Tag Archives: nbl

Penny pinching Tigers should learn from false economy!

This is the first in a series to be known as the ‘Professor’s Rant!”

Over the last few weeks on Sportzfan Radio Stan and I have had lengthy discussions with basketball expert and panelist, Daniel Eade.  The topic for most of  those conversations has been the poor start…no, make that the very poor start to the NBL season by the Melbourne Tigers.  Daniel conceded last week that it is quite conceivable that the Tigers could start the season with a 0-8 win/loss total….well, make that loss total.

I was surprised when Daniel told our listening audience (on Sportzfan Radio #179.1) that the Tigers, during the off season, had considered signing Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams (the reigning NBL MVP) and Julius Hodge (who played with the Tigers in 2009), but in the end Tigers management had elected to go with the cheaper option of an untried paring of TJ Campbell and Eric Devendorf.  Needless to say, the cheaper option did not get the job done and, as we all expected, Campbell was cut loose during the week to make way for Williams.  Who knows how long Devendorf will last, but given the loss to Perth Wildcats last night, he is possibly one step closer to a ticket home.

Make no mistake, I do not have a problem with NBL teams showing prudent financial management.  Signing ‘no name brand’ imports may have been all the Tigers could have afforded.  Of course, it doesn’t get fans excited or flocking to the stadium but it hopefully keeps the team in the black.  This premise though seems incorrect when the Tigers are eventually forced to admit the mistake in judgment and go with the cheque book to sign Williams in an effort to save their floundering season.  Problem is that the ‘momentum train’ has long since left the station and their is now almost no hope that the Tigers can fill their stadium or sign up new members.

Given the NBL is struggling anyway in the crowded summer sports market place, to go with ‘no name brand’ players is a recipe for disaster for both the scoreboard and hip pocket.

Sportzfan Radio #179.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!14 November 2010 179.2 – Daniel thinks the Melbourne Tigers theme song is very annoying to listen to and believes there should be no basketball theme songs. The Professor wonders whether Daniel was alive when the Leyland Brothers were on television. The ‘F’ word looks at the local A-League scene. Archie Thompson back for Melbourne Victory will be a positive however the Victory have lost one of their other strikers. He doesn’t believe Victory can make the top three given their current ladder position. He is going to see both Melbourne Heart and Victory in the next week but will only be wearing a Heart scarf. Mark also has a quick look at English Premier League and the Socceroos upcoming friendly against Egypt. The Panel discuss IPL’s growing disruption to other forms of cricket with Australia’s test series against Bangladesh needing to be moved as it clashes with IPL matches. Paul Dalligan is stoked about Greg Inglis heading for the Rabbitohs and says it is the biggest signing in his lifetime. He is disppointed that Australia was beaten by the Kiwis in the last minute of last night’s final of the Four Nations Tournament. Social media expert, Sean Callanan believes the Queen has a lot of work to do to catch up to LeBron James on Facebook. He likes people quoting tweets but has a problem with journalists quoting tweets but then not linking back to the original story or using their twitter handle. The NBA and the NHL are always trending on twitter when the games are played which says those Leagues are on the ball with social media.

Sportzfan Radio #175.1

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!17 October 2010 175.1 – The show starts with the Professor asking the Gelding whether the Caulfield Cup race meeting should have been postponed because of the bad weather. Stan tells Daniel that in the season opening NBL match the Melbourne Tigers were hopeless. This then prompts a discussion of the Tigers players. In the US report this week Susan Shan talks about Brett Favre and alleged problematic texts and emails to a NY Jets female employee.  San Francisco 49ers are her surprise due to their poor showing in the NFL season so far.  In MLB she thinks Cliff Lee is beatable but not likely during the post season.  She thinks the Phillies and Rangers will make it through to the World Series whilst the Cubs and Cardinals were the biggest busts of the 2010 season.  She doesn’t think Bobby Valentine will be going back to the Mets any time soon.  The Gelding discusses the Caulfield Cup day races and observes Chris Munce is one of only seven jockeys who have won the Big 4 – Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper.  The Professor calls it the ‘Grand Slam’ of racing.  Gelding awards an ‘S-Hit’ ride to the jockey of Shocking who he says should have won easily.  The Professor and the Gelding again talk about their interest in Danish Rock.

Sportzfan Radio #166.2

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!8 August 2010 166.2 –The Panel say it’s all very well to have a baseball league but where will Melbourne Aces play their home games.  No decision made on that as yet as we understand it, but hopefully not Altona as both Daniel and Trav say they won’t go to that venue.  Nick Tedeschi talks NRL and believes Canterbury Bulldogs are the bet of the weekend v Newcastle.  We catch him before he heads out to the SCG to watch the Roosters play St George and felt it would be nostalgic to see League played at the SCG again.  He says Israel Folau will defintely come back to rugby league after his flirtation with the AFL.  We get Dr Leslie’s CSA in earlier this week so we can do more stool gazing before the end of the show.  Daniel says Brett Favre can’t be @packers4 on twitter as the Professor already has that handle.  Daniel reviews the Melbourne Tigers tour of ‘the world’ and notes that they beat England but lost to the University of Pittsburgh.  Stan wonders whether the Tigers should be investing more in players than spending it on a bonding tour.  Sean Callanan joins the discussion and says Stan’s point is fair enough, but he guesses the Tigers are looking at getting advantage from sharing knowledge with other teams aound the world.  The Professor finds it funny that the Tigers are playing the “Irish All Stars”.  The Panel discusses whether there should be a Hall of Fame for the players who actually help the stars into the Hall of Fame by doing the blocks or opening the running lanes.  Sean thinks that a Brett Favre reality show on his “Decision” to comeback (or not) would be a weekly program not a one off.  The Panel gets a tweet from @BrisbaneNBL announcing an attempt to revive the Brisbane Bullets franchise.  Sean thinks sports fans would struggle to name five NBL players.  He doesn’t know when the Tigers will appear on twitter and fires in a record number of sports cliches on Collingwood’s run to the finals.

Sportzfan Radio 161.1

@SportzfanRadio now available on iTunes!4 July 2010 161.1 – Daniel wonders whether Gambo feels unsettled having been moved from panel operator after the Professor’s return from Sydney.  Daniel also ponders the NBA feeding frenzy with free agents being signed for ridiculous figures including draft bust Darko Milicic getting a $20 million contract when everyone thought he should retire.  The Panel considers throwing themselves into the free agency market for a fat contract.  Gambo talks about the ‘mono cock’ in formula one racing.  Dan Butterly talks basketball with the Knicks potentially going after Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson and Tony Parker.  He says the Knicks fan base want LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade and won’t be satisfied with anything less.  The Gelding talks racing and takes the credit as he and the Sydney Colt combined for 4 winners and 4 placings from 8 selections.  Daniel and the Professor discuss the Boomers v ‘Argentina”.  Daniel nodded off during the game and wonders whether Brett Brown’s team got anything out of playing a non-representative team of rookies.  The Professor raises his idea of an NBL draft again as a means of getting publicity for the League.

Sportzfan Radio 158.1

13 June 2010 158.1 – Stan opens up on AFL losing Brownlow votes… Catchup with John Rillie talking NBL, NBA Finals & where NBA free agents may head… Sean starts the discussion of superstitions in sports from NHL Beards to Daniel‘s no high-five rule… The Gelding gets a few winners and lays down the challenge to the Sydney Colt…

Thanks for in-show tweets @Susan_Shan, @SydneyColt, @lisahayes4, @GayleESaunders, @the_dos & @Smileyj14