The Saitama Broncos, losers of 10 straight games to open the 2014-15 season, their 10th in the bj-league, have been so bad for so long that any winning streak (two games, I submit, as a rare example) is a shocking development.
The franchise has had one constant during its decade of nonstop chaos in the bj-league: team president Toshihiko Narita.
They change coaches every year.
Their best players rarely stay around for more than two seasons.
The revolving door that is their roster "strategy" is a recipe for disaster.
The Broncos, currently with a 20-day bye period after just five weeks of games, have played in 432 games in the fledgling circuit and lost 303 of them. They've also lost 57 of their past 62 games dating to the start of the 2013-14 season, when they went 5-47. They've never qualified for the playoffs despite being one of the bj-league's original two JBL breakaway teams and seen expansion teams join the circuit every year since the league's inception in 2005.
A recent response from bulls.com writer Sam Smith to a reader summing up the Philadelphia Sixers woes reminds me of the way the Saitama Broncos conduct business. It's a disgrace and disrespects the game, the league, and the fans.
To wit: simply replace the Sixers with the Broncos and take away the possibility of lottery picks (the bj-league draft is often bypassed by most teams as a money-saving tactic).
In part, Smith wrote, "They simply hope to get a high lottery pick in the draft and potential star. It’s the way the best teams have been built. No argument there. But their absolute disregard for the spirit of competition and the dignity of the sport tarnishes everyone and they do not seem to care. You don’t want to be on a boat with a member of 76ers management because it’s pretty likely women and children first would just be an antiquated guideline for them. What they are going to find out is there is a price to pay. Because when you purposely lose as they are doing you make losers of your players. And they come to accept failure more than most players. It becomes a difficult habit to break."
The franchise has had one constant during its decade of nonstop chaos in the bj-league: team president Toshihiko Narita.
They change coaches every year.
Their best players rarely stay around for more than two seasons.
The revolving door that is their roster "strategy" is a recipe for disaster.
The Broncos, currently with a 20-day bye period after just five weeks of games, have played in 432 games in the fledgling circuit and lost 303 of them. They've also lost 57 of their past 62 games dating to the start of the 2013-14 season, when they went 5-47. They've never qualified for the playoffs despite being one of the bj-league's original two JBL breakaway teams and seen expansion teams join the circuit every year since the league's inception in 2005.
A recent response from bulls.com writer Sam Smith to a reader summing up the Philadelphia Sixers woes reminds me of the way the Saitama Broncos conduct business. It's a disgrace and disrespects the game, the league, and the fans.
To wit: simply replace the Sixers with the Broncos and take away the possibility of lottery picks (the bj-league draft is often bypassed by most teams as a money-saving tactic).
In part, Smith wrote, "They simply hope to get a high lottery pick in the draft and potential star. It’s the way the best teams have been built. No argument there. But their absolute disregard for the spirit of competition and the dignity of the sport tarnishes everyone and they do not seem to care. You don’t want to be on a boat with a member of 76ers management because it’s pretty likely women and children first would just be an antiquated guideline for them. What they are going to find out is there is a price to pay. Because when you purposely lose as they are doing you make losers of your players. And they come to accept failure more than most players. It becomes a difficult habit to break."
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