Shanxi Kylins

[MJHankel]

What's the deal with the Kylins? They have yet to play a game. Three have been cancelled so far? What's going on? Is there something keeping them grom playing? Why has there been no explanation? I do give the league props for playing a game with a fill-in team all three times. At least they didn't just leave the fans out in the cold.

[mammal]

They have had some VISA issues. They will be in the states first week of May. I agree the league should get some props for having the USA All-Stars and West Coast High Flyers fill in. This is a well run league that keeps getting better and better.

[MJHankel]

I would be happier if they had simply stated the visa problems in a press release. It is a perfectly understadable problem. Why not just say something?

On a side note, I wish they had a team page for the West Coast High Flyers as well. They have played a few games now.

[MJHankel]

No sooner did I say that about he High Flyers than I noticed this link in the new for next year links:

http://www.iblhoopsonline.com/teamhighflyers.asp

Good job IBL. Props to you.

[besl]

There's some sketchy stuff going on with this West Coast High Flyers team.

If you look at the players that suited up for the game against Central Oregon on Sunday, most of the names are guys that are currently playing for other IBL teams. Tsuchimime, Samuels, and Nixon all play for Portland, while Bloodsaw and Muzzy are both key players for Vancouver who played against Central Oregon on Saturday. But the kicker is Shawn Hampton, who suited up for the High Flyers against Central Oregon just 24 hours after playing in a Central Oregon uniform against Vancouver on Saturday.

C'mon now IBL, this is some ABA-ish stuff going on here. If you're going to get a team to fill in, don't fill the roster with guys who you just played against a day or two ago!

[bballnut]

Is that not a better idea then canceling games? I guess I see that has thinking out of the box, or doing what ever it takes to get the job done.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Is that not a better idea then canceling games? I guess I see that has thinking out of the box, or doing what ever it takes to get the job done.

I'm thinking along the same lines. Having players play for different teams is better than cancelling games. Were the fans entertained? If so, then mission accomplished. Maybe 18 months ago I thought the IBL was a joke, but the IBL is looking better and better to me on almost a daily basis. Now I see the other leagues (including the D-League) as money-wasting jokes.

[BreakersFan]

I'm thinking along the same lines. Having players play for different teams is better than canceling games. Were the fans entertained? If so, then mission accomplished. Maybe 18 months ago I thought the IBL was a joke, but the IBL is looking better and better to me on almost a daily basis. Now I see the other leagues (including the D-League) as money wasting jokes.

I agree. The casual fan knows/cares little about who the shooting guard on the visiting team is. But when the casual fan shows up to find the game has been cancelled, the casual fan never comes back.

The league is doing the right thing by making sure the games get played. Kudos to the IBL. It's only ABAish if local vagabonds are paid to suit up with mismatched jerseys with taped on numbers.

But I also agree that some explanation of the Kylins issue should have been made. Why the silence? People will give you the benefit of the doubt if you are up front with them.

[Pounder]

Are our standards really lowered to that?

Honestly, please try to act like, at the very least, people watch TV.

Of course, the IBL may be finding its niche in the Midwest and failing in the Northwest. So be it.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Are our standards really lowered to that?

Honestly, please try to act like, at the very least, people watch TV.

Of course, the IBL may be finding its niche in the Midwest and failing in the Northwest. So be it.

Yeah, it's come to this. I'm still waiting on a minor league basketball team that emphasizes corporate suite sales over everything else (to help reverse the trend).

The IBL can always be less obvious with sharing/borrowing players though--much like the Northern League of independent league baseball. One team (no chance of making the playoffs) trades a player to another team (chance of making the playoffs) for cash and a player to be named later. When the playoffs are over, the player to be named later happens to be the same guy. A loan of sorts.