I won't stand for Tigers 'Sneaky' tactics.

It is a sad state of affairs when I am left to question the day to day actions of my beloved Melbourne Tigers.

I think they are currently a perfect example of the NBL mentality as a whole.

I applauded their decision to initially stand out of the upcoming NBL season with the South Dragons, and believed them when they stated they would not stand for more mismanagement.

Then they stabbed us all in the back and rejoined the league, stating change had occurred, but then wouldn’t tell us what?

I was immediately sent an email from the Tigers celebrating the fact that they will field a team in 09/10 and asking me to sign up as a member.

What will I get for my membership I ask?

Where is the stability? I feel if I had sent that cheque and they changed their minds again I would never get it back.

I have lost trust and faith in the Melbourne Tigers.

What will keep fans coming to see a league that can’t afford imports, Brian Goorjian, or to take the naming rights sponsor FROM TWO YEARS AGO off the current logo.
They don’t even have a rival anymore! (a blog for another day)

Anyway, the reasoning behind this post are many, Firstly – in today’s economic climate, does it look like the Melbourne Tigers are doing there part to help the sport of Basketball grow in this country?

Are they offering anything that says ‘Basketball is the way to go!’?

Obviously this isn’t an in depth financial analysis but a simple break down of current membership pricing.

Cheapest Seating prices

Collingwood Magpies 2009 – Adult Membership $170.00

Melbourne Victory 2009/10 – Adult membership $185.00

Melbourne Tigers 2009/10 – Adult membership $324 ($306 early bird ‘special’) (no parking included)

The average fan has been completely priced out.

I was told yesterday by someone who sponsors a box at The Cage, that no notice was given to them as a corporate sponsor when the team decided to sit out the season. They heard through the media. When the team announced it was back, they were promptly sent an invoice with no explanation.

Seems eerily similar to the fate of poor old Stephen ‘Sneaky’ Hoare, as Grantley Bernard writes in the Herald Sun today.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25657777-10914,00.html

POPULAR veteran forward Stephen Hoare feels like a forgotten man as the Melbourne Tigers build a championship-calibre roster without him.

A winner of two NBL championships in nine seasons with the Tigers, Hoare is unlikely to be offered a new contract and is waiting to gauge interest from Cairns Taipans, Townsville Crocodiles and Wollongong Hawks before considering retirement.

His greatest hurt is that he heard the news that his time with the Tigers was over from somebody other than the club, which has scheduled a meeting with him tomorrow.

"If the Tigers want to go in a different direction, I can understand that," Hoare said.

"I'm just disappointed that I still had a year to go on my contract and that after nine years, nobody called me and I found out from somewhere else."



That is pathetic.

Dragonflies, D-Boys and "The Toaster"!

On Saturday I saw an NBL preseason game. Boring right? WRONG!

It was the perfect way to start my NBL Season. Melbourne Tigers v Crazy John South Dragons.
Although it was a preseason game, and very, very scrappy. I loved it.

If you have seen 'The Perfect Catch', you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm THAT into it.


Here are a few observations and comments from the afternoon:

Firstly Vodaphone Arena or "The Phone Box" is no more. It is now the HiSense Arena, of which I'm yet to hear the new nickname.

They have made their mark at the Stadium in a number of ways, the most notable painting the outside area of the court and other surrounding areas in what I assume is "HiSense Aqua" colour. For a second I thought it was '95 again and I half expected Pat Reidy, Paul "the Mailman" Maley and the "Booze Less, Be Your Best" Giants run out.

Unfortunately, my plea to have the Dragons announcer sacked last season obviously fell on deaf ears, as he's back again, with his ability to get the crowd so pumped up we nearly broke into a 'Mexican Yawn'. Although credit to the Dragons, after losing Glenn Manton as his sidekick from last year, they introduced Andrew "The Toaster" Parkinson, as the new guy. He did a great first up job. Although it's funny how 'the Rattler' (the Tigers Announcer) can handle it all himself just fine over at the Cage?

Another pre game extravaganza from the Dragons Cheerleaders. They still haven't quite figured this all out yet. The 'DragonFlies' (girls) and the 'D-Boys' (guys), both bring something different to the table. The girls are more like a caberet show than cheerleaders, and the guys are very impressive break dancers, but don't really get the crowd pumped up. Once again, I can't help but think the Tigers Dancers can provide the same fun, dancing, cheering and the athletic side of things on their own. The Dragons have gone for a different style, and that's fine too.


The game itself didn't really sustain my interest for the whole 4 quarters, but there were some great signs for NBL in Victoria this season.

