Chuck Harmison needs to go

[glockers]

This may seem like an emotional response by a Kings fan, but Harmison has achieved nothing in his interim reign. In fact the league is progressively getting worse and dying. Crowd numbers are horrible and the lack of leadership from the NBL, from Basketball Australia as well, is absolutely pathetic.


The Hawks will continue to struggle, this is only a short term solution. Playing out of a university gym is not the answer in Wollongong. Regional centres should play out of their main court and should gain a parochial crowd like Townsville or Cairns.

The Razorbacks have improved on court, but their organisation is still a mickey mouse club.

Adelaide was once a proud franchise, but in the last two years crowds have dropped and there has been several management fiascos.

The Dragons come in with a crap load of Cowan money and promise. They sack Price too soon, they let Heal run the show poorly and then fire him way too late. They also play out of an arena where they will bleed money. They are not viable.

The Kings we can all see the problem with.

Eddy Groves is about to lose alot of his money, which leaves the salary cap breaking and overspending Bullets up shit creek without a paddle. The franchise can not survive an ownership change because their spending is way too high.

Singapore is propped up by government money but you have to question how long they will get propped up.

It is a clear lack of leadership from the NBL has meant these problems continue to slide out of control and these issues destroy the league. Crowd numbers are down everywhere as well. What the hell is Chuck Harmison doing?

But the most alarming fact is how Harmison and the NBL office handle these numerous issues. The Harmison bullying of the Kings and solution of suddenly threatening to withdraw their license is pathetic. That isn't leadership at all. The Hawks issue and if I remember right the Razorbacks last year, were handled in the same way. The NBL office continues to be a shambles.

Get some proper leadership in for goodness sake. The league is a shambles under Harmison, so the simple solution is to tell him it is time to go.

[fahootie]

Lets revoke his licence.

[kc4mvp]

Chuck is just acting in more ways than one.

Acting GM.

Acting on Behalf of BA and NBL Board.

where we are is result of Burton and previous BA andNBL Boards have left the NBL.

[King of Kings]

Chuck is just acting in more ways than one.

Acting GM.

Acting on Behalf of BA and NBL Board.

where we are is result of Burton and previous BA andNBL Boards have left the NBL.

Current board is where the real problems lie!!

[HunterPirates]

Sell it to Bogut.

[A Really Bad Bass Player]

Sell it to Bogut.

good call

[Stumps]

Why would he want to blow millions of dollars for no return? He's not a charity, and he owes nothing to the NBL.

[A Really Bad Bass Player]

Why would he want to blow millions of dollars for no return? He's not a charity, and he owes nothing to the NBL.

David Nilsson bought the Australian Baseball League...then it died

edit: spelt his name correctly

[curious]

So in the transition stage and review process that the NBL et al is undergoing now, what exactly should Chuck be doing?
Like so many you assume that whatever NBL board member / turd that leaked a story to Morisey is telling the truth?
Read Harmison's reply. Maybe next time you might not jump in so quickly.
"Harmison said reports that the Kings were in default to the league over outstanding payments were inaccurate.
"Their payments are due and they have some time to make those payments," he said. "To say they've defaulted is not correct."
There has never been AFAIK any intention to revoke the Kings licence.
They have not breached any rules and despite the best efforts of some to derail the Kings attepmt to win the title, they havn't yet succeeded.
Of course if their is another incident like there was in Game 1 we know who will be dobbing.
To quote BG "chicken shit".

[glockers]

Hardly any of my post mentions the Kings incident. I have noted just 10 or so of the problems our clubs and the league have. I have stated the lack of leadership. Harmison playing PR control today to the media (I am skeptical of it) does not change it.

[Melbourne Wildcat]

Dave Nilson bought the Australian Baseball league and closed it down. I think it was his decision to basically go back to the state pennent way. Until it gets bigger he still owns the league (I think) and can start it back up whenever he wants to - which will be hard.

NBL needs someone though to take over NBL - whether its Andrew Vlahov or someone else in his position.

Those problems with the Dragons though had nothing to do with Chuck Harmison. Chuck never fired mark Price, or made Heal player/coach etc. That was Cowans own stupidity.

[worldbefree]

Why would he want to blow millions of dollars for no return? He's not a charity, and he owes nothing to the NBL.

He's been quoted as wanting in at a club level before "depending on the direction and health of the league" when it comes time to decide.

