PBL - can they shake the Newman-esque image?

[ABARedWhiteBlue]

First the finals fiasco, now this tidbit buried in a story about the Stampede:

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/645967.html

Completing the season made the Stampede eligible for the PBL's profit sharing, which is enhanced by franchise fees for the four teams entering the league for the 2010 season and any league-wide sponsors. Bouie said the PBL hopes to sign Nike to a multimillion-dollar sponsorship that could net each team a six-figure income.
"We did it on a shoestring this year," Bouie said. "With $50,000, we'd be living large."

This is the kind of stuff Joe is always running off at the mouth with - elaborate, grandiose promises of huge sponsorships and agreements . . . none of which have ever come to fruition.

Hopefully, this Nike comment is not the PBL version of an empty Newman quote.

If it comes through, it would be great for the league; if not, well - why even discuss it until is finalized? This way, if/when it falls through, you are left looking like...

this:

[LightningMan]

The difference here is a hope, not a promise.

[ABARedWhiteBlue]

Originally Posted by LightningMan

The difference here is a hope, not a promise.

But then why even mention it, especially in specifics about who and what the deal would entail?

Just seems to me the better option is to say nothing - or something more along the lines of "The PBL is looking to secure additional sponsorship and marketing deals next year that could greatly increase the bottom line for each team" without saying Nike by name.

See, this is the cynicism we are forced to confront as caused by years of reading Joe Newman's self-serving ramblings.

[LightningMan]

Originally Posted by ABARedWhiteBlue

But then why even mention it, especially in specifics about who and what the deal would entail?

Just seems to me the better option is to say nothing - or something more along the lines of "The PBL is looking to secure additional sponsorship and marketing deals next year that could greatly increase the bottom line for each team" without saying Nike by name.

I agree. Just pointing out the difference.

[DazedAndAmused]

As irritated and confused as I am by the PBL right now (and all my posts today reflect), these guys are still (thank goodness) a very far cry from the ABA.

Decent stats, webcasts, a published schedule that was mostly followed (sadly it was followed more than others), no pet rock schemes, and even an exciting playoff structure that actually made sense until the finals debacle.

That said, I don't have the stomach to put up much of a defense to the critics here and pointing out some of the parallels certainly isn't unreasonable.

Please PBL...next year, vet your teams better, eliminate the under performers, and please, please by God, do the things you say you're going to do.

PS - Do the right thing and publicly take care of Battle Creek.

[runninref]

"fees for the four teams entering the league for the 2010 season" ... What does this mean?

[CHris902]

I think that this shows my personal number one problem with the PBL: An inability to handle the flow of information. The owners, potential owners and league officials are constantly saying **** that should be kept in house: the west-coast expansion plans, the issues with Halifax, and now this. They need to stop hiring minor league basketball consultants to do nothing and hire an experienced communications person to improve on messaging and keeping people in the message box.

[DazedAndAmused]

Originally Posted by runninref

"fees for the four teams entering the league for the 2010 season" ... What does this mean?

I'm more afraid of the "living large" on $50k. Sounds like a strategy that gets you one win in the PBL, and another indication of a questionable vetting process. It also sounds like they had 1/10 or less the budget of Rochester. Personally I don't think we need to have $500k budgets for single or even double A minor league basketball, but the customer could actually get a pretty good, viable product for something reasonably in the middle of the Buffalo and Rochester approach. Maybe some sort of league standard that addresses that?

[TheStandard]

The BSN and Nike/Jordan brand had a 3 year agreement. Thats for 5 million dollars. Nike/Jordan failed to meet the BSN agreement. Nike was to provide all the teams with uniforms and shoes and with the designs the BSN and the teams agreed on. Well Nike did this. They gave everyteam uniforms that really did not identify with the team colors in a certain way. Also the Nike logo was patched up with a Jordan Logo. Also Nike wanted all BSN teams to sell the Jordan and Nike brand basketball shoes at the games at prices that were more expensive than Footlocker and other stores. With the economy being bad many 200-300 dollar jordans were not being sold. Nike was to provide a new design for the PR national team which was never met since Nike chose that the old Puerto Rico logo was fine while the BSN wanted a new style. When Nike was to send the first payment in regards of league sponsorship, it never arrived. Nike decided that since the sneakers were not selling along with the merchandise in where years before Converse, Champion and Reebok were selling them at way much better prices; That sending money to the BSN was not going to happen. It was sell shoes and merch and get the money.

In the end. Nike Settled with the BSN out of court for 3 million. A Payment that if not paid by June 2009 the PR Government had decided to intervene and put a lien on Nike.

This deal screwed the BSN. Left the National team with a 700k Debt and the BSN with 1.5 million dollars in debt in which if it wasn't for DirecTV stepping in like men along with a new uniform deal with Adidas we are now fine. But dont go with someone that wants 4 barrells of oil and gives you nothing back

[ABARedWhiteBlue]

in that...

one of the primary reasons (or certainly the tipping point) that the RazorSharks left the ABA was because they were upset at how the ABA league office was trying to reschedule their playoff game - due to their home arena being unavailable, and their lack of desire to move to a lesser gym, there would have been an extended delay in the playing of their game, which Joe did not want to have.

Now, granted that there was quite a bit of ill will between Joe and the 'Sharks already built up, and Joe - in his unparalelled manner of acting every bit the tantrum-throwing 6-year old - decided to try to strong arm Rochester by forcing them to forfeit via a league-wide emailing...

But, it IS funny that the PBL did much the same thing here in essentially forcing BC to accept the lesser arrangement of playing a one-game road final, just as Joe was trying to force Rochester to play a lesser arrangement in a gym that may not have had the same home-court advantage.

Except BC played, for the good of the league (if not, obviously, their fans) - while Rochester took their ball and went home.

It is not a 1-for1 exact match, but it is close enough to make it part of the discussion...