Crowd control not one of Buckley's strengths

Two things I read in the news today had me rather bemused. And they were surprisingly intertwined.

First of all, the Herald Sun actually ran an article praising football crowds, pointing out just how little crowd troubles there are.

Yeah, I know, shock to the system, right?

Usually a mere arrest at a Victory game is enough to warrant back page news. But no, today the paper conceded that the likes of cricket, horse racing and tennis were by far the biggest offenders. Even the AFL grand final was listed as a tonne worse than the football game they mentioned, which was this year’s World Cup qualifier with Qatar.

It was the closest thing the Herald Sun could’ve done to coming out and admitting they’ve exaggerated crowd violence in football.

But that didn’t matter so much. By the end of the day all the positives had been eradicated by the other bit of news that caught my eye, the FFA’s decision to enforce (and later retract) the request that the Eureka flag, a symbol of victory over tyranny – essentially the first flag to bind us as a nation – be banned.

What a shocking move that was.

Anyone with an inkling of what that flag represents (which should be every single mature-aged Australian) would have to agree it’s not out of place at a sporting event. The whole “flag” clause only came about in the first place to prevent ethnic ties creeping in to the game again.

Weren’t A-League clubs pitched as being “Australian” when the league began?

Aside from the real Union Jack-bearing national one, it’s hard to think of a flag more Aussie than the Eureka flag. Heck, if we ever do bite the bullet and become a republic, the Eureka symbol would be a shoo-in for our new flag.

Ben Buckley and the FFA had already found themselves in the bad books of fans following an off-season security review, which led to the disastrous attempt to have active support areas fully ticketed.

On that issue, general admission was always the way to go. The Victory told them that, the supporter groups told them that, you could’ve picked an everyday fan off the street and they would’ve told them that. And yet they pressed on.

Their plan didn’t even last six weeks.

The absence of disapproving fans won out and the decision was overturned.

But the damage had already been done. Victory chairman Geoff Lord had to call in to SEN Radio after the Perth Glory game and practically beg disenfranchised fans back to games.

Just over 31,000 turned up on Saturday night to see the clash with Sydney FC. For a normal game that wouldn’t be so bad, but for a 1-versus-3 match-up, the biggest two teams in the land, the “blockbuster” fixture…

There should’ve been more.

And perhaps the most concerning part of Buckley’s security review is that a pretty damaging problem still lingers: flares.

In both Victory-FC games so far this year (both before and after the review alterations) a flare has managed to show up. It’s disappointing because they give the experience of going to a football game a bad, dangerous name.

They should not be showing up so frequently in major games like Saturday night’s.

(I might add that another concern is the crowd’s reaction to the flare on Saturday night. Sure there was a boo – but that lasted about five seconds. The “you are a wanker” chant didn’t extend beyond the South End. These people should be the most hated in the stadium. There needs to be more shaming of the flare throwers! But I digress…)

How the off-season review has failed to correct so many of the issues pertaining to crowd behaviour is beyond me.

Buckley has made some positive moves in his reign as CEO. I like the kid. But ever since the need to stamp out negative crowd matters became imminent, he’s repeatedly dropped the ball.

If he had taken the same route into Telstra Dome on Saturday night as I did, he would have overheard a pretty disheartening conversation or two coming from the passionate fans that fill the active support areas.

That said, the time to listen to fans was long ago. Perhaps now is the time to follow the lead of Geoff Lord and beg to them.

The Bad News Blaze and the Sinking Spirit

Surely walking under ladders, smashing a few mirrors and offending a couple of ancient pharaohs make up an integral part of Shane Heal’s preseason routine.

How else could you explain his unique tendency to start seasons with a lengthy losing streak?

The Dragons in ’06 went, aptly, 0-6. The Dragons in ’07 backed up with 0-6 again. An off-season move to the Gold Coast was not enough to prevent the same fate again this year – the Blaze are currently 0-9.

Talk about bad luck.

It’s not really a true representation of Heal’s abilities. In fact, two years ago he was able to guide the aforementioned Dragons side off the bottom of the ladder and into the playoffs. He has also put in some decent performances so far this season, meaning age – despite what certain critics might say – has yet to fully get the best of him.

But it does not paint a good picture for the Blaze, a side many had high hopes for this season.

Things went from bad to worse over the weekend, losing out on the road to Wollongong in an oh-so-close encounter 98-96. Then a night later, the so-hot-right-now New Zealand Breakers came to town to rub salt into the wounds, winning another close one 116-113.

Going within two points of a side on the road is not usually something to be ashamed of. Falling just three points short of a side like the Breakers is certainly no embarrassment either.

