A league back and worth a look; and a new era dawns in Brooklyn

It’s that time again and once again the call goes out to all Irregulars in small Canadian cities to at least give the National Basketball League of Canada a look at some time this season.

Not saying you have to see every game but if you go, I’d imagine you’ll find it to be affordable entertainment and basketball at a pretty good level.

And the league seems to be once again doing things the right way – on a smallish scale without any grandiose moves – that connects it with cities like London, Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, Oshawa, Montreal and the new expansion team in Windsor.

Montreal’s the interesting one to me, since we were just there and saw a level of basketball interest that was a bit surprising. It’s also the biggest city the league is in, it’s getting a late start to the season because of some issues in Laval that forced the move to Montreal and there’s going to be some work to do to make sure it survives what could a rocky first season.

But there’s a guy named Pascal Jobin who’s in charge – I know him because he was the TVA analyst when the French network did a handful of Raptors games and we have some mutual basketball friends down there – and I’m pretty sure he’ll make it work, despite just getting started this week.

But, again, it’s a big city with lots of other entertainment options so if you were at the Raptors-Knicks game a couple of weeks ago or care about the game, try to get out to see a NBLC game, I bet you’re pleasantly surprised.

The league, as we said repeatedly last season, knows what it is and knows what it has to be. It’s got to be affordable, family entertainment with a strong local connection. The players, coaches and executives have to get out in their cities and meet people, get to be known, get to be familiar with folks at a kind of personal level.

In Windsor, for instance, they are giving away free tickets for their first game – an outstanding idea – because if people see it, I know they’ll like it.

A pro basketball league in Canada is important, it gives Canadian kids a place to play and make money, and it promotes the game where it needs promoting and that can’t be a bad thing at any level.

I’m sort of looking forward to getting back to Oshawa and London and down to Windsor at some time this season to do a bit more writing about the league, was always good time last year, I expect it to be the same now.

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Considering where I’m going today, how cool is this?

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I don’t presume too many of you saw it but the Argo-Ticat game last night was a doozy, 43-40 Toronto on a last-play field goal that sealed Hamilton’s fate.

And I don’t presume too many of you saw it – or Chad Owens eclipse a Pinball record for most yards in a season – because you were watching was I’m told was a somewhat boring NFL game.

Just sayin’

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Mail?

Sure, last shot.

Going to do it today or tomorrow morning and get it up then so we can do the regular fare here Sunday morning after the Nets game.

Click. Write. Say hello (or something along those lines). Send.

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I’m told it took the Miami Heat three hours to get from the airport to Manhattan yesterday after they arrived for tonight’s game at the Garden against the Knicks.

Not only does that worry me about my own travel (have never gone from LaGuardia to Brooklyn so I’m really going into this blind) but it also makes me wonder – again – about the prudence of even playing games this weekend in the storm-ravaged city.

Despite I’m sure the best efforts of every cleanup crew working, it just seems too overwhelming and I honestly think the NBA should have given the city – and the city should have demanded – the weekend to get things right.

Toss in the fact they’re still planning to go ahead with the New York City marathon on Sunday and I can see it being a total circus down there.

Can’t wait to join it, although I would imagine I won’t be venturing too far from the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott tonight and that’s only about a mile, I’m told, from the Barclay’s Center.

Wish me luck.

But it will be something to see, first time we’ve been in the first game for a new arena, let alone the first real game for a team in a new city.

I presume Jay-Z will stop by to say hello and I’d think Beyonce would want to see how things are going with her favourite grunt.

(I’m told they’re famous music people and that you’ll get the reference).

But I also know Dwane’s a bit worried about the electricity in the air – if there is real electricity in the wake of Sandy – because the Nets are good enough without a boost from a crowd.

And after watching them for years in the morgue-like environs of the Meadowlands and then Newark, it’ll be shocking to see them actually have a big crowd legitimately cheering for them.

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I know we’ve got some Expos fans out there and they had to be bit shaken if they heard the news yesterday that Pascual Perez was found murdered after an apparent home invasion.

