Hoops

Crocs' owners relinquish NBL license

This mess shows the massive disconnect from BA down to grassroots. There has been plenty of talk about an 11 team comp for months....what a joke!!

If SEABL is swallowed up by BA it will be bled dry into the rabble the NBL has become.

If BA could only afford some decent administrators to bring things together there might be a chance a national basketball comp will be relevant in 10 years.

Washed up political figurines and ex-players can't run the game.

And no self respecting business person is going to pump money into a black hole.

No need for a player points cap anymore ,it's not making the comp even . Seems NZ top Perth second 36ers bottom , if there is another season at all .

Classy or not Im sure that the signing was done with the best of intentions, I fail to see how a group of people who have supported basketball to the tune of 2.5 million over the last 5 years would openly and deliberately sign a young player to a long term deal knowing they were about to shut the whole thing down.

I suspect that as happened last year on the GC the real money man behind the operation, ie the person(s) who were actually responsible for tipping in the required funds to run the show either ran out of $ or simply wanted to put their money elsewhere.

Lets assume there are 5 owners, 4 have been tipping n 50k a season and 1 has been putting in 500k (all by way of loan accounts in the parent company) its been like that for a while and although far from ideal its simply the way things are. The money has always been there when needed with a hope that the business will turn around as the "new NBL" grows. 2 of these owners (the 50k a year ones) actively run the club, sign players/coaches and make the business decisions going forward, while the other 3 guys keep the running of the club at arms length and sit on the board. The 2 running the club could well have signed Norton in good faith as while they realised the club was losing money, a top up has been there in the past and they assumed it would be there again 2 get things over the line next season. Probably a fair assumption on their behalf as they were happy to put another 50k up. Massive problem though when Mr 500k a year decides enough is enough, he calls a meeting announcing he cant contunie putting his $ in and bang the club has a 500k(or more) funding hole and is technically insolvent. We then end up with the annoncement we got yesterday.

The part that is making me laugh though is that BA are now trying to force the company to continue, citing they havnt given enough notice of withdrawl from the NBL. If the companies line of credit has dried up how can they continue? Trading while insolvent is illegal and carries a whole heap of ramifications for the directors from ASIC.

If an owner is chipping in $500k/yr to keep a club going doesn't that entitle them to some advertising or recognition ?

"Is it just me or is there way more publicity about the Crocs that there was when the Blaze folded?"

it wasn't that long ago that it was a model franchise thriving.

#412826,

Going back to a semi-pro league would be really beneficial.

Though, something tells me BA has too much pride to bite the bullet and say lets go to a semi-pro league.

Could be a great idea -- case of 'addition, by subtraction' or 'go back before going forward'.

Was just a story on the news over here, about the possibility of the Wellington Saints joining the NBL.

But they interviewed the Saints owner and he said that BA aren't too keen on having them (marketability issue)

The ANZ netball comp. is only doing so well because they pay the players peanuts. And still get really good crowds.

To think that not long ago the Crocs was the businees model that all other NBL teams were studying and aspiring to emulate due to the success the club was having.

"Nonsense.

If Perth and NZ can be profitable, why can't the others? There are no roadblocks in the way to NBL sustainability other than incompetent owners and administrators."

Sorry Mick but I think there's some nonsense in your post as well.
There is no inherent income in having a pro sports team.
If I started up a national badminton league tomorrow with a $1M salary cap, big stadiums and interstate flights then it would take a lot more than just "competent owners and administrators" to make it sustainable.

If Perth & Melbourne can make AFL teams hugely profitable then why can't Auckland? Or Sydney or Brisbane?
Sure, decent staff is a given, but there's a hell of a lot more to it. At the end of the day we're still trying to sell a sport that there just isn't a great deal of demand yet from people to watch, and therefore sponsor.

The $1 deal was based around getting figures up for flexibility (ha!) with negotiations for a future TV deal, not about the money it would bring in. Which is why they dropped it to $1.

There really needs to be a full shakedown of the NBL. It is stupid that teams can lose $400k per year and we the fans expect them to play on. Salary cap is not the be all and end all. Financial stability is paramount.

As Mick said this doesn't leave much time for another Centre to pull a strong franchise bid out of there arse so it's prob going to be Community Ownership for the Crocs or nothing.

Dark days, Trev. Dark days...

Could also be a strategic move which would explain the Norton signing..

Carlo, can you let us know which norwood your boys are - the 1 or 2 team. I could not picture you being 2 this year in the same pool as Melb or Dandy, not after the way your boys went at eltham earlier in the year.

Best clear up any confusion before the event rather than be accused..... well you know what of.

Hopefully the weather looks like it has cooled in sleepy hollow so we look forward to a nice relaxed weekend over there.

3 out of the other 7 NBL teams CEOs/GMs also find out about it via social media, and not the NBL's social media.

Says alot.