[glockers]

Dave Nilson bought the Australian Baseball league and closed it down. I think it was his decision to basically go back to the state pennent way. Until it gets bigger he still owns the league (I think) and can start it back up whenever he wants to - which will be hard.

NBL needs someone though to take over NBL - whether its Andrew Vlahov or someone else in his position.

Those problems with the Dragons though had nothing to do with Chuck Harmison. Chuck never fired mark Price, or made Heal player/coach etc. That was Cowans own stupidity.

You can't point the problems with any individual franchise at Chuck. But when I can point out half the franchises without much effort and state a fundamental problem then it isn't good. One club with an issue not Chuck's fault, several clubs well that starts making me ask questions. Those clubs clearly need better leadership from the NBL and from Chuck.

When half the league is in trouble then Chuck is responsible for it.

[curious]

1/2 the NBL teams have been in trouble since the NBL was formed.
Hawks were successful until Chuck left.
Razors a basket case since day 1.
Kings since Firepower was invilved.
Eddie. Always dodgy.
Sixers on the brink for a long time.
Wildcats.
Remember the public float of the Taipans?

[isaac]

Adelaide have not had any management issues since emerging from its transition to a privately owned entity. No dramas under Harmison's watch.

[kc4mvp]

1/2 the NBL teams have been in trouble since the NBL was formed.
Hawks were successful until Chuck left.
------?

Explain and define successful????

[insideout]

The all smiling, hand shaking Chuck was great at the Hawks for a front man but Manager? The Hawks, under Chuck, suffered huge losses propped up for a number of years by a "rich uncle". When our best relo retired Chuck was evicted by the newcomers.
Basketball cant afford a John Oneil but needs a strong smart leader. Incidentally if you see the NBL staffing structure you will find no focus on the selling and marketing of the game to the wide population. Getting it out there cant be as much fun as doing nothing

[inebriated]

He needed to go A WHILE ago

[coast2coast]

Best guy for the job is Mike Wrublewski. I cannot believe the stupidity of the board members who paid Burton hundreds of thousands a year for effectively little growth in any area.

Love him or hate him Mike did a great job with the Kings. He ran an extremely successful world womens championship in Australia playing a key role and he is exactly who the NBL should put in to run the NBL.
The guy has enormous energy, passion, enthusiasm and I ask you to find the last guy who ran the NBL with those credentials. Some NBL clubs did not like him because he WAS successful running a business.

Sure, he did not bring a championship to Sydney but he ran a successful business model and they were in no danger of going broke. I am sure we would all love for the NBL clubs to be viable and not have the same drama every year of which club may fold if a new owner is not found.

[Clips]

Best guy for the job is Mike Wrublewski.http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QSZM66ZZL._AA240_.jpg

[The Dunkmeister]

the league needs someone to lead the nbl who has a clear vision for sustainability and developement and the ability to implement change not just talk about it like rick burton did. time for excuses about scheduling, stupid finals system, venues, salary cap cheating is over. time for action is now. dont know chuck personally but from seeing him on fox interviews he seems like a decent sort of a bloke who was thrown to the wolves when burton departed.

[catcountry]

You can't hold the NBL, or Chuck for that matter, accountable for any of the individual issues within a team.
Not responsible for the coach hiring and firing at south, nor Groves stock market financial position nor the viability of the firepower product.
You must remember that the NBL is comprised of seperate independent businesses with their own respective boards of management. The league does not and can not micro manage each of these enterprises.

That said, what the league is responsible for is providing a viable competition for these independent clubs to run in. The current financial plight of all of the clubs is a concern and indicates that the competition is not viable. This is the NBL's, and therefore Chuck's, accountability. make no mistake, there are no "safe" clubs, they are all in it, it is just a question of depth.

To make the competition viable, you need to market the game: FTA TV, games at sensible family times (and not dictated by Fox) and sensible family prices. Player salaries comensurate with the crowds being drawn (you can bet in 1979, players were'nt sticking their mits out for six figure pay packets.).

You need to get to the point where the failure of a team or it's financial backer is not a bigger story than the semi final results.

Taking Sydney as an example ( not to pick on Sydney, I could have picked any). Someone says "hey if the kings did not get there equalisation payment in on time then they would be in default of their licence conditions", yes they would and so would the rest of the clubs. Then you get a journo get hold of that and suddenly we have 'NBL getting ready to cease the Kings licence in the middle of the finals series', which of course is a complete and utter beat up, was never going to happen and has been now refuted as rubish by the league.

