Comments on: …Again I Rise! http://www.theotalks.net/2008/06/again-i-rise/ Hear my perspective on society and other topics affecting Black America. Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:53:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: darrell.holmes http://www.theotalks.net/2008/06/again-i-rise/comment-page-1/#comment-10305 darrell.holmes Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:47:29 +0000 http://www.theotalks.net/?p=320#comment-10305 Joel, I think you destroyed the nail with your last sentence. They're making too much moolah from aloof owners who are just looking for the profit or those who have teams for the sake of. Instead of having 16 teams that bring in an average of $10M net net profit they whether have 32 that average $5M net net profit because that increases their chances of touch to the casual fan. Also, if one of those mediocre teams has an above average year that team is almost guaranteed to have higher season tix sales the following year which also means more corporate sponsors...you get the point. All about the $ first and the fans last. Joel, I think you destroyed the nail with your last sentence. They’re making too much moolah from aloof owners who are just looking for the profit or those who have teams for the sake of. Instead of having 16 teams that bring in an average of $10M net net profit they whether have 32 that average $5M net net profit because that increases their chances of touch to the casual fan. Also, if one of those mediocre teams has an above average year that team is almost guaranteed to have higher season tix sales the following year which also means more corporate sponsors…you get the point. All about the $ first and the fans last.

]]> By: Joel http://www.theotalks.net/2008/06/again-i-rise/comment-page-1/#comment-10189 Joel Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:29:36 +0000 http://www.theotalks.net/?p=320#comment-10189 The NBA should have some kind of tier type system. Maybe have a league with 16 premium markets and the remaining franchises be their developmental squads. Reserve the 16 premium spots for the best of the best. This is not to relegate the other franchises to something akin to Double or Triple A teams, but concentrate the better players and teams in one grouping that competes with each other. The European soccer leagues do something like this and they are the best in the world. I don't know. Anything can be better than what the NBA currently does. They have too many bad teams with watered down rosters. They need a more legitimate developmental system and a way to concentrate the best players in one league. But they're probably making enough money to not see the necessity to change. The NBA should have some kind of tier type system. Maybe have a league with 16 premium markets and the remaining franchises be their developmental squads. Reserve the 16 premium spots for the best of the best. This is not to relegate the other franchises to something akin to Double or Triple A teams, but concentrate the better players and teams in one grouping that competes with each other. The European soccer leagues do something like this and they are the best in the world.

I don’t know. Anything can be better than what the NBA currently does. They have too many bad teams with watered down rosters. They need a more legitimate developmental system and a way to concentrate the best players in one league. But they’re probably making enough money to not see the necessity to change.

]]> By: darrell.holmes http://www.theotalks.net/2008/06/again-i-rise/comment-page-1/#comment-10171 darrell.holmes Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:24:35 +0000 http://www.theotalks.net/?p=320#comment-10171 Thanks for the input Joel. I think the NBA also suffers from the contract situations. Inflated salaries that markets can't support force small markets to support those players for the beginning of their careers in hopes of achieving greatness until those players reach salaries that can only be supported by larger markets (read: KG from Minnesota to Boston and the impending jump of LeBron from Cleveland to Brooklyn). I'm not saying those brothers shouldn't get their paper but a more balanced sharing system would benefit the league more IMO. I also wish you could screen owners to ensure that management is committed to winning and not just making $$$$ but all sports suffer from those types of ownership groups, ie Arizona Cardinals, LA Clippers, etc. Thanks for the input Joel. I think the NBA also suffers from the contract situations. Inflated salaries that markets can’t support force small markets to support those players for the beginning of their careers in hopes of achieving greatness until those players reach salaries that can only be supported by larger markets (read: KG from Minnesota to Boston and the impending jump of LeBron from Cleveland to Brooklyn). I’m not saying those brothers shouldn’t get their paper but a more balanced sharing system would benefit the league more IMO. I also wish you could screen owners to ensure that management is committed to winning and not just making $$$$ but all sports suffer from those types of ownership groups, ie Arizona Cardinals, LA Clippers, etc.

]]> By: Joel http://www.theotalks.net/2008/06/again-i-rise/comment-page-1/#comment-10128 Joel Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:13:57 +0000 http://www.theotalks.net/?p=320#comment-10128 I think a common thread that led to the rise of the NBA this season is the gravitation towards TEAMS instead of STARS. The NBA had the fortune of marketing some very remarkable teams that featured stars i.e. Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Pistons, and etc. These were all complete teams instead of groups reliant upon 1 or 2 stars to bail them out time and time again. I find this much more exciting and compelling to watch. The norm is to have numerous bad teams with all of the good players spread all over the league. If the NBA didn't have so many bad teams in areas just to cultivate a market, it would have a better and more compelling product year in and year out. Top rate players would be concentrated among fewer teams. Imagine Lebron teamed up with T-Mac and Yao in Houston (yes I am a Rockets fan) or D-Wade, Marion, and Dwight Howard in Miami or Orlando. Or what about Kobe, Pau, and Melo? Sure these teams may be a coaches nightmare (imagine trying to preach team defense to the latter three) but imagine the possibilities. I think a common thread that led to the rise of the NBA this season is the gravitation towards TEAMS instead of STARS. The NBA had the fortune of marketing some very remarkable teams that featured stars i.e. Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Pistons, and etc. These were all complete teams instead of groups reliant upon 1 or 2 stars to bail them out time and time again. I find this much more exciting and compelling to watch. The norm is to have numerous bad teams with all of the good players spread all over the league. If the NBA didn’t have so many bad teams in areas just to cultivate a market, it would have a better and more compelling product year in and year out. Top rate players would be concentrated among fewer teams. Imagine Lebron teamed up with T-Mac and Yao in Houston (yes I am a Rockets fan) or D-Wade, Marion, and Dwight Howard in Miami or Orlando. Or what about Kobe, Pau, and Melo? Sure these teams may be a coaches nightmare (imagine trying to preach team defense to the latter three) but imagine the possibilities.

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