Is There A Place For Bloggers In The NBL?

caption time: There is a CD up for grabs for the best one. I now you guys can get creative with this great photo.

I truly believe it is time the NBL broadened their horizons and decided to use some of the material that bloggers provide to the basketball reading public.
Very much like NBA.com use the likes of superstar Gilbert Arenas and others to spice up their otherwise generic website. Fans love to hear from the players and blogging is a great way to connect and be somewhat interactive with them.

It is important that the league targets guys that are serious about producing worthy and insightful work, but I feel this is another avenue that has yet to be utilised by the NBL.

I'm surprised that club websites do not have some of their players blogging.

What got me thinking about the underutilisation (yes, it is a word in my dictionary) of this media outlet was a recent game the Crocs had against the Sydney Spirit in cockroach territory.

First, the game was sponsored by http://www.andrewbogut.net.au/. Bogut ponied up 30K of his own money to help out his mates at the Spirit. (Just between you and me Andrew, for a 30K donation the courtside announcer could have mentioned your website a little more often. I felt everyone should have been leaving that place just wanting to visit your cyber world once they got home.)

The NBL does link Bogut's website on the NBL's official website. (Can JR get a link?)

Also sitting in the crowd was the king of basketball forums, Derek Nielsen. Nielsen is the gatekeeper of the Ozhoops forum.

Whether you think these forums sites are good or bad, they are here to stay and they serve a purpose.

I feel Nielsen's expertise could be used in a situation such as this. Live blogging from the game. I'm not sure if any other media outlet was giving live, up to date scores on this game, but why not have Nielsen doing a live online analysis of the game.

Bring something new to the table for the fans.

Now I'm not sure as to the expense and magnitude you need to go to make something like this happen but, "if you build it they will come".

If people know it is there, they will keep an eye on the score while they are mowing the lawn on a Sunday afternoon.

AsaSpace is another cybernerd that was taking in the game. Every now and then this guy does a little work for Sportal, so I guess the NBL is using his skills indirectly.

Playing Penny to Asa's Shaq is photographical genius, S23Pix.

Another basketball diehard just trying to do his bit for the sport.

You need to check out his site. He has some great action photos. Too bad most of them are of the Wollongong Hawks.

Last but not least is asternwarning.

A Sydney King's fan from way back who now calls England home. He has been a long time blogger, mainly about his NBA Jailblazers, but I thought it would be interesting to hear his thoughts on how the game is travelling since he last took in a game, Down Under.

Now hold your horses before you climb all over me. Sure the NBL can not allow for anyone and everyone to come under the NBL media banner but take this game for example. There would have been more outcasts (no Andre 3000 and Big Boi were not at the game) then mainstream media at the game.

For a sport that is looking for improved media exposure, maybe it is time to look outside the normal parameters and include some of these other avenues.

I will use my own blog as an example and be very generous with the numbers. I will have more traffic come through my site in a week than over half the teams get at their home games.

The game is alive but are we moving with the times?

Nate Robinson with the tip jam!