But starting the season 0-9 is, well, bad news – something which has been following the team wherever they go this year (the Brendan Joyce press conference outburst is ringing a bell.)

There’s still time yet to shake the “wooden spoon favourite” tag, but this weekend officially rendered Joyce’s “No we’re not out of the playoffs” comment meaningless.

It’s just not a great year for basketball in Southeast Queensland.

And it appears that the other abandoned NBL market isn’t going so strong either. (Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Much was made of the Sydney Spirit's sub-1,000 crowd a week ago for Brian Goorjian’s return to the Entertainment Centre. Similarly, tonight’s crowd of 1,350 didn’t exactly speak wonders for the way they’ve chosen to go about things.

It didn’t help that they named themselves after a Leona Lewis album. And it probably didn’t help that in the process, they swiped value off the brand of a WNBL carrying the same name.

It clearly didn’t help that the olive branch extended to disenfranchised Kings fans was somewhat half-arsed. And it probably didn’t help that in the process, they disenfranchised many Razorbacks fans too.

For mine, the biggest no-no was chasing after the Victoria Titans model of re-branding. The way that was handled had me more puzzled than the first time someone told me I smelt like updogg.

But at least there is one thing that stands out about this team: they’re trying.

The team on the court won’t be enough to bring a championship to the Harbour City in these trying times, but they are doing enough to ruffle some feathers. In games they are not expected to win, they put up a pretty decent fight.

They’ve ended up causing some pretty big upsets along the way, the most noteworthy scalp so far being the Perth Wildcats.

In the round just past they provided the much-fancied Crocs a tight contest, losing by a respectable two point margin. Tonight they convincingly creamed the Hawks 99-86.

It is still hard to imagine they are the answer to basketball’s woes in Sydney, but at least they’re out there on game night backing their product. They want to unify the Sydney basketball and they ain’t going down without a fight. 

It’s admirable. Like watching the violinists play away whilst the Titanic slowly sinks to the bottom of the Antarctic.

Only question is: will we see the Kings and Bullets lifeboats return to pick up the surviving fans?

Ingles sends NBA signals in a game to savour

It was a night where you could easily forget the poor crowd in Sydney just one day earlier. It was easy to forget the NBL’s “policy of containment” when it came to promoting the game, too.

It was especially easy to forget allegations of cap rorting at the Melbourne Tigers.

Because Saturday night’s Melbourne derby had no room for negativity. (Other than the fact family commitments had me consigned elsewhere, but that’s another story…)

One neat little thing I’ve been able to take out of the Dragons’ 108-80 thumping of the Melbourne Tigers – aside from the joy of Ebi Ere losing out – is Joe Ingles’ performance.

I can recall the Boxing Day derby two years ago where he was able to turn that game on its head. That was something special.

I can also recall the “junk time” he received late in the Boomers clash with Team USA at the Olympics and how undaunted he seemed by the opposition as he was dropping in threes ad nauseam.

But it wasn’t until I opened up the Sunday paper and read how he yet again was able to step up on the big stage, undaunted, that I truly realized he is a man for the big occasion. His 26 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and sheer domination set him apart.

It's the second time this season I've had such an epiphany over Ingles. In the Dragons’ home encounter with the Crocs, with the game on the line and little over a second remaining, he had the opportunity to shoot but – that word again, undaunted – took a bounce to line up a better shot.

To me, it didn’t matter so much he missed – well, okay, I was a little peeved as it had cost us the game – the composure he showed took me back to a Pistons-Celtics game I watched last season. (Scroll to about 2:15 to see the moment.)

Facing similar time constraints to Ingles, Chauncey Billups decided to fake a shot and hope to draw the foul. He remained calm under pressure and, luckily, the gamble paid off.

Joe Ingles continues to rise to the occasion. This is a trait that will serve him well on his quest for a roster spot in the NBA.

If the signs presenting themselves in recent months continue, the gap between Ingles and the NBA may soon be bridged completely. Saturday night’s performance did nothing to sway opinions any other way.

And speaking of swaying opinions, my question of who would stand up at the Dragons – Darden or Goorjian – seems to be answered.

In the absence of Mark Worthington, it was pleasing to see Tremmel Darden make a statement two nights in a row. He led the way against the Spirit on Friday and even achieved the goal I had secretly hoped he would reach by outscoring Ebi Ere in the derby on Saturday.

Oh, and the crowd! How could I go this long without mentioning the crowd?

9,308 – Melbourne’s biggest crowd for a game of hoops in seven years. Who said basketball was dead?

Now, if only we can entice the Tigers away from that puny little home they call The Cage and put this rivalry under the spotlight it deserves, Rod Laver Arena. If game one of this series can pull as many as it did, then why not?

