Saturday, June 13, 2009

"A Ludicrous Decision" by Daniel Eade

Last year's NBL 6th Man of the Year, Phill Jones, will probably lost to the game. Is it good for the NBL to potentially be losing several guys with this type of talent?

Daniel Eade a journalist that contributes to gaze.com.au has written an interesting article that I have posted below.

In Eade's article he makes some comments regarding rules and some changes to the game that may affect the overall product.

I would love to hear your view once you have read the article.

"The still nameless newNBL have slapped basketball fans across the face with the decision to shorten the length of games for the league, slicing off eight minutes as they prepare to unveil a walk in-walk out abridged version of what Australian fans have become accustomed too by only playing 4x10 minute quarters.

The decision made without any fan consultation, is set to be the final straw that breaks the camels back as ticket prices are set to not be lowered, despite the reduction in entertainment of what is on offer.

Teams will also be able to fill their roster with “bit” players, with the league set to lose an abundance of quality bench players as teams look to cut pay-roll, highlighted by the New Zealand Breakers decision in not bringing back reigning 6th man of the year, Phill Jones, without being able to guarantee the sweet shooting lefty any quality minutes.

Townsville have also followed suit by not bringing back John Rillie and the Melbourne Tigers have now let Stephen Hoare go.

Why on Earth the league would agree to such a staggering move and deprive their loyal fans of time to see their favourite stars in action is outrageous.

On the day Larry Sengstock was announced as the new chief, I spoke to Sengstock about the rumour of games being shortened and at the time he claimed to have, “Only heard of it recently.” I begged Sengstock to use any kind of power to make sure this did not happen and I did leave that conversation believing we were on the same page.

I will even go as far as saying that whoever on the board voted for this, should be immediately sacked because they do not have basketball fans best interest at heart and I sure as hell don’t want them making anymore decisions that affect my enjoyment of the game.

It is a ludicrous decision.

Just sit back and watch now as players are overlooked and not rewarded with contracts, their point rankings and minutes available to them, plus money, will enable teams to go the cheaper route.

How is this good for basketball?

Gone are the days of a team filling out a roster that is 10-deep. Why bother when you can spread the minutes around eight players and have a couple of cheap kids fill out your final roster spots.

Nobody ever said that the problem with the NBL was the games are too long!!!! I seriously cannot believe this decision.Are teams going to be able to attract sponsors by saying, “Games will be shortened so fans will see less of your advertising. Now could we please have some money!!”

If Sengstock wants to be on the fans side, he must make sure this does not go through and that it is stopped before it is implemented. Scores will be lower, player averages will be lower and attendances will be lower, I guarantee you.

So how is this good in any way?"

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Eade can't guarantee anything other than being a one eyed Tiger lovin tool with bad grammar and punctuation and is a tryhard and a wannabe.
The decision to make games 4x10 mins quarters to keep in line with overseas was made AGES ago- where was this kid when that happened if he's a credible journo?
Talk about trivial- get over it!
Real fans think this is a petty issue compared to other things going on at a higher level that are being ironed out- why whine about it now it was done and dusted eons ago- must be quiet in Melb.
He must be stupid and naive to think that Sengstock would bow down to the rambling loose opinion of a cracker-ass and change the game because he thought he should- Sengstock would've just been polite and not wanted to offend the kid- lest he whine about it on a forum many people avoid.
Wanker, wanker, WANKER.

Anonymous said...

I believe the decision for the court-marking's (including key-way, dunk circle and three-point line) and reduction of quarter's is a FIBA decision which would've been enforced next season by force so the NBL decided to bring it in a season early.

Josh Jenkins

Eric said...

Daniel raises a valid (if already well discussed point) that ticket prices are not going to lower, despite the fact that game times will. Basically fans now get nearly 20% less gametime that the 48 minute version, presumably for more dollars.

If you don't like it, you could pump your season ticket money into a Foxtel subscription and watch a greater number of half attended games at home. Some simple economics to think about.

Unfortunately - to fall in line with FIBA, the answer to any fan who will miss those 8 minutes is basically "suck eggs".

While the roster cuts suck for most fans - you have to think about the financial viability of the league long term. No individual player is bigger than the game. I'm pretty sure teams would be holding onto talented veteran players if they could afford them.

Symon said...

I've been a bball fan since 1990, and although I love the game, I often dont come till midway through the second quarter because I find it a bit boring before then. I dont think that 8 mins is going to make the astronomical difference Daniel thinks it will. If anything, we should have crisper basketball with the first 6 players getting a greater percentage of the game time. Daniel has been absolute in his predictions, without checking it out first. If it helps us prepare better for International play, then I'm all for it. ps..Rills, good luck on the future...I wish you'd stayed a Bullet, but it was probably better not to have to endured being a Bullet during the mid to late 90's.

ChuckE said...

By cutting down the length of the quarters, I feel they are making an attempt to make the game more marketable and fall in line with several of the overseas competitions. It seems to work in Europe and it could give the NBL a more electric atmosphere as in the NCAA if the fans go out and get behind it.

Anonymous said...

I actually think Eade is out of touch with the game here and clearly shows that he is not prepared to do his research. This rule change was a FIBA move not one by the nNBL. Once again Eade is off the mark as he was with Jesse Wagstaff on his web site last week and that Wortho was off to Cairns. I believe that the reduced time will improve the spectacle and make the game more exciting. As for experienced players being forced from the game I dont think the two are directly related. The fact that the senior australians demand so much $$ is what is forcing them from the game. If it brings some fresh faces into the comp I am all for it. I have seen too much of the older Boomers players like Ronaldson, Rogers, Anstey, Saville. Looking forward to a new league and the birth of some new stars to move the sport forward. I suppose Eade will blame the nNBl when the straight line keyway comes in..