My point is that the media would rather publish failure of a club, failure of a backer or the latest punch on or suspension rather than the game result.

The NBL and Chuck need to make sure that who won the game is the news story as plain and simple as that. Easier said than done though because the NBL is in a significant hole at the moment. This done, you get bums on seats you get corporate sponsor interest (and I mean the big players not the fly by nighters) and those financial worries go away.

How the independent businesses, which are the clubs, then conduct themselves within that competition then becomes a matter for the clubs.

I don't know if Harrmison is the man to do it but what I do no is he doesn't need to be wasting his time putting out these Kings Licence bushfires when there is absolutely no substance to them. he needs to be getting on with making the league a viable competition without such distractions.

[ol'timer]

Best guy for the job is Mike Wrublewski. I cannot believe the stupidity of the board members who paid Burton hundreds of thousands a year for effectively little growth in any area.

Love him or hate him Mike did a great job with the Kings. He ran an extremely successful world womens championship in Australia playing a key role and he is exactly who the NBL should put in to run the NBL.
The guy has enormous energy, passion, enthusiasm and I ask you to find the last guy who ran the NBL with those credentials. Some NBL clubs did not like him because he WAS successful running a business.

Sure, he did not bring a championship to Sydney but he ran a successful business model and they were in no danger of going broke. I am sure we would all love for the NBL clubs to be viable and not have the same drama every year of which club may fold if a new owner is not found.

Mike W also took the kings from the SEC to the stupiddome for no valid reason.Funnily enough he had business dealings with the superdome...conflicts of interest like that are not what we need to head the NBL thank you

[Earnie Shavers]

I thought Mike W had sold the Kings to Turners consortium by then, and thought Turners SuperDome plan was a bad idea, advised him not to do it, and if he must, absolutely only sign an initial one year deal with them (Turner signed up for a multi-year deal).

[Bouncer]

Mike W also took the kings from the SEC to the stupiddome for no valid reason.Funnily enough he had business dealings with the superdome...conflicts of interest like that are not what we need to head the NBL thank you

My recollections are that the SEC almost doubled their prices for venue hire the year before the SuperDome was built. Most likely in anticipation of a couple of lean years once it was finished. For the first 2 years of operation, the SuperDome was offered at reduced rates (hence the previous comment). So MW's decision to go to the SuperDome was mostly cost driven, plus it showed the SEC that they didn't have a monopoly like they had previosuly. Subsequent, more reasonable, venue hire prices for the SEC are a direct result of that.

So although the decision to go to the SuperDome turned out not to be the right one for the crowd levels, it turned out to be OK from an ongoing cost perspective. Simply put, Mike was Right.

[catcountry]

Exactly my point, to make Chuck accountable for the current woes of the individual clubs, you would have to give the NBL the right to vito stupid decisions by the clubs. However, with that accountability also comes the responsibility that if you vito it and it turns out to be a winner after all, are you now liable to the individual club for costing them money. A legal minefield.

Best the NBL be accountable for the apalling state of the competition and the clubs be accountable for their own stupidity.

I wil concede that the one goes hand in hand with the other. If the league was not in such a state, clubs would not have to make risky decisions and the converse if the clubs didn't make risky decisions the league would not be in such a state.

Perhaps BA / NBL to endorse any major changes such as shifting or expanding venues or major capital works to ensure they are consistent with the future plan of basketball.

By this I mean, where they plan to host NBL games, where the 2nd tier comp teams will be based, how will these feed and support NBL, how will any major changes by a privately owned NBL franchise affect the grand plan. Should we indeed have privately run franchises or perhaps a Superleague centraly administered with shared sponsors and costs.

Could the AFL be a model for this ? no owners there. 16 clubs, all reporting as seperate financial organisations yet the league having the ultimate say over where the home grounds are, who can build a new grandstand, what state associations feed what clubs, the draft and recruitment. and going from strength to strength.

[odie]

Who is responsible for hiring court announcers at NBL venues?

Every time I watch a game with someone who does not follow basketball in Australia, they always comment on how crap the court announcers are. Almost to the point of being unbearable!

Although there are far more pressing problems for the NBL at the moment, i'm sure this is something very simple that could be addressed. I think they are trying to appeal to the kids, but it ends up sounding embarassing. The one change that needs to happen as soon as possible is the "Lets go (INSERT TEAM NAME HERE).. Lets go!!" chant. It makes me cringe every time I hear it.

