NBL threatens to crackdown on coach swearing after Andrej Lemanis caught on camera
It’s all well and good to try to promote the NBL on television and appeal to families, but a crackdown on swearing goes against the natural passion of sport, writes Greg Davis
Basketball
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WTF NBL?
So the National Basketball League is threatening to crackdown on coaches who swear during televised timeouts with the possibility of fines being issued as soon as this weekend.
What total BS.
The NBL is trying to have its cake and eat it too with this one.
It is great that TV cameras can enter the inner sanctum of teams during matches to capture all the drama and intrigue of the contest.
It is access that other sports can only dream about. It only adds to the coverage on both Fox Sports and 9GO because you feel like you are right in the middle of all the action.
But if you plonk a camera in the middle of a timeout – which can be a high-charged emotional environment – you have to expect a little profanity to go with the passion.
The NBL is a professional sporting competition. The stakes are high. It is serious business. These are grown men under pressure to produce the right result.
Now the coaches are expected to know if the camera is there and mind their Ps and Qs while they are issuing pointed instructions in a limited amount of time?
That’s bulldust.
Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis was captured swearing during last Sunday’s clash with New Zealand.
His team was down by 23 points in the first half. What is he supposed to say?
“Excuse me gents, could we possibly get a wriggle on? Tally Ho!’’
Sydney Kings superstar Andrew Bogut suggested on Twitter that a five second delay take place with the timeout footage or the cameras get out all together. Sound logic.
The NBL is rightly trying to appeal to families. Lots of kids watch the NBL, especially in the 2pm AEST timeslot on weekends when games are on free-to-air TV.
Nobody wants to hear the odd F-bomb dropped in their living room.
Maybe the broadcasters can take a leaf out of the NBA who do not show timeouts live.
Selected parts of timeouts are shown after they have taken place and are profanity-free. Hooray!
If the NBL forges ahead and decides to fine the coaches for being human, here’s a suggestion for what they can do with the money.
Put the cash into referee development.
If the whistleblowers get better (and the only way is up for a few of them), maybe the coaches won’t be so justifiably angry all the time.
The infuriatingly inconsistent rule interpretations and applications by the referees is a much bigger issue for the NBL to tackle than a couple of occasionally potty-mouthed coaches.
NBL General manager Jeremy Loeliger said the league was trying to be innovative by giving fans a unique look behind the scenes and fines for swearing would be a “last resort”.
“Most of the clubs give fantastic access and it’s a case of working with coaches to educate them that what they say at certain times during a game can be live,’’ he said.
“We are a family sport and want to reduce the risk of bad language going to air while ensuring that we continue to give fans and viewers watching great access through the broadcast.
“Sanctions including fines are really a last resort and not something we have imposed on any club at this point in time.’’
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Originally published as NBL threatens to crackdown on coach swearing after Andrej Lemanis caught on camera
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