Saturday night’s game put on show this sport’s potential. Young talent, big crowds, more column space than the Victory game…

Let’s hope for more of the same in years to come. And not just in Melbourne, either.

The Variety Bucket: Not just a one-trick pony...

...actually, I'd hate to think I'm much of a pony at all!

But on a serious note, this young blogger has been spreading his proverbial wings of late. His work has made it's way over to the84thminute, a fabulous online magazine about Australian football.

The topic up for discussion is the FFA's broadcast deal with Fox (the network that, conveniently, ensured I couldn't watch last night's game against Qatar.)

Make sure you check it out, and explore the rest of the site while your there.

A big thanks to Neil, who also runs the Victory in Melbourne blog, for providing this opportunity.

Will all go quiet on the western front?

Banks collapsing, Kevin Rudd hijacking the start of Neighbours, my brief foray into the share market being totally butchered...

The times are certainly changing, and not for the better.

For some time now we all thought the biggest change confronting the football codes was the much-hyped expansion wars. With economic downturn in the backdrop, and a sheer lack of enthusiasm on the front lines at the forefront, the “wars” may not end up being all they were cracked up to be.

The Gold Coast battleground is still what it was before the recent crisis. The AFL is arguably in too deep and certainly has the cash reserves to support their push. One would assume the same logic applies for Gold Coast United backer Clive Palmer – a billionaire, no less.

However Western Sydney is starting to look more pessimistic.

Football has been inundated with support for bids in Canberra and New South Wales’ South Coast. But the same excitement has not been replicated in the region the FFA desires most, Sydney’s west. At the same time, curiously, a second Melbourne-based team has been rushed through for approval without the same troubles.

The AFL meanwhile, initially pushing for its new Western Sydney club to be introduced at the same time as the Gold Coast, has been having second thoughts. Whilst the “GC17” consortium is now ready to face the AFL Commission, the 18th team is yet to even have such a consortium established.

Of course not knowing what’s around the corner comes hand in hand with the situation the world now finds itself in. But it is seriously hard to imagine, with the economic uncertainty that now lingers, that we’re about to see a resurgence in support for either push.

What is starting to seem more and more likely is that we’ll see the war over Sydney’s west put on the backburner for the time being. The football codes would no doubt love to weather the storm as best they can. Now they have the opportunity.

It seems the only thing standing in their way may be their egos.

After all this year’s hullabaloo over who would win the west, no code wants to be the one to back out first. No code wants to be seen retreating.

This attitude was exposed during the past week, with both the FFA and the AFL announcing to the world they’ll be pushing on. Can’t wait to hear the statement after the next Wall Street collapse…

The other obscure fear that may have to be overcome is that of having an odd number of teams. Both codes don’t deny it gets on their nerves. In times like these, they may just have to deal with it.

The most important thing for both forms of football is that the game’s good standing is not compromised by squabbling over territory they shouldn’t have been anywhere near in the first place.

In a normal world, the push into Western Sydney would be warranted. But this isn’t a normal world anymore.

May the smartest code win.

A Sydney Open? Get your football sorted first...

The Australian Open is Melbourne. Not Sydney. Not Dubai. Not Shanghai.

Taking the Open out of Melbourne would be like taking the beach out of the Gold Coast, the Harbour Bridge out of Sydney or the Colletto Fava bunny out of the northern Piedmont region in Italy. It would leave a gaping hole.

In a city renowned for its major international events, it would be hard to argue one captures the locals’ imagination more than the Australian Open.

Yet the suggestion over the weekend was that the Open was in sights of interstate and international rivals. And it is a suggestion that has been lingering for some time now.

Melbourne, thankfully, is locked in as host until 2016. Whilst branching out the grand slam format into tennis’ new pot of gold (Asia and the Middle East) would certainly be fair, the sacredness of having four mountains to climb to achieve the sport’s ultimate goal is not something to be done away with quickly. If ever.

The other way to embrace Asia would be to do away with a current grand slam and replace it with a Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Shanghai-based Open. Australia – a puny little market that is no longer a world power in the game – is no doubt vulnerable.

It puts tennis in somewhat of an ethical quandary. The Australian Open has been around since forever. The crowds are constantly increasing. The government is fully behind it (and wants to continue to build up Melbourne Park.)

But will it be enough?

The scale of this debate shows how truly out of their depth Sydney is by throwing their hat into the ring. If tennis were to turn their back on Melbourne, they would have to turn their back on Australia altogether – Sydney can’t offer anything Melbourne can’t.

