Fantasy Premier League

This Just In...

Wed Feb 13 11:06PM

Since the Premier League's dreaded 39th round has been such a hot topic over the past week, I thought I'd share this tidbit that came across the wires today... NBA (that's National Basketball Association) Commissioner David Stern today announced that he intends to not only have games in Europe but have TEAMS based in Europe that would participate as full members of the league.

A few interesting notes...

1) If you think playing one round of matches across the globe would be disruptive imagine trying to integrate teams across 9 or 10 time zones.

2) Basketball is quietly moving up the international sporting food chain. They haven't really cracked England, France, the Netherlands, and most Scandanavian countries but Spain, Italy, Germany, Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America (mostly Brazil and Argentina) are quickly adding basketball to the core of their sporting culture.

3) (Gross Generalization Alert) Unlike England where the Premier League has become a league of imported stars and local players who are fundamentally sound, the NBA is the reverse where American players are generally the ones with flair and the imports are more fundamentally sound.

4) Most important in all this, is that the media generally views this proposition as a good idea.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that America is so geographically vast that there are plenty of matches that even the most dedicated supporter can't travel to all of their team's matches.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that there has never been the same closeness between community, supporters, and teams.

I'm not sure what it is that causes the difference but with the Prem off until next weekend, this seemed like as good a topic as any to discuss.

Thoughts? Would you watch the NBA if there was a team playing near you (non-Americans only)? Would you watch for the local team or only if a "big team" (e.g., Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Spurs, Suns) came to town? If you're already an NBA fan, are you put off by the idea of games played off-continent?

Comments1 - 18 of 18

i'm american-- the NBA sucks. College Hoops NBA Nuff said...
From ojj85 on Thu Feb 14 12:21AM
Report abuse
edit: College hoops are greater than the NBA.
From ojj85 on Thu Feb 14 12:21AM
Report abuse
99% of my sports watching is done on television/internet so going off-continent doesn't matter to me for the NBA or other sports. I do have some concern about travel for the teams and how that might affect them, but seriously, they travel so much and get paid so handsomely i would think they could handle it.
@ojj85 - i couldn't disagree with you more. college hoops is great but the nba is a superior product in all facets.
From jyah13 on Thu Feb 14 12:58AM
Report abuse
being CANADIAN: I think a better comparison would be the NFL. they play so few games, compared to the 82 the NBA plays.
College Hoops BLOW until March Madness.
No TEAM has ties to the team because in some EPL teams, the community owns the team correct? whereas HERE, it's ALLLL a business.
From owen1981 on Thu Feb 14 05:19AM
Report abuse
David Stern is a D-Bag!
From danielt09 on Thu Feb 14 07:31AM
Report abuse
College basketball is equivalent to watching the English Third Division. No defense, bad coaching, and sloppy play. I guess that's exciting.
From illtiger1 on Thu Feb 14 01:05PM
Report abuse
is it just me or is this year a really poor year for yahoo fantasy football?
From petegoddard11996655 on Thu Feb 14 02:52PM
Report abuse
Hey Neal, I remember you had Skrtel picked in your conversation with Jeremy. He's picked up an injury in training, so may not get as far as the next league game. The match against Barnsley in the cup will be a good indicator of course. Although 'San Jose' was on the bench for the Chelsea match. He's our young Spanish lad, not played in the league yet, but with Hyypia struggling to come back and Agger out, who knows? He'd be a gamble, but at only 5.68...? Listed as M Jose I think. (Mikel San Jose Dominguez)
From damianoakden on Thu Feb 14 03:19PM
Report abuse
Re(9) Skrtel. Hmmm, now it seems Hyypia, Arbeloa and Aurelio have been in training again. So they undergo the dreaded 'fitness test' before playing. I know there's the F.A.Cup and Champions League matches to go, but who can predict what Rafa will do now? Not me, that's for sure...
From damianoakden on Thu Feb 14 03:33PM
Report abuse
We the fans need to shift our paradigms. Professional sports leagues, like every other business entity, are taking on a more global focus. Whether you like it, or you don't like, learn to accept it. Because people like David Stern aren't going to be content until they can sell Kobe Bryant jerseys in every corner of the world. And, as an American, I'm looking forward to the day when I can go to my local mall and find an Arsenal kit right next to a Peyton Manning jersey...
From m_dipasq on Thu Feb 14 03:47PM
Report abuse
here's the thing...Stern has all the ambition in the world, but i can't see having franchises in Europe in the near future. The league is already watered down because of expansion, and there are a couple cities that are currently looking to be the next NBA town (OK City, Vegas, even Louisville wants in). I'm a Bulls' season ticket holder (bad season for that), and though i don't care if they play a couple games outside the US, i don't want to see them flying to China & Germany every year because their level of play will suffer. Insert joke here about how their level of play couldn't get any lower.
From slatsfeldo25 on Thu Feb 14 04:25PM
Report abuse
March Madness is a month away!!! The only thing that can take my mind off of YFF for a couple weeks. However, the top college team would lose to the Bobcats 9 times out of 10.
From slatsfeldo25 on Thu Feb 14 04:28PM
Report abuse
who gives a sh*t about the NBA?
From chrsfstr on Thu Feb 14 06:23PM
Report abuse
re 14: most of america and all of the people who so far have commented on this board. q: who cares about your opinion A: not me
From joshtottenham on Thu Feb 14 06:51PM
Report abuse
Its the community difference im sure. Players come to Premier League teams via youth academies, theres transfers there, but thats players choosing to join your team. NBA + NFL players are picked via a draft.
From paulthepoodle on Thu Feb 14 08:15PM
Report abuse
"College basketball is equivalent to watching the English Third Division. No defense, bad coaching, and sloppy play. I guess that's exciting."
You must be kidding...you just described the NBA. NBA has the cool highlights, but watching a game is so boring - everyone just tries to dunk the whole time, and then occasionally someone shoots a 3.
College is all hustle and hard work, with great team defense and spirit. And there is actually a real connection between fans and the team, and the university for that matter. Nobody should care about the NBA, plus, my goodness, they play music DURING the run of play...wow.
From brian.asher on Thu Feb 14 11:03PM
Report abuse
I think the overseas games can work, but I am lost at why they leaked the idea so early without much thought. Well if the NBA and NFL can do it then why can't EPL? Are they infreior in terms of global fan base? NO! I think they are just inferior in the brains department.
If EPL does not go global, other leagues will, and it's only their loss.
From paulgktsui on Fri Feb 15 10:04AM
Report abuse
I think it'd be fascinating if the NBA expanded permanently to Europe. There's a lot of talent in the European leagues, certainly enough to create a European division of six or seven teams, if not an entire conference of fifteen teams or so. I'd love to see the best teams in Europe squaring off with the Spurs, Suns, Mavs, Lakers, etc on a semi-regular basis. Travel would be an issue, but if each American team swept through Europe once, and each European team swept through America/Toronto once or twice, it wouldn't be a deal-breaker. The biggest problem would be if the Lakers played a team from Kiev or something like that in the Finals. They'd have to go to 2-3-2 with an additional two or three days of rest between venue change, but I still think it'd work out in the end. I hope it happens.
From ninec.wrath on Wed Feb 20 04:02PM
Report abuse