to all you basketball fans

[Knight87]

I know that back in the 90s, the NBL use to be shown on FTA (Channel 10). What caused the downfall of the NBL? How popular was NBL back at its peak (in Australia)?

What I was wondering was: Has the NBA ever been shown on FTA tv, or has it always been on Foxtel in Australia? And if it has been on FTA, what was the coverage of it like (like, did they show games live/delay and how many games/week)? Did it rate well on FTA? When did they stop showing it on FTA?

 

[Choppies]

Yes it has. Long long ago.
Being very young I know it used to be on Saturday mornings and im pretty sure delayed.
Then it got shunted around a bit and then we had an hour long version of a game late on a Friday night then it ceased around 98 I would guess.

 

[Stranger]

The NBL is just not a spectacle like the NBA...

All you see is it raining 3 pointers... i mean yeah sure late in the game nice 3 = awesome... but when its 34-38 in the middle of the 2nd i would love to see a nice 2 handed backwards jam... or a big block... but the way they play with someone like Anstey standing under the bucket all the time they are on defence makes it very difficult to dunk...

TBH, i think the game of NBL needs a few rule changes to bring back the exciting style of play that was once present. Opening up the key would be the first priority IMO.

I remember as a kid going to many Kings games but didn't go for 10 years untill the finals this year.

 

[Knight87]

so, if you were the CEO of the NBL, what do you think the NBL needs to do to get back to where it use to be 10-15 yrs ago (in all aspects of the game)? Like, what were crowd attendances like back then, in comparison to today? Do you think the fact that it was on FTA (Ch 10) back then helped, in terms of exposure and popularity of the game?

 

[Stranger]

IMO, the NBL is up sh*t creek in ALL aspects of the game.

I mean, facing the facts the top competition is a sham. Nobody is interested which reflects on juniors. Remembering the NBL was forced to play in summer so they could compete in the marketplace.

Why isn't it interesting?

There are two reasons to this IMO.

1. Teams play BORING basketball. Rain down on the 3's, rarely try and play from inside the paint, i hate it. Its just not exciting basketball. Its like watched souths when they played Manly...

2. Promotion. When was the last time you saw promotion on FTA about a basketball match? Creating interest in the game, not only at top level but at juniors.

The lack of funds within the industry now is really concerning IMO. The kings are up sh*t creek for one reason... Firepower. I have a source inside the kings that said turnover within the kings is at an all time high because of Firepower (their main sponsor). Players and staff aren't getting paid on time or at all. How is this happening in professional sport?

Like i said, if i were the CEO, the first thing i would have to look at is ways to make the games more interesting. NRL changes rules to make the game more exciting (10m instead of 5, golden point...), why can't the NBL change the style?
Advertising... NBL needs to get their product back onto FTA... create interest... promote. Get people talking about the game. Walk down the streets of Sydney and mention the name Worthington... who the f**k would know who that was?

 

[Knight87]

What particular rule changes need to be made in the NBL to make it more interesting?

The lack of funds within the industry now is really concerning IMO. The kings are up sh*t creek for one reason... Firepower. I have a source inside the kings that said turnover within the kings is at an all time high because of Firepower (their main sponsor). Players and staff aren't getting paid on time or at all. How is this happening in professional sport?

So, players and staff are being paid at all? That's pretty disgraceful. I'm sure they could find another major sponsor besides Firepower.

And what do you think of this person's plan:

http://preneurmarketing.com/?p=174

 

[Stranger]

TBH, a rule that i would change is the 3 seconds in the key for not only offensive players but defensive players. This would open up the key area for big players and enable more blocks/jams and less 3 pointers.
Honestly, lets face is, the most exciting things in the game are Blocks and dunks... Anstey standing under the whole time whilst on D will force teams to shoot from the outside. 3 seconds will also force more man 2 man defense and open up the court.

