As of today, June 18th, here is the latest from the Director of Operations office in Jacksonville, Florida. It is a hot and humid day here with the heat index hitting 105.......Oh wait, you don't want to hear about that, so let's get to some basketball.
Things are moving forward with interest coming most recently from Jacksonville, FL; Indianapolis, Akron, OH; Augusta, GA and Northern Virginia. We will be speaking with these prospective owners more this week and next in hopes of getting them secured as members of the Global Professional Basketball League.
We are hoping to gain more teams in the southern part of the US as we are in need of teams to create a division around our club in Baton Rouge, LA. Jacksonville and Augusta would be fantastic additions to the Southern Division, but of course we want to have more teams in that part of the country. We are always looking for prospective owners and we feel we have a business plan that will ensure success in any market. For more information, give me a call at 888-412-4725x503.
One thing that is very encouraging is the number of inquiries we have received from prospective players. To date, we have received about 30 calls and e-mails from players who would like to play in the GPBL. We are telling players to go to our website at www.thegpbl.com where in the next couple of days there will be more and more information on our Free Agent Camp and Combine that will be taking place August 14th and 15th in Canton, OH. All of our teams will be in attendance with the draft to follow on Sunday afternoon. There will be discounted rooms available at the Best Western in Canton for players who will be coming from out of town. As a side note, we also will be welcoming scouts from other leagues as well. If you are a scout from another league, please contact us before the camp so we can have more detailed information available for you at the door.
Until next week, that is about it from Jacksonville. For those fans out there who are reading on Blogger or through our newsletter, we thank you for your support of the GPBL. We are working hard to ensure the league and all of our teams are a success not only on the court, but off the court as well. Keep the questions and comments coming and I will make sure I get to each and every one of them.
Chris Munson
Director of Basketball Operations
Global Professional Basketball League
chris@thegpbl.com
888-412-4725x503
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Jacksonville, Florida—From the home office, well at least my home office in Jacksonville, Florida, here is the latest from the office of the Director of Basketball Operations.
We had a very strong week last week with two teams added to our roster. We have added teams in Pittsburgh, PA and in Louisiana. The two ownership groups are very strong with some very aggressive plans for marketing and development of their markets. In coming weeks we would like to surround these markets with investors in other cities and towns. The south is a basketball hotbed and we have significant interest in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Up north, we have strong interest from other markets in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Ontario. These areas would fit in perfectly with our existing cities of Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Canton and Barberton, OH. Interest has also been expressed in Washington, Oregon and California. We will have all teams finalized by August 1st with no more expansion teams being accepted after that date.
During our owners conference call on Saturday, there were quite a few things that we discussed, mainly the rules we will be using for next season. What we have decided to do is to institute FIBA rules and tabled the discussion of utilizing a 22 second shot clock. The reason we are using FIBA rules is simple; we would like to prepare our players for international competition. The rest of the world goes by FIBA rules and if we want our players to advance in the world of basketball, we believe we should use the rules that the rest of the world goes by. When it comes to the 22 second clock, we are of the belief this is something that will speed up the game, force quicker decisions and of course increase scoring. This is an issue that was divided so we will make a final decision before our free agent camp in August.
One of the other things we discussed was our free agent camp and draft. The free agent camp and draft will be taking place in Canton, Ohio on the weekend of August 14th. This will be a league wide event with all teams participating. We are hoping to attract over 100 prospective players from around the country. These players will have the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of all of the coaches and general managers from the GPBL in a two day camp. Immediately following the camp, our first ever player draft will be held. This is an event we are excited about and are looking forward to. We will not only be showcasing our players and staff, but vendors from the world of basketball will be there to showcase their merchandise.
As the season approaches, we know there is quite a bit of work that needs to be done. We have teams to recruit, players and coaches to sign, venues to secure and so many other details to finalize. Keep the suggestions coming and know we are reading all of the comments our new fans are sending along to us. We value your input as it is your entertainment dollar that will be giving us a venue to showcase the talents of our ballplayers. For more information on the league, go to www.thegpbl.com.
