Post by mmetcalf on Apr 10, 2010 14:08:02 GMT -5
What a bunch of crap
Rainmen still in playoffs
PBL reinstates Puerto Rico, Vermont gets post-season heave-ho
By BRIAN FREEMAN Sports Reporter
Sat. Apr 10 - 4:53 AM
It appears the Rochester RazorSharks likely spared the Halifax Rainmen from a disappointing and infuriating conclusion to their season.
In the latest twist in a yo-yoing playoff picture, the Premier Basketball League opted Friday to maintain its original post-season format to accommodate the reinstatement of the Puerto Rico Capitanes just 11 days after they were unceremoniously turfed because of a series of run-ins with the PBL’s head office and other owners.
That means the Rainmen, who were assured a higher finish than Vermont when the RazorSharks downed the Frost Heaves 109-97 on Thursday, will play their first playoff game in franchise history next Thursday against the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry and the Frost Heaves are relegated to the sidelines.
Halifax and Vermont had been locked in a battle for the fourth and final playoff berth before the March 29 expulsion of the second-place Capitanes opened up post-season spots for both squads — that is, until Thursday’s bombshell that brought Puerto Rico back into the fold.
"It is unfortunate," Rainmen owner Andre Levingston said Friday, referring to the fate of the Frost Heaves, which — after the developments Thursday and Friday — would have been the Rainmen’s fate if Vermont had won its last two starts to overtake Halifax in the standings.
Vermont was playing its regular-season finale Friday night against the Quebec Kebs and Levingston said the team’s owners were going to wait until the completion of the contest to inform the players of their exclusion from the playoffs.
Contacted late Friday afternoon, Vermont general manager Michael Healey politely declined comment on the situation, advising The Chronicle Herald to call the league’s head office.
No one could be reached at PBL headquarters.
A league news release announcing Puerto Rico and the PBL had settled their differences was posted Thursday night on a minor league sports website and on Friday morning on the PBL site.
"What matters most to the Premier Basketball League is the game of basketball, first and foremost, and the integrity of the sport," league president Tom Doyle said in the release.
"While all parties may have their differences, whatever issues were previously raised throughout this season will be dealt with off the court and in a reasonable manner."
The Capitanes were expelled late last month over a litany of issues, including allegations of unpaid hotel and travel bills, and a general lack of co-operation with the league head office.
"We gave the Capitanes every chance to make things right, but their refusal to even adhere to the most important tenets of our league regrettably left us with no choice," Doyle said in a release on the PBL website at the time.
The incident that brought the matter to a head came when Levingston had to fork over $12,000 to charter a private plane to get the Capitanes to Halifax for a game on March 21 after the Puerto Rican team missed a connecting flight in Boston, refused to take a bus to Halifax and threatened to return home without playing the contest.
Levingston said Friday that PBL owners were left with no choice but to reinstate the Capitanes after the team sought an injunction against its expulsion and a U.S. Federal Court judge ruled in Puerto Rico’s favour.
"Our hands were tied. You take something to the Federal Court and they lay the law down, you have to abide by it and that’s exactly what they did."
Owners held a series of conference calls Friday to deal with a number of issues resulting from the ruling, including the playoff format.
The Rainmen, who finished the season 13-7, will open their best-of-three semifinal against the red-hot Cavalry next Thursday at the Metro Centre, with the second and third games scheduled for April 18 and 20 in Oklahoma. The Cavalry (17-2) have reeled off 14 straight wins since dropping a 102-92 decision in Halifax on Jan. 22.
The RazorSharks (15-4) and Capitanes (14-3) will meet in the other series.
The Capitanes pledged to settle any bills as part of the agreement bringing them back into the league but Halifax’s owner said he isn’t holding his breath.
"I don’t see it happening, quite frankly, and I’m not going to waste my time, energy or money going after a lawsuit with these guys," Levingston said.
"If we get our money back, it’s great. If Puerto Rico chooses to be unprofessional and not pay the money back . . . I’m not gonna lose any sleep over it. I have better things to do."
A year ago, the league also had to deal with a late-season playoff format fiasco when it suddenly changed plans for a best-of-three final because of arena availability and broadcast commitments, reducing the championship series to a one-game, winner-take-all showdown in Rochester.
The RazorSharks won 152-115 over the Battle Creek Knights to claim their second title in a row. Battle Creek, which had topped the regular-season standings with an 18-2 mark and would have hosted two of the three games, did not return to the PBL this season.
Levingston, though, said he didn’t find it overly concerning that controversy has swirled around the playoff format for a second straight season.
"It is but it’s not because this is not something that was brought on by the league," said the president and CEO of the Rainmen, who finished 12-8 a year ago and missed the playoffs.
"I think our league has done a remarkable job this year with all teams starting and finishing. We had a format for playoffs that was set that we were all happy with and (we were all) getting ready for playoffs and just when we think everything is good and smooth, then we get this (ruling)."