And I mean anything. Perhaps the most amusing part of the weekend's news was the fact the New South Wales government was prepared to build “a stadium” in order to snare the Open. In case you haven’t noticed, you need a whole bloody park to host a tennis event of that scale.

I’m tempted to remind Sydneysiders that they had an Olympics only eight years ago, which landed them a “stadium” and, conveniently, a tennis centre. My how little foresight they must have…

But I digress. These rants from north of the border are like a cry for attention to us so-called “Mexicans.” It’s almost sad, really.

In fact, just two days after the papers ran riot with this story, a peculiar new story came out of Sydney’s own FFA. It was enough to make any musings about New South Wales snaring a major event instantly irrelevant.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has been chosen to host the final match in our World Cup qualifying campaign against Japan.

And this just two years after Sydney’s Daily Telegaph had this to say when then-premier Morris Iemma announced a venue deal with the FFA: “Iemma was gloating that Sydney – and not Melbourne – would again stage the final round World Cup qualifier in 2009.”

Tough break, Sydney. Don’t take it too hard. Oh, wait, that is word for word what Morris Iemma said two years ago.

Oops. My bad.

Okay, fair enough, Sydney didn’t exactly get dudded by the FFA’s arrangements. Two of the four home qualifiers will be in the Harbour City, and the Cup spot-clinching match may end up being one of those two and not the one in Melbourne.

But the NSW government – how's that recession coming along? – back flip shows that when it comes to these sorts of things, Sydney is all talk, no action.

Melbourne is major events. Not Sydney.

Tigers toppled again, but where was Fox Sports?

The stage was set. The game was scheduled on a Wednesday night. The two title favourites were playing. So just where was Fox Sports last night?

In case you missed it – and I wouldn’t blame you for that – the Perth Wildcats, facing three road games in just the one round, upset a team touted as one of the best ever, the Melbourne Tigers, 105-101 last night at The Cage.

The game itself wasn’t so bad. The Tigers, despite being outplayed for the majority, rallied in the fourth to close out a 15-point deficit and take the lead with two minutes remaining. But like any good contest, the Wildcats weren’t going to give up that easily.

The boys from Perth fought back and took the game at the death.

Then it all happened again tonight. The previously-undefeated New Zealand Breakers were brought down by the Cairns Taipans in a high-scoring affair, 122-111. 

It all sounds like a pretty decent advertisement for an NBL struggling for exposure. Or at least it would’ve been, had the game been placed in the spotlight it deserved.

The makeshift television deal drawn up between the league and Fox Sports provides significantly less coverage for the game for a significantly less amount. It does not come into effect until October 22 – in round six, which simply isn't good enough.

Sure, the league had a tumultuous off-season and uncertainty reigned supreme, but this deal had been nutted out over a month and a half ago. And the argument that Fox is waiting for the footy finals to finish is, as of this week, meaningless.

Fox Sports’ cameras should’ve been at the Tigers-Wildcats game, especially considering it was in Fox’s usual Wednesday night timeslot. The same logic could be applied to tonight’s game, given Breakers home games are covered by Maori TV in New Zealand – Fox wouldn’t have to foot the production bill.

But this is just the world the NBL has chosen to live in. The Fox delay is one of many instances where the game’s exposure has been crippled. Earlier in the season the league was criticized for not having a season launch. The combination of these two events are particularly concerning because they are not media-driven, they mostly stem from the NBL office.

It has got on the nerves of many – from Boti Nagy to John Rillie – who think that the cut back discredits the quality of the league this year. Which is fair enough, the NBL does deserve more.

However the NBL/BA perspective is similarly understandable. This is a time when resources are stretched, and Chuck Harmisson is no Rick Burton when it comes to promoting.

Secondly, the focus on next year (with this year being an afterthought) makes some sense. It is imperative that the decisions made over the next 12 months are the right ones for taking the game to greater heights; the spotlight should not be taken off them.

Another, albeit concerning, factor may be that the NBL brand is unlikely to see action from next season onwards, meaning there is little motivation to pump it up too much. If that's the case, then that's where this blogger draws the line. The NBL’s brand isn’t going to boom any time soon, so what’s wrong with at least propping it up so it can stay afloat?

Overall, the balance between being exposed and not exposed could be managed better.

You never know, with games like last night’s, you might pick up a few fans to follow the game through to the new league.

Think how happy Fox would be then.

Headaches for Goorjian as import saga continues

At half time in tonight's game against the Hawks, Brian Goorjian’s Dragons were up by 20. But that, of course, was not his concern.

His starting small forward, and occupier of an all-too-important import slot, Tremmel Darden, was having another shocker.

He shot three field goal attempts. He made none. He shot two three-point attempts. He made none. And his stats barely improved in the second half; a late field goal in the fourth provided little consolation.

