Bullets coach reveals why NBL swearing fines are unrealistic
Bullets boss Andrej Lemanis - a coach known for his combustible emotions - has revealed why the NBL’s crackdown on swearing won’t work.
Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis says the NBL’s crackdown on swearing in televised timeouts is “unrealistic”.
Lemanis is one of the head coaches in the sights of the NBL who have made contact with clubs and threatened to issue fines as soon as this weekend if there is profanity during the live broadcast of matches.
The proposed swearing sanctions were widely condemned across the basketball community on with superstar Andrew Bogut saying on Twitter that a five-second delay or banishing the cameras from timeouts were more sensible options.
Lemanis was reportedly caught swearing on air during Sunday’s clash with New Zealand when the Bullets trailed by 23 points in the first half only to have their hearts broken by a last-second buzzer beater from Breakers star Tom Abercrombie to hand the visitors a one-point win.
After the Bullets had a particularly fiery training session at Carina, Lemanis said timeouts can be highly-charged and some colourful language was par for the course.
“In terms of whether it (fines) will stop the swearing, I think that’s unrealistic because it’s a passionate and emotional environment and perhaps that’s why they want the cameras in there, to capture that emotion,’’ Lemanis said.
“I don’t think in the heat of the time-out, you are suddenly going to think, ‘if I swear here, I’m going to get fined’, because you are in your workplace, trying to illicit a response from your players.
COMMENT: WTF NBL? Swearing ban is some serious bull
“Sometimes that’s just the way you illicit a response…there’s tactics involved as well, certainly just swearing at people isn’t the answer, obviously.
“I will try to ensure that we keep that to a minimum.
“I’d prefer not to pay a fine but it’s certainly not going to be something I’m thinking about as I go into a timeout. When you are going into a timeout you are thinking about the messages for the group.’’
Lemanis said coaches are never aware which timeout is being filmed and broadcast live on national television as the cameras switch between team huddles in the breaks in play.
“You are aware that timeouts are being televised and it could be yours. When I go into timeout, that’s certainly not what I’m thinking,’’ he said.
“Over time you just forget that the cameras are there...it’s not something we are proud of but it is also our workplace and the question is, does it need to be televised?
“There’s always the possibility it happens when you put the camera in there.’’
Lemanis said the issue had been raised before and a delayed and edited version of the timeouts like broadcasters do in the NBA could be an alternative.
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Originally published as Bullets coach reveals why NBL swearing fines are unrealistic