ABL takes its Rage from Richmond to the Palestra

The Palestra has some new tenants. The official announcement that the American Basketball League's Richmond (Va.) Rage will move to Philadelphia -- and play its home games in the Palestra -- was made in late July. Since then, Philadelphians have received the news warmly. Among the most excited by the news are Penn's athletic staff. "The Palestra has such a historical perspective and legacy of great basketball being played here, I think it's just one more part of the history of the Palestra and I think it's an exciting part," Penn women's basketball coach Julie Soriero said. That great history is one reason why ABL officials have finalized a contract to play in the Palestra next season. It will be much easier for the ABL to market a new team in a recognizable basketball venue. Already, area and even some national papers have thrown in their favorable opinions about the move. The arrival of the Rage should come about in early September when practices begin. Practices will probably be held in the morning or early afternoon when Penn's athletes are more likely to be in classes. "We made it very clear that this can't take away from Penn and from Penn activities. They understand that and they are extremely willing to work with us on that," said Tony Vecchione, Penn associate director of athletic operations. Regular season games will open in the middle of October. The Rage will play all but three of their season's home games in the Palestra. Those select games will showcase Temple University's Apollo, slated to be finished in December. The Rage's move comes in particularly timely fashion. Penn and St. Joseph's will co-host the 2000 women's basketball Final Four. Also, just a year and a half ago, the U.S. Olympic team made a stop in the Palestra to play China. Interest was so high that the game nearly sold out. ABL and Penn officials don't expect crowds that large, but they do believe that Palestra crowds will average 4,000 per game -- above last year's league average. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to expect rising attendance is the return of Olympian Dawn Staley, a Dobbins Tech graduate, to the area. "I think it's great to have a pro team coming with the talent they have, and especially the local home-grown talent like Dawn Staley," Soriero said. "She's a dynamic player to watch, a great representative of women's basketball and I'm happy for her and the people of Philadelphia who will get a chance to see someone of that caliber play." In addition, the Rage come to Philadelphia -- a city renowned for its displeasure with losers -- as winners. Last year, without a huge fan base, the Rage finished second to the Columbus Quest. With further support, the Rage hope to produce the team's first league championship. The Penn community hopes the Rage's relocation is one positive followed by another. Fans will be drawn to the Palestra where it is possible that Rage games will draw more people to games involving Penn's athletic teams. "We'll try to use it to our advantage. I think we will try to put some doubleheaders together. That will help us and it's a great opportunity for our players," Soriero said. Rage games will be somewhat different from Penn games in that Penn officials will be in charge of everything involved with the venue, but nothing with the game itself. Therefore, fans may see more of a production at Rage games from the ABL -- primarily in the form of more music and more signs of sponsorship than fans see or hear at a Penn game. The biggest challenge to Penn officials will be adjusting to its new tenant without sacrificing its old ones -- an idea which isn't seen as a problem. "It's going to be very positive for basketball. I think it's very positive for women's basketball, and very positive for the Palestra," Vecchione said.

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