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zeke41
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Post by zeke41 » Fri Jun 26, 2009 2:46 pm

Thanks, Wellington. I hope I come off that way. I am on here a lot, and I am transparent, and I do provide a lot more information than has been seen by other owners and league officials. What it all boils down to is I have an incredible passion for the game, and I deeply want to see a better constructed minor league system in the US. Some mistake me as cocky or arrogant, self-absorbed, etc...Call it what you want, so long as at the end of the day, the game of basketball is moved forward. Heck...that's what we all REALLY want, isn't it?

I will say this...the farther we get with the Flight, the less negativity that has come, and that is a relief. I'm taking this Florida Flight venture the same way I took my playing career...I am not taking no for an answer.

Regarding the different league discussions, here is our reality with the Flight right now: There are no minor league teams down here. The EBA is up north, a good portion of the WBA teams are up north (and I just can't get over my impression of the WBA - I'm just not impressed for some reason), the USBA never got off the ground, the GPBL is up north, and...I am fully aware...the PBL, as well, is up north.

With all teams being up north, that takes locality out of the picture. Then it becomes a quality, opportunity, and relationship discussion. In those areas, with me, the PBL wins out hands down. Factor in the possibilities of having @Sports TV, and to me, it's pretty simple. Besides, if you haven't seen the Flight site, we took a poll. The decision was simple...hands down, people want to see the Flight play in the PBL.

2011 is a long ways away. A lot can change in a year. In 2006, I thought the ABA was on its way in the right direction. At the end of the year, things changed. Same thing with the CBA...I wanted desperately to return to the Miners for 2008...look what happened. They went from 10 teams to 4 in less than a year. From a spiritual perspective, I took a look at all that happened to me since my first year with East KY up to now, and it is clear to me that setting up an opportunity at home, here in Central Florida, is the thing for me to do. Judging by the responses I have gotten, and the connections I've made through networking, it was the right decision. I should be able to launch the Flight, publish and distribute my book - #14, and...well, lets just say, for now, that I have 2 other pretty big, grandiose ideals in the works that, if I can execute them, will pay HUGE dividends to me, the Flight, and probably basketball (especially minor league basketball) as a whole. I think big, and I'm probably the most optimistic person I know.

What can I say...I love life, and I'm set on living it to the fullest. Wellington is right, though...this has been a great discussion. I am wondering if some people who might appreciate this discussion are missing it simply because they could care less about the CBA right now (the thread title - CBA lives: is not exactly the major topic of choice on here). We have certainly taking some tangents. It's been insightful, though...and please don't think I'm anti-ANY league. I look at it as I'm just very Pro-PBL. I'm a visionary, and I see the big picture, and I'm excited at the thought of being a part of what the PBL is trying to do.
Last edited by zeke41 on Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
http://www.thecrossoverbasketball.com
http://www.flighthoops.com
http://www.iamsecond.com

"What do your daily actions say about the pursuit of your dreams?"

"Our Dreams are the roadmap that God uses to get us to where He intends for us to be!"

"When I stand before God at the end of my life
I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"

"Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
--- Psalm 37:4

not so fast
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Post by not so fast » Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:33 pm

zeke, don't get upset, but you are so long winded. did you say you wrote a book? these post must be excerpts.

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zeke41
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Post by zeke41 » Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:02 pm

LOL LOL LOL...not upset at all, sir. You are right. My mom always said I was born to be a Baptist preacher, because I can talk and write with the best of them. I do write books....I love to communicate thoroughly and appropriately. If you don't, it's too easy to misinterpret things the wrong way (happens a lot with this technological boom we have experienced). You should see the emails I sent to my wife before we were married while she was in Sri Lanka over one summer. It's a running joke still today!
It's just who I am.

Actually, when I get to the minor league basketball part, a lot of the stuff I write, even in these threads, will be in the book. I'll probably need a good editor, though!
Last edited by zeke41 on Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
http://www.thecrossoverbasketball.com
http://www.flighthoops.com
http://www.iamsecond.com

"What do your daily actions say about the pursuit of your dreams?"

"Our Dreams are the roadmap that God uses to get us to where He intends for us to be!"

"When I stand before God at the end of my life
I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"

"Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
--- Psalm 37:4

minorleagfan09
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Post by minorleagfan09 » Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:55 pm

The EBA is going through some expansion right now... especially in the midwest. If you call them up and work with them I'd bet they could work out a small cluster in the southeast by 2011.

