Sad if true....

Townsville??

Townsville??

Not us

Sorry guys, It's 100% not the Crocs. And I highly doubt the Taipans would be..

Melbourne so they can try and snake out of paying Gleeson's contract out. the NBL is a disgrace and needs a commission to ensure this doesn't happen. How can the NBL in future attract quality coaching staff if another team is allowed to try this?

Sounds like a furfee....

'801, it says "another team" and mentions QLD. Both non-Blaze QLD teams appear to be quite happy with their coaches.

Ian Smythe is from the Crocs and denies it's them. Cairns, as someone said, has seemed pretty comfortable out there recruiting. Not sure Sydney would make a dash and be done. Wollongong is always poor, but sounds like business as usual there too.

OP might want to clarify unless they're fearmongering?

Hmm... an Anon poster being wrong?!? what's the world coming to?!

*chuckles*

Often they're right too. OP, how strong's your info?

yeah Isaac's right.. Some people post under no name because they don't want their name to be linked to leaked info.

I highly doubt it would be the Taipans..

I've heard a rumor that the rumor going around about rumors is rubbish...............

Spoke to a reliable source, who says it's not the Taipans. A different source also says it's not the Crocs.

So i'd say it's all B/S

Also, the Taipans MADE money last season. I'm not a liberty to say how much, but they are not even close to going into VA

Since the cap rorting days of the Larry Abney fiasco, Cairns have turned into one of the most fiscally-sound teams in the league in terms of performance V spending. Couple that with great crowds and I doubt it's them...

Sounds like its just a rumour and thats it! Wouldn't surpirse if Melb had a crack at it to ensure they could get out of Gleeson's contract.

funnier things have hapened!

Theyd be a good chance to make money this season too wouldnt they Nat?

Smells like a disgruntled person involved with the Crocs. Even though Ian Smythe is on record claiming the club would fold in 2 years without a new stadium (Townsville Bulletin). Sabre rattling or self fulfilling prophecy ?

Hope and strongly think this is BS. Even though we do owe the Crocs after their skit about dying Taipans prior to community ownership....

No ones mentioned 36ers would be a lot more likely than the taipans

This is why people like me wont get involved finanically in this league. Love basketball always have but as chairman of an international financial company i wont support a league thats hopping on 1 leg. At this stage i will keep sponsoring major rugby league teams and motor racing teams. both sports give us a great way to showcase our products and services to a massive audience. basketball only goes for 40 minutes and no stability with TV coverage.

Before the bullets when broke i contacted them regarding sponsorship and they wanted the same amount as the broncos. unfortunately money better spent with the broncs. If the league can get its act together, get stability with TV coverage and went back to 48 minute games with a brisbane team, i would open the cheque book ASAP.

Of course, I can see how 48 minutes versus 40 minutes would be such a big deal for a sponsor.

Hey i only watch sport for the sponsors!

and only read newspapers for the advertising!

Mmmm, the NBL and NRL broadcasts both go for 2 hours dont they?

A basketball game may go for 40 minutes on the clock, but the reality is that the game actually goes for about two hours.

How long does a footy game go start time to finish time?

Paul, you beat me to it!

How long does a footy game go for?? You dont know? Are you from another country?LOL

My money suggests if this rumour to be true, to be Townsville. I havent the legal representation to back me but two friends whom are members spoke of rumblings. I cant elaborate much further but I would bet money they have issues. Cos if they didnt, then Big Red wouldnt have moved.

maybe Big Red just wanted to come home?

I reckon it's the Hawks who are going into admin.

Townsville's problem is getting people through the door. The game night package is atrocious. You have these two mongoloid radio presenters with no knowledge of the game and the most annoying voices/faces you've ever heard/seen "hosting" the game, and it just turns people away in droves. It has to be seen to be believed.

Smythe is on way too much money, and has already been given several pay raises, for a team with dwindling crowds who consistently comes up short in the playoff due to glaring holes in the roster.

Get people through the door, you get the home crowd advantage back, and you win more home games, so more people will come in turn. It's not rocket science.