Greg said...

That would be a valid point if the young players coming thru were as talented as the guys you are sick of seeing were in their youth. Most young players with respectable talent have taken a look at what is offered here and walked away to another league in another country. Don't kid yourself. They aint comin' back.

Eric said...

Fair point that. They're goin' where the money is.

Anonymous said...

Not only is it a directive from FIBA, but the move to 4 x 10 helps with TV coverage. It puts the game into a 2hr time slot and therefore easier for foxsports to program.

Max Gladwill said...

I think Daniel makes a very vaild point when he wrote, "No one ever complains about the length of a game being too long" or something like that.
Why will people come along and pay more money plus take their wife and kids and have less of a game to watch. Cuz it is a family game isnt it????
I have not decided if I will renew by membership next season because of this and I've been following my team for 4 years as a member.
And to whoever said it's for a 2hr timeslot on TV, I dont think a game ever goes over 2hrs in the nbl when its 48 minutes.
Actually now Ive decided, Im not gonna renew my membership for 90minutes of real time action and pay more.
This is a joke, I dont like the nbl anymore.

Basketball fans who DON'T want the newNBL to cut games back to 4x10min qtrs said...

Comments from the Facebook Group, "Basketball fans who DON'T want the newNBL to cut games back to 4x10min qtrs"


Down with Sengstock... someone needs to take that guy out!


Time to weight in....
These guys are world class athletes, well most of them some just naturally gifted in BBall. This BS! basketball in Victoria where we saw the Dragons take the Championship last season has shun d them like the bastard puppy and the oldest team in Melbourne "Tigers" almost got the can to :/ Wtfs with that. This is not Australian at all. I think we are missing the point here in Australian sports. Where other ticketed sports in Oz seem to be doin well, while bball seems to be shooting itself in the foot. As Alla my main man said look at these other sports and take note, if netball can get of the ground I think bball can make a come back also.
At least make the league pure fiba rules so they can be ready for the world championships and Olympics, put Ozzie bball back on the map, play on that increase court size do sumthin, shit it aint hard. But spitting on the fans of Aussie and Victorian Bball by cutting minutes and cutting the champions out of the newBS!NBL... WTF!


Disgrace Basketball Australia, FUCKING DISGRACE.
Good way to kick things off. Maybe you should look at other sports in Australia that have actually boomed in recent years ie. A-League. Get your marketing right and for gods sakes take a leaf out of Netball's book if need be. Look at how much coverage/marketing/tv-time/exposure they are bloody well receiving. All it takes is a bit of air-time, since NBA has been on1 HD everyone has been saying how awesome it is. Yer there ain't no Kobe's or Lebrons in the NBL, but most Australians will watch sport over a freaking mid-day fucking soap opera or some bullshit day time show.
Get it right and serve all the fans in the way they should be served.
The fire has burnt the wick way too short in my opinion - there ain't much left for fans to hold onto. A team forced out of the league that just recently won the RING. The team which had PLENTY of support and created GREAT rivalry with the Tigers.
FUCKING DISGRACE!


Cutting games to 40 min is fukn rubbish, this is the last thing we need...We're struggling enough as it is to put a decent product together this will no doubt make it harder to attract fans, sponsorship ect...BA WTF are u thinking ???


Fuck you NBL/BA.


this is MADNESS!
"Ticket prices won't be cut by 16.66%, so why should our entertainment be cut by 16.66%."
Totally agree

Basketball fans who DON'T want the newNBL to cut games back to 4x10min qtrs said...

Basketball is the poor brother to all of the national codes at the moment. If you make the game any shorter, it will resemble a junior game. Here's another idea, why not just make it a game of knockout like in the school yard. That should work. Seriously what are they thinking? Come on get serious!!


There is obviously going to have to be a lot of changes to get people to come to games and let the NBL have an identity again, but this sure as hell isn't the answer, what a joke.


Why not cut the games all together & just show old replays?


ok if they were to cut down the quaters won't that lessen the chance of the i cant remember the name idk umm bench players or back up idk but wont they have a less of a chance of playing and devoping there skills?


why not add 2 minutes to every quarter..the more ball the better i say


10 minute quaters??? Gimmi a break.. More ball is better!!


Doesn't help the bench guys develop and get minutes


More marketable - so.... let me pay more money for less basketball, and that makes it MORE MARKETABLE? Dammit. I was so hopeful that this new NBL would be an improvement.... but if this is what we're changing, I'm very worried. The 12 minutes is one of the few things in Aussie basketball that's not broken, so why are we trying to fix it?


Are they kidding what next men and women playing together. Ten minute quarters no wonder nbl going down the tubes!!!


What dickehead came up with this idea. They are trying to make the NBL more marketable changing to 10 min quaters is not making the NBL more marketable.


Sensible stuff and common sense please prevail!
Hand Ten HD a free to air licence to broadcast this great sport on their "one Sport" Channel.
Leave the game alone, stop tampering for change sake.
Market and manage the league like you would a business, and cut out those who cant manage (take the hint)
Call games with fairness and parity rather than try and shape outcomes of games, and further call the instigators not react and call the retaliators. With three refs why is it the ref who never has a clear view who blows a foul? Make them accountable and communicate as a team! Allow the big guys in the paint to do their job and get the fouls the guards get for less contact.
Stand back and let the game flourish from there. Keep your hands off it otherwise!!

Daniel said...

I never ever ever said Worthington was going to Cairns.

Chris said...

is this a joke? are they really gonna make games shorter? are you kidding me? i dont like this at all.