Rainmen still in playoffs
PBL reinstates Puerto Rico, Vermont gets post-season heave-ho
By BRIAN FREEMAN Sports Reporter
Sat. Apr 10 - 4:53 AM
It appears the Rochester RazorSharks likely spared the Halifax Rainmen from a disappointing and infuriating conclusion to their season.
In the latest twist in a yo-yoing playoff picture, the Premier Basketball League opted Friday to maintain its original post-season format to accommodate the reinstatement of the Puerto Rico Capitanes just 11 days after they were unceremoniously turfed because of a series of run-ins with the PBL’s head office and other owners.
That means the Rainmen, who were assured a higher finish than Vermont when the RazorSharks downed the Frost Heaves 109-97 on Thursday, will play their first playoff game in franchise history next Thursday against the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry and the Frost Heaves are relegated to the sidelines.
Halifax and Vermont had been locked in a battle for the fourth and final playoff berth before the March 29 expulsion of the second-place Capitanes opened up post-season spots for both squads — that is, until Thursday’s bombshell that brought Puerto Rico back into the fold.
"It is unfortunate," Rainmen owner Andre Levingston said Friday, referring to the fate of the Frost Heaves, which — after the developments Thursday and Friday — would have been the Rainmen’s fate if Vermont had won its last two starts to overtake Halifax in the standings.
Vermont was playing its regular-season finale Friday night against the Quebec Kebs and Levingston said the team’s owners were going to wait until the completion of the contest to inform the players of their exclusion from the playoffs.
Contacted late Friday afternoon, Vermont general manager Michael Healey politely declined comment on the situation, advising The Chronicle Herald to call the league’s head office.
No one could be reached at PBL headquarters.
A league news release announcing Puerto Rico and the PBL had settled their differences was posted Thursday night on a minor league sports website and on Friday morning on the PBL site.
"What matters most to the Premier Basketball League is the game of basketball, first and foremost, and the integrity of the sport," league president Tom Doyle said in the release.
"While all parties may have their differences, whatever issues were previously raised throughout this season will be dealt with off the court and in a reasonable manner."
The Capitanes were expelled late last month over a litany of issues, including allegations of unpaid hotel and travel bills, and a general lack of co-operation with the league head office.
"We gave the Capitanes every chance to make things right, but their refusal to even adhere to the most important tenets of our league regrettably left us with no choice," Doyle said in a release on the PBL website at the time.
The incident that brought the matter to a head came when Levingston had to fork over $12,000 to charter a private plane to get the Capitanes to Halifax for a game on March 21 after the Puerto Rican team missed a connecting flight in Boston, refused to take a bus to Halifax and threatened to return home without playing the contest.
Levingston said Friday that PBL owners were left with no choice but to reinstate the Capitanes after the team sought an injunction against its expulsion and a U.S. Federal Court judge ruled in Puerto Rico’s favour.
"Our hands were tied. You take something to the Federal Court and they lay the law down, you have to abide by it and that’s exactly what they did."
Owners held a series of conference calls Friday to deal with a number of issues resulting from the ruling, including the playoff format.
The Rainmen, who finished the season 13-7, will open their best-of-three semifinal against the red-hot Cavalry next Thursday at the Metro Centre, with the second and third games scheduled for April 18 and 20 in Oklahoma. The Cavalry (17-2) have reeled off 14 straight wins since dropping a 102-92 decision in Halifax on Jan. 22.
The RazorSharks (15-4) and Capitanes (14-3) will meet in the other series.
The Capitanes pledged to settle any bills as part of the agreement bringing them back into the league but Halifax’s owner said he isn’t holding his breath.
"I don’t see it happening, quite frankly, and I’m not going to waste my time, energy or money going after a lawsuit with these guys," Levingston said.
"If we get our money back, it’s great. If Puerto Rico chooses to be unprofessional and not pay the money back . . . I’m not gonna lose any sleep over it. I have better things to do."
A year ago, the league also had to deal with a late-season playoff format fiasco when it suddenly changed plans for a best-of-three final because of arena availability and broadcast commitments, reducing the championship series to a one-game, winner-take-all showdown in Rochester.
The RazorSharks won 152-115 over the Battle Creek Knights to claim their second title in a row. Battle Creek, which had topped the regular-season standings with an 18-2 mark and would have hosted two of the three games, did not return to the PBL this season.
Levingston, though, said he didn’t find it overly concerning that controversy has swirled around the playoff format for a second straight season.
"It is but it’s not because this is not something that was brought on by the league," said the president and CEO of the Rainmen, who finished 12-8 a year ago and missed the playoffs.
"I think our league has done a remarkable job this year with all teams starting and finishing. We had a format for playoffs that was set that we were all happy with and (we were all) getting ready for playoffs and just when we think everything is good and smooth, then we get this (ruling)."