Plenty of startup leagues have tapped out before reaching this milestone. Yet the Canadian Elite Basketball League is still here.
When the Hamilton Honey Badgers run onto the court for their final game of the regular season on Wednesday night, they will have achieved something more than a few probably didn't expect.
Making the playoffs? Nope. Plenty of people figured that would happen, and it has. Seeing their female head coach get tons of media attention? Absolutely not. That was guaranteed. Scoring a lot of points? No way. This league was always going to have tons of offence.
The shock for some is simply that they've made it this far. Plenty of startup leagues have tapped out before reaching this milestone. Yet the Canadian Elite Basketball League is still here.
The buy-in from fans across the country — the league has teams in Edmonton, B.C., Guelph, Niagara and Saskatoon — exceeded expectations. The atmosphere at many games was exceptional. The knowledge gathered this first season will help the league going forward. And the names of guys who've been in contact with Morreale wanting to play next season is impressive. Big-name guys, he says.
"The only place we have issues is Hamilton," he says.
It's hard to be surprised by that part.
Go to Guelph or Niagara and he says the atmosphere in the arena is terrific. But in cavernous FirstOntario Centre where crowds average about 1,100 or so, the buzz is lost.
To compensate, the team has curtained off certain areas, set up standing areas behind one basket and kept the music up loud. It means you can't hear the squeaking of shoes all the time, but the alternative is worse.
"We shut off the music and it's like a morgue in there," he says. "It's painfully quiet."
A dead atmosphere doesn't lend itself to the best experience. Which may deter repeat visitors. Which keeps crowds suppressed and prevents a better atmosphere. Which all creates a difficult cycle to break.
Morreale says he's looked at other venues but there really isn't another feasible option. Which means he'll be closely monitoring the arena report coming before city council one of these days soon. The one exploring the possibility of revitalizing FirstOntario Centre or even exploring the building of a new, smaller venue with some kind of private-public partnership.
If nothing happens and things stay as they are, a tough decision will have to be made.
"Then we have to take a hard, long look at what happens and that team," he says. "Because that's not a venue where we can last a long time. It's not a forever venue."
He's not giving up, though. Morreale expects the league to expand by at least one team this off-season — bought by an external owner which will change things as presently all teams are owned by the same guy — and believes some rough edges can be ironed out next year. Further, he's expecting season tickets and sponsorships to double by May.
Which all sounds like a success. Morreale doesn't even mind that some people doubted him and the league.
"I think that's a positive."
Not the doubts. Defeating the doubts.
Because honestly, who doesn't like doing better than people expect?
905-526-2440 | @radleyatthespec
Spectator columnist Scott Radley hosts The Scott Radley Show weeknights from 6-8 on 900CHML
905-526-2440 | @radleyatthespec
Spectator columnist Scott Radley hosts The Scott Radley Show weeknights from 6-8 on 900CHML