Hoops

NBLPA threatens legal action against Crocs' owner

@Isaac '375

Thanks for the reply. Kind of highlights the catch-22 of a salary cap in a financially unequal league. If a club is already unable to pay to the cap, they've already lost parity with the teams who are.

I wonder if a way forward for the league is to implement the O-friendly rules like defensive 3 in the key rule and much stricter interpretations on fouls and then switch the wage rules to what some European sports leagues do where your wage budget is limited to some fraction of your revenue - i.e., you can only spend 25 or 50% of your revenue.

Helps keep wages in control, still provides great financial opportunities for players in Australia to encourage juniors coming through, allows for real excitement machines in the league. Because for attracting new crowds, excitement beats winning. This is something Perth Glory supporters have been trying to tell their moron owners; winning is NOT everything when it comes to be entertained by sports. Nick Marvin himself recognises this, which is, I assume, part of the reason behind the friction between him and Bevo, citing the fact there team has little flamboyance.

To be honest, the single most exciting and entertaining stretch of play I've sat through at Perth Arena this year is when the Tigers put on an alley-oop show and put on a 9-zip streak or something. And we were on the receiving end of that!

The league is predicated on the idea that winning = crowds and support and thus parity = everybody wins, but when you are talking sports entertainment, which is really what a basketball league attempts to sell, that really isn't necessarily the case. Especially when you want to get neutrals putting eyeballs on screens or showing up. Neutrals don't care who is winning, as long as it is exciting and that is part of why our Ten/OneHD ratings have been so bad.

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Wow, okay, that got a little out of hand. I'm sure I've covered a lot of the same ground on this board before, no less. Oh well.

I know that the idea of a salary cap is to stop clubs blowing themselves up in pursuit of a title, but I've been starting to wonder if they are actually causing MORE trouble for small clubs than they are solving.

When you clamp down with a salary cap you are crimping the earning ability of players, so we have to have a salary floor. But the cap also sets a target that may be wildly inappropriate for smaller clubs, they have to skew their wage budget to spend more on players, less on team staff. Is forcing teams to work to a cap forcing smaller sides to overspend whilst also messing with team balance.

If we're not feeding everyone's revenue into a central pot a'la the NFL, does imposing cookie-cutter financial patterns on wildly differing financial situations make sense at all, even in the vein of creating parity?

^^^
You never know, that could just be how they do business in Townsville!

All the comments bagging club owners are ignorant. There is no money to be made owning a basketball club. And even if a club makes a profit, where does it go? Straight back into the club or to better players. But if they don't lose too much they will keep digging into their own pockets. You keep harping on about the players. The club owners take all the risks and how many more people do they employ in a club? How many do they employ who's job it is just to look after players. These players are a bit precious. Maybe when they are retired and have to step into the real world of working for money they would be more grateful. At least when it goes pear shaped players can just walk away and get another gig playing for someone else. Supporters get shitty when asked to buy a ticket for a couple of hundred dollars when a team is not performing. Imagine having to pay for everyone else.

i.e. these players would be signed anyway, so could the Crocs negotiate these contracts with other clubs - with the player's consent regarding where and for how much?

Some good points made, however, keep in mind the reasons for the Croc's demise and how the franchise moves forward are two separate (interlinked) issues.

Regarding 13-14 contracts: is there a way these contracts can be 'traded' or 'amnestied' like in the NBA?

I would imagine that in the scenario of the Croc's successfully dissolving Norton and Blanchfield could be picked up by just about any team with their reasonable player points rating and (likely) salary demands. With a surplus of free agents, Crawford would almost certainly be picked up for less than his contract owing for next season - no longer being the 'franchise player'.

Knowing Holmes he may decide to retire, go live on the moon with aliens to debate first-year law.

Agreed Situation - the financial losses are not the responsibility of the players. But the private owners Barrier Reef Basketball have said they have no money left and have incurred debts they can't pay/off sustain. They are 1 step away from declaring bankruptcy which then makes a mockery of BA and the NBLPA. BRB has offered the license etc for free to the new administration - if it goes to bankruptcy thats all gone.

NBLPA were better off waiting to see if the Save the Crocs campaign was viable and going to get the green light - if not, sue your guts out for what you can get the players. Otherwise you just poisoned the very people who are trying to keep you employed.

Absolutely bloody STUPID !!