbery
Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to:
People
* Danny Altmann, British immunologist
* Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer
*Danny Baker (born 1957), English journal ...
of the
Detroit Spirits
The Savannah Spirits were a professional basketball team that played for two years in the Continental Basketball Association from 1986 to 1988, amassing a total regular season record of 42 wins and 60 losses for a total of 306.5 points. The team ...
made a CBA record 70-foot shot to beat the third quarter buzzer against Kansas City.
On January 9, 1986 the Sizzlers acquired center
Petur Gudmundsson from the
Tampa Bay Thrillers
The Tampa Bay Thrillers were a franchise in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1984–1987. They won back-to-back championships in 1984–85 and 1985–86. At the end of the 1986–87 CBA regular season the team relocated to Rapi ...
. By the end of January the
United States Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003.
Referred to by some as former INS and by others as legacy INS, ...
(INS) ruled that Gudmundsson, a citizen on
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
in the United States on a
H-1 visa
The H-1B is a visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H) that allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation requires the application of ...
, was ineligible to work in country and had to cease playing for the Sizzlers. Kansas City argued that Gudmundsson was exempt from INS rules on employment due to the specialty of his profession, but the INS ultimately rejected that argument. INS District Director Ron Sanders said that for Gudmundsson to be classified as "an alien of distinguished merit and ability" he would have to be in the NBA, not the CBA.
Kansas City were eliminated from playoff contention following the 1985–86 season, however, the
Evansville Thunder
The Evansville Thunder were a professional basketball team who played in Evansville, Indiana, from 1984 to 1986. The team was a member of the Continental Basketball Association and played at Roberts Municipal Stadium. Evansville had previous exper ...
were disqualified from the playoffs for failing to meet their financial obligation to the CBA and the Sizzlers were invited to participate in Evansville's place. A court order was later sought by Evansville who claimed they had met their obligation and the CBA, who had no right to disqualify them from the playoffs. A
restraining order
A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault.
Restraining and personal protection or ...
was issued by the judge in the case prohibiting the playoff series to continue until a hearing could be held. Evansville's restraining order was ultimately lifted and the series between Kansas City and Cincinnati was allowed to continue.
Topeka (1986–1990)
The
United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...
(UPI) reported in February 1986 that the Sizzlers were looking to re-locate to
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...
where there was less competition in the entertainment market. At that point their attendance at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium was 2,820 spectators a game. The 10,000 seat
Kansas Expocentre was nearing completion in Topeka, which at the time had no professional sports teams. Kansas City had the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
(
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
), the
Comets
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are ...
(
indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer (known internationally as indoor football, fast football, or showball) is five-a-side version of minifootball, derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arena. Indoor socc ...
), the
Royals (
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
) and the Sizzlers. UPI reported that the Sizzlers' use of gimmicks, including two appearances by the
San Diego Chicken
The San Diego Chicken, also known as The Famous Chicken, the KGB Chicken or just The Chicken, is a sports mascot played by Ted Giannoulas.
History Origin
The character originated in 1974 in an animated TV commercial for KGB-FM Radio in San Diego. ...
, would draw increased attendance but games that featured no such gimmicks had anemic crowds.
Topeka Mayor
Doug Wright
Douglas Wright (born December 20, 1962) is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 for his play ''I Am My Own Wife''.
Early years
Wright was born in Dallas, Texas. He attended and ...
announced in April 1986 that a lease agreement was being negotiated with the Sizzlers. Wright said that the city was seeking to lease
Lee Arena
Lee Arena serves as the home to the Washburn Ichabods
The Washburn Ichabods are the athletic teams that represent Washburn University, located in Topeka, Kansas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primaril ...
from
Washburn University
Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 u ...
while construction on the Kansas Expocentre wrapped up. At the time Sizzlers public relations director Bruce Carnahan remained cool on the idea, telling the UPI that Topeka was just one city under consideration for the franchise relocation. Carnahan also said there was a possibility the team would stay in Kansas City for the 1986–87 CBA season. On May 19 the official announcement was made by the CBA that the Sizzlers were moving to Topeka, Kansas where they would play at Lee Arena until they could move into the Kansas Expocentre which was nearing completion.
John Killilea
John P. Killilea (June 19, 1928 – January 27, 1996) was an American basketball coach and scout. He served as the assistant coach to four National Basketball Association (NBA) team; the Boston Celtics (1972–77), the Milwaukee Bucks (1977–198 ...
was hired as Topeka's head coach on July 1, 1986. Killilea was the assistant coach for the
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
of the NBA during the 1985–86 season and got his start coaching in 1972 as an assistant for
Tom Heinsohn
Thomas William Heinsohn (August 26, 1934 – November 9, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. He was associated with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six decades as a player, coach and broadcast ...
on the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
bench.