[boz_novocastrian]

They had Mike W on one of the daytime foxsports news things i think it was the full lunch. He said in sydney yes they had won the championships but marketing is the key. Mike W is the perfect person to be the commissioner as he would know how to market the league properly and would save getting some american guy in for the job

side note: who is the kings announcer, i know the radio crew is bolden and mcquade but who is the other announcer

[Earnie Shavers]

Mike W is the perfect person to be the commissioner as he would know how to market the league properly and would save getting some american guy in for the job



Somehow I don't think a 9-5 six figure salary job would be all that appealing.

[boz_novocastrian]

earnie true, but am thinking who else would be best qualified and knows what needs to be done to get the exposure of the sport back into the mainstream

[Archivist]

Boz,
Sydney's court announcer is former NBL All-Star Wayne McDaniel.
I believe that when Wayne's basketball career wound down, he decided to become an actor. Clearly, that career choice has not panned out as yet.
As a rusted-on supporter, I hope that Wayne improves next season. He never gives the numbers of the Kings players, only referring to them by their personal sponsors (ie. 'Brad Garlick Ford...Glen Saville!) He also has had a habit of
a)Missing which player a personal foul was called on
b)Not getting the number of fouls straight.
Hope that answers your question.

[phill]

Don't forget when Mike W owned the Kings the Tigers and Magic were playing out of Rod Laver Arena, Perth the PEC, Bullets the BEC and the Falcons the NEC. Things are very different now. I would only hire Mike as a consultant to the NBL.

[boz_novocastrian]

ta archivist, even when in sydney at the odd game i can pick up on the players before he can when casual fans ask who that player is

[Mike]

Boz,
Sydney's court announcer is former NBL All-Star Wayne McDaniel.
I believe that when Wayne's basketball career wound down, he decided to become an actor. Clearly, that career choice has not panned out as yet.
As a rusted-on supporter, I hope that Wayne improves next season. He never gives the numbers of the Kings players, only referring to them by their personal sponsors (ie. 'Brad Garlick Ford...Glen Saville!) He also has had a habit of
a)Missing which player a personal foul was called on
b)Not getting the number of fouls straight.
Hope that answers your question.

so basically hes crap

[JWC]

I think James Packer needs a basketball team, or perhaps he and Lachlan Murdock together, with a hot shot manager. They certainly have the Media connections, and could get the Sydney coverage up to the A-League level..If that happend, Basketball in Sydney could be re-borned.

Would be a challenge for them but I think this thing could be made profitable, in the right hands.....

We have a great product, and great players and the marketing now is so bad that no one knows.......If they occasionally attended games and interested a-list fans to participate, then games could be the cool place to be.....Just think of Jack Nicholson and the Lakers

Was watching an NBA game in Phoenix ( which must be the same size as Sydney or Smaller) the other day, and there were 70,00 screaming fans in attendance, and thought that could happend here if in the right hands.

[boz_novocastrian]

Boz,
Sydney's court announcer is former NBL All-Star Wayne McDaniel.
I believe that when Wayne's basketball career wound down, he decided to become an actor. Clearly, that career choice has not panned out as yet.
As a rusted-on supporter, I hope that Wayne improves next season. He never gives the numbers of the Kings players, only referring to them by their personal sponsors (ie. 'Brad Garlick Ford...Glen Saville!) He also has had a habit of
a)Missing which player a personal foul was called on
b)Not getting the number of fouls straight.
Hope that answers your question.

so basically hes crap

not far off mike, but he is better than the idiot they got after they dumped rodney o awhile back. the prob with mcdaniel is that i think he is trying to hard to sound like rodney o and not make his own mark on things

[Dunkin' Dan]

Yeah someone pointed out the try-hard voice to me when we were watching game 1 the other night.
Ughh... give that up immediately, Wayne!

[curious]

Mac will never be another Rodney O. Any idea what Rodney used to get paid to be the 'voice' of the Kings?
Mac is an very interseting character in his own right and would be very pissed that someone would even suggest it.
As to being a 'failed actor' that also is untrue. Mac has vast experience and I am sure if you follow the acting scene in Sydney you would know that.
Further to that but not quite related. Ever been on the Batman ride?
Rodney did a great job when there and everyone that remembers him will always compare.

