thanks for the sponsorship - fellas!

the jokes will never end - but then perhaps that is an advertisers dream - it will get people talking no end - look at me here already!

great to see some much needed support for our mighty girls - do not forget erin and laura's profiles are being followed all over the usa as well - so every time some wnba logs onto our girls - they are going to see fellas - what the !

I thought it was a dance troupe for a doe night

It's ridiculous ... I know its great for the club in terms of money through sponsorship, but all all-FEMALE team being named the Adelaide Fellas ?? Its laughable.. How do you market that??
'South Australia's National basketball team, the Adelaide Fella's.. oh sorry should've said South Australia's WOMENS National basketball team.. didnt mean to confuse anyone?!?!'
Think this is one to send on to ROVE LIVE for the WHAT THA segment!

They really should be named something else. I don't know why they still can't be the Lightning

Had heard rumours of an impending sponsorship deal. Congratulations to those who secured it.

Shame that the name is so bizarre (like the Dome that isn't anything like a Dome!). I agree with ELG, maybe Adelaide Fellas Lightning would've been better as a way of incorporating the sponsors name, but maintaining branding.

Will Wayville still be termed The Lighthouse, or will it be The Gift Shop? From a branding perspective, they'll effectively be starting from scratch as there are no clues to what "Adelaide Fellas" is (sounds more like a social indoor soccer team).

I thought that this would have to be a typo from The Advertiser, but the same name is reported on the Adelaide Lightning site. I guess they're going to have to get a new URL now!

yes isaac - i prefer "adelaide fellas lightning"

perhaps wayville could be called "the blokes shed"

First they want women to try and dunk the ball
then they change the size to a size 5
then they decided to can the body suit.
and now they are called fellas

Think that some of the people "in the know" have got no clue sometimes.

If someone is willing to put in the money to support the women's team, then I think they deserve the recognition of having the naming rights without keeping 'Lightning' in the picture, because how many times did you hear 'Adelaide QUIT Lightning' compared to 'Adelaide Lightning'? GO the ADELAIDE FELLAS!!!!

The Quit program is not the naming rights sponsor anymore, so why should they have any right to have there name mentioned. It would be like the Pura Milk / West End 36ers.

There was an article in the Independent Weekly today providing more information about the sponsorship deal. Initially Fellas Gifts approached the Lightning to provide sponsorship for Cherie Smith (their niece) but it eventuated to become a naming-rights deal. The sponsor stressed that they didn't want the deal in place unless the girls were comfortable with the name change (which they reportedly were).

The article also stresses the problems with ending 12 years of strong branding with the goodbye to the Adelaide Lightning name.

I'm curious to know if "Adelaide Fellas Lightning" was a possibility because I think that retaining the Lightning name would've been very much a preferable path. I mean, they're not the Adelaide Pura Milks!

The sponsorship was reported to be worth around $50-75,000.

i just think it is funny

Is this a joke? If not it is a disgrace and an embarrassment to South Australian Basketball.

If they did this to the 36ers, I would stop following them.

There wouldn't be a team if there weren't sponsors! Narrow minded people is what makes this state so conservative. Its a step in the right direction! Go the FELLAS!

This decision wasn't made on April 1st by any chance? We are getting our collective legs pulled aren't we?

Wouldn't it make more sense to be the Adelaide Fellas Lightening, like the Pura Milk 36ers?

Sam, hope your birthday night was fun and you managed to stay awake into the wee hours of Sunday.

Ha! My bad, what was I thinking?

Further proof of where the current administration of basketball in this State is headed. They are prepared to sell anything, EVEN THEIR SOUL! It begs another question, would they be prepared to sell the nickname of the 36ers? Oh, hang on, they almost did with the "Sixers" debacle.

This is an absolute disgrace! Come on club presidents, step in and restore some sanity into this whole situation, and clean house, now before they do even more damage!

I am sure that the Fella's people would be happy with the Adelaide "Fella's" Lightning, they aren't going to pull the money out if it was changed back.

can someone confirm that this is women called fellas?

I thought I would give you guys a reply from a players point of view. I understand where all the comments are coming from with the name. Sure it is very strange to be renaming the team "Adelaide Fellas" as I know we have been known as the Lightning for 13 years and there is alot of tradition behind the name. I am not sure though if some of you understand that it is very difficult to obtain sponsorship for womens basketball, and Fella's Gifts have put forward a great deal of money to our program for the next 5 years. As Issac has written though, the Powerhouse got renamed the Dome, but everyone still calls it the Powerhouse and I am sure that will be the case for the people that hold the Lightning close to their hearts. From what I understand "Lightning" wasn't a possibility as it defeated the purpose of Fellas Gifts being the naming right sponsor. But the Adelaide Lightning Inc is still the entity however Adelaide Fellas has the naming rights. Asalot of you know, we find it difficult at times to work full time as well as play WNBL, and if this is a step in the right direction, where we may not have to struggle so much and get paid a little bit more for something we put so much time and effort and heart and soul into then I am all for it. Why don't we thank Adelaide Gifts for giving some support& money to Womens basketball which is something that it definately needs. They have also offered some part time work for girls that are finding it hard to find a job that is flexible with our training times. So get down to Fella's Gifts at either West Lakes, Marion, TTP or the City and you might bump into one of us. Finally though after returning from Europe after 4 seasons, it was great to see how much support we have down at Wayville now, the atmosphere in there is terrific and we hope to see more of you guys down there for the next season.