There's no excuse for Townsville's crowd numbers in a two-sport-town when NRL is played at mostly a different time of year.

FACT: Townsville's crowds are in RAPID decline, the game night presentation stinks, and no one fears coming to Townsville to play any more.

Yeah, I just pulled that one out of the rumour mill, no facts whatsoever...

Get a clue, mate.

lets not forget 2 seasons ago there were more taipans supports than crocs supports in the crowd for a deciding game in Townsville............

very telling.......

Sixers are being pretty free with the cash for a club about to go into administration anon.

@ KP: exactly.

Love ANON's comment that he thinks its the 36ers.
U gotta be dreaming. We might do abysmal, but we do attract decent crowds and generally hold our own.

But the mere fact that the volume of Cairns fans drowns out the home crowd every single time the Taipans come to town speaks multitudes about the lack of public interest and club pride in Townsville...

Looks like the tables have turned and now its Cairns that has the most passionate supporter fan base in North Queensland. Not so long ago it was Townsville gloating but then the club became too complacent and not really thinking of the fans and sponsors.
If anything; being a community owned team has started paying off dividends for Cairns and its showing with over 4000 people attending games last season. We certainly dont have the business backing that Townsville has in the form of cash cow owners, but the Taipans are certainly more financially conscious and will definitely be around for the long term :)

Cairns averaged 3rd highest crowd attendances last season - behind Sydney and 36ers (Highest by market size). Doubt 36ers going into VA - crowds are solid and there is a lot of pride in SA bball.

Its also interesting that the NQ Cowboys surveyed who attends the Cowboys homegames and guess what ? well over half don't come from the Townsville area with the bulk coming from the greater Cairns area. Sort of matches the Bball games - the only time TSV gets a sellout is when Cairns comes to town. Told you that rude prank pulled on his during our transition to community ownership would come back to them....

@ Venom: Cairns are in the same position now as when Townsville sold out every home game.

Just wait 'till your franchise goes 20 years without a title and you'll see the care-factor drop...

Obviously none of you run international businesses and dont understand from a marketing point of view what we see as value for $ when it comes to brand awareness. from a TV Advertising point of view NBL has more ads then NRL, however the NRL viewing audience is far greater then NBL. Also game attendance 5,000 people or 40,000 people. remember that what the bullets wanted to charge me is the same $ the broncos charge. Guess which way as a board we went. Our biggest brand awareness and growth has actually been through our motorsport team. here and the US. I love BBall, played in a comp last night albeit a bit slower these days, but its all business and until basketball autralia get that right corporate australia just dont see bball as a good place to spend our $$. Great product, its a national sport. there is huge potential to bring in so much $$.

What do you market? Wait. Let me guess, spelling and grammar checking software

Quit tooting your own trumpet, Sitiveni.

Sorry all you PAYG labor voters

His dickhead attitude aside, I don't think sitiveni is actually having a go, I think he's pointing out that the NBL/BA are pricing themselves out of the equation, or at least WERE, when his information was current...

It would be better to give potential sponsors more value for money instead of thinking you're worth $XY when you're only currently worth $X.

Is it better to stick to your guns and say "No, a naming rights sponsor needs to pay $XYZ!" and then NOT get one (as was the case with at least one team I know of last season), or get a naming rights sponsor for 60-70% of that amount, actually HAVE a naming rights sponsor and make sure they get value for money so next time they want to do it, they'll see that it's worth the money?

Interesting Mick your saying that a team needs to win a title for its club to retain care factor within its supporters ? South Dragons did what ? TSV have made the finals how many years in a row - a fantastic effort and sure sign of on court success. To waste this success and blame it on loss of care factor for not winnning a title in 20 years is lazy. Unfortunately they have lost the touch with the city (The 'if you don't come to the game you're losers' campaign was a spectacular illustration of what not to do - especially when 1000+ Orange Army fans invade your home court to give you your first sell out in years)

If you cant get up for CNS v TSV then you know you've lost touch with the community.

