Here We Go Again...

[Runningesq]

Chicago, IL- Effective immediately, the Bloomington Flex have been disqualified from championship competition, have forfeited the division championship and have been suspended from the PBL for the 2015 season due to its unwillingness and inability to participate in the championship series.

The team with the next best record in the Midwest Division, the Indianapolis Diesels, have been declared the Midwest Division Champions and will participate in the PBL championship series for the league title to begin on Sunday, April 6th in Rochester against the East division champion Razorsharks.

[dmbishop]

What's the backstory on this? Bloomington was undefeated this year.

According to this article http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/profes ... a53e0.html they were supposed to have home court advantage in the series, so is it really about travel costs? They average an announced crowd of about 500 a game, so even with minor-league inflation, they shouldn't be doing too bad.

Dave

[dmbishop]

Not from me...

Here's the story: the league canceled the first round of the playoffs because Pee Dee had no home dates, and wanted us to skip straight to the championship series. But we had already booked our arena for two dates and started publicity/promotion for two games against Indianapolis--plus, it would have eliminated Indianapolis from playing in the first round, which wasn't right either. Our game 2 was scheduled to be on the same day as the league set the Finals game 1 for us in Rochester. The league then said, we could still play Indianapolis Friday night and make it an exhibition game and then play in Rochester on Sunday. That's a 14 hour drive for us between games, plus, what if someone got hurt Friday night? They didn't seem to care about the competitive disadvantage we were being handed, nor about the financial and credibility ramifications of cancelling two playoff games. We were in negotiations to figure something out, and the league asked Indianapolis to take our place in the finals, and after initially declining, they apparently said yes. But what's funny is, the league wouldn't consider asking Buffalo (3rd place) to take Pee Dee's place in the first round to play Rochester. None of it makes any sense.

[LR Lightning]

Wow! Different season,more controversy! I just saw the website posting. Its seems like every time there is a powerhouse in the PBL, something goes wrong and poof! The league office makes an executive decision and that powerhouse is out! I did some research on why the predators were not participating this season and well respected Mr. Grenoble said there wasn't a board meeting amongst the owners, just executive decision making without a say or voice in the matter. So this is kind of fraginackle bullcrap he was talking about...so there are diplomatic issues which would be the stain on the league this season. I can see where the PBL is # 2 behind the d- league but these behind closed doors and problem solving issues need to be corrected. And they didn't Finish the whole season again! They got a pass last year dealing with the other league, but this year?

[Minor League Man]

Sev has forgotten that these kinds of Newman-esque shenanigans led to the mass exodus of teams from the PBL in 2011...I think this time, it'll be the nail in the PBL's coffin.

[LR Lightning]

@ minor league man
you are right...except businesses like the flex and the predators actually have a brand name that's recognizable and ticket sales! I bet Mr.Grenoble is saying yep that's what I though. I made a good decision.
I give them one more season and razor sharks championship and the league will die! For now...they are on life support with a slow drip of morphine to drift away to...

[Sam Hill]

[quote=""LR Lightning""]@ minor league man
you are right...except businesses like the flex and the predators actually have a brand name that's recognizable and ticket sales! [/quote]

I realize you worked for a team that couldn't sell smack to an addict, but averaging an announced 500 per game (as Bloomington apparently does) doesn't exactly make you an "actual business" that "has a brand name" and "ticket sales."

As to the general point....yeah, the PBL is no better than the other alphabet soup concoctions, no matter how many times they try to say it is.

[LR Lightning]

@ Sam hill damn you! Has it been ole buddy ole pal!?!
Don't you remember our half time entertainer? Take that smack comment back! Lol

[LR Lightning]

500 average out of 2900 seats paid admission in a coliseum/ arena
in minor league is good business Sam. Plus they played good basketball.
I think this is on the league....

[BlueOx]

Yet another example of why the PBL can never be taken seriously. Let's just dump the entire playoff structure, put ourselves in the finals, and then kick out anyone who doesn't like it.

I hope Sev's better at fixing feet than he is at running a basketball league.