[Julian]

Mac will never be another Rodney O. Any idea what Rodney used to get paid to be the 'voice' of the Kings?
I'm not sure, but he wanted a ridiculous $50k to continue.

[curious]

At least and thats why they pissed him off.

[Lemon Custard]

Boz,
Sydney's court announcer is former NBL All-Star Wayne McDaniel.
I believe that when Wayne's basketball career wound down, he decided to become an actor. Clearly, that career choice has not panned out as yet.

Actually, I saw him on stage at the Sydney Theatre Company a couple of years back, and he's been appearing fairly regularly around Sydney since then.

[Bouncer]

At least and thats why they pissed him off.

Not quite. They said thanks, but no thanks, due to other issues that have subsequently appeared in the newspapers.

[Dunkin' Dan]

The timing of those events doesn't fit in with the timing of his sacking at all though. How could that have been a factor?
(or did he do something other than assault Trish that appeared in the papers?)

[Daevo]

I bumped into a Kings fan last night who claims to have given Harmison quite a spray over his failure to cite Loughton over the elbows issue. Apparently he did not take it well :lol:

Who was doing the courtside announcing for the Kings last night? They certainly did a good job I thought & for once the music was audible too.

[Bouncer]

The timing of those events doesn't fit in with the timing of his sacking at all though. How could that have been a factor?
(or did he do something other than assault Trish that appeared in the papers?)

Couple of things, firstly the papers were slow of the mark. Secondly there were other "incidents" that weren't reported.

[Bouncer]

I bumped into a Kings fan last night who claims to have given Harmison quite a spray over his failure to cite Loughton over the elbows issue. Apparently he did not take it well :lol:
Nor should he of.

Who was doing the courtside announcing for the Kings last night? They certainly did a good job I thought & for once the music was audible too.

Angus, did a good job too, not brilliant, but competant none the less.

[Voice(s)]

Not sure this interview with Harmison has been mentioned anywhere else but titled "NBL Chief Concedes Defeat":

www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23299 ... 69,00.html (http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23299880-23769,00.html)

[Earnie Shavers]

Bloody hell Chuck. They'd better have been very selectively quoting you, and the 90% of your speech not quoted here had the exact opposite tone, and perhaps a tad more focused then "I dunno, maybe kick the international teams out, maybe keep 'em in but change the leagues name, we'll do something, maybe, and whatever it is, it hopefully won't be quite as shit as we all know it is now, and lets face it, it's really really shit". National conference of sports editors no less.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx? ... ntID=61511 (http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=16&ContentID=61511)

[glockers]

I don't even know if I should state anything. But that article is more evidence. How about trashing the league and offering nothing but maybe we should do this but no actual solutions. How about trashing his own league during a grand finals series.

[isaac]

As I said on Hoops about that West article, he talks about potentially removing the two international teams, but then rebranding away from "National" basketball league because the current set of teams isn't national. Awkward.

Also as I said previously, it's like he writing an extended eulogy. So many doom and gloom quotes about train wrecks for the media to jump on.

Tweak the schedule to suit the crowds, get the website right (the ball has been dropped and lost completely when it comes to their stats!), and improve publicity. I'm not convinced that they will be able to rebrand successfully if they've got those things wrong this year while already knowing they needed attention.

[ozdunker]

The NBL is screwed whilst Chuck is in charge. Time to go Chuck.

The WNBL is resigned to being a third rate comp because there is no leadership.

Unfortunately when you have a board that contain representatives of each club you dont get decisions made that are going to be in the best interests of the league ie making the tough decisions.

A board of high level succesful business people with some bball knowledge need to be put together immediate to lead the sport out of the current mess.

[DoubleA]

The one thing I like about him is that he doesnt have a Rick Burton type spin-zone, he admits theres a problem if theres a problem.

With Burton it was deny deny deny.

[ozdunker]

what is his management experience? what big organisations has he run effectively?

did he actually apply for the position or was he just given it?

at the moment Netball is kicking basketball arse and it is embarrassing.


Perhaps we need to start from scratch with a 10 team competition.

Get rid of Brisbane, Singapore, Sydney/West Sydney to merge.

(or if the dollars really justify it get rid of illawarra and leave singapore in - purely commercial basis)


That leaves a 10 team comp.

Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, South Melbourne, Sydney (west)
Gold Coast, Townsville, Cairns, New Zealand, Singapore/Illawarra


You could shorten the competetion play every team twice, 18 games. Top 4 Finals, semis best of 3 finals best of 5 series. Maybe it is a 4 month season.

