Blast to skip playoffs for financial reasons

[balling2008]

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x833718157/Blast-to-skip-playoffs-for-financial-reasons

Okay who is next.... I see Gary, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek, Holland not being around next year. Maybe Windy City will be around as they operate on nothing. Why even have a playoff in the East. Sounds like a waste of money to me. There is no way these teams can compete with Elkhart who pay there players a ton of money and thats why they have more talent. This league has no respect anyway. Whats the point of a meaningless championship game.

[homeboypla]

Look for the North Americian Basketball League to sprout out from the good teams in the IBL. I hope that Bellingham, Monroe, Edmonton, - A new Tacoma Team, Olympia, and some of the key East coast teams all join.. Have teams that do not switch players around all the time like Vancouver, Portland, and Central Oregon.

Have good meaningfull games with rules that stay constent... I can not wait to see Nathen Mumm wear a Chill Jersey.. We NEED BASKETBALL just not with Mikel Dulio.

GO LEAGUE

[balling2008]

Who are the key East teams other than Elkhart? All the others are barely making it. I cant see any other East teams being able to afford another league. This one pretty much broke them. Maybe some new cities will come in or Elkhart will be the only East team.

[sportsnut2000]

Well from what I hear the NABL will be a new league.You can count on those teams that were mentioned above along with Santa Barbara and 5 other California teams.You may also see Marysville back in the new league along with Battle Creek and Elkhart and maybe Gary if they get a new ownership group.Other teams may be Butte,Great Falls,Yakima,Calgary,Lethbridge and Winnipeg.

[Shootmaster_44]

Well from what I hear the NABL will be a new league.You can count on those teams that were mentioned above along with Santa Barbara and 5 other California teams.You may also see Marysville back in the new league along with Battle Creek and Elkhart and maybe Gary if they get a new ownership group.Other teams may be Butte,Great Falls,Yakima,Calgary,Lethbridge and Winnipeg.

Since you seem to be in the know, is Saskatoon on this potential league's radar? I know the IBL was going to put a team here last year, but the Star-Phoenix ran them out. Now that Doug McConachie has retired as Sports Editor, the paper seems to be less against pro teams here.

[sportsnut2000]

Shooter their is a local group trying to get a team in this new league and should be an answer in the next month or so if they will put a team there.

[Shootmaster_44]

Shooter their is a local group trying to get a team in this new league and should be an answer in the next month or so if they will put a team there.

Cool. Should be a good spring/summer next year with pro ball and arena football in Saskatoon. Officially does the NABL exist yet? What I mean is have they officially announced the formation of the league? What about financial type arrangements for the league? Will it be low cost like the IBL or will they pay better and therefore bring in guys (stars from Europe, CBA stars etc.) like the old WBL/NBL did in the early 90's?

[SignGuyDino]

Why is anyone talking about teams in CALIFORNIA? Teams are too spread out as they are. We need regional leagues with teams not that far out, especially in the spring/summer timeframe.

[sportsnut2000]

So will there even be any mid-west teams next year in the IBL?

[balling2008]

I doubt it if Elkhart jumps. The only teams left would be the teams who dont pay their players/coaches or pay so little that the talent is not very good. Then again maybe these owners would be happy if Elkhart goes. They cant compete with them.

[winds55]

Where is Elkhart going to jump to? They're not going to join a league with teams only in the west. Doesn't make sense. A new midwest league - I can see them considering that.
But if there continues to be an IBL in the midwest next year - the owners will not be happy if Elkhart jumps ship. Their players put on their best games against the Express, and the Express fill seats for them in THEIR venue. Ask Elgin; I bet there were as many Elkhart fans as Elgin fans there on June 15. Or ask Battle Creek - I KNOW they remember us. And they like our money.

