I received the following email the other day from a passionate basketball fan who sees the current bj-league sitaution - and Japan's basketball reality - as repulsive.

"Sometimes when I look at the basketball situation here in Japan, being run by many businessmen that have no idea on how to run a basketball team. .. makes me wonder how did it get this far. It's almost like they are trying to take the league straight to adulthood, not letting it have its childhood (we saw how well that worked with Michael Jackson). As of now, in my eyes, the bj-league is in serious trouble and if they don't change directions soon, we might see the end of pro basketball as we know it."

Coach Hernando Planells was fired by the Ryukyu Golden Kings after the 2007-08 season, the team's first in the league. He left behind a lot of enthusiasm for the sport here and some smart ideas about how to grow the game whle pushing hard for greater name recognition and ways to elevate the bj-league's image here and abroad.

Here's a look at what he had to say in June 2008:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20070603eo.html

Is bj-league commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi the closest thing to the legendary Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis in Japanese basketball?

Well, for starters, both have a rebel streak in them.

Davis served in numerous leadership capacities, including as commissioner of the upstart AFL. He played a huge role in the merger, forcing it to happen you could suggest.

There's no merger yet in Japanese basketball, but Toshimitsu Kawachi has changed the course of history for Japanese basketball during his tenure as commissioner of the upstart bj-league, now with 19 teams to the old-guard JBL's eight.

If Kawachi and his inner circle are able to convince -- or raid -- the JBL teams of their top Japanese talent, the bj-league could become more relevant. It might be the best move they could make, in fact.

If Yuta Tabuse had signed with the Tokyo Apache or another bj-league club in 2008 instead of not rocking the boat and signing with the Link Tochigi Brex, Kawachi's Davis-esque image would've grown.

Indeed, Al Davis' passing at age 82 on Saturday reminds us of his long-established method of doing things his own way. He was an icon in American football. but was never afraid to take risks.

Kawachi, former Japan national team coach, TV commentator and Niigata Albirex GM, knows a things or two about breaking away from the status quo. The six-team bj-league circa 2005-06 is now an entirely different entity. It matters more and more each year. Just ask fans of all the new teams that have entered the league since then, or the journalists who cover the sport, or the sponsors who have attached their identities in various ways to all these teams.

I think it's time for him to play hard ball with the Japan Basketball Association and JBL and fight harder for real recognition, a common draft between the leagues, competitions, more air time on TV, etc. Using those tactics as his M.O., Al Davis would've approved -- of that, I'm certain.  

Good grief. Every week, the league office gives me a reason to scratch my head and say, "Why?" I should be baffled, but really, it's no surprise.

What am I talking about?

Exhibit A: It's way past time to change the top photo on bj-league.com, a shot that's been there for months. The photo showcases the hand of an unidentified person and the league's official Spalding ball. The shot hasn't changed in months. Today's opening day. How about emphasizing the newness and the fun of a new season? Where's the imagination, folks?

It's beyond my comprehension why the bj-league would choose to exclude 18 of its 19 head coaches from this season's media day on Sept. 26 in Tokyo.

Actually, it's not that big of a surprise.

This is a league, after all, that does little on a consistent basis to generate publicity in the media or create a buzz about what it's accomplished in its first six seasons. Player quotes after games remain unavailable for the national media and fans; they are not archived, distributed or posted online anywhere. So hundreds of games each year have little insight from the actual participants; call it a point of disgust for yours truly, but the league office has made no effort to work on this.

And remember this: It’s a league that is struggling mightily in several markets to attract enough fans to spend money to attend their games. People, it says here, do not have enough knowledge about the teams, players, coaches, quirky trends and history about the league.

In addition, with seven new teams in the past two seasons, including the expansion Chiba Jets, Iwate Big Bulls, Shinshu Brave Warriors and Yokohama B-Corsairs for 2011-12, you'd think the league office would insist on having its coaches do as many media functions as possible. Get the word out, would be the rationale, about the new teams. Give people with notepads, digital recorders and cameras endless opportunities to document the new coaches' hopes and aspirations.

But this is not the way the bj-league operates. Spending as little money as possible on things that matter is the normal way of doing things.

It's stunning, then, that even player representatives from each of the teams will be in Tokyo for next week's media event. Sure, players can say interesting, meaningful things. But first and foremost, this is the role of head coaches.

A year ago, it was a progressive move for the bj-league, which rarely does progressive things, to have player and coaching representatives from all 16 teams. In just a few hours, I was able to cram in enough interviews for a dozen or so stories; other reporters also greatly benefited from this. It was time well spent. And it was a necessary activity.

For a league spread out over 19 prefectures and three islands, having all of the coaches in one location at one time is time well spent and enables journalists in the nation's media capital an opportunity to do their job properly.

If the league isn't willing to provide these types of opportunities for journalists, it could adapt this motto: Sorry, media, your job doesn't matter to us."

But seriously, the league takes one step forward for every three steps it takes backward.

A media day without all the coaches is a horrible idea. This, however, would be at least a decent one: Set up a press teleconference (using Skype or a similar service). It could be done for free -- a policy I have been advocating for a few years now -- with each of the league's coaches. Give them 10-15 minutes to answer questions from reporters, many of whom are not in Tokyo, and may not get the OK from their editors to travel to Tokyo for a media event. Instead, a press teleconference would save money, and league staff could transcribe these comments in English and Japanese and post them on the league's website. Bam! Simple. It's a win-win concept, but it won't happen.

Why? The bj-league's media relations/PR staff personnel don’t see the big picture. Their energy and efforts are misguided and focused on other things.

It's time for common sense to prevail.

In a league with a high turnover of coaches (11 of 16 bench bosses to begin the 2010-11 season were not in those spots to kick off the previous campaign), a once-a-year event is not too much to ask for. Coaches are the public face of their franchises, and should fill that role as often as possible -- on the phone and in person.

Somewhere along the way, from its humble beginnings with six teams for the 2005-06 season to its 20-team (dropped to 19 after the Tokyo Apache bailed out of the league) planned setup for this season, the league lost track of what matters.

But it's never too late to recognize the importance of media. Often, media attention is the driving force in new fans' developing a passion for a sports league.