The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) Thread
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I think this is a great idea to create the Basketball equivalent of the CFL. This would be great for the teams in Halifax and Saint John and would allow for more teams in Atlantic Canada. |
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Definitely a good idea. :tup: So, franchises in Saint John, Halifax, Quebec City and possibly Moncton...... I wonder what other cities are possibilities? I imagine they would probably keep this an eastern based league for the time being. Perhaps franchises in Ottawa and someplace in southern Ontario? |
It was tried before - National Basketball League, but hopefully this time it will succeed. I think that the quota for Canadian Players should be kept fairly low (maybe 3 per roster) in order to maintain a high quality level (in order to succeed it will still need to attract high quality players).
I think that it might succeed with a western conference and an eastern conference. In order to keep traveling expenses down, there could be just a few interlocking games per season and then have the conference winners meet. Andre Livingston has been great for promoting basketball in the Halifax area. (I wonder if he has an interest in organizing a CFL team in Halifax?) |
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I wonder what the minimum number of teams would be needed to start the first season? 4, 5 or 6? |
This is a cool idea, when i first read it, i thought they meant a CHL type JR league which wouldnt be a bad idea either.
It would be pretty cool to have a CFL type league also though maybe it would grow to the same popularity and if it does just think it all started on the east coast :tup: |
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This is one idea I am actually strongly against as I simply don't feel it will work. The PBL has been hugely successful in both Saint John and Halifax mainly because the talent was far far beyond what anyone expected. The talent was so far beyond anything available in Canada, outside of the Raptors, that basketball fans wanted to go out. A Canadian league would have a very hard time luring quality players from the US and would end up with past CIS players, which already doesn't draw sufficient fans, and would quickly fade out.
Saint John, Halifax, and Quebec should be making their best case to join the NBA Development League and join a division with Maine and Springfield, MA. Obviously the costs would be higher but all three Canadian teams have the attendance to support it (~4000 per game). This level of basketball (25% of current NBA players played in the DL) would draw even better attendance numbers. Saint John would require full provincial support, and they could potentially play some exhibition games in both Fredericton and Moncton to get those fans excited. I know a lot of Fredericton folks came to games last year. Although I think that some sort of Canadian league is most likely, I fear it will be the end of Pro basketball in the Maritimes. If we are going to use Canadian talent, I would rather go support a CIS team. |
PBL replacement efforts underway
Rainmen, Mill Rats head to London, Ont., to explore potential franchise for new league http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/spor...forts-underway METRO HALIFAX Published: April 26, 2011 12:24 a.m. Last modified: April 26, 2011 12:29 a.m. Five is the magic number for a budding Canadian professional basketball league. If the Halifax Rainmen, Saint John Mill Rats and Quebec Kebs are going to form their own circuit after disassociating with the Premier Basketball League last week, they say they need to find at least two more franchises to make it work. The primary targets are Moncton and London, Ont. “We’re exploring (ownership groups) that have reached out to us and said they’re interested in having a franchise,” said Mill Rats president Ian McCarthy. “We had seven (teams) in the PBL this year and had a successful season, so the minimum is probably five.” City of Moncton representatives have publicly endorsed adding a pro basketball franchise, while McCarthy and Rainmen owner Andre Levingston are travelling to London today to meet with a prospective ownership group. “For it to be a Canadian league, we would want it to be more than just the Maritimes,” McCarthy said. “Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick would give us four provinces.” In a perfect world, a new league would have two divisions, one featuring Maritime teams — the Rainmen, Mill Rats and Moncton — and another featuring the Kebs and additional teams from Quebec and Ontario. Schedules weighted on intra-divisional play would heighten rivalries and reduce travel costs. McCarthy also suggested Sydney and Charlottetown as ideal cities in the Maritimes, as well as Mississauga and Oshawa in Ontario. He also didn’t rule out the possibility of an American entry. “We’re just trying to see how it plays out and which markets have real owners interested in joining, and seeing if it could work out to have that footprint,” McCarthy said. “We’ll just see where it takes us.” |
Although my preference is for college basketball, this is worth a shot. Soccer kept trying over and over again. Maybe it's time for Canada to try a basketball league again. Western Canada seems to be basketball no-man's land, so organizers are wise to concentrate all efforts in the east.
