Isaac
Years ago

Lightning owner Marino: Losing $300k/yr and angry

Vince Marino has had a few things to say via Boti's article today. Hard to summarise so you're probably best reading or skimming the article itself. Couple of bits:

"Where our attendance is no more than 400, we lose money playing at home," the Whyalla-based engineer and businessman said.

"There is no support for us."
"People never respect a private owner," he said.

"There is a certain amount of jealousy and it is easy to talk and criticise when you are not actually putting your hand in your pocket."
Lots more in this article: I'm losing $300,000 a year with Adelaide Lightning: Marino

Topic #25154 | Report this topic


Big Marty  
Years ago

Haven't exactly seen a poster anywhere advertising the team, nor much Radio chatter about the club.

Not exactly helping the cause if you own a team and don't promote it. Can't blame the lack of attendance on the interest if you're not doing enough to warrant the attention.

Reply #311204 | Report this post


In the Know  
Years ago

Shouldn't the GM who he employs be doing this as that is what he paid to do? In saying that, he needs to move on people who do not do their job.

Reply #311208 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

In the know the GM was doing everything lets not forget.

Now they've employed a full time coach.

And they have no marketing, sponsorship, ticketing person like everywhere else.

And they have no budget for this kind of stuff either.

Reply #311210 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

They did have someone helping out in the office with some promotional stuff but then they got sick of the A Marino thing and bailed.

Reply #311211 | Report this post


Ushiro  
Years ago

A winning team will always generate income via attendances, sponsorship, medea awareness and online social and forum sites.

Have a restricted budget, hire the wrong coach, put together a poor player group, lack of promotion, etc and the result isnt too surprising,

This applies to the Lightning but some aspects also must impact on the 36ers bottom line as well.

Reply #311213 | Report this post


Big Ads  
Years ago

I used to love those old Lightning posters that were distributed across the stadiums with the whole team in their uniforms. I can still see Rachel Sporn's smiling face. I always wondered why the Sixers did not do the same thing.

That was effective

Reply #311215 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Big Ads, the sixers had several thousand poster printed and given out at the start of the season. In fact the photos used to advertise the gala auction that showed each player wearing a christmas hat came from the poster.

Reply #311219 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Never thought I'd say this but I would prefer no WNBL team in Adelaide to this lightning team. The team should be run by the association. Women's basketball is not top of the pops as it is and it needs a leg up. Angela and dad are the problem not the solution and BSA need to take action and promote the sport at out top level. Right now its seen as joke and no new coach will change that certainly with an old coach around running things saying he treated everyone equally. Crap gets crap and crap is what we have got!

Reply #311227 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"Angela has not sought a local team to play for in the off-season"

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

Reply #311235 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

No offence, but the association has more important things to do then take over a ailing franchise. The money BSA brings in can go towards fixing stadiums, paying refs more (so the more experienced refs will return) and general up keep.

Reply #311237 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"but is currently in the US working out with players hoping to attract WNBA interest next month"....seriously?

Reply #311246 | Report this post


Ushiro  
Years ago

Running two elite Basketball Teams is what cost the old BASA its existance and privatisation of both teams and the Basketball Stadium at Beverley.

Not sure how taking the Lightning over will enhance the financial status of BSA.

Reply #311248 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Angela is one cute babe,but alas the world is against her.Would the dudes that own the 36ers like to buy the team and have combo games on the night,would that make it cheaper to rent the dome?

Reply #311249 | Report this post


curtley  
Years ago

If the lightning had the 12 best female players in the world they'd probably still not crack 1500.

Reply #311255 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Marketing idea: pose for a risque calendar to generate income and interest for the team like Erin Phillips and some female teams have done across a wide spread of sports?

After all, sex sells.

Reply #311263 | Report this post


Jack Toft  
Years ago

Making money from any sporting team is difficult and there are a number of national clubs that have folded as a result of not having the cash flow required to run a club like this. I recall the South Dragons owners commenting about how if they couldn't breakeven they wouldn't be in the game (correct me if I recall wrong).

Like everything in life, it depends on how you view things. At the moment it sounds like a glass half empty view.

Effectively that $300K/yr is not a loss as such if the glass is half full, it is advertising and promotion for Link Engineering who get national exposure and advertising. Now, a $300K marketing budget is pretty big! I know marketers say that 5% of turnover should be spent on marketing. So, if Link Engineering is turning over $6M/yr, then that "marketing expense" is worth it.

Yes, if you own a national sporting club like this then you can't have short arms and small pockets, but if you can turn it that way you want and make it work for you, then what a fantastic way of promoting your business to the rest of Australia.

Reply #311270 | Report this post


Nino  
Years ago

Up in Townsville atm and there is a giant PC billboard along one of the freeways, very impressive and gets your attention. havent bothered reading through all of this but all in all, both our NBL and WNBL teams could do with some adverts like this!

Reply #311271 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Many times I've often thought about US College Basketballer , Carla Borrego playing for Lightning
( Presently playing netball for Adelaide Thunderbirds)
and Gretel Tippett , with her brother playing for
Adelaide Crows.

Reply #311272 | Report this post


Captain Obvious  
Years ago

Newsflash Mr Marino................

Don't underestimate the judgement of the public my friend.

People can spot a fraud a mile away, & while your little princess continues to get an armchair ride, don't expect a crowd in the near future.

Thankyou for destroying this once feared club that Jan built from the ground up.

Reply #311273 | Report this post


Big Ads  
Years ago

Anon, how big were those posters - A3 size?. I'm referring to the large 1.5 metre by 3-4 metre size advertisements. They were even on the odd billboard around town. I'm also going back about a decade, perhaps a bit more.

