This letter shows the problem with purely private ownership, the club is never more than the owner's baby. Decisions arent made in the best interests of the club's members and supporters.

All merchandise $5...you can probably pick up the Dragons licence for $5 too.

he's entirely right! How can reform not include a major sponsor, teams in brisbane and sydney or a FTA or better foxtel deal. The nbl is worse than ever in these 3 areas.

Anon, when did the league promise that they would be able to match the exorbitant budget of the Dragons? If the 8 others teams weren't ready to throw that sort of money around, should the league have kicked them out and kept the Dragons on?

errr.... i think including the 4 other championships as part of your own "licence's" accolades is laughable quite frankly.
And
It was the rediculous unviable overspend that you brought to the league that contributed to it's downfall in the end.

We wont miss you, goodbye!

All these people with the solutions, and meanwhile BA people just sit there pulling their puds.

"I know, lets have a reform. Once we have a reform, we'll get major sponsors, teams in Sydney and Brisbane, plus a FTA deal...just remember, the key is to say we are having a reform, and all those pieces will fall in to place. It's so easy!!"

The other Championship claim is a bit like the Port Adelaide Power claiming all the Port Adelaide Magpie premierships.

That is a JOKE too!!

Yes, we know it was stuffed, and has been for some time, so while they are trying to fix it, the constant negative attitude is doing nothing to help anyone, except those that don't have a team to support any more.

There has been so much criticism around the place, and so many geniuses saying "the reform should get a sponsor, why haven't they got a FTA deal yet" but no one is actually willing to understand what the new BA board is up against.

Next person that makes a suggestion on what BA is doing wrong needs to come up with a detailed solution, otherwise they can fuck off.

LOL..... Very well said TC2.

BA has recently taken control of the elite men's basketball competition. They have set the rules to be involved. The Dragons owners have decided to walk away.

The Dragons could have spent $800K on players and played a number of games in smaller stadiums to make their operation viable.

Instead, they decided to walk away, which shows the problem with private ownership. If this had been put to the Dragons members for a vote, they would have said do what it takes to stay in the comp.

Club structures need to be set up so that supporters and state/local associations have a say in the decision making, or the merry-go-round of teams coming and going will continue.

This new season will have a TV deal that is better than previous season and a major sponsor. Small steps in the right direction that will help the re-introduction of Brisbane and Sydney next year.

The Dragons unfortunately wont be around becaus ehte club was only ever the possession of two people, who dont want to 'play' anymore.

Those two people chose to spend exorbitant amounts of money, and little of it was on marketing, despite comments to the contrary. The model the Dragons followed is currently unviable.

what the hell is a fan friendly schedule?

ESP & paul DITTO

What a load of fucking shit!
He has said nothing that wasn't already common knowledge or any twists that we didn't know existed- just PR fluff that he probably got one of his people to write for him.

The Dragons were one of the most pushy, narrow-minded, self-focussed teams that insisted that NO TIME BE TAKEN OFF AND 'WE ARE READY TO GO NOW' at the EOI Briefing and throughout the whole reform process.
They harangued BA to not put anybody out of a job temporarily while reform went through- even BA admitted to particular people that if they have to take a season off if it's the best solution, then they will- that was met with collective disdain by all existing clubs at the time- I know people who were in that room and people from potential clubs who felt bullied and intimidated by these morons as though they were in the schoolyard- they were essentially turned off when they had successful and professional businesses they wanted to open their doors to this game at elite level and ever since we've been on a downward spiral.

Cowan's letter means nothing to people who have two sides of the story- yes, he signed his club's death warrant without realising until it had been done, yes, he thought the Tigers would 'back him up' (how naiive first of all and this isn't about forming pacts and armies against your governing body anyway) and yes, now he has egg on his face and is trying to regain some long-lost credibility.

The Dragons and their people need to go fuck off and lie in the bed they made- the rest of us are moving on despite realising there are still more changes to be made, but at least we are working together, not trying to hold a sport to ransom.

The Dragons License has a proud history. It was the same license that was represented by many great clubs including the Magic, Giants, Saints and Spectres to name a few. In its time it has won five NBL championships - more than any other license.

My problem with this is that naming rights sponsors can't just be delivered, and in the current market it's even harder. Same with planting teams in all major capitals. Any time you're relying on third parties, promises to others are that much harder to keep.