Topeka's first game of the season was against the
Albany Patroons at the
Washington Avenue Armory
The Washington Avenue Armory, officially known as the Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Washington Avenue (Tenth Battalion) Armory, is now a multi-purpose arena on the c ...
in
Albany,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. The Patroons were coached by
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and ...
who would go on to win several
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
at the helm of the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
and the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
. The Sizzlers won the game 124 to 99 behind a six-for-six
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
showing from guard
Ron Kellogg.
Two Sizzlers games were broadcast on national television by
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
in 1987. The first occurred on January 19 when the
Wyoming Wildcatters
The Wyoming Wildcatters were a professional basketball team based in Casper, Wyoming. They played 6 seasons in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the defunct development league for the National Basketball Association (NBA). They manag ...
hosted Topeka. The second was a game in Topeka on February 16 against the
Rockford Lightning
The Rockford Lightning was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois.
History
The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses fro ...
.
Landon Arena, also known as the Kansas Expocentre, was completed in 1987 and the Sizzlers played their first game there on March 9 in front of a crowd of 8,917 people. That set a league record for attendance which surpassed that last record of 8,537 at the 1985 CBA All-Star game in
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
.
![Landon Arena](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Landon_Arena.jpg)
The 1987 CBA All-Star Game featured three members of the Sizzlers, guards
Ron Rowan
Ronald Lewis Rowan (born April 23, 1962) is a retired American-Irish basketball player. Rowan, a 6'5" 200 lb small forward, played college basketball, collegiately at the University of Notre Dame and St. John's University (New York City), St ...
and
Calvin Thompson
Calvin Thompson (born June 27, 1964) is an American basketball coach and a member of the University of Kansas' 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, 1986 Final Four team. He holds Kansas' record for most consecutive free throws made a ...
; and forward
Joe Binion
Joe Binion (born March 26, 1961) is a retired American professional basketball player.
College career
Born in Rochester, New York, Binion played college basketball with the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Professional ...
. Binion was named the 1986–87 CBA
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
at the end of the season and Rowan was awarded CBA
Rookie of the Year.
Going into the 1987–88 season the CBA realigned Topeka from the western to the eastern division. After CBA commissioner
Carl Scheer resigned to take a job with the NBA
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
, Sizzlers owner Bernie Glannon along with the owners of the
Savannah Spirits and the
La Crosse Catbirds
The La Crosse Catbirds was an American basketball team based in La Crosse, Wisconsin and member of the Continental Basketball Association. The Catbirds were the 1990 and 1992 CBA champions. The team moved to La Crosse from Louisville in 1985, an ...
were members of a committee tasked with finding Scheer's replacement.
According to the ''Daily News of Los Angeles'' in 1987 the Sizzlers had a "co-operative agreement" with the Los Angeles Lakers and the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
of the NBA to develop players.
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry White (November 16, 1946 – January 16, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. As an amateur, he played basketball at the University of Kansas, where he was named a second-team All-American twice. White was part o ...
signed with Topeka as a
player-assistant coach in November 1987. White, who was 40, had not played professional basketball since 1981. Twenty-six days later White retired citing his age. He averaged 5.6
points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
in five games played. In 1989 White stated the comeback attempt was not his idea and he regretted it because the damage he sustained to his knees.
The 1988 CBA All-Star Game took place in Topeka, Kansas at the Landon Arena. The all-stars faced-off against the Sizzlers on January 23. Topeka lost the game to the CBA All-Stars by a score of 115–94.
Sizzlers head coach John Killilea was fired on January 29, 1988 following ejections from three games and a total of 14 technical fouls during the 1987–88 CBA season.
John Darr, a Kansas high school basketball coach, was hired as head coach following Killilea's dismissal. Just over a week later
Bob Hill
Robert W. Hill''The Sporting News: 1992-93 Official NBA Register''. St. Louis, Missouri: The Sporting News Publishing Co. 1992. (born November 24, 1948) is an American basketball coach. Hill grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio, moving to Worthingto ...
replaced Darr as head coach.
Before the 1988–89 season Sizzlers owner Bernard Glannon sold a majority interest to a group of 14 people led by Jim Garrett and his wife Bonnie Garrett. The Garretts owned several
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
franchises in the Topeka area. Under the Garretts' ownership the Sizzlers conducted a door-to-door season ticket drive that sold 300 packages, which increased their total season ticket holders to 1,200 persons.