The WBA is by no means a perfect league and I see plenty of room for improvement. Trust... but verify. If they play all their games in 2010 and do a little better with their website... the WBA would be an easy choice over the PBL... both because the talent is on the same level... and because of the lower costs.

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Post by psbf » Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:28 pm

fan09, if I did not know any better, I'd think that you were working for the WBA to get the Flight in that league lol

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Post by minorleagfan09 » Sat Jun 27, 2009 3:03 am

[quote=""psbf""]fan09, if I did not know any better, I'd think that you were working for the WBA to get the Flight in that league lol[/quote]

Well if I ran a league and I background checked Zeke to make sure he had 20,000 to invest then yea sure I'd go after him. I'd love to run a minor league franchise... BUT not until there is a good exposure league relatively close by.

Fans that want a team, owners that want to run a sustainable team, and players that want to use minor league basketball to get into the D League or overseas should be on message boards telling the minor league basketball world that the current league models (and the people running them) are way overrated.

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Post by psbf » Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:07 pm

I understand and I agree with what you are saying, fan. But, as has been mentioned before, the PBL is only two years old. You seem ready to run it down already which is unfair(imo) in it's short tenure. You can only do so much in that time. Give it a chance, it seems to be heading in the right direction, as I see it. With all due respect, quit being so narrow minded.

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Post by minorleagfan09 » Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:00 pm

[quote=""psbf""]I understand and I agree with what you are saying, fan. But, as has been mentioned before, the PBL is only two years old. You seem ready to run it down already which is unfair(imo) in it's short tenure. You can only do so much in that time. Give it a chance, it seems to be heading in the right direction, as I see it. With all due respect, quit being so narrow minded.[/quote]

I'm much harder on the IBL now (despite the fact that it seems they get a free pass here) because they have indeed been around longer (and 30 plus teams have failed in 5 years).

Its nothing personal with the PBL but when I see large budgets combined with a bad economy (limited advertising budgets for team sponsorship) I see trouble in their future (especially with no connection to the NBA). I can just say personally... I'd never put my money in the league. But if you've had success long term the PBL was smart to join compared to the ABA and the other leagues that no longer exist.

But don't get me wrong I'd be A-OK with the PBL turning into an actual double a (AA) league for the NBA. And the NBA would be smart to develop a farm system... just don't see it happening.

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Post by not so fast » Sun Jun 28, 2009 6:16 pm

that is the real question, at least for me. what is the purpose of the pbl, if it has no connection to the NBA, and seems to have no desire to market its players for international jobs.

I run camps for international teams all the time, in fact just did one for argentina. And they asked me what about the pbl, and its players how good are they? In other words, they know little or nothing about the league, and I have this question posed to me all the time.

Now needless to say, since I have had involvement with the pbl, and all of the players that i have sent to pbl teams have been well taken care of, I gave the league good reviews. But it would serve this league to spend more time outside of china in trying to market its league.

Several of the quad cities players and the rockford players from the previous season, all landed jobs after its pbl season, but none of those were in china. so if more countries hear about the pbl, then chances increase for players to get international jobs, so they can make some serious money! That will help attract good players, and help strenthen the league.

You must get qualilty players (and coaches) if any league wants to really be credible. And with the possibly of no CBA or at best, a watered down version of the CbA, the pbl could come in and fill a void for many countries that are looking for American players!

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Post by minorleagfan09 » Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:32 am

[quote=""not so fast""]that is the real question, at least for me. what is the purpose of the pbl, if it has no connection to the NBA, and seems to have no desire to market its players for international jobs.

I run camps for international teams all the time, in fact just did one for argentina.[/quote]

I did see that Keith Gayden... went from the PBL to IBL then this season to Mexico. Brandon Watkins was on the same team and ended up in Germany (2nd) division. As an exposure league franchise I'd personally like the focus to be on getting players overseas.

Leagues outside the NBDL (and their team owners) should be trying to develop connections with international leagues.

If I was running the PBL I'd try and get representatives from the Irish SuperLeague, England BBL & EBL, and Iceland and run a tryout camp for them. Then invite Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark for another tryout camp. Invite Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, and Georgia and run a 3rd tryout camp. Invite Mexico, Chile, Colombia, etc and run a tryout camp. Invite Taiwan, China, Middle East, New Zealand, etc and run a fourth tryout camp. Only by associating with international basketball can the PBL become relevant.

I'd also add that it would be nice if there was a better version of the KBDL out there.

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