“It’s early in the year, but I see this as a ‘statement weekend’ on how we’re moving along,” Goorjian said during the week.

Whilst toppling two sides that are near-on certainties to miss the playoffs can hardly be considered a statement, regardless of the margin, the master coach was on to something. With a lengthy break, a Melbourne derby and a second clash with Cairns on the way, these were games they couldn’t afford to drop.

And so the onus was on the players to provide their “statement.”

Unfortunately, unless you’re the kind that considers scoring two points a statement, Darden did not provide.

This once again puts Goorjian under the pump.

It is fair to say the recruiting of imports earlier in the year did not go to plan. Cortez Groves, who turned it on with 25 points tonight, was on the outer during the off-season. Many expected his spot would be vacated for a new, high-profile import.

The second import slot was initially given to last year’s MVP runner-up Ebi Ere. He was a key acquisition in the Dragons’ quest for a championship.

What happened next, as they say, is history. Ere went to chase his NBA aspirations – and in the process successfully obtained a release from the club – only to go back on his word and sign with the Melbourne Tigers.

Ere’s dog act left a gaping hole. When he confirmed he’d be, err, “staying” in the States to play NBA, the Dragons set about finding a replacement.

They went with Darden, and his signature was met with much promise. Some were willing to tout him as a better player than Ere.

But now Goorjian probably can’t help but scratch his head at the way the import merry-go-round has left him. A string of bad games has put Darden on the outer.

Ironically, the man fighting for a spot before the season, Cortez Groves, has been able to answer the coach’s call.

And as if to rub salt into the wounds, the man who defected for the cross-town rivals, Ebi Ere, has burst out of the blocks at the Tigers – he was the team’s leading scorer in all three of their wins so far this season.

If Darden comes out and out-scores Ere in the Melbourne derby, I’d be the first to make him the feature of my blog’s background.

But one thing’s for sure, the status quo can’t continue. Sooner or later someone will have to come out and make a “statement.”

It's just a matter of who – will it be Darden or Goorjian?

Money isn't everything, just ask Tampa Bay

For all you NBL fans who accuse the Tigers of cap cheating, for all you football fans who criticize the EPL for its “big four” culture, for all you capitalists: take heart, there's a story out there for you – the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.

Prior to this year, the team then-known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays finished last place in Major League Baseball nine out of the ten years of their existence. Last year, their entire team’s payroll was worth less than that of one Yankees player, Alex Rodriguez.

When you add to that the low attendance figures, it is easy to know why the Rays were once considered the joke of baseball.

This year things changed. The payroll is still mild – although you could now hypothetically buy two Yankee outfielders – and the crowds are still underwhelming. But for the first time in franchise history, the Rays are in the playoffs.

“It’s something I’ve never experienced, to be looking down on the American League, instead of looking up,” said the Rays’ Jonny Gomes.

The further you look into the Tampa Bay situation the more you understand why this is such a rare experience. Not only is the American League generally considered the tougher conference, they have to share their division with the likes of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

And you know big market teams like that are going to throw money around.

The Rays’ circumstances were clearly not conducive to such a remarkable turnaround.

After all, the Red Sox spend over $133 million on their players. The Yankees spend more than anyone in baseball, dropping a cool $207 million on salaries.

The Rays? They come in second-last in the payroll stakes, just scraping over the $43 million mark.

And now they’re in the playoffs. Ahead of the Red Sox (who limped in with a wildcard) and ahead of the Yankees (who missed out altogether.)

It clearly defies any logic that salary capped competitions will tell you. Occasionally you might see a team like Geelong or Hawthorn, where players might take a pay cut to play for a premiership team, but Tampa Bay couldn’t be further from that.

Who wants to take a pay cut to play for the perennial cellar dwellers in front of a half empty stadium?

It beggars belief how this team of underdogs would carry the “best record in baseball” mantle several times throughout the season, top their division (and what a division!) and now line-up for their first playoff series in the franchise’s history.

Yet early tomorrow morning, that is exactly what will happen. It begins with a five-game series against the Chicago White Sox.

Then if they can go on to claim the American League championship, it’ll be the World Series. A far cry from their previous ten years of existence.

The Rays – along with the Chicago Cubs, who will attempt to break their 100-year championship drought – are a fairytale waiting to happen this October.

Even without a salary cap, baseball remains competitive. It is nice to know there is room for a Tampa Bay Rays in the playoffs.

Oh, and for all those playing at home, the three biggest spenders in baseball all happened to miss the playoffs. Some advantage money is.

Salary caps, like the Yankees, may be overrated.