I never covered Perez but I did know people who did and he was legitimately zany and wildly interesting. Not a great pitcher but a great story and one of the kind of “characters” that pro sports is missing these days. Sure, he had his demons, many of them and that’s truly sad, but he was something else.

Griff knew him pretty well and this is a helluva column and there was this story back in the day from Sports Illustrated that I remember making me laugh out loud.

RIP, Pascual.

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Comments

[jc]

Have a safe trip to New York. I'd be interested to read your first hand accounts. So bizarre to see what we associate with far away countries or southern locales happening in our big brother city.

[David in Oakville]

Good Morning Doug,

If it counts at all, I had the Ticats/Argo game on the radio.. long nights at work this week. And I am disappointed but not surprised by the ending for this team of Cats. My fingers and toes are crossed for Hamilton's other football team and my alma mater. GO MAC!

And in case it comes up in Brooklyn... the baby's name is Blue Ivy.

Blogger's note: Thanks. If they ask me to babysit tonight while they go out, I've got it covered now

[Greg]

The Expos needed someone like Pascual in those days. He was a very unique soul. May he RIP.

Would love to hear a list of 5 or 10 of the zaniest characters you have met or covered in pro sports over the years...

Blogger's note: A list to work on, for sure

[john]

Hey Doug, I read an article about the Mayor Boomberg who was actually pressing the leagues and organizers for these events to happen. He's convinced it will help the people who need the economic boost the most, not the basketball teams or leagues, but the workers at concessions and bars who rely on these events to make living. The marathon creates an estimated $350 million in revenue for the city and I guess he doesn’t want the city and its people lose out on that during a time of need.

[Henry]

Hey Doug, do yourself a favour and go to Grimaldi's for some great pizza. Its just under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side. Hopefully it open, because its easily an area that could be flooded. Make sure you bring cash, because they don't take cards and their bank machine charges a $5 convenience fee. Go Raps!

Blogger's note: That's the name of the place!!! Thanks. WIll try

[Sharkey]

Here's the best Pascual Perez obit, from Montrealer/Expos fan and Grantland columnist Jonah Keri. Captures him perfectly: http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/41706/r-i-p-pascual-perez-the-ultimate-80s-perimeter-player

Also Doug, do you know if the Nets are bringing their championship banners and retired numbers over from Jersey? I mean, nobody watched them but they did go to back-to-back NBA finals and have some decent team history. Would be a shame to leave that stuff behind.

Blogger's note: I believe they are; I'll look tomorrow

[Rob.V]

I am way late to the party however:
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Pay Wall - First off, I hope the term pay wall does not come from the business' implementing them. Using the word "wall" is not the brightest way to attract "customers". In fact, I'd argue that in the history of the business world you would be hard pressed to find a successful business that has advertised putting a "wall" between them and their customer. Surely some equally artificial (more pleasing) term could be used.
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Having said this, when I'm here I feel as though I am an important contributer. Of course to discuss ball and other topics however sometimes it's humor, sometimes to be a provocateur or to be entertaining (if possible).
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Where I'm going with this is that I feel as though "I" am the star of this show (which is the way it should be). This is not meant to be egotistical as I believe we are all entertaining here.
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This is in no way meant to take away from all of dudes hard work because this starts and stops with him however I also feel that the LeeZ', Doug's, Lorie's, DMac's and the rest of the irregular (whack) pack are key components as well and I'm not sure they should have to pay to voice an opinion here which helps keep this train moving.
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Now, this perspective comes from a guy who only comes to the Star for the shenanigans here at this blog so I guess we'll have to see what happens in the new year.
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$38-42 million? - Why all the negativity yesterday. We're one game in, how can anyone know if DeRozan's deal is bad one at this point. The answer lies somewhere within the next 3-24 months doesn't it?... not yesterday. Isn't it really what the market with bear? AB's deal looked terrible a couple of years ago however he is arguably underpaid. Even Brook Lopez and Kris Humphrie's make more money than AB today. That was a good deal, as I suspect Derozan's will be 3 years from now as well.
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What David West needed the other night was one of two things:
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1). a double team
2) a really hard fowl
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He didn't see either... 0-1!