Sincerely,
Chris Munson
Director of Basketball Operations
Global Professional Basketball League
We had a very strong week last week with two teams added to our roster. We have added teams in Pittsburgh, PA and in Louisiana. The two ownership groups are very strong with some very aggressive plans for marketing and development of their markets. In coming weeks we would like to surround these markets with investors in other cities and towns. The south is a basketball hotbed and we have significant interest in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Up north, we have strong interest from other markets in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Ontario. These areas would fit in perfectly with our existing cities of Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Canton and Barberton, OH. Interest has also been expressed in Washington, Oregon and California. We will have all teams finalized by August 1st with no more expansion teams being accepted after that date.
During our owners conference call on Saturday, there were quite a few things that we discussed, mainly the rules we will be using for next season. What we have decided to do is to institute FIBA rules and tabled the discussion of utilizing a 22 second shot clock. The reason we are using FIBA rules is simple; we would like to prepare our players for international competition. The rest of the world goes by FIBA rules and if we want our players to advance in the world of basketball, we believe we should use the rules that the rest of the world goes by. When it comes to the 22 second clock, we are of the belief this is something that will speed up the game, force quicker decisions and of course increase scoring. This is an issue that was divided so we will make a final decision before our free agent camp in August.
One of the other things we discussed was our free agent camp and draft. The free agent camp and draft will be taking place in Canton, Ohio on the weekend of August 14th. This will be a league wide event with all teams participating. We are hoping to attract over 100 prospective players from around the country. These players will have the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of all of the coaches and general managers from the GPBL in a two day camp. Immediately following the camp, our first ever player draft will be held. This is an event we are excited about and are looking forward to. We will not only be showcasing our players and staff, but vendors from the world of basketball will be there to showcase their merchandise.
As the season approaches, we know there is quite a bit of work that needs to be done. We have teams to recruit, players and coaches to sign, venues to secure and so many other details to finalize. Keep the suggestions coming and know we are reading all of the comments our new fans are sending along to us. We value your input as it is your entertainment dollar that will be giving us a venue to showcase the talents of our ballplayers. For more information on the league, go to www.thegpbl.com.
Sincerely,
Chris Munson
Director of Basketball Operations
Global Professional Basketball League
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Latest on the League
Howdy folks,
Things are moving right along in the planning for our inaugural season in the world of minor league basketball. Here is the latest:
We are expecting to sign two more teams this week giving us a total of six. These teams will be based in Pittsburgh, PA and in Baton Rouge, LA. The ownership groups are solid and we expect good things out of them.
We held a very productive set of owner's meetings over the weekend. We discussed the upcoming season and went over our Operations Manual. All of our owners are very excited about the season and the chance to be involved in minor league basketball.
One thing I would like to run by the fans is the shot clock for this season. We are toying with the idea of a 22 second shot clock to bring that added level of excitement to the game. Personally, I think it will lead to more offense, more scoring and then in turn, more excitement for you the fans.
We would also like to know what the fans would like to see at the arenas this season. What sort of promotions are you looking for? How much is too much for a ticket to a GPBL game? We are devoted to our fans and to the cities in which we play. We want to know what YOU want and what will get you coming back for many seasons to come.
Any suggestions or comments can come through my e-mail address at chris@thegpbl.com or please pick up the phone and give me a call at 888-412-4725x503.
We look forward to seeing you all at the games in January and we will keep you all posted on the latest team signings.
Chris Munson
Global Professional Basketball League
Director of Basketball Operations
Things are moving right along in the planning for our inaugural season in the world of minor league basketball. Here is the latest:
We are expecting to sign two more teams this week giving us a total of six. These teams will be based in Pittsburgh, PA and in Baton Rouge, LA. The ownership groups are solid and we expect good things out of them.
We held a very productive set of owner's meetings over the weekend. We discussed the upcoming season and went over our Operations Manual. All of our owners are very excited about the season and the chance to be involved in minor league basketball.
One thing I would like to run by the fans is the shot clock for this season. We are toying with the idea of a 22 second shot clock to bring that added level of excitement to the game. Personally, I think it will lead to more offense, more scoring and then in turn, more excitement for you the fans.
We would also like to know what the fans would like to see at the arenas this season. What sort of promotions are you looking for? How much is too much for a ticket to a GPBL game? We are devoted to our fans and to the cities in which we play. We want to know what YOU want and what will get you coming back for many seasons to come.
Any suggestions or comments can come through my e-mail address at chris@thegpbl.com or please pick up the phone and give me a call at 888-412-4725x503.
We look forward to seeing you all at the games in January and we will keep you all posted on the latest team signings.
Chris Munson
Global Professional Basketball League
Director of Basketball Operations
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