Halifax Saint John Moncton Quebec London I'm not sure if basketball is strong enough to support both a college and a pro circuit. |
London, Ont., interested in potential hoops team
A Maritime contingent hoping to form a new Canadian minor professional basketball league is encouraged after a trip to London, Ont. “Things went really well,” said Saint John Mill Rats president Ian McCarthy, who met with an interested ownership group along with Halifax Rainmen owner Andre Levingston. “The city is very eager to see if things could work there, if they could help and assist, and the arena is very flexible.” The Rainmen, Mill Rats and Quebec Kebs are without a league to play in after dropping out of the Premier Basketball League in mid-April. They say they need at least two more teams — Moncton, N.B., is the other top candidate — to make a new Canadian league work. McCarthy returned to New Brunswick on Thursday but said Levingston is staying in Toronto over the weekend to meet with other potential ownership groups in Ontario. He said things are still in the preliminary stages and no deadlines have been set for moving forward. “We’ll wait to hear what Andre has to say on Monday,” McCarthy said. |
What about St. John's, Montreal, Sherbrooke or Ottawa? Also in the IBL there is a team in Edmonton and there was a team in Vancouver from 2008-2010. Also apparently the ABA is planning a Canadian Conference, but that league is run VERY poorly!
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Rainmen ready to say where they’ll play
METRO HALIFAX Published: May 10, 2011 1:19 a.m. Last modified: May 10, 2011 1:21 a.m. The league the Halifax Rainmen are going to play next season will be announced later this week. A press conference has been called for Thursday morning at the Halifax Metro Centre. A media release issued yesterday says Rainmen President and CEO Andre Levingston, along with Saint John Mill Rats President and General Manager Ian McCarthy and Quebec Kebs President Conrad Bernier, will announce which league the Canadian teams will join for 2011-2012 at the press conference. This group had been hoping to launch a new Canadian minor professional basketball league and targeted Thursday for a decision on whether it will move forward. The Rainmen, Mill Rats and Kebs all dropped out of the Premier Basketball League last month. Levingston and Mill Rats president McCarthy visited London, Ont., recently and have met with representatives from a number of other cities. |
Looks like the cat is out of the bag and they will be forming a Canadian League.
I still have some doubts, but after watching the press conference this morning maybe they can pull this off. It looks like they are going to add three teams throughout Ontario and potentially a team in Fredericton. |
Does a mod want to change the name of this thread to NBLC or National Basketball League Of Canada or something along those lines
Minor basketball teams take shot at forming Canadian league A group of established basketball franchises in Canada are trying to create a professional league, starting immediately. Andre Levingston and Ian McCarthy, who own the Halifax Rainmen and Saint John Mill Rats, formerly of the Premier Basketball League, announced the formation of the National Basketball League of Canada. The league hopes to start play by October, with 7-10 teams operating in the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario. “Over the next five years, you could see at least 10 kids from Canada getting drafted in the first and second round in the NBA,” Levingston said over the phone. “What better way to further that growth and give kids an opportunity than by forming a league in Canada, to help develop players and bring players from all over their world to help grow the game here.” In addition to Halifax, Saint John and Quebec, the league has received letters of intent from ownerships from London, Oshawa, Kingston and Barrie. “Now that we’re going public, we’re actually getting calls and emails now that are interested in owning professional teams,” Levingston said. “We have a lot of work to do. We have to do due-diligence on some other markets. “When you have mayors saying, ‘Whatever it takes, I want a professional basketball team in our market,’ it is encouraging.” Levingston added that there will be a quota of Canadian players required to play on each team, but also that the league hoped to draw professionals from various countries, including ex-NBA players. The Rainmen play in the 11,093-seat Halifax Metro Centre, while the Mill Rats play at Harbour Station, which seats about 6,600 people for basketball games. Levingston said each of the arenas in the league will be somewhere in that range. “It is the perfect size for basketball at this level,” Levingston said. “Anything bigger doesn’t really fit the business model of success for minor basketball.” |
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Great news, I think this league has great potential. http://route19.files.wordpress.com/2...pg?w=300&h=225 http://www.nblcanada.ca/images/map_lrg.gif http://www.nblcanada.ca Quote:
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I like the logo :tup: It will be interesting to see how a proposed franchise in Moncton would fare.... The #1 sport in the city is hockey (Wildcats, Commandos, Aigles Bleues). Football is also very popular (six high school teams & Mt. A just down the road, with the odd CFL game thrown in for variety). Baseball is represented by the Moncton Mets and the Hub City Brewers of the NBSBL. The Mets can usually get about 1,200 or so out to home games (and it's a good atmosphere too). Basketball is more of an unknown quantity, although there is a very active minor basketball program in the city with hundreds of players taking part(including all three of my sons at various points in time). All the high schools in the city have teams as do all three universities (AUS - U de M; and ACAA - Mt. A and Crandall). Given all of this, there is the potential basis for a good level of support. The spectator interest however is more of an unknown quantity. The Mill Rats have done so well, that I have every reason to believe that a Moncton team would also succeed, especially with the natural rivalry with both SJ and Halifax. I know the city is very interested in expediting a franchise. I imagine the hold-up is in forming an ownership group. It will be interesting to see what transpires. :yes: |
Well done Halifax, Saint John, and Quebec City. I never thought a Canadian pro basketball league would ever get launched, so kudos for trying. I live in Toronto, but will try to get out to Oshawa for a few games! 8 teams is a great start.
