Hoops

Hodge released by 36ers

I think everyone needs to dial things down a bit and see what the core issue is and base there opinions on that. All this talk of him being a scapegoat who doesn't train etc. and pay talks etc. are all offshoots of the fact he didn't play.

Start from that and don't look anywhere else. Hodge didn't play; most leagues would supsend or heavily fine a player for doing that. Considering he decided to skip a game while playing for the sixers was probably the worst club he could have chosen to do this too. No doubt he escalated himself to "Shane Heal" status after this little number.

With all the dirty laundry that has come out about Hodge from the conference yesterday, it seems to me like Management should have aired this weeks ago rather than bottling the issue until breaking point like now. If anyone recalls, when Farley was in his last season, the news had stories for weeks regarding his off-court manner, his complaints etc. before the season was nearing an end.

It's actually nice to see most people on this forum are pissed off that he missed a game; I know from talking to a few people that most were assuming there was a family emergency or something, so to find out he skipped a game over a paycheck was a kick in the codgers.

"If Hodge was so distruptive to the team because he missed practises, didn't warm up with the team, thought he was bigger than the league, let the hype get to he head (or whatever other BS they could come up with) then why wasn't he released by the club before? Why wasn't he suspended by the club for a game?"

Because he didn't do a runner before. Not showing last night for a game was the last straw.

"Hodge's pattern of training tardiness and missing sessions altogether had been wearing thin on the playing group which had requested he inform them if he was going to be missing practices."

Maybe he liked Phil's coaching so much as he didn't have to rock up to trainings?

If any of you think Mel's management stuffed up,I would remind you of some of the projects he has been involved in.
Chief Executive Australian F1 Grand Prix
" " SOCOG 2000(Sydney Olympics)
CEO Adelaide City Council
Chairman NBL Board
Fellow Member Aust.Institute of Directors
$3.95m Joint owner Distinctive Home Dome.
I think he knows how to handle bank accounts and manage people?
How is that compare to a sportsperson from Harlem?

Vertigo there where rumours for at least 2 games that he was going to start on the bench due to missing training sessions.

Vertigo, keep your comments coming, they crack me up. Someone please give XY 220076 a little ball, that was gold.

KingJames, you are right that we haven't heard Hodge's side of the story but in view of the poison he has been painted with by the club, the fans and the media, why hasn't he or his agent come forward to give their side of the story. If there is a perfectly innocent side to this it is in Hodge's best interest to let it be known as this sort of controversy is not going to help his career. You have to admit that it looks very bad on his part to be not only paid but paid in advance and then not only not show, but not bothering to let anyone know. 4 days late is the only breach on the club's part. He got his money 3 weeks late because of the wrong banking information given. If he was paid on time with the same banking information he would still have been paid 2 and half weeks late and entirely Hodge's fault. This looks like a cover up on Hodge's part to get out of his contract as that is what he wanted and trying to blame the 36ers for breach of contract. I would not be shocked to hear that the wrong banking information was deliberate to create this situation to his advantage.

On a positive note, the 36ers have the top 3 articles on the NBL website...



Sorry guys, trying to find a positive.

The Sixers are claiming they paid as soon as they had correct details and that it was a US banking hold up that prevented Hodge from accessing his cash.

On their end, that's why they made the Australian based account for him and paid the advance.

Not sure if we'll ever know if Julius' agent is to blame or if Mal's department screwed up. Personally, I'm leaning towards the former.

Still - other NBL clubs were going into administration with players not getting paid at all or taking a 45% pay cut whilst still suiting up. Ditching game night without a word doesn't exactly endear one to the masses.

I think George Karl's appraisal would mean more to Kiki than angry NBL fans. Still - none of it is exactly good advertising for the man.

If the basketball thing falls through, he could always fall back on used car sales, given his pitching ability. It'd be like Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man meets the Dodgy Brothers.

Agent 15 - one of the quotes of the day lol

Angry - It was Hodge's agent that gave the Sixers incomplete transfer details by most accounts (4 digits short). The Sixers even made an account for him, back paid him, gave him and advance on the Gong game and walked him to the bank to show him the money! What else would you have them do?

His pay went in 4 days late as a result, with an advance in good faith to make up for a mistake that wasn't Mal's in the first place.

So...when you're not paid in the Gold Coast, you refuse to warm up but play. When your club rectifies what sounds like your agents screw up and gives you an advance, you know show and refuse all contact after shaking the GM's hand hours earlier?

C'mon. A whole bunch of this doesn't add up.

Ooops Hemmerling on now (4.20) Maher about 5

Fiveaa will play some of the Hemmerling and talk to Maher at about 5.
Maher said that Hodge came here as a great player, but thinks he's bigger than the team.

I'd quote names like Rob Rose and Al Green before Farley, but it's a good point. Darnell was the epitome of unselfishness and hard work. As was Dusty.

Thankfully Ballinger is an absolute rock in that department.

Tell that to Brett Maher.

Or the guys that played on half wages for teams going into administration.

Imagine telling your wife you might not be able to make mortgage payments, but your team means enough to you that you're going to suit up anyway.

That's not about the cash.

Agent 15, I agree with you. Not saying this now in view of what has happened but made my opinions known before he came back to Adelaide. He is not the great player that many make him out to be. He is very lacking in some areas and although an up grade on Tyndale, not much else. His selfishness and money hungry priorities were envisaged long ago. He improved the position of the 36ers slightly (don't forget even with last night's win we still sit at 6th position) but not a great deal. He did play with the team on the Gold Coast and they lost a game that a win should have been just a formality. I don't believe he would have brought a championship to Adelaide. His selfish attitude could actually have been the one play that would have lost it all in a finals game if we had reached that far. He would have been the player to want the full credit for a championship and taken risks to the detriment of the whole team. I am actually happy that he is gone and really looking forward to an immediate replacement. Hope it happens as the finals campaign is still well and truly alive for us.

I always thought of him as someone who doesn't have pure passion for the game.
If you look at the best players in the world(past and present), they all have passion, they all love basketball.
Guys like MJ, Wade, Bryant, Lebron etc. All those guys would play basketball for no money. They love the game THAT much. For them it's not about the stardom, nor the money and the riches that come with it.
For them it's about the game.

Julius however, strikes me as someone who plays for the riches and the stardom that comes with it.
I understand that he is a professional but it seems to me that money is the ONLY thing he plays for.

Oh - wait - there it is. Disregard.

Any truth to the "Julius is telling his side of the story today at 4pm down at the bay" rumour?

Aw man - they deleted my post from his NBA blog. All I said was "On behalf of all Adelaide 36er fans - thanks for turning your back on us. Thankfully we have players with heart that step up to the plate for their team" etc.

It was easily in my top 10 best guilt trip posts ever.

Denied!

Gold Jack hahaha.

"He is not the Messiah, he is a very naughty boy"

One really good thing has come out of this and that is the publicity the 36ers and NBL are getting out of it. I opened the Advertiser on line a few minutes ago to find it is front page news. May not be the news the club and fans wanted, but it is certainly right in the face of the general public. No doubt some outside interest will be generated from this.