You can have plans for a sponsor, but if no one takes the offer at the right price, how can you deliver?

And that's one of several reasons why it makes better sense to have some temporary pain in taking a season off to negotiate deals that don't just get plucked from the sky because a bunch of dickheads think it should, but they wouldn't have a bar of that.
BA are damned if they do, and damned if they don't.
They are trying to make the best of a bad situation and these half-truths from guys like Cowan, Wortho, etc don't do anything positive- they just get believed by one-eyed fans running on emotion.

Dragons offered to sponsor the league and give them
'high profile board members'

Don't spose you could have that though, could you?

Anyone who thinks that couldn't turn out to be a double-edged sword for the League is delusional.
BA don't want to be offered another clubs' Board for goodness sake- they need the clubs to co-operate, not continue to dictate their own individual terms.
If Cowan only knows how to offer support by saying, 'shove over- gimme the wheel', then his understanding of support is very shallow.

so Dragons will sponsor it only if BA let them on the board so they can do what we like when we like?

If they believed in the sport so much they would have sponsored it from the get go

Why dont they have the balls to come out and say we blew a heap of cash buying a championship and now we will take any opportunity to get out

Some owners thought that via BA they could get something from Government and/or that $35M Fox deal.
Naming rights sponsor will probably be something like Australia Post or Armed forces.
Hence newNBL name will take the name of the naming rights sponsor.
Likely to be next year when reform is in place,including Brisbane and Sydney teams.

Look I know they said we offered to sponsor and stuff like that which is great. I know Germinder said if they reform he will bring along his corporate buddies to sponsor the league. Now why wouldnt they investigate this in some way as he would know numerous high profile businessmen that could splash some cash.

How professional do you think THAT would look to everybody?
I'll bring my posse along if _______ . (fill in the blank)
Everything has conditions and barbs, and BA and the fans are sick and tired of it.

Long term viability wont be found in one or two wealthy benefactors with short term interests.

The problems in recent years have been predominantly structural / regulation related. BA should be applauded for establishing the policies and regulation in order to foster team parity and sustained growth, in lieu of just seeking short term support from any one individual or his friends, after all it was that sort of input that got us into the current predicament.

Bring out your violins everybody. Cowan has been in the league for 3 years. Apart from Spirit, all other teams have submitted an interest in continuing. Perhaps there wasn't enough history in 3 years to make it worthwhile for him to hold on to. Perhaps he needed 29 years like Wollongong to decide no matter how difficult it would be, there's a will where there's a way.

Cowan has dropped well over a million a season in 3 seasons. He's now using any excuse to back peddle out.
He was told he wouldn't make a buck but his ego disagreed.

The new nbl doesn't need know all cowboys who hold people ransom.

You were wrong Mark - good riddance!

All you people (like HAHA) are quick to jump on Cowan but instead why dont you take your hate glasses off and read it again.

To me it seems what he is saying is true. Has there really been a reform like A-league or the netball? Has anything really changed?

Seems the nNBL is going to have the same teams, same crappy tv coverage, same team salary cap (pretty much), same kind of points cap, no sponsorship and poor management (all have been discussed in other threads). Although now it also has a smaller talent pool as lots of players are leaving. All of which were the things destroying the NBL in the past. Not to mention no team in Brisbane or Sydney and only 1 team in Melbourne (a team that has no interest in promoting the sport.)

Seems to me nothing has changed except there are now about 7000 less fans (Sydney + South). Although there is a $1mil bank guarantee which will make it all better.

Im not saying this have people crack it at me, I'm seriously asking the question of 'what exactly was the point of the reform?'

It seems we are going to have the exact same league with the same teams (minus 2), just with a new name and a new orange peel logo for the entity pretending to effectively manage it.

Doesnt make sense to me.

If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

We now know which category Cowan fit into.

TheFansMan - this isn't the reformed league. This is the "we couldn't get the ultimate reform done in time due to bickering owners, so we'll try next year" league. The NBL made that very clear in their press releases - Brisbane and Sydney are to come on board next year.

This season is just an alternative to nothing at all - an alternative to clubs having fans drop away in the absence of anything to follow and starting to spend their money on other things, and an alternative to players, coaches, staff and so on being out of work.

You outlined:

Same teams - is that necessarily a bad thing? Reform doesn't necessarily need to mean brand new teams that cost millions to build up fresh.

