Roar Rookie
Joined October 2012
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Like anyone repulsed by violence and the ugliness of the herd mentality, I was disgusted to see the video footage of Western Sydney Wanderers…
Can someone please tell me why James O’Connor has this kind of profile that his exploits attract such publicity? As far as I can tell he is a mediocre club-standard rugby player who has been promoted way WAY beyond his abilities. I can assume it is only because of the absolute dearth of back line talent that he is a perennial selection, surely. If one was to compare him to the back line of the Larkham, Herbert, Latham, Roff era he wouldn’t even get a look in. Very sad times for rugby right now.
ARU investigating O'Connor incident
It’s so great to see all these different views on the NBL. As a lifelong basketball tragic I yearn for the NBL to get back at least some of its credibiity. I know it will never be a top-tier sport in Australia, competing with the AFL, NRL and cricket. But with incisive management and smart long-term planning it can at least solidify and become a respected and well-run league. I think the work being done under the new NBL management structure augurs well. My only fear is it happens too fast and leads to de-stabilisation. Key appears to be engendering loyal fan bases who will stick with their team regardless. The days of thinking that the razzle dazzle and game day entertainment is the answer are long gone. NBL games are enough of a spectacle to not need blaring music during games and other nonsense. Engage the fans and basketball community. Be conservative in your planning. Stay on TV. Fon’t forget the grass roots. I think these are the hard rules the league needs to operate under.
Time for the NBL to bring us back to the arena
You make a good point Ryan. The NBL can never hope to compete with the NBA’s spending power and brand recognition. As I see it, the key to igniting interest in the NBL is through loyalty and identification. Clubs need fans to think of them as “their club.” I’m with you in regards to watching the NBA. I have my league pass and get on there as much as I can because it’s the best basketball. But the Sydney Kings are “my team” and always will be. Whenever someone asks me why I watch the NBL when the NBA is the superior product, I always say “because I’m from Sydney and the Kings are my team.” I’ve always loved the Golden State Warriors but I don’t feel any real emotional connection to them, certainly not in the way I do for the Kings. So I think if the NBL can build that sense of ownership in the teams, then we may start to see results. One need only look at fans at Wildcats games. I would go so far as to suggest a lot of the 10,000 which pack out their arena would have little or no interest in the NBA. They are Wildcats fans as opposed to basketball fans. And they are the people the NBL needs to aim at.
Time for the NBL to bring us back to the arena
The guest stint idea is a winner Kris! It’s done in football the world over, so why not do it here in the NBL? The obvious enthusiasm for the NBL that our two biggest names have (Bogut and Mills) would surely mean others would play if possible. The chance to get the likes of Ingles, Maric and Andersen over here would surely bring fans in.
Time for the NBL to bring us back to the arena
I’m sure Stirling Mortlock is there for some form of comic relief. His speech is virtually indecipherable and when he slows down enough to actually be understood his comments tend to lie somewhere between the surreal and the inexplicable. The only question he has in his post-match arsenal seems to be “how does it feel?’ As a commentator he makes for a great former player.
And I do agree. Even as an Aussie myself, those commentators are just atrocious.
My name is Brett, and I think I’m a Wallabies masochist
Before becoming a father of two in 2009, he also attended about 90% of SFC home games from the date of their inception. Definitley not claiming to be an expert on football. Far fom it. But I am someone who takes an interest and tries to support the game in this country. That said, if my article came across as being disrespectful I apologise. It wasn’t my intention.
Is the Wanderers havoc an example of copycat hooliganism?
Couldn’t agree more, Football United. As an Australian basketball fan, I have always looked very enviously at the passion and atmosphere of Euro basketball and football. There have been a number of times at Sydney Kings and Boomers game where people have given me quizzical looks when I fire up, even just a little bit. A kind of, ” what are you doing?” look ha ha. It is terrible at NBL games that any fan who wishes to be heard has to compete with the sound system. I definitely concede there are significant cultural differences between sporting crowds in Greece, Italy etc, but we should not try to replicate what they have by blaring Gangnam Style and Madonna. Sporting crowds are often a reflection of a country’s personality and I think ours are the same. i.e – laidback. Rather than try to suppress this, we should embrace it. At least, it would be genuine and authentic. If the result is a very quiet crowd at every game, then so be it. But I do agree, NBL crowds could learn loads from the Union and the Cove.
NBL must kill off in-game music
HALLELUAH MICHAEL!! I have been running my own one-man campaign against this for about 5 years now and was beginning to feel it was a case of “it’s just me”. I could not agree with you more. The thing the NBL does not seem to understand is that playing music during the game is the worst possible advertisement for the league. From my perspective, it is effectively saying “we don’t think the fantastic action on court is enough to keep the fans entertained, so we are going to try and fabricate something and fool you all into thinking you are having a good time.” If anything, it seems to affirm the view that basketball is Australia is “all sizzle, no steak.” I also don’t understand the logic. Surely this practice is not attracting new fans, who I assume just see it as tacky. And old fans like me are just getting turned away by the NBL’s desire to “bring the noise”. Above all else, it is insulting to the players and fans. So thanks for raising what I think is one of the fundamental issues affecting the NBL at a very crucial time in its evolution.
NBL must kill off in-game music
The ABC announced they would be showing Boomers and Opals games in the “lead up” to the 2014 world championships. so fingers crossed it leads into coverage of the actual tournament. We used to see them on free-to-air in the 90s. Why not now?
Who needs LeBron with an all-Aussie backcourt?