Some staff have been paid for the first time last week in almost 2 months at the kings... yeah this is a professional sport on the up... :sarcasm:


The NBA is very successful in the US, the NBL should really look at the things that make the NBA a spectacle.


RE; That persons opinion.

He is on the money. Definitely.

Name one personality in the game? Hate to say it but half of them have the personality of a brick wall... Where is the big noting? The egos? the flashy style that you can see in other sports? Basketball is ALL ABOUT THE SHOW. No matter what sport you look at, their highlights just don't compare with basketball... unless by basketball you mean the NBL...

Yeah i think you get the picture... i can't stand the NBL, its a sham of a competition, its lackluster and borderline pathetic in professional sport.

 

[Jodeci]

Perhaps a marque signing could be a starting point.

Show one live game a week in FTA. (Game of the Week)

Need to organise some kind of deal with the big newspapers of each state to have a decent coverage of games, news. The Daily Telegraph here in Sydney only runs a full page of Kings news when there is something bad happening whilst when they win a Grand Final or any other week, it's lucky to even have a mention and we all know newspapers are the no.1 source of advertising.

 

[El Coconuto]

I get so fired up about this subject that I can't bring myself to say anything when the subject comes up. I firmly believe that if I went into a board meeting with NBL administrators and asked "What are we doing in our junior leagues to promote the game?", "How are we marketing the game in the huge (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide) markets?", "What are we doing to promote the few personalities we have in the league?", they would all look at me with deer in the headlights faces. It's amazing how the simple things have lead to the demise of the league.

More than anything else, the league NEEDS to move back to winter. It sounds stupid to suggest that the NBL compete against the NRL, AFL and Super 14's. Why not a July-December season? Have the league reach its climax just as the footy season winds down. Who isn't looking for things to do just after the NRL wraps its season up? It's absurd the league is so naive in it's marketing. Ugh!

 

[joel caine number 1 fan]

I get so fired up about this subject that I can't bring myself to say anything when the subject comes up. I firmly believe that if I went into a board meeting with NBL administrators and asked "What are we doing in our junior leagues to promote the game?", "How are we marketing the game in the huge (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide) markets?", "What are we doing to promote the few personalities we have in the league?", they would all look at me with deer in the headlights faces. It's amazing how the simple things have lead to the demise of the league.

More than anything else, the league NEEDS to move back to winter. It sounds stupid to suggest that the NBL compete against the NRL, AFL and Super 14's. Why not a July-December season? Have the league reach its climax just as the footy season winds down. Who isn't looking for things to do just after the NRL wraps its season up? It's absurd the league is so naive in it's marketing. Ugh!

um doesnt it already start when the nrl finishes?

 

[Special K]

What attracts me to the NBA is the larger the life characters, the draft, trades, free agents.. It is a massive circus full of egos and players pushing the limit with refs, their bodies and their skills.

I have zero interest in the NBL. I did however watch some of the Kings in the final when that was on. They hyped that very well on foxsports I thought but I only watched it because I was waiting for other things to start.

 

[Stranger]

More than anything else, the league NEEDS to move back to winter. It sounds stupid to suggest that the NBL compete against the NRL, AFL and Super 14's. Why not a July-December season? Have the league reach its climax just as the footy season winds down. Who isn't looking for things to do just after the NRL wraps its season up? It's absurd the league is so naive in it's marketing. Ugh!

Currently the start of the season is over-shadowed by the NRL finals and the finals series is over-shadowed by the start of the footy seasons... it is crazy that admin would leave it as such.

Its almost at the point where they need to cease competition, go away for a year and then remodel the WHOLE thing. Top to bottom. Its absolutely sh*t ATM.

 

[Highlander]

A problem i think basketball has is its price structure in regards to season tickets dude i work with is a yank and he was going to buy family season tiks to see the hawks play last year untill he saw the price. the cheapest he could get was $850 in seats that were not great. In the end his wife convinced him to get Roosters tickets which were half the price and better value.

NBL has to wake up quick its no longer 1995 and basketball is almost dead