My family from the land of Brown haven't renewed their season tickets and actually drive to Cairns to watch the Taipans play - obviously hoping they lose but also because the nights are more entertaining. Especially when the Taipans lose. My Uncle is a closet Taipans fan but wont admit it to my aunty.

@ Venom, agree Townsville has lost touch with the community (and the modern world).

Just need to look at their game night package. It's so outdated it wouldn't suprise me if they started trotting out minstrels in blackface for the halftime entertainment. Cairns fans usually start a chant of "boooooooooriing, booooooorring" at the pathetic attempts by the "spruikers" and entertainment acts, and I usually join in with them...

Maybe play out the argument without the 40 vs 48 minute factor because that's a completely separate issue which has been discussed elsewhere.

On the value of sponsorship, back in the day of the Clipsal Powerhouse, I think I heard that at the point that Clipsal jumped to be naming rights sponsor of the Clipsal 500, the cost to them was the same. I'd guess that future naming rights deals for the Powerhouse/Dome/Arena were very soon a third of what they were to Clipsal. Maybe not in the first year of Distinctive Homes, but by the second or third year at least.

NBL teams would also kill to get what I heard Pura Milk were paying in that era too.

Tough market out there for second-tier sport now.

not just a liberal voter but long term member of the Liberal party. By the way not once have i negotiated a lower price on any sponsorship. i have paid exactly what was asked. no matter what sport. Ive had meetings with the consortium trying to bring back the bullets, but their business model is flawed, too many people with too many agenda's. basically too many chiefs and not enough indians, ive put forward my idea's and what i would be prepared to do but im not going to be involed and have our company involved in a club that will come and go within 3 years. Too many people involved in basketball have what i call small man syndrome. they think too small and only what to just survive. Basketball should be 1 of the top sports in australia. Why for the life of me do the current administration want to compare themselves to the A bloody league. Bring back Malcolm speed or bruno cullen, these are the best sports administrators. This is where is starts at HQ. My Beef is and always has been with the administration. Basketball has got so many things no other sports can match and we are pissing it in the bloody drain.

amen brother

Agree with sitiveni. His words may be harsh, but true. I think Nick Marvin and the Wildcats think big. Love his ambitious goal to get 9000 people on average next season. I don't know if he'll get it, but this club is aiming high, and I'm sure his sponsors love that ambition.

Breakers are another club that I think is starting to aim higher. I hate the Tigers and everything they've done over the last 10 years, but if the rumor from their new owners that they will play some games at Hisence Arena is true, then maybe they will start to be noticed again. The NBL and it's clubs need to start making some bolder moves to increase their profile - without going broke!

With the Blaze declaring themselves $11-12 million in debt at today's creditors meeting (15 creditors present)
AND, according to a huge GC Bulletin front page story a few weeks back, also the $11-12 million that the Tomlinson family have contributed in 5 years,
it might be difficult to encourage the sale of an NBL license for some time, when you can lose well over $24 million in 5 years.
Is it possible that Tomlinson sum of money was actually declared a loan to the Blaze?

$12 million debt total

11.5 is what would be director loans from the Tomlinson's meaning 500k is actually claimable by 3rd parties

of that 500k 350k is Brendan's entitlement

150k rolling through the books is not that big a deal on the cash flows a NB; team would generate

wildcat fan, we can all see the success the wildcats have, perhaps some people from perth need to run basketball australia. We have a smaller presence in WA. we have about 35 staff over there by the sounds of it, we should jump on board and grow things over there. infact our top performers are all from WA and Melbourne. I know of other corporate people in WA that are involved in trying to get the WA rugby league team, they go to alot of wildcat games but arent sponsors.

In this country and i dont know what its like in melbourne or WA, but every sports store should have NBL basketball singlets. when i was a teenager late 80's early 90's i remember buying bullets singlets at any sports store, i havent seen an NBL Product for more then 12 years at rebel sport or amart here in brisbane. clubs should be building other assets for income streams, kids in schools should be begging their parents to take them to an NBL game, to buy them the latest CJ Bruton singlet or whatever. basketball should be high in the news reports each night. so many things could and should be done. we have a great product, basketball australia are shit at selling it.