Same crappy TV coverage - actually sounds like it might be better than last year.

Same team salary cap - is that a problem?

Same kind of points cap - I hope they make further changes, but they have made a start in removing loyalty discounts.

No sponsorship - that's just at this stage. They've barely made the announcement!

Poor management - I don't know, they managed to get eight teams on board despite attempts by some to cancel the competition for a year.

Magic, Giants, Saints, Spectres, Dragons...you forgot the 500 pound gorilla in the corner....none of them are here Cowan! You call it a proud history I say to you each team has ended in a cheap merchandise sale.

This license has been nothing but a mess and you have a go at BA for finally having a crack and blowing it up.
This license(in Australia's largest market) has led from the front and has been the biggest mess of them all! Your clubs reform process has fallen EVERYTIME.

Big tick in the box for BA for not having you on board I say.

"The Dragons License has a proud history. It was the same license that was represented by many great clubs including the Magic, Giants, Saints and Spectres to name a few".

The only thing those clubs have in common is folding like Mum on laundry day.

I think everyone missed the most important statement in this thread, made by poster #238554.....

Apparently the Dragons had "probably the most entertaining coach in the nbl" !!!!

I really hope you're not talking about his playing style, because that style, or lack thereof, lost many fans of his teams, and the teams themselves, over the past 20 years.

Embryo clubs don't have history.
If 3 years in the League means you have a proud history, then what are clubs like Brisbane etc- dinosaurs/ teradactyls/ fossilised amber?
Has this guy only been following the game for 3 years?
No wonder he knows fuck-all about what he's still crapping on about!
Exactly as Isaac pointed out, which I hoped everyone had already noticed, was this is the interim product- not the final polished version.

As for hate glasses, I call them reality glasses.
I a season from now nothing has changed while clubs have continued to band together and stop making petty demands, then I'll start agreeing with you.
Until then, you're the only ones with hate glasses on by refusing to see the truth that's right in front of you.

Cowan suck balls you killed your own buzz.
How can you have reform when certain parties (Cowan & the Dragons) are going behind BA's back trying to recruit teams for their bandwagon of demands whilst sitting at the negotiating table singing a different song to all the other licence holders and BA.
All teams had input into what BA has been trying to accomplish and Issac has pointed out that a major naming rights sponser is one of the few improvements that hasn't happened yet, bit hard to convey an image of a profesional sports league to potential sponsers when licence holders like Cowan and McPeake behave like they do in the media.

We all knew something was going to come out from the organisation eventually. Thanks to HAYDEN for posting Mark's letter, not surprisingly opinions were divided but it gives everyone the chance to add their final two bobs worth and move on. Also I want to point out that I feel sorry for fans like HAYDEN & HAHA who no longer have teams to follow. I hope this changes.

I think the Dragons organisation should be recognised for their endevours to take our national men's basketball league to a higher level of professionalism. Unfortunately the platform to support this ambition is not yet in place. The other teams simply were not able to follow their lead (at this stage).

These last 12-18 months have been ugly times for many basketball fans but BA admitting there is a problem is the first step to bouncing back. Basketball Australia is clearly aware a better platform is needed to build the league to the level the Dragons aspired to achieve.

While the Dragons organisation might not actually be part of the future NBL, the legacy their brief existence leaves should not be ignored.

Technically I haven't had a club to follow for a year now- for those that are Dragons fans and have not faced sitting on the sidelines before, it is a hard road.
I might get crucified for this, but at least Melb has had a few teams that have popped up and folded or amalgamated over the years- for Brisbane we'd never been in that situation so it went from a club one day to literally nothing the next- no amalgamation, nothing, so it might be easier for some of you.

I am lucky I moved to a city (Adelaide) which I regularly commute back and forth between Brisbane for work, so I have a club I am starting to warm to.
But I'd be lying if I said it feels the same as a club I've supported with all my heart for 21 seasons.
At least it's something for now.

It's for that reason I really hope the "Brisbane Bullets", the "Sydney Kings" & "West Sydney Razorbacks" make it back on the national stage sooner than later. All three brands have solid histories and loyal followers.

The Melbourne scenerio makes for an interesting thesis. So many teams have come, merged, folded yet only the Tigers have survived. Why?