Reply #311274 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Ok please excuse my ignorance here but isn't Angela Marino actually a bloody good player? Sure I understand that there has been people saying she has got an armchair ride due to her dad owning the team but surely she is good enough to be a starting guard in her own right? Or am I missing something??

Reply #311278 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

She may be bloody but not good at all. Give a monkey that much court time and tolerance, it will score a few baskets.

Reply #311286 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Her Dad doesn't own the NZ national them though and she does OK there too so surely she is betterr than a monkey getting forced into court time?
When I think of nepotism giving an ordinary player too much court time I think of Dan Joyce, surely Marino is at a different level to him.....so what's the massive issue?

Reply #311295 | Report this post


JB  
Years ago

Ewing theory!

Reply #311299 | Report this post


Dione  
Years ago

Not sure how the 3rd leading scorer at the last Olympics could be considered getting an armchair ride?

Reply #311300 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Many noticed that the Ewing theory applied to Collingwood ( Nathan Buckley ).
While some have noticed it with the Sixers bench.
It applies here.

Reply #311306 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Play for NZ , play all games every second , gets results, same as the lightning isn't it?

Reply #311317 | Report this post


In my opinion, Adelaide Lightning has never been the same since Chris Lucas was given his gold watch.

Reply #311327 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Camel, that should read, 'the spewing theory'.

Reply #311329 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Dione, where did NZ finish?

Reply #311355 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

The cricket association provides patways for cricketters and funds the senior state team to play to near empty stands in its comp. football funds pathways and state teams. Netball funds the Thunderbirds.
The list of large and small sports that fund their Nationl competition teams is endless.But BSA doesn't support its elite women's team and wonders why women leave the sport in droves. Mr marino is funding his daughter while bsa continue to fiddle, Rome is burning down.
We almost didn't have an elite men's team and its future is far from secure but the governing body in this state is blindsided believing white knights will always emerge to provide funds for a minnow sport with poor coverage apart from when chaos hits the pages.
The association needs to fund the elite teams or more youth will quit the game. Basketball ownership in SA is not a licence to print money just to incur debt.

Reply #311358 | Report this post


Charon 63  
Years ago

anon,

Cricket is broke and cant get of the bottom of the ladder in anything other than 20/20.

Basketball funds pathways and State teams just like football. Elite football is run by television contracts and the Elite womens competition is non-existant. Yo dont see the SANFL spending $500K on running a National League womens team do you.

If BSA funds elite level WNBL sport, it will be broke again. Just like in Football, Soccer, Cricket and Netball.

BSA cant afford to do it. They would be broke in 2 years. And all the juniors would need to pay twice as much as they do now.

Reply #311361 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

anon, you obviously have no sense of history. Basketball in this state got into the mess it did (and is still in to some extent) BECAUSE it funded the elite teams!

Reply #311366 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Why have juniors playing at all then if they have to rely on someone's dad or an accused fraud to run the elite teams. More WNBL teams are funded by associations than private ownership so why does SA bail on teams?
I understand the point you are making about women not having an audience but if that's the call save the mum's and dad's a fortune and make the CABL the elite for them. Then you can send the best of the SA girls interstate, er, um sorry that's what's happening now isn't it since the Marino saga began.

Reply #311370 | Report this post


Charon 63  
Years ago

anon,

Those associations are generally about twice as big as BSA. Dandenongs domestic competition has more players than the District junior competition and is essentially now run by Jayco. Their senior competition is as big as the socail comps around BSA stadiums plus they run events their like Boxing etc.

Funnily enough, the current coach of Dandenong is the best mate of the Jayco sponsor, so it doesn't stop jobs for the boys. If the coach wasn't hired, the club would have its major sponsor pull the pin and they would be bakc to square 1.

If you actually looked at the Adelaide squad, it had more than half SA bred players in its line up and is a pathways for junior elite players.

But unfortunately, it has, and will continue to cost more money than is viable for any sane business to lose. Without poeple putting their hands into their pockets, like both Vince and the SOS, we would have no Nationals league teams at all for the 10 girls who played and trained with the Lightning this year.

Reply #311377 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

You cant have it both ways charon. The elite sa clubs keep praising the association model and hold it up as the savior of sa basketball.yet you want to argue the model wont work because of population differences and the lack of resources at top level. An association that cant fund its elite teams in the elite competition is worthless.What wont work is the present system of private ownership. The association model at junior level is an attempt to emulate victorian clubs and that wont work because of population differences. We will end up as an elite niche sport reliant on wealthy connected individuals or groups to run the top level of the sport. Not in any way a good idea. Zoning is the only logical answer but the vested interests of 3 or 4 clubs will ensure basketball in this state regresses.

Reply #311391 | Report this post


sheep stations  
Years ago

would not touch zoning.

our locally "zoned" club was shite - run by backyarders with their own agendas, club infrastructure supported a non zone ethic - i.e. we do not want anymore players, competitions, coaches - they were happy being small and mediocre results with achievements.

my kids would have never had stayed in district basketball had zoning existed.

But because we could play accross town at a good club - they got another 8yrs out of our kids at junior level

Reply #311393 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

We don't have zones so how were your kids in a zoned club?

Reply #311395 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

they may be interstate and talking about zoning generally.

Reply #311399 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Shocking that Nagy comes out defending the owner when he knows full well that the Sunday Mail article is 100% correct

Reply #311573 | Report this post




You need to be a registered user to post from this location. Register here.



Close ads
Little Streaks - The fun and interactive good-habits app designed especially for kids.
Serio: Tourism photography and videography

Advertise on Hoops to a very focused, local and sports-keen audience. Email for rates and options.

Recent Posts



.


An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 2:28 am, Fri 29 Mar 2024 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754