The Premier Basketball League's two-time defending
champions have been forced to exit the league just as the team prepared to
compete for a third consecutive title. The Bloomington Flex were informed
officially today by the league office that they were no longer going to be
part of the playoffs and have been suspended for the 2015 season.

The move came as the Flex prepared to play Friday at
U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against
the Indianapolis Diesels. The league, however, altered the playoff
schedule over last weekend by eliminating the entire first round when one
of the playoff participants in the East Division could not secure facility
arrangements to host a game.

The Pee Dee Vipers were scheduled to take on the
Rochester RazorSharks, but, the Vipers' home arena, the Florence (S. Car.)
Civic Center, had no available dates for a game. The league office
subsequently decided to cancel the entire first round--including the Flex
series against the Diesels--and skip straight to the championship series
between the Flex and the RazorSharks.

The move was approved by league owner and Chairman of
the Board, Dr. Severko Hrywnak, who also owns the Rochester RazorSharks.
Flex officials suggested Rochester instead play the first round against the
third-place team in the East Division, the Buffalo 716ers. The league
refused to consider the suggestion, and set the first game in the
best-of-three series between the Flex and RazorSharks for Sunday, April 6
in Rochester--the only April weekend date available at Rochester's Blue
Cross Arena.

The Flex, however, had already signed contracts to play
at U.S. Cellular Coliseum on Friday, April 4 and Sunday, April 6. The
April 4 date was originally scheduled to be a regular-season game against
the Lima Express. But when the league moved up the playoffs to avoid
having to play on Easter Sunday, that April 4

game was changed to become the first game of the playoff series against
Indianapolis. The Flex then booked the Coliseum for the Game Two on Sunday.

"We had a financial commitment, as well as a commitment
to our community, to play on April 4, and then on April 6 in Game 2 against
Indianapolis," said Flex owner and team president Scott Henderson. "It
wouldn't have been fair to our fans or our sponsors, and it certainly
wouldn't have been fair to Indianapolis to just eliminate that series,"
Henderson said.

"We spoke at length as a staff and with our players,
and the overwhelming response was to follow through on our commitment to
play two games against Indianapolis in Bloomington on April 4 and 6.

"The players and staff felt that it put us at a
competitive disadvantage to have to play Friday night, risk injury, travel
all day Saturday, and then have to play Sunday afternoon to start a
championship series," Henderson said.

The Flex swept the RazorSharks in the championship
series in 2012, playing as the Central Illinois Drive, and again in 2013.

"We've been threatened with legal action for not
succumbing to the league's demands," Henderson added. "But our position is
very strong, and the truth is on our side. We're comfortable with the
stand we're making," he added.

Thursday afternoon, the league posted on its website
the following statement: "Effective immediately, the Bloomington Flex have
been disqualified from championship competition, have forfeited the
division championship and have been suspended from the PBL for the 2015
season due to its unwillingness and inability to participate in the
championship series.

"The team with the next best record in the Midwest
Division, the Indianapolis Diesels, have been declared the Midwest Division
Champions and will participate in the PBL championship series for the
league title to begin on Sunday, April 6th in Rochester against the East
division champion Razorsharks," the statement read.

"We are curious as to why they'd take the second-place
team from our division as a substitute, but would not consider the
third-place team from Rochester's division to fill out the first round.
This will not be a legitimate championship series without the best team in
the league participating in the playoffs," Henderson said.

With Indianapolis agreeing to play in the finals, the
Flex will be forced to find another opponent for Friday night.

"It's short notice, but we have planned a lot for the
fans in the building that night, including special premium giveaways, and
so we will honor the commitment we made to our fans and sponsors with a
Community Appreciation Night to celebrate our perfect season," said Craig
Fata, director of operations for the Flex.

The Flex will also move ahead with plans to participate
in the fundraiser for the family of Michael Collins, who died Wednesday as
a result of a car crash caused by an alleged drunk driver last week. The
team will have donation collection points Friday on the concourse at U.S.
Cellular Coliseum.

"It was important for us to still be able to
participate in the fundraiser," Henderson said. "And having a game where
we could reach lots of people at once is the best way this organization can
help. So that was another reason it was critical that we went forward with
the game on Friday," Henderson added.