Topeka hired
Art Ross
Arthur Howe Ross (January 13, 1885 – August 5, 1964) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive from 1905 until 1954. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his era by his peers, he was one of the first to skate with the puck ...
as head coach before the 1988–89 season. Ross resigned his position as head coach on December 19, 1988. His record of 2–14 was last in the CBA. The Sizzlers tapped
Ron McHenry
Ronald McHenry (born January 21, 1962) is an American former college women's basketball coach at Washburn University. During his 22 seasons at Washburn, he led the Ichabods to one national championship, seven conference regular season and tourn ...
for interim head coach.
Mike Riley was hired as head coach on December 30 replacing McHenry. Before joining Topeka Riley was assistant coach to
Charley Rosen
Charles Elliot Rosen (born January 18, 1941) is an American author and former basketball player and basketball coach.
Career
The 6' 8" Rosen played college basketball at Hunter College in New York City for three seasons (1959–62), setting s ...
of the
Rockford Lightning
The Rockford Lightning was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois.
History
The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses fro ...
.
Jerry Schemmel
Gerard H. Schemmel (born November 26, 1959) is an American sportscaster in Denver, Colorado working as a play by play radio announcer for Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies and for KFKA Radio in Greeley, CO, as the radio voice of the Unive ...
, who served as the Sizzlers' radio
play-by-play
In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
broadcaster since their re-location to Topeka, was hired as deputy commissioner of the CBA in February 1989.
Topeka lost their first 10 regular season games during their 1989–1990 season which prompted Sizzlers general manager Jim Goodman to announce that he would stay in the
nosebleed seats
In the United States, Canada and Australia, the nosebleed section are the seats of a public area, usually an athletic stadium or gymnasium, that are highest and, usually, farthest from the desired activity. Also known as the O’Connell section. ...
of Landon Arena until his team won a game. Goodman spent three days in the arena — including two days where there was no game — until the Sizzlers defeated the
Sioux Falls SkyForce
The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team plays their home games in the Sanford Pentagon, a place they have call ...
on December 9, 1989. If the Sizzlers lost that game, Goodman told ''The Times Union'', he intended to travel with the team to their next game which was against the
Omaha Racers
The Omaha Racers were an American minor league basketball team based in Omaha, Nebraska. The franchise played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1989 to 1997. The team's franchise liage started in 1982 as the Wisconsin Flyers. Th ...
and sit in the rafters of
Ak-Sar-Ben, the Racers home venue.
Sizzlers guard-forward
Duane Ferrell
Duane Ferrell (born February 28, 1965) is an American retired professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors. He played college bask ...
was named the CBA Newcomer of the Year following the 1989–1990 season.
Re-location to Yakima (1990)
The ''
Tulsa World
The ''Tulsa World'' is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. Tulsa World Media Company is part of Lee Enterprises. The new owners announced in January 202 ...
'' reported in January 1990 that the Topeka Sizzlers were looking to re-locate to the
state of Washington
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. Another proposal, according to the ''Tulsa World'' report, had the Sizzlers merging with another CBA team. Jim Garrett, principal owner of the Sizzlers, told the
United Press International
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...
(UPI) in February 1990 that he was looking to sell the team to a buyer in
Tri-Cities, Washington
The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities ( Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland) at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington. The cities border one another, making the Tri-Cities se ...
. Garrett also told the UPI that there was no chance the Sizzlers would play the 1990–91 season in Topeka.
Max Chambers, who was market testing the viability of a CBA franchise in several states, finally concluded that the state of Washington, particularly the central part of the state, would be the best fit. Chambers set up a season ticket drive in the Tri Cities region and
Yakima, Washington
Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninco ...
to determine which city would be the best location for a CBA team. The group Chambers represented, Pro-Max, was assured by the CBA that they would be able to purchase a franchise following the 1989–1990 season and with the collapse of Topeka it would looking more likely the Sizzlers would re-locate to Washington.
It was announced in March 1990 that Yakima, Washington had won out over the Tri-Cities in their season ticket drive. Chambers, who was representing the group who were negotiating the purchase of the Sizzlers, told the Associated Press, "We're moving to Yakima." During the annual CBA owners meeting in May 1990 the sale and re-location of the Sizzlers to Yakima, Washington was approved.
