Did I say Taiwanese basketball never ceases to amaze me? Well, here's the latest example. Liberty Times reported Saturday that five of seven SBL teams plan to set up a new committee to tackle on the marketing issue.
Dacin Tigers, which is owned by CTBA President Wang Jen-da, and Bank of Taiwan, a state-owned bank, were not invited to join the Super Basketball Developmental Committee, which will officially established on Nov. 17.
Taiwan Mobile general manager Wang Hong-shen said the committee looks to improve the marketing aspect of the SBL and will not be competing with the SBL Committee, comprised of team representatives and CTBA officials, for the leadership and organizational power.
"It is a division of labor, " Wang said.
CTBA deputy secretary-general Wang Jen-shen expressed his disappointment toward the move. "The move will destroy what the league has accomplished during the past six years if they want to take the matters in their own hands." Wang was referring to game operations, including venue and officiating.
"I doubt they will be able to set up all those things before the season opener in January, " he said.
The strange thing is:
1. The new committee excludes Dacin and BOT although it stresses that marketing will be its only goal. If that is true, why do they decide to left two teams out in the cold?
2. Although the new committee stresses that marketing will be its main goal, Wang Jen-shen still presumed that it's trying to take charge of everything eventually.
Do you smell something?
Wang jen-shen is not stupid. And I bet he's thinking what I'm thinking: these teams are trying to break away fro m the CTBA to set up their own league -- again.
However I don't think Wang and the CTBA are panicking any time soon. SBL teams have threatened to leave the league and set up a new one like...a million times, but they never actually did anything.
It will be interesting to see how this thing develops though.