[nksports]

Hearing gloom and doom from midwest:
My Brilliant Brainstorm
(Send me your $10,000 market reservation fees now, teeheehee)

Central Basketball League
Great Lakes Division
Gary
Elkhart
Holland
Grand Rapids (if returning)
Battle Creek (if returning)
Lima Beans (expansion team, seeking to capture the city's glory (or was that gory) day(s) in the CBA).
Great Plains Division
Kansas (Salina)
Oklahoma (Enid)
Dodge City
Hutchinson Salt Miners (expansion)
Nebraska Corn Kings (Grand Island-Kearney) (expansion)
Ponca City Cow Punchers (expansion)

Reg season begins in June, ends in July. 26 game regular season. In division -- 10 home (5x2), 10 away (5x2). Out division -- 3 home, 3 away (two-year rotation).
Top four in each division reach playoffs. Best of three div. semis (Th., Sat., Sun.), best of three div. finals (Tue., Thur., Fri.), best of three championships (Wed., Fri., Sat.). Higher seed hosts games 2-3.

Budget (all numbers not exact and some not here, don't have that much free time):
10 players x $500 per week x 8 weeks = $40,000
head coach $30,000
ast. coach (PT) 2x $1,000 x 8 weeks = $16,000
GM base $35,000 + performance bonus based on attendance and sales
Sales director commission
Ticket sales $15,000 + performance bonus
Venue $5,000 x 13 = $65,000
Other numbers don't have time to figure out -- travel, equipment, office space, utilities, insurance, marketing, league fees.
Add two weeks of expenses if you make the playoffs.
Income
3,000 avg. x $10 avg. ticket price x 13 games = $390,000
game-day and program sponsorships
radio and TV broadcast (on a coop basis, see if you can get U62 to broadcast games and coach's show on U62 HD Ch. 62.2)
Rules:
NBA rules, NBA 3-pt line
10 player roster -- 2 rookies min., 4 veterans max. (4 years or more pro service).

Ownership rules (single or group) -- $3,000,000 net worth, $1,000,000 liquid. Performance bond or letter of credit required. To paraphrase old Hip-Hop song: "I don't want no scrubs, scrubs is one who won't get no team from me, sitting on the passenger side of his best friend's ride trying to get a franchise from me."

[nksports]

Before I forget, send your franchise application fees (of $9,999.99 in cash, in non-sequential small denomination bills in a plain, brown suitcase, and no I don't want your old underwear Walter) to:
CBL Commissioner
Locker 16,
Greyhound Bus Station,
Flin-Flon, MB, Canada

[winds55]

Couple of problems, nk.
26 games in 8 weeks? That translates to 3 games a week most weeks, 4 games in 2 of them. Which means you're probably looking at a lot of games during the workweek or Sunday, which will cut your attendance down considerably.

NBA rules and 3 pt line? Why? So the games can last forever with all those boring time outs when things get close? So people can go home thinking "What a wannabe team... ?" The IBA rules help it maintain some uniqueness.

Season starting in June? Attendance starts to fall off once school ends and the days are hotter and longer and there's more outdoor activities going on. If you haven't already established your fan base by playing in the earlier "nothing to do" spring months, you're not going to be pulling them in with a summer start.

Your attendance figures and your ticket prices are overly optimistic. Minor league ball needs to be entertaining, accessible (which you've handled well), and affordable. Some of those 3000 (has anyone other than Elkhart consistently had that kind of attendance in the IBL?) tickets will be give-aways to schools, discounted group sales, and tickets as part of a sponsorship deal (which if you count the full $10 as ticket sales, will cut your sponsorship income).

Your roster min/max? Why dictate who can and cannot play? I don't recall any of the IBL issues being that there were too many 'veterans' on a team. Other than people complaining about Elkhart's talent, but that's envy. And Elkhart's roster HAS changed each year, with rookies each year. Beathea just recognizes talent.
And just where are all the talented but not talented enough players supposed to go after four years in your league? (I don't have time to do the math, but within a few years, there will not be enough vet positions available.) Why not have players who have put in the years with the overseas leagues, warmed the NBA bench, entertained IBL fans for the past 3 or 4 years? A minor league will have turnover by the fact that it IS minor league - there will always be rookies, there will always be veterans. No need for league office interference.