Legal dispute (1991–92)
Jim & Bonnie Garrett, who purchased majority interest in the Sizzlers in 1988, sued the previous owner Bernie Glannon in 1991 for what they alleged was misrepresentation. The Garretts claimed that Glannon overcharged them by $475,000 (it cost $500,000 for an expansion franchise in the CBA). Glannon disputed the valuation by the Garretts and alleged they failed to pay him the remaining $205,000 for the Sizzlers. The case was originally heard in 1991 at the
Shawnee County, Kansas
Shawnee County (county code SN) is located in northeast Kansas, in the central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 178,909, making it the third-most populous county in Kansas. Its most populous city, Topeka, is the state ...
District Court, who sided with Glannon, saying he did not misrepresent the sale of the Sizzlers. Furthermore, the jury ruled that the Garretts had to pay Glannon the remainder owed to him.
The Garretts appealed the case to the
Kansas Court of Appeals
The Kansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the U.S. state of Kansas.
History
The Kansas Legislature created the first Kansas Court of Appeals in 1895, to help the Kansas Supreme Court with an increasingly heavy casel ...
, who in 1992, sided with the lower court's ruling that Glannon did not misrepresent the Sizzlers before selling interest to the Glannon's.
Awards
*1987 CBA All-Star Team:
Ron Rowan
Ronald Lewis Rowan (born April 23, 1962) is a retired American-Irish basketball player. Rowan, a 6'5" 200 lb small forward, played college basketball, collegiately at the University of Notre Dame and St. John's University (New York City), St ...
(guard),
Calvin Thompson
Calvin Thompson (born June 27, 1964) is an American basketball coach and a member of the University of Kansas' 1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, 1986 Final Four team. He holds Kansas' record for most consecutive free throws made a ...
(guard),
Joe Binion
Joe Binion (born March 26, 1961) is a retired American professional basketball player.
College career
Born in Rochester, New York, Binion played college basketball with the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Professional ...
(forward)
*1986–87 CBA Most Valuable Player: Joe Binion
*1986–87 CBA Rookie of the Year: Ron Rowan
*1988-89 CBA All-League (1st Team):
Jim Rowinski
James Rowinski (born January 4, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player.
College career
Rowinski, a 6'8" 250 lb center, attended and played collegiately at Purdue University. Along with standout freshman and fellow cent ...
*1989-90 CBA All-League (1st Team):
Jim Rowinski
James Rowinski (born January 4, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player.
College career
Rowinski, a 6'8" 250 lb center, attended and played collegiately at Purdue University. Along with standout freshman and fellow cent ...
*1989–1990 CBA Newcomer of the Year:
Duane Ferrell
Duane Ferrell (born February 28, 1965) is an American retired professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors. He played college bask ...
Season-by-season records
Head coaches
![Bob Hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Bob_Hill.jpg)
*
Bill Ficke, 1985–86
*
John Killilea
John P. Killilea (June 19, 1928 – January 27, 1996) was an American basketball coach and scout. He served as the assistant coach to four National Basketball Association (NBA) team; the Boston Celtics (1972–77), the Milwaukee Bucks (1977–198 ...
, 1986–88
*
John Darr, 1988
*
Bob Hill
Robert W. Hill''The Sporting News: 1992-93 Official NBA Register''. St. Louis, Missouri: The Sporting News Publishing Co. 1992. (born November 24, 1948) is an American basketball coach. Hill grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio, moving to Worthingto ...
, 1988
*
Art Ross
Arthur Howe Ross (January 13, 1885 – August 5, 1964) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive from 1905 until 1954. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his era by his peers, he was one of the first to skate with the puck ...
, 1988
*
Ron McHenry
Ronald McHenry (born January 21, 1962) is an American former college women's basketball coach at Washburn University. During his 22 seasons at Washburn, he led the Ichabods to one national championship, seven conference regular season and tourn ...
, 1988
*
Mike Riley, 1988–1990
See also
*
Kansas City Steers
The Kansas City Steers were an American basketball team based in Kansas City, Missouri from 1961 to 1963. They were a member of the American Basketball League
History
The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, an ...
, professional basketball team in Kansas City from 1961 to 1963
*
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
, re-located from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985
*
List of past and present Kansas City sports teams
The Kansas City metropolitan area has a long history of sports, which has included national championship teams and championship title events.
Major professional teams
Kansas City has had teams in all five of the major, professional sports leag ...
References
{{reflist, 2
Continental Basketball Association teams
Basketball teams in Kansas
Basketball teams in Missouri
Sports in Topeka, Kansas
Sports in the Kansas City metropolitan area
1985 establishments in Missouri
Basketball teams established in 1985
1990 disestablishments in Kansas
Sports clubs disestablished in 1990