Basketball from a fans perspective
The 2016 NCAA Champion is _________.
Notice the name of the winning team is blank and there is a clear reason. At no time in recent memory has the field been so wide open. The K’s could win; Kentucky and Kansas. At the same time it could be the M’s (Michigan, Michigan State or Maryland), North Carolina, Duke or the Oregon Ducks could be in consideration. How about some long shots; Dayton and Hawaii along with Cal-Irvine is also leaders in the won-loss field. UAB and Valparaiso have already won 20 games this year and this is written in early February. I’m sure no one expected North Carolina State would beat Houston in the 1983 championship game. Near the end of the game an air ball landed in the hands of a NC State player who laid the ball in the basket as the buzzer sounded.
Its likely two years later Las Vegas probably had all the money bet all the outcome of the game, Villanova would face mighty Georgetown. Keep in mind this was prior to the days of early entry Georgetown returned most of its 1984 championship team. In a tough well fought game Villanova won the game. In 1988 Kansas finished 9-5 in the conference and 27-11 overall one of the worst finishes in the schools recent history. The team would be nicknamed Danny and the Miracles as Danny Manning would lead them to the NCAA Championship. Can we consider Wisconsin’s victory over Kentucky last season an upset because they were not the eventual champions? We’ve had upsets in the past with very strong teams; this year the field is wide open.
Is the NBA in Canada’s future?
Canadian basketball has never shone brighter perhaps than over the last few years. The Raptors play on the court and at the box office has been outstanding. In addition we can look at the continuing influx of talent produced especially around the Toronto metro area. Andrew Wiggins last season Rookie of the Year plays for the Wolves however he’s from Toronto. There are other talented players who made the journey across the border to play for American colleges. If and when expansion occurs will the NBA look northward once again?
Vancouver British Columbia was home to the expansion Grizzlies prior to their move to Memphis. A number of factors contributed to the city losing its NBA team. The 2015 metro population of Vancouver is over 2 million souls and it’s likely an NBA team would not impact the NHL Canucks. We could include Montreal in the discussion with its even larger population. The city has football and NHL hockey too but it’s likely an NBA team would be able to draw fans. I have no proof of my statement but have always believed football fans are not hockey or basketball fans. The same for the other sports that’s why I believe pro sports don’t impact attendance for each other; the impact is whether a team is a winner.
The future of Basketball
The game we love might undergo a number of changes by 2046; just think about changes that have occurred since 1985. Let’s peer into the future to see if we can determine the look of basketball in 30 years time. The athletes’ health will be improved primarily due to legal supplements; they will return to action sooner from injury. Injuries once considered season ending no longer exist advances in surgery will allow the player to return to action in weeks not months. New sources developed for shoe wear allow players to become greater leapers at the same time provide greater support for the knees and ankles. The court itself might change drastically no longer composed of wood alone it would be constructed with composite materials with more “give” for the knees and ankles of players.
How about the equipment, anyone remember the basketball the NBA experimented with a few years ago? Instead of leather it was a micro fiber composite designed to absorb moisture better. There were problems and it was withdrawn but will return with the problem issues addressed. Talk has existed for years about raising the basket; the talk becomes reality as the greater leaping ability brings about a 12 foot basket. The arenas will change too, no longer are there “bad-seats” in an NBA arena, fans in the upper levels will have a better view than fans seated at court side. They will pay a few dollars more for a video screen attachment and will receive the local or network televised feed seated high in the arena. These are but a few of the changes we might see in 30 years time compare this with your list.
