The Calgary Drillers are on life support but they're not dead yet, according to American Basketball Association chairman Joe Newman.
Newman said yesterday the Drillers' GM Ruby Richman and head coach Otis Hailey are close to securing investors after owner Glen Straub abandoned the franchise earlier this week.
"The team's status is they are still in the league until they're not in the league," Newman said. "Is that fair?"
Player Nate Driggers said last night he expects an official announcement today about whether the club will continue.
Driggers said the Drillers had found an investor to keep the first-year franchise afloat through the remaining 23 games of the 36-game season.
The Drillers cancelled a five-game road trip that was to begin last night in Colorado Springs.
The players haven't been practising and are all hanging around the team's hotel waiting for word, according to Driggers.
"It's tough playing the waiting game when you just want to concentrate on basketball," Driggers said.
"All we can really do is wait. (Today) they're supposed to tell us what they're going to do."
The next homestand at the Stampede Corral is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 11-12 against Portland.
Straub, a Florida-based businessman who saved the team from folding in early December, told club president Al Howell earlier this week to cease operations.
Richman and Hailey were unavailable for comment.
