Dusan Vavic
Years ago
Funny ABL All Star Game.
As explained in the post 'This was in today's Norwood Newsletter...' a Festival of Basketball is Planned for August 21 and 22. In that post there is a copy of an email from 'fact man' that I had sent out to all the coaches requesting their help. I think the newsletter and email are fairly self explanatory (although very long) and really don't need any more expansion (but I am more than willing to explain if people want to know more).
In reply to some of the statements that have been made let me try and explain the reasoning behind the whole weekend.
When assessing the local senior comp last year it was talked and accepted that an all-star game would be an excellent way to promote our product. Therefore the chance was taken when an agreement was reached to have the 36ers/Lightning playing the championship teams and we only had one weekend to hold it in. A committee of five people were chosen from different clubs to come up with a proposal and how it would be run to present to the senior committee and this was accepted, unopposed, by that committee. It was during that meeting that I found out that SA had been offered the wildcard entry (and accepted) for the men. Ideas were discussed and suggestions made. These suggestions I took back to the organising committee and we discussed it even further. We came to the conclusion that what we wanted was an all star game, not a second team playing the all stars (and would that be a good hard game before the national finals?). We are promoting the all star game and the champs vs 36ers/Lightning. We did not leave the second team in the lurch. We are now in the process of negotiating with the 36ers coaches in setting up a game with the second team, where ever the second team wants, during the week leading up to the nationals. The 36ers coach did promise two games during the break.
As far as the make up of the teams are concerned. The champion ship team has their full complement against the 36ers/Lightning. Any players that receive the highest vote and are involved in that game will not play in the all star game, but their place will be taken by the next highest vote winner, and so on.
Why Pasadena? It was not at my suggestion (as I am very heavily involved the Sturt Basketball Club), but a suggestion from the others. The atmosphere that was created at the Arizona game was unbelievable, and the same can be done here. The bar is bigger and there is better viewing from there. Sturt is in the process of building extra stands, and if that is not achieved, we have been told by BASA management that the Wayville stands will be made available. If we get anywhere to the 1,000 mentioned, we will classify this a huge success.
No dunk, three point contest. Why? It has to be arranged, volunteers have to be found and most importantly it all costs money. We are trying to make this weekend a volunteer weekend, with all participants volunteering their time, parking attendants, STOP, stats, announcers, referees, floor wipers and so on. We are sharing this with Hudson Maher Foundation. Part proceeds will go the HMF and some of the profit from the bar and canteen will go to the two championship teams for their participation in the nationals. Any other profit we would like to return to the 10 clubs as a dividend for all the hard work and support the have given this weekend.
We are also at this moment trying to organise online voting on the 36ers site for the starting five. This has been explained in the previous post.
Please keep the negativity in what we are trying to do to a minimum. We can't please everyone. It is the first time for many years, if ever, that this has been attempted. So be positive and support it with all your might. As I said in the email to the coaches "Let's all work together for the common good, the promotion of our league" and a worthy charity the HMF.
