Could all the Spirit's answers come down to what Dexter's compatibility score is?
TIM MORRISSEY (http://www.news.com.au/)
November 26, 2008 12:30am
SYDNEY'S last remaining NBL team has been heartlessly killed off by email.
Sydney Spirit owner Greg Evans informed Basketball Australia boss Scott Derwin via email late on Saturday afternoon that he was placing the team into administration this week just 10 rounds into the season.
Evans' bombshell, just five months after the death of the Sydney Kings, has thrown the NBL into chaos and put basketball's future as a professional sport in Sydney in jeopardy.
None of the Spirit players or coaching staff, who have been preparing for Saturday night's crucial clash against the South Dragons at home, had any idea Evans had pulled the pin on the team until late Monday when NBL chief executive Chuck Harmison alerted head coach Rob Beveridge.
Evans is refusing to meet Derwin or even speak to him over the telephone, instead relying on email as his only form of communication.
Derwin believes the sudden demise of the Spirit – so soon after the NBL terminated renegade Kings owner and Firepower boss Tim Johnston's licence back on June 11 after he failed to pay his players – could hurt basketball just weeks after a reform package, designed to unify the sport, was passed unanimously.
"It is Tim Johnston all over again – it's very damaging to the whole of the sport," Derwin said.
"And it's about the last thing we need right at the moment."
Derwin met yesterday with several parties who are interested in resurrecting the Kings.
But Mike Wrublewski, who helped build the Kings into an Australian sporting icon during basketball's halcyon days in the 1990s before selling out, didn't hold out much hope for the Spirit after attending the meeting.
"We can't rule out anything but we are waiting to hear from Greg Evans in order to know what's going on," Wrublewski said. "Right now it doesn't look good . . . it's way beyond just trying to buy the team."
Incredibly, Evans still hasn't contacted either Beveridge or any of the players.
"I knew nothing about this," Beveridge said. "I have to say Greg Evans is a mysterious person."
I thought it would be just easiest for me to publish the whole article so you people can get a feel for the situation.
I, on the other hand have become very worried after being alerted of this news today.
People's lives are being played with here. Mortgages, school fees and grocery bills have to be paid for and there are 15 guys (players and coaches) involved with this franchise that have no idea what their world is going to be like when they awake in the morning. That is if they even sleep at all.
Why am I worried? This is my place of employment and when something like this happens it is affects my workplace.
I'll actually leave it at this because I'm currently very emotionally charged about this whole thing. I don't want to say something now that I may regret saying when more light is shone upon the situation.
But, the NBL cannot keep allowing teams to operating like this.
News
- Julius Hodge wins the NBL POW award. Tune into the upcoming episode of "The OT" to hear my thoughts on this decision.
- Boti Nagy reviews the round just played.
- More on the Spirit crisis. And a little more.
- 36ers to mix it up with oppositions in the future.
- Taipans trying to stop the fade.
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4 comments:
More bad news for the NBL, really hope they pull through.
The Spirit put a great product on the floor, a young, talented team that works hard, it'd suck to lose that.
I was originally hesitant about this whole reform thing, but it seems like a necessity now.
Good game tonight JR. Looks as though you've decided to begin you campaign towards NBL MVP tonight with 24pts, 5reb, 3ast.
Can you give yourself the CD at the end of the week?
Loved the one handed floating flick buzzer beater tonight JR. Oh great podcast too, that rusty is a funny funny man. You need to be giving a rusty comedy cd away for your player of the week prize.
Love the way you are biting your lip, but a little is escaping through. Unbelievable that this can happen twice in Sydney in the one year! NBL head honchos are clueless with a capital C!!! Sure this reform is badly needed but unless they clean out the whole administration and get some people in with a clue, then basketball will forever struggle in Sydney. What has happened to the Razorits is an absolute joke. Especially when you consider they have a very respectable squad which plays hard every night! Come one NBL, show some nous and balls and keep this team going for the rest of the year!!! The players, coaches and very few fans that are out there deserve it!!!
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