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Fredericton group exploring new hoop loop
Published Saturday May 14th, 2011
NBLC | Lamrock leads group gauging community interest for 2012-13 season B1 By ANDREW HOLLAND For The Daily Gleaner A Fredericton lawyer and consultant is examining the potential of establishing a National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) franchise in Fredericton. Former Fredericton MLA Kelly Lamrock heads a group of 12 people who are exploring whether there would be sufficient community and corporate support to secure a team for the 2012-2013 season. Lamrock, a former cabinet minister who served in the Liberal government under former premier Shawn Graham from 2003-2010, has coached minor basketball in the city for several years and is a major hoops enthusiast. Lamrock has had discussions with both Saint John Mill Rats president and general manager Ian McCarthy and Halifax Rainmen president and general manager Andre Levingston, two of the founders of the new NBLC, which hopes to launch with franchises in Saint John, Halifax and Quebec which played this past season in the Premier Basketball League. Saint John, Halifax and Québec City have left that circuit to become charter members of the new circuit. Other groups who have submitted letters of intent with the idea of a November launch are based in London, Barrie, Kingston and Oshawa, Ont. A Moncton franchise may also apply by the league's June 15 application deadline, Lamrock describes the Fredericton group's interest at this stage as preliminary but serious. He admits the financial commitment would be "fairly daunting" but feels the Canadian League would offer a business model that makes better sense compared to the PBL. Lamrock says it is possible that Fredericton could operate this fall but is looking at the 2012-13 season "as a more realistic goal. "We want to make sure there is water in the pool before we jump in," Lamrock said. "Minor league sports are not something to do to get rich, so we are talking to a number of corporate sponsors." Lamrock believes basketball fans in the Capital region would be amazed with the caliber of entertainment. He and members of the group attended Premier Basketball League games this past season. "I am very impressed by the Mill Rats and Rainmen organizations," he said. "They were model franchises in the PBL and are now building a league that matches their professionalism. So I reached out to them." Lamrock was impressed by the entertainment package and the calibre of play in the Premier League. "They make the event a great fan experience, particularly for young people. It is superlative and the level of basketball on the court is great," he said. "These players are fast and skilled and were very good to excellent in NCAA basketball. Some of them have NBA experience or are known to NBA scouts," Lamrock said. McCarthy can vouch for the calibre of play "These are highly skilled players," he said. "There are thousands of players coming out of the NCAA and only 450 spots in the NBA along with leagues in Europe. So there is an abundance of talent looking for a place where they can have fun, be in a good community, build their resumé and make a name for themselves." The local group's first step is to assess whether there is enough community and corporate support and determine where a team would play. The most obvious venue is the 3,600 seat Aitken Centre on the campus of the University of New Brunswick, which has hosted the Harlem Globetrotters and was the home of the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association basketball championship tournament for more than 20 years before the event moved to Saint John's Harbour Station this season. Lamrock doesn't believe the team will hurt fan support for university sports in the city. "I don't see it competing as much as creating a renewed interest in basketball here in the city," he said. McCarthy said he was encouraged by the unsolicited expression of interest from the Fredericton group. He said it would cost a team roughly $500,000 annually to operate. McCarthy and Lamrock agreed a Fredericton entry in the league would generate fan interest and stir rivalries between Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton. McCarthy said the league is vetting the ownership groups of the five potential franchises. Each has filled out a 35-page written application and must submit an expansion fee. This process is to ensure applicants have the financial resources and credentials to own and manage a team. "We are processing those applications now," said McCarthy. "They have to sign a lease with an arena before they can be an approved team." The league hopes to announce its lineup by June 30. Teams will play a 30-game schedule starting November 1. |
This has the potential to be the CFL of Canadian basketball. But for that to happen it might have to endure for 10 - 20 years. Over that time the weaker markets will fold/relocate and stronger markets will join. Hopefully there will be enough dedicated owners to keep it going for the long term.
I wonder if a team would work in Mississauga or Brampton; it would be closer for me to get to games. |
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