One big factor, Big Ads, is that the Melbourne clubs have always been successful, putting spending on players ahead of other, ultimately more important areas.

Another important factor is that only the Tigers are actually a club. Once the Eastside Spectres and North Melbourne Giants (from Nunawading and Coburg originally) were merged into other entities, they ceased being clubs and became corporate entities, where decisions were made at the owners' discretion, and not necessarily for the best interests of the club.

Having said that, the Tigers were lucky that a group of people stepped in to guide them through some very tough times, but that group came from within the 'Tiger family' mostly, and were prepared to make sacrifices to keep the club alive.

Owners of the other clubs have operated at a loss to the point where they weren't prepared to put in any more money and then have walked away.

Private ownership in sport has not been a success in Australia, especially with a small pool of owners or a single owner. If you look at the few success stories, they have a much wider pool of owners who have a high level of accountability to their supporters/community to keep the club alive (Brisbane Broncos/Townsville Crocs).

Isaac you cant honestly believe what your saying.

Same teams - Yes its a bad thing, heres why:
1 - Current teams are associated with the NBL that everyone lost interest in. Casual fans hear team names and relate it to the dying NBL.
2 - So many teams have come and gone that people choose not to follow a team at all. You expect the dragons fans to get behing the tigers? We saw how well that went with the Sydney Spirit and the WSR and SK fans. They needed to wipe the slate clean and try to build interest in the competition by getting everyone in each city to get behind 1 team.

Same crappy TV coverage - Yeah maybe we'll get 2 games on PAY tv - Fantastic!

Same team salary cap - High quality basketball requires high quality players, but there all off getting better pay somewhere else, unless teams (many) fudge it. Its a little ridiculous trying to run a professional basketball league with teams paying 10 players with a salary cap of under $1mil. Have a decent cap and you'll bring quality players to our shores.

Same kind of points cap - IMO the points cap should be scrapped entirely.

No sponsorship - Well maybe if they dont get any they can keep the hummer symbol on their logo like they did all last season.

Poor management - After all the media and talk on reform and change they have delivered pretty much the exact same league with 2 less teams. I mean at least they kept to their schedule and made their announcements when they said. Right? They've also had about a year to do something as well yeah?

With the crowd numbers/ratings and whats left of the people showing interest in this competition, maybe a year off wouldn't have been so bad. The only fans left are the die hard ones. So my bet is that they would all be back after a year off. Even change it back to a winter comp and only have an extra 6 months off.

Something/Anything needed to change. It Didnt.

FansMan - was Cowan arguing for a clean slate? Wipe it clean and you have clubs starting from absolute scratch.

It's not that it didn't change, it's that it hasn't changed yet. 2010/2011! You can still add Bris/Syd, better TV deal, new naming rights sponsor and adjust the cap then and I dare say that's the target. The only thing you've proposed that isn't happening (and hasn't been supported by virtually anyone) is the concept of discarding the current teams and brands.

Fans haven't lost interest in the current teams - Adelaide turned away people to a game, the Melbourne derbies had huge crowds and numbers were reasonably strong in a couple of other cities.

Nowhere have I said that a few games on Fox is ideal or anything else like that - just that this is an intermediary position. However, I can recognise that the process to date trying to reconcile the interests of different owners has been difficult and that it left them with a choice: abandon the competition for a year, or run something for a while until further attempts are made to improve the competition.

You argue for big budget teams and it'd be great if it could happen with any level of consistency, but where has that left past sides? Did the Bullets, Kings and Dragons teams have significantly more games on TV? No, and on top of that, none of them are currently alive in the NBL.

Why should we listen to Cowan . Made some great decisions . Mark Price - big money get him out here lasted 6- 10 weeks . Paid out contract sent him home on the word of Mr Heal. Then give him coaches job twice. Disaster go get the Goorg and open Cheque book and now blame League he lost money . WOW
Melb. might run the AFL but doesnt run the NBL or anything else. Keeping the league going was a must and the way was done in the end gives you hope that finally we might get some real direction leading to sponsorship and decent TV deals.
I believe will be a good competitive year

final words.

