Melbourne Tigers to re-brand as United

[thegreig]

The NBL could not be more out of touch with it's fan, absolutely disgraceful to chuck away so much history just like that.
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8847688

If the NBL had any brains what so ever (which they have proven time after time that they don't) they would have introduced a second Melbourne team to compete against the tigers, this "one team united" is a terrible idea and will most likely just piss off existing tiger fans and I can't see old Magic/ Titans fans jumping on board either. They need to keep the Tigers and add a team in Melbourne's East.
Stupid NBL.
Wait for the train wreck.

 

[jerry springer]

just a stupid move whatever way you look at it

 

[Cleavy]

local basketball has been stuffed for a long time. It will never return to what it was.

 

[giggler99]

Sh!t name that is sure to fail.

Would work better if they take the d out and use Unite. Instead of United.
It would sound more modern and less so like a "soccer" club.

Either way I'm still not jumping on board.

I want my North Melbourne Giants back!

 

[Sprout]

"United"? Really?

 

[PHX]

Very very strange decision for what is one of the most recognisable franchises of the NBL to move to what people are going to immediately think of as a soccer team when they read it, see it, hear it for quite some time yet.

 

[Upgrayedd]

 

[Upgrayedd]

local basketball has been stuffed for a long time. It will never return to what it was.

Might as well just have 36ers new zealand and wildcats in a tri nations type comp.

Melbourne united? Thats a huge dump on whatever that team achieved. They deserve better

 

[PP34]

This is basically the nail in the coffin. With all young talent being looked at more and more these days by US scouts, the lack of talent in the league will only get worse too.

They really need a better link between local clubs and the NBL to give kids something to aim for.

As for the name change, disgraceful.

 

[saintal]

I want my North Melbourne Giants back!

This

Bizarre decision. Massive risk taken by the Tigers here.

 

[flaps]

This is a farce.

 

[Faithful Hawk]

I agree the name is a poor choice but I understand their reasoning for the change if they stayed as the Tigers they would have folded completely within the next 1-2yrs due to lack of crowds and memberships.

 

[Wickzki]

Bizarre decision. Massive risk taken by the Tigers here.

It's NOT the Tigers. They've basically kept the roster and scrapped everything else. Even the NBL website calls them a new club.

http://www.nbl.com.au/article/id/4qa686e1qc361iqjarbr2bccu

The NBL welcomes Melbourne United into the League and look forward to seeing the new club prosper on and off the court in 2014/15.

 

[TradeDraft]

Does anyone except the NBL and hardcore Basketball Fans even care about the NBL anymore?

 

[Wickzki]

Does anyone except the NBL and hardcore Basketball Fans even care about the NBL anymore?

I'd suggest that not even hardcore basketball fans really care about the NBL anymore.

Basketball is one of, if not the highest participation sports at a rec level in Australia. That attendances, beyond Perth, are typically dreadful tells me that there's a league wide disconnection between the league and its fans. AND it's shit moves like this one that cause it.

 

[TradeDraft]

I'd suggest that not even hardcore basketball fans really care about the NBL anymore.

Basketball is one of, if not the highest participation sports at a rec level in Australia. That attendances, beyond Perth, are typically dreadful tells me that there's a league wide disconnection between the league and its fans. AND it's shit moves like this one that cause it.

Yeah, Unless you go to games then the chances you don’t even know the Players

 

[tigs2010]

So to gain more fans they've decided to alienate the current fans. Seems like a masterstroke.

 

[Goodo73]

If the NBL had any brains what so ever (which they have proven time after time that they don't) they would have introduced a second Melbourne team to compete against the tigers ... They need to keep the Tigers and add a team in Melbourne's East.

I am constantly baffled by suggestions of a second Melbourne team. If one is far from thriving, how will a second one do better? I get the "a lot of people hate the Tigers" argument, but hasn't history proven that a 2nd Melbourne team doesn't automatically pick up those people as supporters.

As was stated, the anti-Tigers sentiment is one of the reasons for the change, but that's flawed logic for mine. Ultimately the team is still the Melbourne Tigers entity, and as some are wont to say, "haters gonna hate". No way does this change garner them a net gain in terms of supporters/members.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

As another poster said do we even care about the NBL outside of Perth who are riding the wave of James Ennis?

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

As another poster said do we even care about the NBL outside of Perth who are riding the wave of James Ennis?

Nope.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

I want my North Melbourne Giants back!

And that is a big part of a problem.

The fact that the Tigers were down to 400 members is actually a disgrace. If they weren't able to get the Melbourne community behind them then something drastic had to change... I don't like the name, but they had to do something.

It's funny that so many people are complaining about the name change, yet very few were supporting the Tigers - where have they all come from?

The best thing they can do, now that the name is out there, is publicise the shit out of it, and put a lot of investment in right now, move to a better stadium, and try and make Basketball in melbourne an event again.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

As another poster said do we even care about the NBL outside of Perth who are riding the wave of James Ennis?

You realise Ennis has only been with the Wildcats for 1 season? And Perth has been getting over 10k to game since moving to the Arena in 2012, and prior to that were consistently selling out Challenge Stadium at 4.5k. (not huge but better than most clubs).

It helps being on a 27-year playoff run (even if one of those was a sub-.500 year) and having the most titles, but the Wildcats did well by initially downsizing early when the Entertainment Centre wasn't financially viable, and yet even in the years at Challenge, continued to promote and get support from the community and businesses. The planning for the new Arena was a long time coming, and the Wildcats were a massive part of that - and the team did an incredible job promoting itself.

The Perth CBD is a buzz with red on nights that the Wildcats play. I have been told that the Breakers also get a similar following in NZ. There is no reason that other NBL clubs can't take a good long hard look at how they promote themselves and get that community and corporate support back.

 

[Wickzki]

And that is a big part of a problem.

The fact that the Tigers were down to 400 members is actually a disgrace. If they weren't able to get the Melbourne community behind them then something drastic had to change... I don't like the name, but they had to do something..

That number, it was actually 600, was two years ago. Only a couple of months ago Slepoy, the owner, sent a thank you to the Tigers members for the membership raising from 600 to a over 2000. Therefore, if Melbourne United start spurting stuff about 600 members its a load of crap.

Games at the Cage (State Netball and Hockey Centre) were constant sell outs so before their "membership cut off date" they could only offer HiSense membership packages - for the final games of the season played at Hisense.

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

The NBA and even Euroleague stuff to a lesser extent is too easy to watch and follow to bother following this poorly presented league, to put that kindly, which a majority of the time features less than exciting gameplay and teams that now have zero of the soul they had during the leagues more successful years.

Mismanagement a few years back has put this league in a hole that faster internet speeds and pay TV have now made even deeper.

NBLel. South East Melbourne Magic RIP.

PS. Posting from a phone is a campaigner.

 

[Upgrayedd]

As another poster said do we even care about the NBL outside of Perth who are riding the wave of James Ennis?

Ennis is about the 4th most popular wildcat.