Inaugural Season (2005-2006)
The Express ended the regular season on March 5, 2006, after losing an away game to the Buffalo Rapids. Their record for the regular season was 14-16 and they finished third in the Roger Brown Division behind the Harlem Strong Dogs and the Strong Island Sound. They had a bye week for the first round of the playoffs. They played on March 17, 2006, in Atlanta against their second round opponent, the Atlanta Vision.
The Express started the season with star players Aswan Morris, Rasheed Sparks, Jamie Sowers and Derek Washington and Marcus Toney-El from the Jersey SkyCats. The Head Coach of the team in their first season was Darryl Dawkins. Former Newark Mayor, Sharpe James, and the city council gave money to the team and became an official sponsor during their inaugural season.
The Newark Express had a small number (100-250 fans on average) at their games, but there was more loyalty and noise among the fans toward the end of the season. The team had mentioned the possibility of moving to a larger arena in the future. Although the Prudential Center was completed in 2007, the low attendance prevented the team from using the arena.
The Newark Express season ended with a loss against the top ranked Rochester Razorsharks 126-98 on March 19, 2006 in the second round of the playoffs. The Razorsharks went on to win the 2005-2006 ABA Championship.
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Famous quotes containing the word season:
“I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending.”
—Fred Rogers (20th century)