[balling2008]

I do wonder if some sort of salary cap would be good/bad idea. No teams pay what Elkhart pays. I have heard some players making over a grand a week. Is it really fair for these low/free paying teams playing against a top paying team. I am sure the owners love the Elkhart money since they are basically the only people at the games. It has to be nice to be able to afford good players when other teams can only afford a few/none. Not many talented guys want to play for free and risk getting hurt.

[nksports]

Couple of problems, nk.
26 games in 8 weeks? That translates to 3 games a week most weeks, 4 games in 2 of them. Which means you're probably looking at a lot of games during the workweek or Sunday, which will cut your attendance down considerably.

NBA rules and 3 pt line? Why? So the games can last forever with all those boring time outs when things get close? So people can go home thinking "What a wannabe team... ?" The IBA rules help it maintain some uniqueness.

Season starting in June? Attendance starts to fall off once school ends and the days are hotter and longer and there's more outdoor activities going on. If you haven't already established your fan base by playing in the earlier "nothing to do" spring months, you're not going to be pulling them in with a summer start.

Your attendance figures and your ticket prices are overly optimistic. Minor league ball needs to be entertaining, accessible (which you've handled well), and affordable. Some of those 3000 (has anyone other than Elkhart consistently had that kind of attendance in the IBL?) tickets will be give-aways to schools, discounted group sales, and tickets as part of a sponsorship deal (which if you count the full $10 as ticket sales, will cut your sponsorship income).

Your roster min/max? Why dictate who can and cannot play? I don't recall any of the IBL issues being that there were too many 'veterans' on a team. Other than people complaining about Elkhart's talent, but that's envy. And Elkhart's roster HAS changed each year, with rookies each year. Beathea just recognizes talent.
And just where are all the talented but not talented enough players supposed to go after four years in your league? (I don't have time to do the math, but within a few years, there will not be enough vet positions available.) Why not have players who have put in the years with the overseas leagues, warmed the NBA bench, entertained IBL fans for the past 3 or 4 years? A minor league will have turnover by the fact that it IS minor league - there will always be rookies, there will always be veterans. No need for league office interference.

season timing -- it needs to start after main winter leagues start and stop before they open their camps. Three games a week isn't unusual in NBA. Schedule would likely be two weekend games and a midweek game. You could cut season to 20 games by eliminating cross-division play.
Most of the towns (at least on the Great Plains side) would work better in summer. Too much competition in other times of year. Salina tried a winter league one year and couldn't draw diddley against Big 12, KCAC (small NAIA Div. II conference), JUCO and high school competition. Their biggest competition this time of year is American Legion baseball and summer collegiate baseball.
Yes I admit attendance is a little on the high side, but in the glory days of some of the towns mentioned, it was attained. The key is marketing (and not having weaker franchises folding left and right).
Roster kept small to make sure all on it are playing. I could see a roster of 12, even a reserve player or two. I envision more of a true developmental league, kind of a basketball version of Arizona Winter League. The purpose is for players to stay sharp for winter leagues. Outside the D-League, not too many leagues seem to have defined puposes in terms of what they want on the court, except to make money.
NBA rules because you are trying to develop NBA players. You could adopt experimental rules, but I would only do that in consultation with NBA and D-League.
Rookie and veteran rules, more or less to keep people moving. I know some people will argue it, but it works well out here in the CHL. Seeing the Dennis Rodman stunts in minor league basketball was just embarrassing. Most guys after three or four years in pro ranks wouldn't want to play in the summer if they didn't absolutely have to.
The biggest thing would be to keep it tight geography-wise.
My puprose, and by your response I was successful, was to start some talking points. However my request for cash being left at the bus station for me was dead serious. :)

Now if you really wanted to get funky and eliminate your player payroll costs, how about a summer league based on summer collegiate baseball (the Jayhawk League is popular around here. I know the Northwoods League is popular in spots in the upper Midwest). It would take some rule changes by the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, but I bet you could draw fans to help pay for it.