[ron morissey]

Doug,

Thanks for the tribute to Ebbets Field. Growing up in the 50's I was a Yankee fan and my father cheered for the Bums. My mother had a real challenge keeping the peace in the household during many Octobers of that time. Snyder or Mantle? (Forget Mays since he almost never played past September.) Roy or Yogi? Pee Wee or the Scooter? Newk or Whitey? I still recall those great debates.

My father never cheered for the Dodgers when they left for LA.

RSM

[billy]

How can a person who supposedly is a professional writer say about the Argos game " I doubt you watched it"?

Are you speaking to sports fans in general, or your cultish following?

I mean there were over 27,000 on hand. Probably had a national TV audience 4 times as big as the last Raptors game.

Yet your only comment is that probably nobody watched?

I mean what other sports in Canada gets so much disrespect then the Canadian football?

I know. Hockey

To alot of know nothings in the media, if it ain't got the American seal of approval, and if you can't travel to Brooklyn to watch it, its inferior.

Disgusting

Is it coincidence they're two Canadian instiutuitons s

Blogger's note: Not sure why your insight cut off but I can imagine it was going to end with songs of praise. You haven't been around in a while to blast all things American. But you can't stay away, can you? We're like a drug. :) Thanks for reading

[LeeZ]

@Henry: Great suggestion re: Grimaldi's. I once went on a pizza tour of Brooklyn (quite a good tour, actually), and that was our first stop. It's a coal-fired oven, which is now illegal, but they grandfathered Grimaldi's, thankfully. But beware of LONG lineups, Doug. I'd go at a non-peak time if I were you. Used to be Frank's favourite pizzeria. I understand that back in his day, Frank was almost as famous as that JayZ guy, no? His music was probably singlehandedly responsible for the baby boom.

[bkn]

Hey Doug, if you've got a spare moment (I know all you do is lounge about on these trips, right?) there are a couple of great spots right around the arena in Brooklyn that might be worth your time:

4th Avenue Pub, on 4th Ave (duh) btw St Marks & Bergen - friendly service, and an excellent craft beer selection. Found some gems that I've never seen elsewhere. No food though, so it's simply an adult beverage establishment (well, they do have free popcorn).

Mitchell's Soul Food on Vanderbilt also btw St Marks & Bergen - Some of the best not-at-all-good-for-you food I've ever had. The corn bread and the yams are of the "how'd they DO that?" variety.

[james]

Actually Billy, our blogger has been supportive of the CFL, even plunking down some cash to attend a live game or two this season. Re-read the complete quote; I believe he was being ironic when he compared the two football games on offer last night:
"And I don’t presume too many of you saw it because you were watching was I’m told was a somewhat boring NFL game."
Speaking of the CFL, I highly recommend the series "Engraved on a Nation" running on TSN and CTV. The episode recounting the staging of the 1969 Grey Cup in Montreal was an excellent piece of documentary filmmaking.

[Mike kovacs]

Gotta love those Expos! Best uniforms and best true charcters! Perez was one of the best! RIP.

[LeeZ]

@bkn: Soul food? Did you say soul food, in Brooklyn, no less? Does it measure up to Amy Ruth's or Sylvia's in Harlem?

[David in Oakville]

@ LeeZ

A PIZZA TOUR OF BROOKLYN! - GET OUT... that sounds awesome.
The things you can learn from reading Doug's blog

[J]

@billy:

Your lack of reading comprehension does a far greater injustice toward all things Canadian than any potential source of your anti-American paranoia ever could.

[LeeZ]

@David in Oakville: not only is it a pizza tour, but they show clips of famous movie scenes (The Godfather, etc.) and then take you to the exact locations where they were filmed. Très cool. Best part? You waltz in past the huge lineups at Grimaldi's and get served right away.

