Salem to sit out season?

[besl]

I just noticed that over the weekend the Salem Stampede were moved to the "Coming in 2009" section of the IBL website.

I find that kind of odd as Salem appeared to be one of the IBL's stronger franchises on and off the court, though I think things slipped a little bit after they moved from the Armory in season one to a high school in season two.

As I had mentioned in another post, all teams were supposed to have paid their annual dues in full by Friday, so perhaps the Salem owners couldn't pony up the dough? At any rate, if the team is under-financed I guess its good to find out now as opposed to five games into the season.

Barring any more drop-outs, the IBL will have 20 teams when things get rolling in March, which is actually down from the 22 they had last season.

[mammal]

Salem had a very good team on the floor. I thought they were the best offensive team in the IBL last year. Even better than Santa Barbara.

Speaking of Sanata Barbara, they are leaving for a new West Coast basketball league. Strange move in my opinion.

Salem did not have very good attendance last season. It looks like Salem, Seattle and Arizona are sitting out 2008.

Even though the IBL is down to 20 or so teams, the ownership groups seem stronger. Addition by subtraction I guess.

I believe the IBL is here to stay. It's the best spring/summer league hands down.

[besl]

Speaking of Sanata Barbara, they are leaving for a new West Coast basketball league. Strange move in my opinion.

Do you have any more information about this new league? I haven't heard anything but rumors for the past couple of years.

If their departure is indeed true, that puts the new L.A. franchise (as well as Las Vegas) in a bit of a bind as they become a bit isolated within the IBL's footprint. The only other team that would be more "out there" is Edmonton.

The IBL might be spending quite a bit of money on travel if they honor their "one flight guarantee" for teams like L.A., Las Vegas, and Edmonton.

[sportsnut2000]

It is surprising if it is true that Santa Barbara is joining another league as went to leagues website and have no teams. The travel for those teams will be alot but saying that Edmonton has a sponsorship deal with an airline and fares from LA and Vegas to other cities in the IBL will not be all that much.

[mammal]

Santa Barbara will be joining the West Coast Pro Basketball League. (What ever that is) Teams from Ventura-Oxnard, Victorville, Pasadena, Palm Springs and Temecula are also in the league from what I have heard. I don't see how this benefits the Breakers except less travel.

[MJHankel]

A little info from their website: West Coast Pro Basketball League (http://www.westcoastprobasketball.com/)

From the site:

Most minor league basketball teams are not profitable. We are confident that the WCPBL will be an exciting exception!
(priceless)

CBA, NBDL and some NBA players will have completed the playoffs in their respective leagues by March, and will be available for employment in the WCPBL.
Are they saying that they expect to get current NBA players?

[besl]

Santa Barbara will be joining the West Coast Pro Basketball League. (What ever that is) Teams from Ventura-Oxnard, Victorville, Pasadena, Palm Springs and Temecula are also in the league from what I have heard. I don't see how this benefits the Breakers except less travel.

It looks like this league is straight-up trying to undercut the IBL. Their league "philosophy" is almost taken verbatim off the IBL's promotional materials.

I don't really trust a league that doesn't list the names of the folks behind it. If this is the guy I think it is, he was trying to promote a west coast league years ago and had a website that claimed that God had given him and his wife millions of dollars to start a league. If I recall, he was from Bakersfield, and according to the website registration the site owner (who I think is just is just a web developer and not the person running the league) he is from Bakersfield as well.

At any rate, fly-by-night copycat leagues like this aren't good for basketball.

[Pounder]

Salem out, Eugene (per my source) still in trouble.

If Santa Barbara is out... as fly-by-night as this west coast league arrangement is, they may as well take LA and Vegas with them. The IBL isn't so strong that they can afford to manufacture a Southern California presence, and such presence won't do it a hill of beans anyway. Stick to the Northwest and Midwest and be happy it's running.

[mammal]

LA and Vegas are staying in the IBL. I just don't understand why the Breakers are leaving for a glorified YMCA league. The one flight guarentee means only one long road trip. If that is a drain on their finances maybe they really do not belong in the IBL. They were a fun team to watch last season, to bad they will be completely off the radar soon.

[Pounder]

The one flight guarentee means only one long road trip.

Dare I quote you the distance from Eugene to Las Vegas?

Recall that Salem and Eugene (and Central Oregon) were in a division with Chico and Santa Barbara last year. This isn't an accident. That guarantee, perhaps more in spirit than in principle, isn't holding up. Lots of gas at West Coast prices and accompanying motel rooms are probably no help to anyone playing that schedule.

[besl]

LA and Vegas are staying in the IBL. I just don't understand why the Breakers are leaving for a glorified YMCA league. The one flight guarentee means only one long road trip. If that is a drain on their finances maybe they really do not belong in the IBL. They were a fun team to watch last season, to bad they will be completely off the radar soon.

Considering the players Santa Barbera signed last season, I'd say spending money isn't a problem for them.

At any rate, having only L.A. and Las Vegas poses some serious problems. Unless they're going to play each other 20 times, you're probably going to have to have northwest teams fly down and play twice in LA and drive to Vegas and play two more to make it feasible.

[besl]

Farbeit from me to reply to my own message, but as a sign of Santa Barbara's anticipated departure, today the IBL changed the "Featured Matchup" on its front page from this:

http://www.iblhoopsonline.com/images/Knights-vs-Santa-Barbara.jpg

to this:

http://www.iblhoopsonline.com/images/edmonton-VS-snohomish.jpg

[MonroeCartPride]

It seems that the powerhouse teams not choosing to play in the IBL could be a sign that orginized teams are fustrated with the league. If another team leaves I will have questions. As long as the Explosion team is playing I am good.

[MJHankel]

Does anybody know, what happened to the Elgin Racers?

[Shootmaster_44]

I have to wonder whether we might hear of more teams in Canada soon. With Edmonton being out on an island by itself, it would stand to reason that either more teams will be added in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The other option would see more teams in Idaho, Montana and North Dakota. I almost wonder if some CBA teams might do the double-dip with the IBL this year like Albany (I think it was) did with the USBL? That's the only way travel would make sense with the one flight rule of the IBL.

[rams80]

Does anybody know, what happened to the Elgin Racers?

In another thread, somebody said they folded.

[sportsnut2000]

With Salem out this year there are alot of good players out there to sign with other teams.