TheFansMan, were you a Dragons supporter? If you stick up for Cowan I take it you are. Let me pose these questions to you. As a Dragons fan, are you happy to not have a team to support this coming season? Has Cowan done the right thing by the Dragons supporter who now find they don't have a team to follow? I am personally thrilled that the league is going ahead this season, even if it isn't the true reformed league yet. I am thrilled to be able to go and watch my team play again instead of having to wait 2 years for the league to come back. This is the best thing that could have happened considering there was not enough time to get the truly reformed league out on time for this year. It has given the opportunity to continue working on it for next year whilst keeping the fans satisfied and the players and coaching staff employed.

I'm not going to get too much into this but, here's a couple of comments ...

- How many people over the last 3 years have said that the league would be better off if ALL teams, and the league itself, was marketed along the same lines as the Dragons? So, he actually offers to help and tells them that if they show a bit of the vision he has then he will help them financially? What's the problem? Should he have just said "Here's a couple of mill, do what you want with it"?

- There were other teams prepared to back Cowan and Seamus and make a stand that the nNBL was not ready to go ahead. He got left standing when he had the balls to do it. That sucks hard. and remember Seamus is no longer a part of the Tigers after making a similar stand.

- Cowan was VERY MUCH in favour of delaying the start of the new league.

- Cowan has gone to the league on NUMEROUS occassions with suggestions and improvement ideas on both the old league and the new one. Fell on deaf ears.

You can rant and rave all you like but the bottom line is this.....

1. Cowan DID bring a new, fresh and vibrant basketball club into the NBL.

2. The League itself still looks exactly the same and is rapidly going backwards, even after its "review".

3. Dragons ownership group does have the right to question exactly what they're getting for their money before commiting to the new league. Only the bunnies have given up the cash with no explanation of where its going or what the return will be. Unfortunately, there's more bunnies around than anyone thought.

That's my summary.

What a depressing way to return to our country. :-(

I'm not going to get too much into this but, here's a couple of comments ...

- How many people over the last 3 years have said that the league would be better off if ALL teams, and the league itself, was marketed along the same lines as the Dragons? So, he actually offers to help and tells them that if they show a bit of the vision he has then he will help them financially? What's the problem? Should he have just said "Here's a couple of mill, do what you want with it"?

- There were other teams prepared to back Cowan and Seamus and make a stand that the nNBL was not ready to go ahead. He got left standing when he had the balls to do it. That sucks hard. and remember Seamus is no longer a part of the Tigers after making a similar stand.

- Cowan was VERY MUCH in favour of delaying the start of the new league.

- Cowan has gone to the league on NUMEROUS occassions with suggestions and improvement ideas on both the old league and the new one. Fell on deaf ears.

You can rant and rave all you like but the bottom line is this.....

1. Cowan DID bring a new, fresh and vibrant basketball club into the NBL.

2. The League itself still looks exactly the same and is rapidly going backwards, even after its "review".

3. Dragons ownership group does have the right to question exactly what they're getting for their money before commiting to the new league. Only the bunnies have given up the cash with no explanation of where its going or what the return will be. Unfortunately, there's more bunnies around than anyone thought.

That's my summary.

What a depressing way to return to our country. :-(

Well said #238791 who ever you are. The point people are missing is that you can't base this coming season on what the NBL plan to do with the league. How many times someone has to say this is only an interim season is beyond me and people still look at what we have now as a pitiful achievement for its future. What we have coming this season is merely a bridge that will carry you over to the new league next year. If Cowan could not participate in one more year then that's his choice. He did however have good reason to participate this year and that is to defend his title. He has chosen to give that privilege up. Did someone say something about bunnies?

Dicko, that's when it comes to branding. Not when it comes to overspending.

You've been a critic of McPeake's involvement with the board, but could you support the Dragons making the same offer to supply members?

The "bunnies" staying involved are keeping people employed and fans getting out to games. They obviously believe that this season and further reform next season is the best way to go forward.

-'and remember Seamus is no longer a part of the Tigers after making a similar stand.'

actually dicko, I was informed that Seamus is still heavily involved with the Tigers.

Seamus' name was all over the press release announcing that the Tigers were re-entering the NBL.

Well my apologies .....THAT IS news to me. Seeing as I wasn't here. My understanding was that McPeake had a falling out over this and had left the Tigers when they decided to re-enter.

Bottom line though.....I think anyone committing to the new league, with no mention of what return they will get on their investment and no interest in providing any real backing of how they will achieve their reform, is a bunny. My opinion, that's all.

A bunny, or passionate enough to make sacrifices to keep people employed and fans entertained?