[m]

@rob v
"What David West needed the other night was one of two things:
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1). a double team
2) a really hard fowl"
That's hilarious, I'm having visions of the fans hurling frozen turkeys at him, a la Les Nessman.
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[D-Mac Ottawa]

A-r-r-r-r-g-o-s. Yep, I was watching. It was by far the better game. In the same vein as I was watching Notre Dame v. Oklahoma last Saturday – far, far more entertaining than the World Series game. And I'm a baseball guy.
I had never seen or heard that Sinatra tribute to Ebbets. What a classic! Thanks!
And @Rob.V, back at ya. You ARE a star. Always entertaining. And likewise, I'm mostly visiting the Star for this unique (gold) little corner of the world.
I'm also in the same boat with those who say signing DeRoz makes as much sense as not, and won't hurt a thing going forward. My take on DeRoz is that he takes his hoops pretty seriously; that he's never been in it just for a pay cheque.
Anyone see the documentary last night on Goose Tatum? A dry eye could not be maintained. Great, great biopic. And those old headlines brought up a question: Why were ballers called "cagers" back in the day? Well, isn't Google marvelous – here you go: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1140230/index.htm
Cheers. Go Raps!

[Jonathan M]

If you don't want to wander too far, O'Keefe's is spitting distance. They apparently have good wings, many screens, friendly barmaids and an assorted collection of adult beverages.

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/o-keefes-bar-and-grill-brooklyn

[Some Guy]

Doug, I used to live in Brooklyn Heights (effectively in-between / adjacent to The Brooklyn and The Barclay Center) and the drive from LaGuardia should be relatively pain-free (straight down the Brooklyn Expressway) as you are avoiding Manhattan and low-lying (i.e., potentially flooded) disaster areas (until you arrive at your destination anyways). Getting to the arena should also be easy: it is walkable (a mere 2-3 subway stops) and very accessible.

You are going to be staying in a great part of New York. Enjoy.

[sportschic]

I love the idea of a pizza tour of Brooklyn! Anyway, it appears that Grimaldi's is open https://twitter.com/GrimaldisPizza
*and* that they're opening up in Denver, so there's another place you can try it. Of course, they won't be able to do the coal ovens there, I assume.

[Lorie]

OK. Sign me up. I've always thought An Irregular Road Trip to select NBA cities would be a blast. And then some. A blast and a half. A megablast. So, think about this: first we head to Brooklyn on our Perfect Pizza Tour. Then we hit Memphis for A Wings and Blues Trek. Next, Seattle for Bourbon, Books and Coffee Shop Browse (and I know there's *presently* no team there, but that could change...). And finally. The ultimate Irregular Adventure: Barcelona for the upcoming EuroBasket and to embark on the Great Garbajosa Spanish Experience. I'm thinking that last one might need a more than a long weekend... ;) Anyway, until then...thanks for the NBLC mention here, Doug. We're pretty pumped in London for our Lightning. Hopefully the excitement from the team, the support from the fans, and the quality of those homemade courtside cookies will be as good - if not even better - than last year! Cheers. And safe trip to NYC.

[Lorie]

@m and @Rob V:
I'm on the floor. Hysterical. Gasping for breath even as I type this. The Raptors' New And Improved "Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition" Defensive Strategy: “Our chief weapon is surprise, fear and surprise; two chief weapons, fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency! Er, among our chief weapons are: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and near fanatical devotion to the Pope!" Now we can add to that list: "A Really Hard Fowl"! Clucking Brilliant.

[GM]

@D-Mac, yes, I saw that Tatum doc last night. With so many channels, though, I never know if I'm catching something the first time through or if it's ages old and I just missed it the first dozen times it was on. Loved it, especially since the Globies are what turned me on to basketball when I was a kid (although it was Meadowlark, not Goose). Good to see "legit" players being interviewed and being in awe, like Wayne Embry, Jerry West, and the others.