Negotiate TV coverage of every game in local area on delay. Coverage over the internet, and coverage via Fox or FTA.

If necessary change the seasons - Run Oct to Feb and then change to May - Aug 09. Announce it now.

Some changes may need to be made to even out the teams. If some teams consistent abuse salary cap/ points then they will end up with no league and no one to play against. Tough decisions need to be made for the sake of the league's future.

It can be done, it is workable, the game is strong in most areas. it needs leadership..........Chuck is a chump.......the current board management system is a joke...an experienced business management team needs to be put in place (call it receivership if you like), and perhaps Andrew Gaze needs to be be the media front of the new league.

The game is in serious trouble and everyone is just standing back and watching it sink.....

[kc4mvp]

Don't be a tool ozdunker , the problem thats here now has nothing to do with Chuck
its been growing since 1998, when the focus was changed from grass roots support from Ba to focus on the elite.

The relationship with BA and the lack of fundemental growth of Basketball and linking it to the NBL is the problem.

[ozdunker]

in the words of a great philosopher FU.

Your response is the typical response, take a personal shot at someone who has an opinion. While at the same time just sitting back and watching things go to shit and blame other people. It is not about problems it is about solutions.

We need leadership to lead us out of this mess, we need people who can tap into decision makers at high levels around the country and put something new and exciting together. Chuck and the current board dont have the capacity for vision, change and leadership. It is clear now that the only way forward is to overhaul everything that we have.

[glockers]

The earlier suggestion in this thread of Mike W is nearly the best one i have heard, with Gaze as some kind of official spokesman role. There needs to be drastic action and we need to consider switching back to winter.

The clubs need to be better run with improvements in corporate links, marketing programs and community involvement.

I am horrified that the league has been going down the drain for a decade and it never seems to be solved. No one seems to be trying to fix the crap that goes on.

[Wallitron]

Harmison may not have the marketing skills of a Mike W, but at least he knows something about basketball. Or isn't that important?

[ozdunker]

CEO - doesnt matter that much - there is a business to run.

an operations manager - might have a bit more basketball knowledge.

I saw Mike W on the late news tonight. I agree with him except for the part of killing off this season. Just shorten this season so that a new season can start mid year next year.

[CGG]

Has anyone got a link for that interview at all? I didn't see it and since Sydney fans seem to think that he is the saviour for the league in the making perhaps it could be of interest?

[Earnie Shavers]

I haven't seen it either, but he's a big fan of moving back to winter (and was a very strong and almost lone voice against moving to summer back in the day), which I assume is what he's talking about above.

[Da Houndawg #55]

I just wonder how TV coverage would be possible with a move back to winter.

I'd rather contend with cricket and A League than the other 3 football codes. I would have thought that Fox would have more airtime available in summer than winter.

[Earnie Shavers]

I would think that Fox would be the biggest factor. Moreso because they'd be losing programming from summer than for having too much in winter (they don't play football on Wednesday nights). Someone (curious?) suggested that there was a standing FTA offer with a move back to winter. I think when you are talking bums on seats and perhaps corporate support, general winter would definitely win. TV would be the only real catch.

[Daevo]

I saw Mike W on TV news this morning saying the entire NBL should be scrapped & start again in 18 months with a new structure

[Earnie Shavers]

I saw Mike W on TV news this morning saying the entire NBL should be scrapped & start again in 18 months with a new structure

So.... nothing drastic then?

[Daevo]

I saw Mike W on TV news this morning saying the entire NBL should be scrapped & start again in 18 months with a new structure

So.... nothing drastic then?

:lol: Well he is a marketing genius from what I read in this forum :wink:

[Earnie Shavers]

They're doing this spanky review anyway. Depending on what changes it recommends, and whether they're worth anything real ("Name change! Less teams! More teams! We don't really know!") and also depending on whether or not the League will do damage to itself in the meantime before any of that is implemented, by simply existing...

(someone in my office is blasting Phil Collins "Wish it Would Rain Down" - what the f*ck?!?)

..... there may or may not be any merit in that suggestion of just shutting down and getting your sh*t together.

[paul]

I think blaming Chuck for the league’s woes is quite ignorant. He has stepped in to the breach when Burton got his new job in the US, and the basketball review meant it was pointless getting a new CEO. The NBL office is grossly undermanned, and has done a decent job with the resources they have.

