Toronto Lazers Join PBL

[tbayz1]

//www.oursportscentral.com/service ... id=3625019

Eventhough its been on their website, at least we now know more about the team.

So far Official PBL Expansion has been:

Toronto
Buffalo
SE Asian All-Star Team

and then the Montreal Sasquatch has been on the site along with Toronto for awhile, but there has been no press release regarding them so far, so lets just keep our eyes open!

[tops804]

[quote=""tbayz1""]//www.oursportscentral.com/service ... id=3625019

Eventhough its been on their website, at least we now know more about the team.

So far Official PBL Expansion has been:

Toronto
Buffalo
SE Asian All-Star Team

and then the Montreal Sasquatch has been on the site along with Toronto for awhile, but there has been no press release regarding them so far, so lets just keep our eyes open![/quote]

...Two nice adds so far. But who will be back from this season? I would
think that Jacksonville and Dallas are longshots. Reading may be another
one on the bubble. Still, much better prospects then another league I can
think of. (Hint: Red, white, and blue ball)

We also have to see if any of the three leagues do any "mean-spirited
poaching" of other franchises...

Assuming no PBL/CBA merger, I would be satisfied with a 12 team PBL in 2009.

[LightningMan]

Dallas may not be as long a shot as you think, in that I could see the Texas Tycoons taking over the Defenders spot. But I do agree that the Dallas Defenders are probably done.

[rider]

Toronto is not a good basketball city! The Raptors survive because its the NBA and the huge corporate market. The Lazers stand a good chance of being totally ignored, where are they going to play ? Do they have a lease? I hope the PBL isn't foolsih to announce them before they have a lease signed.

[bdaly]

[quote=""tops804""]...Two nice adds so far. But who will be back from this season? I would
think that Jacksonville and Dallas are longshots. Reading may be another
one on the bubble. Still, much better prospects then another league I can
think of. [/quote]
I haven't been paying much attention the last few weeks, but I'm surprised to hear Reading may be on the bubble. They played in a nice arena, had a good team, and had fans in the stands. They, like almost everyone in minor league basketball, probably lost money, but it wasn't a bad start.

Minus Jacksonville and Dallas, you start to have a pretty logical layout. Rochester, Toronto, Buffalo, and Reading are all pretty close. Reading, Wilmington, and Maryland are within a reasonable proximity. Then you've got the midwestern teams. So travel would be much better.

[Shootmaster_44]

[quote=""rider""]Toronto is not a good basketball city! The Raptors survive because its the NBA and the huge corporate market. The Lazers stand a good chance of being totally ignored, where are they going to play ? Do they have a lease? I hope the PBL isn't foolsih to announce them before they have a lease signed.[/quote]

I was curious about this as well. There are tons of Colleges I guess they could play at. There's also the possibility they could do like the ABA's Ontario Red Wolves and play at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. However, as the Marlies have proven, minor league sports is a tough sell in Toronto. Especially, since the Lazers would run head to head with the Leafs, Marlies, Raptors and Rock.

For the team's sake, I would hope that this is nominally a Toronto team, but really based in the GTA. I'd say either the Hershey Centre in Mississauga or the Powerade Centre in Brampton might be better ideas.

[CHris902]

[quote=""Shootmaster_44""]I was curious about this as well. There are tons of Colleges I guess they could play at. There's also the possibility they could do like the ABA's Ontario Red Wolves and play at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. However, as the Marlies have proven, minor league sports is a tough sell in Toronto. Especially, since the Lazers would run head to head with the Leafs, Marlies, Raptors and Rock.

For the team's sake, I would hope that this is nominally a Toronto team, but really based in the GTA. I'd say either the Hershey Centre in Mississauga or the Powerade Centre in Brampton might be better ideas.[/quote]

Did the ABA Red Wolves ever actually play?

I agree that Toronto is pretty questionable. With the constant D-League in the GTA talks I don't know how long this will last. I would have liked to see Hamilton (although they may D-League it) or Ottawa get a team before Toronto. I hope this turns out well, but I don't know if it will.

[Shootmaster_44]

[quote=""CHris902""]Did the ABA Red Wolves ever actually play?

I agree that Toronto is pretty questionable. With the constant D-League in the GTA talks I don't know how long this will last. I would have liked to see Hamilton (although they may D-League it) or Ottawa get a team before Toronto. I hope this turns out well, but I don't know if it will.[/quote]

No they never played but at one point had an agreement to use the Hershey Centre.

Hamilton is likely a D-League team, plus they do have an ABA team that is supposed to play next year. Though, I'm guessing it will be like most ABA teams and vanish before the season starts.

I applaud the PBL for looking north of the border, but I'm not sure that targeting large cities is necessarily a good idea. If they are insistent on the GTA, perhaps maybe Oshawa would be a better fit. Smaller centres tend to latch on to minor league teams better, since it is their own "pro" team.

Ottawa may work, but their sports landscape seems shaky at best. The Lynx didn't draw very well the last couple years (which is why they moved to Allentown, PA), the CFL continually places teams there and they die and the NLL died there as well. I'm just not convinced that Ottawa is a sports town. I think they are more a hockey town, which is why the Senators, 67s and Olympiques do well. I've also seen articles claiming Ottawa is onboard for next year in the ABA. Then again that Ottawa/ABA rumor has been flying around since 2004. Not that I wish the ABA on anyone, but if run properly like the Rainmen were, it could cause problems for a second pro basketball team.

[CHris902]

[quote=""Shootmaster_44""]Ottawa may work, but their sports landscape seems shaky at best. The Lynx didn't draw very well the last couple years (which is why they moved to Allentown, PA), the CFL continually places teams there and they die and the NLL died there as well. I'm just not convinced that Ottawa is a sports town. I think they are more a hockey town, which is why the Senators, 67s and Olympiques do well. I've also seen articles claiming Ottawa is onboard for next year in the ABA. Then again that Ottawa/ABA rumor has been flying around since 2004. Not that I wish the ABA on anyone, but if run properly like the Rainmen were, it could cause problems for a second pro basketball team.[/quote]

Ottawa is a basketball town, though. UofO and Carlton both draw really well by CIS standards and teams loaded with alumni might work there. That said, I think every college town in the US has tried that model in minor league hoops and no one has pulled it off.

I know that someone from Ottawa called the Rainmen late in the season to ask about the ABA and they talked with Andre. I have no idea what happend in that conversation but I can't imagine Andre told them to go to the ABA. But Joe probably used his "People First" selling powers in Quebec City to get them on board. Who knows?

[tbayz1]

I think Joe said on ABA All Access that there would be an Ottawa team for 08-09.

However, I do know for a fact, he said someone in Ottawa has a part in the ABA Europe Initiative along with 3 others. This was also said on ABA All Access. Take it for what its worth.