And the nbl and BA should not attend or host it on their website, also asking foxsports not to add it...

fark em, and i cant wait for the time they want in and it cost's them $1M+

Wow anonymous someone is bitter. Im sure your team also didnt break the salary cap, and it is interesting that the people who have pulled out are giving more information to their supporters and the public than those who have stayed in this schamble of a league and BA. Oh well enjoy watching the game once a week.

Don't spose Cowan will mention that his partner pulled out as the major reason.

The word I have heard is that the Gaze Family and the Tigers have been working really hard to put together a team for the 09/10 season and there is a chance of another team from Melbourne as well. BA is hoping to make an announcement on Tuesday about the league and tv coverage (foxtel will broardcast 2 games a week). The SOS is also hoping that by tuesday all legal documents giving them ownership of the license and a lease for the dome will be confirmed.
But as we know things can change in the blink of an eye

Some call it bitterness... others call it facts.
I'd rather live in the light than darkness, mate!
I too hope BA have nothing whatsoever to do with their lame overdue 'reasons' on their website.(or at least the ones that will make them look good)
We've moved on and are looking to the future- they should do the same.

Sounds like a couple of fans who are pissed that the tigers and dragons were just better than then, and will be happier to see a comp that nobody actually cares about, but that they can possibly win in.
That sounds like bitterness.
And don't blame the tigers and the dragons for taking advantage of the fact that the nbl didn't police the cap. every team did. they just had deeper pockets.

and don't think that i believe roarting the cap is or was the right thing to do. like every fan i want to see a level playing field with a good product. the tigers and dragons did what they could to put the best product out there for the fans. and for that i've always been happy with them.

Agree Falkman. And really with a reform that is taking place, if we are to believe that BA will announce this new tv deal, it is still only 2 games a week, when we were told it would be every game covered live so once again they fail to deliver on another promise and i wouldnt be surprised if that date was delayed anyway.

People have a go at both teams, saying they havent really told everything and have left the supporters hanging then they comeout to tell what happened and then they get bagged. If any of your teams had made the decision you would be saying the same thing. Most of the people we saying that the league was going to be a shambles and we should look at postponing the season as we had heard nothing, but now that it was only the Melbourne teams you change your mind and see the Dragons and Tigers as easy targets.

Anyway anonymous, cant take you seriously as you fail to put your name to anything that you say...

Anonymous everyone apart from wollongong and Sydney Spirit went over the salary cap, so then I guess you go for Wollongong as the other Sydney teams also broke the salary cap in past years and still would have in the past.


with regards to the Dragons, that is the model that everyone hopes to one day achieve!If other teams cannot afford to spend money on advertising and playing in a big stadium, that is unfortunate for them, but your ideal seems to be very communist. Everyone equal?? spending the same ect.
In every sport there are teams that have bigger business model, you have more fans, play in better stadiums, can afford to spend more than other on player.

Collingwood against North Melbourne
Melbourne Victory ect ect.

The facts is that we still do not know anything about this surposed revamp and it is almost 3 months away!! If you believe the way BA has handled it i hope you are not in business because it has been dreadful.

This may be the last chance the Basketball has in Australia, lets get it bloody right!!

-'with regards to the Dragons, that is the model that everyone hopes to one day achieve!If other teams cannot afford to spend money on advertising and playing in a big stadium'

Well Hayden, the Dragons cannot afford it anymore!(straight from Cowans mouth).

-'Oh well enjoy watching the game once a week.'

Yes Hayden, I have enjoyed watching one game a week for the past two seasons.

Collingwood and Nth Melbourne both spend teh same on players due to teh AFL salary cap. The Pies however do have better facilities and probably a lot more staff than the Kangaroos.
The difference I see there though is that Collingwoods better facilities are due to them historically making more money and being more successful than Nth melbourne NOT from recieving handouts from a rich owner who is making money elsewhere and likes to help out the Pies as a bit of fun on the side.

I think we all want to have a model where our players are paid very well (to ensure we keep the top players playing here) and have awesome faciliies. Surely the way to achieve this s to ensure that the league and all clubs are profitable and not reliant on handouts from whichever rich owner is lookingfor a hobby at the time. IMO the best way to start working towards this goal is to cut everything back to the bone and start again with lower costs across the board. Then we aim fro growth at a sustainable rate

Smart statement Anon. Lets kick out the owners willing to invest & SPEND THEIR MONEY FOR US FANS and keep the deadbeats who have been bringing down the sport for years. That's going to help achieve the goal of making basketball sustainable and make our newNBL a quality competition.
You ever heard the term only the strong survive. BA should be looking after those willing to put money into the league, into their teams and into the sport. Not those who can't afford to even keep their own house in order.