PS. To The Doctor, had a great birthday night!! Thanks!

Opps made a typo, I meant why don't we thank FELLA'S Gifts for supporting women's basketball.

Sam,

I think it is absolutely fantastic that Fella's Gifts have chipped in to help. I know I have a present to buy this week-end and I will head to Fella's first!

I also appreciate that it is difficult for the players who put so much time and effort for so little monetary reward. This sponsorship will help immeasurably.

I find it difficult to believe that the same money would not be committed to the Adelaide "Fella's" Lightning or "Fella's" Adelaide Lightning etc. If this is the case then that is very disappointing.

The point is, when you sell your soul you don't have a great deal left. Selling the name is selling your soul! No amount of money is worth that.

Can you imagine the uproar if the roles were reversed and the 36ers sold their identity! The Adelaide "Woman's Day" is an extreme example but illustrates the point.

I think there are a lot of people who welcome the sponsorship, but not at the expense of our identity. It is NOT a small issue. There are a lot, and I mean A LOT of people who are just appauled that this administration would sell us all down the river.

Before it gets really ugly (and it will, believe me, I have never seen so many basketball people so incensed!), please someone restore some sanity into this situation. It's quite easy, The Adelaide "Fella's" Lightning.

And before everyone tells me I am over-reacting, the answer is NO, IT IS NOT JUST A NAME!

This is so ridiculous....the lightning have put up with shoe string budgets for so long and you complain cause they get off their butts and try to make things better for themselvs....a name change for cosmetic purposes....Adelaide Lightning moves on with some help from "Fellas Gifts"

I reckon its awsum that they are now named 'Adelaide Fellas'!!! I mean it sounds abit weird at first but you know everyone will get used to it. Yeh well i dont live in Adelaide but i do play basketball in Townsville which is pretty awsum. I also have met former 'Adelaide Lighting' guard Rachael Flanagan and she is so cool.

Back to the topic all the people out there who reckon 'Adelaide Lighting' now being named 'Adelaide Fellas' is weird, well you's all need to get a grip. I reckon it's so Rad because no offense but the name 'Adelaide Lighting' isn't all that good and 'Adelaide Fellas' well that just sounds so cool. Well sure it's abit weird because they chicks not fellas but you know it still sound really catchy and cool.

Yeh well I like it and I think it's a great achievement for Adelaide so to everyone who thinks it's strange, I got 4 words for you "GO GET A GRIP!!!'

Cya's

Let's go Fellas
Let's GO!!!

In the future, I bet that History will show that the new naming to Adelaide Fellas, played a very important part in the stronger growth of Womens Basketball in SA.

Its a changing world that we are now living in and some things nowadays are a little bit out there at first, untill they either become common or we just get used to them.

So

Build a bridge and get over it.!

If this whole situation were to be looked upon from a respect/principal point of view than it is absolutely disgraceful and disrespectful to women sport in general. On pure principal, if I were the president/players of the team I would be more satisfied with less money and retaining the name lightning for the meantime rather than lowering the respect for our Adelaide womens team and calling them a team of fella's. Seriously.. it is a JOKE!! Sure, money is important but it's not as if the lightning were on the verge of exitiong the league b/coz they were short of it. It's just very very sad and disappointing occurance that womens sport is the laughing stock of the media and the populations thoughts. And after all.. they play in the WOMENS national basketball league... not the MENS.. that should be respected!

Well let's all head to the Gift Shop to see the Fellas first home game. When is it anyway.

Coming from anyone else but a Victorian that would be taken serious.
You guys got anything left to flog off?

...and what happens in 5 years time when Fellas Gifts decide not to extend their contract?

Where does that leave the entity that is the basketball club?

Bad move.

Terrible from a branding point of view. What woman would want to wear a t-shirt that says 'Adelaide Fellas' - you could expect absolute ridicule from those who didn't know what it was.

I wonder if the organisation had done any brand research prior to understand the potential impacts.

It may enable the team to proceed in the short term, but longer term it seems like a very strange decision.

For someone in the know, was the deal $50-75k p.a. or across 5 years?

i recon the adelaide fellas is da best name it shows that the team is out there and prepared to do anything GO the Fellas!!!!!!