For the Tigers:
Chris Anstey - just toyed with the Dragons for a half, and then put the Q in the rack for the second. 20pts on 5/6 Three Point shots in the FIRST quarter alone, pretty much summed up his intentions.

Rod Grizzard - played every minute for his new side and impressed with some huge dunks.

Sammy Mac - played his first minutes as a Tiger, and had me pumped when he overpowered Nick Horvath for the And 1 on his very first play. But from then on he seemed to be moving slower and looking older than Andrew Gaze right now.

Dmac - who came out of retirement to help the undermanned Tigers was even grumpier than ever.


For the Dragons:

Things didn't start well. Guy Molloy was doing the coaching as Goorj sat back on the bench and just observed.
Not sure if he appreciated the heckle heard through the stadium at an early interval "Take a seat Guy Molloy, we have a real coach this year!"

New import Tremmell Darden started well, and looks to be a bit of a Dave Thomas style player.

Reece Carter caught fire from 3 in the third quarter and finished very strongly. He'll be great off the bench this season. I like his game.

Overall, I think the signs are pretty great for both teams with the Tigers core for 08/09 looking like this:

Anstey, Mackinnon, Barlow, Grizzard, Hoare, Crosswell, Corletto (and possibly Ebi Ere!)

and the Dragons core looking like this:

Horvath, Worthington, Ingles, Darden, Groves, Gibson, Carter and Burston - Quack Quack!


Feel free to post any comments.

Ryan Mobilia.

I should've known better!

By Ryan Mobilia


I should've known better.

In the past week I have experienced some highs and lows.


In the blink of an eye, quicker than a new york minute, or any other cliche that would drive Paul Shirley mad. He was gone.


Last week, http://www.sportal.com.au/ reported an interview with Al Westover, that caused a minor stir I’m sure with Tigers fans, but the impact on Shirley fans (of which there are many in Australia) was far greater. His Myspace site, was flooded with well wishes for the try out with the Tigers and pleads to join various NBL teams and how much he would be loved in Melbourne. I resisted commenting personally, but obviously was excited about a potentially marriage between my favourite ball club and favourite ball writer/player!


I had learned that Paul Shirley, a man who I had followed on ESPN.com since he first began writing for them, a man whom (thanks to the amazing service of Amazon.com) I had not seven days earlier began reading his first Book entitled, "Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond" in which he chronicles his experiences as a basketball player.


Said Westover:

"He's an American guy who played with Chris in Russia. He's a well travelled guy who's had a few years in the NBA, Russia and Spain,"

Westover told Sportal on Tuesday afternoon.

"Paul's a bit of a media personality over there. He writes for ESPN and has written a book. We're bringing him out next week. If things work out we'll have our squad in place."

I wanted to see the man I’d read so much about from, well, himself. I wanted to hear him speak, see how he played, see how he sweats (that’s not a sexual comment, apparently he sweats as much as my alter ego ‘Patch Adams’!) And generally just pick his brains, about basketball and life, and the outrageous events of his time in Kazan with Chris Anstey (someone who he seems to really like. Trust me that’s a big deal, he's not exactly an endearing teammate.)

On http://www.anstey.com/, which firstly I was annoyed I haven't been looking at lately, because as Chris himself told us last time i checked the site, that the "Ask Chris" section specifically, of which I was a huge fan, was to become defunct. I guess as Seinfeld and Kramer can attest, it's not that easy when people keep up with the requests, such as questions to be answered. (Jerry: "You kept making all the stops?" Kramer: "Well. People kept ringing the bell!") Anstey's continues to answer the bell on his site, and I've been missing it!

Anyway (stop me if I keep going off like that!), after a week in which my hopes had risen to "OJ Simpsons head" sized proportions, Anstey flatly shot a hole in my big headed hopes, and my short lived dream of actually having this person become my mate. But the question was asked straight, is he a chance of coming? To which Chris replied and my heartbroken self, glazed eyes read "He's not coming, he'll be playing in Spain."

I should have known. I've been reading his blog for as long as it's been around, and I just sped through the entirity, 300+ pages of his book. I should have known I was crazy to get my hopes up.

If I learned anything from his stories and life, he doesn't know where he will be from season to season, and things never really pan out the way they seem they might!

The problem is far worse than my selfish dreams of being Paul Shirley’s Protégé, who now will be the Tigers second import? He would have been a great fit for the team, a Neil Mottram type player who can hit jump shots!

We definitely need a better 4 man, Stiffy and Axel were admirable, but certainly didn’t equate to Mottram of the season before….



The search continues, for the Tigers new import and a new Protege!