Puerto Rico has just dropped out of the PBL

[The Sweeper]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/art ... -Capitanes

The hopes of the Rochester RazorSharks to win a third straight Premier Basketball League championship soared Tuesday when the league "expelled" the Puerto Rico Capitanes for a variety of reasons, including a lack of communication with the league office regarding travel and alleged unpaid bills to hotels. The Halifax Rainmen and Vermont Frost Heaves were battling for the fourth and final playoff spot. Now they're both in. But they figure to bow out in the first round to Lawton-Fort Sill and the RazorSharks. Now there are two teams — not three teams — with a realistic chance to win the title.

The Capitanes also play in Puerto Rico's top pro basketball league. That league's season starts this week. The Capitanes should have a conditioning advantage over the competition.
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Hate to inform them of this, but Rochester has lost to the "other 2" that have made the playoffs, and got their clock cleaned by LFS a couple of weeks ago.

[sonnie20]

I really don't care if anyone believes me, I was there but I can tell you this that this league only cares about one bottom line theirs. They don't care about the fans or the teams in their league and thats sad. It's all about them and It's the same situation warmed over that is why they will fail. Well at least they have Patrick Dempsey to star in their Spanish Soap Operas or reailty shows or whatever.

[psbf]

I'm sorry to see Puerto Rico leave, but at least they have a local league to join. But they they could not pay their bills(guessing they did not have the money), why did they join the league knowing they had to travel? If they do have money, why not pay the bills?

[wellington]

[quote=""psbf""] If they do have money, why not pay the bills?[/quote]
It may not necessarily be a situation where they don't have the money. It's sort of like that friend or colleague that you go to dinner with that never wants to pick up the tab. Maybe PR prefers to 'eat' on another person's dime?

[time out]

[quote=""psbf""]I'm sorry to see Puerto Rico leave, but at least they have a local league to join. But they they could not pay their bills(guessing they did not have the money), why did they join the league knowing they had to travel? If they do have money, why not pay the bills?[/quote]

You could pose that same question to the PBL ownership. They have unpaid bills lingering from a year ago.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

[quote=""psbf""]I'm sorry to see Puerto Rico leave, but at least they have a local league to join. But they they could not pay their bills(guessing they did not have the money), why did they join the league knowing they had to travel? If they do have money, why not pay the bills?[/quote]

Very good points. My life experience is people don't pay bills because they can't afford to pay their bills (for whatever reason). Very basic.

[quote=""wellington""]It may not necessarily be a situation where they don't have the money. It's sort of like that friend or colleague that you go to dinner with that never wants to pick up the tab. Maybe PR prefers to 'eat' on another person's dime?[/quote]

I've got a friend like that too. People like that are just cheap. People that leave a trail of unpaid bills don't have enough money.

[psbf]

Wellington, I know the feeling. If I had a dime from everyone who owed me, I'd be richer than I am now!
We don't know the real situation with the Capatones, but if they refused to pay their bills, they are a typical JN team(imo).

That's true, Time Out.

[Pounder]

Let me offer an alternative thinking train here.

If you require a bond, how many teams remain in this league?

(Same question is to be asked of everyone else not associated with the NBA)

Next thing is to expect someone like one way to start on his "leagues should pursue better capitalized owners" rant.

My excruciatingly annoying response to that would be in the form of a question: "why do you hate minor league basketball?"

In other words, we get this because minor league basketball can't attract good owners in the first place.

What do you do with that if you have an established team trying to make it in this cruel world?

Do you throw the baby out with the bathwater? Or is there a baby to throw?

[preeths]

Okay, I'm sorting through these one at a time, trying to talk to all the relevant parties. Let's take the big one first: the matter of just how much Battle Creek was promised to play the championship game. The league says that it agreed to pay the Knights $5,000 to have them play the game. The Knights say it was $25,000. Both sides agree that the PBL paid Knights ownership $5,000. Both sides agree that it was a verbal deal. Knights players weren't willing to play the game, so, in a separate move, the PBL also paid a total of $5,000 to the Knights to go directly to the players, which Knights ownership says does not count toward the $20k they allege they're owed. Emails obtained by OurSports Central did not provide any proof of the amount. As far as I can tell, this one is, and is likely to remain, inconclusive.

Will post again as facts come in about the other three.

[confused]

What did you find out from the bus company? I called, and All Bets was right on. The PBL has not paid the bill, and won't return phone calls. That is all the information I need.