So how does a small time deal where regional teams games are broadcast into regional teams cities make the sport sustainable and gain significant financial backing from the corporate sector?
I'm pretty sure that sponsors who are going to contribute big $$ sponsoring a side would want their logo seen across the country, not just by the couple of thousand people in woollongong (a city of 280 000 peopl) who could be bothered watching them against cairns because nothing else is on.
And i'm sure sponsors won't be throwing money at the teams when the 3 biggest markets in the country don't get to see their game.
And talking about streaming is nuts.
Hardcore basketball fans will tune in via streaming, but few regular australians will actively go out and search up to stream the games online.
Hell, most australian's won't turn in to anything unless it's shoved down their throats. This is why marketing and thus strong financial backing from both sponsors, and especially owners, is so important. And is not something that these poor owners can be relied upon to do.
If your owner can't afford to pay the bills he surely can't afford to market the team. And if he can't afford to market the team then sponsors won't get on board.
Once again why rich owners (like cowan and mcpeake) and so important.

Falkman, who are the strong survivors? Are they the 7 teams willing to push forward or the 2 that have thrown in the towel?

just because you're a rich owner and can afford to continually lose up to $3m/year, doesnt make you good for the sport. this is the reason teams have become unsustainable. the dragons talk about an increased salary cap, when for most teams the revenue just isnt there to afford a higher cap. the dragons might be all for it, but only because they'd be paying it already..

Yes the marketing needs to improve and local TV coverage needs to happen. this will come with reform, as will the government funding. to not play this season means this wont occur, or will be delayed indefinitely. when owners put the league and game first, and not their own agendas, is when true reform will occur

its better to be on the inside helping to reform, than on the outside complaining about it and having no real say in anything..

AFAIC the NBL is better off without them

can't figure out why people are jumping all over the owners... they don't run these teams out of their pocket for the hell of it, they do it for a profit, or a tax write off at best... so instead of people getting angry at them, why not angry at yourself for not attending enough games and bringing more friends (if any) with you... put your money where your mouth is, otherwise shut it... sick of people passing judgement on people on financial matters like this and saying they have no love for the sport, when in fact, what the f*ck have you really done other than eat a couple hot dogs at a couple games during the season

end of the day, BA f*cked up and should be held accountable, and no one else... no one else did such a poor job to get media attention to the sport when it STARTED to fall

Falkman

The only relevant issue is this. For the 'Cowan/McPeak' model to work, you need at least EIGHT owners of clubs willing to put up $3-4 MILLION each year to create this new free market super-league NBL.

How many owners have put up their hands to spend that kind of money in the year-long reform process that has been going on? You are right, Wollongong couldn't afford it. Neither could the Sixers/Adelaide. Sydney teams apparently struggle to make a profit under any circumstances. If not for the 'deadbeats', who do the Tigers and Dragons think they were going to play against? Two teams doesn't make much of a league. What happens after the enforced 12 month hiatus when Cowan/McPeak still can't find 6 other rich buddies willing to piss their money up against the wall?

Until Cowan and McPeak come out on Wednesday and say they have 8 teams lined up willing to play in their supercharged rebel league, their argument has no legs to stand on.

before everyone judges lets wait to see what the Dragons and Tigers have to say first. The Age article says that they had some ideas on how to move the sport forward and they want to put some facts on the table etc- at least have a look at what they say then judge whether you like it or not. Seems like some people have their minds made up already?

Falkman

"" I'm pretty sure that sponsors who are going to contribute big $$ sponsoring a side would want their logo seen across the country, not just by the couple of thousand people in woollongong (a city of 280,000 people) watching them against cairns because nothing else is on ""


A lot of teams have sponsors that are local to the area and would rather have a local viewing audience because that is where the market is. I'm in Adelaide and almost all of our sponsors are local businesses that want local support. It's pointless being seen in Cairns if your buisness is in Adelaide.

I wouldn't push the issue about cheating and breaking the rules in any elite sporting context Anonymous (post #236844). You ask about throwing the ball out of the bunker if no-one is looking and I ask about intentionally fouling a player who has beaten you with superior skill so that he has to "earn the 2 points from the line".

Given the personalities and the endemic attitude of "whatever it takes" or "it's only illegal if you get caught", in professional sport (basketball included), arguments about fair play and sportsmanship won't fly.

so youre either with the owners or BA. but how can BA be held accountable during what is an ongoing reform? if only 1 EOI met all criteria, shouldnt those owners be held accountable for delaying the process?

good on BA for holding ground and following due process, all of which is following independent reports. pls also remind yourself that BA are trying to sort out a mess theyve inherited, not started.

its easy for Cowan to blame BA, when by all accounts its Geminder just pulling his money out, as he doesnt like the new rules. so if that was to have happened mid-season, would the Dragons just shut up shop like Spirit and Cairns?

its also about social responsibility and respect for those you once employed. how about the 40+ people now out of jobs and having to probably move interstate.

either way it makes the Dragons championship the most hollow win of all, as theyll never have the chance to defend it.

Ricey - sure you don't want to revisit your comment about BA being responsible? When did BA take responsibility for the league - only just recently, right?

Hayden - this is the sort of comment which makes me skip everything else you write - it's just dim:

it is still only 2 games a week, when we were told it would be every game covered live so once again they fail to deliver on another promise and i wouldnt be surprised if that date was delayed anyway.

Postponed, I think.