DazedAndAmused
12-26-2007, 01:42 PM
...separate itself from the lower echilon minor leagues by proving it has a plan in place to deal with team issues in the off season BEFORE other member team operations/schedules are impacted.
Minnesota seemed to be where an early problem was detected or emerged. That was handled before schedules went out which seemed to be a positive sign.
Now, Chicago seems to be a question mark (at least to those of us looking from the outside.) How the league handles this will be an early indicator of what we can expect. At this point, nothing less than a fully operating team in Chicago ("fully operating team" = playing all home/away games and having a marketing presence ASAP capable of growing the team) will be acceptable. If this situation can be managed effectively, after playing a complete schedule this season, it will be appropriate to discuss the CBA and the PBL as being in the same "league" so to speak. (I'm not saying one is as good as another, just that they will have to be considered together based on what is happening elsewhere in minor league bball.) If the situation is not handled, the PBL may have to continuously fight being compared to the ABA, a comparison they do not want.
Frankly, the Dleague's nature/NBA connection takes them out of them out of comparison's to any other league. They sit by themselves with a separate mission and goal.
Minnesota seemed to be where an early problem was detected or emerged. That was handled before schedules went out which seemed to be a positive sign.
Now, Chicago seems to be a question mark (at least to those of us looking from the outside.) How the league handles this will be an early indicator of what we can expect. At this point, nothing less than a fully operating team in Chicago ("fully operating team" = playing all home/away games and having a marketing presence ASAP capable of growing the team) will be acceptable. If this situation can be managed effectively, after playing a complete schedule this season, it will be appropriate to discuss the CBA and the PBL as being in the same "league" so to speak. (I'm not saying one is as good as another, just that they will have to be considered together based on what is happening elsewhere in minor league bball.) If the situation is not handled, the PBL may have to continuously fight being compared to the ABA, a comparison they do not want.
Frankly, the Dleague's nature/NBA connection takes them out of them out of comparison's to any other league. They sit by themselves with a separate mission and goal.