However, I am quite critical of the NBL’s media performance over the last 48 hours. Instead of using the word embarrassing and giving the media the headline they were after, the NBL’s response needed to be along the lines of;

“The Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets situation is a direct result of their owners’ fortunes. It is one potential pitfall of having a private ownership model. However, the majority of NBL club owners are in a strong position and readying their clubs for the approaching season.

Eddy Groves has worked very hard to find new owners for the Bullets following the decline of ABC Learning Centre’s share price, and he has indicated today that he will again take up the task of finding new owners.

The plight of the Kings owners is well reflected by the problems facing the Western Force and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Kings owners have indicated they will pay money owing to players in full, and the NBL is monitoring this very closely to see that it does occur. Should this promise be broken, the NBL does have the option of revoking the Kings licence, and the Kings owners are well aware of this.

The NBL season will go ahead next year, and we are hopeful of having both Sydney and Brisbane in the competition. As a result of the review of basketball currently being completed, the NBL will most likely be taking on a new format from the 2009-10 season, and I am certain that format will see the league capitilise on the strength of grassroots basketball in this country.”

The NBL’s actual response has accentuated the perception that all NBL clubs are in the same basket as Brisbane and Sydney. I will reinforce though, that I think Chuck Harmison, Marc Howard and crew have done a pretty darn good job with limited resources over the last 8 months.

[insideout]

Chuck's record in management stretches back to Managing the Hawks for John Carson. Chuck failed for years to put the Hawks on a sound financial footing and it is claimed that the last year of his time they dropped 700K.
The ongoing "boys club" organised a job for him with the NBL when he was shown the Hawks door.

The NBL has failed to secure enough consistant sponsorship at any time to run its own internal affairs let alone accumulate wealth to hand down to the participating clubs. Its record says that it has continually compromised the future by its failed leadership, its failed governess on the salary cap, its failure to adjust the player /team points so that "win at all cost clubs" stop getting away with 4/5 Boomers on the court.
Basketball Australia rely on Tax Payers to prop them up, the NBL with its unweildly 1 director from every team format have both sent our sport to the dogs.
The NBL Board is divided into the "think we haves" (included Kings and Bulletts) and the "your not needed,"
No trust here mate!
The BA/NBL guess, that the future of our sport is to reduce the teams and in the medium term invite a few Asian teams to widen the market. Any thinking business would see this as a HI-RISK LAST ROLL OF THE DICE strategy. Failure will end the NBL.
Harmison needs to go, The new management team should be incentive based, given say 20% of all sponsorship dollars delivered and work under the very close scrutiny of professional management We need the changes now or we will all be off to the NBL's funeral

[AngusH]

The NBL’s actual response has accentuated the perception that all NBL clubs are in the same basket as Brisbane and Sydney. I will reinforce though, that I think Chuck Harmison, Marc Howard and crew have done a pretty darn good job with limited resources over the last 8 months.

Well, the thing is that, sure, right now maybe it is just the Kings and Bullets. But I'm of the belief that if those two markets vanish it's going to spell doom for the other clubs that are currently doing well. Sponsorship and Foxtel coverage will be much harder to come by for all teams, and the profile is going to fall dramatically, leading to more talent (both Aussie and import-quality) heading overseas, and reducing the NBL (or whatever it winds up being called) to little more than a semi-professional league. I don't think Chuck and the NBL's response was overstating this particular point very much at all.

[kc4mvp]

Is it any supprise the CEO Burton jumped ship when he did.

Leaving the current acting CEO (ex General Manager of the NBL) to hold the fort.

[paul]

Angush, Im not saying what Chuck said was factually incorrect. But while PR has to be based on truth, it is important that the truths you use benefit your organisation.

When you know the media is going to paint this as purely a problem with basketball in Australia - it is vital you show that it is moreso a problem with particular - non-basketball - business operations. No doubt if Brisbane and Sydney fold it will have repurcussions for the rest of the league, but the GM/CEO saying that at this point is no help to the league whatsoever.

Having said that, there are people waiting for Johnston to default his licence so they can get it for a bargain and take over the reigns. There will be two teams in Sydney next year. As for Brisbane, Im not so sure. However, I wouldnt discount Groves running an absolute bargain basement operation to break even for next season while he finds a buyer - in the likely situation that he doesnt before 30 June this year. He wouldnt want to see the Bullets die after everything he has put into them, and he is still worth around $25 million.